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Author Topic: Mann Lake Queen Cup Starter Kit Instructions?  (Read 6287 times)

Offline tlozo

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Mann Lake Queen Cup Starter Kit Instructions?
« on: January 12, 2009, 11:11:28 am »
In the instructions for the Mann Lake Queen Cup Starter Kit it says to attach 10 to 14 Brown cell Fixtures to the top bar(At least 20 can fit). Do they recommend limiting it to this small number for people who will use the bar in a regular hive and not a swarm box and finishing colony?

Offline Robo

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Re: Mann Lake Queen Cup Starter Kit Instructions?
« Reply #1 on: January 12, 2009, 12:48:44 pm »
I'm not familiar with the Mann Lake kit,  but  10 to 14 cells horizontally across a frame seems reasonable.  You need to leave space between the cell cups so that the cells aren't built together.  I personally run 10 in a row with 2 rows per frame.

rob..
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Offline TwT

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Re: Mann Lake Queen Cup Starter Kit Instructions?
« Reply #2 on: January 12, 2009, 11:14:41 pm »
I personally have dropped back to just 15 cells at a time, wait a day the I can add 15 more to the same hive, this is a queen right hive I am talking about, I learn this from Dwight Porter (Redtractor1) a member on this site. he got it from the Russian Queen Breeders Association, makes good quality queens at a almost no bad results. you can over load a cell builder easy and have some not so good queens but some still have good luck with it, it all come's down to quality instead of quantity for me. I would rather sale a quality queen by percentage than by numbers because I want people to get what they pay for. it cant happen getting a bad queen but odds will be in my favor by far. I am not selling any this year because I am building up hive counts and going to sent just a few test queens to friend in different location to test for me. my year is booked and I havent even told the one's I am going to send them to yet but will soon by PM  ;) . also have a number queens sold here locally for friends. and I use the plastic push in cell cups from W. Kelley
THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 MONTHS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

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Offline Brandy

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Re: Mann Lake Queen Cup Starter Kit Instructions?
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2009, 12:10:18 pm »
They also think that the queen cups on the ends of the frames are not as well attended or fed as those in the center of the frame.  So most will use 2 cell bars of 10 -12 to make sure they are well fed. 

Offline tlozo

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Re: Mann Lake Queen Cup Starter Kit Instructions?
« Reply #4 on: January 14, 2009, 12:53:47 pm »
 Its just interesting that in "Successful Queen Rearing" by Spivak she has a picture of cell bars with 3 rows of 20 cell cups(they are spaced 3/4" on center). Spivak mentions a properly prepared swarm box handling 60-100 cells. I wanted to fit 20 in one row since the Mann Lake queen hair roller cages won't fit two deep on a medium frame. Thanks to all for the info. :)

Offline Robo

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Re: Mann Lake Queen Cup Starter Kit Instructions?
« Reply #5 on: January 14, 2009, 01:02:22 pm »
Why use hair rollers?   It is much easier to let them hatch in mating nucs and not deal with introducing them.

BTW, where abouts in Catskill are you located?
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline TwT

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Re: Mann Lake Queen Cup Starter Kit Instructions?
« Reply #6 on: January 14, 2009, 09:07:38 pm »
Its just interesting that in "Successful Queen Rearing" by Spivak she has a picture of cell bars with 3 rows of 20 cell cups(they are spaced 3/4" on center). Spivak mentions a properly prepared swarm box handling 60-100 cells. I wanted to fit 20 in one row since the Mann Lake queen hair roller cages won't fit two deep on a medium frame. Thanks to all for the info. :)

60-100 ha! if I meet her and she says that same thing I would have to ask her what she is smoking from a queen rearers stand point because more than half probably want be good queens, I know she is a pro at it but its like every other pro that  says over 40-50 in a cell builder is all one should load with cells, a hive might can raise that many but how many will be good quality?  I think it is Charley Harper that says for the best chance at quality queens use a queen right cell builder and only load 15 grafted cells the first day then 15 more the second day on 2 different cell frames (just using the top bar) to insure the best queens you can raise. now what I mean by the best is top feed queens and none under feed to insure this, the queen can live and deliver to her potential if mated right, you can always have some you raise that might not be right from the start but this way gives her every chance she can to be a very good queen. guest since he is in the Russian queen breeder association and sales his queens at top dollar he uses this method to have the best queens he can raise. now this is a man that has 400+ hives and works them alone.

but like Robo said  Why use hair rollers?   It is much easier to let them hatch in mating nucs and not deal with introducing them. I agree 100% , it is so much easier to have a nuc ready to install the cells in than introducing one.
THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 MONTHS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

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Amateurs built the ark,
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Offline Robo

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Re: Mann Lake Queen Cup Starter Kit Instructions?
« Reply #7 on: January 14, 2009, 09:29:16 pm »
a hive might can raise that many but how many will be good quality?  now what I mean by the best is top feed queens and none under feed to insure this, the queen can live and deliver to her potential if mated right,

Excellent point Ted, young poor queens can seem fine, but it is their longevity that is questionable.  Winter is the true test of queens here in the NorthEast and it is also the worst time to have a queen fail.   
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline tlozo

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Re: Mann Lake Queen Cup Starter Kit Instructions?
« Reply #8 on: January 14, 2009, 10:04:26 pm »
"Why use hair rollers?"
I don't plan to but if I can't be around I would rather use the hair rollers than lose a batch of queens.

"BTW, where abouts in Catskill are you located?"
I'm in the Village of Ellenville in Wawarsing Township.

Thanks for the advice. :)

Offline RogerB

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Re: Mann Lake Queen Cup Starter Kit Instructions?
« Reply #9 on: February 08, 2009, 06:43:21 pm »
David Eyre at Beeworks has a really good video on the Mann Lake system.  It made all the difference in the world for us.

Roger
Roger

 

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