Queen rearing Advice

[Tyler1982]

Looking for some advice Re queen rearing, I have carried out two separate grafts and on both occasions they have died at the pupa stage.

I put my 3 day old grafts into a starter colony until sealed, I then put cells into relevant apideas, nucs and remaining into incubator after 9 days, after 20 days of no emergence I uncapped one cell to find the following (see photos)

Any advice welcome, TIA

 

[Ian123]

Looking for some advice Re queen rearing, I have carried out two separate grafts and on both occasions they have died at the pupa stage.

I put my 3 day old grafts into a starter colony until sealed, I then put cells into relevant apideas, nucs and remaining into incubator after 9 days, after 20 days of no emergence I uncapped one cell to find the following (see photos)

Any advice welcome, TIA

That pupae looks healthy me and certainly not dead.
Are all cells dead inc those going into mating nucs?…. Have you got your settings correct.
Check your timings I count grafts as day 4 and put into a starter finisher I remove to nucs on day 14.

 

[Tyler1982]

That pupae looks healthy me and certainly not dead.
Are all cells dead inc those going into mating nucs?…. Have you got your settings correct.
Check your timings I count grafts as day 4 and put into a starter finisher I remove to nucs on day 14.

Ok, thanks for the prompt reply, I put 3/4 day old grafts into starter finisher on 14th July and pulled out last Sat 29th, they are still in incubator etc Shouldn't they have emerged by now or am I getting my timings mixed up? (First season of grafting)

Thanks again

 

[Ian123]

Yes they should have emerged but that pupae itself has not even coloured up and I’d suggest still a few days off emergence.

 

[Sutty]

I've almost no experience incubating QCs (did put some harvested swarm cells in my chicken incubator), but in other species cooler temperatures delays development (& sometime introduces other problems).
Maybe your incubator isn't maintaining as high a temperature as they need/it indicates.

 

[Tyler1982]

I've almost no experience incubating QCs (did put some harvested swarm cells in my chicken incubator), but in other species cooler temperatures delays development (& sometime introduces other problems).
Maybe your incubator isn't maintaining as high a temperature as they need/it indicates.

Yes, I've just checked my incubator with another thermometer, the RCom 20 is showing 35degrees but isn't heating, gutted, think they've chilled, thankfully I put most in nucs and apideas so hopefully they will be fine

Thanks both for your sound advice

 

[Sutty]

What temperature were you aiming for?

 

[Tyler1982]

35 degrees Celsius

 

[Tyler1982]

Just an Update......Stripped the incubator to find a dead wasp wedged in fan blade stopping it turning, removed wasp and tested, all working, just another reason to hate wasps lol

 

[Sutty]

Just an Update......Stripped the incubator to find a dead wasp wedged in fan blade stopping it turning, removed wasp and tested, all working, just another reason to hate wasps lol

Funny & sad in equal measure!

 

[jeff33]

Not sure what others have said before but I put Qcs in apidea on day 14, not earlier. I have also found that a slight temperature change can delay queen emergence as it takes a bit longer to form, especially if smaller apidea type hives when set up for the first time.
I have bought an incubator but have not tried it this season. My cell builders are doing a fantastic job!