Queen Rearing Materials

Queen rearing equipment is a kit made up of cell cups, cell bars and holders, a grafting tool, a light and magnifier, various queen cages, marking tools and mating nucs; most of it is cheap but must be used with care. Because all of these items come into direct contact with larvae or queens, success is usually determined not by how expensive the equipment is but by how clean it is and how correctly it is used. Below you will find what each item is for, what to look for when choosing it and how to look after it.

What equipment do you need for queen rearing?

Types of cell cup: plastic or beeswax?

• Plastic cups: Standard in size, washable and reusable, and quick to work with. To get rid of the smell of new plastic, the cups are placed in a colony for about a day before grafting so the bees can "polish" them. Plastic holds odours; chemical and detergent residues reduce acceptance.
• Beeswax cups: Readily accepted by bees, a natural surface. They are single-use; they are made by dipping a mould or wooden dowel into clean molten wax several times. It is important that the wax is clean, free of treatment residues and preferably cappings wax.
• Cups with holders (base pieces): The cup sits on a separate holder that fits onto the bar; the ripe cell is removed together with its holder and given to the nuc, which reduces the risk of crushing it. Graftless cage systems work on the same principle.

Cell bars and the grafting frame

The cups are lined up on bars (wooden or metal) set horizontally in the frame. There are usually two or three bars per frame. Bars that are removable or can be rotated make grafting much easier: the bar is turned upwards so you can work looking into the cups, then turned back.

• Spacing: Leave enough space between cups that the ripe cells won't be stuck together.
• Firmness: Holders must not wobble on the bar; if a ripe cell falls, the queen inside may die.
• Label: Set aside space on the frame's top bar to write the batch number and grafting date.

Types of grafting tool

The job of the grafting tool (transfer needle) is to carry a day-old larva, together with the jelly beneath it, into the cup without crushing or turning it.

• Flexible-tongue (Chinese) grafting tool: The thin, flexible tongue at the tip slides easily under the larva; a plunger releases the larva into the cup. The most common and cheapest type; when the tongue tip wears, it is replaced.
• Metal grafting needle: A durable tool with a fine, rigid tip; the tip must be carefully thinned and perfectly smooth.
• Push-type tool: Picks up the larva on its tip and deposits it in the cup with a pushing mechanism.
• Brush or feather tip: Soft-tipped tools preferred by some producers.

The choice comes down to personal habit. What matters is that the tip slides easily under the larva along the back wall of the cell and can lift the larva together with its jelly without turning it over, keeping the position it had in the cell.

Light, magnification and protection from drying

A day-old larva is only a little bigger than a pinhead. Direct, strong light falling to the bottom of the cell (a torch, head lamp or desk lamp) is the most effective aid to grafting. A magnifying visor or reading glasses are a practical solution, especially for those who struggle with close-up vision.

An exposed larva can dry out and die within a few minutes. While grafting:

• Setting: Work somewhere cool, shaded and windless, or indoors and humid; avoid direct sun.
• Cover: Cover the breeder comb and the waiting bars with a clean, damp cloth.
• Wet grafting: Putting a drop of royal jelly diluted with water in the base of the cup delays the larva drying out. Dry grafting is also common and gives good results; choose one method and apply it consistently.

Queen cages

• Frame cage (confinement cage): Keeps the queen on a particular comb so you get larvae of the same age.
• Protective cage: Fitted over a ripe cell; stops a queen that emerges early from reaching the other cells.
• Shipping cage: The queen and a few attendant workers travel in a small cage with a compartment of candy (queen candy).
• Introduction cage: Used to get the queen accepted by a new colony; as the candy plug is eaten, the queen is gradually released. There are also cage types that are pressed into the comb face.

Marking equipment and the colour code

Once a queen starts laying, she is marked on her back (the thorax) so she is easy to find and her age is known. For this you use a marking pen suitable for beekeeping or a glued-on numbered disc, together with a queen catcher clip or a marking tube with a soft plunger to hold the queen. Apply the paint only to the thorax and very sparingly; it must not touch the wings, head or legs.

Cleaning and storage: the most critical point

All of this equipment comes into direct contact with larvae or queens. Bad smells and residues of treatments and detergents directly reduce the acceptance rate.

• Plastic parts: Wash in hot water and scrape off wax and propolis if needed; don't use scented detergent, or rinse very thoroughly.
• Chemical contact: Don't store them alongside varroa treatments, fuel, insecticides or perfumed products.
• Dry, closed storage: Keep unused equipment in a closed box, protected from wax moth and mice.
• Disease risk: Cages and cups used in a diseased colony must not be moved to another colony.
• Tool tip: Clean it after every grafting session; a worn or split tip injures the larva.