When are cells Least fragile?

[David LaFerney]

I went though my biggest strongest hive and split out the (Russell Sunkist Cordovan) queen yesterday. Before the cells that it produces emerge I want to move them all below an excluder - there is some brood in almost every one of the 7 boxes of comb. I'll probably also move a few frames with nice cells to mating nucs on day 10. Anyway the most likely way for ME to be able to find every cell is to shake some of the bees off of each one as I go.

I'm thinking that some light shaking probably won't hurt 3 day old cells - or if it does I'll know right away that I'm being too rough when a larva comes flying out. I plan to mark and consolidate the frames with cells so that I can go straight to them on day 10.

[jim lyon]

Lightly shaking a 3 day old larvae probably isn't going to damage it as long as it isn't a sharp rapping. In my mind they are most fragile from about day 5 through day 8. At this stage the cells are very soft wax and the pupae is very tender and soft as well. I am not comfortable laying them on their side until about day nine and then only when necessary. We often take 10 day old cells off the bar and lay them on their sides in a container though one must still be quite aware of extremes in temperature while handling.

[fish_stix]

A bee brush works, that's why they make them!

[jim lyon]

A bee brush works, that's why they make them!

Granted but to sneak a peak at them at an early stage I prefer to just give a gentle shake to remove enough bees to at least take an inventory, no need to have them bee free nor would you want to brush open cells anyway.

[WVBees]

7 boxes with some brood in each. this is a laying machine. Breed, breed, breed.

[mrsl]

I brush mine off with a turkey wing feather; works really well & the bees don't attack it like the bee brush.

[David LaFerney]

7 boxes with some brood in each. this is a laying machine. Breed, breed, breed.

I have been - that's another reason I wanted to get her into a smaller hive - more convenient to graft from, and easier swarm prevention. You can order one just like her from Russell Apiaries.

I use a turkey feather as a brush too - but one quick shake if you don't spot any cells is a lot faster if you are looking at so many frames.

[canoemaker]

I use a cordless 18v. Makita blower. It's small, portable, and blows the bees off without damaging the queen cells. I use it when I transfer cells from the starter to the finishing hive, and when I'm ready to put ripe cells in mating nucs.