Thank you to everyone for watching and supporting our videos! If you have any questions about our videos, please check out our list of FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS on our website, which can be found at honeybee.uoguelph.ca/videos/frequently-asked-questions/
Not only are these videos amazing but your delivery is incredible. You are a gifted speaker and teacher. My wife keeps walking past me and saying “more beer videos?” I just can’t get enough. I look forward to starting my hive in the spring of 2019 and love that I found this series. It is a huge relief. Books are great but I feel like I am beeing instructed when I watch your videos. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Thank you for a very good Video on the Cloake Board Method. My Father and I developed this system nearly 50 years ago. Back then we ran 4,000 hives and out normal method then was the swam box and finishing queen rite hives and was done at the home base. My wife became allergic so we had to find a new method but not at home. In early spring we would bring in strong hives to the queen rearing site and prepare them much the same way but from then on the field crew would bring in sealed brood when more was required. we grafted 40 cells into each hive every five days. we had as many as 50 cell builders in operation from September, almost continuously until April when were raising queens commercially as part of our operation. Rouge cells were a problem and we did have losses.. we were always checking.
Wow! That's very interesting Merv. Thanks for telling me more about the origin of the method and of your wealth of experience. I can make these details part of the Cloake board story I tell when teaching the methods. All the best.
This is a bit complex and I am watching it for the third time to hopefully get a perfectly clear understanding of this process. You folks are giving very clear instructions and the verbal pronounciation and enunciation is flawless. I predict that this series of videos will become a "National Treasure." Don't get weak, thanx, LP
Just a short note to say how much I appreciate your truly outstanding videos. Beginning beekeepers like myself are in constant search for knowledge on the subject and it's difficult for us to sort out what Internet info is credible and what's not. How delighted I was to happen upon an excellent video put out by a university...and then realize that there were a host of additional videos, all professionally made and packed with info! It's like one day you recognized the need and took it upon yourself to fill it. May God bless you in your future endeavors -- in my opinion you have made an immense contribution to beekeeping and the welfare of bees worldwide.
You are making us blush Andrew! Thank you for your very kind remarks. It's encouraging to hear that you find the videos helpful. We had intended the videos for use close to home and were surprised to see that they are being viewed in many other locations. All the best for you and your bees Andrew.
Excellent video series on beekeeping. No longer a novice but it's great to have a repeat on all these topics. I haven't seen this queen rearing method before. Great instructing as always.
Really interesting to see. I've been interested in bees and bee keeping for a while, but never realized how involved the process is. Looking forward to view more videos, and reading more on this topic.
Hi TS Well we have worked out a way that works for us. It is a bit complex I'll admit. The beauty is in the Cloake board slide from your Kiwi kin. If you dig down through the comments you'll see one from Harry Cloake's son!
@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre The Morris Board is sort of similar but the credit goes to an Englishman. Have you thought of using a sheet of News Paper instead of a slide and letting the bees open it themselves. Useful in an out yard if its inconvenient to get back on time.
Great video. We think this method as described in the video could suit a group as they could pool labour and resources. My own method that is successful in marginal West Wales is to harvest a comb or two of brood and nurse bees from several strong colonies during hive inspections, bring them to the home apiary and unite them with a strong colony here. I don’t use pollen patties or get the bees to prepare the cells for 24 hours. Pollen is not an issue here and I find that polishing the plastic cups makes no difference. 👍
Could not find an answer to this question in your FAQs. Sorry if I missed it. Suppose my operation does not require producing a batch of queen cells, one after another. I see the advice to pull the panel after two days, when the queen cells have been started, but not completed and capped. What are the pros and cons if I were to leave the panel in place until the cells are capped? It seems to me having that very dense population above the cloake board until they are capped would guarantee they are huge and well fed. Thanks for your great quality videos and all the excellent well presented information they offer.
Our pleasure Randall. Glad you have found our videos helpful. Pulling the slide out helps maintain the cell builder long term. I haven't tried it but leaving the slide closed shouldn't make a significant difference. It is thought that bees start a high percentage of cells under an emergency queen rearing situation and finish them best under swarm prep conditions ( Queenright).
Thank for an excellent video. When do you start queen rearing in the spring and when do you stop in the summer? What signs do you look for? I am located in wisconsin so our climates are similar.
mr.kelly, several videos of the mention of the hive top feeder. i've looked through your subscription video's and have not seen any mention as to where you would purchase or how to make this type. will you direct me to learn more about the hive top feeder.
Thank you for the well explained and detail-oriented videos. Do you need grafting, can't you just introduce empty queen cels and let the bees to raise queens?
Toward the end, you mentioned the bees using the swarm impulse to continue raising the queen cells. Will that swarm impulse encourage the queen in the bottom box to actually swarm?
I love your videos. Very informative. I am wondering why you don't use OTS (on the spot) queen rearing technique by Mel Disselkoen. Much simpler way to raise queen and makes splits. Plus you are breaking the brood cycle with his method helping to keep Varroa numbers down.
Hi There Great to hear you find our videos informative! Please see our video 'Why Buy Queens' ua-cam.com/video/-MFp80hG4dw/v-deo.html for an answer. You could also see' Handling Queen Cells". ua-cam.com/video/xW_Ca96-j0o/v-deo.html
Thx for sharing this and following video. I have a question. I understood that with this methode you can introduce new graphts any 7 days in the same double hive. So I should insert new cups with larvae even if in the brood box there are previous week Real Cells? Is it correct? THX
If I understand, the only entrance to the hive is through the queen excluder on the bottom of the bottom hive body? When the cloak board is in the closed position, the bees in the top box are trapped there for two days with no was to leave that confined area (of the top box?
Hi Larry There are two entrances at all times. One at the normal location at the bottom board and one in between the first and second brood chamber. The upper entrance is provided by the Cloake board so the bees in the top box can fly in and out.
Hi Ive got to ask but regarding destroying the queen cells, do they have royal jelly in them that you can shift into your grafted cells as additional supply of royal jelly? Seems like a waste of royal jelly otherwise.
NZ er from Te Puke .....Cripes, seems complicated compared to the original system, but if it works 4 u, all good. I think you skirted over the back and front entrance/exits, which with the movable Cloake board are the crux of the system ...Dave Cushman did a great article on the system. I bet you could also use this system along with the Isaac Hopkins system so as you wouldn't need to do any grafting at all ... great work with all your videos !! ..Ta
Well yes it is a bit complex! We use an entrance reducer in the bottom entrance ( at the back). THe entrance stays open all the time. Cheers in NZ. I had a great trip there 35 years ago.Toured for six months on my bike. Visited lots of beekeepers along the way. If it weren't so far away I'd have stayed!
Thanks for the reply, .. QUESTION : how would you increase hive numbers as fast as possible ? ... would you add cells to 1 ; 2 ;3 4 or 5 frame splits ? the advantage with a 5 frame is you could start pinching frames to start smaller frame start ups, as the 5 framers will most likely increase at a much faster rate than 1 or 2 framers ???
