Introduction

How to produce
good queens

If you want to raise quality queens, the following must be fulfilled:

  • Raise virgin queens of the highest standard using good larvae and a good starter/finisher system.
  • Make sure that you graft from breeders with a good inheritance (pedigree queens)
  • Ensure that the virgins are mated to good drones.

How to introduce a queen
into a new split

biramme

If you want to make a nucleus from an existing colony, please follow the 8 steps:

  1. Find the queen and make sure to leave her in the original colony.
  2. Take 4 or 5 frames in total covered with bees. 2-3 frames with sealed brood, and 2 frames containing honey and pollen.
  3. Place the frames in the following order: 1 frame of honey, 2-3 frames with a brood and 1 with honey and pollen on the end of your new colony.
  4. Move the new colony 2-3 meters away. This allows the old flying bees to return to their original hive, so only the young bees are left in the new split.
  5. Place the caged queen between two combs of the brood, 4-5 hours after the nuclei have been established.
  6. Remove the cover in the candy section to allow the bees to eat the candy and release the queen themselves.
  7. If you have a lack of honey flow, it is a good idea to feed the colony a bit of syrup.
  8. The new colony should not be disturbed for at least 8-9 days. Rather than disturbing the bees to look for the queen, you can check for eggs or young larvae.

Safe introduction cannot be guaranteed.

How to introduce a queen
in an existing colony

bikniv

If you want to introduce the new queen in an existing colony, please follow the 4 steps:

  1. When you receive your new queen, place one drop of pure water on the outside of the screen of the cage so that the workers can use it to dissolve the candy. Repeat this every day if the cage is not in the hive. The caged queen can survive for several days outside of the hive, but the sooner she is introduced, the better.
  2. Keep the cage in a dark place, away from breezes and at room temperature of 20 - 24C.
  3. The Queen you have received is in a combined shipping & introduction cage. There is no need to remove the worker bee attendants. At one end of the cage there is a food compartment with sugar candy. Do remember to remove the plastic lock at the end of the cage before introducing.
  4. The receiving hive must be queenless and without and no queen cells present. The cage should be placed in the middle of the brood nest.  Position the cage between two frames with the candy end downwards.

The bees in your colony will chew through the candy and release the new Queen.  You can check the cage after five to six days to be sure she has been released. Do not look for the queen. If needed, look for eggs. The colony should not be disturbed for the next 8-9 days while the queen establishes her brood nest.

Safe introduction cannot be guaranteed.