Just found this interesting

[Grandpa Jim]

Found this while cleaning out a barn.  The beekeeper had passed away 20 years ago and his wife, now down sizing, was emptying the barn.  Not sure if he made it or it was something that he acquired along the way.  My best guess is that it was a queen bank??  Each section has one corked hole, no other way in or out. 

Any other ideas??




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[CountryBee]

Probably.  Really smart person to use practically nothing to keep his queens.  Them older people are so smart with common sense stuff, wish I had grandparents to talk to.  Thanks for sharing pic! :)

[hardwood]

Once he got the queens in there how do you reckon he got them out? Pull the plug then whistle?

Scott

[fish_stix]

Now that thing has some possibilities as a virgin banking cage. Place cell protectors/cells in the cork holes and let them emerge into the cages. Then just pull the cork you want released and drop the frame in a nuc. The bees will feed the other virgins as well. Uh oh, the wheels are starting to grind!

[AllenF]

I guess to get a queen or 2 out, maybe you shake it up and down until one comes out?   Neat idea though.   You could make one with several compartments and a flip bottom to get the queen out. 

Was there any propolis  on the screen or around the corks to show if it was ever used?

[Grandpa Jim]

I was also wondering how you would get them out!  Those ladies are always sooooo cooperative :roll:.  There was just a little propolis on the ends of the top bar, but did not look like it was used very much.

I do like the idea of keeping virgin queens and releasing one at a time, sort of a rotating system.  10 seems like a few too many though.  With the expanded living space they may do better than in the hairrollers or three hole queen cages.  The wheels are turning.....I see some shop time coming this winter.  Have to make something that my grandchildren, someday, will look at and say, "what the heck was grampa thinking"....Oh, wait, they say that now :-D!!

The wife told us he was producing queens and had learned, and was selling, artificially inseminated queens.
Jim

[Bee Happy]

There's something about the ray pattern that keeps bothering me. I havent tried any queen breeding, but it just doesnt look efficient - you could give them each equal area for less effort to just install vertical dividers. - I guess what I'm saying is - no, really, what is it?

[rdy-b]

        PATEN PENDING  ;)  RDY-B

[AllenF]

 :lau:

[Grandpa Jim]

There's something about the ray pattern that keeps bothering me. I havent tried any queen breeding, but it just doesnt look efficient - you could give them each equal area for less effort to just install vertical dividers. - I guess what I'm saying is - no, really, what is it?

In a discussion last night at our meeting someone suggested the ray pattern would give each section access to the middle of the hive, where if you did straight sections the queens on the outside sections could be ignored. 
Jim

[Bee Happy]

That explains the extra effort & materials.

[AllenF]

That was what I was thinking.   I am glad someone else was thinking that.