A Beginners Guide to the Nicot Method of Queen Rearing
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ต.ค. 2024
- Welcome to my Beginners Guide to the Nicot method of Queen Rearing. This is a step by step walkthrough of the component parts and the initial set up of the very popular Nicot method of queen rearing.
I show each individual part of the system, how it goes together, the introduction into the donor colony and removal of loaded cell cup with eggs for queen production.
This video is sponsored by the online bee equipment company Bee Equipment. All of the demonstrated products can be seen on their website at www.bee-equipment.co.uk
The Queen Rearing system can be found here:
bee-equipment....
My thanks to Patrick and the team at Bee Equipment for supplying the equipment demonstrated in this video.
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Hello Stewart! I really like your detailed presentation of this non-grafting system for queen rearing. I do a weekly Q&A on TH-cam and often give a shout-out to another channel and video that I feel answers a question I've received very well. So, for today that's your channel and this excellent video. Thank you for helping to educate beekeepers and for the quality of your content. All the best!
Thank you for the suggestion. This video makes queen rearing look like something that could be done on a hobby level.
thanks mr dunn! this was a good one!!!!
Thank you for pointing out this video.
My prayers has been answered
I LIKE YOUR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU FOR HELPING
You are welcome!
Thanks Steward, Fred Dunn sent me.
Who downvotes a video explanation of queen rearing? Thanks for the time and effort you put into your videos Stewart. I’m starting beekeeping in May/June this year when my two nucs arrive and have found your channel indispensable - even the videos of these more advanced beekeeping tasks are really interesting and informative.
Hi B.T.,
You'd be surprised at what people say and do on here! Check my video playlist "Getting Started 2017" It shows a nucleus colony going from the nuc box into a full sized hive and the first full year of inspections. If you're still hungry for more videos after that check out my Patreon page (www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney) for lots more video content, I also have a podcast on iTunes "Beekeeping Short and Sweet" and you can sign up to my fortnightly newsletter via my website.
Good luck with your beekeeping journey and do stay in touch and let me know how it's all going for you.
Stewart
The Norfolk Honey Company Thanks :) I’m heading over to Patreon now.
Thanks , you have simplified that process for me
Thank you for this excellent lesson. I've been curious & I may give it a go.
Ever so clear and explained in details. Thanks to you Stuart from a froggy...
felt the walk through was awesome. good job!!
No flattery. Straight to the point. Very useful guide which makes me feel multiplying more boxes is not that too difficult.
Excellent video on Queen rearing for those of us who are just beginning to consider raising our own queens. Thank you very much.
I can't believe that the queen laid in the grid that fast, I tried this with two different hives and two different queens and after five days each, I released the queens, neither had laid any eggs. I did everything just like the video... one queen was last years and the other was this years. both great queens.
The best explained video I ever saw on this subject. And no, it was not lengthy.
It was very good information.
Thanks J&B,
I appreciate the comments.
Stewart
Hi Stewart, thanks for showing this method.
It has many steps and could look daunting if I was just looking at the kit by itself.
Thanks for taking us through step by step. You made it very understandable and something that I'd love to try in my 2nd or 3rd year.
Hi Paul,
Many thanks for you comments. I haven't really used it to it's full potential this year as I was trying other methods along the way but I think it will be my "go to" method for next season.
Stewart
I do not think you were long winded. On the contrary, I think you were thorough for us newbies. Thank you. =)
Hi Stewart you are a very rudely and teacher I appreciate how you make queen Riesling look so simple I am confident now to try it for myself particularly the nicot system
Hi Edison,
Thanks for commenting, I'm hoping it's all complimentary :)
Good luck with your queen raising.
Stewart
The comment did not come out the way I said it. I meant that you are really a teacher
Great video, as always, from Stuart. I have only experience of the German Jenter system, which is very similar to the Nicot. From my experience, I would strongly suggest timing the process so that, after the queen has laid up the plastic box, you simply release the queen and return the box to the hive. Transferring the cups to the holders and to the cell bars for introduction to the cell builder is best done 3 days after the egg was laid, when the egg will have just hatched. I find then that the bees then immediately start to feed the tiny larvae, whereas if you introduce the eggs on the day they were laid the bees have nothing to do yet and sometimes ignore / move /otherwise interfere with them! You can check after a day and see how good the acceptance has been, which tells you how many mating nucs you will need to prepare. You still know exactly when the cells need to be removed to mating nucs to avoid the problem of the first queen to hatch killing her sisters, but I believe the bees accept just-hatched larvae more readily than they do eggs. Thanks for the video!
