Chinese Grafting Tool
Spring-loaded soft-tip grafting tool. Picks up larvae without damage.
- Spring-loaded piston releases larvae gently into the cell cup
- Soft flexible tip — won't injure tiny first-instar larvae
- Economical entry point for grafting practice
What it is
A Chinese grafting tool — a pencil-sized implement with a flexible bamboo or plastic tongue at one end and a spring-loaded plunger at the other. Used in queen rearing to lift day-old larvae out of a donor cell and drop them into a prepared queen cell cup without damaging the larva or the royal jelly she's sitting on.
Why the Chinese style
The flexible tongue slides under a larva without crushing it — critical, because damaged larvae don't get drawn into queen cells by the bees. The spring plunger pushes the larva off the tongue into the cell cup with a drop of royal jelly still attached, which accelerates acceptance.
Usage notes
Clean the tongue between each graft — residue from previous larvae can carry pathogens between colonies. A soft cloth wipe is enough; no chemicals needed. The tongue is delicate — a cracked or bent tongue misses more larvae than it lifts.
Compatibility
Works with any cell cup design (JZ's BZ's wide-base, Jenter, or traditional wax cups). Standard tool in small-scale and mid-scale queen rearing.
