Queen rearing as a group

[user 3509]

Our local BBKA organisation is asking for suggestions for the way forward as a group. We have quite a bit of money in the kitty and I was wondering how easy or difficult it would be to set up a queen rearing group - especially as we are encouraged to use native queens and not to import. Do any other BBKA groups already do this and if so how easy is it to do and what are the pitfalls if any?

 

[clv101]

This might be worth a read, how to set up a queen rearing group:
http://www.native-queen-bees.com/how-to-set-up-a-queen-rearing-group/

 

[For want of a better word]

Excellent idea!
Keep group small and
share cost of equipment!!!

BIBBA produce The Bee Improvement Group Handbook and also The Principles of Bee Improvement by Jo Widdicombe ( a new publication) contain good advice.
Written by those with a keen interest in our Native bees, but contain loads of transferable ideas for your own "local" variety


Yeghes da

 

[isc26]

Could have a look at this Irish group http://www.gbbg.net/. I heard a speaker at BIBBA conf last year and they sounded like they had a good thing going.

 

[DulwichGnome]

Hi, like most beekeeping stuff, queen rearing can be done with the equipment that you already have so it does not need to be expensive. However, from my experience at the Bromley queen rearing group, what you do need is bags of enthusiasm and commitment. Once you have set up the grafts the time table is written in stone (give or take a couple of days) and each stage needs to be done come what may.

Having said that, the best bit of kit that we got was an incubator. If you have the money, don't skimp, and get one with an automatic humidity control. In 2013 we were grafting on Sunday and Thursday and had 20 or so queen cells in the incubator at any one time. Sadly it was not a good year for getting queens mated.

Good luck.

Mike.

 

[B+.]

I was wondering how easy or difficult it would be to set up a queen rearing group - especially as we are encouraged to use native queens and not to import.

Do you have native queens? If not, the hardest part could be acquiring breeding stock....then maintaining it. If you have other bees around you, Instrumental Insemination may be your only route. This is a "journey of discovery" in itself.

 

[Michael Palmer]

how easy is it to do and what are the pitfalls if any?

Cell building is relatively easy. You set up the cell building colony and let the bees do their job. What to do with the cells is another matter. Will you invest in mating nuc equipment? Expensive.

I would have your group set up their own nucs in their own equipment, and use the cells the group queen program produces. They could stock nuc boxes with brood and bees from their own apiary or the group apiary, and use the cells as a queen source.

Breeder queen selection shouldn't be too much of a problem. Surely there are colonies in the member's apiaries and in the group apiary that would be suitable to begin your program.

 

[For want of a better word]

Do you have native queens? If not, the hardest part could be acquiring breeding stock....then maintaining it. If you have other bees around you, Instrumental Insemination may be your only route. This is a "journey of discovery" in itself.

Looking at the OP's address there is a massive stock ( of Native Amm) all along the Western periphery of Plymouth Sound... but alas from my experience when I lived and kept bees in Plymouth, there was a total disaster of a hotch potch of every type of bee and hybrid in the UK!
Zero chances of open mating Amm there... or anything much else.
I would not like to even take a guess what the Local honeybee would be!
But setting up a breeding group using Amm would not be to difficult if the OP would care to hop on the Torpoint or even the Cremyl ferry to cross the great grey green greasy Tamar river all set about with social housing!

Yeghes da

 

[charlievictorbravo]

.... setting up a breeding group using Amm would not be to difficult if the OP would care to hop on the Torpoint or even the Cremyl ferry to cross the great grey green greasy Tamar river all set about with social housing!

Yeghes da

Sorry, my lovely, but it's not the "great grey green greasy Tamar river all set about with social housing!" down here, it's the mighty Hamoaze, overseen by the Royal Navy and millionaires houses.

The Cornish bee improvement group (BIPCo) is setting up a breeding apiary at Tregantle, so not too far to travel from Plymouth if BIPCo is agreeable to your queens giving their drones a bit of naughty.

CVB

 

[bpmurray]

Our local BKA started this in the association's apiary last year. It was a bit haphazard, but eventually we had a number of successful apideas. It turned out to be very useful indeed - people learned how this all works, and there was a reasonable supply for requeening.

It's definitely worth trying, even if the drone sources are suspect.

 

[For want of a better word]

Sorry, my lovely, but it's not the "great grey green greasy Tamar river all set about with social housing!" down here, it's the mighty Hamoaze, overseen by the Royal Navy and millionaires houses.

The Cornish bee improvement group (BIPCo) is setting up a breeding apiary at Tregantle, so not too far to travel from Plymouth if BIPCo is agreeable to your queens giving their drones a bit of naughty.

CVB

OK Ham oaze after the great grey green greasy Tamar river all set about with social housing, has been polluted from the Tavy and Lhyner.. not forgetting the sadly silted Cofflet Creek!

Hopefully the OP can obtain a couple of Amm queens from BIPCo to open mate at the fort!

Yeghes da