All About Grafting Queens
Outcomes Learners will understand the basics of the Doolittle Method for queen bee rearing, including understanding essential equipment and key tricks for success. Key Takeaways Priming Queen Cups: Introduce grafting bars with queen cups to your queenless starter or shook swarm a day before grafting to have the cups cleaned and coated with […]
Creating a Biosecurity Plan
Outcomes Learners will gain an understanding of the significance of biosecurity and recognize a wide range of biosecurity practices. Key Takeaways Beekeeping biosecurity is vital for safeguarding bee colonies against diseases, pests, and contaminants that threaten their health and the environment. Key practices include sourcing bees and equipment from reputable suppliers, regular inspections, proper disposal […]
Combining Mating Nucs
Outcomes Learners will be able to effectively prepare and combine mating nucs to ensure thriving colonies during the winter season. Key Takeaways Optimal Winter Preparation: Focus on achieving the right winter weights and cluster size by reviewing weight requirements and assessing brood frame numbers for strong winter clusters, regardless of your hive setup. […]
Preparing a Mating Yard
Outcomes Learners will be able to optimize queen rearing success by selecting an ideal mating yard, ensuring genetic diversity, wind shelter, and effective management strategies. Key Takeaways The selection of the mating yard is a critical factor in the success of queen rearing, ensuring successful mating flights and genetic diversity. Considerations include surrounding […]
10 Tips for Queen Rearing
Outcomes Learners will be able to recognize key techniques and principles for successful queen rearing Key Takeaways Keep Detailed Records: Maintain thorough records of colony health, production, and behavior using either digital tools or pen and paper. This data helps you make informed decisions when selecting queen stocks. Prioritize Integrated Pest Management (IPM): […]
How to Spot a Queen
Outcomes Learners will develop strategies to spot a queen bee within the beehive, no matter how packed with bees your colony is. Key Takeaways Queen Bee Appearance: The queen bee is the largest bee in the colony. She has an elongated, pointed abdomen, a shiny and hairless back, and lighter-colored legs. Tip #1 – […]
Queen Rearing Equipment
Outcomes Learners will gain a comprehensive understanding of essential queen rearing equipment. Key Takeaways Learn how to use essential equipment, such as the Chinese Grafting Tool, designed to delicately scoop out larvae and royal jelly from cells for precise grafting into queen cups. This tool streamlines the process and increases the chances of […]
Queen Rearing Basics
Outcomes Learners will acquire a foundational understanding of the essential techniques and practices involved in raising queens. Key Takeaways The queen rearing process begins with the presence of purple-eyed drone pupa, indicating the drones’ sexual maturity for mating with new queens. Pre-feeding the hives with light syrup and pollen patties stimulates development and provides […]
Setting Goals for Queen Production
Outcomes Learners will be able to set effective goals for queen rearing and sustainable apiary management by considering crucial factors like environment, seasonal flows, colony strength, proximity to other hives, and apiary size. Key Takeaways Goal setting for queen rearing requires considering various factors, including the environment, seasonal flows, proximity to other hives, […]
Holistic Apiary Management With Bill Stagg
Outcomes Learners will have knowledge about natural beekeeping, including the significance of observing bees, allowing swarming, providing natural nutrition, and timing colony splits for successful apiary management. Key Takeaways Beekeepers can learn valuable insights from observing and studying the behavior of bees in their natural environment. Allowing bees to swarm is crucial for the […]
