Nicot Queen Rearing

[Michael Bush]

>Try both!

Absolutely.  I did.

[Ben Framed]

Thanks fellows, I appreciate your responses. I have put the cups in the holders on the bars. And introduced this to the queen-less hive. When should I be able to see that the cups have been accepted? When do the nurse bees begin forming the peanut shaped cell? Thank again.
Phillip

[blackforest beekeeper]

Hi Philip,
they will start right away. After one day is a good time to inspect and you will see them drawing out the cells quite clearly. some beeks will remove any not accepted cells and move the accepted ones into the middle of the cell-holder frame.

[ed/La.]

https://images.app.goo.gl/HC7yNZurfq9YiHGb9.  That is link to honey bee life cycle chart. Queen cell is capped at day 9

[Ben Framed]

Hi Philip,
they will start right away. After one day is a good time to inspect and you will see them drawing out the cells quite clearly. some beeks will remove any not accepted cells and move the accepted ones into the middle of the cell-holder frame.

Thanks blackforest, that sounds good. I have a total of 30 cups on two bars in one frame. I had 110 cups on the grid. I left the grid in place in the breeder hive. This leaves me a window of opportunity to replace any non accepted cups by simply retrieving more from the grid if needed? I do not see where that would be a problem being  several of the cups left in the grid, were still in the egg stage and had yet to hatch or have royal jelly added as of yesterday. Perhaps tomorrow many of those will be hatched and have royal jelly applied and should be ready to go if needed? Thanks for your reply
Phillip

[Ben Framed]

htt8ps://images.app.goo.gl/HC7yNZurfq9YiHGb9.  That is link to honey bee life cycle chart. Queen cell is capped at day 9

Thanks Ed/La

[blackforest beekeeper]

It`s like re-grafting sort of the day after. can be done, many do it. I don`t. I don`t like the queens emerge on different days.
Keep us updated on the success of your enterprise.
I will get my breeder hive ready on Wednesday, graft on Thursday. Should have done it a week earlier. We had summer-weather the last few days. gonna get colder and rainy again...
Hopefully they will collect the canola-nectar even if it is a bit shady...
expecting first swarm-cells on Wednesday.

[Ben Framed]

It`s like re-grafting sort of the day after. can be done, many do it. I don`t. I don`t like the queens emerge on different days.
Keep us updated on the success of your enterprise.
I will get my breeder hive ready on Wednesday, graft on Thursday. Should have done it a week earlier. We had summer-weather the last few days. gonna get colder and rainy again...
Hopefully they will collect the canola-nectar even if it is a bit shady...
expecting first swarm-cells on Wednesday.

Thanks Blackforest, will do. Wishing the best to you in your grafting situation also.
Phillip

[dfizer]

Hello -
I too have just started with the nicot system.  I put the assembled box in for the attendant bees to clean up a few days ago.  Yesterday (morning) I introduced my breeder queen.  Today I checked it (late morning) and not eggs have been laid. 
My question is - how long does it take for the queen to accept the box and begin to lay? 
Please advise.

[TheHoneyPump]

On the first go, it may take her 2 days to get comfort with the box then will lay some. 
The next time she goes in she will lay sooner, next sooner, next right away ....
It is a scents thing.

[erbs honey]

I misunderstood. THIS "system" with that little cage is c...
Grafting in the Nicot system is fine. Everything fits. perfect for deep frames. i use nothing else, wouldn`t know why.
[/quote]

You must still be young.  Using only deeps would be too hard on my back.  I use deeps only for a brood box on the bottom.  Even the mediums, I often move them frame by frame to a new bee box.