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Thread: Best simple methods for raising a few queens

  1. #11

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    heres a better version I think

  2. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by gavin View Post
    Well done DL, I was thinking of offering SBAi server space for your file but you have a way round it. Nice set of pics. Grafting is really easy though - stop by at the association apiary and I'll show you (may have to be next year now).
    Gavin thought you were off to America ?

    Cell punching is good for the short sighted types with Delerium Tremens like Tonto and me

    Bit of palaver but its done

    Going to take a look at improving on the Alley method next
    Last edited by The Drone Ranger; 11-08-2011 at 12:33 AM.

  3. #13
    Administrator gavin's Avatar
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    Soon enough. I'll still be looking in here though. A pair of glasses helps with the grafting, just as it does for disease inspections. You're on your own finding a solution for the DTs though - no experience of that yet!

  4. #14

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    Somebody asked we why the ring was used ?
    Well it's not really essential, but it saves just looking down the outer tube of the punch, and makes it easier to mount the punched cell (which should fit on the standard cupkit plastic brown cell and then onto a cellbar if you use that system)
    Otherwise just press some foundation onto the bottom bars of a standard super and the cell will stick to that fairly easily

  5. #15
    Senior Member Jon's Avatar
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    I dug out the cell punches I mentioned in a previous post.

    cell punch1.jpg cell punch3.jpg cell punch5.jpg cell punch2.jpg

  6. #16

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    Thanks Jon

    It looks like once a cell is in the tube you push it all the way through with the wooden insert.
    Is that the way it works ??
    Presumably you push the cell down the tube and it ends up held in the plastic cup
    Quite a neat solution

  7. #17
    Senior Member Adam's Avatar
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    I haven't used a punch - I did read somewhere that you could use a piece of copper tubing which is easy to work.

    I've grafted and cupkitted this year and I prefer the cupkit method; I think it's more reliable and I don't have to wear glasses under a veil which I don't like at all. I am comfortable lifting a queen into the cupkit which might put some people off if they don't have to confidence to pick up their favourite queen.

    I agree with Jon about queenright queenrearing with all brood less the frame the queen is on above the queen excluder and a super or two. Its how I produce queencells from introduced larvae in queencups. The colony will also produce a queencell or more of its own as well so a good method me thinks for producing a few queens with just one colony. Everyone says that good nutrition is vital - Brother Adam would feed diluted honey rather than syrup when rearing queens despite the apparent expense. At least you won't dilute any honey in the supers in this way so after the queencells have been produced and removed the colony can go back to how it was as a honey producing colony.

  8. #18
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    Everything you want to know about the cell punch method is on Dave Cushmans site, including all the various ways to make up punches.

  9. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimbo View Post
    Everything you want to know about the cell punch method is on Dave Cushmans site, including all the various ways to make up punches.
    That was my first stop but most of the punches were a bit crude

  10. #20

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    Cleveland beekeepers have a version of cell punch if you go to their web page click on beekeeping articles on the left, third one down " Queen rearing on a shoestring " sorry dont know how to link things

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