You guys are "beekeeping acrobats." You tackle the tough stuff with grace, bare hands, and shorts! Question: 8:50 Do you ever transfer these queen cells into Nucs or hives needing a new queen? It seems a shame to waste them, but perhaps they are hard to transfer without damage, or if you aren't in a situation to rear them, they have less value.
Love all of your videos. Quick question: I live in Texas, where the summer heat and humidity are brutal. I have had success with this method in the spring. Do you think this method is doable in the heat? I know you said you ran your "little queen machine" all summer long, but I am concerned with my heat and closing the bees in the upper chamber. Any advice?
pure pollen paddy? is it made from pollen collected with traps from your apiary? how are the nuggets from being bulled off their pollen baskets processed into paddies. do they expire quickly with all the natural yeast and microbial life of natural pollen?
Yes the patty is made from pollen we collect using a pollen trap. We mix the pollen pellets with sugar syrup to a dough like consistency, form the patties between layers of wax paper and then keep them frozen until they are needed.They will keep for several months frozen.
Hi Paul Im loving your videos and as a newbee beekeeper Im interested in what you use in your smoker ?? The smoke looks lovely thick and white !! can you tell me or if you already have a video pop the link in here - thank you
Hi Mike Thanks for your question. Here's our frequently asked question list. Your question is #1. We'll do a video on the topic this summer. 1. Why do we use canvas for the hive inner cover? A: We use canvas inner covers for a few reasons. They make it easy to take a quick peek in the hive, and are cheap and easy to make. They are light, the lids sit down well, less excess wax on the frame top bars, and we rarely need to scrape the inner cover. We use 18 oz (#8) canvas -otherwise known as duck. It's a bit hard to come by in Ontario, but it is available from online distributors (US: www.bigduckcanvas.com/number-8-18oz-cotton-duck-canvas.html, Canada www.jtsoutdoorfabrics.com/18oz-Cotton-Duck-Canvas-Untreated--Natural-60_p_15038.html). Bees chew through thin canvas so a heavy weight is better. We flip it over periodically when new so the bees thoroughly coat it with propolis. An alternative is a feedbag folded in half. 2. Why do we use single brood chambers? A: Our preference is to keep hives in single brood chambers. We use queen excluders above the brood chamber and then add supers. We produce bigger crops managing our hives in singles vs doubles and we find the hive management much easier. It's become quite common here, especially over the last twenty years. We will be making a video about single brood chambers soon! 3. Are our queens for sale? A: We sell some queens but don't export. To contact us about our queens, please email us at infohbrc@uoguelph.ca. Our Buckfast collaborators also sell queens: Munro Honey www.munrohoney.com/ (for CAN sales) and Ferguson Apiaries fergusonapiaries.on.ca/ (for CAN and US sales). . 4. What breed of honeybee do we use? A: We work with Buckfast bees. Check out our website if you would like to learn more about them: www.uoguelph.ca/honeybee/breeding.shtml 5. Will we be making any more videos? A: Yes! We are looking forward to creating more videos for our UA-cam channel this year! Here are some of the topics we will be covering: Working with single brood chambers, indoor overwintering. 6.How do you overwinter double nucleus colonies? A: At the University of Guelph, we winter our double nucleus colonies indoors. You can also winter them outdoors by wrapping two double nucs together with insulation on the sides and top. 7. Are double nucleus colonies prone to swarming? A: With a young queen and the supers above we don't have any problem with these nucs swarming in the first year. We do have to transfer them into a full size box early enough the following spring to prevent swarming. 8. Do we add a frame of pollen or honey into a new split? A: Ideally you add both pollen and honey. Of the two, honey is the most important. 9. Where to purchase some of the products that we use: Coveralls: We really like these Dickies all cotton coveralls. www.dickies.com/coveralls-overalls/deluxe-cotton-coverall/48700.html?dwvar_48700_color=GY#start=3. We use two sided velcro to strap up the wrists and usually tuck the legs into our socks. Plastic Queen cages: Mann Lake and their Canadian distributors sell these and they are made by the French company Nicot. www.mannlakeltd.com/hair-roller-cages. I use a wooden plug on the bottom and screw it in place with a #4 screw after pre drilling. Grafting microscope: www.amscope.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=gooseneck+binocular Mini/mating nucleus boxes: Mann Lake (US) and their Canadian distributors sell these. They are originally from Europe so are widely available there. www.mannlakeltd.com/shop-all-categories/hive-colony-maintenance/queen-rearing/nuc-boxes Queen Pheromone: The pheromone strips were developed here in Canada. They are called Tempqueen and are made by Intko Supply Ltd.Suite 604, 3345 Kingsway VANCOUVER, BC, V5R 0A7 Canada +1 (604) 356-7393. pheromonesupply@gmail.com. Mann Lake in the US and several Canadian bee supply companies carry them. Bee belt and bulk bee box: Our apiary manager Paul Kelly manufactures the Bee Belts and bulk bee box. If you are interested in more information, please email him at pgkelly48@gmail.com. 10. Should you remove any queen cells in a colony before introducing a new queen in a cage? A: Yes, you should remove the queen cells. Look very carefully to make sure you don't miss one. Shake the bees off each frame to make sure you can see them all. Accepted queens are sometimes killed by virgins that emerge from queen cells. 11. Can you make a split without adding a mated queen/can a split raise their own queen? A: A split can raise their own queen (if they have eggs), but you'd be better off buying a mated or queen cell from a local bee breeder. Queens raised by a split are reared under the worst possible conditions, are physiologically inferior, and you aren't taking the opportunity to improve your hive genetics. For a number of reasons, colonies get more aggressive if we let splits raise their own queens. We always use queen cells that we have reared from breeder colonies so we can maintain and improve our genetics. Cells found in hives can be poorly reared if conditions aren't good or if you use swarm cells you are unintentionally breeding for swarming behavior. 12. How often do we check for swarm cells? A: We check for queen cells only in colonies that are stronger based on our ratings as described in our “Swarm Control” video. We only do this at the time of year bees are prone to swarming (ie just before the main summer nectar flow). In some colonies, we check twice, a week apart, if we have the time and we've found cells in them previously. We stop looking once the nectar flow gets going and the time for swarm preparation has passed. 13. How old is a queen when we replace her? A: We re-queen if a queen isn't doing well or when she is in her third year. 14. How often should you be stung to lessen the chances of developing anaphylactic reactions? A: Please speak with an allergist if you have any concerns regarding bee sting reactions. You don’t need that many stings to build an immunity and reduce your chance of developing an allergy. However, reactions can be very different from one individual to the next. For about three years after starting beekeeping you swell more in the spring when the bee season starts. After that most people don't swell up much at all. Some beekeepers apply stings through the winter to keep building immunity. 15. What do we use as candy for the queen cages? A: You can make the candy using honey and icing sugar but the candy you see in the tubes in our videos are purchased with the cages from Mann Lake beekeeping supplies and their Canadian distributors. In our province, it's not legal to use honey in queen candy if you are distributing queens. Honey can contain American Foulbrood spores. A specialized, non-drying, sugar syrup (Nulomoline invert sugar) can be used instead of the honey. In any case the candy must be made dry enough that it's crumbly. 16. How do we make pollen patties? A: The patty is made from pollen we collect using a pollen trap. We mix the pollen pellets with sugar syrup to a dough like consistency, form the patties between layers of wax paper and then keep them frozen until they are needed. They will keep for several months frozen. 17. How do we make our grafting bars? A: We cut the wood pieces and attach them to the graft bar with liquid beeswax. We then attach the cups with liquid wax. In both cases the liquid wax is applied with a syringe. Previously, we made the wax cups but now buy them from www.kelleybees.com/. 18. Do we move full honey supers to the top of the stack so the bees can fill the lower ones? A: Some beekeepers do shuffle the supers around and do what's called bottom supering. We place supers back on in the original order and only add new supers on top (top supering). That way it's easier to see when the bees need more space. The bees also ripen the honey before moving up. We sometimes harvest full lower supers and put the top ones that aren't full back on in the original order. 19. Do we ever add brood frames to the cell builder colonies to keep their populations high? A: We do add other frames of sealed brood and sometimes we shake in more young bees from brood frames to boost the hives. About once every three weeks we'll boost the hives in one way or another. 20. How do you level hive stands? A: We level the hive stands periodically with pressure treated wood shims. If the hives are already on the stands, we use a hardwood pry bar and a brick fulcrum to lift each end for shimming.
