Nicot Update - Queen Rearing using the Nicot Cell Cup Kit

[@gillianturner4263]

Loving the videos. Goose feathers make excellent brushes, and the bees don't seem bothered by them.

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi Gillian, Great idea and one I've seen before. You have to feel sorry for the poor goose though! :) Have a great beekeeping season. Stewart

[@gillianturner4263]

@@TheNorfolkHoneyCo Don't feel sorry for them, once a year they shed their feathers and grow a new set.

[@jamesphillippe3653]

I'm older and my vision is not so good. I've purchased a pocket microscope to be able to see the egg. This nocot system seems so simple that even with my declining vision i could still produce queens. Thanks for sharing. You taught this subject clearly. Jim from Oregon

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi James, I keep forgetting to take my glasses with me to the hives and I really do need them these days! Thanks for the comments and good luck with your beekeeping. Stewart

[@tonycollins9874]

We are new to the queen production process and this looks like what we would want to try. We are just hobbyist and don't need many queens each year. Thanks for the video it really help.

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi Tony, It's a nice system, if you're in the UK speak to Simon the Beekeeper, they have the genuine Nicot product. Good luck with your queen rearing and your beekeeping season. Stewart

[@tuathdedannan831]

When you get your head around the fiddly bits it's fairly straight forward. That was a fantastic video Stewart. I found that whole kit for 13 euro online with freepost. I'm going to give this a shot with my AMM this year. Fingers, toes and eyes crossed it will be successful. I would have never had the confidence to do this without this video. That's magic Jazz hands for ya! ;D

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Brilliant. Thanks for the kind comments again. Glad the videos are helping. Great price on the kit by the way. I'm going to try it with my best queens this year too so here's to a successful queen rearing season. Stewart

[@ccrdesigns]

Thanks for this Stewart I will be doing this as soon as I see some drones about.

[@hubertpounall1323]

Hello ,I've watch your video which is quite interesting, I'm a Beekèeper for over 40 yrs,I have a nicot kit which I've never used, Not because it's challenging ,or intimidating, simply because I have simple method which really works for me, However watching your approach I was hoping that you removed that frame in the laval stage rather than eggs, My reasons are the receiving colony sometimes eat,those eggs, If you had waited until those eggs hatched you would get 100% acceptance I'll continued watching your videos, I love your approach of things, Have a great Holiday,

[@LadyElk1]

Thank you for such a detailed vid using this system, I feel brave enough now from watching you. That i went ahead and ordered this style of rearing method for my own yard and for others interested in my cordovan queens... so a big thankyou from paula here in the states😉

[@LadyElk1]

I have Multiple Sclerosis (so grafting is hopeless for me) so again thankyou.

[@jayl8813]

Thanks Stewart.. I'm going to do this system in spring. Last graft was fun and did produce lots of queens but this way seems so much easier. I like how you don't have to handle any larvae......Best

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi Jay, great to hear from you again. Yes, I like the Nicot system for that same reason and it is really quite simple to use. It will be my main system for next year's queen rearing I think. Stewart

[@lintonmacnamara1469]

Such an interesting exercise. Not sure that I would use it but great to have seen it .thanks for posting Stewart

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi Linton, thanks for the comment. The nicot system does appear to be a good system for producing lots of queen cells. Stewart

[@natserog]

best bee videos on KZbin--Stewart is a great teacher.

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

I appreciate your comments.

[@chrisbgarrett]

Very nice Stewart,I enjoy all your videos. Queen rearing is currently on my mind. Can’t wait for the next one

[@haydnedwards7695]

Tried this last year and had reasonable success but this year trying it a lot earlier with more capped brood.

[@nicholasbrading6518]

That was a helpful video (like all your others), thanks for explaining everything so clearly. I'm trying the Demaree method this year as a starter to Q rearing but will definitely consider what you have shown here in the future.

[@baddestbees5924]

Use lil smoke as possible in any starter hive,IF you having problems with extra Burr comb on cells,put a frame of foundation in ur starter and let em draw that extra wax out on that instead,seems to help mine when I'm having trouble, I also ALWAYS feed Starters ...ALWAYS!!! Food,Food,Food,POLLEN FRAME beside Queen Cups ALWAYS , ALWAYS,ALWAYS.. NUTRITION for ROYAL JELLY is the name of the game, STRAIGHT UP.Also,put capped brood in 8 days before so All bees almost are YOUNG ROYAL JELLY producing Bees .TRUST me it will make you Better QUEENS if you do ...Good Video ,thanks for sharing

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi B.B., Thanks for commenting and the suggestions, never thought about adding a frame of foundation to stop the burr comb thing! Also, thanks for making the point about feeding, It's one of my promises to myself this year, make sure I feed starters. Stewart

[@gustavochavesmairena]

saludos excelente video

[@rowdeo8968]

I am eating raw honey from Aldi the store in Pennsylvania America! I cannot tell you how interesting this is. I have no idea what is going on, but I am sure, as I continue watching, I will learn! Thanks!

