How To Commercially Rear Queen Honey Bees With Border Honey

[@eastsussexbeesandwildlife5801]

That was brilliant. Thanks also due to those excellent folks at Border for being so open about their rearing methods.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Border_Honey]

Thank you. We really enjoyed making this with Gruff

[@stevedonohoe]

Nice one Gruff. I was at Border Honey not long ago, seeing what you saw, for a magazine article I wrote. They are doing a great job producing UK mated queens. 👍

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Your article set the video up nicely 😊

[@Border_Honey]

Thanks for the ‘big up’Steve. Your article for Bee Farmers was awesome 🐝💛👌🏻

[@ME_MeAndMyBees]

Hi Guys. Wow what an Amazing Set Up. And a very neat Video ! Saying Hello from the Borders of "Scotland." Bees here too. 😉 Tip : Re 'Melted Wax Strips' I go to Charity (Op) Shops and buy up old 'unwanted' long handled "Teaspoons." Then I give them a bit of a real Hammering ! Until each edge is kind of 'bent inwards' in order to get a Channel with a Point to Pour from ! Like a dinky Funnel. Scoop up some 'Melted Wax' from a Double Warmer (or Fab alternative :) My recent New Toy : "Is a 'Mug Warmer" off Amazon (Regular x3 Pin Plug type.) Was "Sold" to 'Warm up' a Ceramic, Glass or Metal (Mug) or in my case any ex 'empty' Tomatoe Tin ! With a 'Pinched' edge to Pour, re bigger Frame Strip insert use. Warms at 50C No water needed with this 'Mug Gadget.' 👍 Re 'Teaspoon Pouring Tool.' Get those 'Mini Frames' resting upside down, Add that Strip, and Glue in place with a Trickle of Hot Wax (glueing via Wax) to set that Strip in place. No tricky 'holding and dipping, then placing that Strip (!) Just slot in, watch, Trickle a Seam of Hot Wax each side. Allow to cool. Solid as a Rock. Works a treat. Only a Hobby Beek, but use this in my DIY Nucs, Warres Top Bars, and the odd Dinky 'Queen Bee' x2 Frame Mini Hive. (Off Cuts of Ply) from a local Mens Shed 'Community' Wood Shop. Makes these "Hives" for Queen Bee Rearing, really easy. . . This Year a Hive ('Bred') some nicely spaced x2 Cells on Several Frames. Cut and Trimmed out with Scissors. (Grafting to fiddly for my liking. . .) So used what 'Bees' made ! They know how to make good Queen Cells. So think outside the Box !!! 😏 Also have 'Eggs' Incubating, so once Ducklings 'Hatch,' its a case of Cleaning and Sterilising my mini Incubator and adding some Styrofoam 'QC'' Holder Blocks. Source some HQL Colonies, and their 'Swarm Cells' and add these into the Incubator. Nice Trick that ! 👌 (Until the next Nuc needs a New 'Queen.') Don't think a Broody Hen would Hatch a 'Cluster of Queens' ! Shes running at Body Temp of 38C. 🤭 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 Happy Beekeeping 2024 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

[@Border_Honey]

Thank you very much. Wow what an in depth information share. Thank you, love the teaspoon idea 👍🏻👌🏻

[@martprice7726]

Great advertisement for Alex just up the road from me well done Gruff ❤❤❤❤❤

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Your lucky to have a queen breeder up the road 😊

[@Border_Honey]

Thank you 🙌🏻🐝👌🏻buzzing in your area. Have you tried some yet?

[@wr450fsp1]

Hi Guys This video is so amazing. I lost words! I think we have to be very proud with Beekeeper like this family. Thanks for video and I wish all the best to everyone. Thank you

[@gwenyngruffydd]

💛💛💛

[@martindale7559]

Wow that was absolutely brilliant, just shows the queens are worth every penny ❤❤

[@gwenyngruffydd]

🐝💛💛

[@Border_Honey]

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it. A lot of time and energy goes in to doing what we love 🐝💛

[@albigensian4655]

wow, love seeing this side of beekeeping, don't think i've the eyesight to try rearing my own queens lol.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Me either!

