OTS Queen Rearing

[rrog13]

Anyone have any experience with “On-The-Spot” Queen Rearing as described by Mel Disselkoen? 

Frequently asked questions about On-The-Spot Queen Rearing PDF
http://www.mdasplitter.com/docs/FrequentlyAskedQuestions.pdf

Queen Rearing Without Grafting and Miticide-Free


http://www.mdasplitter.com/

[LazyBkpr]

I have watched that but have not tried it yet. I modified a couple of frames to take jzbz cups to try the cell punch method, but havent done that yet either   

[skydiver]

I have used it. Great for controlling mites by interrupting their reproductive cycle. I have found bees draw the cell quicker on newer combs that are notched than they do on older combs with cocoons built up in them.

[Yankee11]

Ok, there seemed to be a lot of useful information in that video. I am going to be doing a lot of splits this spring. Have a bunch of nucs sold.

But, my first question. He states you can removes the old queen and 2 frames of brood. Leave the rest of hive in tact. Notch a couple frames and they will still make a honey harvest. I am thinking that would cut down on the honey as you will loose 4 to 6 weeks of bee
build up while they are raising a new queen and she gets up to speed.

[LazyBkpr]

His consideration is that your also freeing up nurse bees to forage as the brood gets low.

[skydiver]

I have heard Mel speak at our bee club. What he is saying is you do this on a strong full size hive just as you are going into a good flow. Remove the queen and two frames of open and capped brood, plus shake one frame of bees off an open brood frame to get the nurse bees into a nuc. Put the shook frame back into the large hive and notch one day old larvae in the donor hive and close it up. You will still have all the remain bees plus all the bees that will hatch out in the next 3 weeks to gather honey and with no more brood to feed while they rise a new queen and get her mated, they will put up a lot of honey that they would have other wise fed to young. Plus this make a break in the brood cycle that interrupts the mite reproductive cycle which causes them to collapse. Here is a link to his site if you need more info.    http://www.mdasplitter.com/

[Yankee11]

Ok then thats perfect for what I wanted to do with 3 of my best hives. I want to pull the queens from these 3 hives that were swarms I caught 2 summers ago. I want to pull the queens and bring them home to use as breeders for this summer. Since they were swarms 2 summers ago, I know this will be at least the 3rd summer for these queens. I want to get as much of the genes as I can this summer.

These are my most productive and very calm hives.

Thanks much.

[apisbees]

But, my first question. He states you can removes the old queen and 2 frames of brood. Leave the rest of hive in tact. Notch a couple frames and they will still make a honey harvest. I am thinking that would cut down on the honey as you will loose 4 to 6 weeks of bee
build up while they are raising a new queen and she gets up to speed.

The bees will feed 100 lbs of honey raising the brood in the hive over the 30 days. so this nectar gets stored rather than consumed. This would rely on having a flow that would support the bees with all the nectar that they would have required for them to raise the maximum amount of brood. If you are in a area with a late spring nectar dearth, or plagued by bad weather, and you need to feed, or if the bees cut back on brood rearing because of a lack of nectar you would not get the extra 100 lbs.

[Yankee11]

Using this method, you can make a lot of nucs from double deep hives. I could easily make 10 nucs from 7 double deep hives.

I have 10 nucs sold for spring with an additional 5 on a waiting list. I have 17 double deep hives (providing they make it through this latest cold snap) and am wanting to let 10 go for honey production.

[tecumseh]

very definitely what Apis wrote.  in some place a flow is much more predictable than in other places.  beyond perhaps tallow trees down around the Houston area I don't really think we have a flow that last 30 days.

[Yankee11]

Alright,

I have watched this a couple more times and if I understand him correctly, I should pull all my queens 1 week before swarm season starts and have 8 frames of brood or more. Notch 1 or 2 frames and a week later remove all but 2 or 3 queen cells. This will still give me a honey harvest AND control mites.

If I want to do splits, I notch 3 to 6 frames. Then go back 7 days later, and do the spits when queen cells are capped.

So, I have 17 overwinter colonies right now. And I have 10 nucs to sell. If I pulled all queens that would give me 17 nucs. Couldn't I sell
10 of these nucs (only the ones with last falls queens in them from splits I did).  I would still have 7 nucs left over and all my 17 hives could still possibly produce honey (according to Mel)and help with mite control.

or

I could take 4 hives. Remove the queens, notch the remaining 6 to 8 frames.  Keep the queens I removed.  That would leave me with 3 splits from 4 hives. 12 nucs to sell. This way I wouldn't be touching the other 13 hives. I would still have to do something to keep the other 13 from swarming (as best I can).

I am also studying the Demaree Swarm Control Method. Seems like this way you have a stronger hive as you don't remove the queen.
But know according to to "OTS method" I would not be doing anything for mite control and this may also actually cut down on honey production as they would feed 100lbs of honey to the brood"

Looks like my beekeeping skills may be moving up a notch this summer. 

I know one big thing I learned last summer, I must be very PROACTIVE in trying to control swarming or I will be working myself to death REACTING and chasing swarms.

[minz]

First you raise the queens , (frames bees 1 with notches) no big deal. Then you put them into a queen castle, 8 queen cells, now 16 frames of bees. After they are mated now you place them into nucs with 2 more frames of bees each and one of food. Now 32 frames of brood in the mix.  Here is the point that my small timer home falls apart.  That is a lot of frames of bees on the final step.  Last year they really struggled.  I think I am better off placing them in 5 frame nucs but I am more interested in getting a good mated queen. Letting them raise a couple of queens is easier than getting all the bees to support them.