Excellent learning material. Very clear explanations of everything being done. Simple direct language. No messing about. Thanks a lot to Steward and his team. Keep at it👍
Very informative series, as a new bee keeper they are both interesting and usful, thanks. being in Aussie I have to wait for the warmer weather to try this stuff. Gives me plenty of time to watch them again.
Just the start of winter, but as I live in Central Queensland it is short and very really cold, usually about 15 degrees over night and 20ish during the day. It is our dry season.
Good video, very informal,if you don't know u can wrap cells in aluminum foil, ALSO if you put frame of foundation in it will help not draw quite so much extra comb. I realize your showing different techniques , but just couple things that have helped me thought I'd share.
Hi B.B., I've not ever needed to wrap the queen cells in foil but maybe I'll do it this year to show on a video. I like your suggestion of adding a frame of foundation, why do these things always make perfect sense when someone else points it out to you and you think, why didn't I think of doing that! Thanks as always, for your tips, I love learning new ways of keeping my bees. Stewart
thank you for showing the miller method. I've read about it but never actually saw it done. I like the Miller method but will stick to grafting. I can produce more cells that way.
Hi B.B., Yep, it's a fun method for producing a few cells and means you don't have to purchase any additional equipment, but like you, I find grafting easier and more productive. Stewart
Have t seen any recent videos. I’m not a fan of the killer method only because of the limited number of cell for all that work. I’m a grafter myself. The cloak board method which demonstrated is a nice way for the small beekeeper to produce the queen cells that they will need. This year I’m mixing up my genetics and once my mating boxes are set up with queen cells they are being moved to a location a hundred miles away for mating. I want the queens picking up a hardier cold weather trait. I’ll have to also wait a few extra weeks so that there are drones available
Super informative videos. I always take a smal cutterknife heat it with a lighter and cut the cells out it's a lot easier. ( not to close to the cell cause off the heat).
Hi Woodspirit100, Thanks for the comment. I like the method you use for cutting out, I seem to be grabbing blunt knives most of the time for all of my cut outs so far this season! Stewart
I have 1 box . Just bought 2 weeks ago or 11 days ago. They are not building wax and there are eggs but not too much .it's my first ever hive What to do. I want to requeen it but I have only I hive and no bee keepers near by . No nearby association. Show I capture the queen . That they will make a new queen . Please answer
Hi Brian, Thanks for your comments. Yes, I'm working hard to produce the videos and hoping enough beekeepers out there find them interesting enough to subscribe. Stewart
II I noticed when you show this video that the clearer is no longer in position as it was in the Miller/Cloake Board P1 - perhaps there is a video I missed inbetween. If not, did you just leave the clearer in for a short while, or take it out when you introduced the miller board that afternoon?
Very nice and informative videos. Could you do possibly do a tutorial on queen castles? what advantages/disadvantages do each of the mating methods have?
Hi FumblePi, Thanks for your comments. The Queen Castle is on the list of videos to try, I call it the "Egg Box" as I use it for isolating late stage eggs and larvae. I plan on recording a summary of the various methods I am trying out at the end of the Summer. Stewart
The Norfolk Honey Company Looking forward to it. Thanks again for the great videos! it's really great to actually see these methods on video! specially for us ere beginners. ... one question though, while you're attempting not to squash the Queen cells into the tiny hole in the perspex inner cover, why didn't you just place the cell between the frames? is there a developmental disadvantage keeping the closed queen cell in any position other than vertical?
I have a question just for clarity. The slide part of the cloak board was removed some time after the cells appeared on the miller board. If the day that the miller board was put into the cell builder is day #1, what day should I consider sliding the board out?
Hi thanks again and waiting for next vedio I really appreciate your vedios quality. regarding the Nuc frames, they are very close where there is no space for the Queen cell. Recommend to tell supplier
Hi H. Maktoum, Thanks for your comments, the nuc frames do allow for a queen cell to fit between them, I think I need to make the hole in the cover a little bigger though as I did struggle to get one of the fat queen cells through it. Stewart
Hi John, Yes, the process includes removing the Cloake board after the cells have been started to switch from emergency queen cell production to supercedure queen cell production. Stewart
ENJOY YOUR VIDEOS. ANY THOUGHTS AS TO WHY SO FEW QUEEN CELLS? PROBABLY BECAUSE YOU SHOOK THE BEES OFF AND DAMAGED THE EGGS AND LARVAE ON THAT FRAME! TRY NOT SHAKING THE FRAME NEXT TIME AND SEE IF YOUR NUMBERS IMPROVE.
