Cheers for that info...I should clarify that the % issues that I had were from last season. Over here I am just beginning to put out my first round of cells. In order to address possible issues I...
Type: Posts; User: nick@BSB
Re: What is your system for providing Drones in your mating yards?
Cheers for that info...I should clarify that the % issues that I had were from last season. Over here I am just beginning to put out my first round of cells. In order to address possible issues I...
Re: What is your system for providing Drones in your mating yards?
The area that I am working my breeding through does have other commercial operators who winter their hives in the area before moving them into manuka for the flow but few ferals so I am fairly...
Re: What is your system for providing Drones in your mating yards?
Last season the percentages were a bit all over the place in all of my yards and I feel that one of the issues was the number of drones in the mating yard areas. I have made some changes to my cell...
What is your system for providing Drones in your mating yards?
Just wondering what your systems are for producing quality drones and getting them into your mating yards? At full production I run around 1000 nucs in yards of approx 150. Three of my yards (450...
Re: Do you use brood/bees from weak hives in queen production?
I allocate hives as queen or honey production, equalise and boost and/or requeen weak ones in the honey sites before the season starts and strip brood from those allocated for queens. Towards the end...
Re: Painting hives ???
I use interior or exterior paint but I do paraffin wax dip them before painting, which helps to suck the paint into the wood (due to the high temp of the wax).
Re: What are your techniques/practices for excellent cells?
Oh, I should say syrup and pollen substitute is the only option for feeding here really. We are prohibited from treating hives for AFB and have to destroy hives that contract it. So, although I check...
What do you do to get consistently high caging percentages from nucs?
OK, so assuming that the cells that you are putting into your nucs are good and viable are there any things that people do to ensure that their percentages of queens caged are consistent and high?
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Re: What are your techniques/practices for excellent cells?
Cheers for the comments guys, it seems like the way I am running the cell building system is about right.
Jim, I have on occasion run an extra bar (making it up to 36 cells) in strong finishers...
Re: What are your techniques/practices for excellent cells?
I tend to run the starter with a max of 3 frames of brood, fully capped in the centre of the hive (around where the cells are to be placed). The hives have nurse bees added each monday prior to the...
Re: Likely to get stung on the eyeball?
I once licked some honey off the end of my hive tool through the veil, of course I also licked the bee on the honey and was stung on the end of my tongue for my troubles. It made me feel sore and...
What are your techniques/practices for excellent cells?
Just wondering what everyone does to get excellent cells. Although I am happy with my breeders and the queens that I have been getting I am always on the look out for ways to increase my percentages...