Great video. Why did you put the previous graft frame back in the cell builder. Those appeared to be capped. Were they not quite ready to be taken out and used?
Hey Ryan Thanks! We introduce the queen cells to their own colonies at day 10 when they are mature and can be handled. An alternative would be to hold them in an incubator from day 7 until day 10. It's standard practise to introduce queen cells at day 10.
My father in law is a woodworking genius. Would it be possible for me to construct my own cloakboard if I could cut a sheet of metal to the correct dimensions?
Hi Wendy Yes I'm sure your father in law can build one. I make our Cloake boards but get a heating company to do the sheet metal pieces. They are also available at some bee supply stores.
Hey Spartacus You are quite welcome. We've used a few different types of plastic frames. Pierco (the original) and Acorn seem to be good brands but I'm sure there are others good brands. If you get some make sure they have a beeswax coating on the foundation.
Did you not save the closed queen cells when going through them, and use them to raise a queen in the mating nuc because they were on foundation and would harm them? Excellent video by the way. :)
We have lots of cells of the right age from our graft so we don't save queen cells of unknown age with the genes from the cell builder queen rather than the breeder colony. queen. Glad you like the video!
Why don't you just pull the top box and shake 5 frames from bottom into the top. Why shake them all? Once you have the first round of queen cells do you repeat shaking bees into the top box for the next round of cells? And why do you pull only half way?
Hello Again Paul, At 20:05 you say more information about the system you are using to raise Queens can be found in the “Ontario Beekeepers Association Queen Rearing Manual”. I have searched for that, all I could find on the Ontario Beekeepers Association website (www.ontariobee.com/outreach/manuals-books-dvds) is the “Ontario Introductory Queen Rearing Manual”. Is this the specific book you are referencing in this video? Thanks Always for you & your crew’s GREAT, INVALUABLE video series. BTW, isn’t about time for some more videos? 🤪 Thanks Again, 👋 Mike from Campbell, CA
Hi Mike You are very welcome! Nice to hear you have found our videos helpful. I can't find the manual on the OBA website either but they only have one queen rearing manual. Please contact them directly for more info www.ontariobee.com/inside-oba/contact-us We hope to do some more videos this summer. Lots of other projects on the go!
Pure pollen and add 65% ( 2 to 1 sugar to water) sugar syrup to make a thin dough like consistency. We don't use a recipe but make it to the right consistency by adding the syrup a bit at a time.
I am searching for a pure pollen paty recipe, but unfortunately I didn't find anything... Please let me know if I understood correctly: To prepare 1Kg of pollen paty I will need to mix 350Gr of fresh pollen with 650Gr of sugar syrup (2 to 1) ? Nothing else? Thanks for your useful videos. I am waiting for the new ones :) . Greats from Albania.
Hi There Thanks for your question. After finishing up queen rearing in late July we super the colonies and manage them as a double brood chamber. It's then too late to split them so we do that the following spring.
Thanks Paul, that was my question' too. Also thanks very much for the videos, you are my "Go to" when it comes to information about the honey bees. Ron from sunny Florida.@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre
Hi Ron Nice to hear you have found our videos helpful ! 21 more coming soon. Explaining the cell builders was a challenge so I'm pleased to hear from you that the comments/ replies can clarify some details.
I looked to see where your from, it says Canada that that means you might even still have snow, if not flowers haven't started yet, I live in NH in USA and my part of NH my fruit trees are just starting to bloom, I got 2 packages of bees 2 weeks ago and I thought both hives are doing great I added a second box to one which Is an 8 frame hive, my 10 frame I didn't yet but noticed they have a capped queen cell and there are still eggs so the queen is present, I thought about splitting the hive but its still in the low 40's here at night, why would they try to supercede the queen so fast? thanks for the videos most videos are from the south and that must be so much easier to raise bees in the south because it warm.
Hello to the Colburn Farm Our snow is gone but the cold weather is lingering longer than usual. It's hard to say what is happening with your hive. Lots of things can go wrong with queens but maybe your hive will fix itself. It's not likely a good idea to split your package in the first year. Best of luck with your bees.
Thankyou from Downunder (OZ). These are excellent videos. Can you tell me where you get those mini nucs that are made of foam please? Once again many thanks!
Hi 66otnt in OZ! You are quite welcome. Thanks for your feedback. www.mannlakeltd.com/shop-all-categories/hive-colony-maintenance/queen-rearing/nuc-boxes They are also widely available in Europe.
So I didn't see any vents, and your entrances were taped off, was there a reason for that? not the tape but the vents! you guys are great, I really get a lot out of your videos, Thank you.
Hi Jonathan Maybe this will answer your question but let me know if it doesn't. The cell builders have two entrances - one at the bottom back, one in between the first and second brood chambers at the front of the hive. The bee are free flying and ventilated. Nice to hear you find the videos helpful!
It's 18 oz or #8 Canvas (Duck) It's hard for us to source locally but I see it's available online here www.bigduckcanvas.com/number-8-18oz-cotton-duck-canvas.html We flip the inner cover over periodically when it's new so the bees thoroughly coat it with propolis. Bees chew through thinner canvas. Another option is a feed bag folded in half.
