Grafting query

[Black Comb]

This year it's worked out that my cell raiser colony is in a different apiary (3 miles away) from my mother colony.
So, do i remove the frame of eggs at the mother apiary and transport it in warm damp towels to the cell raiser apiary and graft there,
or
graft at the mother apiary and transport the grafts?

I could use the mother colony as a cell raiser but it's a L/S jumbo whereas the cell raiser is a L/S standard and therefore "fuller".
The L/s std came out of the winter with more bees so it probably has more bees.

[Jon]

I would graft into the cell cups, put back the frame I grafted from, then transfer the cell bar frame with the grafts to the other apiary.
The larvae are resilient as long as they do not dry out.

[fatshark]

Transport the grafts ... in pretty much the same way as you propose transferring the frame. Just as long as they don't dry out you'll be fine. I seem to do it like this every time ...

Oops, too slow.

[Black Comb]

Thanks guys.

[The Drone Ranger]

I might be playing with fire here
My last set of grafts there were 4 takes from 10
they need caging or close watching from the 11th (I'll just be keeping a close eye)

Next I grafted into the 6 spare cups 2 days later and had 2 takes
They need watching from the 13th

In the next few days I plan to put larvae in the 4 empty cups

Have I slipped the leash ? :)

[Jon]

I do that too on occasion but I keep a careful note and I cage cells 3 days before the queens are due to emerge.

[The Drone Ranger]

Thanks Jon
I must dig out those roller cages I had some somewhere
I have hived 2 swarms this year only one came from my hives though
After the second one set up home in a bait hive of manky comb I added some foundation
I alternated the old and new combs then fed to get them drawn
The queen must have started laying right away because first inspection 2 big queen cells not yet sealed
Interestingly they were in the superceedure position and only 2 off
I had spit the brood accidentally with foundation
Swarms are a bit trigger happy with their queens and seem prepared to dump the old girl with very little provocation
Although these cells were in the superceedure position I think there is a fair chance if one had been sealed the old queen and some of her bees would have been offski
They are now in the cell raiser with the grafts :)

[Jon]

When you have a situation like that and it is unsure whether the intent is swarming or supersedure, clipping a wing removes the worry.

[Dark Bee]

Jon, can you make space in your inbox please.

[The Drone Ranger]

Does the queen really slim down before swarming ?

How many days do you think there is on average between the queen emerging and her first mating flight
Some sources claim hardly ever before 7 days

How many days do drones need to mature ready for mating ?

[Dark Bee]

Does the queen really slim down before swarming ?

How many days do you think there is on average between the queen emerging and her first mating flight
Some sources claim hardly ever before 7 days

How many days do drones need to mature ready for mating ?

I suppose to fly a queen needs to be slim. Whenever I see a queen is still quite "rotund" and the family is busy building comb, I feel there are no immediate plans to depart on holidays.
Environmental factors probably are decisive in when first mating flight occurs.
Mature drones are quite firm and hard and if you squeeze :rolleyes: one end the other end pops out! Useful if one is into this II business. If I ever knew the number of days this takes, I have long forgotten it.

[Jon]

Does the queen really slim down before swarming ?

How many days do you think there is on average between the queen emerging and her first mating flight
Some sources claim hardly ever before 7 days

How many days do drones need to mature ready for mating ?

DR
The bees reduce the feeding the queen and she will be noticeably slimmer before swarming.
She reduces the egg laying rate before swarming as well. Some think she stops laying but she still manages to lay a few.
Queen orientation flights start at 4-5 days from emergence. these can take place at lower temperatures.
mating flights can take place from 6-7 days from emergence and take place between about 12.30 and 5.30, never in the morning.
Drones take 2 weeks from emergence to become sexually mature.

[The Drone Ranger]

Thanks for the info chaps
Drones need about 6 weeks from when queen lays them -- quite a while
I'm going to pay more attention in future :)
I noticed the natural comb the bees made on the frames where only a starter and fishing line was given was mostly drone
Next season that will be handy comb to have