> Cells can be pricey if cells are not viable ( 50% is not uncommon) or 
> poorly raised and the queens are dinks and soon superceded.

Yes, I have found that even people with very good reputations have lower 
standards than we would have expected, judging by results and by the amount 
of royal jelly left in the cups.

> Cell raisers usually start about twice as many as ordered so when you get 
> 90% raised (happens at times ) then you look for a place to sell those 
> cells as if not sold or used most are tossed.

You have to do that, but many cannot bear to throw away good cells if too 
many develop.  Some cull the smallest, and most of us just use two per 
colony or nuc until the extras are gone.

> Cell use 101 for commercial beeks:

Great article.  Thanks.

> Do not move the nucs for at least two weeks for best take or until queen 
> is laying solid patterns. It is my opinion bees will blame the move on the 
> new queen and supercede her until they have totally accepted her. ...Also 
> the longer the time the queen is in the hive laying before shipping north 
> seems to help take.

Worth noting. Moving bees can be hard on queens at the best of times.

> Using mated queens, hives can in my opinion can be moved sooner with 
> success.

Point noted.

> Rarely is the take better using cells than with mated queens but using 
> cells is certainly cheaper. We have done everything right and still at 
> times end up with less than a 25% take using cells. Certainly something 
> was not right but whatever the problem was it was not obvious to us.

That is low.  Seldom do you see acceptance that low a take with mated 
queens, but fairly prompt supercedure of mated queens has been widely noted. 
I suppose that there is continuity during supercedure, but the original 
queen is lost.  Also, when supercedure is underway, the virgin may get lost 
if moving is timed wrong.

I was hoping to get your comments on the differences in time from splitting 
to full laying between cells and mated queens.  Have you any numbers?

allen
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/articles/cor.htm
---
Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an 
experiment. The more experiments you make the better.
--- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)

 

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