Queen rearing is one of the most useful skills a beekeeper can develop, and it is more accessible than most beginners assume. You do not need a dedicated queen-rearing apiary or expensive equipment to raise a small number of queens for your own use. This guide covers the basic grafting method using equipment available from our catalogue, adapted for Africanised colonies.

Why raise your own queens

Buying queens is practical when you need one or two replacements. When you are expanding your apiary, requeening multiple colonies, or selecting for specific traits such as hygienic behaviour or reduced swarming tendency, raising your own queens is more economical and gives you control over the genetic material. In Brazil, where Africanised genetics are dominant, selecting from your best-performing colonies is the most practical form of genetic improvement available to small-scale beekeepers.

The grafting method

Grafting involves transferring young larvae (ideally 12 to 18 hours old) from a donor colony into plastic cell cups, which are then placed in a queenless cell-raising colony. The cell-raising colony must be strong, well-fed, and queenless for at least four hours before the grafted bar is introduced. Use a grafting tool with a flexible tip to lift the larva without touching it. Work quickly and in shade: larvae dry out in direct sun within minutes.

Cell cups and bar frames

The plastic cell cups we stock are 9 mm in diameter, which is consistent with Africanised queen cell dimensions. They are supplied with a wooden grafting tool and a 12-cell bar frame. The bar frame fits a standard Langstroth brood box. Introduce the grafted bar 24 hours after the colony has been made queenless, when the bees' impulse to raise queens is strongest.

Timing and cell management

Queen cells are capped approximately eight days after grafting. Move capped cells to individual mating nucleus boxes (nucs) on day nine, before the first queen emerges. Each nuc needs a frame of bees, a frame of brood, a frame of stores, and a frame of foundation or empty comb. The virgin queen will take her mating flights between days five and ten after emergence, depending on weather. Do not open the nuc during this period.

Introducing a mated queen

A newly mated queen should be introduced in a cage with a candy plug, allowing the colony to release her gradually over two to three days. Direct introduction of a mated queen into an established colony almost always results in the queen being killed. Remove the old queen at least 24 hours before introducing the new one. Check for acceptance five days after introduction by looking for a normal laying pattern.

The queen rearing cell cup kit in our catalogue includes everything you need to start grafting. If you have questions about timing or technique for your specific situation, contact us and we will help you work through it.