# How to stay focused for prolonged grafting? Music? Coffee?



## HarryVanderpool (Apr 11, 2005)

There is a great movie by David Lynch, "The Straight Story"
I enjoyed it so much, I purchased the sound track on CD.
The CD says that the music composed and conducted by Angelo Badalamenti.
If there is anyway you can get your hands on this soundtrack, it is PERFECT for grafting!!


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I generally don't graft for more than a half an hour or so... but I do have to focus on programming all day long. Coffee in the morning. Mt. Dew in the early afternoon. Of course a break to walk around and stretch your legs and your neck. I find music distracting, but some people think it helps them focus.


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## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

Don't do it too long


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

How many grafts are you doing at once?


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

If grafting takes hours you may be doing something wrong. I was once a full time queen breeder in a 2 man operation, the other aspects of beekeeping took most of the time. Actually grafting took maybe 1/2 hour per day, I grafted, the other guy ran around putting cells in starters etc.


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

...and if you do need to do hours worth of grafting at a time, I would consider looking at the EZ Queen system...i'm generally not a big fan of the graftless systems, but I don't generally need to do more than 30 or 40 grafts at a time. EZ Queen definitely has the ability to do hundreds in just a few minutes.

deknow


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## Knisely (Oct 26, 2013)

The abuse potential of amphetamines should remove them from consideration, and indeed, they are not commonly available except through illicit channels. They have been used almost since their discovery to permit sustained attention to things that were deemed important, including warfare and dancing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_and_culture_of_substituted_amphetamines. 

How many thousand queens do you want to produce?


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

I graft into four cells builders per day. Each cell bar frame has 48 grafts. While that's almost 200 grafts, I don't do them all at once. I do one cell bar frame, and insert into the cell builder. Then I set up the next cell builder to receive its graft. So I take a break between grafts by doing something else. I would say it takes about 15 minutes to fill the cell bar frame, and a bit longer to set up the next cell builder. Not really time enough for each manipulation to get cross-eyed. I have to ask...how may grafts are you doing in a day that you can't take a break between each cell bar frame?

I find Handel's violin sonatas pretty nice to keep my mind clear and my brain focused. But, that's just me.


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## pahammer (Oct 8, 2012)

*EZI-Queen system video.................................*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSSOnWA7WtM 
*
EZI-QUEEN SYSTEM COMPLETE EACH*...................http://www.dadant.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=604



deknow said:


> ...and if you do need to do hours worth of grafting at a time, I would consider looking at the EZ Queen system...i'm generally not a big fan of the graftless systems, but I don't generally need to do more than 30 or 40 grafts at a time. EZ Queen definitely has the ability to do hundreds in just a few minutes.
> 
> deknow


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

I am with the other guys. Unless you are selling queen cells for others I do not get it. I am not especially fast at grafting but 3-400 per hour is about my speed. Takes a few days in the beginning to get back to that speed. so after 2 hours I would have 6-800 cells on the go. Depending on the take in 10 days that is a lot of mating nucs to make up. That is the real bottle neck in the process, making the mating nucs. I try to spread the work a bit so I do not want massive amounts of cells 1 day a week but rather half or a third that amount spread over 2-3 days. It gives my crew time to deal with the cells.

Another possibility is you may want to work on is your technique? Maybe you are plain slow? Practice more and you will get faster. All the best.

Jean-Marc


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

jean-marc said:


> I try to spread the work a bit so I do not want massive amounts of cells 1 day a week but rather half or a third that amount spread over 2-3 days. It gives my crew time to deal with the cells. Jean-Marc


Great advice JuniorBM. I do the same thing. Rather than 500+ mating nucs all at once, I catch 1/4 every 4 days. So I only have to graft enough to cell 25% of my mating nucs at once and I have fresh queens every 4 days. Easier on me for sure.


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## apis maximus (Apr 4, 2011)

juniorbeeman said:


> Any tips you could offer to a newbie? I've got a whole heap of cells to graft in the coming weeks and am a bit nervous regarding grafting stamina. Any thoughts or tips are appreciated!


So, are you gearing up for grafting up there in BC, Canada ? 
I mean, if yes, is the weather and temperatures in BC, for the coming weeks conducive to queen flying and mating?
Or, manipulating hives to set up cell builders?


