Queen Rearing Blogs

For those of us who have spent decades in the bee yard, we know that the "wintering" season doesn't start with the first frost; it starts in late summer. We’ve all seen those colonies that look "boiling over" in September only to find them as a handful of "frozen stiffs" in February. While we often blame the cold or a long spell of bad weather, the real culprit is frequently a hidden nutritional deficit. 

For those of us who have spent forty or fifty years in the bee yard, we know that the "old ways" were built on a simpler landscape. We used to rely on the spring meadows and the summer flows to do the heavy lifting. But as any seasoned beekeeper can tell you, the world outside the hive has changed. To keep our colonies not just surviving, but thriving, we need to look at honey bee nutrition through the eyes of a biologist. It isn't just about "feeding sugar"; it’s about understanding the complex needs of the superorganism.

For those of us who have spent decades in the bee yard, we know that a honey bee colony is far more than just a box of insects. It is a finely tuned superorganism where every individual contributes to the survival of the whole. If you’ve ever wondered why some hives stay calm during an inspection while others seem on edge, the answer often lies in an invisible language: pheromones. Understanding this honey bee biology is the secret to moving from reactive beekeeping to true scientific colony management.

The science behind oxalic acid is actually quite simple, even if the terminology sounds a bit "lab coat." Oxalic acid is highly effective against phoretic mites—those pesky hitchhikers clinging to the backs of your adult bees. However, it has one major weakness: it cannot penetrate the wax cappings of the brood cells.

For those of us who have spent decades tending to our hives, we remember a time when beekeeping felt a bit simpler. However, the arrival of Varroa destructor changed the landscape of our craft forever. It is not just a nuisance; it is a primary driver of colony loss, often acting as a silent killer while we look for other culprits like pesticides or habitat loss. To keep our colonies thriving, we must move beyond guesswork and embrace scientific beekeeping.

There is a big difference between a hobbyist and a true master of the craft when it comes to bee removal from structures. If you’ve been in the apiary for years, you know that a colony tucked inside a wall or a soffit requires more than just a smoker; it requires a surgical approach.

Thanks to the Cell Plug and Cell Cup system, the larva is never removed from royal jelly and never touched. You move the entire base safely, no grafting needle, no pressure, no fragile handling. The larva stays protected, hydrated, and undisturbed from start to finish.

The queen is the heart of every hive — the only fertile female that lays all the eggs and releases pheromones regulating colony behavior. When she weakens or fails, the whole colony suffers. Experienced beekeepers regularly rear new queens to maintain strong genetics and avoid the expense and uncertainty of buying queens every season.