grafting attempt

[jaseemtp]

Just like the title says, I performed my first attempt at grafting on the 04-30-12.  I checked in on them today and it looks like 17 of the 45 larva are being fed large amounts of royal jelly.  I am guessing this is a good sign?  The cells that have the RJ in them are mostly drawn out. 
I had performed a cut out several days before and split it up into 3 parts.  I then let sit queenless for 4 days and then introduced the grafted larva.  I am not sure how well this will work but I am excited to see the girls working so hard on the drawing out and feeding these cells.  I did not expect them to work on so many of them.
Jason

[TwT]

good for you, 17 is not bad for your first time, it pretty good actually, now when you graft you just have to have the hives and bee's to put the cells lol....

[jaseemtp]

having the hives and bees, im going to be a bit short there.  Still doubtful that 1/2 of those cells that are being drawn out will hatch, mate, and return to the hives though.
 :roll:

[cklspencer]

Sounds like a good take, just make sure you check the cell builder for rouge queen cells, if they have one it will hatch before your grafts are ready and kill them all.

[jaseemtp]

Just an update.  I checked on the cells yesterday and it seems one of the ladies got out before I got to them.  All the cells had been torn down in one hive and in the second one all but 3 were down.  I am not sure why the 3 were left, if they were bad or the recently hatched queen lost interest.
Live and learn I guess, those girls do not read the same books we do, do they?

[TwT]

if it can happen it will at times, Had double deep cell build a few years ago, 2 cell frames in it, 70 of 90  cells took, 2 days before they hatched, found a marked queen in the cell builder and she destroyed all cells, I only mark queens that are laying in after her mating flight, she left her nuc and was found in the cell builder, it was about 20 feet away from the cell builder, lesson learned, when a cell builder is made, use queen excluder under bottom deep.