I've just gotten some queen cells from the first grafting I've tried. Made up 7 mating nucs with the queen cells. I suppose I'll know in a couple of weeks if things went well. The question: What is a "ripe" queen cell?? In "Contemporary Queen Rearing", Laidlaw refers to "ripe" cells several times, but I can't seem to find *"ripe"* defined. If the cells have been sealed, can they be put into nucs at any time if they are handled carefully?? I swept about 150 ml of bees from the front of one of my Langstroth-type hives into a jar, etherized the bees, and had about 6 Varroa mites drop off. The colony is very strong at the moment; sourwood honey flow should start next week. The question: Should I put Apistan strips in the hive now? Wait until later in the summer?? I searched the BEE-L archives and found one reference to "peppermint in water" for mite control. The question: Are any of you using oil of peppermint, oil of eucalyptus, or camphor spirits either singly or in any combination in a sugar water spray to aid in treating mites--tracheal or external??? If so, what combinations/concentrations??? Thanks to Paul Magnuson, I'm enjoying working some modified Tanzanian TBH's. I'm delighted with the ease and "low tech" aspects of this type of management. I like the spaciousness of the inside with all surface areas accessible to the bees. The question: Are colonies in TBH's any less susceptible to mite infections?? Wax moth problems?? More susceptible?? I will appreciate any information or suggestions you may have. Cordially yours, Jim ----------------------------------------------------- | James D.Satterfield | [log in to unmask] | | P.O. Box 2243 | | | Decatur, GA 30031 USA | Telephone 404 378-8917 | -----------------------------------------------------