# When best time to transfer queen cells to mating nucs



## zhiv9 (Aug 3, 2012)

I put a hot water bottle in a cooler. I put the cells in a chunk of styrofoam with holes drilled to fit the cells. I put the styrofoam and cells in the cooler for warm transport.


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## gezellig (Jun 11, 2014)

What zhiv9 recommended sounds good. Also I would wait till at least day fourteen to move them. From my reading, it is my understanding that from the day of being capped to at least day 14 they pupa are very fragile and shouldn't be moved.


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## WillH (Jun 25, 2010)

Queens emerge 8 days after capped, 11 days after grafting 2-day larvae. I lost a few grafts waiting till 10th day to move cells. Now I move them on the 9th day and haven't had any problems even moving 25 miles on the front seat of my car with no AC wrapped in a towel.


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## zhiv9 (Aug 3, 2012)

WillH said:


> Now I move them on the 9th day and haven't had any problems even moving 25 miles on the front seat of my car with no AC wrapped in a towel.


For scheduling reasons, I move mine on day 8 or 9 as well without issue. I just handle them carefully.


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## ApricotApiaries (Sep 21, 2014)

In springtime we make our cell builders in a screen sided box with bulk bees, honey and pollen. The whole unit is very portable so we just strap it to the truck and drive to the mating yard. 
This time or year we use queenright cell builders which are less portable. When it is time to transfer cells into mating nucs, day 10-11 post graft, we pull the grafting frame and a couple of frames of bees into a nuc box and drive with that to the mating yard. Seems to work pretty well. One of our mating yards is only 2 miles away but the others are 10 and 14 miles, both with bumpy ranch roads and fields to drive across. 

A couple years ago we did a little afternoon visit with Pat Hietkam on our way home from almonds. He showed us a nifty little sponge with holes in it that they use to carry cells to mating yards. Several sponges go into a cooler with warm water bottles and the whole unit goes on the front seat of the truck.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I lost two batches of queens this year on day 10 after grafting due to the heat and early emergence. I had transferred some of them the day before and they were fine, but one emerged early because of the heat... Day 8 would have been safer... 9 would have worked. 10 did not work...


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## Sunday Farmer (Nov 13, 2013)

WillH said:


> Queens emerge 8 days after capped, 11 days after grafting 2-day larvae. I lost a few grafts waiting till 10th day to move cells. Now I move them on the 9th day and haven't had any problems even moving 25 miles on the front seat of my car with no AC wrapped in a towel.


I move on day ten after graft. I just moved day 9 and was nervous might have issues. Glad to hear you do it regularly without a problem. I transport mine in a nuc box. Usually with frames of larva and bees in each side. Keeps me cozy and if s nuc needs extra bees. I have em!


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## WillH (Jun 25, 2010)

Sunday Farmer said:


> I move on day ten after graft. I just moved day 9 and was nervous might have issues. Glad to hear you do it regularly without a problem. I transport mine in a nuc box. Usually with frames of larva and bees in each side. Keeps me cozy and if s nuc needs extra bees. I have em!


Please keep in mind that day 9 is still in the fragile period, so you need to be a bit more careful than for day 10.


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