Queen Bee Rearing – Grafting Course (HBQ)

This queen rearing – grafting course is designed to help beekeepers understand the principles behind grafting queens for their own means. 

We initially offered this course through popular demand – beekeepers on our intermediate course wanted to know how we raised the virgin queens that had just hatched in our incubator and were being handed around for people to examine.  Having seen the lovely nature of our bees, they were also interested in understanding a little more about improving the genetics of their own colonies.  The first course sold out within hours!

Brett Heather, with over 20 years apiarists’ experience, presents this course using practical insights that he has gained in more recent years trialling different approaches to queen rearing.   With contacts within the Rottnest Island Breeding Program, Brett has been able to utilise some of the latest information and genetics.  Heathers’ Beekeeping has supplied queens to other hobby farmers and some commercial apiarists.    

This short 4-hour course, part theory and part practical, is run in a close, friendly, informal manner with questions and ideas actively encouraged from the start. 

Beginning inside, with the cool air-conditioning, Brett takes you through a presentation that covers important aspects of queen rearing.

Themes covered include: –

• Trait selection/inherited characteristics.
• Line breeding.
• Hybridisation.
• Grafting methods (wet and dry).
• Grafting equipment and tools required.
• Different starting and finishing hive set ups.
• Use of Queen-right and Queen-less hives.
• Use of cloak boards.
• Seasonal impacts on raising queens including pollen and nectar flows.
• Queen rearing Calendar.

Each attendee is provided with a handout of the presentation to take home and add notes to, if required.

Although we do tackle the ‘nerdy stuff’ – genetics, the learning experience is designed to be fun!  Brett always encourages questions as they arise, to allow free-flowing discussion and an enjoyable, creative learning experience.  Much chatter continues during the break that follows, with refreshments in the form of tea or coffee and yummy treats (usually made from honey). 

Then, once bee suits are on, the course heads outside for some hands-on experience in the hives.  Characteristics of carefully bred queens can be observed first-hand in our placid but healthy, hard-working colonies. Hold a frame up to the light to find larvae of a suitable age for grafting.  Brett will show you different ways to set up hives for starting and finishing.  Finally, a frame will be taken inside so that you can have a go at grafting your own queen cells. We share experiences developed over time to gain the best results.

Following the course, we are happy to answer further questions by phone or email and welcome course attendees to join our Facebook chat group ‘Heathers’ Beekeeping Chat’, which offers a channel to share news/ideas with other attendees and seek advice from Heathers’ Beekeeping. 

Attendees are asked to bring their own bee suits if they have them and suitable covered footwear.  Otherwise, bee suits can be borrowed on request (please let us know in advance to allow time to organise these).  For biosecurity, we provide gloves and hive tools. 

Visit our Facebook page for reviews and posts: –

www.facebook.com/foothillsfresh