Robo saves the day

[Irwin]

My hive went Queenless a while back and I was talking to Robo and he seen this on the enternet told me to take a look at it I couldn't see it good enough to copy it so he did it for me and it worked for me I looked in the hive yesterday and had full frames of brood have never seen that before :-DMG][/URL]

[randydrivesabus]

so what is that? it looks like a very shallow frame with a queen cage off to the side.

[Irwin]

It's a cage that the queen can run around in and they can't kill her and then her pheromone can over power the laying worker pheromone and they get rid of the laying worker screen on both sides here is the top

[HoneyMaple]

Is this the laying worker eliminator that i've seen on ebay?

[Frantz]

Ok, I really would like to know more about that. Robo, is that on your site anywhere? If not could we get a small explaination??? I understand the concept. That is pure genius.....
F

[Robo]

Ok, I really would like to know more about that. Robo, is that on your site anywhere?

The directions I put together for Irwin are in the download section.
http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/downloads/

If not could we get a small explaination???

Irwin was in the precarious position that a lot of beginners fall into.  He only had one hive,  it went queen-less, and it appeared there was a laying worker.   Only having one hive eliminated the option of giving it eggs/brood from another hive.  So I made Irwin aware of the laying worker eliminator on eBay.  I suggested he try to build one because I think the price is a little steep.  He wasn't certain of how it worked, so I offered to build him one because I hated the thought of him spending the $30+ for something so simple to build.   The idea is to confine the queen in the hive with room for her to move and not be pulled apart by the bees.  They will feed her and after a couple of weeks in the hive, they will dispose of the laying worker and accept her.

I understand the concept. That is pure genius.....

I can't take credit for the idea,  I learned about it from eBay, but Irwin proved it's success!

[randydrivesabus]

so i wonder if theres a patent on that?

[Robo]

so i wonder if theres a patent on that?

I doubt it,  it is a niche item and the volumes wouldn't justify the cost of a patent or defending it.  Besides, it is simple enough for a lot of folks to build.

[rdy-b]

many variations can simply be made from hardware cloth -been around for years- novel design though                                        http://www.betterbee.com/products.asp?dept=644     8-)   RDY-B

[Robo]

Don't waste your money on the plastic one from betterbee.  The plastic "pins" don't hold it in the comb very well and the bees just chew the wax out around it and tunnel under it.  I used it twice and the queens were killed both times.  Your much better off making one out of hardware cloth and burying it deep into the comb so they can't tunnel under it.    The frame type one is nice for beginners because you don't have to move the queen from the shipping cage into the introduction cage.  Just slip the shipping cage in and let her migrate on her own.

[rdy-b]

yep but i still like the idea of the queen laying to gan acceptance- 8-)  RDY-B

[randydrivesabus]

Michael Bush has a good guide to building an push in cage on his website. I made a couple of them and they work very well. But you need sealed brood to place it over. and you have to release the queen from whatever other cage she may be in and get her into the push in cage.

[Robo]

yep but i still like the idea of the queen laying to gan acceptance- 8-)  RDY-B

Absolutely, but a lot of beginners don't feel comfortable getting the queen from the shipping cage into the intro cage, this gives them an alternative.

There is more than one one to skin a cat...... :)

[EasternShore]

Absolutely, but a lot of beginners don't feel comfortable getting the queen from the shipping cage into the intro cage, this gives them an alternative.

There is more than one one to skin a cat...... :)

This post is from Becky.

There is ALSO more than one WAY to skin a cat!   ;)

[rast]

 Irwin, I am really glad that it has worked out for you. I was wondering what you did.

Robo, that was really good of you to do that.
Rick

[Hillbillenigma]

Irwin - Glad you got it worked out.  I know I would have been clueless.

Robo- What a great thing for you to do for a fellow Beek. 

[Frantz]

Thanks for taking the time to explain and give the directions.
F

[JP]

Irwin, I am really glad that it has worked out for you. I was wondering what you did.

Robo, that was really good of you to do that.
Rick

I just knew Rob was good for something! Hey Rob  :-* ;) :-D


...JP

[eivindm]

The idea is to confine the queen in the hive with room for her to move and not be pulled apart by the bees.  They will feed her and after a couple of weeks in the hive, they will dispose of the laying worker and accept her.

Will not the pheromone scent of the queen become weak after two weeks without laying eggs, in addition to the time she has not been laying while she is being sent from the supplier?  Will this not become a problem (I got curious about this device since I had a laying worker problem this year myself).

[rdy-b]

the first pic is kind of fuzy-but i think there is a piece of comb inside  8-) RDY-B