Improving the Quality of Queen Honey Bees produced in the Northeast by Modifying Standard 10-Frame High Body Boxes

Project Overview

FNE11-729
Project Type: Farmer
Funds awarded in 2011: $14,971.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2011
Region: Northeast
State: New Jersey
Project Leader:
Karoly Toth
Toth Apiaries

Commodities

  • Animals: bees

Practices

  • Animal Production: housing
  • Education and Training: farmer to farmer

    Proposal summary:

    Beekeepers in the Northeast have difficulty in either securing or raising good quality queen bees suitable for this colder climate. Queens and bee packages purchased from southern suppliers yield at best, marginal results when used in the colder climate of the northeast. This proposal is a study to develop an economical way for the Northeast beekeeper to easily and inexpensively produce high quality, climate adapted, queen honeybees in modified standard 10 frame hive boxes. The study describes how to modify existing 10-frame hive boxes so as to house 2, 4-frame units, each with screen bottoms and variable entrance gates. The study will also evaluate how these 4-frame units perform in both a cool (May) environment and a hot (July) environment. The evaluation of these units will be based on the survival rate of the queens and various qualities of the surviving queens as they develop. Further, these qualities can be used in future queen selection. The results of the study will be presented at local and regional apiary workshops and meetings. Also at least one on-site workshop is planned.

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.