So in an attempt to try something new, I set-up a cell starter in a 5 frame nuc today.
I added a graft frame with cups to be polished (15) If I were to graft into that frame tomorrow, could I place it back into the starter and leave it there until I am ready to transfer cells to mating nucs or do I need to add it to a separate finisher? Thanks
Either way works fine. After 5 days, when they are capped, I like to cover them with cell cages to keep them from building excess comb on the cells.
If you leave the grafted cell bar frame in the nuc box, then what you're effectively running is a 'Joseph Clemens' Queenless Starter-Finisher - which is a scaled-down version of the rig which Laidlaw used - and which works extremely well providing there are sufficient bees in the nuc box to feed the number of q/cells being raised.
Don't forget to check any brood frames in the nuc box for rogue q/cells having been started - you'll need to remove them, else they probably won't work with your grafts.
LJ
Quote from: little john on May 13, 2018, 02:37:31 PM
If you leave the grafted cell bar frame in the nuc box, then what you're effectively running is a 'Joseph Clemens' Queenless Starter-Finisher - which is a scaled-down version of the rig which Laidlaw used - and which works extremely well providing there are sufficient bees in the nuc box to feed the number of q/cells being raised.
Don't forget to check any brood frames in the nuc box for rogue q/cells having been started - you'll need to remove them, else they probably won't work with your grafts.
LJ
Thanks, I checked the frames for rogue cells/
Cups and didn?t find anything. I ended up adding the graft frame back into the starter and putting it back into my basement with some wet sponges. I will
Pull it out tomorrow and open up one of the disk entrances so that they can fly.