[reef10]

I have been raising queens but letting them make queen cells in the middle of the frame. This have worked very good for me. 10 days later I cut them out with a generous portion of the comb to put it into the mating nuc. My problem has been in getting it to sit in the mating nuc without falling or crushing the queen. I have been using donor comb that has open brood on it to hold the queen cell. I have used tooth pick to spear the edge of the queen cell comb to the donor comb. I have also just tried to press them in place and using thin wire to hold them to an empty frame so the QC will hover next to the open brood. What is needed is some method to hold the cut comb with the QC in the hive with plenty of space around it as the QC usually sticks out a bit. I had a couple that fell to the bottom so they were ignored. What does everybody else use? Has anybody made or modified a frame to hold a cut out QC.

 

[seamuswildflower]

i just cut an oblong piece around the queen cell then cut a slightly smaller hole in the comb and push the queen cell in and the bees wax it in.

 

[snl]

Now that it's warm, just put the cell between the top bars..........

 

[jhs494]

You can use a rubber band over the frame as if you we're attaching a comb section while doing a cut out. We have used this many times to hold queen cages and even queen clips in place. I have also used large straight pins through the extreme top of the removed cell being careful to go above yet to be emerged queen.

 

[Deepsouth]

I cut out the cell with enough comb on top and place it in between the top bars. Then bring the top bars in to snugly hold the cell.

 

[NewJoe]

I cut out the cell with enough comb on top and place it in between the top bars. Then bring the top bars in to snugly hold the cell.

yep that's the way I do it too

 

[Dave1958]

Slightly different problem in the same vein. How do you stick the jzbz cup into the frames without dropping it?

Assuming its a capped queen cell

 

[JRG13]

With jzbz, I think the design is to pull out a frame and mash half the circular part into it, not quite designed well to hold onto and try to squeeze two frames together on it unless you have skinny fingers.

 

[beepro]

How about this, cut out a small piece of square 1" wood piece and then drill a hole
in the middle to stick the qc thru enough so it will not slip thru. Then push the wood
piece into the comb and slightly closing the frames together.
Will that hold the qc until she emerge? I have not test this idea out yet.
Wooden pieces are very simple to make with a good sharp electric saw.

 

[Sasha]

Just make a dent in the comb with your finger, and glue the cell a little bit into it. Push the frames together and that's it. Bees will take care of it. It's harder to describe than to do it. There is a fat bee man video on youtube showing how to do it I think.

 

[WBVC]

What about those cell protectors that have prongs on one side to stick into the comb..no squishing,no falling.

 

[Joseph Clemens]

I've used the JZsBZs push-in cell protectors, and I've just made an opening in the comb, by pushing on it with my finger, then set the cell there. Both have worked, but the cell protectors have a few advantages. I've transplanted natural cells, and I've grafted my chosen larva into the cells begun by queenless colonies - a sneaky way to get them switched to the genetics of my choice. It's quite easy to pluck out the resident larva and replace them - works every time.

 

[burns375]

i've used both. Generally I cut enough extra comb at the top of the cell and mash in an area of open comb, somes leave a bit of gap between the frames. I actually did 4 last night this way from a nuc that go to tight and swarmed.