Good videos, well explained, but everything you do seems 'overdone' (over complicated). Most of us don't have several people to "double check" everything. Two of us graft 600 cells a day for 2-3 months. We wet graft into 100 queenrite builders (with only an excluder to keep the queen out) and get well over an 80% average. 10 builders per day, 60 cells per builder. Not enough hours in a day to graft 600 cells a day your way. We make our own grafting needles from nut pickers, or crochet needles. Working everyday we always have 4 day old cells to get royal jelly for our wet grafts. Those grubs float right off into thinned royal jelly. I know not many people watching are interested in large scale cell building but it just doesn't need to be this complicated.
Hi VS Thanks for sharing your techniques. I'm surprised that you are able to get good takes on your grafts using a queenright starter/ finisher but you have obviously figured that one out. We are definitely working on a smaller scale that you are. Yes our cell builder method is complicated to explain. It's easier to do than to explain. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare each cell builder after our equipment is in place. We have more than enough people around with new staff, volunteers etc so including them is a good learning opportunity. If we don't miss any rogue cells we don't waste time on grafts that are destroyed or in fixing up cell builders with virgins in them. Other stages are quick with this method - pulling out the slide vs transferring frames from starter to finisher, inserting the new graft frames, incubating within the cell builder and so on. We don't need a lot of queens weekly and are more concerned with having well produced queens than large numbers. Our cells are significantly bigger than those of commercial queen rearing friends who still use swarm box starters/ queen right finishers. Most commercial queen producers here have switched to the Cloake board method, partly for this reason. You can add a second graft frame the day after the first to double production but I don't do this. I like having set times on certain days for each queen rearing activity so I can schedule all our other work . We usually run three cell builders and over twelve weeks get 400 to 500 cells per cell builder. As for grafting. I graft 135 larvae in 45 minutes. Not too fast, but fast enough for me. If you ever get a chance to do some videos on your methods I'd be interested in seeing them. Sounds like you are a very busy guy!
why can't you just transfer the frame with bees to the new frame instead of you shaking the bees to let them transfer, then you put new frames in the old hive.. how come you are not been bitten..
when we shake the bees off the frames we can add them from the brood frames to where they are needed in the top of the cell builder. This also allows us to see any 'wild ' cells better so we don't miss removing any.
I was really looking forward to sharing this but you overly complicated the process and top feeder on a cell builder is not a great idea, having to remove all that sugar slopping around every time you inspect add cells, knock cells etc.
Everything we do has a rationale. It may be hard to follow in a video but it's not hard to do. I don't have a problem lifting a hive top feeder and prefer to not use a frame feeder as it takes the place of at least one frame. We all have our own ways and I've never suggested there aren't other good ways. Please share your own methods. Cheers!
EVERYTIME I PULL CLOAKEBOARD,they ABANDON all my started cells, EVERYTIME. PLUS my bees start building Supercedure cells and get Swarmy afterwards...I hate these things, BUT I LOVE IDEA,MAN I WISH I COULD GET IT TO WORK.What am I doing wrong ?I arrange bottom 180 close bottom, install cloake board,pull pan.,move open brood up usually 3 frames at least, pollen and open nectar up, their good pollen an nectar (Double Deeps) frames ,then I shake in two or three more frames of nurse bees,I also have one frame at least hatching brood,next day open bottom entrance, install pan or floor in cloake board,shake nurse bees off open brood,remove open brood frames,add grafts, pollen one side, open nectar on other side,plus frame feeder.24 hrs later almost all or sometimes all grafts are accepepted and started,pull slide ..I don't smoke cell builders,these are very strong production colonies,I take 3rd deep(honey Super) to use as cell Builder so they not trying to do both.Plenty bees right age, plenty resources, plenty numbers not to Peter out,but soon as they smell their Queen,that's it.They done.. I get better finishing off Queenless colony, without getting swarming on their mind..IS THIS NORMAL,OR AM I DOING SOMETHING WRONG?They ARE Strong enough to finish job they started,WHY aren't they though? Thanks for sharing your knowledge
Hi BB Not sure but we don't put young brood up top we put capped brood there so there is no competition for the larval food. Please review our setup in the video as it really works. TONS of bees are necessary and that could be a problem. When you think you have enough bees - double it.
Thank you to everyone for watching and supporting our videos! If you have any questions about our videos, please check out our list of FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS on our website, which can be found at honeybee.uoguelph.ca/videos/frequently-asked-questions/
When is the best time of year to do this?
This page is no longer there u get a 404 page not found.
where did u get the micoscope from
Not only are these videos amazing but your delivery is incredible. You are a gifted speaker and teacher. My wife keeps walking past me and saying “more beer videos?” I just can’t get enough. I look forward to starting my hive in the spring of 2019 and love that I found this series. It is a huge relief. Books are great but I feel like I am beeing instructed when I watch your videos. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Hi Justen
Thanks for your very generous comments! Good luck with your bees in 2018. We'll be doing twenty more videos this summer.
Its been 2 years, how did your hive fair? I lost my first 2. One absconded and the other didnt winter. I have 2 nucs coming in May 2021.
Thank you for a very good Video on the Cloake Board Method. My Father and I developed this system nearly 50 years ago. Back then we ran 4,000 hives and out normal method then was the swam box and finishing queen rite hives and was done at the home base. My wife became allergic so we had to find a new method but not at home. In early spring we would bring in strong hives to the queen rearing site and prepare them much the same way but from then on the field crew would bring in sealed brood when more was required. we grafted 40 cells into each hive every five days. we had as many as 50 cell builders in operation from September, almost continuously until April when were raising queens commercially as part of our operation. Rouge cells were a problem and we did have losses.. we were always checking.
Wow! That's very interesting Merv. Thanks for telling me more about the origin of the method and of your wealth of experience. I can make these details part of the Cloake board story I tell when teaching the methods. All the best.
This is a bit complex and I am watching it for the third time to hopefully get a perfectly clear understanding of this process. You folks are giving very clear instructions and the verbal pronounciation and enunciation is flawless. I predict that this series of videos will become a "National Treasure."
Don't get weak, thanx, LP
Ask ahead sir,,what haven't you got yet?,I may help you
Just a short note to say how much I appreciate your truly outstanding videos. Beginning beekeepers like myself are in constant search for knowledge on the subject and it's difficult for us to sort out what Internet info is credible and what's not. How delighted I was to happen upon an excellent video put out by a university...and then realize that there were a host of additional videos, all professionally made and packed with info! It's like one day you recognized the need and took it upon yourself to fill it. May God bless you in your future endeavors -- in my opinion you have made an immense contribution to beekeeping and the welfare of bees worldwide.
You are making us blush Andrew! Thank you for your very kind remarks. It's encouraging to hear that you find the videos helpful. We had intended the videos for use close to home and were surprised to see that they are being viewed in many other locations. All the best for you and your bees Andrew.
Excellent video series on beekeeping. No longer a novice but it's great to have a repeat on all these topics. I haven't seen this queen rearing method before. Great instructing as always.
