The queen is the genetic foundation of every colony, and the decision about which queens to breed from is the single most powerful lever a beekeeper has for improving their bees over time. This category covers queen rearing in practical terms — cell builders, grafting, mating nucs, introduction methods — alongside the broader questions of bee genetics, selection, and what “improvement” actually means in the context of UK beekeeping conditions.
Posts here range from step-by-step accounts of what works at apiary scale to more analytical pieces on the genetics of traits like swarming tendency, temperament, and varroa resistance. The debate about local versus imported queens also features here — examined properly, with reference to what the science actually shows about local adaptation, rather than the version that circulates on forums. If you want to take control of your queen supply and understand the biology behind it, this is where to start.
It’s a non-beekeeping day today, and we have had some much-needed rain overnight. This should not be unusual here in Manchester, but it’s actually been untypically dry. My bees have generally got off to a quick start this year. Many forage plants are available simultaneously, especially dandelion, apple, oilseed rape and trees such as horse … Read more
The recent passing of David Kemp prompted me to review some of my notes from when I interviewed him. Mike Palmer often says that he believes Brother Adam’s method of raising queen cells produces the best queens. Mike has slightly adapted it to suit his needs, and others who make hundreds or thousands of queens … Read more
Genetic science has come on in leaps and bounds in the last few decades. It turns out that appearances can be deceptive as far as genes go. Even with their large population and worldwide distribution, humans have a remarkable lack of genetic diversity. Despite what we look like and where we live, we are all … Read more
I’m going to be dipping into some research by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation in Australia in 2003. You can get the research paper here. It’s by Rhodes and Somerville and has some clues that should help with introducing queens. Some of the things they studied were: Failed introductions Many beekeepers are familiar … Read more
Raising queens has helped my beekeeping enormously. I have been able to compare hives headed by home bred queens with ‘self-made’ queens. The latter tends to occur when bees swarm or when I make a ‘walk away split’. I leave them with one queen cell from which to create a new mother. It’s a comparison … Read more
I stumbled upon a fantastic resource for beekeepers concerning the monitoring and management of Varroa mites by the Honey Bee Health Coalition. There is some comprehensive guidance, including videos plus a neat decision tool to help decide whether to treat and what the treatment options are. A few of my colonies contain a full comb … Read more
Here in the UK, and presumably, across much of the northern hemisphere, we are in that beautiful time of the year when optimism reigns supreme. I’m optimistic that this season will be a great one. The bees appear optimistic; they are busy and growing and, in some cases, swarming. It’s the perfect time to start … Read more
In 2005 some researchers studying matings in the Hope Valley (England) found out some interesting stats on mating distance. Mating distance is the distance between the hive from which the virgin queen flew and the colonies from which the successful drones came. 50% of matings were at a mating distance of up to 2.5km. 90% … Read more