Queen Rearing : freestyle

[eltalia]

G'day...thanks for your comments.
Some weeks ago I resolved to test an idea borne of a queen rearing method described by
LittleJohn(LJ) as his project for 2018--->.
Not having much experience of free form comb beyond cutting it out of wild/feral colonys,
or cleaning 'mistakes' from forgotten broodchambers, I resolved to set up a variation of LJ's
concept as a quick easy method of raising emergency queens - adding the choice option of
grafting capped QCells to a queenless colony or caging emerged virgins for selective mating.
This post is set on some early discoveries/observances.
The visuals might also answer some questions asked in other topics I have commented on
- killing a dozen queries with a single issue of work, so to speak.

To start the experiment I populated a vibrant colony experiencing consistent small flows with
hardware and selected combs of differing type.
The frames added are as per the example linked to - the topbar section being new comb just
nine days old on placement. (S1)These two frames had only nectar with miniscule(numbers)
cells of pollen and some uncapped larvae . Maybe a few score of fresh eggs present.
(S2) the foundation frame section, was the normal selection of pollen plus capped honey, brood
at all stages and a smattering of fresh eggs. (S3) the queenright section, was made to resemble
a typical laying queen nucleus. Only the queenright section was allowed traffic for the first two
days.

http://thumbsnap.com/jdRdxA7N

Today both S1 and S2 were inspected for sign of queen rearing, with S3 being checked for no
queen rearing happening. What was found was S2 had made no attempt to even build a single
queen cup, choosing to behave as if a queen was present. All brood was capped.
Wheras S1 had the two queen cells shown and all brood capped.
http://thumbsnap.com/fKDxFoFe

The behavior of S2 is somewhat puzzling as I had expected it to behave as does any
introduction of brood to a queenless colony. The dividers built for the experiment were designed
and installed to hopefully prevent pheromone transfer. In the case of S1 this has happened, yet
S2 appears to have failed to recognise a queenless state.
The divider style used is here;
http://thumbsnap.com/IdSuSCux

As with all experiments of intrigue one should place a control, and so this was done, using again
three selected frames from the same colony. And again, locked down for two days maybe
70metres from the parent.
http://thumbsnap.com/Qp6KLqv7

What was found on inspection is as was expected yet there are some anomalies. Only a single
queen cup was built upon real estate that had mobs of fresh eggs on installing. And that cup
is now so packed with jelly it is difficult to say there is indeed a live larvae present. Time will tell.

And on "time"...?.. never having paid much attention to detailed days for queen succession in
past times - it just happened as I or the bees made it happen - I was intrigued how delayed this
build was in comparison to the capped queen cell in S1. Sure, there is only maybe a pound of
bees in the control colony but as is seen they are no less attentive. So I do ponder on this being
yet another positive aspect of advantage in using free form comb for particular tasks as queen
rearing.

http://thumbsnap.com/8y2Dudac
http://thumbsnap.com/orQ2sKnK


Cheers.


Bill

[little john]

In the case of S1 this [Queen Cell building] has happened, yet S2 appears to have failed to recognise a queenless state.

Hi Bill.
That's not unusual.  What I've noticed over many queen-raising 'runs', is that some colonies recognise queenlessness almost at once, and Queen Cells can be started within 24 hrs, certainly within 48.

In contrast, I'm in the middle of a standard Cloake Board 'run' right now, and the bees have simply refused to start drawing Queen Cells. [It's well past the end of the normal queen-raising period - maybe that's why]
After several days, they started just one on the heavily populated side-comb (one of two 'bait combs' used to draw nurse bees up into the box, through the Q/X], and this was duly cut-out.

Eventually, after 8 days and 3 changes of target comb, they finally accepted that they were deep in the brown stuff, and started 5 Q/C's, at which point the Cloake slide was withdrawn. I checked that box earlier today, and 2 Q/C's were capped yesterday, and 2 are currently being closed and will be fully capped later today. Which I'm pleased about, as this indicates that the larvae chosen were of a similar age, and were thus probably carefully selected. The fifth has either been torn-down, or was well-hidden by the bees this morning.

So - it does appear that recognising queenlessness to the point of stimulating emergency queen cells can be somewhat 'flexible' in practice.
LJ

[eltalia]

Indeed LJ... it has always been the case (for me) where on those occasions
my 'help' in tossing in a frame of BIAS has not resulted in QCells I have
found fault in my casual approach. Whilst this one example now is not to
be taken as the default outcome it did set me back on my heels, thinking
"so maybe it was not my stuffup at all".

Cheerio...

Bill

[eltalia]

[update]
A quick run 'round the yards today showed all colonies going
gangbusters on natives - teatree and callisstimons(sp?).
Next week gets supers pulled I reckon...bugger :-(

My project is shaping nicely with both earlier QCells capped now
and harvested, parked horizontally.
That control colony QCup didn't make it so I'll need to repeat the
experiment to prove that part unviable - in comparison.

http://thumbsnap.com/3F15RNia

Cheers.

Bill