My first attempt at grafting.

[Carolina-Family-Farm]

Were off to the races with 40 grafted cells (my first attempt) at grafting queens.
I purchased a magnifying light at Office Max (big plus) and cheap at $15.99. I selected a frame of really young brood (hatched but really really small) from one of my best hives and primed all my wax cell cups with a mixture of honey and water (all I had to work with)

Experience is a good teacher and Don (Fat-beeman) and my buddy Little John have given me a lot of advise but I do have a few questions.

How long does it take to see evidence that the cells have been accepted and specifically what are you looking for as a sign that the cell was accepted?

Do you remove un-accepted cells after identifying the ones that didn't take or just leave them on the cell bar with the other accepted cells?

What is the best system for setting up breeder Nucs (the one that uses the least amount of resources)?

Thanks for any advice in advance.

[ April 23, 2006, 01:56 PM: Message edited by: Carolina-Family-Farm ]

[Velbert]

Hi CFF
It may not work at all with the honey added the diet for Queens is Royal Jelley (if None Take)Just moisten the cell cup and blow excess water with your mouth graft you 3 or 4 cells and put bace into your cell builder in about 2 days harvest the cell cups for the use of priming the cups for your next graft 1 cell harvested usally will have enought royal jelly to graft 30 0r 40 cells maby even more wrap up the other cells with a wet papertowel after removing the larva place in a freezer bag and freeze them for the next grafts or after the next graft harvest a cell in 2-3 days for your next grafts that is how it works for me.
Velbert

[Michael Bush]

>How long does it take to see evidence that the cells have been accepted and specifically what are you looking for as a sign that the cell was accepted?

By the next day if it was not the cell is dry. By the next day if it was it's full of royal jelly and the cup has been started.

>Do you remove un-accepted cells after identifying the ones that didn't take or just leave them on the cell bar with the other accepted cells?

I just leave them. Less disruption is a good thing.

>What is the best system for setting up breeder Nucs (the one that uses the least amount of resources)?

Baby nucs probably take the least in the short run. In the long run, I'm fond of my two medium frame nucs. A frame of brood and a frame of honey and they are pretty well set for the season.

[Carolina-Family-Farm]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the help and advice.

[peggjam]

CFF

How'd you make out with your grafts? I'm still waiting for my stuff to get here, ordered it last week and it still isn't here :( .

[Carolina-Family-Farm]

Hey Peggjam"

I have 9 caped cells for my first attempt, I have both fingers cross that the weather will cooperate long enough to actually end up with a few new queens......looks good so far :cool:

[Chef Isaac]

CFF: when are they do to hatch and what are you doing for mating nucs?

[peggjam]

Finily saw some drones in the hives yesterday. So as soon as my stuff gets here, I'm going to try some grafts. I definitly have some queens that need replacing. The hive I found two queens in a couple weeks ago still has them. They were on the same frame, but different sides.