Do all swarms have mated queens?
The answer is yes and no. First, we must define our term “swarm” to help us get the right answer. If we are talking about the very first “primary” swarm of the season from a colony then we can be fairly confident that this swarm has our last year’s mated queen. This swarm is often […]
Health and Immunity
DISCLAIMER: The blog below is generally created from the research listed in the “Referenced Material” section. This is not my research. All credit is given to these studies and researchers who are helping beekeepers better understand how we can improve our management practices. Honey bees are constantly exposed to contact with many types of pathogens. […]
Splits and Emergency Queen Cells
DISCLAIMER: The blog below is generally created from the research listed in the “Referenced Material” section. This is not my research. All credit is given to these studies and researchers who are helping beekeepers better understand how we can improve our management practices. Queens Development All fertilized eggs have the potential to become a queen […]
Layens Artificial Swarming: Spring Splits
DISCLAIMER: The blog below is generally created from the research listed in the “Referenced Material” section. This is not my research. All credit is given to these studies and researchers who are helping beekeepers better understand how we can improve our management practices. Winter has hopefully ended for most of us and sadly our spring […]
Understanding Your Local Swarming Process
DISCLAIMER: The blog below is generally created from the research listed in the “Referenced Material” section. This is not my research. All credit is given to these studies and researchers who are helping beekeepers better understand how we can improve our management practices. Introduction Below is a summary of the recent research on swarming and […]
Solstice Splits
Introduction No matter the style of hive or experience as a beekeeper you likely have heard about a nuc or nucleus colony. Often, it’s regarding purchasing honeybees that come with 4-5 frames of drawn-out comb, honey, brood, worker bees and a queen. These can range from $180 to $200 plus to purchase. What if you […]
Genetic Diversity Matters
DISCLAIMER: The blog below is generally created from the research listed in the “Referenced Material” section. This is not my research. All credit is given to these studies and researchers who are helping beekeepers better understand how we can improve our management practices. History The honeybee originated in the Old World, where it diverged into […]