# Nicot System Problem



## AramF (Sep 23, 2010)

Well, to start with the instructions say to wait 72 hours. Secondly, they will remove eggs in the cell builder, but will not remove larvae. 

But even after 72 hours I still had only eggs and not hatched larvae in my Nicot cage. I think that bees remove eggs from the cups, and the queen lays again in them although I have nothing to substiate it with, other than a bunch of unhatched eggs after 72 hours. I thought that maybe removing the queen from the cage might let the eggs hatch untouched, but I think Mike Bush mentioned that the cage without the queen is of little interest to bees, so they will abandon the eggs. I appologize if I misquoted.

I ended up just using chinese instrument and grafting the larvae into the cups. I mostly care about the haircurler cages in this system.


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## theriverhawk (Jun 5, 2009)

I use the NICOT system. You placed the eggs into the cell builder too fast. Once you notice eggs, let the queen loose and come back 48 hours later. Look in the cups and see if there is a dab of royal jelly in the bottom. If there is, then the cell builder hive will turn them into queen cells. If you place eggs with no royal jelly, the cell builder hive will haul the eggs out. PM me and I will send you an Excel calendar on times to do each step.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I could never get them to build cells from eggs. Here's my calendar:

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesqueenrearing.htm#calendar


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## AramF (Sep 23, 2010)

Mike, question about the picture on your website with queen in multisectioned boxes. YOu have blue fabric between the boxes, is that the only thing that separates the boxes, or is there a plywood sheet also?


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Each box has a plywood bottom and fabric on top. The top box has a migratory cover on it. The wall between each section is a 3/4" board.


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## theriverhawk (Jun 5, 2009)

Well, I have to say...I feel pretty dang special if I can get the NICOT system to work really well and Mr. Bush couldn't. That's a first!


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I get my Jenter (don't have a Nicot) to work quite well if I transfer larvae, but I have not had any luck with eggs. Alley seemed to think you could get them to do it from the egg and I assume he has some success since he reared a lot of queens and claimed that was his method and yet he used the description "grub or egg".

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesalleymethod.htm#prepare_for_queen-cells


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## theriverhawk (Jun 5, 2009)

I figured that's what you meant, Michael...thanks for bursting my bubble!!! haha!


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## MikeTheBeekeeper (May 18, 2011)

theriverhawk said:


> I use the NICOT system. You placed the eggs into the cell builder too fast. Once you notice eggs, let the queen loose and come back 48 hours later. Look in the cups and see if there is a dab of royal jelly in the bottom. If there is, then the cell builder hive will turn them into queen cells. If you place eggs with no royal jelly, the cell builder hive will haul the eggs out. PM me and I will send you an Excel calendar on times to do each step.


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Thanks for replying. I guess that's what happened. Fortunately, some eggs remained and now I have 3 queen cells. But I need more. I want to requeen all my hives this year.


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