Queen cell cups!

[icra]

What is queen cell cups diameter ?

I want to build a pattern to do artificial cell cups!

Tnks, icra!

[Michael Bush]

According to Jay Smith in "Queen Rearing SImplified" Chapter V:

"When completed the cells should be about five-sixteenths of an inch across the mouth and one half inch deep inside measurments."

"I find the best cell for practical purposes is one whose size is between that of the inside of a natural queen-cell at it's largest place and the mouth of the cell, this being five-sixteenths of an inch as given above.""

"For experimental purposes I have dipped queen cells the size of a worker-cell, and excellent results were obtaned.  Cells larger than five-sixteenths of an inch are not accepted so readily as those of this size or smaller."

[icra]

Tnks a lot Michael!

[justgojumpit]

hmmm, the diameter of a pencil is just over a quarter of an inch... I'm thinking to cut up a few pencils, round the edges on a sander, glue to a piece of wood, and voila!  (semi)-mass production of queen cell cups!  I would mount these onto a square of tin flashing, which would then be secured to the cell bar frame with a dot of molten wax or hot glue.  The tin would suspend the queen cell between two frames in the hive or nuc to be (re-)queened.

justgojumpit

[Michael Bush]

I'd buy some 5/16" dowel and cut them from that.  But a pencil would probably get by.  If you make a bar with a bunch of the rounded 5/16" dowels in it you can dip a bunch of them at once.  If you soak the dowels in brine first the cups will come off much easier.