The best tips, thank you
Nice video! I raised a lot of queens in my Nicot equipment. Thanks for sharing.
Do you use the eggs or leave them for 3days before you transfer to cell builder
@@ilearn1918 only transfer larva. I think i have a few nicot technique videos on my tube.
Good luck.
The bee's remove the eggs as soon as I let the Q out would you know why that would be . I'll check your video out thanks for the reply
You explained this system very well! Thank you !!
Hi Phillip,
Thanks for commenting.
Stewart
The best video I have seen on the nicot system. Great teacher.
Hi Dennis,
thanks for your kind comments.
Stewart
Thanks for this easy to understand presentation, I am going to try this method. Looks easier than grafting.
What an excellent video so interesting to watch. I'm not a bee keeper but the more I watch your videos I can see me becoming one in the near future.
Excellent Video Stuart, Thanks for posting........ .
Thank you for explaining everything so clearly!
Excellent video Stewart. You explained everything very well. I can hardly wait to try it. Thank you.
Hi David,
Thanks for the comments.
Merry Christmas.
Stewart
This is no flattery you are the best that I have found you made it so simple thank you so much Stewart
Thanks, Edison,
I appreciate your comments.
Stewart
Hi Stewart,
I am going to be using this method this year as a first time attempt at queen rearing. I purchased the system on amazon quite cheaply, and have set up the cell builder frame. I saw that you actually used tiny little nails to attach the supports to the frame, but I found a better quicker method than that which appears to be quite sturdy. I use Gorilla Wood Glue to assemble frames so I already had a large thing of it on hand. So, instead of attempting to find a very small nail and nail the supports to the frame, I simply put an ample amount of Gorilla glue on the frame and pressed them down firmly. Once the glue was set the supports were very firmly adhered to the frame. And it only took about 2 minutes to do an entire frame.
Hi L.A.,
Brilliant that you've managed to get one off amazon. TRhose little nails are a pain to use so the Gorilla glue method sounds great.
Let me know how you get on.
Stewart
Since I am building my own boxes I have the indoor/outdoor glue also. I am using it for building boxes and also to glue aluminum window screens in place as ventilation....works great.
Did you ever get to use the Nicot system and how did it work?
Very interesting. I always wondered how this system was done. You explained this very well. Thank you,
Great job of explaining this process of any of the videos, I've watched.
I appreciate your time, that you have spent teaching this procedure and all your other videos.
Hi Malcolm,
many thanks for your kind comments.
Stewart
I speek litel englich. Bât your vidéo its. Very Very Very nice ans very goooood. Ans very goog job. Think youuuu.
Thank you for the video Stewart. I did have a queen rearing kit arrive this week with no instructions. After your video I was able to go home and set it up ready to introduce on the weekend to my best colony. Very helpful thank you again.
Hi Alan,
Thanks for commenting, I'm pleased you found the video helpful.
Good luck with using the kit, do let me know how you get on.
Stewart
Just a quick update. I managed to get the queen which took some doing with a full double brood colony. After a day I took the plastic cell cup block out and the queen had laid eggs in pretty much all the cells some of them with two eggs. I took the single egg cups out and placed this on the CNE1 and CNE2s. Unfortunately after a few days the bees made brace comb around the cells but no queen cells. They are not reading the textbooks. I would have had another go but I am going on holidays for a couple of weeks next week and would need to be around. Regards Alan
One more thing. I was thinking of upgrading my current honey extractor which is manual to an electric one. Is there any you would recommend?
So very very interesting and easily explained. What a good easy system. So informative.
I loved the step by step demonstration. You answered all my questions about the system. Hope you got paid well for this video. If or when I decide to raise queens. I would be more inclined to use the Nicotsystem over hand grafting. To bad they didn't have a discount for subscripters. Beekeeping is getting more and more expensive. We need to encourage, more people to keep and be kind to bees.
