queen bee

Breeder Queen Selection
December 22, 2022 · · Beekeeping 101

Here’s a short guide for breeder queen selection: what to look for when assessing and what you can expect along the way.

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How Many Days After Requeening Should I See Eggs?
June 14, 2022 · · Ask the Expert

After eight days, you should see eggs by now, even if it took the workers two or three days to release her. A queenless colony can go about 21 days before the workers’ ovaries begin to develop.

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What Does a Caught Swarm Need to Thrive?

Because the workers are already racing against time, it is highly unlikely the swarm will leave. Once you see combs being built, odds are they will stay.

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The Vital Role the Drone Plays in the Beehive
May 24, 2022 · · Beekeeping 101

The most sustainable manner of keeping bees requires Beekeepers to learn skills beyond hive inspection, feeding regimens, and pest control. Learning to create splits and raise queens are, without a doubt, the most sustainable manner of reducing costs.

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Installing a New Queen Bee to Change Genetics
April 27, 2022 · · Health & Pests

Changing genetics can be achieved by installing a new queen bee.

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Why Do My Colonies Keep Swarming?

I have three hives started last year and all three swarmed in the last week. Now, they are swarming again — the same colonies. Why do the same colonies keep swarming every few days?

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Bumblebees: The Big Buzz Pollinator

Most of us are familiar with bumblebees due to their size, bright colors, and buzz. This calm, passive bee is one of the largest native bees.

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I Found a Dead Queen on My Landing Board. Now What?

I live just outside of Seattle. Yesterday I found a queen dead on the landing board of my top bar hive. She was with two worker bees that were alive. I am not sure what they were doing. Pushing her off of the ledge?

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How Do I Save a Late-Season Swarm?

Deciding how to handle a late swarm can be difficult, even for an experienced beekeeper. Although late swarms have a very low survival rate, they can be helped along with additional resources.

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On a Frame of Emerged and Capped Queen Cells, Will the Workers Destroy the Capped Cells?

On a frame that has emerged queen cells and capped queen cells, is it most likely that the capped cell contents have been killed and of no use in trying to raise a queen in a nuc? Are these cells eventually torn down by the workers?

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