Going to try again.... I think :)

[Chef Isaac]

I ordered an adjustable following board and some other beekeeping equipment. Should be here this week.

I plan on using tyhe following board to get more of a dense population to raise queens.

Hopefully this will work.

[jean-marc]

Chef:

You can increase bee density by removing frames from the hive. Only 2.5 hours from my place. The invitation is still open. Things will get crazy busy in 2 weeks though. gotta get hives ready to go to Southern Alberta for canola pollination.

Some guys make queens by raising open brood above a queen excluder and placing the graft between a frame of pollen and a frame of open brood. This could be a good method for you as you only need 1 strong double. From your last post it sounded as though the grafting part was the trouble. If this hive is at home, then 15-20 min every 4 days is all you need. Bees eventually learn how to make cells. The first graft of 24 will only yield a few cells. You'll get more the second , third , fourth and so on time. This way you can master the grafting part without all the driving to and from your bee yards. Once grafting is no longer an issue you can try different methods to make the best cells.

Jean-Marc

[Chef Isaac]

Jean Marc:

I do plan to visit. I will not be able to for a little while and I am not sure when that will be. I just hired a new sous chef and he will need to be trained before I get my two days off a week and able to take some vacation time. I am also down a lead line cook which is very stressful so until I am ok at work, I will have to wait to make the trip.

I cant wait to see it all done.

[chief]

Chef,

Let me know when you plan to head up there. If it is ok with jean-marc I would like to tag along. It would be a good educational vacation.

[Chef Isaac]

Chief:

I would love if you wanted to come alongwhen I go up there.

[jean-marc]

Chef and Chief:

Come along any time ( sorta, kinda). I would like to have a few days notice. There are times when I will not be around. You can send a p.m. to set details.

Jean-Marc

P.S. We caught some queens yesterday. Last week, I think thursday we had mating weather. The first day in about 11 or 12. They are laying. Don't know how good they'll be. We also tried some of the accelerated queen rearing BWrangler spoke of and the jury is still out on that.

Jean-Marc