Thank you for your clear explanation
Thank you for the adding something new for my knowledge
Thank you
Probably the best tutorial i have seen on the nicot system. The question i have is why do i need to place the queen inside the nicot box? would it not be easier to just take off the front cage and let her treat the laying box like a normal frame. The reason i ask is quite often i have had queens that run and try to hide and are not easy to catch, this would also stop any posibility of damaging the queen while trying to catch her. thanks for the great tutorial.
Hi Derek,
Thanks for your nice comments.
Placing the queen in the cage controls the timing and forces her to lay eggs in multiple cups. left to roam freely she may simply avoid them and delay your queen rearing timetable.
Stewart
Very good video, lots of information, thank you very much.
Hi electrofranko,
Thanks for your kind comments.
Stewart
many thanks
East africa soomalia
Thank you for the really fine presentation and in addition, the excellent detail.
I wish you well, LP
Hi Larry,
Thank you so much for your kind comments.
Stewart
I appreciate the detail to each stage,thank you.
Thank you very much brother
Thanks
Hello Stewart - any benefit to allowing the eggs to mature to day 2 or 3, or even become larva before transfer? Otherwise, once an egg s are in the cups, move them over? Also - if you didn't want 110 egg filled cups, could you place fewer cups in the frame, or does that risk her not laying? Thank you for the most clear and concise video on Nicot
Hi Nix,
Thanks for your comments.
Yes, I think allowing the eggs to develop further is something well worth doing and something experience has taught us, we get a far better success rate. I will look to produce another video using this process showing that. I think for ease of use, using all of the cups and taking only what you need works best. I means less cleaning and it's a simple enough task to relace and clean unused cups.
Stewart
A really good explanation!! thanks for making it. Greetings from Chile
Thanks Stewart for this excellent video!
You are very welcome.
Really neat I can't wait to try it myself
Hi Joseph,
Let me know how you get on if you do try this method.
Stewart
Very well done, sir!
Thank you! I am about to start this very well explained.
Hi Misha,
Thanks for commenting, good luck with your queen rearing.
Stewart
Great video! Thank you Stewart!
Thanks Jeffrey
Thanks This was great
Outstanding video. Well done
Hi Keving,
thanks for your kind comment.
Stewart
good work
Great video thanks mate I’ve subscribed from Australia 🇦🇺
Nicely done video. Thanks.
thank you so much you really explain it so well .I am from Perth Australia.
Very clever system.
Hi Steve,
Yes, it works really well and can produce hundreds of queens if needed.
Stewart
The Man, The Legend, Mr. Steve-O!
@@whatjamesthinks James Yer Tooooooo Funny!
Absolutely fantastic video Stewart. Thank you so much for taking your time to elaborate with the detail. I found the information in this video very helpful. I have a much better understanding regarding how this system is designed to work now. Much appreciated!! Hope you have a fantastic day. 🐝🐝 :)
Hi Tim,
Thanks for commenting. I'm glad it has been useful for you.
Stewart
Great teacher.
Nice video, buddy! I plan to give it a try.
Thank you!
It's really helpful thank you
Nice video
Thanks for sharing
I think you could get a better result if you wait till transfer 1-2 days old larva instead of eggs.
I'll be waiting for your next video with the result.
Kind regards from Chile 🇨🇱🐝🇨🇱🐝🇨🇱
Hi Felipe,
thanks for the comment. I think you are probably right, I was a little pressed for time and chose to use the cell cups early. My thinking was that a colony about to swarm starts with eggs hanging down in a queen cell so they shouldn't take any damage. If I am using larvae I try to get to them with the first day of emergence from the egg. I think the younger the larvae the better the results. I'm checking the cells today so we will find out and I'll post a video regardless of the outcome to show how it went.
Stewart
Hi Stewart. Does the hive you transfer the Nicot cups into have to be queenless without eggs in order for the bees to convert the eggs to queen cells. Ger
20:30 *makes me happy*
Hi Jim,
You've made my weekend with that comment. Love making people happy :)
Stewart
@@TheNorfolkHoneyCo Creativity and thinking outside the box make me happy.
