Queen cells are special, elongated cells that honeybees build to raise new queens. Here's how beekeepers can encourage their colonies to produce queen cells:
1. Introducing a Queenless Colony
- A queenless colony will naturally begin to produce queen cells. This happens because the workers will sense the lack of queen pheromones and start raising new queens.
- This method can be used for creating queen cells from a colony with a laying queen. Simply remove the queen and her attendants, and the workers will begin building queen cells from existing larvae.
2. Grafting Larvae
- This technique involves transferring young larvae (less than 24 hours old) into prepared queen cell cups.
- The larvae are carefully lifted from their original cells using a grafting tool and placed in the queen cups.
- The queen cups are then placed in a queenless colony, which will then raise the larvae into queens.
3. Using a Queen Cell Starter Kit
- Several companies offer pre-made queen cell starter kits. These kits include everything you need, including queen cell cups, grafting tools, and instructions.
- These kits are a convenient way to start raising queens without having to gather all the necessary supplies yourself.
4. Using a Queen Rearing System
- Specialized queen rearing systems are available for those who want to raise many queens at once. These systems provide a controlled environment for the queen cells to develop.
- They often include features such as temperature control, humidity regulation, and automatic feeding.
5. Using a Natural Queen Cell
- If you are not in a hurry, you can wait for a colony to naturally produce a queen cell. This is a more hands-off approach, but it can be successful.
- You can usually identify natural queen cells by their distinctive elongated shape and the fact that they are usually located on the edge of the comb.
Considerations
- The success rate of queen cell production can vary depending on the colony's health, the quality of the larvae, and the beekeeper's experience.
- It's important to follow proper hygiene practices when working with queen cells to prevent disease transmission.
By following these steps, beekeepers can successfully raise new queens to maintain their colonies or to sell to other beekeepers.
