Grant Gillard's presentation of "Innovative Beekeeping" and the OTS queen rearing system

1. Grant F. C. Gillard

2. gillard5 @ charter.net
www . grantgillard . weebly.com
www . slideshare . net
(search “Grant Gillard”)

3. Every year I say,
“This is going to be
my year to….”

11. “The OTS Queen Rearing System”
A Survival Guide For
Beekeepers Worldwide
Self-Sufficient Beekeeping Strategies
$49.99
www.mdasplitter.com
(Mel Disselkoen)

13. Describes a practice where I can
make my own nucs
(without buying mated queens)
potentially quadrupling the
number of my colonies…

14. Illustrates a simple plan of
procrastination-proof
queen rearing, taking the stress
out of my present situation.
**NICOT KIT

15. Teaches an uncomplicated, one-
step procedure to totally
eliminate swarming…
**swarming etiquette and
neighbors

16. Describes an effortless system
streamlining my management,
simplifying my decisions…
--what to do
--when to do it
--how to do it

17. Lays out a foundation for
transitioning into
treatment-free beekeeping…
(or enhancing treatment options)
**utilizing a “brood break”

18. Offers flexibility catering to beginners and
seasoned veterans…
Offers potential to the backyard beekeeper and
the recreational beekeeper, as well as the
sideliner and the small scale producer.
Creates options for honey production, nuc
sales, or expansion…or a combination of all

19.  Streamlines the work flow
 Simplifies my management and record
keeping
 Guarantees swarm prevention
 Hassle-free queen rearing and
requeening, without grafting
 Treatment-free varroa management
 Adapts to any size operation

20. HAPPY

21.  Mel Disselkoen’s OTS “On the Spot” queen
rearing system (really a system of making splits)
 Coweta BeekeepersAssociation (Georgia)
www.cowetabeekeepers.org
“…a new era of sustainable beekeeping.”
“…enabling a beekeeper to increase honey
production and profits while reducing swarming
and expenses.”

22.  Starts with overwintered colonies
 Need 8 frames of brood to initiate
 Start Date, about one week before swarm
season “normally” starts:
Mel = May 1st
Grant = April 15th
Caveat: Must be able to prevent swarming
WaltWright = “Checkerboarding”

23.  Perform a “reverse” split
 Remove queen and two frames of brood to a
nuc box (got to recognize and find queen)
**did you mark last year’s queens?
This leaves you with
--a queen-right nuc and
--a queenless remnant colony.

24.  “Notch” frames of open brood in the
queenless remnant colony
 Leave them to make their own queen cells
 The strength of the remnant produces great
queens. This is Mel’s “On-The-Spot” system

30.  Queen cells have to hang vertically.
 Notching, or scraping, creates a
vacancy below the larvae
 Notching specific frames helps the
beekeeper to manage the next step
of allocating frames into nuc boxes.

31.  Seven days later = CAPPED QUEEN CELLS !!!!
 Choose destiny of this colony
--Plan A to divide into three nucs, two
frames of brood each
--Plan B to keep intact to make honey
 Intent is to squish all but two queen cells
--Two cells in each nuc
--Two cells in the remnant hive
**how many of us simply detest
squishing perfectly good queen cells?

35.  April 15th – Make a reverse split, queen to nuc
box with two frames of brood
 April 22nd – Choose to make honey, or split
into nucs, squish excess queen cells
 May 15th – Check to insure queen was mated,
then let nature take it’s course
--remnant colony for honey production
--nucs for expansion, or sell nucs or queens
(locally-adapted bees)

38.  What if the remnant colony (set up for honey
production) comes up queenless?
 Re-combine the old queen back into the
queenless remnant.
 What if nucs come up queenless?
 Add those bees to the old queen.

39.  Newspaper method – sheet of newspaper
between the colonies, poke a couple of nail
holes in it to get it started.
 Uniting spray – combine without newspaper

42.  Reverse split made on April 15th
 Does not need to be moved to a new yard
 Plan on feeding (lost foragers)
 By May 15th, very likely ready to be moved to a
single brood box with supers
 Option A: Potential to make honey is still
present
 Option B: nuc can be sold as a locally-raised
colony
 Option C: sell the queen out of this nuc,
combine bees with another colony

44.  Reverse split guarantees swarm prevention
 Queenless period establishes a brood break,
interrupts varroa reproduction
 Brood break = fewer larvae to feed, nectar
stored as honey

45.  Plan “E” for expansion= three nucs with new
queens, one nuc with old queen (quadruple)
 Plan “H” for honey= one nuc with an old
queen and one colony ready to make honey
with new queen (double)
 Plan “M” for money = sell three nucs and keep
old queen around to pollinate the garden

47.  Part 1 – April 15
 Remove the existing queen to a nuc
 Notch frames to encourage queen cells
 Part 2 – April 22
 Return a week later and divide frames into three nucs
or keep as one strong hive
 Squish excess queen cells, leaving only two per
division
 Part 3 – May 15
 Return after four weeks to insure mated queens
 Mark queens

48.  My intent was to make honey, not nucs
 I notched multiple frames
 Bees made queen cells every where else
 Rain prevented me from returning, did not
squish excess queen cells

49.  Queen cells hatched, new queen took over
 In some cases, I made the reverse split,
rushed for time (pending rain storm) failed to
notch the frames, and queen cells were made
anyway, queens hatched anyway.