While we're at it. Thanks for making a detailed video of the Nicot system.
Hello sir! I am a beekeeper myself but i never have tried to raise my own queens. This video is very helpful, so thank you very much! I have a question: what if you want to get the larvae from a friend beekeeper and you have to take them home? Can you just transport the frame with the larvae cups (stuck into the pale yellow holders) in a car? How much time can they be not in the foster hive? And should they be protected in some way? Thank you.
You should press in the cell cups into the system to keep them from falling out.
great video. thank you.
Your vidéo is very good, thanks realy
Hi JF Plet,
Many thanks for your comment.
Stewart
Thank you!
This was the best guide ive seen so far!!
/Sweden
That is a beautiful rare dark queen. It must be a recessive trait because I am having much pain and trouble getting my queens to breed to produce dark bees.
Thank you Great Video
Would be nice to see a follow up video to see how the cells develope and if all 10 hatched. Excellent video though.
Hi Hawk Lord,
Thanks for commenting, just recorded part of that video and will be posting in the very near future.
Stewart
The Nicot components minus the cage make a good system for use in grafting as well. Instead of faffing around with caging the queen etc you just graft larvae of the appropriate age into the little brown cups and proceed from there
Hi Gerry,
Thanks for commenting. Yes, absolutely, doing away with the cage and just grafting is an option. I wanted to show how the system is set up and hopefully this season I can show exactly what you describe.
I know some beginners who are moving into queen rearing for the first time feel nervous about grafting and the nicot system provides a useful step in the right direction.
Do you the system in the way you describe or use another grafting method entirely?
Stewart
The Norfolk Honey Company Hi Stewart - I set up a queenright cell builder along the lines of Ben Harden’s method. I have a National frame with two bars each with 10 Nicot brown cell bases nailed on with the yellow cell holders and brown cell cups already installed. The bars pivot on screws through the frame side bars. I use a Swiss grafting tool and graft directly to the brown cell cups. Pretty standard stuff really. Have been using apideas as mating nucs but sick of them absconding with or without their queens so thinking of moving over to two frame nucs using standard nat frames for 2018. Ps - thanks for the videos. Good stuff even for a 15 season beekeeper! And a welcome tonic in the middle of winter
Hi Gerry,
Sounds like a decent set up you have working there. As with most things in beekeeping, finding a system that works best for you and sticking with it usually reaps rewards. I have some queen mating nucs but as you say they have their issues. I like to use my nuc boxes for queen rearing, much prefer the larger number of bees to manage a new queen successfully. I'm not set up for mass production of queens otherwise I'd probably have a better handle of the mating nucs.
New season will soon be upon use even though it's just been trying to snow here!
Stewart
Hi Stewart - stocked a dozen Apideas last summer and without exception they all absconded. Frustrating to say the least. Becoming more convinced that just using standard Nat frames in two frame nucs is the way to go. Plenty of space for the bees and the new queen and built in flexibility with all of my other colonies. And like you say if you're not producing queens in large numbers it makes for an easier life. Looking at some snow for us tonight (I'm in NE Scotland) but we're sort of used to it round here!
Good morning Stewart.
I want to thank you for the knowledge you so generously gave us.
I have 3 questions to ask you, 1) the side that the queen gave birth to wax? 2) When you pass the cells is it with eggs? 3) a queen in how many births in the device?
I would like to see how you put the cages on to keep the queens from killing one another I've bought that system and don't know how to use it you have finally shown me the first few steps but I need to know what I do after the Queen's start getting ready to hatch
Hi Brent,
Check out my other queen rearing videos for the additional info. The sealed queen cells come out of the cell builder set up prior to emerging and are put into queen mating nucs where they emerge and hopefully get out to sucessfully mate.
We don't leave them in the cell builder coony to emerge because as you say they will either kill the rest or swarm.
Stewart
This was a great video! My question…is there a way to reuse the rejected/unselected cups for her to lay in again?
Hi Jared, Yes, most certainly, we have simply left the cups in place, added replacement cups where needed and given the entire box a spray with clean water. I dno't know if that is essential but it makes me think I'm cleaning them out and with a little water in there the workers get in and clean it out anyway. We always have enough young larvae for our needs and never need it to be fully loaded so I'm happy with the process.