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Ho Row Deo, Fantastic, I have just returned from PA after visiting my daughter pre-Christmas. What a beautiful place you live in. I'm glad you are enjoying watching the videos and enjoying some raw honey, see if you can find a local beekeeper to buy some honey from and you'll get real taste of PA :) Merry Christmas. Stewart

[@rowdeo8968]

The Norfolk Honey Company I will my source was unreliable so I started buying honey from a farm. There is some beautiful honey out there. I might want to start a hive I have room but worry about neighbors? I used to have 18 acres but moved now 31/2 three and one half private. I could go. To extension (university) and get help on how to!

[@LadyElk1]

awesome video- Thank you

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi LadyElk1, many thanks for your kind comment. Stewart

[@LadyElk1]

eventually I'd like to grow my good queen lines, awesome vid and you explained very well

[@markkevin7245]

Hi Stewart I know your a busy busy bee .... but haven’t had much help from Facebook ....v So I wonder if you could show more on the nicot kit ? Unless I’ve missed videos you have already done ? Cheers Mark

[@lintonmacnamara1469]

Very helpful thanks Stewart

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi Linton, Thanks for commenting. Stewart

[@tuckerfarms3433]

Well done! You have inspired me to try this! Thanks!

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi Tucker Farms, Thanks for commenting and good luck with your queen rearing. Stewart

[@johncooper6098]

HI - been watching some of your queen rearing videos - the different styles wish you'd say your favorite or best turn out type --- ....//// Your vids are top notch --thanks

[@christianmoser6800]

These are very good Videos, i Just started Beekeeping 2 years ago with a super mean hive. put a new Queens in, after i split the hive and it seams they are calming down. It would be nice to see how you go farther from here. how to set up a mating hive. I have one question. How long can a Queen live in one of the introduction cages?

[@jennifercaldwell5035]

I am excited to get started!!!

[@meirchanan7587]

hi Steve, i found queen rearing video series as very helpful and informative just like others you provided before. thanks a lot. i wonder how the number of queen cells affect the quality of emerged queens assuming that cell builder colony is strong with a lot of nurse bees. my point is that, the fewer queen larvae should get better nutrition. perhaps this holds true only for bigger numbers of queen cells.

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi Meir, Yes you are right, you need a very strong colony to produce lots of good quality queens as they needs lots of high quality royal jelly. The more queen cells produced the more bees you need to produce lots of good quality royal jelly to feed them. Stewart

[@meirchanan7587]

thanks Stewart .

[@richardwatchingfromhalifax2122]

Have you ever made or use mini beehives?

[@hawklord7008]

Great video as always Stewart. I've heard it said that the cell cups arn't wide big enough compared to a bee made queen cell. I was playing about with the system today and found if I push the cup holder down harder onto the cup, the cup sides splay out a bit more and it makes them a tighter fit. I think when I try it next year I'll set up a queenless colony on double brood, and put 2 frames of 20 cells in. When caging queen cells would you recommend putting fondant in the bottom of the cage and leaving a couple of workers in there to look after the queen cell/queen?

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi Hawk Lord, thanks for the comments. I've not had any real problems with te size of the cups this year but only really had a chance to use them a couple of times. I found the process very easy to use and will be using it again next season. I think your suggestion of fondant and a few workers in the roller cage is a good idea. I've not tried the roller cages to any extent this year, just ran out of time so will look at using them next year and see what happens. Stewart

[@jeanparmentier]

@@TheNorfolkHoneyCo Hi, does it mean that the roller cage is the SET : CNE 5, CNE 7 and B2 ? Thanks

[@marioforieri8529]

Hello Stewart, one question please..I was very inspired by your video to purchase the Nicot system . I recently Just prurchased my first small mating nuke. Should I somehowm place brood , honey and foundation in the small frames? Thanks for your very appreciated help.

[@bigal7713]

do you need a queenless colony to build and cap queen cells in? I.e. if raising queen(s) for a purpose of split, than split the hive after getting the queen to lay in the cups putting cell builder cups in the queenless part of the split?

