Jitter's honeycomb for the extraction of queen bees: description, instruction

The productivity of any bee family in the first place depends on the quality of the uterus. Good individuals can save up to 2,000 eggs per day or more in a beehive. The uterus lives much longer than usual working bees - up to 5 years. But, unfortunately, in the third year of laying significantly reduces productivity. As a result, a small number of worker bees are born in the hive, and consequently, the indices of honey collection are decreasing. It can be corrected only by replacing the queen of the hive.

Actually, the very withdrawal of the uterus - the procedure is quite difficult and labor-intensive. To facilitate the task of changing it is possible with the help of a special construction - a jitter cell.

Manufacturer

Invented this handy honeycomb German beekeeper Carl Jenter. At present, many beekeepers equate this device in importance to the invention of the hive itself with moving frames. The device is really very convenient - it allows you to display a large number of queens at once and at the same time has a not too complicated design. The production of such devices is handled by the company "Jenter", whose factories are located in Germany. All components of honeycombs in its shops are assembled from high-quality food plastic.

Design Features

To buy a jitter cell is the easiest way through the Internet in an online store of the relevant specialization. Its main structural elements are:

• Lightweight plastic housing 117 x 117 mm;
• Cover, intended for isolation in the hive of fetuses;
• Plastic lattice in the form of a honeycomb;
• Bottom of the bowl (100 pcs.);
• The bowls themselves (100 pcs.);
• Nipples for fixing the bowls on the inoculum and fixing screws to them.

In the center of the device cover there is a large hole for the exit of the uterus, covered with a plastic curtain. Throughout its area, long narrow slits are made. A grid with 90 holes 4.4 mm in diameter is inserted into the body-box of the honeycomb.

Varieties of the device

Above is given the description of the jitter cell model "Standrat". There are also such varieties of this device as:

• "Fast start".
• "Advanced Standard".

Structurally from the base, these models are practically no different. The difference is only in the bundle. The "Advanced Standard" is supplemented with 115 bottoms and bowls, graft plates, a plug for cleaning cells, 30 cages for queens and some other devices. The dimensions of the honeycomb body of this model are 120 x 120 mm.

In addition to the "Quick Start" model, there are also cells, a device for removing calyxes, etc. This set is considered to be the best and most convenient for removing bees, since, among other things, it is supplemented by special holders of the bowls on the vaccine plate.

Cell price

The food plastic used to make this device is strong and easy to clean. Therefore, a long service life is something that, of course, distinguishes jitter cell. The price for it, however, is quite high. In Russia, for it, depending on the configuration, will have to pay about 5300-6500 rubles. In Ukraine, this device costs about 1700-2200 hryvnia.

When choosing a honeycomb, you must be extremely careful. The fact is that in the domestic market there is a huge number of substandard, short-lived and inconvenient fakes of this device.

Jitter Honeycomb: instructions for use

Actually, the procedure for removing the queens using a jitter cell consists of several stages:

• Obtaining larvae in the mother hive;
• Setting the bowls on the vaccine bar;
• Reception of queens in an educational hive.

If the set contains no cells and holders, they can be made independently. The first is usually made of cases of disposable syringes. They simply make holes designed for the bees to be able to feed the outgoing uterus. Sometimes cells make them from segments of a thin-walled aluminum tube. In this case, they are more durable and last longer. Holders are easiest to make from textolite. Of the same material are usually made and cork-caps for cells.

How to get the larvae?

Before use, the new honeycomb should be thoroughly rinsed with soapy water. Larvae with it are obtained as follows:

• In the lattice cells fixed in the body, the bottom of the bowl is inserted from the back side;
• From above all is plentifully smeared with honey;
• A removable grating is inserted into the box;
• In the honeycomb, the uterus is launched;
• The box is closed with a lid;
• The honeycomb is inserted into a frame, also pre-smeared with honey;
• The frame is placed in the uterine hive.

The cover of the honeycomb is arranged in such a way that the uterus can not go out, and the bees penetrate into the body freely. For a couple of hours, workers remove all the honey from the grate and clean the cells. After this, the uterus starts laying eggs. After 8 hours after installation, the frame must be removed from the hive and checked. If there are eggs in the cells, open the outlet for the uterus on the lid of the box. The honeycomb with the frame needs to be put in place. Larvae from eggs come out on the third day.

Setting the bowls

After the withdrawal of the larvae, the jitter cell must be carefully removed from the frame and transferred to a warm room. In the room in which the further work will be done, you should put a couple of pots of water to boil to increase the humidity. This is necessary to ensure that the larvae do not dry up during the transfer to the vaccine plate. Actually, the procedure for installing the grids is performed as follows:

• From the lattice cell in the body, the bottom with the larva is removed;
• On it is put on a bowl;
• Holders are attached to the inoculation rod;
• In them a bowl with a bottom and a larva is inserted.

So you need to place on the holders the required number of bowls. Next, the bars are installed in the inoculum.

Jenser honeycomb: withdrawal of queens from larvae

At the next stage, the inoculum is placed in the hive-educator. From it, beforehand, approximately for two days, it is necessary to clean the uterus. In this case, the "orphaned" bees will be much more willing to take care of the larvae. It is allowed to install no more than two grafting frames in one hive. At the same time, we can trust the withdrawal of new queens only to strong families.

On the fourth day after the installation of the framework, it must be obtained from the hive and checked how many larvae the family has taken. Using a jitter cell, in most cases you can get a one hundred percent output. Bees usually build queen cells over all the bowls fastened to the slats. In addition to the honeycomb itself, the beekeeper should also examine the family itself for the presence of fistula larvae. If any are found, they should be deleted.

Before the output on the holders on top of the bowl, put on the cells. This is necessary in order to keep all the queens, not allowing rivalry between them. Once the bees are removed, the cells are removed from the holders and closed with stoppers. Later they are distributed to families or sold.

Can I make a honeycomb myself?

The output of bees with the use of a jitter cell is greatly facilitated. However, since such an adaptation is expensive, many beekeepers probably would like to try to make it themselves. The design of this device is quite simple. And therefore making it yourself is not too difficult.

Instead of the case, you can use, for example, some hard box of small dimensions. A good honeycomb is obtained from a regular piece of plywood. In it, you just need to drill the necessary number of holes of the same diameter. Misochki can be made from disposable syringes, cutting off their top (as the bottom will serve as a holder for the needle). From the remaining plastic housing in this case, cells are made. The lid for the honeycomb is also easiest to make from a piece of plywood by drilling holes in it for the entry of worker bees.