My first attempt at grafting... advice welcome

[Chef Isaac]

Well, today was my first attempt at grafting. I went over to another beekeepers house who knows how to graft. She set me up with a frame and tools and then left. She was to busy to help, which was ok.

Anyway, I had a few problems that I would like to share. First, I had a hard time seeing. I had a light which helped. I tryed a mygnafing (sp?) hand held which sucked. I tried a pair of jewelery head sets which sucked too. My eyes are good.. at least what the eye doctor says. I had a hard time seeing to get underneath the larva. I also had a problem with tearing the cell next to it in attempt to pick up the larva. Any suggestions?

I also was unsure on how to pick up the larva. Should I pick it up from the back of the "c"? I also had a hard time gauging how far down the larva was. Sometimes I went to far down and brought up the bottom of the frame.

I also speared a couple of larva. I also dragged them on the side wall of the cell too.

As far as the equipment I used.... I tried her needle which was ok but somewhat sharp. I also tried a tool I got from Glory Bee what had a release on it and that sucked too. I tried a small brush which worked pretty good. I do think it was to big though.

I am not sure on how to get the grafting tool down in the cell and also see and pick up the larva at the same time.

Any tips would be great.

[Rob Mountain]

Isaac

Don’t despair, Buddy. Remember when you first rode a bicycle. I certainly fell the first few times.

Ok, the way I like to graft nowadays is on a sunny mid-morning, sitting on a camping stool with the frame on my lap. I don’t use any artificial light and only sometimes I use +1strength reading glasses. The most important form of light is sunlight; seat yourself so the sun shines over your left shoulder if you are right-handed and vice-versa for lefties. Move the frame so that you can see perfectly into the cell.

One thing that I think that I pick up is that you are not relaxed and you are getting frustrated. Grafting is an art, it is like painting a picture. You need strong hands but subtle well-controlled fingers. Don’t drink coffee before, play some classical music, relax and just CHILL.

Remember that everything comes right with practice. I have grafted hundreds of thousand of lava and yes, I still screw-up from time to time.

Give me a call and I will see what I can do to help you.

Rob Mountain

www.ntabatours.com (http://www.ntabatours.com)

[roger eagles]

I bought a pair of 400 power magnify glasses at the $ store for $3.00.That does yore seeing problem.It doesn't matter which angle ya pick it up.The egg is all directions.I use the chinese grafting tool,$6.50 here,and that little rubber foot follows the contour.The larvae should not be over 1 1/2 day old.Experiment.Do 10,take 2 sizes of larvae,see where ya have best results.

[tecumseh]

Glad to see you gave it a try Chef Isaac. Next time it will be easier and even easier the time after that.

First off, what color was the wax in the frame you were using? The larvae will always show up much better on black wax. The more fully fed are the larvae, the easier they will be to pick up and release.

One reason I use a light magnifying glass on a pivot arm is that once you establish the proper focal length for the lense you don't need to keep tweeking the thing to make it work. Every thing else I have tried was always either too close or too far out so the image was continuously blurred.

The grafting needle should have a slight bend in it's shaft which should set your hand slightly out of the line of site of the cell. I like to work the frame with the top bar side towards me, since the angle of the individual cell and line of sight makes this view much less straining on my neck. It is ok to use the grafting tool to knock down the cell wall if this makes extraction easier (the girls will gladly reconstruct these cell walls in very fast order). This last suggestion of knocking down cell wall might be something you should wish to try first off since it seems you are having some depth perception problems ("I also had a hard time gauging how far down the larva was") that removing the cell wall would minimize.

Drink lot of hot and very black coffee, crank up that rock and roll music, breath deeply and just do it... LOL...

Just remember the old adage... a journey of a thousand mile begins with the first step... and you have just taken that first step. You are on the right path just keep at it... and good luck.

[jalal]

congrats Issac:

you are on your way to becoming a member of an elite club, think about how many folks pick up larvae with a specialized tool and move'm around.

(and not intend to eat them)

tongue.gif

[mark williams]

I'd also like to Congrat you,
I knew :D You would take the plunge,also by the way you was asking question on it that you will be willing to learn & will be good at.
So again my friend,My hat is off to you.>>>>Mark

[cmq]

Rock & Roll? How about a little Jim Reeves ???

[tecumseh]

beesurv sez:
Rock & Roll? How about a little Jim Reeves ???

tecumseh replies:
actually given tecumseh upbring a bit of hillbilly bluegrass music would be the number and yes Jim Reeves would do just fine.

[mark williams]

Never knew Ol'Jim did any Rock & Roll,HEHE :D smile.gif ,Just having some fun with you BEESURV.>>>>Mark

[fat drone]

Chef I also did my first grafting this year.
The things that helped me was a place inside the honeyhouse with a chair and good light, magifying glasses, and most of all shaving the coomb down alnost down to the larvae. Ive done a couple hundred by now and it seems to be getting easier every time.

Good Luck

[Donn Buchfinck]

fat drone,
how do you shave the comb down to get to the larva.

[fat drone]

I take a hot knife (I found a soldering iron with a rasor sharp blade at a hobbie shop.) and cut off the top of the coomb from 1/8 to 1/2 of an inch which makes the grubb easier to see and to get.