Ben Harden

Has anyone used the Ben Harden method for queen rearing. I've just got a cupkit and want to try it this year. I'm hoping I can keep my colonies strong enough to get some honey aswell. Is this likely or is there a better (simple) way? Thanks

I have used this method a number of times but the bees nearly always swarm with it.try double brood box with excluder between.have a look on beebase.there's a good explanation there

This queen right method of generating queen cells seems to work with some strains (those with a proven record of superseding) but not with others. I think too much queen pheromone circulates above the excluder so few queen cells (if any) are started. Many General husbandry candidates (mainly BIBBA members) use it as their "chosen" method for that part of the assessment but their actual results in terms of producing queen cells are often poor.

Suggest Cloake board method is a much better alternative (can also use Horsley board). Also the method described by Vince Cook in his book "Queen rearing simplified" works well (but not for the physically weak as it involves lots of lifting/moving of brood bodies).

I have a Horsley Board MasterBK, and might try that. I defer to your much more sound knowledge! My plan as such, was to get eggs from the original Buckfast queen in the cupkit, then separate lower BB from upper with QE. After transferring day old larvae, I would put cell bar in the upper box, with supers for honey above. Would it work with the supers between the BBs instead?

Cherry111 said:

I have a Horsley Board MasterBK, and might try that. I defer to your much more sound knowledge! My plan as such, was to get eggs from the original Buckfast queen in the cupkit, then separate lower BB from upper with QE. After transferring day old larvae, I would put cell bar in the upper box, with supers for honey above. Would it work with the supers between the BBs instead?

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Read up on "Demaree" ...

// The thing is not to mix & match bits of different methods. Generally, that is a recipe for disaster.

masterBK said:

This queen right method of generating queen cells seems to work with some strains ...

Suggest Cloake board method is a much better alternative ...

Click to expand...

I'm reading his booklet now, and my understanding is that he does not use this hive set-up to generate queen cells, but to draw out queen cells obtained from grafting or cupkits. He also suggests the use of a Cloake board or some other partial or full covering above the bottom box to enhance acceptance.
Kitta