# Queen Bee incubator plans.



## beewitched (Apr 15, 2014)

Here's one.
http://www.honeyrunapiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Incubator.pdf

and another
http://www.honeyrunapiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Incubator2.pdf


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## kilocharlie (Dec 27, 2010)

I'd recommend against an incubator that allows capped queen cells to reside in a communal chamber. 

I'd instead, VERY CAREFULLY cut the capped queen cells and put them into padded 5-hole queen hatching cages, and place the cages into a queen bank frame built specifically to hold an appropriate number of the cages (as if the frame were to be used for a queen bank).

These frames (with the 5-hole cages and queen cell sin them) should go into an insulated incubator box - a small refrigerator the size used in recreation vehicles - with a temperature control unit. Several chicken egg incubators have also been modified into successful bee incubators.

A recent thread here on Beesource delved into, discussed, and extolled the virtues of PID-type temperature controllers. PID controllers have the inherent accuracy - in the order of + or - one degree F - that makes failures a rarity and produces excellent queens.

Another concept discussed is to locate it in an interior room that is already temperature controlled. An incubator inside an incubator is the concept - it makes for a very stable environment.

Another suggestion is to make one with storage capacity just a bit above your needs. If one seeks to expand beyond it's capacity, it seems better to have two small units than one large incubator.


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

This is an old topic, try looking at these couple of threads, lots of info in them...


http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?294116-New-Incubator-Pics&p=1068155#post1068155

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?332804-Making-a-QC-incubator&p=1497490#post1497490


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## kilocharlie (Dec 27, 2010)

Way to go, Ray. That second link is the one I was searching for to include in my post. It's the one where Phoebe talks about PID controllers. Lots of excellent discussion there. Read it!

Since that one, I had a neat idea - either a small RV refrigerator or a chicken egg hatcher *placed inside an old, large refrigerator* or freezer box for added insulation. That will reduce the power requirement, and provide a very stable environment.

To this, I'll probably add 2 small computer fans, and a sensor in the QC chamber.

Jim Lyons mentioned in a previous post on this topic that right after gorging and capping, he sets temperature at 93 t 94 degrees F, later when they are closer to hatching the temperature is set at 91 to 92 degrees F.

Oldtimer mentioned that he finds relative humidity in the mid-60's to be good, I think he said 64%.


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

A small counter top fridge or a camper "ice box" or a coke cooler or a malfunctioning microwave... keep your eyes open for anything that might make a suitable box to get started.

OR, there are reptile egg incubators that have heating AND cooling capabilities with 12v plug adaptors for the car that can be had for less than $200. Check around, maybe on Amazon or Ebay. This is the way I myself would go as I get up to 100+ in the summer so the cooling feature would be really attractive to me. However, I can let the virgins emerge into roller cages in a queenless queen banking hive and I've already got everything needed for that, so I've never purchased one of those reptile incubators myself.


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## kilocharlie (Dec 27, 2010)

Yeah, the idea getting a high degree of control - both heating and cooling, air circulation to help prevent dead spots, and good insulation (like I am trying with a small 'frige inside a large one), and *then placing the whole shebang in a very temperature-stable room* should give excellent results.


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## monarchis (Jan 26, 2017)

Thnx for your advices and for your links. I appreciated!


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