Specific Grafting problems
The following are some of the most common problems with grafting, and advice on overcoming them.
1) "I tried grafting before and could not lift the larvae"
There are many grafting tools on the market. While we hear of old timers using a match stick or a blade of grass, many should stick to a purchased grafting tool. While one beekeepers loves a bamboo grafter, the next may like the autografter or a stainless steel grafting tool. And there is the problem. You may need to go through several types before you find the one that feels comfortable to you, while allowing you to have the greatest success. Some beekeepers will order a dozen cheap bamboo grafting tools to find that perfect one that responds to their individual style. But once you find that special grafting tool, it will be used for the entire year.
2) "I just simply can not see the proper size larvae. My eyes are not that good".
Beekeepers do tend to be older, but they should also be wiser. And one the best tricks to help you see larvae, is to put your selected breeder queen on some black plastic foundation at the start of the season. The difference between grafting off white wax, and the black plastic is literally...well, night and day. No matter your eyesight, grafting out of very deep and old wax, or white wax where the larvae blends in, is very difficult. You will see eggs and early larvae on black plastic much easier.
3) "I don't have the dexterity or hand movements any longer"
Many bee operations use their children or a younger worker to do the grafting. While much of the preparations and other work can be left to the beekeeper, you can also ask someone to do the grafting for you. Grafting 50-100 cells can be done in less than an hour. But don't give up or use that as an excuse. Many people "thought" they could not graft until some tips were passed on. Then they wondered why they didn't do it 25 years sooner.
4) "I can not get my grafts to take." or "They never build cells from what I graft."
Bad cell take rates can be for a multitude of reasons. Eggs drying out during the grafting process, to much light (heat) in attempts to see larvae better, too long of a period of the eggs being outside the hive, bad grafting technique (rolled or damaged larvae), queen cells being ignored once the graft is placed back inside the hive (Extreme hot days when all the bees are outside the hive), and even disease issues can all bee factors. The great thing about grafting is that you can check a graft in 24-48 hours after placing the graft in your hive, and see the results. And if you have a poor graft, you can do it again. Many beekeepers play around until they perfect their technique. And while every queen breeder would like 32 queen cells out of 32 grafted larvae, sometimes for a host of different reasons, you get something like 5. But do not give up. Eliminate all possible reasons and try again. Keep records, and make mental notes of what works and what does not. Start with the proven advice in a good queen book paying attention to the small details. Many bad grafts are usually due to one time circumstances. And if you get 15 good queen cells out of 32 grafted larvae....be happy!
5) "Why should I graft? I could just let them raise their own queens".
While other non-grafting queen rearing techniques provide great quality queens, nothing beats the selection of your best queen line and the preserving of your bee resources, as you have with grafting. You can build many cells from one strong hive, and make your mating nucs up a day in advance of placing the queens. If you want more than 5 or 10 queens, grafting is the best choice.
Splitting hives and letting hives raise their own, means a large variation of queen quality being selected. And the total days of non-production within the queenless hives translate into many lost production days. In the north, the window of opportunity is a small one. And while we all raise a few queens from swarm cells, grafting is the most productive means for queen breeders.
