You can learn to produce your own queens using this small, but scalable system.

I originally wrote this article in 2011, since then I have continued to keep bees and rear some queens every year.  I have tried most of the other popular methods, but this one is still my favorite for the size of my apiary and my needs.   As I have learned new things I have incorporated those into this article.  So, on with it…

I’m a beginner.  This has been my second year raising queens – my third year keeping honey bees.  So  I am in no way pretending to be any kind of an expert – not only have I made many mistakes, but I expect to make many more next year.   As one beginner to another – I think I might have  some useful insights into getting started in queen rearing.

I’m going to give several  beginner-to-beginner tips in this article.  Things that might not be all that helpful to old hands but have really helped me.  Here’s the first – and I think, best:

Plan to practice  rearing queens when it’s easiest – during the main flow/swarm season, that is – late April/Early June in Mid TN – when the bees want to reproduce.  It can be done earlier and later, but it’s a lot more difficult.

The Basic Principle of Honey Bee Queen Rearing

Any queenless hive of honey bees will try to make a new queen if it has the resources to do so.  The required resources being » Read more: Beginner to Beginner Queen Rearing