# Queen cell incubator



## hartwig (Apr 29, 2009)

What temperate is best to have and keep regulated in the incubator? I have running about 92 degrees in mine. I have not been using one very much over the years but I am tired of virgin queens finding their way in and killing the other cells in the finish hive. Also to stop all the extra burr comb they like to add to cells after they cap them off.


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## hartwig (Apr 29, 2009)

not good at spelling while typing . I meant what temperature is best. been out of school too long, I guess.


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## suttonbeeman (Aug 22, 2003)

92 is about where i run mine. You just want to make sure you stay UNDER 95 and over 85 or so.. It dont hurt them to bu under 90 the last day or two...just dont bake them!


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Do not forget the humidity. Place a pan of water in the bottom and keep it full.


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## JBJ (Jan 27, 2005)

Consider these studies:

http://www.pnas.org/content/101/12/4268.full
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC165877/


Too cool is not good. Make sure your incubator has good control with tight tolerances. I would not use one that deviated by more than 1 degree F. Too hot is lethal also so a good controller is critical. Newer research seems to suggest to me about 95F would be good. At this temp the incubator could fluctuate one degree in ether direction and still be OK, just make sure the humidity is high and the air is circulated so there are no hot spots or cool spots.


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## hartwig (Apr 29, 2009)

Thanks for the replies, I do have pan of water an a fan running in incubator. First batch of cells going in nucs tuesday an hatching thursday, I will see how they do.


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## JBJ (Jan 27, 2005)

What temp did you use and was there much variance?


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## habutti (Apr 20, 2008)

Please let us know the outcome of this run, I may consider this method as well.


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## JBJ (Jan 27, 2005)

Whoops, I overlooked in your post where you said 92F. 

We are running ours at 94.1 right now, We used to go at 93, however we started going a little warmer last year.


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## hartwig (Apr 29, 2009)

Why did you go up a degree? You think I will need to raise my temp too? I got three frames of cell bars that will be capped wednesday that I am pulling to put in incubator,no room for error, least I hope not.


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## mythomane (Feb 18, 2009)

What incubators are you using? Can someone recommend one?


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

mythomane said:


> What incubators are you using? Can someone recommend one?


http://community.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-LSOFTDONATIONS.exe?A1=ind1003D&L=BEE-L#15

if this link doesn't work march week 4 and week 5 on bee-l have a discussion on incubators.


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## JBJ (Jan 27, 2005)

We moved up our temperature based on the research I posted and others. I believe Larry Conner in Queen rearing Essentials also recommends 95 degrees. Better bees at the ideal development temperatures is what it comes done to. 

Be careful, some controllers will deviate from the set point by up to 5 degrees. Our incubator is a home built one, with an accurate and precise controller, some components from avian incubator, and a warm water bath that keeps humidity up and helps the unit attain set temperature more quickly after the door is opened. Good air circulation and insulation are also key for uniform temperatures.


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## hartwig (Apr 29, 2009)

Got worried, most of cells in incubator hatched out 12 to 24 hours late, I had incubator in shed, insulated but no heat, we had several nights that got in the 30's, probably drop temp in incubator and slowed the development of the pupa. about 90 % hatched out doing fine, all the others ,when tearing cells apart to inspect them ,were all developed. I think bees didn't cluster around cells at night and they got chilled and some they just ignored and started their own queen cells, which I have that problem every year when I start up my mating nucs. I use a 5 frame deep nuc and I pull two racks of brood an one pollen an uncapped honey, didn't have time to go threw and check for emergancy cells they started. ANY WAY I am raising my temp to about 94 degrees next graph I do. I left ones doing now in my two finish hives, sure I will have to deal with burr comb and might even have that small queen slip threw excluder an see how many of the fortyish cells she can destroy.


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## dbest (Aug 9, 2005)

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?p=524693#post524693


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