Hi Dennis, thanks for your comments. Could I ask you to switch off the caps lock when you're typing please, it's seen as shouting and I know you're not shouting at me :) Regarding the lack of queen cells, I left the the Miller frame for too long in the cell builder colony to draw out the wax and the bees produced an abundance of drone cells rather than worker cells. I believe I didn't cut back far enough and ended up with a line of drone cells. In the latter video you can see that a lot of the queen cells were chewed down by the bees which I think is because they were non-viable. I don't think shaking the frame has much to do with viability as in my next queen rearing video I use a frame to produce queen cells using the Alley method and the success rate is far greater even with shaking the frame. Take a look at it when it's published, I understand your concern about shaking but I don't shake them violently so I think they are robust enough not to be damaged. Stewart
Thanks for the wonderful video. I miss the point of the Cloake board. By keeping the box where it was, you avoid needing another lid and bottom I suppose. I’m sure that’s not your motivation. Why not just move the box to another location and skip the Cloake board?
Hi a horsley, One of the benefits of the cloake board method it that you drive large numbers of worker bees into the queen rearing box that contains the grafted or transferred larvae thus providing copious amounts of royal jelly which in turn should give well-developed queens. Stewart
I enjoy all your videos. Forgive me if I missed something but I've always been told that is the queen cells get capped then the bees swarm. How did you managed to have so many capped but still have a full compliment of bees ?
Hi, You need to make sure the cells come out before any have a chance to emerge as they will destroy the others. Queens emerge after 16 days generally, so before then. Once they are capped the bees in the cell builder can do no more so you can take them out early and get them into mating nucs or queenless colonies straight after that. Stewart
Hi Gem, Thanks for your comment. The main one I use is called a Kieler mating nuc. There are several stockists out there I think, my original ones came from Solway Beekeeping Supplies I think. Give them a try and tell them who sent you :) Stewart
Hi Kevin, Probably just to make the kit lighter or maybe using it to drive more bees down into the lower box but it's been a while since I recorded this video (June 2017) so can't recall exactly why. Stewart
You did a very nice job showing it all. Thank you - much appreciated! I have subscribed…
Thanks!
Excellent learning material. Very clear explanations of everything being done. Simple direct language. No messing about. Thanks a lot to Steward and his team. Keep at it👍
Very informative series, as a new bee keeper they are both interesting and usful, thanks. being in Aussie I have to wait for the warmer weather to try this stuff. Gives me plenty of time to watch them again.
Hi Chris,
Thanks for commenting. I'm glad you are finding them helpful. What season are you in at the moment?
Stewart
Just the start of winter, but as I live in Central Queensland it is short and very really cold, usually about 15 degrees over night and 20ish during the day. It is our dry season.
Enjoy your videos. Great picture quality and sound. Enjoyable to watch and learn.
Hi Dennis,
thanks for your kind comments.
Stewart
The best informative video series on youtube. Thanks.
Hi Airtime vu,
Thanks for commenting, I appreciate your kind words.
Stewart
Good video, very informal,if you don't know u can wrap cells in aluminum foil, ALSO if you put frame of foundation in it will help not draw quite so much extra comb. I realize your showing different techniques , but just couple things that have helped me thought I'd share.
Hi B.B.,
I've not ever needed to wrap the queen cells in foil but maybe I'll do it this year to show on a video. I like your suggestion of adding a frame of foundation, why do these things always make perfect sense when someone else points it out to you and you think, why didn't I think of doing that!
Thanks as always, for your tips, I love learning new ways of keeping my bees.
Stewart
thank you for showing the miller method. I've read about it but never actually saw it done. I like the Miller method but will stick to grafting. I can produce more cells that way.
Hi B.B.,
Yep, it's a fun method for producing a few cells and means you don't have to purchase any additional equipment, but like you, I find grafting easier and more productive.
Stewart
Great stuff. Another new method for me thanks so much Stewart from the ol Qld amateur beek
Hi Linton,
Great to hear from you. Wait 'til you see the Alley Method!
Stewart
Have t seen any recent videos. I’m not a fan of the killer method only because of the limited number of cell for all that work. I’m a grafter myself.
The cloak board method which demonstrated is a nice way for the small beekeeper to produce the queen cells that they will need.
This year I’m mixing up my genetics and once my mating boxes are set up with queen cells they are being moved to a location a hundred miles away for mating. I want the queens picking up a hardier cold weather trait. I’ll have to also wait a few extra weeks so that there are drones available
Super informative videos. I always take a smal cutterknife heat it with a lighter and cut the cells out it's a lot easier. ( not to close to the cell cause off the heat).
Hi Woodspirit100,
Thanks for the comment. I like the method you use for cutting out, I seem to be grabbing blunt knives most of the time for all of my cut outs so far this season!
Stewart
I have 1 box . Just bought 2 weeks ago or 11 days ago. They are not building wax and there are eggs but not too much .it's my first ever hive What to do. I want to requeen it but I have only I hive and no bee keepers near by . No nearby association. Show I capture the queen . That they will make a new queen . Please answer
thanks for another informative, helpful video. glad to see your channel growing. over three thousand subs! congratulations.
Hi Brian,
Thanks for your comments. Yes, I'm working hard to produce the videos and hoping enough beekeepers out there find them interesting enough to subscribe.
