Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
The bees will now develop the larvae along the edges of the trimmed frame. They will
automatically draw out queen cells along the bottom and slanting edges. After 10 days,
these cells can be used for re-queening purposes. Very carefully cut them out with a
sharp scalpel, ensuring you don't press or squeeze them and that you don't cut into the
cells.
The main reason for cutting the foundation into triangular shapes is to give the bees
plenty of 'edges' to construct queen cells, and the reason for destroying two out of three
larvae is to give the bees more room to draw out uncrowded queen cells. This will make
it easier for you when you come to cut them out.
Remember that you will have to have places to put these cells. De-queen your hives in
readiness, therefore, or prepare good nucleus hives for the cells if you are building up
new colonies.
Rearing queens
But what if you want queens, not cells? In this case you have to go a step further when
you cut out your cells from the Miller frame. A day before cutting, prepare nucleus hives
with a frame of capped and emerging brood, with loads of bees, frames of stores and an
empty frame of comb. You make these nucs from bigger colonies, so once made it is best
to move them to another apiary so that all the bees don't fly home. Or you could plug
the entrance with grass so that they'll take a while to get out.
Another method of preventing the bees from flying home is to use frames of brood from
just one hive. Place the nucs in a circle around the hive, with their entrances pointing
towards the original hive. The bees in the nucs will now not go back to the main hive.
This idea was developed by a New Zealand beekeeper, Vince Cook, and I've tried it. It
works well although, to be honest, I'm not sure why!
A day later, cut out the cells from the Miller frame and place one cell on the frame of
brood in each nuc. Gently push the cell into the wax on the brood frame, being careful
not to damage it and positioning it so that it hangs downwards. The bees will now look
after the cell until the queen emerges. After about two or three days, the queen will fly
off to mate and, if all goes well and she isn't eaten or doesn't get lost, she will return to
