Q rearing by numbers

[gavin]

They're also a nice box to keep queens in while they're on the grafting rota.

That hadn't occurred to me, thanks. Jon was also suggesting trying a Paynes 6 frame with a 6 frame brood box on top as a cell raiser.

[prakel]

Jon was also suggesting trying a Paynes 6 frame with a 6 frame brood box on top as a cell raiser.

When I first tried Pasaga Ramic's cell starter last season I used a doubled up mini-plus so as to avoid wasting larger resources if it all went wrong. Worked very well although I did did keep the number of grafts low. Seem to remember Joe Latshaw writing (on Beesource) that he uses a Langstroth five frame nuc as a starter -he also gave figures re numbers and averages. I'll try to find a link later today (unless someone would like to do it for me in the meantime ).

This wasn't my first attempt at using the m-p's as cell starters either -we've got a mini-plus cloake board in the shed from previous experiments!

[Kate Atchley]

...we've got a mini-plus cloake board in the shed from previous experiments!

Was just wondering, this morning, about using a cloake board but the Amm are in Swienty polyhives. Anyone tried switching the floor for such an exercise? I've adapted one to save having to change the floor round to face the other way.

[Kate Atchley]

When I first tried Pasaga Ramic's cell starter last season ...

Thanks Prakel , I found your Pasaga Ramic/Elgon links from last Summer (see Queen Raising 2014 thread 4.7.14). Keen to try this. Any tips on contents of lower (to start with) brood box assuming I use full sized Nationals. Maybe some stores with or without emerging brood either side of the grafts? Do you fully filled that box with frames of would say, 5 frames and some broad dummies, do the trick? Our Amm colonies will be modest in size.

[prakel]

Thanks for the Pasaga Ramic/Elgon links Prakel. Keen to try this. Any tips on contents of lower (to start with) brood box. Maybe just some stores with or without emerging brood either side of the grafts? Do you fully filled that box with frames of would say, 5 frames and some broad dummies, do the trick? Our Amm colonies will be modest in size.

The key with the lower box is that the available sapace, whether it's full of comb or dummied down, is jam packed with bees so I see no reason why dummy boards can't be used if they help to exaggerate the crowding (I understand that J Kefuss uses a 5 frame box on top of an adapted Cloake board, so not a widely different principle).

Regarding brood, I feel that may actually be detrimental. The primary driver of this method is that once they're separated from the queen and the brood the field bees become very quick to start new cells -and they do it very well. Obviously the boxes need to be reversed pretty sharpish once the cells are struck so that the nurse bees can finish them. Slowness to reverse the boxes will take a toll on the quality of the resultant queens, of that I have no doubt.

[Kate Atchley]

Thanks Prakel. I love the simplicity of this method. Will let you know how it goes.

[prakel]

I should add that my preference is to add a frame of brood either side of the started cells once the boxes are rotated. easily achieved by switching combs between the two boxes or if you're using dummies I suppose that you could actually add extra combs from other hives.