[@Border_Honey]

Thank you. Yes a side rarely seen. Glasses and a magnifying glass 🔍 🤔😂

[@jillnewnes9309]

Great video! so fascinating to watch how the Queens are reared and you really appreciate the hard work involved. Very impressive 🐝

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thank you ☺️

[@Border_Honey]

Thank you 👍🏻🐝💛

[@ceceliabarber4192]

A fascinating insight into the queen rearing process. Thank you!

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thanks for watching

[@Border_Honey]

Thank you ☺️🐝💛

[@Sageandbellflowerhoneybees]

Great insight into a commercial queen rearing set up. Thanks Gruff and Boarder Honey!

[@gwenyngruffydd]

😊👍🏻

[@Border_Honey]

Thank you 👍🏻👌🏻

[@HappyBees]

Awesome video, Iv been learning to breed my own queen's, using local caught wild swarms and crossing with my top performing colonys, it's been go ok 🐝🐝🍯

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Keep at it! 💪🏻

[@Border_Honey]

Thank you. We had an awesome day. Good luck with your grafting 👍🏻

[@Cubrider]

Being on the council im a very busy man as you know but i watch about 3hrs of bee videos a day over the past year , now thats alot of video but this is the best and most informative bee video i have ever watched. Well done Gruff and i will definitely be trying their queens next year.

[@YNythBach]

Really enjoyed watching, thanks Gruff.xx

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thank you so much, much appreciated 😊

[@Border_Honey]

Thank you so much. Appreciated. Why wait till next year? Plenty of time to make some splits for over wintering nucs 😉

[@Cubrider]

@@Border_Honey I started with 1 nuc this year and now have 13 so done loads of splits and don't want anymore but I will request some next year

[@Border_Honey]

@@Cubrider that’s good going 👍🏻hope they build well for you and have a great season 🐝👌🏻

[@shaneemmerson4658]

Awesome insight into queen rearing, thank you.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@Border_Honey]

Thank you. It’s an awesome job

[@southernseakayaks7238]

Best video I have watched this year, great info laid out in a way that is easy to understand, thank you.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thank you so much 😊

[@Border_Honey]

Thank you so much. Gruff did a fantastic job of leading the story. Glad you found it accessible 🐝💛👌🏻

[@patgentry7268]

Great video! Such attention to detail, makes you pleased to see them successful with their value-added bee business! Let us know how your cells came out! Your enthusiasm is so infectious, thank you! All best from North of San Francisco.

[@MyPrince1981]

Brilliant collaboration 👌

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thank you

[@Border_Honey]

Thank you 🙌🏻👌🏻🐝💛

[@englishhomestead]

Brilliant video, they have shared so much information. Awesome.

[@danhendo5508]

I got my Queen from border honey on Wednesday hopefully she is accepted. Great video and really interesting to see how it’s all done.

[@davidmaloney2724]

Good video good job. Noticed the v shape comb. Like a mini top bar hive so they don’t attach the comb to the sides. Also very intelligent three. Your praise was justified.

[@JM-tx2fz]

Great content , well done 👍

[@Border_Honey]

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thank you ☺️

[@finsbury8919]

Brilliant Gruff, nice to see Kielers being used as I do. The only difference being the raiser but I’ll try their method.

[@aidan4158]

It is surprising how much effort that goes into queen rear but they make it seem simple, I think having a plan and sticking to it is the best way.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

100%

[@Border_Honey]

Thank you. Timing is everything. We’ve developed what works well for us.

[@deecull8750]

Great video

[@Border_Honey]

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thanks!

[@tyrrells_honey]

Nice video covering the full operation,Gruff. It is extremely hard to run queen rearing in the UK. You have to constantly worry about the weather,drones, wasps etc. I think they forgot to mention that the starting nucs will also need a good source of pollen and obviously a lot of nursing bees. The nuc rearing may be a good set up for someone who just wants to do 10-15 queens. These mini nucs are absolutely a pain to manage, you have to 'baby sit' these all the time.

