A practical guide to breeding queen bees for Australian beekeeping
This practical guide to queen bee breeding provides detailed information on producing high-quality queen bees in Australian conditions.
It covers key techniques including cell raising, grafting, nutrition, pests and diseases, reproductive biology, genetics, mating apiaries, queen banking, controlled mating, packaging and much more.
What this guide covers
- Queen cell production and grafting
- Nutrition and colony management
- Reproductive biology and genetics
- Selective breeding programs
- Drone and mating colony management
- Queen banking and introduction
- Packaging, transport and regulations
- Controlled mating and breeding systems
Who this guide is for
- Commercial beekeepers
- Hobbyist beekeepers interested in breeding
- Apiary managers and consultants
- Apiculture students
Table of contents
- Queen cell production
- Grafting
- Nutrition
- Pests and diseases
- Reproductive biology
- Honey bee subspecies
- Breeding stock evaluation and maintenance
- Genetics and the honey bee
- Selective breeding programs
- Drone mother colony management
- Nucleus colonies and mating apiaries
- Catching, caging and shipping queen bees
- Queen banking
- Queen bee introduction
- Queen markets, interstate movement regulations and levies
- Controlled mating
- Calendar of operations
- Package bees
Publication details
Author: Elizabeth Frost and Douglas Somerville
ISBN: 9781742569130
Publication year: 2020
Size: 170 pages, A4
Catalogue number: B960
Publisher: NSW Department of Primary Industries