# The Hopkins Method.



## tbb39 (Jun 9, 2007)

I would like to try this but need more input. From what i read I think you put #5 hardware cloth over eggs or just hatch larva.In every other row of cells all the larvae are destroyed by poking them with a blunt nail or similar instrument. then suspended flatways over a queenless hive.is this right and do you remove #5 hardware cloth after destroying evey other larva.


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## Jon McFadden (Mar 26, 2005)

The idea is to horizontally suspend the cells in the position queen larvae would be oriented without the hardware cloth so that the cells are at least 1" above the top bars.
Additional equipment will be needed to accommodate the queens/queen cells, however.
1. you should harvest the queen cells before the 14th day. This can be a daunting task if you don't know when they were capped. This will happen using a random bunch of eggs and larvae. Larvae that are fed pollen will not be the best queens because their ovaries will not develop properly.
2. You will need a place to put the cells so the queens get mated. If you don't harvest before they hatch, the first one out will destroy the rest. Here is a link to the baby nucs we use to mate the queens. They only cost us $1 to build and serve several purposes beside mating nucs. At the end of the year, the bees are dumped out and drift to other colonies and the boxes are stored for next year.
http://nordykebeefarm.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=46&PN=1
This is why grafting and the graftless methods were introduced. Using these methods, you can control the age of the larvae so you know the age of the queen cell.
Jon


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## tbb39 (Jun 9, 2007)

thanks jon I had your extruded styrofoam nucs saved in my favs for a long time and that will be what i use. is the #5 hardware cloth just a guide. could i just kill all surronding lava and get the same results.


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## Jon McFadden (Mar 26, 2005)

I assume it is used as a guide. The guys I know that use this method just drag a hive tool down the comb. 
One step you can take to eliminate older brood is to destroy all capped cells after 4 days. These will be the larvae that have been fed pollen.
Jon


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## Dale Hodges (Jul 13, 2007)

tbb, I've used the hopkins method for years...love it...we use to call it the case method. I use a 1/4 dowel , slighty sharpened , and just go down two rows and hit every cell,(doesn't take as long as it sounds), then go down thrird roll and hit two skip one. This has worked out great for me, It gives me enough room to remove queen cells without destroing ones close by. When I started using this method I left the larvea to close and lost a lot of pretty cells. Error on the side of extra room, you'll be a lot happer with the end product. Don't worry about tring to get a prefect pattern, a few misses here or there won't make a bit of differentence. I start moving my cells to nucs on the 7 or 10 day. Depends on if your counting from egg or larvea.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>From what i read I think you put #5 hardware cloth over eggs or just hatch larva.

No. The #5 push in cage is optional, but is useful to confine a queen to get her to LAY the eggs on the comb you want them on and know what their age is. You can also just put a drawn new comb in the middle of the brood nest and check on it every day to see when she lays in it.

>In every other row of cells all the larvae are destroyed by poking them with a blunt nail or similar instrument.

Correct.

> then suspended flatways over a queenless hive.

Correct.

>is this right and do you remove #5 hardware cloth after destroying evey other larva.

Remove it right after the queen lays in the cells. Usually 24 hours after you confined her to it.

The Hopkins method in Hopkins own words:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeshopkinsmethod.htm

#5 hardware cloth used to confine the queen to get her to lay in the right spot at the right time:
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/QueenConfinement5.jpg

Shim to hold the frame:
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/HopkinsShim.jpg

On a ten frame langstroth box you can just put an empty frame on the top and lay the frame with the eggs/larvae on top of that and an empty box around it and an old blanket or something on top of the frames.

The frame in the shim:
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/HopkinsFrame.jpg

Myversion:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesqueenrearing.htm#hopkinsmethod

G.W. Hayes version:
http://www.beesource.com/pov/hayes/abjmay91.htm

I'm still looking for the "Case" version, if anyone can help me out with that...


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## tbb39 (Jun 9, 2007)

hey dale how many queen cells do you get from frame on avg.


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## Dale Hodges (Jul 13, 2007)

Probably..... uhhh....wow......I've used deep frames years ago, and your pushing an old mans memory to the max but, I'd say 35 to 40 on a deep frame, and 25 on a 6 5/8. The more young bees in your nuc( I like to use nucs now) the more and better cells. If I want the maximum I'll put as many young bees as I can crowd in,my best has probably been around 50. 

Mr. Bush, I learned this method in the 60's from an old beekeeper, the first time I saw the mention of it in print was ABJ May 91. He(the old beek) called it the 'case' method so, naturally I did too. I remember hearing about the 'hopkins' method and didn't know it was the same thing . I was taught to use a 2" spacer on top to hold the frame over the top of the vertical frames. I can't tell you if the "case " method is in print anywhere, sorry. Let me know if you find it anywhere, it be interesting to read.


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## FordGuy (Jul 10, 2005)

I think this is the way I want to go. once you cut the queen cell off the frame, how do you stick it on comb in the new queenless hive? what is the best way? maybe I need to start a new thread on that question?


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## ScadsOBees (Oct 2, 2003)

Another way to kill the unwanted larvae/eggs is to cover the ones that you want to be queens (the writer used some sort of bullet, I don't remember which size) and then dusted the frame with flour or perhaps powder suger and that would dehydrate and kill the larvae/eggs, except for the ones that you want. He even had a picture of a word written in queen cells that he had made.

To get them in the new hives, assuming that you can get enough of the QC you could stick it in with a pin, or just wedge it in between frames, which has worked for me.

The last ABJ had a little article on queen rearing, and the stat was that you need about 400 bees to raise a good queen cell, and if i'm remembering correctly that was about the equivelent of 3 lbs of bees to raise 20 queens. 

Rick


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## Dale Hodges (Jul 13, 2007)

Ford, I usually just push it in the wax...very gentely.... on the short ones ,I didn't get quite enough "top" on , I stick them on with a toothpick.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>I don't remember which size

.257


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