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

I think he meant in the coming months unless of course he knows something that the rest of us don't. In southern BC along the coast where I am, in a best case scenario we can graft in early April. The issue here is the rain, followed by showers, slight mists etc... Mating is the problem here until mid-may. There is always an opportunity for mating between mid April to mid May, but it seems to be a moving target. I purchase mated queens at that time of year to ensure positive results for my efforts.

Jean-Marc


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## juniorbeeman (Dec 2, 2014)

Knisely said:


> How many thousand queens do you want to produce?


About 4000 in the next few weeks - 300-400 a day. It isn't too much but I noticed that I started to get frustrated as the day went on. It really is only a few hours of actual grafting, a few days a week. And maybe a few more of manipulating the starters and finishers.

I'm in Queenstown Lakes District NZ right now so the climate is a bit different than our Canadian winter 

I think Mike P is on to something with his Handel's violin sonatas. I also like Bach unaccompanied violin sonatas and partitas and the cello ones are pretty good too. Gets ya in the zone.

Thanks Knisely for the warning about amphetamines. I wasn't even thinking going that far, seeing as something as simple as coffee gives me the jitters. But I was curious to see what people around here did to stay even. Seems most people agree that it is best not to do too much at once, and take a break every now and then. Seems like common sense, but it's good advice. Once I get started I just want to get it all done. But it probably will give a better graft if I take a 5min every now and then to stretch.


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## juniorbeeman (Dec 2, 2014)

apis maximus said:


> So, are you gearing up for grafting up there in BC, Canada ?
> I mean, if yes, is the weather and temperatures in BC, for the coming weeks conducive to queen flying and mating?
> Or, manipulating hives to set up cell builders?



Nah it is still too cold. We still can get lows around -20C or so, and there is usually permanent snow cover right now. I'm not home I'm away for the season but we usually start grafting early-mid April weather depending.


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

juniorbeeman said:


> I'm in Queenstown Lakes District NZ right now so the climate is a bit different than our Canadian winter.


You on the NZBees web site if so what's your user name?

Who you working for?


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Ahh, you are so smart to get away from the cold and snows for a while.
Any chance to bring those queens over for some early queens?
Now I'm really motivated to finish that non-grafting queen cell frame.


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## JSL (Sep 22, 2007)

You mentioned the hot humid grafting shed... Is this simply due to the outside weather conditions, or are you making it hot and humid for some reason? Humidity is the most important part, temperature can be comfortable or even cool for the person grafting. You may already have this, but a comfortable chair, table to hold the frame at the proper angle and a good light source go a long way too.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

....also frequent licking of your grafting needle while drinking a stout cup of freshly brewed coffee.


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## JSL (Sep 22, 2007)

Jim,

Does the little extra jolt of caffeine get the larvae off to a better start?


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## Lauri (Feb 1, 2012)

Comfortable set up at the right height-no stooping or squinting. This frame holder & magnifier works great for me. But not for hours on end..1/2 hour bouts here and there.

http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/...926001/2014 bee pics/P5300340_zps4f2522bf.jpg

http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/...926001/2014 bee pics/P4300306_zps87355a69.jpg


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

JSL said:


> Jim,
> 
> Does the little extra jolt of caffeine get the larvae off to a better start?


It seems like it, for sure it helps the grafter get off to a better start in the morning.


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## tefer2 (Sep 13, 2009)

jim lyon said:


> ....also frequent licking of your grafting needle while drinking a stout cup of freshly brewed coffee.


LOL. I do it the same way Jim!


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## chillardbee (May 26, 2005)

I don't sell queens usually and if I do it either a few here and there or within a nuc. So thats the nice thing about grafting mostly for myself, I get to enjoy the experience. I like to make a day of it to graft the 400-600 cells.

I have been getting fonder of ambient music the older I get. As a big Pink Floyd fan, I don't think their new CD "The Endless River" will leave my vehicles CD player this year. Other then that, A 2 liter bottle cola in a bucket of ice, tunes, and a wife that helps, makes for a very pleasant day of grafting.

But I don't know. If I ever got into raising queens on a large scale for local beeks, I'd probably not do anything different then what I'm doing now but just spend more days at doing it, breaking it up so time works with me and not against me. Grafting 2000 cells in a day is easy enough but getting homes for those cells when the time comes, not so much, particularly when your a lone wolf operator.


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## Lauri (Feb 1, 2012)

chillardbee said:


> particularly when your a lone wolf operator.


Hey! I like that.

'Lone Wolf Apiaries'. Has a ring to it. Just spooky enough to keep away all but the bravest visitors.
Got to keep 'em guessing, ya know.


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