# Use of Queen cell incubator



## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

Incubators to avoid virgins killing cells about to catch. This can be frustrating. 

Jean-Marc


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## drlonzo (Apr 15, 2014)

Some people use them to CULL queens that they don't want for diff reasons. Say you are trying to develope a strain of extremely DARK queens from your stock. Instead of spending the resources on each and every queen cell, it's more prudent to let them hatch in an incubator and then introduce only those that meet your needs. Other reasons are for use in artificial insemination. Easier to catch a queen in a small cage then to try chasing her all over a mating NUC.. 
Also if you happen to have too many cells for the resources you have available. (In this instance you have queens that haven't been sold or used from your mating NUC's just yet and can't place the cells) 

Send a PM to Lauri and ask her more about her uses. She uses one or more every year in her operation.


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

Great thread and great questions. Here is what I'm pondering at the moment here for me.

I found this nice looking incubator on sale, like what Lauri used to use before she started with the dehydrator recently. 

http://www.reptipro.com/reptipro-6000-incubator.html

So I've been thinking of getting it here for me, because I think that is a GREAT PRICE, but I keep thinking about it...

I sometimes graft into Nicot cell cups and cup holders, which fits perfectly with the roller cages. So, I can just graft or use the Nicot, put the roller cages on 8 days later (I've found they like to build comb between the queen cells starting around day 8) and use the cell builder as my incubator. A plus, I think, for using the cell builder as the incubator, is that the really good virgins should have the roller cages covered with nursing bees paying attention to the queens as they emerge. Any roller cages without a good amount of nurse bees on them I would reject automatically. Then I can remove the rest and brush off the nurse bees and inspect the virgins in the roller cages to make more determination as to keep or reject. I would not be able to use the bees in the cell builder as indicators of virgin acceptance or reject if I bought that incubator. 

But I am still considering buying it, it's a great looking unit and it's a great price. I'm undecided still.


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

Other things I've thought, If I made an incubator out of a pair of stacked deep bee boxes, then I could just remove the entire frame of roller caged queen cells and hang it in the incubator. I could put the heating and water bowl and fan in the bottom box, with the thermostat control in the top box with the frames of queen cells. That might be pretty handy, to just move entire frames of queen cells in roller cages into the incubator.

Another thought I've had, do the nurse bees paying attention to the queen cells while they are capped, help with the development of the pupa inside? I'm thinking that maybe they do, as they are constantly paying attention to them when in the cell builder. If so, maybe an incubator might not be as good as a cell builder incubator?

And, if I left the cells in the cell builder until day 10 or 11 before moving to an incubator to emerge, isn't that more like an added step and expense that I can do without? Why not just leave them in the cell builder a day or two longer to emerge?


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## WBVC (Apr 25, 2013)

I agree there are a lot of questions. I am surprised that there have not been many responses pro or con from those that use them.

If Lauri has the time and inclination to chime in I figure she will do so without me bothering her privately. Information is for sharing and I expect there are more than two of us who are confused and have questions.

I have ordered one of the reptile incubators...and it seems in Canada there are no great deals

Hopefully others will answer the questions posted with their experience and opinions.


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

It is Holiday Season right now, a lot of folks are probably busy with family gatherings. I'm sure more will be chiming in as time passes.


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

One of the main reasons to use an incubator is that cell builder hives often destroy the cells just a day or so before they are ready - which really messes with your schedule. So by moving them into an incubator as soon as they are capped you avoid this altogether and also free up the cell builder for other duty.

I've never used an incubator but I've experienced the 12th hour losses in cell builders. Since last season I've bought a ranco digital temp controler and wired it up so that I can plug a heater, hot plate, light bulb, or refrigerator in and use it for queen cells, chicks, yogurt or lager. (Cheese, bacon, aged beef - the possibilities are extensive) I should have done that years ago. I'm looking foreward to using it as soon as I see purple eye drone brood this spring. Other than that, an incubator is mostly just a cooler and a light bulb.


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

It is as David says. It is great to know exactly how many cells you have, and several days beforehand.



WBVC said:


> Can/should one put the queen cells into the incubator as soon as they are capped. Is there a "best" time (other than convenience) to move them into sn incubator?


Mine go in day after capping



WBVC said:


> Does one use an incubator to ensure no rouge queens will tear them down?


That is one reason but not the only reason.




WBVC said:


> Do you get better Queens using an incubator?


They come out so good and hatch so uniformly that it can feel that way.



WBVC said:


> Once they hatch how do you, and how long can you, keep them in an incubator when they don't have attendants?


Haven't tried it so don't know. Have had them hatch sometimes due to my own poor time keeping they don't last long loose in the incubator.




WBVC said:


> If holding in an incubator after hatching does one give them attendants, Queen candy, honey or what?


Again, haven't done this. However if you watch a virgin hatch on a comb of bees, the very first thing she does is find an open cell of nectar to get a good long drink. After that she begs from workers so I presume that is to get something containing pollen. If I did hatch them in captivity I would try to find some way to emulate nature.



WBVC said:


> Do you have to have them vertical in the incubator as they would be oriented in a hive with the pointed end downwards or can you lay them on their sides and stack them like firewood?


Hang vertically same as in a hive.




WBVC said:


> If the Queen cages touch one another in an incubator will virgin queens kill each other through their cage walls?


Haven't tried so don't know. Queens cannot kill each other through an excluder though so I doubt it. A close encounter while caged may cause stress though at that age they are programed to seek and fight other queens relentlessly.




WBVC said:


> Why do folks prefer incubators over hives?


A main reason is it frees up the cell finisher hive to work on more cells faster, and overall reduces the number of hives you need to raise X number of cells. There are other reasons also though.


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

Here is another approach to incubating queen cells using the hive for heat and humidity...
http://www.myoldtools.com/Bees/incubator/


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