Queen Rearing Supplies

[winevines]

I am putting a small grant together that would include funds for teaching folks how to rear local queens.

I have no idea what is involved. If you were to estimate supplies needed for 10 people- what would each person need to rear queens? (The instruction NOT included as this is covered elsewhere).

Time is of the essence, so any input welcome!
Thanks

[Bizzybee]

If that grant comes from my taxes NO. I'm planning to spend that money on my own queen rearing supplies!

[peggjam]

You would really need to know the number of queens each person would be raising. At the very least you would need 10 grafting tools, queencell cups(50 for each????), 10 cell bar holders. Then you would need to know where the cell starter colonies are coming from, the mating nucs(one for each finished cell). And that's just a starting point.

[Michael Bush]

You need to decide on a method. If cost is an issue there are several that are pretty simple, and cheap. The Hopkins or the Miller method can be done with nothing but what you probably have on hand.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beeshopkinsmethod.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmillermethod.htm

If you do the Hopkins method over a strong box you can just lay the frame of larvae over an empty frame at a slight angle (because the length of the top bars is slighly longer than the box) on top of a strong hive and then put some cloth (any old rags will do) around it and a lid on top. It doesn't require grafting, grafting tools, cell bars, cell cups or any of that.

The Miller method can also be done easily with standard equipment.

If you want to teach grafting, then you'll have to add a few more things like cell cups, bars etc.

You also need to decide if you want to do a swarm box for a cell starter. They are more reliable in a dearth, but a strong hive will do on a nectar flow.

You also need to decide what you're using for mating. If you're requeening your own hives, you can just dequeen them and put the cell in the hive. If you're trying to raise more queens, you need some kind of nuc. You can divide up a standard box for mating nucs.

For beginners who are grafting I like the #5 hardware cloth cage to get larvae of a known age. After you know what the right age larvae is it's not so critical for grafting.

I also like the #5 cage for the Hopkins method as I can get a bunch of larvae the same age on the new comb I want them on.

Details of much of this here:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesqueenrearing.htm

[stangardener]

[QUOTE=winevines;273493]
I have no idea what is involved. If you were to estimate supplies needed for 10 people- what would each person need to rear queens? (The instruction NOT included as this is covered elsewhere).

i think any one making a supply list needs to have access to the instructions being used.

[JohnBeeMan]

I am still getting setup for small scale queen rearing next year and already have close to $200 invested (including Nicot system - will also try grafting). I also have a breeder queen on order from Glenn Apriaries. I have not even looked at the cost of mangement of colonies for starter, finishing and mating hives. I also still need to build/buy mating nucs. There is also the impact of the management of the apriary fro queen rearing versus honey production. So the variables begin to get qui9te complex - good thing I still look at this as a hobby - all hobbies eat money.

[tecumseh]

winevine writes:
I am putting a small grant together that would include funds for teaching folks how to rear local queens.

tecumseh sezs:
good... taking technique and process back to the local level is a good thing to my small way of thinking..

then winevine adds:
I have no idea what is involved. If you were to estimate supplies needed for 10 people- what would each person need to rear queens? (The instruction NOT included as this is covered elsewhere).

tecumseh replies:
oh goodness... so you are tapping into some tax money to teach something that you know nothing about?

then winevine writes:
Time is of the essence, so any input welcome!

tecumseh sezs:
impatient, unprepared... what is it? not only do you wish for someone else to do your work for you... you also want the work accomplished right now and for free?

finally tecumseh writes:
well good luck in sucking up some tax payer provided funding... my guess is that the funds will be just as poorly spent as you seem to be prepared.

as for myself... I think I will continue to help people who CAN help themselves.

[winevines]

Thanks to those who offered advise, it was all very helpful.

I am sorry I did not clarify that expert instruction in Queen Rearing is part of the grant. I was looking for a ballpark of what supplies are needed and I understand that the method as well as the repercussions on existing operations should be considered part of the cost.

[Velbert]

http://go.netgrab.com/secure/kelleys...sp?product=238

[Bizzybee]

" I am sorry I did not clarify that expert instruction in Queen Rearing is part of the grant."

Merciful heavens

Why not a chunk of land, administration building, lab, vehicles...............

It's only money.

And to think, they used to hang horse thieves! What were they thinking

[iddee]

>>>>I am sorry I did not clarify that expert instruction in Queen Rearing is part of the grant.<<<<

You have an expert on queen rearing who can't tell you what you need for he/she to teach the class???? :confused:

I think the first thing you need to do is find a new """EXPERT""".

[peggjam]

"I think the first thing you need to do is find a new """EXPERT"""."


ROFLMAO!