# Queen Cell Cups - Does color matter?



## Velbert (Mar 19, 2006)

Can't tell any differance


----------



## rainesridgefarm (Sep 4, 2001)

Get the grey ones. one. When you graft into them you can see the larva at the bottom of the cup better. Two. When you do your inspections you can see the royal jelly in the cups from the sides better. This way you know how many take the very next day after grafting.

As far as the bees go they make no difference


----------



## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

CovertBeekInColleyville said:


> I assume the different colored cups used to keep your different batches of queens organized


Or to keep track of where on the cell bar you are...if cup # 5, 10, and 15 are different from the rest, then as you are grafting...you can go right to the next cup and not have to search where your last graft went. Count as you go...1, 2, 3, 4, 5!, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!.....etc


----------



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

IMO color doesn't matter to the bees. As Mr. Palmer says, you can use it to keep track of things for you. For instance which queen mother it was, or what technique you used so you can track the acceptance etc.


----------



## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

The JZs BZs push-in queen cell cups are my favorite.

Concerning the plastic queen cell cups, yes, color does matter. The grey/smoke colored ones look so blah, though rainsridgefarm may be correct. I prefer the blue, green, amber, and red ones. Inside the dark hive, I'm sure the bees don't worry too much about what color these are. 

I have used them as Michael Palmer mentioned, to help me keep track of which cell was last grafted so I don't have to spend time carefully checking to see which cell I last grafted. I'm sure they could easily be used to keep track of many other things too.


----------



## CovertBeekInColleyville (Jun 12, 2009)

Thanks for all the advice. 

Joseph, why do you prefer the JZs BZs push-in queen cell cups? What do you push/attach the cup into?

Is there a particular grafting tool that seems to work better? I have some dental type tools I had thought about using, but the grafting tools are fairly cheap. It wouldn't break me to buy one, but I like to use what I have around.


----------



## kiwiBee (Jul 23, 2009)

I use a 000 paintbrush with dark bristles


----------



## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

CovertBeekInColleyville said:


> ...
> 
> Joseph, why do you prefer the JZs BZs push-in queen cell cups? What do you push/attach the cup into?
> 
> Is there a particular grafting tool that seems to work better? ...


To make a grafting bar, I simply take a grooved top bar and trim it narrower in my band saw - the JZs BZs push-in queen cell cups push right in to the groove in the top bar.

I like the JZs BZs plastic grafting tool - simple, cheap, and durable. There are many different grafting tools, I got me one of each that I could afford, then tried the different ones I had until I found the one that works the best for me. Heck I bought four of the JZs BZs grafting tools after I found the first one to be so successful for me, so I would always have one available to use, in case my first one wore out or I misplaced it - now I have four backup JZs BZs grafting tools, the original one is still going strong.


----------



## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

I got to watch someone graft this summer. He used the chinese grafting tool, he said with this tool it wasn't necessary to prime the cups. He gets enough royal jelly when picking up the larva with this tool.

Works for him anyway.


----------



## BigLongYellowMFerz (Aug 5, 2009)

You can make a really good grafting needle out of hay-bailing wire too.
I like those way better than any store bought ones, plus that's what i learned on so I'm kinda biased.


----------



## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

Depending on the queen producer, many will tell you that priming the cups with royal jelly is not necessary. I've found that to be true, but I believe I have more successful grafts when I do prime the empty cups with a little dab of fresh royal jelly.

But the brightly colored cups make the job more enjoyable.


----------



## BigLongYellowMFerz (Aug 5, 2009)

Joseph Clemens said:


> Depending on the queen producer, many will tell you that priming the cups with royal jelly is not necessary.


It's not.


----------



## CovertBeekInColleyville (Jun 12, 2009)

Thanks for all the input. I really like Kiwi's idea of the paintbrush. I would think those small soft bristles would work good. The chinese grafting stick is also recommended a lot. I was leaning towards this one, since it is able to get some royal jelly as well. Most people say priming doesn't matter, but I thought if I could graft/prime at the same time, it couldn't hurt.


----------



## peacekeeperapiaries (Jun 23, 2009)

Now see you can learn something new everyday, I never thought of the paintbrush I'm gonna try that. I also have the chinese (which I prefer) and several of the stainless models.


----------

