Nicot System: Using only some of the cells

[DoctorZ]

Beemaster Greetings.

A NewBee here, planning on using the Nicot system. I don't need to raise many queens (perhaps a dozen or so) and to that end, I was planning on using masking tape to tape off most of the cell cups on the Nicot box so that the host queen would not lay in those cells.

I've read that one should expect poor results if all the cells are not used.

Anyone with experience in this area?

TIA

George

[AllenF]

You do not have to use all the cups with eggs, toss them.   But remember, not all the cups will make it to a finished queen cup.   

[DoctorZ]

Thanks for the comment.

My thought that I would only populate the Nicot with about half of the brown cups and mask off with tape those cells without installed cups. Thus the queen would only be allowed to lay in cells with brown cups installed.

That way I would not have to use all 110 brown cups to raise only a couple queens. Tryin' to save a buck or two.

[Michael Bush]

You can reuse them.  Just pull them out for 24 hours and put them back in and the bees will clean the cells out.  Better to have too many than too few.  The queen may not like the limited space and may not lay in any of them...

[Robo]

I do as Michael suggests.   I fully populate the cell box and then only take the best ones to the cell builder frame.   I have no issue reusing cups that have had eggs laid in them but not drawn into cells.  Never tried reusing a cup that was drawn into cells,  they have too much wax to try and clean,  those I just toss.

[DoctorZ]

Thanks gentlemen for the guidance. I'll do as you recommend. Currently allowing the empty Nicot cage to pick up the hive's odor for a couple of days.
I was confused with reuse: reuse of brown cups that didn't get eggs, got eggs but no Q cells, and those with Q cells. I interpreted the instructions as not reusing brown cells at all.