"I would like to hear from others as to their experience with cells. I am
always curious what others have tried with success, even though conventional
thought is otherwise."

I got tired of using cell cause you are never sure that they will hatch and
that the bees will accept it.

I change from JZBZ cups to Nicolet because this latter system have a nice
tube as a queen cage so as to allow the queen to be born caged. The only
trick is take the cell out of the cup the day after emergence cause some
queen are traped when going out after feeding in the royal jelly.

I check the virgin queens, bank them for up to 7 days if need, and then
install the virgin in the nucs using Amonium Nitrate (nitrato de amonio)
with the smoker. Check here (in spanish) for the use of Nitrato
http://www.sada.org.ar/Articulos/Tecnicos/Nitrato.htm

Very fast, very clean. This year out of 1700 nucs we had an 85% fecundation
rate and we are sure that the queen in the nuc is the one we installed.

Question:

Can I paint the queen when virgin? Will the painting interfere with the
fecundation?




-- 
Juanse Barros J.
APIZUR S.A.
Carrera 695
Gorbea - CHILE
+56-45-271693
08-3613310
http://apiaraucania.blogspot.com/
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