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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Garrett M Martin <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 5 Sep 2002 07:18:10 -0500
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H Morton wrote I just purchased a Jenter System and would like some tips.

This Spring I was exactly where you are.  I posted much the same
question.  The answers I received were filled with much wisdom.  They
pretty much told me to graft by hand if possible.  After one season this
is my point of view.  While the graftless type systems sound great they
are not all they are crack up to be.  Supposedly you stimulate with feed
put the queen in and whala in 24 hour eggs eggs eggs.  In the real world
for me the queen refused to lay for about 3 days then she only laid about
80% of the cups that were inserted.  After you get the queen to lay then
you are to let the colony feed the larvae until all are hatched and
growing.  In the real world because the queen was slow to lay the eggs
were of varying ages and when you transfer an older larvae the queen
rearing colony will not accept it on the other hand they will not accept
an egg either.  So I found myself making up to four or five manipulations
just to get ten cells set successfully. I do not have time for all that.
 In my opinion if your eyes are good enough to see young larvae then
graft.  If you use a Chinese grafting tool this can be done quite easily.
 Plus you make one manipulation, you get to pick the age of your larvae
and you are on your way.  If you are patient and a beginner like myself
you can graft 20 cells in about 1/2 hour and most of the time I received
80% acceptance but I did have as low as 50%.  With the graftless system
the best I got was 40%.  So that is my opinion.
Good Luck
Garrett Martin

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