Queen Rearing

The cloak board queen rearing method is an great way of making many quality queen cells. It uses a queenless box technique as a starter and a queenright as a finisher. The great part about this is that it’s all done from the same hive and no queenless starter hive is required. No queens are taken way from the hive and minimum brood movement is required.

For this method to work, you need the following:

• A strong double brood hive
• A Cloak Board

While there are several diagrams on this method floating around, the following is a more encompassing diagram:

The instructions below are as they appear on the diagram.

Instructions:

The hive selected for a cloak board queen rearing must be a strong double brood hive with brood, honey and pollen in upper box. Double check to ensure you have uncapped brood in upper box. This will draw nurse bees into the upper box. If no flow is on, add pollen and feed.

Several days before you plan on grafting, flip the hive 180 degrees and close the front entrance. Move the queen to the bottom box and add a queen excluder. You can add the cloak board frame at this time as well and it will create a new entrance just below second box. It is suggested that you do not use this method if you have a hive right beside it. The bees may drift to the hive standing beside it before finding the new entrance one box up. It will take a day or so to adjust to the new entrance.

The Day Before You Graft:

The day before you graft, push in the divider so the upper box becomes completely seperated from the bottom box. This creates a queenless hive on top and the bees will want to create a queen.

The bottom entrance on opposite side can now be opened to allow bees to feed brood in the bottom box. Most bees are now using the top entrance and going into the top super.

Day 1: Add in the Grafts

Add in your grafts to the center of the top box. You will need to remove a frame to make room for it. You can remove a frame of uncapped brood and install in another colony.

Check if the bees have started queen cells and remove them if you find any.

Day 2: Remove the Divider

Once your cells are started, remove the divider making your hive queenright. This can be done the 24 hours after grafting. Block the bottom entrance again because you want all returning bees to go into upper box.

Since the cells are started, the bees will finish off the cells. You should have a high population of bees attending to the cells.

Remove Cells

When cells are ripe, you can put hair roller cages on them to protect them, or you can put them into the incubator. Read more about our mating nucs, grafting information or  starter and finishing methods.

Starting and Finishing Queen Cells

The starter/finisher method of queen rearing and cell building uses the natural instincts of the bees. The queenless starter uses the emergency mode to start lots of cells and then the queenright finisher uses the supercedure impulse of the bees to finish the cells. We will discuss the roles each hive plays in the development of quality queen cells.

The Starter 

The chart below is one that I designed and is a method for producing 30 quality queen cells. It uses some of the industry’s most common techniques and uses a queenless starter for 24 hours and then a queenright finisher to finish off the cells. Starters are not good at finishing cells and therefore a finisher must be used. 

The starter should  have lots of nurse bees and should be able to start many cells. Thousands of nurse bees will visit each cell every day feeding the young larvae.  Cells with lots of royal jelly inside the cups are desirable. Those will become your most productive, best looking queens.

You can leave the cells in the starter between 24-48 hours and when you take them out, there should be plenty of royal jelly inside the cups. The larvae should have lots of food while it’s developing.

The Finisher

The cell finisher should have the following:

1. A queen in the bottom box and a queen excluder.
2. It must be a well fed colony.
3. Empty drawn comb and sealed brood in bottom box.
4. Unsealed brood, pollen and honey in upper box.
5. Feeding must be done 3 days prior and during the cell finishing process.

When transferring the cells to the finisher, use a smoker to get bees off the cells. Do not use a brush because the cells are fragile and you could easily damage them. Plenty of smoke will cause bees to fly off. You can then put the graft frame into the finisher when most of the bees are off. Don’t worry about damaging or dislodging the larve. They stick well to the royal jelly and surface tension keeps them in place. We still handle them with care and have never had any issues.

When queen cells are sealed, you can either keep them in the finisher until you put them into a mating box or nuc. If you are planning on another round of grafts, an incubator set at 33.5 Celcius has yielded excellent results for us. This keeps a steady temperature and when it’s time to place them into a mating nuc or nuc, you can take them quickly install them. An uncubator is our preference. 

Conclusion

If you follow these steps, you should get good quality queen cells. Not all cells are great and you can discard them. Overall, the quality of the queens you will get if they are mated properlly is easily the same and better of commercially produced stock. 

Note: You cannot use the images above without permission.