[@paulsutton95]

excellent as ever Stewart couple of questions 1. how early would you consider starting this process in spring? queens clearly need plenty of drones about at the time they emerge so wonder roughly when you think that is... 2. you put 10 cups into the queenless national hive, how do you calculate an acceptable ratio of q cups to the colony? ie could that national have taken 20? 3. when you add the q cell into mini mating nuc, how long should the cup full of bees have been in there prior to the q cell added? sorry if too many questionss! videos are so informative and im promoting them wherever i go Paul

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi Paul, Thanks for the questions. 1. This is really weather dependent, although for me personally, I can generate enough queens from late SPring onwards so Late May/early June is fine for me and prevents any late chill from spoiling things. 2. With a National I wouldn't put more than 10 queen cups in just to maximise the feeding of royal jelly to those 10 larvae. More cell cups means more work for the workers and could lead to insufficient royal jelly going into the cell cups. 3. I normally give them 3-4 days to get started on drawing out the comb but I've never had great success with queen mating nucs much preferring to use three full-sized frame nucs. Hope that helps. Stewart I have much more content exclusive to my supporters at www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

[@saeed4ish]

Can you let me know what you do from rest of eggs left in nicot box

[@jeanparmentier]

guess they make omelett with ... lol

[@noniward9073]

do you have a print out of the days to do what and what happens...I am very very new at this and want to learn how to produce queens.

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi Noni, I use an applemac numbers spreadsheet to calculate the days. I enter in one date and the others all change to show the progression. Stewart

[@noniward9073]

what happens on different days....this is something I have no idea on....

[@checkwalkcare8128]

hi, how will i find queenless hive when i want to produce queen bee? do i have to split a hive every time?

[@yvonneturner5505]

Did you put them in while they were eggs or did you wait for them to be larvae 3 days old

[@nnamaniizuchukwubassey6725]

Thanks for your interesting videos. I am in Nigeria, West Africa. Please I want to know how I can get this wonderful Nicot device down here in Nigeria.

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi Nnamani, Thanks for the comment. I'm sure the UK Stockists would be able to send it to you, Try sending an email to the guys at Bee Equipment to ask for advice. Here's their email address for you. [e-mail] Best wishes Stewart

[@noahriding5780]

Is it possible to get the bees to put the larva in the queen cup frame artificial cups without grafting?

[@44thala49]

Nope

[@christopherhindle1174]

Seeing the ant problem starting in this hive, any tips on how to discourage them would be appreciated.

[@nathanrobb6489]

Can put ants powder around the base of your stand or around the feet, another method is you can build hive stands that have Cups on each foot that go through the middle of the cup. Fill the cup with old engine oil of vegetable oil to build a barrier.

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi Christopher, I've used old tuna fish cans filled with oil which has worked well before, this is the first time I've had an ant problem in this apiary so might try that again if it persists. Stewart

[@vibes6730]

Steward ! According to you which is the most successful and simple queen rearing method that we should use ?

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi Umer, Good question and not one I can easily answer because it depends on your personal setup. I want to try the various methods again and see which works the best but for producing just a few queen cells I like the Alley method, for lots of queen cells without grafting I like the Nicot system. Stewart

[@fishmut]

I think I would stick with the ally method , you produced many queens unlike the other methods you have done, Miller / Nicot etc, to be honest I got as many queens on a normal brood comb (walk away splits) with nothing done to them , I sometimes think we over do stuff but each to there own, I am very surprised by results here after all the effort even though the eggs were the same age.

[@afpturk]

1:25 Which bird's sound is it? 🙂 Looks like partridge.

[@vladimirec]

That is a pheasant. I miss those birds here in Maryland, US. Modern agriculture totally eradicated them!

[@ryanaugustus]

Really love these videos. I’m considering getting this system and while I’ve been a beekeeper for several seasons, I wouldn’t consider myself very experienced. I know the academics but haven’t the practice yet. Would you suggest this system for someone who considers themselves a novice, maybe not a beginner? Or are simple splits the better option when increasing the number of colonies?

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi Ryan, Thanks for your comments. It is well suited to someone with less experience who wants to raise a few queens but isn't yet confident enough for grafting. If you are looking just for minimal increase or only want to raise two or three queens then Artificial swarms/splits/ are perhaps an easier way to go. Stewart

[@ryanaugustus]

Thank you, sir. I think this season I will work on studying and practicing splits etc. before I muddy the waters with this nicot system.