Have a great SUmmer beekeeping.
Stewart
Very informative but I was hoping for a little instruction on timing and the process of setting up the cell building colony. Do you start it as a queenless colony at the same time as you cage the queen into the donor colony? If there's brood in there already, wont they make emergency queen cells from eggs that are in there prior to installing the rearing frame?
Hi Will,
I have a great spreadsheet timetable for queen rearing if you'd like a copyg.
Drop me a message via my contacts page www.norfolk-honey.co.uk
Stewart
fred dunn send us and you have a new subscriber!!!!! cool stuff!!!!
Hello. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
I have started the process with the Nicot. I put the cassette into the hive for 3 days to let the bees "polish it up".
I put the queen into the cassette and checked in 24 hours...no eggs.
I returned the cassette and checked again another 24 hours later (48 total) and still no eggs.
The queen is moving around and has many attendants. The cassette is situated between frames of open brood for maximum nurse bee volume.
I'm not sure what to do other than start again in a different hive with a different queen.
I can tell you I have had the same problem in the past. The frame of new cups needs to be left in the hive without the queen for several days. The bees will 'clean' the cups, or make them more acceptable for the queen to lay in. When the workers have done their work on the cups, when the queen is then introduced she will lay. I would also advise waiting until the eggs have just hatched, and not transferred out to the cell bar with just a newly layed egg.
G'day Stuart.
Thanks for making this video, it's after watching this video i decided to order the kit. Unforntually I had to order the copy, not a genuine kit as for some reason genuine Nicot seems impossible to find here in Australia. Wondering since this video is 5 years old If you still use this system?
Hi Gavin,
thanks for your message.
We have used the Nicot systemon and off over the years. We're currently trying to build the business into a larger outfit and queen rearing has taken a back seat but I'd like to get back to it soon if time permits.
Stewart
Hi Stewart
Just started with the Nico system myself- was a little daunted when I discovered the instructions were in French. Was Glad to find your video!!
I was wondering how the pieces marked CNE7 and B2 were used? They did not come with my set, but can probably be got ahold of (if the are useful).
Hi Thomas,
I found the same thing, embarrassed that I can't read or speak another language, however, the CNE7 and B2 are for natural cells and are available as individual items although I'm not sure if I'll use them as the kit seems to be working really well right now.
Stewart
Oh, well-can't be good at everything ;)
Re the cell punch system, I have been reading up:
"Larvae in cell-cups with a 9mm diameter are better tended with bee-milk, which gives heavier queens, than if one uses cell-cups of 8mm, worker-cells, or drone-cells. There develope heavier queens in new worker-cells, than in such as have had brood in previously. Use of larvae in worker-cells (cell-strips or punched single cells) can only be recommended if one uses comb material there has not been brood in earlier. (F Ruttner et al, 1979,translated,) good book if you can find it in English!
it is educational video thank you for your support. I DO HAVE one question i tried to use the Nicot but the queen could not lay in the cell cups what is the reason for this? THANK YOU
always top videos. thank you
Since you used only 10 cup with the eggs in it.
How do you clean the other cups with eggs in it that did not get used for making queens?
Or do you just throw the other cups with eggs in them away?
Hi J&B,
the cups can be left and the bees will clean them out or when removed they can be quickly cleaned with a splash of clean water.
I reuse the cups as much as possible.
Stewart
@@TheNorfolkHoneyCo
Thank you very much for the commenting.
Do you leave the queen excluder off the nicot box while the bees are cleaning it and how long does it take for the bees to clean it?
Fantastic.. again. Question... CELL BUILDER, is this what you call a queenless colony ? or would you put the new cells into a colony with a queen ?
Hi Martyn,
Thanks for commenting.
Yes the cell builder is the queenless colony used to develop the queen cells. I like to use the Cloake Board method with uses a queen right colony. Check out my earlier video about setting up a Cloake board cell builder colony.
Stewart
Many thanks Stuart..... keep up the great work for all us newbies.
Great job keep going
Good video. I think I can make such thing from wood and wax.
