# A VERY easy way to make queens!



## Flyer Jim (Apr 22, 2004)

*Re: A VERY wasy way to make queens!*

Wonder where that idea came from?
Here is another easy way.
http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?249478-Raising-Queen-Cells-Without-Grafting


----------



## ctgolfer (May 4, 2011)

*Re: A VERY wasy way to make queens!*

Wow, almost the same way, I had never seen that method before. Cant beat the oldtimers!


----------



## beeware10 (Jul 25, 2010)

*Re: A VERY wasy way to make queens!*

no graft systems have been popular since the 40,s. nothing new here.(and those people didnt need donations)


----------



## Fusion_power (Jan 14, 2005)

*Re: A VERY wasy way to make queens!*

No graft systems were popular 100 years ago. Read Jay Smith's Queen Rearing Simplified. I still like to see Don make up a cell bar.

I would do two things different. One is to have a shallow wide pan with barely melted wax so all you have to do is dip the bar half way into the wax to have it ready for the comb. The other change is that I like to cut the cell walls down with a very sharp knife so that they are only 1/4 inch deep. With those two changes, I can produce 20 queens on each cell bar.


----------



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

*Re: A VERY wasy way to make queens!*

Virtually identical systems:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesbetterqueens.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeshopkins1886.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesalleymethod.htm


----------



## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

So - not a new idea, but a video* is* worth a thousand words. I must say though that initiating cells is only a rather small part of the whole, and not really the most challenging to me. Also, grafting just isn't as hard as people think, and it doesn't mangle up your comb. Good video to have available though. If I had seen it two years ago I probably would have tried it - just like I did the cell punch thing.


----------



## Adrian Quiney WI (Sep 14, 2007)

I agree David a visual is priceless. I tried this using Oldtimers' extensive photo "how to" demo last year and messed it up. When I tried to grow the cells I missed some rogue eggs that were in the starter box already and they didn't build out the intended cells. That's one reason I bought bifocals a few weeks ago. Also I find that the hot wax cools so quickly it is really hard to get the strip of cells to stick to the frame. Anyone got any tips on that?


----------



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

It is a great idea, which is why three people pretty much independently arrived at it. The Hopkins method is almost the same except you don't' cut it into straps you just turn the comb flatways.

>Also I find that the hot wax cools so quickly it is really hard to get the strip of cells to stick to the frame. Anyone got any tips on that? 

"The comb from the breeder hive is now cut into strips one cell wide. With a small paint brush, wax is painted on the cell bar and the strips of cells placed on the waxed bar. Then with the brush wax is painted on the sides of the cell strips. The cells are then cooled in the wooden tank and more wax painted on till both sides of the strip of cells have enough wax to make the cells strong enough so they will not mash down when inserting the spike. Wax should be cool for painting the cells, nearly ready to solidify. We use a wooden tank four inches wide inside measurement, and half an inch longer than the cell bars. A cleat is tacked in one end under which the end of the cell bar is placed. At the other end of the tank is a nail driven through from the side extending about two inches into the box. As soon as the cells are waxed the bar is shoved under the wooden cleat at one end of the tank and the other end is placed under the nail at the other end. Then cold water is poured in the tank till it covers the melted wax. It is well to put ice cubes in the water for we want the cells to be firm so the larvae in the cells can be destroyed without mashing down the comb."--Jay Smith, Better Queens, Preparing the cells

"Next take the strips of comb, and after destroying the eggs in every alternate cell on one side of the strip-which may easily be done by pressing it with the head of a wax match-fasten the strips under the top and two centre bar of the frame with a little melted wax, allowing the cells in which the alternate eggs have been destroyed to point directly downwards. The object of destroying each alternate egg is to prevent the cells being built too close together. A space intervening gives facilities for cutting them out subsequently without injury. Care must be taken, when fastening the strips, that the wax is not too hot or else it may melt the comb and kill the eggs."--Isaac Hopkins, Australasian Bee Manual 1886 version, Chapter XII

