We are happy to announce an upcoming Queen Rearing Workshop which will be hosted by ATTTA. Below you’ll find the outline of the course which will be segmented into 4 – two hour sessions through Zoom. In addition to the course, Mickael Jauneau from Canoe Cove Honey will host a “grafting day” for those who attend this course to learn how to graft and perhaps do hands on grafting. This is a great opportunity to start rearing your own queens or brush up on what you already know and then some.
Cost is $25 for PEIBA Members and $75 for non-PEIBA Members.
Dates:
Monday June 21st
Wednesday June 23rd
Monday June 28th
Wednesday June 30th
Time: 7pm to 9pm
To register for this course please contact us. Payment will be collected later.
Space will be limited – PEIBA members will have the chance to register first.
| Event |
Topic |
Brief Description |
Learning Outcomes |
|
Virtual Event 1
|
Intro Info |
- Introduce the course
- Review of challenges and advantages of rearing and implementing local queens
|
- Acquainted to course and why it is relevant
|
| Biology of Queen Production |
- Queen development from egg to mated queen
- Drone biology
- Queen rearing in nature
|
- Learn about the biology of how queens are raised in nature and become mated
|
| Honey Bee Genetics and Breeding |
- Queen rearing vs. queen breeding
- Genetic variability, heritability and the expression of traits
- Genetic organization of the hive
- Selective breeding principles
|
- Recognize the difference between queen breeding and rearing
- Introduction to honey bee genetics and why this is essential to queen breeding
- Introduction to breeding principles
|
|
Virtual Event 2
|
A Honey Bee Breeding Program |
- Highlight commonly selected for traits in honey bees and how to measure them in your hives
|
- Assess and rank honey bee colonies for desirable traits
|
| Cost Considerations |
- Present a study to demonstrate the cost of queen rearing: Bixby, Miriam, et al. “Honey Bee Queen Production: Canadian Costing Case Study and Profitability Analysis.”
|
- Explore costs associated with the introduction of queen rearing to an existing beekeeping operation
|
| Queen Rearing Tools and Equipment |
- Present the tools and equipment useful in queen rearing
|
- Identify options for queen rearing tools and equipment
|
|
Virtual Event 3
|
Queen Cell Production |
- Methods of production: Doolittle, frame manipulation, queen confinement
- Cell builders: starters and finishers
|
- Be able to build a cell builder
- Differentiate methods of queen rearing; deeper understanding of Doolittle Method
|
| Queen Cells and Virgins |
- Queen cells
- Introducing a queen cell
|
- Be able to successfully requeen a colony using queen cells
|
|
Virtual Event 4
|
Production of Mated Queens |
- Components of mating yards and mating nucs
- Care of mated queens
- Timeframe for PEI
|
- Learn to how to successfully mate queens using mating yards and nucs
- Establish a framework for timing
|
| Splits and Nucs |
- Why, when, and how to split
- How to make up a nuc
- Introducing a mated queen
|
- Understand relationship between splits/nucs and queen rearing and how to prepare for your queens
|