51.  What if I wanted to become the biggest
beekeeper in Missouri?
 What if I wanted to push this system to the
max?
 What if I wanted people to think I’ve lost my
mind?

52.  Part 1
 Remove the existing queen to a nuc
 Notch frames to encourage queen cells
 Part 2
 Return a week later and divide frames
 Squish excess queen cells, leaving only two per
division
 Part 3
 Return after four weeks to insure mated queens

53.  Remnant Hive = supered, making honey
 Move existing queen to a nuc – reverse split
 Notch frames, let them make queen cells
 Foragers will still keep on foraging
 Three nucs = likely need to move to single brood
box, maybe a second brood box
 Pull out the queens with two frames of brood to
a nuc box, notch comb, and let queenless colony
raise queen cells

54.  Old queen = time to “dispatch” her
(what if she’s a really good queen?)
 Notch frames
 Colony raises queen cells
 Foragers continue to forage for nectar

56.  Seven days later = capped queen cells
 Split remnant hive into two other nucs
So we have the existing queen in a nuc
We have two nucs with queen cells
We have the full size colony with queen
cells and honey supers
Foragers keep bringing in nectar
 Nucs, now queenless in brood boxes, capped
queen cells, leave to hatch

57.  Queenless colony (where we dispatched old
queen) now has capped queen cells
 Split into three nucs with queen cells
 Full size colony with queen cells and supers
 Foragers keep on foraging for nectar

59.  Check for laying queen
 Harvest honey from remnant hive and hive
that had the dispatched queen
 Equalize the honey producing with the nucs.
 Each of these colonies will make 4 nucs each.
**Expansion of one overwintered hive
into eight nucs, ready for overwintering
**Honey produced and harvested

60.  Three “nucs” can be split in the same manner
into six nucs by making reverse split on June
15th
 With dispatched queen colony, now divided
into four nucs,
 We have an expansion of one overwintered
colony into ten nucs, ready to be
overwintered.

62.  Weak colonies in mid summer are targets for
small hive beetles
 Feeding small colonies in a dearth invites
robbing.

64.  Seems like a lot of work, but mostly I just
keep on schedule, the bees do the work, OTS
 Double requeening, post summer solstice
 Beneficial brood break for varroa suppression
 Expansion potential w/o buying queens
 Offset attrition of winter losses (Michael
Palmer)
 Options to sell nucs or queens next spring
 Biggie = outside of equipment cost, no out of
pocket expense

65.  Part 1
 Remove the existing queen to a nuc
 Notch frames to encourage queen cells
 Part 2
 Return a week later and divide frames
 Squish excess queen cells, leaving only two per
division
 Part 3
 Return after four weeks to insure mated queens

66.  Work is streamlined, management is
systematized, but you still have to keep
accurate records and stay on schedule.
 Bonus: Management becomes more efficient,
working smarter, more hives can be managed
in the same amount of time and energy.
 Most time-consuming part = find the queen

67.  You have to initiate the First Move about a
week prior to “normal” swarming events.
 Need 8 frames of brood (Russians and
Carniolans are slower to brood up).
 Need to be able to find the queen (marked?)
 Need for more equipment, storage of such

68.  Nucs and splits made in April were 100%
requeened with Mel’s system.
 Nucs and splits made in June were 90%
requeened, but SHB totally decimated most
of my nucs as they moved into July.
 Rather than go crazy making nucs, I moved
most of my northern hives south to make
honey. Too much rain in May and June.

69. ♠
♠
℗

70. ☻
‫ס‬‫ס‬

71.  Random varroa mite checks via alcohol wash in
late-August ran 6 to 10 mites per ½ cup (300
bees). That fits Randy Oliver’s threshold.
 When removing the queen on April 15th, I can
assess if I want to make honey or split into nucs.
Heavier populated colonies were selected for
honey production.
 Based on the number of queen cells made, I can
change my mind on whether to make nucs or
make honey on April 22nd.

73.  Mel’s schedule, and the schedule I presented,
is adaptable and flexible. It can be done
anytime a colony has not swarmed.
 Conceivably, if a new beekeeper bought nucs
or packages in April, Mel’s system could be
used to make more nucs in June or July.

74.  Part 1
 Remove the existing queen to a nuc
 Notch frames to encourage queen cells
 Part 2
 Return a week later and divide frames
 Squish excess queen cells, leaving only two per
division
 Part 3
 Return after four weeks to insure mated queens

75.  Streamlines the work flow
 Simplifies your management
 Guarantees swarm prevention
 Hassle-free queen rearing and
requeening, without grafting
 Treatment-free varroa management
 Huge expansion potentials 1:10 by fall
 Options for honey production, nuc sales,
or expansion