NICOT/Mann Lake problem

[theriverhawk]

Had a first today. Wanted to see if anyone else has ever experienced this.

Put queen in the NICOT/Mann Lake box late last Friday. Let her loose, yesterday, Monday. I have found that it takes at least 48-54 hours for her to have layed in a large majority of the cell cups. Saw eggs and a couple with royal jelly in the bottom.
Went today today to check and see if more had royal jelly and POOF no eggs left in the cells. The only thing left was the 2-3 that already had royal jelly yesterday.

Anyone ever experience this? Just curious....

[JohnBeeMan]

I have had this happen twice this year. After that I went to grafting. I do plan at least one more try with the Nicot this year but expect to add a feeder before inserting the Nicot.

[guyross]

I was told to place the frame the nicot is on in the same position the queen was found on. My friend does good with his jenter and has tried both. I just installed my nicot to let the bees polish the cell cups up.

[Jpoindexter]

Did you remove the entire plastic cover on the front or just the caps at the bottom?

-Jay

[theriverhawk]

Removed the whole front just like I always have. Have I been doing it incorrectly all this time?????

[Riverratbees]

Ok been useing nicot with excellent results. Put nicot in and leave for 48hrs. Pull it and get every bee out then put your queen in make sure when she is in she is the only bee in the nicot. Then put the frame back in with her in and leave for 48hrs. Then pull the frame and let her out. Make sure that there are no bees in the nicot. Then put the cover back on and leave for another day. Then pull the nicot and put the cells in the cell holders and put in the brood hive to raise the queens. The reason you make sure there are no bees in the nicot is the nurse bees take care of the eggs. If there is worker bees in the nicot they will canablize the eggs. I have learned this the hard way and spent a lot of time doing different experiments. Follow these directions and you will change your opinion of the nicot it is alot easier than grafting. They don't tell you these things in the directions. Good Luck

[theriverhawk]

Oh, the famous riverratbees they speak so well of over on the RA forum. Nice to meet another "terrible person".

I love the NICOT. Have used it for a while and have always just let the queen loose and left the cover off. Just haven't ever seen them do this.
Any other thoughts/suggestions from you guys?

[beedeetee]

I have a Jenter and I leave the queen in for 14-18 hours, make sure I see eggs and then just pull the cap on the excluder cover to let her find her way out. I have removed the entire cover before, but don't anymore. I make sure that the Jenter is the center frame in the brood nest and make sure that there is open brood opposite the Jenter excluder cover.

[AstroBee]

Make sure that there are no bees in the nicot.

I have the Jenter system, however, I don't completely understand the above statement. I believe that the cover on the nicot is similar to the Jenter, which is essentially a queen excluder. If so, not sure why it would be of any benefit to make sure there are no bees in it after you release the queen. If they have ill intentions they can certainly get through the excluder and remove eggs.

I believe that the OP's problems are more likely related to lack of nectar flow. I suggest that you feed the breeder hive a couple of days prior and while the system is in place.

[Riverratbees]

Yes the riverrat speaks. They banned me I even tried to change my name and the moderator nailed me. I love a good agument and I would have loved to talk to Jerry he is so far up Russells -_- read jerrys 1st comments if you want to throw his own words in his face. Original comments he found 24 people with complaints last time he talked there were only 4. I'm a BAAAAAAD person I love it there isn't a thread on the whole site that is as arguementative as that one. I go to the site and when I see the thread on the right I click it and read what is being said.That is the only way I can get on the thread. I tried to sell his strain of bees and around here no one wanted them just pinched the last 6 yesterday have good luck with Gleen A bees. I would have love to help sorry! I am a BAAAAAAAAAD person!!!!!

[Riverratbees]

The cover lets the nurse bees able to takee of the queen. The worker bees can't get to the eggs. They canabalize on the eggs that is my experience. I have had excellent results useing the Nicot learned alot the hard way. Hope this helps and answer your ? Good Luck

[theriverhawk]

Thanks for the advice Riverrat. I'll consider that next time.

BTW...Jerry has tried to say only 8 people on Beesource have had problems and that I'm the only one whose situation was settled yet and that I am more than likely "a happy camper" now. The last 2 "negative" concerns/complaints/post here on Beesource about not receiving queens from RA, I posted each time telling Jerry, "Hey Jerry, "#9" just posted." Then "Hey Jerry, #10, just posted. Go read their concerns that are the same as everyone else." These and other posts I've made have all been flagged. Unbelievable....

[Riverratbees]

I would love to get involved but I am a BAAAAAD person. I u notice they flagged everthing I said plain and simple I called them on the thread. I would not back off and that other guy called him on his own comments notified them good customer svc is good business neither one of them can grasp that point. So I am a BAAAAAAAAAAAD personLOL

[Riverratbees]

Oh one more thing Jerry said RA had more orders than they could fill and they are still takeing orders. Must be nice to be that close to the Doc you can speak for him. Russells might have a good gene pool but in my opinion he is just renameing his bees to sell his product. I mite be wrong for saying that but in my biggest bee yard I here bees flying after dark all the time when I have a pest coming around so his moonbeams are not that special to me. I mean no disrespect to RA they help alot of people.

[Michael Bush]

Is it in the middle of the brood nest next to open brood?

[beedeetee]

Is it in the middle of the brood nest next to open brood?

It is if I move or turn a frame of open brood to face the Jenter. By the center I only mean within a couple of frames. There have been a few times when the open brood has been near the edge of the brood nest and I have moved a frame to the center with my Jenter.

[standman]

Reviving this old thread because I had a similar experience today. Inserted the queen last Sunday and she laid beautifully in every cell. Released her on Monday. Went back today to transfer larvae into cell builder and NO EGGS OR LARVAE. I was feeding the hive and we have had fairly good weather during these days. The interesting thing was that the queen laid eggs on the very frame that is holding the Jenter box after she was released. This was a completely empty drawn frame before I installed the queen in it, so I know the larvae are very young. I just grafted from the frame. Why did they remove the eggs/larvae from the Jenter?

[guyross]

Reviving this old thread because I had a similar experience today. Inserted the queen last Sunday and she laid beautifully in every cell. Released her on Monday. Went back today to transfer larvae into cell builder and NO EGGS OR LARVAE. I was feeding the hive and we have had fairly good weather during these days. The interesting thing was that the queen laid eggs on the very frame that is holding the Jenter box after she was released. This was a completely empty drawn frame before I installed the queen in it, so I know the larvae are very young. I just grafted from the frame. Why did they remove the eggs/larvae from the Jenter?

The last time I used my Nicot I kept the excluder on after releasing the queen. There were some hatched eggs when I went back in two days. I will wait longer next time to move the grafts. That must be some queen you have there. I did the same thing and took graft the traditional way after my impatience slapped me again. As to why they remove the eggs from either the nicot or convectional cups someone else needs to elaborate on that subject.