[plantman]

Thought I'd share how I rear Queens over the summer.The first time I grafted a few years ago I only had one hive.So this can be done with limited resources.I don't isolate the Queen beforehand,I just look for young eggs on frame.Im going to share my dates I had some issues with this round.I didn't give up and it's going to work out in the end.
Day 1 6/6/2022 set up 5 frame cell builder.2 capped emerging brood.2 honey pollen.1 open brood/eggs/larva.
3 or more frames nurse bees shook.
Set up in box (CB,HP,OB,HP,CB)
Day 2 or 3.6/8/2022 check for cells squish them all.Graft.I tried for 20.Check in day or two should be starting to draw.
6/10/2022 Drawing 5 to 6.6/13/2022 cells cleaned out..Regraft 6/13/2022.check cells 2 days later 6/15/2022 looks like 16 out of 20.Should be capped on 6/18/2022. I will put cages on them 6/21/2022.
I add pollen patties on top frames Plus two quart feeders under the upper box.

 

[NUBE]

Nice, going to try some grafting myself this weekend. Do you feel the open brood is necessary? I’m planning to form the grafting nuc very similarly to how you described, but to leave out the open brood and add the grafts within an hour or so of forming the nuc.

 

[plantman]

So the. Frame I'm going to graft from starts as my middle frame.These eggs will get fed well so their almost swimming..Graft .put the frame back in a hive

 

[plantman]

Your trying to force the swarm impulse. So some open brood is needed

 

[NUBE]

I’m going to stock the nuc with bees from one hive and graft from another. There will be several frames of bees shaken off of open brood frames to occupy the nuc. I was hoping that by having little open brood, if any, other than the grafts, that they would be inclined to flood those with royal jelly shortly after they are introduced.

 

[plantman]

It's fine to mix and match from hives..
The open brood frame is only left in for a day or two...A thread recently called it a (practice) frame.....after 24 to 48 hours you hope to see cells being drawn somewhere in the hive...If some cells are started on the open brood squish them,,surrounding eggs/larvae should be right age to graft,...take your grafts put the open brood frame in another hive..now the bees should start on your grafts..You should have an idea how many in 24 to 48 hours.hope that helps

 

[msl]

Your trying to force the swarm impulse. So some open brood is needed

Disagree, plenty of successful systems don't have open brood in the cell builder.

 

[NUBE]

I see the idea behind using the open brood frame, but time constraints have me wanting to have the grafting frame in there the same day I make up the nuc. I’m only planning to do 10 grafts. Hoping to be able to come back the next weekend and, gently, remove the capped cells, place them in a cell protector, leave a couple in with the cell builder hive, and move a couple to a hive that is aggressive and is pissing me off after I pull the Queen.

I’m planning on moving that cell builder hive into an 8 frame deep when I place the cells in, then pull the Queen and a frame of brood from the aggressive hive and place them in the nuc to keep her on life support until I’m certain I have a mated queen return to either the cell builder colony or the colony I’m requeening due to aggression.

I consider aggression getting stung when I do inspections. That large hive I’d like to requeen has hit me once each of the last three weeks, so it’s not absolutely imperative that she be replaced as they aren’t “chase you out of the yard” aggressive, but they are definitely not as relaxed as my other 3 colonies. While I’m not terribly happy with that queen, I’d rather keep her alive until I’m 100% sure the big hive has requeened. If I don’t get a mated Queen back to one of the two hives I’ll have cells in, I’ll just reintroduce that queen back to her hive, and plot to kill her off first chance I get next year.