[@jeanbees5919]

GREAT video

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thank you ☺️

[@bobhayter8526]

Excellent video as always Gruff, what an excellent family business to let you film the basic process and share with the world. Have you produced a video of how the introduction of the Queen Cells went into your own nucs? Thanks!

[@gwenyngruffydd]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hp6ainaIgqqpfaMsi=T3H2WJTw3bJcsAlX 😊

[@IcemanMobile]

I'm having a nightmare with mini nucs this year and just can't seem to get them going. Can I ask about timings? You put the bees in the box and then leave them in a dark place for about 3 days. At what point do you run in the virgin - immediately when you make up the nuc or after the 3 days? Thanks. Brilliant video BTW.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

I think it was immediately, but best to ask them.

[@Border_Honey]

You need to place your virgin queen in the mini nuc same day or next day to collecting the bees. If you take your mini nuc out to field too soon they will likely abscond. 3 full days in the dark with queen.

[@martprice7726]

@@IcemanMobile I gave up on mini nucs years ago as soon as the Queen started laying they would swarm

[@BadaBingBadaBoomYT]

Thank you for making this video !! Also...what marker are they using ?? (SORRY! HAD TO ! :))))

[@gwenyngruffydd]

😂

[@BadaBingBadaBoomYT]

Found the pens by the way, had a queen react badly to a sort of nail polish (that I got from a big bee stuff webshop!) ...not even sure if she made it. (would be a shame, for a mongrol she was HUUUGE) My thoughts: if Border Honey uses these they have to be fine. I mean, they rent land even to rear queens....so they would not use a marking material that would risk damaging a queen !@# :) Edding 751 in this case green pastel (not even expensive, ordered a 5 pack of different colours (at the least covering 2023/24/25...) for about 16 euros on amazon....)

[@fabianweber619]

Do the nucs overwinter?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

You can yes. Ideally you’d overwinter them on double brood

[@ME_MeAndMyBees]

Your Welcome ! 😎 In the 'Clover' when watching any Informative Videos on Bees and Bee Management !As a Kid : (School Project) I wrote to 'Brother Adam (of Buckfast Abbey) Bee Fame and he Wrote back ! No 'Tinternet in the in the '80's Kept Bees as a young Teen. Then a Swarm found me during 'Covid Lockdown'. Had to Re Skill / Up Skill via Videos off KZbin ! So yes, Virtual Learning of Beekeeping is possible. . . Think outside the Box. Use what you have : Wood Glue, Pallet Wood, some basic Construction of an afternoon to 'Catch' that Swarm ! If they are Warm and Dry, have something to make Comb from they will Stay. 🤗 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 Happy Beekeeping 2024 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

[@markjohnadams1293]

Nice video, just a few important bits missing. They have missed the important parts of setting up the starter/finisher correctly. You need lots of nurse bees (not foragers) and a good amount of pollen. If you want to try this methods an a national hive you can use a snelgrove or cloake board that works just as well.

[@won2winit]

No mention on putting pollen loaded frames next to the cells as most other videos I have seen boost the amount of royal jelly the bees can make to feed those larvae.

[@Border_Honey]

Yes you are correct 👍🏻👌🏻

[@won2winit]

@Border_Honey thanks for confirming as was planning on trying grafting this year but the weather up here in Aberdeen has not helped or tge bees trying to swarm so took up the spare kit I would have used...

[@Border_Honey]

@@won2winit a tough start to the season for many, even tougher up there where you are. Good luck for the rest of the season and trying your hand next year.

[@johncarson6220]

Does it matter if there are eggs and larva in the bottom box?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

In the double nuc with the split board?

[@johncarson6220]

Great video. My question is, do they move eggs and larva up with the queen or just insure the queen is in the top box and not worry about eggs or larva in the bottom with the cells.

[@coryrthomas6674]

do they ship to the U.S Thanks

[@gwenyngruffydd]

You’ll need to drop them an email to ask

[@Border_Honey]

Thank you for your enquiry. No we don’t. It would be too long distance.

[@wr450fsp1]

Hi Guys This video is so amazing. I lost words! I think we have to be very proud with Beekeeper like this family. Thanks for video and I wish all the best to everyone. Thank you

[@deecull8750]

Great video

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thank you