# First year grafting :)



## Zier64 (Dec 29, 2010)

Well first true year of grafting has started for me! First round was 30 grafts and 23 Look good(will see what finishes getting Capped!) Super exciting Love doing this! My first time Ever was 14 of 15 Accepted Now to get this whole system down on a rotation and Quality!!  Not the best photo's but more to come!!

https://www.facebook.com/ColdstreamCreekApiaries?ref=hl


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Do you wait 3-4 days after building your nuc to put the graft in?
Is it a 5 frame deep nuc also?


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## Zier64 (Dec 29, 2010)

Hi No Bee Pro i made a Cell starter in a 5 frame nuc which i left queenless for about 5 hours and then put grafts in...After 24H i put them in a Finisher Colony that has a queen excluder Below it.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Thanks, Zier64 for the good tips.
I have not use the finisher colony with an excluder before. 
Do they make better queen cells that way? I thought without
any young larvae to feed they can concentrate all their efforts on raising
the queen cells with the Royal Jelly. That is why I use a cell starter colony with only
young nurse bees from start to finish.


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## Zier64 (Dec 29, 2010)

I think the finisher can feed more in the time before capping usually? I know a few others that use the Starter all the way though to the end. But I am trying the finisher method. I'm sure i will try all Options as time goes on though...Next task is the test of mini mating nucs. and 4 frame Medium mating nucs...Always learning is the best part of this all


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

I have not try the finisher yet. Like you I am comparing all methods to see which one
is better. I'm doing the 3 frame medium nuc now. So one hive box will hold 9 frames in it.
The main issue is to get them fill up to the top of the cup with RJ. If it is not fill up then 
there is no bigger queens. I heard that the qc size doesn't matter as long as the cells
have RJ fill to the top. All mine filled to the top and already capped. We'll see how big
the queen bees will be. I think the finisher will fill them up with more RJ if you have a lot
of nurse bees in there. 

RJ to the top:


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## Zier64 (Dec 29, 2010)

interesting on the RJ in the Cup.. I like the darker cups( I use smoked black) Its nice to see the larvae and RJ in I havent tried the other colors though!


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## Zier64 (Dec 29, 2010)

Hey Guys I know this has been asked alot but whats the best way to get a Longer drawn down Queen Cell? I have Put 20 Cells(Had 21 but wanted to open one up to see how they looked and they seemed decent size but still) into 13 Mini nucs but a bunch of cells were maybe 7/8s of an inch long after the Plastic Cup...Seems much to short to me So i doubled up a bunch to see some survival of the fittest...


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## Zier64 (Dec 29, 2010)

Update on my Page. Not super long but opened a couple up and I see what Michael Bush means on sizes of queens inside...These are near hatching  Will see how they hatch soon. 
https://www.facebook.com/ColdstreamCreekApiaries


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

They seem to be really fat on the side. Mine not that fat but longer in
shape. They should be ready to hatch on the 18th. I put them in
mating nucs now. I wonder if it has to do with their genetics to build
the fatter or the longer cells?


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