Small Scale Queen Rearing

[homer]

For those of you who rear your own queens.....

Last year I tried using Hopkins method of getting the queen to lay eggs into new comb.  It worked pretty well, but am considering using one of the queen rearing systems this year,  you know... the ones where you force the queen to lay in plastic cell cups...

I'm just looking for opinions on the best way to rear queens on a small scale.  I've committed myself to my local club.... to rear queens for them in the coming year.  I've got the basics down pretty good, I'm just wondering what method everyone uses to get the egg/larvae into the cup.

[doak]

I forget which method it is but I am going to try the one where you cut the jagged (saw tooth) edge on the bottom of the comb take out the eggs on each side of the one in the middle. No extra equipment to buy. Then you will have plenty room to cut out the finished cocoon. :roll:doak

[TwT]

I graft, never tried any of the other methods, I have good success with grafting.

[Michael Bush]

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesafewgoodqueens.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesqueenrearing.htm

[Gilman]

I would recommend grafting, more predictable outcome.

Gilman

[homer]

I would recommend grafting, more predictable outcome.

Gilman

What makes it more predictable.  Seems like the only thing more predictable is the exact number of cells that have larvae in them after you graft into them.

[danno]

I have a Jenter system.   I would not recommend it only because Jenter is getting very old and I have a fear the parts availability mite dri up.   I did hear  he was turning the production over to someone else so this might not happen but last year parts were getting scarce

[Michael Bush]

http://blueskybeesupply.com/jenter_queen_system.html

Bluesky says Mr. Jenter is transfering the business to someone else who will continue it.

[Gilman]

I would recommend grafting, more predictable outcome.

Gilman

What makes it more predictable.  Seems like the only thing more predictable is the exact number of cells that have larvae in them after you graft into them.

The number of virgin queens is more predictable.

[BGhoney]

1 thing that makes it more predictable is you can always find the larva but you cant always find the queen.  I've dug into the same hive 3 times, every frame 1 at a time and still couldn't find the queen, when I had everything set up to put her in the little queen trap.

Of course it was my best booming hive, which dosnt make finder her any easier.  But I came across her larva every time

[D Coates]

I've only done it 1 year so far but grafting into a queen frame that's above a queen excluder (queen obviously below) was very simple and effective.  I read about it here.  http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/benhardenmethod.html  I've not heard about anyone else using it but I'll keep using it. 

It keeps the hive producing honey and makes for some well fed queen larva with minimal hive manipulations or disruptions.  It literally took me 15 minutes to graft 15 larva put on a queen excluder and set up the hive.  I checked them 3 days later and found 12 cells were accepted.  I was only prepaired for 5 so I was pleasantly surprised but all went exactly as planned.  For me that doesn't happen that often in beekeeping.

I did make the dummy fames and they work beautifully when your putting a couple frames to start a nuc or moving a nuc to a deep.  It gives them more space but not too much that they can't handle it.

[Finski]

I am tired to use some methods. Many years now I have grafted larvae to swarming cells.
Results are spelnded. When the first hive start to make swarm cells, I change the larvae in cells to better stock.

When I make mating nucs I take from that same rearing hive the nuc bees and queen cells. Then I take them 2 miles away.
The result is almost 100%.

Mating nucs are individual polystyrene 3-frame boxes.

So, nothing specail tricks up to mating happening.