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Author Topic: OTS method after splitting  (Read 19971 times)

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: OTS method after splitting
« Reply #20 on: March 11, 2014, 06:13:27 am »
I believe the notching is indeed a big part of it.  Notching a correct age larvae causes the bees to treat the larvae as a queen cell.  By notching, the bees are better able to enlarge the worker cell into proper queen rearing size and don't have to waste royal jelly floating the larvae into a more commodious space.  That enhances the larvae's nutrition and that is what it is all about. 
Vance,
At the bee college this past weekend, they talked about that and the fact that the queen larva cannot use the royal jelly that is also in the horizontal section of the cell. Like you said, it is just to float it out.
Also the cell that is open to the bottom tells the bees that that cell should bee a queen cell.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Better.to.Bee.than.not

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Re: OTS method after splitting
« Reply #21 on: March 12, 2014, 09:31:42 pm »
ya, back then I didn't really say it clearly perhaps. when I said "The notching isn't the theme of it" I meant just that.... many people still do OTS without notching. and There are arguments for both to do and not to do. I've always supported doing, but it is two separate things imo. there is OTS, and then there are the methods of OTS one of which is using notching in it was really my point with that statement.
 but yep...it's getting time to start thinking about and making plans for implementation. More so for other areas then in Michigan here, but we're right there also.

Offline Vance G

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Re: OTS method after splitting
« Reply #22 on: March 27, 2014, 08:43:52 pm »
The notching is such an integral part of OTS queen rearing that I personally cannot separate them.  The thing I like best about the whole deal is that I maintain a broad gene pool and by splitting off the queen and notching cells, I reproduce every colony not culled for poor production, chalkbrood (example), undesireably defensiveness or other fatal flaw.  I have two wonderful successfully overwintered hives that are going to be turned in to splits with a notched frame from my best other hives because I don't need a war party coming after me as soon as I pop a lid.  But the good average colonies get their genetics passed on.  I don't want to have all my eggs coming from the same narrow gene pool. 

Offline Better.to.Bee.than.not

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Re: OTS method after splitting
« Reply #23 on: April 29, 2014, 05:00:55 am »
I am totally not getting what you are saying... Are you somehow saying that the new queen somehow doesn't get fertilized by random drones somehow if you do not notch, therefor you would be stuck with a narrow gene pool or something? I do not see it as a integral part of it to the point of not being able to separate them.
 I also do not understand how you are saying notching is a integral part of the OTS system. How do you think it is integral that deep exactly? I like notching myself. I like it because I believe it does help make queen cells and you can make multiple ones on multiple frames for splitting, with greater control.... but OTS imo is to reproduce hives and break the mite cycle mostly (Which is what I use it for, along with dusting with powdered sugar during the down time.) All the new queens are going to go get fertilized by outside genetics anyways on their mating flights, unless you are doing manual fertilization, I've never done it myself.