# Jenter---Nicot



## sc-bee (May 10, 2005)

I am looking at buying either a jenter or Nicot system (unless someone has a better route). I choose these because I don't perfer to try and graft at this time. I have read various post on beesource and other websites but still have a few questions please:

Which do you prefer and why?

I read where someone said they have problems getting the cell out of the cell frame with the jenter. Because of the size of the drawn cells sometimes. Your experience or fix?

I am still confused on the terms starter--builder--- finisher? Help please and what have you found to be the best set-up?

Can your starter not also be your finisher ame colony?

If you do not want 90 cells etc., how do you control the number of eggs laid in the box? Or what do you do with the others? Would not want this many first time around.

Thanks again in advance.

Steve


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## Keith Benson (Feb 17, 2003)

I just bought the nicot. I have zero experience with either but my reasoning is as follows:

Neither is reported to be better than the other.

The nicot is cheaper and there are more sources in the US for the bits

There is a smaller number of bits in the nicot

The way the nicot cells are mounted to the bar does away with the 
problem of pulling a big fat queen cell back through the hole in the bar

I have the videos from David E. and he uses the system, so I could see exactly how it is used.

If course after I try thing I may sing a different tune, but that is what I did and why. The thing is more robust than I had thought it would be.

Keith


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## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

I would learn how to graft. It is easy really. With the jentor and nicot system you have to find the queen and get her into the laying room. 

I tryed the nicot system a few years back and did not like it at all. 

Grafting is the way...


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

I agree with Chef, I'd learn to graft. To get the queen to lay the 90 eggs in the Nicot system is probably harder than to learn how to graft.

The term starter is just that. It's a hive that starts the queen cells. It's always queenless. A finisher is a hive that finishes queen cells. It can be queenright, but not always. If it is queenright the cells are placed above the queen excluder and the queen stays below.

Jean-Marc


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## Brandy (Dec 3, 2005)

*Nicot*

I had trouble last year getting the queen to lay in the nicot. Plus to find the queen in a production hive was a hassle to say the least. But with some advice from Velbert I've set up a smaller nuc for the breeder queen this year and have left her for a couple days before releasing her. That has made a tremendous difference in the ease of the whole system. I also grafted earlier this year but this last batch of larva I took from the nicot were the smallest and best yet. I would have had a difficult time grafting these. Jay Smith also talks about disturbing these small larva which was another reason I like using these nicot cells without the disturbance of grafting. I also think the queen get's used to being in the nicot and each session seems to take less and less time for her to lay. I've then put the extra cells above the broodnest, like in super position and they clean them out. I like that. Of course they're cleaning them out to put nectar in so don't leave them too long. 
As far as cell builders and finishers, I love the German video's on queen rearing that go into a lot of detail on 3 different methods. Find the one that works for your situation.


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## Keith Benson (Feb 17, 2003)

Chef Isaac said:


> I would learn how to graft.


I am going to - but I also like gadgets.

Keith


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## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

yes Keith, so do I but there comes a time that gadgets are mroe work than the orginal method.....

This would happen to be one of them.... the nicot and jenter systems, in my opion, suck.


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## Keith Benson (Feb 17, 2003)

Chef Isaac said:


> the nicot and jenter systems, in my opion, suck.


Chef - quit beating around the bush - how do you really feel . . . 

Keith


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## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

Keith: Sory to burst your bubble but if it came down to grafting and trying to find the right age of larvae or always finding the queen and coaxing through a small hole to lay and possibly damaging her... I would have to pick grafting.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I've had very good luck with the Jenter.


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## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

MB: oh come on... tell the truth.... you secretly graft in the mean time when no one is around... eh?


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## Keith Benson (Feb 17, 2003)

Chef Isaac said:


> Keith: Sory to burst your bubble but if it came down to grafting and trying to find the right age of larvae or always finding the queen and coaxing through a small hole to lay and possibly damaging her... I would have to pick grafting.


Oh, I don't have a bubble about it. I want to try it just to try it. So what do you use to graft and what do you use for cups?

Keith


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## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

The easiest is to by plastic cell cups from any of the bee suppliers. I like dealing with lazybeestudio.com 

Nice service, good prices ,and quick shipping. 

I like to use the chinese grafting tool as it is cheap, fast, and simple. Easy to scoop and let go of the larvae.


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

The queen is the easy part. Just catch her in your queen clip (you have one don't you?). Hold it over the hole in the Jenter and open it. I put a finger on each side to close that small opening. 10 seconds later the queen drops down on the comb to investigate and you close the hole. What's hard about that?


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>MB: oh come on... tell the truth.... you secretly graft in the mean time when no one is around... eh?

Do I ever graft? Yes. When my once a week schedule is at risk because a queen didn't get confined because I was out of town, or some other issue. But the larvae I transfer with the Jenter are MUCH younger than the larvae I can graft, and ALL the royal jelly goes with the larvae with the Jenter and only a little when grafting.

I prefer the Jenter.


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## honeyman46408 (Feb 14, 2003)

"But the larvae I transfer with the Jenter are MUCH younger than the larvae I can graft, and ALL the royal jelly goes with the larvae with the Jenter and only a little when grafting."

and a WHOLE LOT less chance of damageing the larva for us old guys (do`nt know how old Mike is) but I am aure he isn`t as old as I am


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## Keith Benson (Feb 17, 2003)

Chef Isaac said:


> I like dealing with lazybeestudio.com


They must like you too, naming equipment and such after you! I need to get one of those kitchens too.

Keith


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## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

Keith:

There is a little sotry behond that. Last year, I was really trying to find a system that worked for me. I wanted something that provided me a lot of options and flexability. So I worked with Jamie at Lazy Bee to create two boxes.... a mini mating box and has 4 mini nucs in a deep and also a hatch out box. 

I love this system as it really does provide a lot of flexability. Try it!


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