Queen Rearing

Beekeeping Math Caste Hatch Cap Emerge Queen 3½ days 8 days +-1 16 days +-1 Laying 28 days +-5 Worker 3½ days 9 days +-1 20 days +-1 Foraging 42 days +-7 Drone 3½ days 10 days +-1 24 days +-1 Flying to DCA 38 days +-5

Nuc Short for Nucleus – meaning “small” A Nuc is what you get when you conduct a “Split” of a hive or colony

Making your own queens

Why rear your own Queens and make Nucs? Self Sustainability Make up for Winter Losses Increase in hive numbers Genetic Diversity – within apiary and general area Club Cohesion – Nuc trading and Banking Increased Funding (aka – Making Money)

How do bees make Queens

Queen Mother Hive The colony from which larva are taken for new queens Larva are taken by use of combs, kits or by grafting

What to look for or judging a colony Queen Mother Hive Calm – Gentle bees Resistance to pests and Diseases Good laying pattern Hygienic behavior Good Honey Production

Colony Strength vs. Density When looking at Colony Strength vs. Density remember to look at the size of the hive boxes to judge strength and density. A small colony in a small box may have a high density and be strong as compared to a larger colony in a very large box that has a lower density and can not properly protect and manage the area they are given.

What you need Regular Equipment No Special Equipment Required You could use… Follower Boards Nuc Boxes

Queen Starter Hive Also called the Cell Starter Colony that will make the queen cells using the larva given them This can be a full size Hive or just a Nuc

What the bees Want! Lots of bees – Large Population compared to the size of the hive/nuc box. Put in extra workers from other frames. Young Bees – Make up starter with at least two frames of capped brood with all the workers. New comb – Use of new comb for queen cells makes it easier for the workers to construct cells. Fresh Eggs/Larva – Give the workers what they need! Gives the beekeeper a better end resulting Queen.

Beekeeping Math Caste Hatch Cap Emerge Queen 3½ days 8 days +-1 16 days +-1 Laying 28 days +-5 Worker 3½ days 9 days +-1 20 days +-1 Foraging 42 days +-7 Drone 3½ days 10 days +-1 24 days +-1 Flying to DCA 38 days +-5

Queen Rearing Calendar: 1 - Place queen cell frame in brood chamber of Queen mother hive. 3 - Setup cell starter, make them queenless and make sure there is a VERY high density of bees. Make sure they have plenty of pollen and nectar. Feed the starter for better acceptance. Inspect Queen Cell frame for eggs. 3 ½ - Eggs hatch 4 - Transfer the frame to the starter hive. Feed the starter for better acceptance. 8 - Queen cells capped 13 - Setup mating nucs Make up mating nucs, or hives to be requeened so they will be queenless and wanting a queen cell. Feed the mating nucs for better acceptance. 14 - Transfer queen cells to mating nucs. On day 14 the cells are at their toughest and in hot weather they may emerge on day 15 so we need them in the mating nucs or the hives to be requeened if you prefer, so the first queen out doesn't kill the rest. 15-17 Queens emerge (In hot weather, 15 is more likely. In cold weather, 17 is more likely. Typically, 16 is most likely.) 17-21 Queens harden 21-24 Orientation flights 21-28 Mating flights 25-35 Queen starts laying

Splits Taking frames off of a strong hive to make a new colony Splitting a hive up into multiple colonies

Take a split from the Queen Mother Colony Queen rearing – Method 1 Take a split from the Queen Mother Colony Take Two frames of Honey/Pollen Take Two frames of Capped Brood Take One Frame of Uncapped Brood and Eggs Take Bees from at least two more frames

Notes for Method 1 Frames are arranged (honey, brood, eggs, brood, honey) Nuc should be taken to new site but not required. (Keep bees in for a day if in same site and move as far away as Possible) Feed the nuc!!! The day the nuc is made is day 4 on the queen calendar. Inspect nuc on day 7 for capped queen cells. On day 14 you can move the Queen cells to another Colony or Nuc or wait until day 18 to see if a queen hatched

Expected Results 4 to 12 Queen Cells If left alone – One colony with a new Queen Easiest of all methods

Queen rearing – Method 2 Take a split from the Queen Mother Hive using a Miller frame.

Miller cell starter

Queen rearing – Alt Methods Take a split from another hive or use another hive as the Queen starter hive Taking eggs and larva from a different colony than the bees from the cell starter Frame for eggs and larva can be regular frame or Miller frame

Notes Takes more work and forethought If you are making a nuc it is best to have it come from a different yard to reduce the chance of bees going back to the original colony. Same rules and notes as other Methods…. Very important to ensure there are no other eggs than the ones you want…

Grafting

grafting larva into cell cups

cell bars added to frame

frame installed into colony above the cloake board

21 out of 27 grafts took = 77% - Not bad!

Using the Jenter System

Split a hive into nucs Take 3 - 4 nucs off of a hive 2 frames of Honey with Pollen 3 frames of Brood Queen from Queen cell or Starter nuc. Ensure colony has no eggs prior to split for better acceptance...

Feed nucs depending on need and Season Build nucs for winter storage or selling Isolating the Queen… Lets talk about acceptance….

Selling your nuc. Who’s wood is it? Moving bees. Pinning frames for moving.

Books and References Queen Rearing Essentials by Lawrence John Connor, Wicwas Press. Queen Rearing and Bee Breeding (1997) by Harry LaidlawJr. and Robert Page Jr., Wicwas Press, Cheshire, Connecticut. Successful Queen Rearing by Dr. Marla Spivak and Gary Reuter Contemporary Queen Rearing (1979) by Harry Laidlaw Jr., Dadant and Sons, Hamilton, Illinois. Breeding Queens (1997) by Gilles Fert, O.P.I.D.A., Argentan, France. Rearing Queen Honey Bees by Roger Morse Fifty Years Among the Bees - by C.C. Miller BushBees – Michael Bush http://www.bushfarms.com/bees.htm

Queen rearing supplies Dadant & Sons Inc. Hampton Apiary - Mann Lake Ltd. A. I. Root Co. Bee Culture Mag. Brushy Mountain Bee Farm Betterbee Inc. Walter T. Kelley Co.

Any Questions ???