"How will you place or secure this slender strip of comb in a frame so as to prevent its falling down? I would reply, have at hand a sheet iron pan about six inches long, three inches wide, and three inches deep, being rather larger at the top than bottom (or any other sort of iron vessel that will hold hot beeswax and rosin) and so arranged that you can place a lamp under it to heat it. Keep in this pan a mixture of two parts rosin and one part beeswax. Heat this enough to work well, being very careful not to overheat it, as it will destroy the eggs in the cells if used too hot, and if too cold it will not adhere properly; the right degree of heat will soon be learned by practice. I keep on hand a number of frames of comb which are free from brood or eggs, into which the prepared strips A A are fastened, as shown in Fig. 6, page 15. You will notice that this comb is cut with a slightly convex curve. By putting the prepared strips in after this manner, still more room is given to each cell owing to the spreading caused thereby. "--Henry Alley, THE BEE-KEEPER'S HANDY BOOK I 
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesalleymethod.htm#how_to_prepare_bees


----------



## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

what is a warm enough temperature, and how long is it safe for the eggs to be out of the hive?


----------



## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

*Re: A VERY wasy way to make queens!*



Fusion_power said:


> No graft systems were popular 100 years ago. Read Jay Smith's Queen Rearing Simplified.


O.H. Townsend (1880) advocated the production of queen cells by cutting worker comb containing young larvae or eggs into narrow one cell wide strips and fastening them to the surfaces of the combs with the cells pointing downward. He placed the strips in queenless colonies. J.M Brooks (1880) improved this method by trimming the strips of cells to 1/4" and fastening them to wooden bars he called cell bars.


----------



## ctgolfer (May 4, 2011)

*Re: A VERY wasy way to make queens!*

To a beginner this seems like a good way to raise a few queens, all you "pros" that seem to look down on it, you may forget what it is like to get started in something. I did not say this was new, it is a good video that shows a easy way to raise a few. We must remember to only raise queens from our good hives.


----------



## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

*Re: A VERY wasy way to make queens!*

While Jay Smith would say it's a superior method, I think it's as good as any...even grafting. A lot has to do with what you put those larvae into...nurture vs nature.


----------



## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

*Re: A VERY wasy way to make queens!*

for just a few cells, i am going to try michael bush's method of putting an empty frame in the middle of the broodnest for four days and pull the queen.


----------



## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

*Re: A VERY wasy way to make queens!*

I may throw a few bucks to Don to keep these video's coming. You have to admit he rapidly demistified the methold. A number of other things would benefit from the process. You can teach without having invented what you teach so I can't see sneering at him.


----------



## Guest (Feb 5, 2012)

Two thumbtacks (the kind with the plastic knob/handle) can hold the egg strip to your starter bar easier than screwing with brushing hot wax, and you can do it faster, too.


----------



## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

I don't really see that anyone is sneering or looking down at this - if they are i'm too thick to get it. But how about just assuming the best? Nothing wrong with mentioning a bit of history is there? By all means try this - it will surely work if you get the other steps right.


----------



## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

Ok now lets say I have 10 queen cells, how do you keep the first one out from killing the rest? If I want to build on MP’s overwinter nucs do I put one or two in each end of a divided hive? I guess what I am saying is that I would still need the resources to get my queens the last part and that would be 10 nucs or hives to do that correct?


----------



## Guest (Feb 6, 2012)

You get the cells out of there usually on Day 9 or 10, depending on how close you want to cut it. You can make up a nuc for each cell, or put two cells in and let them sort it out themselves, or you can take a regular box and use divider/follower boards to make up to 4 sections, each with it's own entrance, and let them go on their mating flights from there, then after she starts laying eggs move each section into it's own box. But there are a lot of variables and crucial details involved, even though it's a simple process. There are a lot of resources online for you to research.


----------

