1.) I'm impressed by the number sending me private email saying they use
emergency queens and walk-away splits in their own yard.  How about that?

2.) I also have been answering a number of private questions lately and
since I am such a slow typist and hate to waste words -- and I know this
question will interest the group -- I am posting it here, too.

3.) I really hope others, when they are writing about bees privately and
they think that their words will be of general interest to a wider audience
than the one person who asked, will post a copy of their thoughts here for
all to enjoy.  It is not necessary to identify the enquirer.

4.) What I write is from my own perspective and I always enjoy informed
debate.  So please feel free to refute any of my ideas presented here or
challenge me in my facts. I love to be proven wrong, so if any of you have
been holding back to spare my feelings, fire away.  I don't mind.

Here's the reply...
---

>       Thanks for the help and advise in the past. I'm rearing
> queens using the Hopkins method and could use some pointers on getting the
> queen cells lodged into existing brood areas without damage. First of
> all the cells  aren't pointing down like they do when the bees place them.
> They  stick out  more like a drone cell. Is this a problem?

I'm not familiar with the Hopkins method, but even when bees raise cells by
extending a normal worker cell, they cell hangs down and they float the
larva out of the horizontal into the vertical portion, so I wonder if your
bees are strong enough in numbers, young enough, and well enough fed?

Good cells will have excess royal jelly in the base area after the larva
pupates.  If you sample a cell and it does not have some left, throw the
cell -- and maybe the rest of the batch -- away.

Jayzee BeeZee cell cups are transparent and you can tell in a second if the
cell is well fed. In the case of other cells, you can -- with care --cut,
scratch or tear open a queen cell that is near hatching (the pupa has
colour) and look at the pupa and also check the supply of food.  One or two
cells here and there from a batch will tell the tale.

If you have done it right, you can then seal the pupa back in by pushing the
pieces together lightly and use the cell.  If you didn't do a good job of
opening the cell, well, sacrificing one for the many is not a bad thing
here.

> Second, when I try to push them into surrounding brood areas
> I'm afraid I'll damage the queen cell or I don't get it stuck
> in good enough and the cell ends up falling out. Is there any
> tricks to this that would help me?

I usually use cell protectors.  The JayZee BeeZee ones are cheap and good
and have prongs to push into the comb.  FWIW, I don't use the prongs, but
hang the cell between top bars or the faces of two combs or into some brace
comb.  It does not take much to suspend one, and the bees will attach it
anyhow. The only important thing is to be sure the bees will not abandon the
area where you place it if the temperature gets cold at night.

Hope this helps

allen

http://www.internode.net/HoneyBee/