When you are planning on grafting, that it is important for you to have all the necessary tools and equipment with you.  I have found it best to put all the material is together in a small tool box and I take it with me whenever I’m planning on grafting. While this is not necessary if you’re on a home yard, many beekeepers like myself also graft in the outyards.

Here are some photos of my grafting kit.  It contains most of the Nicot system, queen cages, jzbz cages, and a few homemade items.  The photo was taken in the off season, so many parts are removed that I would usually have with me.

A grafting toolkit should include:

• Cell cups (jzbz and Nicot)
• Grafting tools (have spares because they break)
• Queen cages
• Introduction cages
• Push-in cages
• Marking pen & Queen markers
• Spare parts of the entire Nicot Queen Rearing System (cell cup holder, cell bar holder)

I also take a warm, wet rag with me with I graft. That is the only thing that you need remember to prep/take along besides the grafting frame. Yes, I have forgotten the rag a time or two but it’s nice to have everything else along.

This can be a time saving kit because the last thing you want, is to leave necessary supplies a home.

JZBZ Cell Cups

One of the most popular queen rearing tools are the jzbz queen cell cups. It appears to be almost an industry standard for many beekeepers and there is a good reason. They are cheap, easy to clean and can be reused many times. You can place up to 4 bars each having 15 cups on a frame for a total of 60 queen cells per frame.

Why we use Nicot

One of the problems we have with the jzbz is a lack of a complete integrated system for caging, protecting and storing the ripe queen cells. The system that we have come to love is the Nicot Queen System. We only raise about 30 queen cells per round and that’s a good number because it ensures all the larvae are fed properly in development.

The best tool, in our opinion for grafting is the Chinese Grafting Tool. They range from $2.00 – $6.00 depending on the source. More information is given on how to use this tool on our grafting queens page.

Here are the components in the Nicot System:

1. Cell bar holder: These are the pieces that you can nail, glue or staple to your grafting frame.
2. Cell cup holder: The cream colored piece where the cell cups get pushed into. The cell cup holder gets pushed on the cell bar holder. See third item.
3. Cell cups: These are the cups that fit into the holder as illustrated in the picture. They are cheap enough and not worth cleaning time so we do not reuse them. (Canadian sources are much more expensive.)
4. Grafting frame: You will need a grafting frame and staple your cell bar holders (the dark brown pieces) to the frame bar. You can purchase a frame, but they are expensive. They are easy to make if you have any woodworking experience. I suggest making your own. You can fit 13 – 15 cell bar holders to a grafting frame bar and they can either be stapled or hot glued. The cell cup holder slides into the cell bar holder and then cell cup slides into the cell cup holder as illustrated in the picture.
5. Many beekeepers use up to 4 cell bars on a frame. For reasons discussed in number 5, we only have two rows

   

   for grafting. Depending on your spacing, you can graft up to 30 queens per run. I feel that is enough if you want good quality queens.

6. The Hair Roller Cage: This is the cage that can be used for introduction, protecting cells or simply keeping cells upright in the incubator. This cage easily slides on the cell cup holder on the frame and will protect queens inside.
7. Nicot Candy Cup and Closure: This piece is not very popular and is hard to find but I wouldn’t want to be without them. It is a queen candy holder (for introduction) and an cap. I love the ingenuity of this piece because I can keep the queen candy off limits from bees outside the cage for 2 days and then open it. Sometimes queen candy is a bit soft and aggressive bees will chew through it in a day – much too quick. The cap is the perfect solution. Keep the cap on the candy cap for two days and then simply remove the cap and bees will chew through the candy releasing the queen. This gives you a little more control over the timed release. Or you can simply release her after 3 days and know the queen was well fed during this time. Either way, I don’t know why this piece isn’t available as readily as the other pieces in the Nicot system.

8. 

   The Grafting Frame: The frame that your place your grafting bar on. Mine have 2 bars and they are vertically spaced so that hair roller cages can be placed on ripe queen cells. This is a great option if you do not have an incubator. Use a screw on the end so they can easily swivel so the cages can be added. In the event that a queen hatches earlier than you expect, you don’t have to worry about a her killing off all the sister queens in the other cells.

From what you can see, it’s easy to see why this system is become a quick favorite. From the grafting stages to the introduction and everything in between, all the pieces fit together into a seamless process.

