# Jenter system question.



## lakebilly (Aug 3, 2009)

I caged a queen today & expect to loose her tomorrow. 

Is there anything wrong with putting this cage in a queenless cell starter until the eggs hatch, then pull cups & attach to bar, & re-insert in cell starter?


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

never tried it so can't comment except that after loosing the queen, I usually make sure the jenter is between two frames of open lava to make sure they feed the lava when they hatch in the jenter, if you try it post results please.


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## lakebilly (Aug 3, 2009)

Making the starter today. Will keep you posted.


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## dphillipm (Mar 27, 2013)

lakebilly said:


> Making the starter today. Will keep you posted.


Can the bees get to the eggs? When I put eggs in a queenless hive two weeks ago severial on this forum told me that the bees would remove the eggs before they became larva.


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## lakebilly (Aug 3, 2009)

did they remove them?


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## lakebilly (Aug 3, 2009)

pulled queen after 24 hrs....no eggs. guess the week in the hive didn't get the cage to her liking. gonna spray w/syrup, try again after a couple days.


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## NY_BLUES (May 14, 2009)

You should have left her in longer, many times they wont lay in the cups for a day or two. Next time try leaving her in there longer and you will most likely get the eggs you want.


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

is this the first time you have used this jenter, I found they wouldn't lay until they started to draw out the face of the kit. after that they use it just fine.


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## dphillipm (Mar 27, 2013)

wildbranch2007 said:


> is this the first time you have used this jenter, I found they wouldn't lay until they started to draw out the face of the kit. after that they use it just fine.


Is the plastic comb covered in wax to make the queen think that she is laying in natural comb?


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

dphillipm said:


> Is the plastic comb covered in wax to make the queen think that she is laying in natural comb?


over time the bees build the wax out around the holes the queen lays in just like in a hive. some queens seem to like the holes that are deeper than the jenter provides.


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## lakebilly (Aug 3, 2009)

This is my first time w/Jenter system.

I have 2 of the queen cages. 1 I bought that must be way older, it has very small cell cups. They do not fit in any of the cell cup holders. I would really like to use 2 cages. Is there anyone that is familiar w/the smaller cups? & how do you use them?

I have never heard that they would draw out the cells. They are in a 5 frame nuc box w/a very prolific queen, & 1:1 syrup. I had the cell cage frame in a good hive for a week. There is some wax, but not the way you would want it. Maybe I'll coat the face w/wax if they haven't drawn it out.

I have read a lot about the system over the last 2 years & 24 hrs was the consensus. 

I am going try again. I hope this thread will be of help to anyone that is trying the system. THANKS.
Update this soon.


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## dphillipm (Mar 27, 2013)

lakebilly said:


> This is my first time w/Jenter system.
> 
> I have 2 of the queen cages. 1 I bought that must be way older, it has very small cell cups. They do not fit in any of the cell cup holders. I would really like to use 2 cages. Is there anyone that is familiar w/the smaller cups? & how do you use them?
> 
> ...


I would just leave it up in one of my honey supers when I'm not using it. The bees will coat it for you, and the factory smell will be replace with the smell of the hive.


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## beedeetee (Nov 27, 2004)

So am I understanding that the bees haven't drawn out the cells yet in your Jenter box? If not, she won't lay there. The instructions that came with my Jenter were to cut a hole in some existing comb, remove the excluder portion and let them draw out the cells and seal the box to the rest of the comb. My problem has always been over laying in 24 hours. It seems be ideal to remove the queen after about 18 hours, but with work, etc. that doesn't always work. I only use a small portion of the cups, so I just keep looking for ones with only one larva.


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

lakebilly said:


> This is my first time w/Jenter system.
> 
> I have 2 of the queen cages. 1 I bought that must be way older, it has very small cell cups. They do not fit in any of the cell cup holders. I would really like to use 2 cages. Is there anyone that is familiar w/the smaller cups? & how do you use them?


do you have a picture? the one i have is so old the instructions were in german and I haven't run across any cell cups that didn't work?


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## lakebilly (Aug 3, 2009)

I don't know how to post pics.

The cell cups are much smaller.

mine is in the middle of a deep frame with yellow rite cell. They have been drawing out the rite cell.

I will check today to see if it has been improved.


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

me neither here is a link I found to pictures of jenter and other kits, can you find a picture that matches?

http://www.google.com/search?q=jent...gK_PG4APeioGAAQ&ved=0CFcQsAQ&biw=1600&bih=697


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## lakebilly (Aug 3, 2009)

Being how that they draw out the cells in the cage, suppose you only wanted to use 10 of the hundred cell cups. 

Would it be a pain to clean the cups if you let the brood hatch a few batches?


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Leave the queen confined and the cage in the middle of the brood nest until it is full of eggs. However long that takes. Then lave the cage (minus the excluder part) in the middle of two frames of open brood until you have larvae (three days after you released the queen, probably). THEN set up a starter hive and transfer the larvae to queen cups. If you are doing a hive as a starter, make them queenless the day before. If a swarm box, then shake them in 2 hours before.

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


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## lakebilly (Aug 3, 2009)

Michael, your link says 24 hrs then release.

also the Ray Marler tip;
http://www.beesource.com/forums/sho...ns-.-.-.-to-great-queens.&p=699026#post699026

Have you ever known the queen to lay eggs in a cage that wasn't drawn out?


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## blueskybeesupply (Dec 11, 2007)

We will email anyone who needs Jenter instructions, an english PDF of what we include with new Jenter kits we sell. PM if you'd like them.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Have you ever known the queen to lay eggs in a cage that wasn't drawn out? 

Part of the problem is that you only have a "new" Jenter box the first time you use it. The first time I used one was a decade ago... I put it in three days before and she laid in it. I repeated this with two other cages over the years and now have three. I don't have a lot of other experience to go on. But I think putting it in ahead of time was essential to success. I don't know that for sure, of course as I didn't try it any other way.


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## lakebilly (Aug 3, 2009)

Michael,
I tried to use it two years ago. It was in a hive for several days. I put it in a thriving hive (middle of brood nest)for at least 8-10 days about two weeks ago. I took it out doing splits. they did build a little wax in it. vertically. If I get a chance to use it this year I may spritz it w/1:1.

Have you ever seen the smaller cell cups?


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Have you ever seen the smaller cell cups? 

Smaller than what?


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## lakebilly (Aug 3, 2009)

I guess that would be smaller than the ones I got from Mann Lake 3 years ago. I have 2 Jenter cages, one I bought from a beekeeper used (Never) & the Mann Lake. The used ones cell cups do not fit in the cell cup holders.


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## beedeetee (Nov 27, 2004)

A Mann Lake system will be different than a Jenter. Jenter is a brand name like Nicot. Mann Lake sells their own. Nothing is interchangeable. They all work similarly though.


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## lakebilly (Aug 3, 2009)

says Jenter on both cages. Now I am not sure where I bought it Dadant, BetterBee, Brushy Mt...etc.). I am sure that it's a Jenter.


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