Author Topic: Grafting (Read 11904 times)

tefer2 · « **on:** May 02, 2014, 09:36:23 am »

Here's a good video on grafting with the German style tool.
Check it out!

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #1 on:** May 02, 2014, 09:49:12 am »

Wow Teefer! Thats the best vid I have ever seen on grafting.. I could only WISH my hands were that steady.. I do like how you can obviously they are grafting from cells with unhatched eggs right beside the Larvae they are taking.
Excellent find!!

tefer2 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 02, 2014, 10:17:11 am »

Scott, that what I thought also. Thanks to Stephen over in Germany for posting it!

Intheswamp · « **Reply #3 on:** May 28, 2014, 11:20:46 am »

Dude, I've been thinking along the lines of cut-comb, cell-punching, etc.,. This video has just about convinced me to start from the git'go with grafting!!!!! GREAT VIDEO!!!! Thanks for posting it, tefer2!!!!

Ed

apisbees · « **Reply #4 on:** May 28, 2014, 02:49:13 pm »

A couple of things to note.He is careful to not turn the larva over. He is transferring the larva into cells that have been polished by the bees. He is transferring very little royal jelly so you will want to keep the transferred larva covered with a damp cloth and the bars put back in the cell builder colony quickly and have the cell building colony strong with lots of young bees that are well fed so they will attend to and start feeding the cells right away. He is wearing a head band light to provide light in the bottom of the cell so he can see the larva better.
Success in queen rearing depends on everything going right, one step missed or corner cut and the success rate will diminish a lot.
Very good video on grafting with a solid grafting tool. Thanks for posting.
That type of grafting tool is quite easy to make at home. Take a large paper clip and straighten it out, hammer to flatten one end, shape the end with a file, bend the flattened end at about 50Deg, drill a hole in a wood handle to except the paperclip wire, insert the wire so 1 inch of shaft is left between handle and the flat end, bend the wire a little so your hand is not in the way for seeing into the bottom of the cells while grafting.

kebee · « **Reply #5 on:** May 28, 2014, 07:14:04 pm »

Well I can see right now that I would not be able to graft for I shake to much to be able to get a lava out or in.

Ken

robo · « **Reply #6 on:** May 28, 2014, 07:57:45 pm »

Nice video. For beginners, I would suggest priming the cups with a little royal jelly and double grafting. I think you will get much better results.

tbonekel · « **Reply #7 on:** May 28, 2014, 08:13:49 pm »

Just like jpthebeeman, he makes it look easy.

Intheswamp · « **Reply #8 on:** May 29, 2014, 12:44:24 am »

apisbees, the fact that the guy doing the grafting did not turn larva over was not lost on me. I recall a youtube video of a guy selling a cell-punch kit. He talked about the larva breathing through "gills" or "flaps" or something of that sort that are located on the sides of it's head and that if the larvae is flipped to it's other side that it could/would literally drown. I'm not educated enough to doubt the guys words and watched the grafting carefully and noted the care taken not to roll the larvae over on their opposite side.

I noted the small amount of royal jelly in the graft and was wondering about priming the cells prior to grafting. To do this would I simply rob royal jelly from other cells and put it in the cell cups I'm grafting into?

? Robo, double grafting?...that is grafting a larva, letting the bees pour the royal jelly to it, removing the larva, and replacing it with a younger larva so that it starts out with a lavish amount of royal jelly....is that right?

apis, thanks for the tips and the method of making a grafting tool. I think I'm going to go ahead and order a few JZBZ bars and cups.

Hmmm, this might actually happen!

Thanks!!!
Ed

robo · « **Reply #9 on:** May 29, 2014, 08:33:36 am »

Quote from: Intheswamp on May 29, 2014, 12:44:24 am

I noted the small amount of royal jelly in the graft and was wondering about priming the cells prior to grafting. To do this would I simply rob royal jelly from other cells and put it in the cell cups I'm grafting into?? Robo, double grafting?...that is grafting a larva, letting the bees pour the royal jelly to it, removing the larva, and replacing it with a younger larva so that it starts out with a lavish amount of royal jelly....is that right?

A common practice on priming is to take royal jelly (from a queen cell) and thin it down with a little water (some even add a little honey) and use a cotton swab to dampen the bottom on the cell. I usually don't have a problem finding royal jelly from swarm cells, etc. But if you do, you can freeze it when you do have extra cell to use at a later date.

Double grafting is simply putting two larvae in each cell cup. The bees will remove one (presumably leaving the best one behind). This gives you a little better chance if you injure or damage a larvae while grafting.

Intheswamp · « **Reply #10 on:** May 29, 2014, 09:06:22 am »

Thanks, Rob. You just solved to mysteries for me!!!! If I go the grafting route I may double graft half of the cells and see if there is a decided difference for me, the newbie.

In regards to harvesting the RJ, is there a certain age of the donor queen cell when it is best for harvest?

Ed

robo · « **Reply #11 on:** May 29, 2014, 09:27:33 am »

I like to get it before the cell is capped if possible. The longer it is in there, the drier it gets

Intheswamp · « **Reply #12 on:** May 30, 2014, 03:52:56 pm »

Quote from: apisbees on May 28, 2014, 02:49:13 pm

<snip>
That type of grafting tool is quite easy to make at home. Take a large paper clip and straighten it out, hammer to flatten one end, shape the end with a file, bend the flattened end at about 50Deg, drill a hole in a wood handle to except the paperclip wire, insert the wire so 1 inch of shaft is left between handle and the flat end, bend the wire a little so your hand is not in the way for seeing into the bottom of the cells while grafting.

Well, here's an attempt at the paper-clip grafting tool....comments, critiques, orders for 100,000 gross of them<grin>?

I'm mostly curious about the size of the "landing" or "hook" part...
Ed

robo · « **Reply #13 on:** May 30, 2014, 05:34:23 pm »

Looks pretty nice. The important part is how it works for you. It tends to be a personal choice and what you feel comfortable with, everyone is different. I know I have my favorite, which happens to be a chinese type, while others I know hate them.

tefer2 · « **Reply #14 on:** May 31, 2014, 08:28:58 am »

I've tried about everything on the market as far as grafting tools go.
I keep coming back back to the plastic Chinese spring loaded tool.
It's just to easy to slide it down the cell wall till it bends under the larvae.
The best part is when you press the button to push it off into the new cell cup.
Make sure you find the most flexible tip you can.

Intheswamp · « **Reply #15 on:** May 31, 2014, 10:36:16 am »

It sounds like the Chinese tools do pretty good. I was reading and it seems that the ones with the plastic tongues do better than the ones with the bamboo tongues...seems the bamboo tongues "swell" over time..? Where do ya'll get the ones that ya'll like to use?

Ed

iddee · « **Reply #16 on:** May 31, 2014, 10:48:50 am »

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-10Pcs-Beekeepers-Grafting-Tools-bee-FG-US-/370957836902?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item565ecf6266

apisbees · « **Reply #17 on:** June 02, 2014, 03:05:56 am »

Intheswamp It look a little thick hit it again with a hammer or file it flatter, the spoon needs to be very thin to slide under the larva.

Intheswamp · « **Reply #18 on:** June 02, 2014, 08:07:57 am »

Thanks, apisbees. I'll hit it with the hammer again...hmm, that's kind of like how I work on my computer!

So, almost finger-bendable, eh?

Ed

apisbees · « **Reply #19 on:** June 03, 2014, 06:31:05 pm »

It will be obvious when you use it if the edge is to thick it will plow the larva not slip under it.