Queen Rearing the Foraging Bee Way

Queen Rearing The Foraging Bee Way

Queen Rearing the Michael Palmer Way – A Practical Guide to Sustainable Queen Production

At The Foraging Bee, we believe that strong queens make strong colonies—and strong colonies build resilient, sustainable apiaries. Inspired by the methods of mentor beekeeper Michael Palmer, this guide walks you through how to rear high-quality, locally adapted queens using nucleus colonies, local genetics, and a seasonal rhythm that aligns with the bees themselves.

Our goal? Never buy queens again.

Purpose

To rear vigorous, fertile queens from your own stock, based on the tried-and-true nucleus-based model. This method strengthens your apiary year over year and empowers you to steward your bees with intention.

Key Concepts

• Overwintered Nucleus Colonies: Small colonies kept in double-nuc boxes serve as springtime brood factories.

• Breeder Queens: Selected from your best colonies—proven winter survivors, gentle, mite-resistant, and productive.

• Queen Cells: Raised in well-fed, densely populated colonies (cell builders).

• Mating Nucs: Temporary homes for virgin queens to emerge, mate, and begin laying.

• Requeening and Splits: Extend colony productivity, improve genetics, and manage swarming—all sustainably.

Step-by-Step Queen Rearing Guide

1. Choose Your Breeder Queens (Early Spring)

• Review records from the previous year.

• Select 1–2 top queens based on overwintering success, gentleness, low mite loads, and honey yield.

• Feed breeder colonies 1:1 syrup and pollen to stimulate strong brood production.

2. Prepare Your Cell Builder Colony

Option A: Queenless Cell Builder

• Create a strong colony packed with nurse bees.

• Add pollen and open brood.

• Feed heavily.

Option B: Queenright Cell Builder (Palmer’s Method)

• Use a Cloake board to split a hive vertically.

• Queen remains below; nurse bees build queen cells above.

• Feed pollen and syrup to the upper section.

3. Graft Larvae (Day 0)

• Graft 12–24-hour-old larvae from your breeder queen into cell cups.

• Install grafted bar into the cell builder.

• Feed continuously.

4. Maintain Cell Builder (Days 1–10)

• Ensure constant nutrition.

• Queen cells are capped around Day 8 and ready by Day 10.

5. Prepare Mating Nucs (Day 9–10)

• Use 2–5 frame boxes with:

  • 1–2 brood frames

  • 1 frame of food

  • 1–2 drawn combs

  • Shake in extra nurse bees

• Leave queenless for 24 hours.

6. Introduce Ripe Queen Cells (Day 10)

• Gently place each queen cell into a prepared mating nuc.

• Ensure warm, sunny locations with good orientation.

7. Monitor Mating (Days 16–24)

• Virgin queens emerge ~Day 16.

• Mating occurs 5–7 days post-emergence.

• Check for eggs/larvae at Day 24.

8. Use or Bank Mated Queens (Day 24+)

• Requeen poor colonies.

• Start late-season nucs.

• Sell or gift surplus queens.

• Maintain queen banks for future use.

Tools & Materials Checklist

• Cloake board (optional)

• Grafting tool and frame

• Cell cups

• Queen cages

• Mating nucs (2–5 frame)

• Syrup feeders and pollen patties

• Notebook for tracking queens

Pro Tips for Success

• Feed cell builders and mating nucs generously.

• Wait for drone maturity before starting.

• Maintain detailed records of queen lineage and performance.

• Time your rearing with bloom cycles and good weather.

Seasonal Timing (Southern BC)

• First graft: Mid–Late May (based on drone presence)

• Mated queens: Early–Mid June

• Second round: Late June → Mated queens by early–mid July

Bonus: Why Swarm Cells Make Superior Queens

When bees build swarm cells, they do it under peak colony conditions:

• Abundant nurse bees

• Strong nectar flow

• High-quality royal jelly production

• Calm, non-crisis environment

Swarm cells result in:

• Larger queens

• Better pheromone development

• More successful mating flights

• Longer lifespan and better fertility

At The Foraging Bee, we mimic swarm-like conditions in our queen rearing because it leads to stronger colonies and better outcomes.

Call to Action: Raise Queens with The Foraging Bee

Are you ready to stop buying bees and start building your own sustainable apiary?

Join Mentor Beekeeper Mark Vanderende for:

• Seasonal hands-on queen rearing workshops

• The Hive Awakening keynote presentation

• Private group training & pollinator talks

✉️ Book a workshop or event: info@theforagingbee.ca
📚 Explore more at www.theforagingbee.ca
📸 Follow us on Instagram @foragingbee

Let’s raise better queens—and better beekeepers—together.

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