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Author Topic: I'll be using the Cloake Board method  (Read 4669 times)

Offline capt44

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I'll be using the Cloake Board method
« on: February 26, 2014, 10:26:04 pm »
I'm using the Cloake Board Method this year again.
Except I'll be using 2 hives and cloake boards.
I'm going to graft from another hive into the Nicot cell cups and put the cell bars into the Top Box of the starter hive.
The day before I will tear the hives apart and turn the bottom box and bottom board 180 degrees, then put the cloak board on top of the bottom box making sure that queen is in the bottom box.
The cloake board will have the metal insert in.
I will place the other box on top of the cloake board, the inner cover and telescoping top.
24 hours later the bees in the top box will realize they are queenless.
I will put my grafted cell bars in the top box and add sugar syrup to the top.
24 hours later they will have started drawing out the cells about 1/8 to 1/4 inch.
I will then remove the metal insert from the cloake board making it a queen right finishing hive.
The bees in the top can go below and take care of the queen and nurse bees as well as the nurse bees in the top.
Day 6 the cells should be capped off.
Then I will move the cell bars to my incubator in the shop that is set at 93 degrees F and a humidity from 60 to 80%.
I will install cages over the queen cells.
Day 16 or 17 I should have queens emerging into the cages.
I can then put them in mating NUCS or sell them as Virgin Queens.
That's my plan right now.
Just waiting on this weather to warm up again.
I figure I can start grafting around the second week in March by the forecast.
Anyone have any comments or suggestions?
Richard Vardaman (capt44)

Offline Vance G

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Re: I'll be using the Cloake Board method
« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2014, 10:31:17 pm »
I need cloaks for all my hives.  Supposed to be -20to-30 for the weekend.   It will be May before such things as you are talking about are even possible.  At least when it starts to warm up here, I won't have the frozen Great Lakes to keep things refrigerated all summer.  Ten day forcast is all freezing weather.

Offline capt44

  • Field Bee
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  • Gender: Male
  • If it don't work I'll always think it should have
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Re: I'll be using the Cloake Board method
« Reply #2 on: February 28, 2014, 11:38:20 pm »
I feel for ya way up there.
I ordered some plain wax foundations from Mann Lake ltd awhile back.
The way it looks it might be April before they ship it.
Richard Vardaman (capt44)