second grafting attempt

[DLMKA]

I grafted my first queens on Sunday of Memorial Day with 20 grafts and got 11 good cells and two that either haven't mated yet or didn't make it back. So 9 mated queens from 20 grafts, 45% (could go up to 55% if the other queens start laying this week). Second attempt at grafting was made last weekend. Emboldened by pretty good beginner's luck and knowing I had a really strong cell builder going I went ahead and grafted 40 larvae. Went in last night to destroy rogue queen cells on the open brood frames in the hive and counted the grafts that took and were being fed royal jelly, got 30/40 this time. Now the waiting game until the cells are ripe. I think I'm going to have to bust down some honey producing hives to make mating nucs. Didn't want to do it but I'm a victim of my own success.

Anyway, here are some pictures of the cell bars on second graft attempt about 48 hours after grafts were put in builder.

[CpnObvious]

Great job!  Thanks for the photos!

[apisbees]

What are you going to do with the queen once they have mated and laying? If mated queens are not needed why raise them. mate the ones you have mating nucs for graft again for another 30day cycle and split the mating nucs if you have more needs for queens and nucs. Pick the best looking cells and sell, give or destroy the rest.

[DLMKA]

I've been getting requests for queens from club members, I donated one to a local part for an observation hive that our club manages, sold one, and have a request for 8 more. Once the word gets out I won't have enough.  I plan on buying some singles out of almonds next spring for the sole purpose of making mating nucs out of.

I set a goal for myself to have 15 full hives and 30 nucs going into winter. The nucs will be easy, full hives maybe not so much. I was planning on catching some more swarms and doing some removals but not many of either are to be had around here this spring.

[apisbees]

As long as they find a home I hate to see colonies torn apart to raise queen and then not have any use for them.

[DLMKA]

I'm one of those people that can read, read, read about something and even talk intelligently about it afterwards but need to "DO" to really understand the mechanics of how things work. I need to see and observe and get my hands on it. I want to get as many homegrown queens into nucs as possible this fall and see how they overwinter and build up in spring. I'm also working on getting some in the hands of some more experienced beekeepers in the club for some honest feedback from them, one is the state inspector for our region. More queens -> more feedback -> greater confidence to raise queens and nucs to sell in the future. Those 30 queens at market price for locally raised and mated queens from survivor stock (hive they were grafted from are working on their 7th super of honey this season) are selling for $35 each X 30 = $1050. I've obviously got some time and a little material cost in them but I'm breaking down dinks to make mating nucs so this far I haven't really sacraficed honey production. It would take 4 hives an entire season to produce an equivalent dollar value of honey. The market is a little different for queens vs honey and I'd like to be able to make some of both to to keep things diversified.

[apisbees]

It is a good direction to go. selling queens and nucs. easy to sell and at a good return unlike honey where you are relying on the weather to create a prime condition for getting a honey crop. Good diversify gene poor is essential. Make a few deals for queens to get access to some of the better beekeepers stock. save the old queen for you when requeening or pointing you to the hives of theirs you should be grafting from.

[DLMKA]

We have an old guy in the club that does a lot of removals and swarms, it's his side business and the dang guy requeens every last one with a queen from California. I offered him $5 and I'd supply new queen cages for every one he replaces. Some will be duds, I have that in my yard but the hive I got 7 supers of honey off was from a swarm I caught my first year beekeeping. They've swarmed every year since but the genetic line hasn't been broken. I'm planning on grafting from multiple hives and keeping getting new genetics in the yards from swarms, cut-outs, or queen exchanges.

[LazyBkpr]

We have an old guy in the club that does a lot of removals and swarms, it's his side business and the dang guy requeens every last one with a queen from California.

     

   LOL!!     Here I am struggling to replace the Southern and Cali queens with local survivor queens....

[DLMKA]

We have an old guy in the club that does a lot of removals and swarms, it's his side business and the dang guy requeens every last one with a queen from California.

     

   LOL!!     Here I am struggling to replace the Southern and Cali queens with local survivor queens....

I know! I'd love to have all those survivors.

[Yankee11]

I'm up to 36 hives now and every one except 3 are swarms or cutouts local. Pretty much all of them are doing good and I have yet lose a hive
over winter and so far havn't had to treat for mites or lost one to hive beetles.

I know I will have to treat for mites at some point but so far so good.

I also know someone that requeens every hive in July every year.