It looks like the cloak board turns one queen right hive into a cell starter and cell finisher all at once! Brilliant!
Right. It is a clever idea. Thanks Harry Cloake!
Really interesting to see. I've been interested in bees and bee keeping for a while, but never realized how involved the process is. Looking forward to view more videos, and reading more on this topic.
Hi Carol
I agree, there is a lot more to beekeeping than you might think at first. It's all interesting material to learn though so people get hooked!
I really like your videos! Thank you for the great quality and editing. I am very impressed !
Thanks Aaron!
I come from the Home of the Cloak Board, New Zealand, I have never seen it used quite this way but its looks like a great system to me.
Hi TS
Well we have worked out a way that works for us. It is a bit complex I'll admit. The beauty is in the Cloake board slide from your Kiwi kin. If you dig down through the comments you'll see one from Harry Cloake's son!
@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre Have you seen the "Morris board" invented around 1948
@@MegaDavyk Nope. Is it similar? You Kiwi's are crafty!
@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre The Morris Board is sort of similar but the credit goes to an Englishman. Have you thought of using a sheet of News Paper instead of a slide and letting the bees open it themselves. Useful in an out yard if its inconvenient to get back on time.
Great video. We think this method as described in the video could suit a group as they could pool labour and resources. My own method that is successful in marginal West Wales is to harvest a comb or two of brood and nurse bees from several strong colonies during hive inspections, bring them to the home apiary and unite them with a strong colony here. I don’t use pollen patties or get the bees to prepare the cells for 24 hours. Pollen is not an issue here and I find that polishing the plastic cups makes no difference. 👍
Could not find an answer to this question in your FAQs. Sorry if I missed it.
Suppose my operation does not require producing a batch of queen cells, one after another. I see the advice to pull the panel after two days, when the queen cells have been started, but not completed and capped. What are the pros and cons if I were to leave the panel in place until the cells are capped? It seems to me having that very dense population above the cloake board until they are capped would guarantee they are huge and well fed.
Thanks for your great quality videos and all the excellent well presented information they offer.
Our pleasure Randall. Glad you have found our videos helpful.
Pulling the slide out helps maintain the cell builder long term.
I haven't tried it but leaving the slide closed shouldn't make a significant difference. It is thought that bees start a high percentage of cells under an emergency queen rearing situation and finish them best under swarm prep conditions ( Queenright).
Thank for an excellent video. When do you start queen rearing in the spring and when do you stop in the summer? What signs do you look for? I am located in wisconsin so our climates are similar.
mr.kelly, several videos of the mention of the hive top feeder. i've looked through your subscription video's and have not seen any mention as to where you would purchase or how to make this type. will you direct me to learn more about the hive top feeder.
Thank you for the well explained and detail-oriented videos. Do you need grafting, can't you just introduce empty queen cels and let the bees to raise queens?
Unfortunately it's not that easy!
Toward the end, you mentioned the bees using the swarm impulse to continue raising the queen cells. Will that swarm impulse encourage the queen in the bottom box to actually swarm?
I love your videos. Very informative. I am wondering why you don't use OTS (on the spot) queen rearing technique by Mel Disselkoen. Much simpler way to raise queen and makes splits. Plus you are breaking the brood cycle with his method helping to keep Varroa numbers down.
Hi There
Great to hear you find our videos informative!
Please see our video 'Why Buy Queens' ua-cam.com/video/-MFp80hG4dw/v-deo.html for an answer.
You could also see' Handling Queen Cells".
ua-cam.com/video/xW_Ca96-j0o/v-deo.html
Thx for sharing this and following video. I have a question. I understood that with this methode you can introduce new graphts any 7 days in the same double hive. So I should insert new cups with larvae even if in the brood box there are previous week Real Cells? Is it correct? THX
If I put ungrafted queen cups in the hive would the bees use them?
Another very instructive video thanks so much for posting
Thanks again for the encouragement Linton!
Can watch your videos over and over again. Was just wondering if there are more on the way
We hope to do more videos this summer. We have a list of ten topics to cover. Nice to hear you enjoy them!
What about the bees that left outside? How will they enter because the entrances are closed?
If I understand, the only entrance to the hive is through the queen excluder on the bottom of the bottom hive body? When the cloak board is in the closed position, the bees in the top box are trapped there for two days with no was to leave that confined area (of the top box?
Hi Larry
There are two entrances at all times. One at the normal location at the bottom board and one in between the first and second brood chamber. The upper entrance is provided by the Cloake board so the bees in the top box can fly in and out.
How do the bees forage if both brood boxes are sealed shut?
There are entrances into both the bottom and top brood chambers.
Im not understanding how the bees in the bottom box get out if there's no entrance
Could I harvest the queen cells and raise them as queens and use them in Nucs to make more hives of bees I am very new to all of this stuff.
Hi Mark
We introduce the queen cells to nucs or colony splits hives. Our videos show both. Thanks for your interest.
Thank you for the fantastic videos! Where do the cells in the graft frames come from? They look like real wax, not the plastic kind...
We buy pre-made beeswax queen cups from Kelley Bee Supplies in Kentucky USA. I much prefer them to plastic cups. Bees do too!
Hi Ive got to ask but regarding destroying the queen cells, do they have royal jelly in them that you can shift into your grafted cells as additional supply of royal jelly? Seems like a waste of royal jelly otherwise.
How do the drones get in and out with the queen excluder?
NZ er from Te Puke .....Cripes, seems complicated compared to the original system, but if it works 4 u, all good. I think you skirted over the back and front entrance/exits, which with the movable Cloake board are the crux of the system ...Dave Cushman did a great article on the system. I bet you could also use this system along with the Isaac Hopkins system so as you wouldn't need to do any grafting at all ... great work with all your videos !! ..Ta
Well yes it is a bit complex! We use an entrance reducer in the bottom entrance ( at the back). THe entrance stays open all the time.
Cheers in NZ. I had a great trip there 35 years ago.Toured for six months on my bike. Visited lots of beekeepers along the way. If it weren't so far away I'd have stayed!
Thanks for the reply, .. QUESTION : how would you increase hive numbers as fast as possible ? ... would you add cells to 1 ; 2 ;3 4 or 5 frame splits ? the advantage with a 5 frame is you could start pinching frames to start smaller frame start ups, as the 5 framers will most likely increase at a much faster rate than 1 or 2 framers ???
You guys are "beekeeping acrobats." You tackle the tough stuff with grace, bare hands, and shorts! Question: 8:50 Do you ever transfer these queen cells into Nucs or hives needing a new queen? It seems a shame to waste them, but perhaps they are hard to transfer without damage, or if you aren't in a situation to rear them, they have less value.
You say the pollen patties is pure pollen is it a synthetic pollen or a natural pollen.?????
If they made those queen cells and your trying to make them I get removing the cups but why not use the queen cells?
The queen cells that are produced in the cell builders don't come from our desired stock and they are of variable age.
