Dear Ivan,
I personally look for young larvas on brood combs and take the youngest
(unfortunately worst to detect) larvas. I don't put a frame into the hive or
cage the queen on such a comb. This would mean too much work for me.
 
> The has been discussion on age of larvae.
>
> Do you put the frame in a confined area with the queen?
>
 
If you want the queen to lay immediately into the cells of your comb you have
 
to put it into the center of the brood nest.
 
> Now how do you graft what tools, where, light, magnification (for us with
> poorer eye sight) if needed, your tools that you have developed for
> grafting.
 
I take a common commercial grafting tool (a kind of bended needle with a flat
end). I know some beekeepers that make it by themselves. There is also an
asian
product available which can be used in different directions and a kind of
flexible tongue to take up the larvas. I have never tried it because I cope
with my equipment good enough.
 
When you want to graft larvas you have to find a place with good light (I
prefer daylight under a tree). Perhaps with bad eye-sight you need
magnification glasses as they are used by precision engineers.
It's best not in direct sunlight, because this might dry out the larvas and
demage them. You must hold the comb with the larvas in a certain direction so
you can see the larvas quite good. Some beekeepers with less experience have
some problems and for those the following can be a little tip:
 
Cut a piece of comb out of the whole frame and shorten the cells with a sharp
 
knife. So you get less shadows. You can reach the larvas easier and graft
them more comfortable.
 
Bye for now, sincerely
 
Reimund
 
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Beekeeper in Germany (Bavaria)
Queen Rearing of Carniolan Bees
Insemination Station
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