[See previous posts on introduction, setup and grafting for queenright queen rearing] With any queen rearing it is critical to be aware of the timetable. Eggs are laid, hatch on day three, grafted on day 4, queen cells are sealed on day 9 and the virgin queens emerge on day 16. There’s not much variation […]
The Ben Harden queenright method for queen rearing (introduced previously) has relatively few requirements for specialist equipment. Most beekeepers will already own the necessary bits and pieces, and will be able to build, borrow or steal the things they lack as appropriate. The colony is prepared by adding a second brood box to a standard […]
The ‘Ben Harden’ method is an approach used to raise queen cells in a queenright colony. It offers a number of advantages that make it particularly suitable for relatively small-scale beekeepers, for beekeepers who want only a limited number of queens (10’s rather than 100’s, though the latter is possible if well organised) or for […]
Synopsis : Queen rearing is enjoyable and educational. Don’t let the experts put you off. You don’t need to graft day-old larvae to rear queens. Introduction A long time ago I bought, read and re-read Ted Hooper’s excellent book Guide to Bees and Honey. Every time I read it I’d find something I’d missed the […]
Synopsis : Queenless colonies prefer to rear new queens from heavy eggs. How was this determined and what are the implications for our queen rearing? Introduction Arguably the most important decision a colony will ever make is the selection of the eggs or larvae from which a new queen is raised. Other decisions are obviously […]