Pierco Drone Frame

[divebee]

I would like to get a couple pierco drone frames drawn out, to use with my breeder queens. Probably let a strong hive do that work, then move them. Any chance they may draw it out in a wax foundation hive, if honey b healthy is applied to the frame? Any suggestions?

Otherwise, and interesting story.

I had a time with getting one breeder queen accepted. Started out using the standard 3 hole cage, didnt want to handle the queen. First one took ok in it's nuc. Second one I peeled back the screen and she seemed to disappear. What! Where is that expensive girl at! Since holding over the frames I suspected in the nuc. Looked and didnt see her right away. Dashed to the shed and picked up a bee brush and a push in cage. Returned and began searching. Found her after some time. She just appeared on the pallet after brushing a couple frames. Not where I expected. A bee was attacking her :eek: , quickly knocking the aggressor away and pickig her up and place her in a queen clip. Brushed off a brood frame placed the queen and pressed the cage in over her. Returned later in the evening, and she was still alone in the cage doing fine. A day later looked, other bees in the cage. Removed the cage and she was doing fine and check again and she is still doing ok.. Just an interesting story if you can relate to the excitement of handling a breeder queen. 1 more vote for the push in cages. They did in 2 days what the 3 hole cage couldnt do in 4 days. :D

[Chef Isaac]

where do you get push in cages?

[Ray Michaud]

Chef, Betterbee or Manlake. You can make your own using #8 wire that is used on screened bottom boards

[chillardbee]

you might be able to have your drone mother draw the drone foundation out for you while feeding it suryp with the honeybee healthy. if the colony is nice and strong they'll have no problem doing this. you might consider as well to feed a pollen supplement patty as well, because just as important as having well nurished queen cells hatching into a well nurished hive or nuc, it's important to have well nurished drone brood hatching into a well nurished hive, especially if it's a full frame of brood.

intresting story about the queen, it's bad enough to loose a run-of-the-mill queen with haveing to worry about loosing a breeder. happy to hear she's doing good now, what kind of queen is she?

[Michael Bush]

The best push in cages are made out of #8 hardware cloth. Cut a piece of hardware cloth about five by five inches. Pull off two rows of wires all the way around so there is 1/4" of wires in only the outward direction. Cut the corners so that you can fold it into a cage with 3/8" of horizontal wires on the sides and another 1/4" of the wires that now point down.

http://www.honeyflowfarm.com/beeproject/images/puchincagelarge.jpg
http://homepages.uc.edu/~knauerbm/A%20Year%20of%20Honey.htm

The ones from Better bee don't have the wires going down into the comb nicely and with plastic comb they don't seem to keep out the bees very well.

[divebee]

She is a Minn Hygenic. The push in cage I used was a plastic one from Betterbee, I knew where they were at the instant, the #8 hardware cloth, homemade version would probably do even better in that it will press into the wax further. The bees tunneled under this plastic one in a 24 hr period, but I cant complain much, it worked.
Oh, just a note on push in cages. Instructions say to locate the cage over some emerging brood and some open nectar cells and some empty cells for her to lay in, no other bees with her. Just a bit of strategic placement of the cage and she is supposed to do ok.

[ April 26, 2006, 09:03 PM: Message edited by: divebee ]

[BerkeyDavid]

I also vote in favor of the push in cages. My only comment: Isn't it good that they burrow in (or out), thereby eventually releasing the queen?

The times I've used it they got the queen out within 5 days. (used betterbee cage).

Not necessary when doing a package, but when you are introducing a queen to an existing colony I think they are great.

Wth the homemade ones do they eventually release the queen? Agree it is very helpful to put over emerging brood.

[Michael Bush]

Three to five days seems good.

>Wth the homemade ones do they eventually release the queen?

Yes. I put one in on Sunday and checked it last night (Wednesday so that's 3 days). The cage still had the queen in it, but the workers were getting in. I'm sure they would have eventually chewed their way enough to let her out. But I beat them to it.