queen bee

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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Should I Split if I See Queen Cells on Three Frames?

If I have queen cells on three different frames, and I know they are going to swarm. This is a new colony from a nuc. Could I make a split from this situation?

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My Swarm Returned to Where I Found it. Now What?

If I have queen cells on three different frames, and I know they are going to swarm. This is a new colony from a nuc. Could I make a split from this situation?

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Dead Bees in a Package: How Many is Too Many?
April 24, 2021 · · Beekeeping 101

I received my package, and 80 to 90% of the bees were dead. I could not tell if the queen bee was there. We tried to remove most of the dead bees. We just put the queen part at the bottom of the brood box.

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Will Spraying Dandelions Harm Bees?

My son is thinking of spraying 2,4-D for the dandelions — how safe is it for the bees? All the bees died this winter.

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Can You Keep a Queen from Leaving with a Swarm?

Is there a type of hive that allows the queen to stay isolated from the rest of the swarm? No hive is designed to separate the queen from the other bees.

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Should I be Worried About my Walkaway Split?

There are a couple of versions of a split (or divide) that simulate this. One is by using swarm cells in the split(s). The other, which it sounds like is what you did, we call a “walkaway split.” I just did one yesterday so I’ll explain how I did it.

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Reversing Brood Boxes in the Spring — Is it Necessary?

Many beekeepers begin spring by “reversing brood boxes,” which just means switching the two so that the cluster is on the bottom. Some beekeepers do this routinely, while some never do it. It’s not necessary because, as the brood nest expands, the queen will eventually begin laying in the bottom box, especially if you use a queen excluder to keep the queen out of the honey supers. Whether you reverse the boxes is just a matter of beekeeper preference.

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How Do I Harvest Royal Jelly?
March 24, 2020 · · Ask the Expert

To harvest royal jelly in any quantifiable amount, you’ll need several strong, healthy hives and a working knowledge of queen grafting.

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