Love all of your videos. Quick question: I live in Texas, where the summer heat and humidity are brutal. I have had success with this method in the spring. Do you think this method is doable in the heat? I know you said you ran your "little queen machine" all summer long, but I am concerned with my heat and closing the bees in the upper chamber. Any advice?
pure pollen paddy? is it made from pollen collected with traps from your apiary? how are the nuggets from being bulled off their pollen baskets processed into paddies. do they expire quickly with all the natural yeast and microbial life of natural pollen?
Yes the patty is made from pollen we collect using a pollen trap. We mix the pollen pellets with sugar syrup to a dough like consistency, form the patties between layers of wax paper and then keep them frozen until they are needed.They will keep for several months frozen.
Hi Paul
Im loving your videos and as a newbee beekeeper Im interested in what you use in your smoker ?? The smoke looks lovely thick and white !! can you tell me or if you already have a video pop the link in here - thank you
ua-cam.com/video/jyCpSO5lKpk/v-deo.html
Good to hear you find the videos helpful Anne.
ua-cam.com/video/jyCpSO5lKpk/v-deo.html
Thanks Anne. Good to hear you find the videos helpful.
I noticed you use a cloth inner cover. What is it that you use, and why do you not use a wooden one?
Hi Mike
Thanks for your question. Here's our frequently asked question list. Your question is #1. We'll do a video on the topic this summer.
1. Why do we use canvas
for the hive inner cover? A: We use canvas inner covers for a few reasons. They
make it easy to take a quick peek in the hive, and are cheap and easy to make.
They are light, the lids sit down well, less excess wax on the frame top bars,
and we rarely need to scrape the inner cover. We use 18 oz (#8) canvas
-otherwise known as duck. It's a bit hard to come by in Ontario, but it is
available from online distributors (US: www.bigduckcanvas.com/number-8-18oz-cotton-duck-canvas.html,
Canada www.jtsoutdoorfabrics.com/18oz-Cotton-Duck-Canvas-Untreated--Natural-60_p_15038.html).
Bees chew through thin canvas so a heavy weight is better. We flip it over
periodically when new so the bees thoroughly coat it with propolis. An
alternative is a feedbag folded in half.
2. Why do we use single
brood chambers? A: Our preference is to keep hives in single brood chambers. We
use queen excluders above the brood chamber and then add supers. We produce
bigger crops managing our hives in singles vs doubles and we find the hive management
much easier. It's become quite common here, especially over the last twenty
years. We will be making a video about single brood chambers soon!
3. Are our queens for sale? A: We sell some queens but don't
export. To contact us about our queens, please email us at infohbrc@uoguelph.ca. Our Buckfast collaborators also sell queens: Munro Honey www.munrohoney.com/ (for CAN sales) and Ferguson Apiaries fergusonapiaries.on.ca/ (for CAN and US sales).
.
4. What breed of
honeybee do we use? A: We work with Buckfast bees. Check out our website if you
would like to learn more about them: www.uoguelph.ca/honeybee/breeding.shtml
5. Will we be making any
more videos? A: Yes! We are looking forward to creating more videos for our
UA-cam channel this year! Here are some of the topics we will be covering:
Working with single brood chambers, indoor overwintering.
6.How do you overwinter
double nucleus colonies? A: At the University of Guelph, we winter our double
nucleus colonies indoors. You can also winter them outdoors by wrapping two
double nucs together with insulation on the sides and top.
7. Are double nucleus
colonies prone to swarming? A: With a young queen and the supers above we don't
have any problem with these nucs swarming in the first year. We do have to
transfer them into a full size box early enough the following spring to prevent
swarming.
8. Do we add a frame of
pollen or honey into a new split? A: Ideally you add both pollen and honey. Of
the two, honey is the most important.
9. Where to purchase
some of the products that we use:
Coveralls: We really
like these Dickies all cotton coveralls. www.dickies.com/coveralls-overalls/deluxe-cotton-coverall/48700.html?dwvar_48700_color=GY#start=3.
We use two sided velcro to strap up the wrists and usually tuck the legs into
our socks.
Plastic Queen cages:
Mann Lake and their Canadian distributors sell these and they are made by the
French company Nicot. www.mannlakeltd.com/hair-roller-cages. I use
a wooden plug on the bottom and screw it in place with a #4 screw after pre
drilling.
Grafting microscope: www.amscope.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=gooseneck+binocular
Mini/mating nucleus
boxes: Mann Lake (US) and their Canadian distributors sell these. They are
originally from Europe so are widely available there. www.mannlakeltd.com/shop-all-categories/hive-colony-maintenance/queen-rearing/nuc-boxes
Queen Pheromone: The
pheromone strips were developed here in Canada. They are called Tempqueen and
are made by Intko Supply Ltd.Suite 604, 3345 Kingsway VANCOUVER, BC, V5R 0A7
Canada +1 (604) 356-7393. pheromonesupply@gmail.com. Mann Lake in the US and several Canadian
bee supply companies carry them.
Bee belt and bulk bee
box: Our apiary manager Paul Kelly manufactures the Bee Belts and bulk bee box.
If you are interested in more information, please email him at pgkelly48@gmail.com.
10. Should you remove
any queen cells in a colony before introducing a new queen in a cage? A: Yes,
you should remove the queen cells. Look very carefully to make sure you don't
miss one. Shake the bees off each frame to make sure you can see them all.
Accepted queens are sometimes killed by virgins that emerge from queen cells.
11. Can you make a split
without adding a mated queen/can a split raise their own queen? A: A split can
raise their own queen (if they have eggs), but you'd be better off buying a
mated or queen cell from a local bee breeder. Queens raised by a split are
reared under the worst possible conditions, are physiologically inferior, and
you aren't taking the opportunity to improve your hive genetics. For a number
of reasons, colonies get more aggressive if we let splits raise their own
queens. We always use queen cells that we have reared from breeder colonies so
we can maintain and improve our genetics. Cells found in hives can be poorly
reared if conditions aren't good or if you use swarm cells you are
unintentionally breeding for swarming behavior.
12. How often do we
check for swarm cells? A: We check for queen cells only in colonies that are
stronger based on our ratings as described in our “Swarm Control” video. We
only do this at the time of year bees are prone to swarming (ie just before the
main summer nectar flow). In some colonies, we check twice, a week apart, if we
have the time and we've found cells in them previously. We stop looking once
the nectar flow gets going and the time for swarm preparation has passed.
13. How old is a queen
when we replace her? A: We re-queen if a queen isn't doing well or when she is
in her third year.
14. How often should you
be stung to lessen the chances of developing anaphylactic reactions? A: Please
speak with an allergist if you have any concerns regarding bee sting reactions.
You don’t need that many stings to build an immunity and reduce your chance of
developing an allergy. However, reactions can be very different from one
individual to the next. For about three years after starting beekeeping you
swell more in the spring when the bee season starts. After that most people
don't swell up much at all. Some beekeepers apply stings through the winter to
keep building immunity.
