Finski posted one of these videos on another thread and I started looking at the other videos by the same source - bienenwerkstatt.at and thought that others might find them interesting as I did. They are in German I think, so if you do english language searches on youtube they probably don't usually show up.
I'm only guessing about exactly what it going on, and I would appreciate any insight that anyone has into what it going on, or even a summary of what he is saying if someone can translate. Most of them are about queen rearing, and I've tried to put them in order.
Grafting larva into cups
Spätes Umlarven im Freien 2008 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta8hAMmMZGQ#)
Installing grafted queen cups into a cell starter hive
einhängen einer Zuchtlatte in ein Startervolk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjB0UdTUIWc#)
Collecting nurse bees for mating nucs
abstoßen der Bienen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JL4p4W7fW4#)
Ladling nurse bees into mating nucs
Check out the cool mating nuc/observation hives. Those would make it really easy to check the laying pattern. I wonder how you get the queen back out of them? It looks like the frame only occupies about the bottom 2/3s of the nuc, and in several places you can see a space above the frame - why? Anybody know how those nucs are laid out?
Füllen der Einwabenkästchen (EWK) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3PWHrBJOso#)
Marking virgin queens
Check out the queen cages to catch the emerging virgin queens. Looks like a good system to keep them from killing each other. Obviously that was installed after the cells were capped.
Königinnen zeichnen und zusetzen in EWK (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utYqzNm8ZSc#)
Installing queens into mating nucs
It looks like he is dipping them into liquor. I assume that this serves a purpose other than exotic mixology - he even shoots it at the end. Anyone have any insight into what it's for?
Film 5 Mai 09 Königinnen kommen in die EWK`s (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vHLbbIhHGI#)
Reuniting bees from used mating nucs into an artificial swarm.
Film Freiluftkunstschwarm und Ableger (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZEM-3h3N48#)
Collecting Frames of honey
Bienenwerkstatt (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tapk7q5goWI#)
Taking a shot in the dark.
I would guess that when he is installing the queens into the mating nucs, he is dipping them into some kind of liquor so that the alcohol washes off any existing smells or maybe pheromones so that all those nurse bees will accept her instantly instead of having to cage her for 5 or so days prior to release?
That's what I think it is too. It sounds unpleasant for the queen, but if it works... I wonder how long you leave the nucs queenless before giving them a queen? Not long I bet because he just has them trapped under drinking glasses. Then I wonder how long after giving them the queen before he opens the nuc to let them fly.
I'm gonna make me some single frame clear sided nucs like that. Just think how easy that makes it to tell which queens are performing best.
I think that when he points to the liquid at the first of the video he calls it honey wasser (honey water). Seems kinda harsh to dip a queen in something containing alcohol. Just my $.02.
I think you're right. How hard is that? Just pay attention and listen. Oney wassa.