Queen Rearing

The following is required for successful raising of queens: ample supply of nectar and good quality pollens an abundance of sexually mature, high-quality drones for mating with the newly emerged virgin queens suitable weather for mating of drones and queens suitable starter and cell raising colonies (as described later) a queen mother to breed from, whose offspring worker bees (and colonies) display ideal characteristics such as gentle temperament, disease resistance, low swarming tendency and excellent honey production. Requirements to obtain good queens

Necessary Equipment 5-frame nuc to serve as a cell starter Cell cup of choice (JZBZ) Grafting tool Cell cup frame Grafting table with excellent lighting and magnification Bee brush Paint Marker Mating Nuc Queen Cages Notebook

Queen rearing involves the following stages: establishing a starter colony for initial stage of rearing queen cells establishing the cell building colony grafting honey bee larvae transferring the mature queen cells to honey bee nucleus colonies for the mating stage. Steps for queen rearing Summary

When to Graft?

Drone Production 100 capped drone cells needed for each queen produced cells per square inch = 5 square inches per queen Only 10% will actually mate

Drone Holding Colonies Full size or nuc colony may be used When drone cells are sealed remove frame and bees and place into an empty hive body Add 1 frame of merging worker brood and bees Repeat this process with all drone colonies Add frames with pollen and honey to fill boxes Place a young virgin queen in each colony When drones emerge and bodies have hardened – dust with powdered sugar In 4-6 weeks install new queen into the drone holder – removing the caged virgin

Getting Started Assemble starter colony

Getting Started (cont.) Pull frames of nurse bees and shake into nuc Add: two empty drawn out frames 1 frame containing honey 1 frame containing pollen 1 water soaked sponge Install grafts in empty slot Set aside in cool, dark area while performing grafts

Setting up cell builder colony Select strong colony Install open brood and bees into empty box (leave open space for grafts) Both outside frames should be honey & pollen Place open brood and bees above queen excluder on top of hive Install feeder

Open Brood Open Brood

Grafting The single most important aspect of queen rearing is selection of correct aged larvae

Grafting Tools

Install grafts into starter colony immediately after grafting.

Proof of why women live longer than men.

After 24 hours in the starter colony… New Folder (2)\cell starts.jpg

Move grafts to cell builder colony and install in empty slot

Patience is a Virtue Leave in cell builder for 5 days – NO PEEKING! Feed continuously

Day The wait is OVER. Either move to incubator or leave in builder colony

Day 14 – Moving Day Make up mating nucs & install cells

More Waiting and Then… Do not disturb for 10 days After 10 days check for laying queen or virgin Allow queen to lay for minimum of 21 days/28 days is even better Pull queen and install new cell or combine mating nucs into larger colony

Last Step… Mark, clip, and cage queen for use

RidgeTop Apiaries Mike Haney 1475 Thompson Ridge Rd. Baxter, TN Thank You!!