Using an Incubator

If you are using an incubator, you can staple the dark brown cell bar holders to a piece of wood and then use it as a stand for your cages. The caps on the hair rollers have a notch and it’s the same diameter as the as the cell holder bars. That’s right, the cap can fit on the cell holder bar. Your cell bar holders will face upright (they face down on a grafting frame) and the cap on the bottom of the cage will fit perfectly. This keeps your cages upright and your cells safe from falling over. If a queen hatches, she will be safe inside the cage.

To introduce, simply remove the cup, and cream colored cup holder, and add in the Nicot Candy Cup and Closure (item #7 above) and you’re ready for introduction. We usually live release queens if we have them in the cage, but most times, we add them to a nuc 24 hours before hatching date.

The diagram below illustrates how we use the system in the incubator.

Note: If you plan on using the nicot system and want to use an incubator, be sure to order extra cell bar holders. Usually you get the same amount of each component of the system. Since you staple some to the frame, you may not have enough for the incubator.

What a well thought out system!

There are many queen mating boxes on the market today. We prefer using standard equipment as much as possible because it creates a more fluid beekeeping operation.

Our beekeeping mating boxes consists of a regular deep super with 1/4 inch plywood as partitions. The partitions are held in place by dado cuts into the box on the shorter side. No handles can be used on those ends because the dado cuts may cut through. We also have a 3/8 inch spacer going around the bottom to allow for more bee space inside on the bottom of the frames. The bottom consists of a piece of 3/8 inch plywood. Each partition has its own entrance on opposite sides which is made by not extending the spacer all the way to the end.

You can use regular deep frames to stock your mating nuc.

The mating nucs are made by adding the following:

• One frame brood
• One frame pollen/honey
• One brand new frame with foundation

After leaving them queenless for 24 hours, add in a queen cell and allow the queen to hatch. Come back in two weeks to find your mated queen. When you take out the mated queen, you can add in a new cell with a cell protector at the same time. Sometimes we leave them queenless for 24 hours before adding the cell, it all depends on timing of your grafts.

This cycle can continue for the rest of the summer.

You will need to monitor the mating nucs especially during the honey flow. The new queens can lay a lot of eggs and you may have to remove frames of bees and larvae just to give them enough space. We’ve have queen abscond when we didn’t provide enough room quickly enough. When the new frame has been drawn out, I’ll add another one.

Marking your queens is an excellent idea and there are several reasons why. Marking the queen helps spot the queen more easily when doing inspections. It’s amazing how easier it is to spot a marked queen on a frame especially if there are many bees around. You will also know if a queen has been replaced or superceded in the hive if she’s missing. Another reason to mark your queen is so you know the age of your queen. If you only run a couple hives, it’s not a big deal, but if you run 50 or more, you simply can’t remember.

When you mark a queen, the color used depends on the year as indicated in the chart below. The last digit of the year determines the color. For example, in the year 2017, the last digit is 7 so the queen color is yellow. If you notice, there is a 5 year repeating pattern, so 2012 queens are also yellow, but queens usually don’t live that long. Queen will usually live 2-4 years and are relaced by the beekeeper or superceded. Wheather you follow this chart is up to you but this is considered a ‘rule of thumb’ for marking queens.

You can use other colors too with your own special coding system for example you may want to color code by breed instead.

Beekeepers will also write down the date of the queen on the lid of the hive. If you have a tin lid on your covers, it works great. It wears off with time and that’s ok. You don’t need records from 10 years ago.

There are many methods of queen rearing and once you get the general idea, many different ideas are possible. Below are two concepts that I’ve seen and the people who use them, claim they work. I used the first method in my first year beekeeping and it seemed to work fine back then. However, I currently use the starter finisher/method queen rearing method these days simply I usually want more than 10 cells.

The method above has been claimed to be ok for a small number of queens. I would suggest no more than 10 but it all depends on the hive population and nurse bee population.

The method below is very interesting to me. I have not tried it, but I have little doubt that it works. I found this method online and was intrigued by it so I designed the diagram to illustrate and to make the concepts more concrete. I’m considering trying it…

Anyone interested in raising their own queens will need a grafting chart. There are many versions available, but the one below helped me the most. You can download it on the bottom of the page.