15. What do we use as
candy for the queen cages? A: You can make the candy using honey and icing
sugar but the candy you see in the tubes in our videos are purchased with the
cages from Mann Lake beekeeping supplies and their Canadian distributors. In
our province, it's not legal to use honey in queen candy if you are distributing
queens. Honey can contain American Foulbrood spores. A specialized, non-drying,
sugar syrup (Nulomoline invert sugar) can be used instead of the honey. In any
case the candy must be made dry enough that it's crumbly.
16. How do we make pollen patties? A: The patty is
made from pollen we collect using a pollen trap. We mix the pollen pellets with
sugar syrup to a dough like consistency, form the patties between layers of wax
paper and then keep them frozen until they are needed. They will keep for several
months frozen.
17. How do we make our
grafting bars? A: We cut the wood pieces and attach them to the graft bar with
liquid beeswax. We then attach the cups with liquid wax. In both cases the
liquid wax is applied with a syringe. Previously, we made the wax cups but now
buy them from www.kelleybees.com/.
18. Do we move full
honey supers to the top of the stack so the bees can fill the lower ones? A:
Some beekeepers do shuffle the supers around and do what's called bottom
supering. We place supers back on in the original order and only add new supers
on top (top supering). That way it's easier to see when the bees need more
space. The bees also ripen the honey before moving up. We sometimes harvest
full lower supers and put the top ones that aren't full back on in the original
order.
19. Do we ever add brood
frames to the cell builder colonies to keep their populations high? A: We do
add other frames of sealed brood and sometimes we shake in more young bees from
brood frames to boost the hives. About once every three weeks we'll boost the
hives in one way or another.
20. How do you level
hive stands? A: We level the hive stands periodically with pressure treated
wood shims. If the hives are already on the stands, we use a hardwood pry bar
and a brick fulcrum to lift each end for shimming.
Great video. Why did you put the previous graft frame back in the cell builder. Those appeared to be capped. Were they not quite ready to be taken out and used?
Hey Ryan
Thanks! We introduce the queen cells to their own colonies at day 10 when they are mature and can be handled. An alternative would be to hold them in an incubator from day 7 until day 10. It's standard practise to introduce queen cells at day 10.
I BEN WATCHIN YOUR VIDEOS & NOTICED THAN YOURS BEE BOXES ARE BUILD TO HOLD 12 DEEP FRAMES IS ANY SPECIAL REASON FOR THAT ??
Our boxes are made for 10 frames. Sometimes we squeeze an extra one in our cell builders as the graft frame is very thin.
Is it possible, the bees in the bottom box to overheat?
The bottom box has a reduced entrance. They don't overheat in our conditions.
Its called a Cloake Board system developed and perfected by and named after Harry Cloake of New Zealand around 1974-75 .(Wikipedia)
My father in law is a woodworking genius. Would it be possible for me to construct my own cloakboard if I could cut a sheet of metal to the correct dimensions?
Hi Wendy
Yes I'm sure your father in law can build one. I make our Cloake boards but get a heating company to do the sheet metal pieces. They are also available at some bee supply stores.
Hey Paul, thanks for the nice explanatory video. I am curious what kind of frames you use that look like plastic with the wall integrated?!
Hey Spartacus
You are quite welcome. We've used a few different types of plastic frames. Pierco (the original) and Acorn seem to be good brands but I'm sure there are others good brands. If you get some make sure they have a beeswax coating on the foundation.
Did you not save the closed queen cells when going through them, and use them to raise a queen in the mating nuc because they were on foundation and would harm them? Excellent video by the way. :)
We have lots of cells of the right age from our graft so we don't save queen cells of unknown age with the genes from the cell builder queen rather than the breeder colony. queen. Glad you like the video!
Where do you get your belt from toolbox
Hi Wade
I make the belts and stools. You can see our FAQ link posted under each video.
@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre and did not see that abbreviation and the notes
Hi Wade
Please see honeybee.uoguelph.ca/videos/frequently-asked-questions/
What's the recipe for the sugar water? It's not in the faq.
Hi Rick. Two parts granulated sucrose to one part water by weight. Thanks for checking the FAQ!
Why don't you just pull the top box and shake 5 frames from bottom into the top. Why shake them all? Once you have the first round of queen cells do you repeat shaking bees into the top box for the next round of cells? And why do you pull only half way?
Hello Again Paul,
At 20:05 you say more information about the system you are using to raise Queens can be found in the “Ontario Beekeepers Association Queen Rearing Manual”.
I have searched for that, all I could find on the Ontario Beekeepers Association website (www.ontariobee.com/outreach/manuals-books-dvds) is the “Ontario Introductory Queen Rearing Manual”.
Is this the specific book you are referencing in this video?
Thanks Always for you & your crew’s GREAT, INVALUABLE video series.
BTW, isn’t about time for some more videos? 🤪
Thanks Again,
👋 Mike from Campbell, CA
Hi Mike
You are very welcome! Nice to hear you have found our videos helpful.
I can't find the manual on the OBA website either but they only have one queen rearing manual. Please contact them directly for more info www.ontariobee.com/inside-oba/contact-us
We hope to do some more videos this summer. Lots of other projects on the go!
quick question, if you're raising queens, why not keep those that the bees have already made? you know those rogue ones.
HiThere
The rogue queens aren't from the breeder we want and their age is different from the grafted cells so they wouldn't fit into our schedule.
would you dive us the recipe for the pollen paty?
Pure pollen and add 65% ( 2 to 1 sugar to water) sugar syrup to make a thin dough like consistency. We don't use a recipe but make it to the right consistency by adding the syrup a bit at a time.
I am searching for a pure pollen paty recipe, but unfortunately I didn't find anything... Please let me know if I understood correctly: To prepare 1Kg of pollen paty I will need to mix 350Gr of fresh pollen with 650Gr of sugar syrup (2 to 1) ? Nothing else? Thanks for your useful videos. I am waiting for the new ones :) . Greats from Albania.
@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre Is it ok to freeze ghat dough?
Waht do you do with the cellbilder collonies after the queen rearing season? Do you seperate them and introduce a new queen to the queenless part?
Hi There
Thanks for your question. After finishing up queen rearing in late July we super the colonies and manage them as a double brood chamber. It's then too late to split them so we do that the following spring.
When do you open the entrances? You show them closed in the video, but I didn't hear when you open them.
Hi Rick. There is a reduced entrance in the bottom brood chamber and an entrance to the upper brood chamber via the Cloake board at all times.
@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre Thanks!
Thanks Paul, that was my question' too. Also thanks very much for the videos, you are my "Go to" when it comes to information about the honey bees. Ron from sunny Florida.@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre
Hi Ron
Nice to hear you have found our videos helpful ! 21 more coming soon. Explaining the cell builders was a challenge so I'm pleased to hear from you that the comments/ replies can clarify some details.
