Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => REQUEENING & RAISING NEW QUEENS => Topic started by: jdpro5010 on April 21, 2009, 02:52:35 pm

Title: brood viability
Post by: jdpro5010 on April 21, 2009, 02:52:35 pm

How long can a frame of brood (1 day old larvae) be kept out of a hive and still be grafted for a viable queen?  I have a hive about 20 minutes from my house which I had planned on moving to my house but for various reasons cannot do so now and I want to use it as my donor hive.  I will be using a hive at my place for cell starter colony by the cloake board method.  Can I just transport a frame from that hive to my place and then graft from it, or should I create a small temporary nuc and then recombine later?

Title: Re: brood viability
Post by: Michael Bush on April 21, 2009, 08:36:59 pm

I'd build a one frame nuc and put the frame in with the bees attached.  But that's me.  The other alternative is to have a wet hot towel (wet it with hot water from a thermos just before you take the frame) and cover the frame of brood after shaking off the bees to keep it warm and moist.

Title: Re: brood viability
Post by: jdpro5010 on April 22, 2009, 03:27:38 pm

That was what I was thinking but was hoping to just grab a frame and scoot. :-D