Hi! I have 4 questions. First - what is maximum days you can leave a queen in Nicot to put a larvae in a cell? Second, when you have all larvae on a new frame, do you put that frame in a hive with or without a queen? Third, that hive with a new frame with larvae, can it contain old brood (I know that can't contain open/new one)? And fourth - when you put a frame with larvae how long it takes before you put cages so that new queens will not go away? Thanks in advance.
Use honey close all hole with honey. Sure we'll feed with syrup 1 sugar 1 water ratio. Very important point other empty combs big problem take away all empty combs. Combs must be full of eggs larves and honey or syrup than give nicot.. if you don't do that worker take all eggs from nicot to empty others cells. Love from Anatolia.
after hatching 10 queens.
how are you gonna select one queen for that hive and what are you gonna do with remaning queens ?please give me some ideas .
Fan from Nepal.
HELLO
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NICOT SYSTEM AND, FOR EXAMPLE, Yaekoo
BEAUTIFUL VIDEO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
Very useful video, thanks... but please; the brand is pronounced nee-koh, as it's French :-) Also, you said that we can see in the cell cups which eggs or larvae to choose but I thought we should target young eggs only for the healthiest queens. Can you confirm please so I don;t head forwards with a misunderstanding? Thanks in advance :-)
Fantastic was hoping for you to do the nicot system at some point looking forward to your results
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for the comments.
Hopefully it has produced some nice queen cells for me first time out of the box! Follow up video being recorded shortly.
Stewart
Thank you for explaining everything so clearly. I’ll be trying the Nicot method in the spring. I’ve heard others say if you remove the queen and leave the eggs to turn into larvae that the workers will move the eggs out of the plastic cups. Have you ever seen this?
Also, what is your opinion on making a queen less split into a nuc to be the cell builder?
Cheers!
I wonder if putting a pinch of fondant, candy or pollen feed would be good to put in the cage when getting the queen inside.
I missed how long the queen was in the cage/cup system?
Hi. Great video thank you! Just a question...when you introduce the Queen cell cups must the rest of the brood in the box be capped already so they don't try and produce queen cells randomly? Thank you
Excellent video - just one question - what will happen to the eggs left in the cups and not transferred to cell builder?
Hi Colin,
I wondered just that question so decided to leave the cell cage in the colony. After a further week the workers had cleaned out all of the cell cup and they remained empty until last week when I reintroduced the queen to have another round of queen rearing.
Stewart
Thanks Stewart. You've made videos of the cell punch method, the Miller method and the Nicot system and have no doubt done grafting. In the light of that experience, which will be your "go to" method for the future? In other words, which is your preferred method?
I would be interested in the results of the used cell cups. I have read that the success rate drops 50% with reused cell cups.
What an excellent video on this system. Well done! I will be trying this system in the next week or two, depends on bee-times.
I have a question, if you ever get around to my comment here. It seems that most people mount the box in the centre at the top of the frame as you have in your video. If one considers the natural shape and location of brood in the nest, that is centre-centre of the frame with honey and pollen placed around it. Therefore, would it not be more natural and better to mount the box in the centre of the frame? Perhaps less stress on queen and bees natural wanting to have her in the middle. I use Pierco fully plastic frames in our brood boxes. My intentions are to take a brand new one and cut a square out exactly in the centre of the frame and mount the box in that location. Any thoughts on if the would bee-better or if no difference. I am not concerned about how to mount it, just thinking about which location would bee better for the queen and surrounding bees.
Hi Apini Ventures,
Thanks for your comments.
It's an interesting question you pose but I think the simple fact that we are trapping the queen inside the Nicot cage means it really doesn't matter where it is positioned. It would be quite easy to fix it in the middle of a frame but I really don't think it will affect the outcome at all.
Please do let me know how you get on either here or on my website contacts page. www.norfolk-honey.co.uk
Stewart
What's the lowest temperature outside that you would transfer the cell cups (CNE3) from the cell grid to the supports (CNE1) pieces on the cell frame and not risk damaging the eggs?
Hi Tie Fraser,
I will be using the cell cups in May onwards so the temperature will be around 15 degrees C and above hopefully.
Stewart