The Jay Smith Method

  Jay Smith was an Indiana bee breeder that wrote a book titled, "Queen Rearing Simplified" published by the A.I. Root Company in 1923.

First, let me say that the Smith Method is a combination of Doolittle and Alley methods.  It does require grafting larva into cell cups as in the Doolittle method.  Smith used the swarm box method to get queen cells started.  He added a Finishing hive to complete the job of getting queen cells "finished."

A grafted cell bar frame with three bars and approximately 60 drawn queen cells.

This is a picture of the swarm box he used.

You will need to read the section on grafting in Applied Queen Rearing.  Grafting allows the transfer of a number of young larva into special queen cell cup that are attached to a bar.  Like Alley, Smith liked to use a swarm box to get these cells started.  So lets take a look at Smith's method.

Filling the Swarm Box in his own words, "Two combs containing some honey and pollen are placed in the swarm box.  These should be old combs and not too heavy, for, in the handling they are to receive, they will be liable to break down if new or if they contain much honey. These combs are placed one at each side of the box and are held in position by the two blocks that are to support the cell bars.  A funnel, such as is employed in filling pound packages is used for putting bees into the box." Smith suggested six pounds of bees for this swarm box.  The bees in the swarm box were then taken to what Smith called his "dungeon." He says, "back in the dungeon the bees remain qu9iet at though it were night, away from noise, light and strong air currents, and are as contented and satisfied as though they were in their own hive."  The dungeon was his basement.

"I usually fill the box at one o'clock in the afternoon and leave the bees confined there in the basement until three o'clock.  I find that two hours of confinement is all that is necessary, for, as the bees are queenless, broodless, and on strange combs, they realize their queenlessness to the fullest extent in that length of time.."

He goes on, "When all three are finished -[He is referring to the grafting process]- , they are ready to be placed in the swarm box....Now pick up the swarm box on each end.  Raise it about six inches from the concrete floor and bring it down with a jar.  All of the bees that were hanging to the cover in a cluster will fall to the bottom in a mass.  Now remove the upper cover, take up the cell bars and place the in the box..   Have ready a  quart Mason jar, with perforated lid, filled with sugar syrup or honey, diluted with about one-fourth water, set the swarm box back into the dungeon, and the bees will do the rest."

The next step:

The bees should remain in the swarm box until three or four o'clock of the day following.  Smith uses a finishing hive to complete the job of raising the queens.  Lets pick up from him, "If the work has been properly done nearly all of the cells should be accepted.  One should average an acceptance of eighteen cells out of twen and frequently all should be accepted.  When the bars are taken out the larvae should have an abundance of royal jelly literally swimming in it, and the cells be drawn out into proper shape.  If conditions are right all sixty are accepted."

The finisher hive:

A finisher hive is a hive that will complete the process.  It must be strong and have a number of nurse bees.  Smith indicates, "The best results are secured by placing frames of unsealed brood on both sides of the frame that holds the cells, for this draws the nurse bees right to the cells and the immediately take hold of the cells and carry the work on to successful completion.  Replace the cover and see that the feeder is kept liberally supplied with feed so that the bees will receive an ample supply.  Take the other two bars and give them to the other two finishing colonies.  Go back to the swarm box, take off the lower cover, remove the combs and shake off all the bees possible and brush off the remainder.  Replace the combs, put on the covers and take it back to the basement to remain till needed again."

Notice that this method requires one additional step between introducing larva into a cell builder and the time the cells are removed to go into a nuc for the mating flights. The step is the finishing hive.  Each finishing hive is to complete the job started by the swarm box.  It is said that one of the most difficult things in raising grafted queens is to get the cells started.   Smith's method works even in periods when bees are not in the swarming mood.

Many copies of this book were published and it may be available from time to time on the ebay auction site.