Stewart
II I noticed when you show this video that the clearer is no longer in position as it was in the Miller/Cloake Board P1 - perhaps there is a video I missed inbetween. If not, did you just leave the clearer in for a short while, or take it out when you introduced the miller board that afternoon?
Hi Linda,
I don't think you missed a video, I think I removed them that afternoon but just didn't show it on the video.
Stewart
Very nice and informative videos. Could you do possibly do a tutorial on queen castles? what advantages/disadvantages do each of the mating methods have?
Hi FumblePi,
Thanks for your comments. The Queen Castle is on the list of videos to try, I call it the "Egg Box" as I use it for isolating late stage eggs and larvae. I plan on recording a summary of the various methods I am trying out at the end of the Summer.
Stewart
The Norfolk Honey Company Looking forward to it. Thanks again for the great videos! it's really great to actually see these methods on video! specially for us ere beginners. ... one question though, while you're attempting not to squash the Queen cells into the tiny hole in the perspex inner cover, why didn't you just place the cell between the frames? is there a developmental disadvantage keeping the closed queen cell in any position other than vertical?
I have a question just for clarity. The slide part of the cloak board was removed some time after the cells appeared on the miller board. If the day that the miller board was put into the cell builder is day #1, what day should I consider sliding the board out?
Hi thanks again and waiting for next vedio
I really appreciate your vedios quality. regarding the Nuc frames, they are very close where there is no space for the Queen cell. Recommend to tell
supplier
Hi H. Maktoum,
Thanks for your comments, the nuc frames do allow for a queen cell to fit between them, I think I need to make the hole in the cover a little bigger though as I did struggle to get one of the fat queen cells through it.
Stewart
nice way to rear queens
Hi Khalid,
yes, it works well for me.
Stewart
how many days the miller frame took to create the cell?
Did you open the cloak board at any stage? It looks like you just used it to make another entrance - is that right? Thanks, John
Hi John,
Yes, the process includes removing the Cloake board after the cells have been started to switch from emergency queen cell production to supercedure queen cell production.
Stewart
@@TheNorfolkHoneyCo I do not recall you mentioning that in the video. What day do you remove the cloake?
ENJOY YOUR VIDEOS. ANY THOUGHTS AS TO WHY SO FEW QUEEN CELLS? PROBABLY BECAUSE YOU SHOOK THE BEES OFF AND DAMAGED THE EGGS AND LARVAE ON THAT FRAME! TRY NOT SHAKING THE FRAME NEXT TIME AND SEE IF YOUR NUMBERS IMPROVE.
Hi Dennis,
thanks for your comments. Could I ask you to switch off the caps lock when you're typing please, it's seen as shouting and I know you're not shouting at me :)
Regarding the lack of queen cells, I left the the Miller frame for too long in the cell builder colony to draw out the wax and the bees produced an abundance of drone cells rather than worker cells. I believe I didn't cut back far enough and ended up with a line of drone cells. In the latter video you can see that a lot of the queen cells were chewed down by the bees which I think is because they were non-viable. I don't think shaking the frame has much to do with viability as in my next queen rearing video I use a frame to produce queen cells using the Alley method and the success rate is far greater even with shaking the frame.
Take a look at it when it's published, I understand your concern about shaking but I don't shake them violently so I think they are robust enough not to be damaged.
Stewart
Thanks for the wonderful video. I miss the point of the Cloake board. By keeping
the box where it was, you avoid needing another lid and bottom I suppose. I’m sure that’s not your motivation. Why not just move the box to another location and skip the Cloake board?
Hi a horsley,
One of the benefits of the cloake board method it that you drive large numbers of worker bees into the queen rearing box that contains the grafted or transferred larvae thus providing copious amounts of royal jelly which in turn should give well-developed queens.
Stewart
@@TheNorfolkHoneyCo Could not use just a inner cover?
I enjoy all your videos. Forgive me if I missed something but I've always been told that is the queen cells get capped then the bees swarm. How did you managed to have so many capped but still have a full compliment of bees ?
Perhaps I missed it but how long is the Miller frame left in the cell builder? Great videos! Thanks
Hi,
You need to make sure the cells come out before any have a chance to emerge as they will destroy the others. Queens emerge after 16 days generally, so before then. Once they are capped the bees in the cell builder can do no more so you can take them out early and get them into mating nucs or queenless colonies straight after that.
Stewart
Fab video again. What type of mating nuc do you use and where do you buy them from?
Hi Gem,
Thanks for your comment. The main one I use is called a Kieler mating nuc. There are several stockists out there I think, my original ones came from Solway Beekeeping Supplies I think. Give them a try and tell them who sent you :)
Stewart
you took off the clearing board between videos...curious as to why.
Hi Kevin,
Probably just to make the kit lighter or maybe using it to drive more bees down into the lower box but it's been a while since I recorded this video (June 2017) so can't recall exactly why.
Stewart