Cloake Method ?

[LT]

We have been using the starter - finisher or incubator method. Trying the cloake method. The questions are:
Turn the entrances a couple of days before the graft?
Install the divider 24 hrs. before the graft?
Make the graft and leave the divider on for 1 or 2 days?
When do you open the rear entrance?
When do you turn the lower box around?
Thanks

[fish_stix]

http://www.easternmobeekeepers.com/documents/Cloake%20Board.pdf?itemID=10607&catID=146&SelectCatID=146

Go to this website and copy the document. All questions answered! ;)

[LT]

I still can not comprehend when to turn the lower box around.

[fish_stix]

Under the paragraph titled Several Days Before the Graft it says to "Pivot the colony 180 degrees, so the bottom entrance is reversed. Close this back entrance, forcing bees to use the new upper entrance."

[BeeAware]

Turning the box 180 degrees is so the bees from the lower box will reorient to the upper box, thus increasing the population of bees there. However, these bees will be the older, foraging types which are not really needed in the upper box. If the colony is really strong, as it should be, this step is not really necessary. I rear all my queens with the Cloake Board method and rarely have gone to the trouble of pivoting the entrance. I just build up a colony by adding brood and feeding heavily early on and then use it to rear the queens. Others that I know who use this method also skip the pivoting part with no adverse results.

[BerkeyDavid]

I used the Cloak method for my last grafts and had good results. Turned the bottom box the day before the graft. Moved the open brood up to the top box to attract the nurse bees and put the cups in for polishing all in a single move.

I couldn't see any difference in the results. I used a closed screened bottom board entrance instead of the cloak board, then just opened up the screen after they had started the cells. Face this entrance forward of course.

I would say just keep trying different things until you find what works best for you.

[BigLongYellowMFerz]

Ive never turned hives, so long as u keep brood raised they will draw cells just fine.

[rainesridgefarm]

the purpose of rotating is to gain pollen stores in the upper box with no young larva to feed it to. If you give them a natural pollen pattie this will help if you do not want to rotate.

[BigLongYellowMFerz]

Ive always swapped out pollen frames from other hives.