I looked to see where your from, it says Canada that that means you might even still have snow, if not flowers haven't started yet, I live in NH in USA and my part of NH my fruit trees are just starting to bloom, I got 2 packages of bees 2 weeks ago and I thought both hives are doing great I added a second box to one which Is an 8 frame hive, my 10 frame I didn't yet but noticed they have a capped queen cell and there are still eggs so the queen is present, I thought about splitting the hive but its still in the low 40's here at night, why would they try to supercede the queen so fast? thanks for the videos most videos are from the south and that must be so much easier to raise bees in the south because it warm.
Hello to the Colburn Farm
Our snow is gone but the cold weather is lingering longer than usual. It's hard to say what is happening with your hive. Lots of things can go wrong with queens but maybe your hive will fix itself. It's not likely a good idea to split your package in the first year. Best of luck with your bees.
Thankyou from Downunder (OZ). These are excellent videos. Can you tell me where you get those mini nucs that are made of foam please? Once again many thanks!
Hi 66otnt in OZ!
You are quite welcome. Thanks for your feedback. www.mannlakeltd.com/shop-all-categories/hive-colony-maintenance/queen-rearing/nuc-boxes They are also widely available in Europe.
Awesome. Nice 🐝🐝🐝
Thanks Florin.
So I didn't see any vents, and your entrances were taped off, was there a reason for that? not the tape but the vents! you guys are great, I really get a lot out of your videos, Thank you.
Hi Jonathan
Maybe this will answer your question but let me know if it doesn't. The cell builders have two entrances - one at the bottom back, one in between the first and second brood chambers at the front of the hive. The bee are free flying and ventilated. Nice to hear you find the videos helpful!
do u sell queens?
Hi Adam
We sell some but don't export.
how would i order i live in mechanicsville va
Hi Adam
You could try contacting Ferguson Apiaries. They export Buckfast queens to the US but we don't.
What is the material being used for inner covers?
It's 18 oz or #8 Canvas (Duck) It's hard for us to source locally but I see it's available online here www.bigduckcanvas.com/number-8-18oz-cotton-duck-canvas.html We flip the inner cover over periodically when it's new so the bees thoroughly coat it with propolis. Bees chew through thinner canvas.
Another option is a feed bag folded in half.
Thank you very much. I really enjoy your videos.
do you get stung at all while doing this?
Yes we do get a few stings but it's not too bad.It's good for keeping our immunity up!
where do y'all get those sheets of canvas for inner cover?
Good videos, well explained, but everything you do seems 'overdone' (over complicated). Most of us don't have several people to "double check" everything.
Two of us graft 600 cells a day for 2-3 months. We wet graft into 100 queenrite builders (with only an excluder to keep the queen out) and get well over an 80% average. 10 builders per day, 60 cells per builder. Not enough hours in a day to graft 600 cells a day your way.
We make our own grafting needles from nut pickers, or crochet needles. Working everyday we always have 4 day old cells to get royal jelly for our wet grafts. Those grubs float right off into thinned royal jelly.
I know not many people watching are interested in large scale cell building but it just doesn't need to be this complicated.
Hi VS
Thanks for sharing your techniques. I'm surprised that you are able to get good takes on your grafts using a queenright starter/ finisher but you have obviously figured that one out. We are definitely working on a smaller scale that you are.
Yes our cell builder method is complicated to explain. It's easier to do than to explain. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare each cell builder after our equipment is in place. We have more than enough people around with new staff, volunteers etc so including them is a good learning opportunity. If we don't miss any rogue cells we don't waste time on grafts that are destroyed or in fixing up cell builders with virgins in them. Other stages are quick with this method - pulling out the slide vs transferring frames from starter to finisher, inserting the new graft frames, incubating within the cell builder and so on.
We don't need a lot of queens weekly and are more concerned with having well produced queens than large numbers. Our cells are significantly bigger than those of commercial queen rearing friends who still use swarm box starters/ queen right finishers. Most commercial queen producers here have switched to the Cloake board method, partly for this reason. You can add a second graft frame the day after the first to double production but I don't do this. I like having set times on certain days for each queen rearing activity so I can schedule all our other work . We usually run three cell builders and over twelve weeks get 400 to 500 cells per cell builder.
As for grafting. I graft 135 larvae in 45 minutes. Not too fast, but fast enough for me.
If you ever get a chance to do some videos on your methods I'd be interested in seeing them. Sounds like you are a very busy guy!
😊😊😊
I think beekeeping is a totally different language. Either you get it or you don't.
Well Fritz, I think this was one of our more challenging videos to comprehend. I hope you 'get it" I agree that we do have our own language!
why can't you just transfer the frame with bees to the new frame instead of you shaking the bees to let them transfer, then you put new frames in the old hive.. how come you are not been bitten..
when we shake the bees off the frames we can add them from the brood frames to where they are needed in the top of the cell builder. This also allows us to see any 'wild '
cells better so we don't miss removing any.
I was really looking forward to sharing this but you overly complicated the process and top feeder on a cell builder is not a great idea, having to remove all that sugar slopping around every time you inspect add cells, knock cells etc.
Everything we do has a rationale. It may be hard to follow in a video but it's not hard to do. I don't have a problem lifting a hive top feeder and prefer to not use a frame feeder as it takes the place of at least one frame. We all have our own ways and I've never suggested there aren't other good ways. Please share your own methods. Cheers!
EVERYTIME I PULL CLOAKEBOARD,they ABANDON all my started cells, EVERYTIME. PLUS my bees start building Supercedure cells and get Swarmy afterwards...I hate these things, BUT I LOVE IDEA,MAN I WISH I COULD GET IT TO WORK.What am I doing wrong ?I arrange bottom 180 close bottom, install cloake board,pull pan.,move open brood up usually 3 frames at least, pollen and open nectar up, their good pollen an nectar (Double Deeps) frames ,then I shake in two or three more frames of nurse bees,I also have one frame at least hatching brood,next day open bottom entrance, install pan or floor in cloake board,shake nurse bees off open brood,remove open brood frames,add grafts, pollen one side, open nectar on other side,plus frame feeder.24 hrs later almost all or sometimes all grafts are accepepted and started,pull slide ..I don't smoke cell builders,these are very strong production colonies,I take 3rd deep(honey Super) to use as cell Builder so they not trying to do both.Plenty bees right age, plenty resources, plenty numbers not to Peter out,but soon as they smell their Queen,that's it.They done.. I get better finishing off Queenless colony, without getting swarming on their mind..IS THIS NORMAL,OR AM I DOING SOMETHING WRONG?They ARE Strong enough to finish job they started,WHY aren't they though? Thanks for sharing your knowledge
Hi BB
Not sure but we don't put young brood up top we put capped brood there so there is no competition for the larval food. Please review our setup in the video as it really works. TONS of bees are necessary and that could be a problem. When you think you have enough bees - double it.