Grafting Queens

One of many hottest strategies of queen manufacturing (that beekeepers love to speak about) is utilizing the grafting course of. Known as the Dolittle Methodology, the approach was perfected by G.M Dolittle within the late 1800’s. 

It takes some effort to graft correctly however it’s one method to produce loads of queens in a brief period of time.

Grafting Larva to Cell Bar

The method begins by harvesting employee larvae. Eggs laid by the queen change into tiny larva inside 3 days.

In grafting, very tiny younger larvae are moved (grafted) into particular cells supplied by the beekeeper. 

These larvae should be very young-12-24 hours previous and are available from fertilized eggs. Solely fertilized eggs produce feminine bees: employees or queens.

Particular grafting instruments are sometimes used to maneuver larvae. However, I’ve seen beekeepers use a straw from a brush too. It’s not the grafting instrument however the approach that makes the distinction.

The beekeeper wants good eyes and a gradual hand to carry/graft the larva from one cell to a different with out harm.

A particular cell bar (that appears like the highest bar of an everyday body) has a groove that holds synthetic queen cups. Every cup is given one larva. 

Inserting Larvae in Swarm Field/Cell Builder

The bar of grafted larvae is given to a small queenless field of bees with no brood current. That is usually referred to as a cell builder colony. 

The cell builder field incorporates 4-5 kilos of younger nurse bees along with a superb inhabitants of foragers. Then, 2-3 frames of nectar and pollen are added. 

Good hive air flow and a small water supply is supplied. This unit is commonly positioned in a cool darkish place with the bees closed up for twenty-four hours.

In the course of the time of confinement, the bees inside understand they want a queen. With no bee brood inside to look after, their efforts are focused on feeding the grafted larva and constructing out the queen cells.

After about 24 hours the cell builder is opened and the cell bar with properly fed larva is given to a “ending colony”.

Ending Colony

The ending colony is a powerful populous hive of bees with a laying queen current. She should be saved other than the growing cells or she would destroy them. 

Usually, the hive queen is positioned within the backside field with a number of empty frames, frames of capped brood and a few honey and pollen. A queen excluder is positioned on prime of this field.

The second field sits on prime of the queen excluder. It ought to comprise all the open or “milk brood” within the hive. 

This consists of eggs and larva with the cell bar containing our growing cells within the center. A number of frames of honey and pollen/nectar are additionally on this prime field.

Nurse bees within the colony are drawn up into the highest field by the pheromones given off by the brood.  Right here, they look after all of the brood and proceed to feed and construct out the queen cells. 

Having the colony crowded on this configuration encourages the swarm impulse and intensifies the queen rearing impulse.

Transferring Queen Cell to Mating Nucs

After about 9 days within the ending colony, your queen cells are nearing maturation. This will occur faster in extremely popular climate so be ready. 

We should take away the cells earlier than the primary one hatches. In any other case, the primary one to hatch will kill the others inside their cells.

Every queen cell is positioned in mating nuc containers or queenless hive. As soon as the brand new queen emerges and matures, she takes her mating flight about 1 week later. If profitable, she returns to the hive and inside a few days begins to put.

Professionals and Cons of Grafting

Grafting is a enjoyable means to participate in elevating queen honey bees. It’s a confirmed methodology that has been used for over 100 years. 

It’s the best method to produce loads of queen bees in a brief time frame. Nevertheless, it’s not with out some challenges.

Rearing quite a few queen bees could be very useful resource demanding. The beekeeper will need to have the gear wanted and sufficient employee bees to inventory these cell builders, ending and mating nuc containers. 

The method additionally includes a little bit of hive manipulation with reference to transferring bees from one field to a different and transferring frames round. Discovering and transferring tiny larva with out damaging them could be troublesome for a lot of beekeepers.