The Jenter System

Graftless cage systems (e.g. the Jenter type; in Türkiye also known colloquially as janter) are queen rearing devices in which the queen is made to lay in removable cell bases inside a plastic box, and queen cells are obtained without ever touching the larvae. Because they require no skill at transferring larvae with a grafting tool, don't damage the larvae and supply larvae of the same age, they make life easier for beginner producers. Below, the parts of the device, the day-by-day procedure, points to watch and the system's limits are explained.

How does graftless queen rearing work?

In the classic method, the beekeeper lifts a day-old larva out of a comb cell with a tool and transfers it to a cell cup (grafting). In graftless cage systems, however, the larva is never moved: the queen lays directly into removable plastic bases shaped like comb cells. When the eggs have hatched and the larvae reach the right age, these bases are taken out from the back of the box, fitted into holders and lined up on a cell bar. The larva thus moves into the rearing colony together with the base on which it hatched.

The main benefit of the system is that it removes the need for the manual dexterity, good eyesight and light required to pick up a barely visible day-old larva with a tool. The biology is the same as with grafting: the larva is still fed as a queen in the starter and finisher colonies.

Parts of the device

• Box (comb cassette): A plastic body set into the middle of a comb, with a front shaped like comb cells and a lid at the back.
• Cell bases (base plugs): Small plastic pieces that can be removed one by one from the back of the box; the queen lays in the cells they form.
• Front cover with excluder grid: Keeps the queen inside the box; workers can pass through the grid to tend the eggs and larvae.
• Holders and cell cups: Pieces that stand vertically like queen cups, into which the removed bases are fitted; the holders are slotted onto the cell bar.
• Cell bar and frame: As in classic grafting, the bar on which the holders are lined up and the grafting frame.

How do you use a graftless cage system, step by step?

In the schedule below, the day the queen is shut in the box is taken as "day 0".

1. Get the colony used to the box in advance

If a new plastic box is put in straight away, it is often not accepted and the queen won't lay in it. Putting the comb with the box into the breeder colony's brood area a few days beforehand lets the bees clean the surface and coat it with wax. A box that sits snugly in the comb, with no gaps around it, is also accepted more easily.

2. Confine the queen

The queen is put into the box and the grid cover is closed. The comb with the box goes back into the middle of the brood area, in the warm zone. Keeping the queen confined for about a day is usually enough.

3. Release the queen

Once enough eggs are seen in the bases, the cover is opened and the queen returns to the colony. Keeping the queen confined for a long time both disrupts the colony's routine and can lead to more than one egg being laid in the same cell.

4. Wait for the right larval age and transfer the bases

Eggs hatch in three days. The ideal larva is within its first day after hatching; in practice this is about 4 days after the queen was confined. The bases with larvae are removed from the back of the box, fitted into holders and the bar is placed in the frame. The transfer is done quickly in a cool, shaded, windless place without letting the larvae dry out.

5. Give them to the starter and finisher

The bars are given to a queenless, crowded starter colony rich in young bees. Accepted cells are moved to the finisher hive a day later. From here on, everything is exactly the same as classic grafting.

What should you watch out for?

• Timing is exacting: If the bases are removed late, the larvae grow and queen quality drops; a delay of one day noticeably affects the result. Write down the schedule.
• The box must be accepted: The queen won't lay in a box the bees haven't adopted; in that case leave the box in the colony a few more days and try again.
• Strong flow and feeding: For the queen to lay in the box, the colony must be in laying mode, which means food must keep coming in.
• Don't keep the queen confined too long: Keeping her shut in longer than necessary harms the queen and the colony.
• Cleanliness: Plastic holds odours; the box and bases should be cleaned with hot water, kept away from chemicals and stored closed.
• Single egg check: Don't transfer bases that contain more than one egg or are empty.

Graftless system versus classic grafting

In short, graftless systems are a reliable way in for beginners or for producers who struggle with close-up vision. Operations producing large numbers of queens generally prefer classic grafting for its speed and flexibility; many producers use both methods together.

Common mistakes

• Using the box without acclimatising it: The queen won't lay and days are wasted.
• Choosing a weak colony or one without forage: A queen with little urge to lay won't use the box.
• Not recording dates: If you don't know which day the queen was confined, you can't estimate the larvae's age.
• Transferring bases in the sun: Larvae dry out within minutes.
• Storing the box dirty: Smelly or mouldy plastic lowers acceptance the following season.