[@FloryJohann]

I watched the other nicot video that you made and this, but I am still confused. So basically you put a queen into the nicot box that has a queen exluder. Then if eggs are laid from that queen into the nicot cups, you mount the cups unto a frame. Does that frame with those cups go into a queenless hive or does the frame stay with the same hive where you released the queen into it?

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi J&B, The cell cups with eggs/larvae in them are moved into a different colony that is queenless. Stewart

[@FloryJohann]

Thank you. I almost thought so, but I was not sure. I will order the nicot system for next season so I can try it out.

[@richardsydenham4105]

Although I prefure grafting than these sistems it all about the eas, but I would say your Queen rearing hive isn't stong enugh I prefure to use Queen right rearing hives were the Queen is in the bottem box and the Queen rearing in the secound in a good hive I can get 50 / 60 cells and then the cells go to a finisher and I can put new cells in the rearing hive but still very interesting

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi Richard, Yes I agree, I think I prefer the Cloake board method with a queenright bottom box. I quite like the Nicot system and think a lot of people who are unable to use the grafting method could easily use this method to produce lots of decent queen cells. Stewart

[@LesleyRegina]

Hi Stewart, I am trying to re queen a hive I have a frame with a QC from another hive could I put that frame into the queen less hive or should I put it into a Q cell protector first? Thanks in anticipation

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi Lesley, Make sure you brush all the bees off the frame and I would wrap a small piece of tin foil around the cell leaving just the tip exposed. Good luck with it. Stewart

[@LesleyRegina]

Hi Stewart, thank you for your reply, I’ve made the hive queenless today and the QC is in the other hive is due to emerge 24th of this month, when is the best time to introduce it into the queenless hive? Kind regards Lesley

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi Lesley, I would make sure you get the queen cell into the hive in good time, they have a habit of popping out early sometimes! When you do introduce it I would go through the colony and knock down any other queen cells so they don't have an alternative option to the introduced queen cell. Stewart

[@FloryJohann]

How long does it take from egg before the new queen will hatch?

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi J&B, The usual timing is around 16 days from the first day to emergence although I have seen queens emerge earlier. When you're queen rearing that can be disastrous, so you have to check and move queen cells at least a couple of days early so the first queen that emerges doesn't destroy all the others or you can use the "hair roller" cages to trap the virgin queens in place. Stewart

[@FloryJohann]

@@TheNorfolkHoneyCo Are there any positives or negatives when using rollers which I am planning to use in the coming season? Your videos are great, thank you.

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

@@FloryJohann Hi, I tend not to use them, however, if you do, they will be very helpful in retaining virgin queens once they emerge if you don't have time to sort them prior to emergence. There is always a chance, if you don't put them on correctly that a virgin queen could escape and attempt to either swarm or kill other queens but overall I don't think that is very likely as the rollers fit snugly. If you can I would try to get the sealed queen cells out and into mating nucs before you need to use the rollers. Stewart

[@FloryJohann]

@@TheNorfolkHoneyCo Thank you for your advise.

[@arthurbeevers200]

I have watch and read the use of the nicot system . They all state use newly hatched larvy NOT EGGS

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi Arthur, Yes, it's interesting isn't it, I read all the time that you must use larvae not eggs. In this video I got my timing slightly wrong and the cups still had eggs in when I went back to record the video and it's not always easy to leave it and go back because of various reasons. As it was we had 7 out of 10 queen cells emerge and produce viable queens so despite being told you can't use eggs it appears you can get away with it sometimes! I've also used the miller method and Alley method and both of these have produced great queens from cells that had eggs in them when placed in the cell builder colony. You probably get more consistent results from using larvae but eggs work as well. What methods of queen rearing do you use? Stewart

[@natserog]

so now that you have the queen cells will you take each individual queen cell off of rack and put in a box with frames of capped brood/nurse bees and pollen etc??

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi Stan, Yes, once the queen cell is capped the cell raiser/finisher colony can't do any more to help so the capped queen cells can be placed into queenless nucs or colonies and allowed to emerge and hopefully mate successfully. Stewart

[@natserog]

amazing!! I just bought an incubator....so once I get the cells I can put them in roller cages and put in incubator.

[@checkwalkcare8128]

is there a queen bee in the hive at the moment?

[@TheNorfolkHoneyCo]

Hi, If you mean the nuc box then yes.

[@orangeaquatics9068]

Good series...this nicot.....too bad it didn’t show the queen(s) removed from the frame the placed on an other frame or whatever then in the nuc. Most other things seem covered. Thanks