[mherndon]

What would be the success rate of trying to remove queen cells off plastic foundation for increase? I have seen videos of people cutting wax foundation to get the queen cell. Can a queen cell be taken off plastic successfully?

Mark

 

[BGhoney]

I've never tried it, thought about it, I would think you would have to cut the plastic and remove that section. Was going to try my Roto Zip, the vibrations might not be good for the queen, What every you try do it late in her development. Like a day before she pops. keep the cell up right and good luck.

 

[Beeslave]

If they are swarm cells it shouldn't be a problem. They are not produced from a worker cell but from a cell cup that the bees produce that is started in a downward facing position. If they are supercedure cells you just need to be more careful.

 

[Michael Bush]

There is no easy practical way to cut a queen cell off of plastic foundation without destroying it. This does not mean you can't rear queens, but you won't get as many from the plastic as every frame with any number of cells will result in only one queen. Just give each frame with a cell to it's own nuc. Of course you could do the miller method

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

and introduce a jagged frame of wax foundation to get the queen cells on wax, or the hopkins method

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesqueenrearing.htm#hopkinsmethod
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeshopkinsmethod.htm

to get them on wax...

 

[Jim Stevens]

All I use is plastic foundation in my hives, I cut Q cells out, install them into a small 3 frame mating box with nurse bees, let nature do the rest.
What I do;
Looking at the Q cell, I cut at two cells to the right side and two cells to the left side, working the tool down to the plastic foundation.
After making the cuts, push the tool under the Q cell starting at one of the cuts, and lift cell away from foundation.
The extra wax you have on the sides of the Q cell will help when you transplant it.
That about it.
Don’t worry about the hole you make, the bees fix it.
I damaged Q cells when I first started learning, I felt kind of bad.
Once you get the hang of it, you won’t think twice.:thumbsup:

Jim

 

[concrete-bees]

im with Jim Stevens on this on - just come in from the side and slice under it
what i did was take a B- string from my old guitar string pile and make a 3/4" loop and tape it to a pencil - then use it to slice under the cells -

the "swarm cells" are built with a little more wax on the base then super cells

ive also done as Mr Bush said and just take the frame and start a nuc with it

if there is 2-3 cells per frame just check them everyday until the first one hatches and after she is out move the queen to a new nuc and let the original frame hatch out the next and so on --- but timing is everything on this method - also if you hear them piping you can carefully cut the virgins out - just make sure you are cutting the piping queen and not a cell on the back of the frame -

but as each hive is different so is each queen cell

take your time and you will start saving $20 bills !!!!!