The days are clearly labelled and it tells you what do on each day. Here is a quick breakdown of the different sections:

• You need to graft newly hatched eggs less than 24 hours old. Since eggs hatch three days after being laid, the chart suggests placing a new drawn out frame into the breeder so you have a better idea of when to graft. I usually skip the step and look through the hive for suitable frame with larvae that’s of adaquet age.
• If you are using a starter-finisher method, cells are transferred to the finisher on day 4 or 5
• On day 8 your cells should be sealed. They can go into the incubator.
• The peach colour on day 10-12 are days when the cells should not be handled as they are fragile during this stage. Please note day 13 is for creating a nuc and the cell hatching day.
• Create a nuc on day 13 and place cells on day 14
• Cells hatch on day 15-16. You can remove unhatched cells a couple days later.
• The chart suggests mating flights happen within a week after hatching. This process can take up to two weeks. Do not disturb the nucs for 2 weeks after the queens hatch.

The chart is in Microsoft Excel format and is very precise. There is little room for error. Most of the cells will hatch within hours of each other.

GRAFTING CHART DOWNLOAD

When you graft, all you need to update is the grafting date and the chart will update with your days.

Why Local Queens

We have been using commercially produced queens for many years. We’ve had many successful years with them, but we have noticed that many of them are short-lived and sometimes don’t grow quick enough after wintering. Given queen prices are $40.00 plus, we began exploring our options. The world of queen rearing can be challanging and there are many ways of doing it.

It only makes sense for beekeepers to use local genetics that do well in the local environment. In Manitoba, we have a 5-6 month long winter where bees are generally shut down. This generally starts in early November and continues to the first week in April. We need stock that can survive the winter months.

Purchasing local queens is a great idea. I find that local beekeepers ‘test’ the newly mated queens longer to make sure they are well mated and ready to be egg laying machines. This is likely not the case with commercial breeders.

In early spring, we still purchase queens from other geographic areas so we can immediately replace failing queens and make splits. In late spring and summer, there is plenty of time to graft queens from your own local stock that exhibit traits you like.

Grafting your own Queens

When I started beekeeping, I remember already taking about grafting in my first year of beekeeping. In general, this is a topic that even seasoned beekeepers don’t like to deal with. It can be a rewarding and money saving endeavor. But perhaps the best part is that you can get quality queens unlike the stock that commercial beekeepers sell. Too often, I have been disappointed with substandard performance from commercially produced queens. This led me to persue local stock from local beekeepers and I usually see the difference it make.

Why Grafting makes Sense

Grafting is very rewarding when it works. There are many reasons why beekeepers graft their own queens and here are some of them:

• It’s a lot cheaper (but more time consuming)
• A great way of increasing hive numbers
• Can provide additional revenue selling nucs
• Uses proven local genetics
• Extra nucs are a good insurance policy

When we graft, we generally look for queens that have the following characteristics:

• Winter Survival
• Quick spring buildup
• Varroa resistant
• Gentle to work with
• Good honey producers

Even if you simply take the best hives as your breeder hives, you can do well. There are generally reasons why certain hives do better. You can achieve great results without getting too deep into the science behind it all.

The best way to get started with grafting is to begin! Don’t be afraid of failure because you can always try again.

Grafting Chart

Before you begin grafting, you will require a queen grafting chart to track the process. I discuss the chart below on another page. You need to follow this chart without exception. Failure to do so can/will result in total loss of cells/queens.

Grafting

Be sure to take larvae that is less than 24 hours old. You can always add in new drawn frame into a breeder hive and then take it out again 3.5 days later and use it to graft. This will ensure that you will get young larvae. I prefer the Chinese grafting tool and below is a four step diagram of how you can graft.

Step 1: Slide the grafting tool into the cell along the cell wall.

Step 2: Allow the grafting tool to slide under the jelly. Do not touch the larvae; if you pick up the jelly, the larvae will come with it. Do not push down on the plunger at this time.

Step 3: Pull out the tool with the jelly and larvae on it. The jelly will not fall off.

Step 4: Put your tool in the center of the cell cup and then push down on the grafting tool. This will push the jelly off your tool.

Next Steps…

Your next step is to place your grafting frame into a starter and then a finisher hive. More information are on our starting and finishing queen cells post.