News

2021-03-26 -- The swarms are here.

The first swarm came out of an overwintered, double 5 frame nuc and moved into a top-bar bait hive on its own. Since then two more swarms have been housed. The season's off to a good start.

2020-03-30 -- Our first batch of virgin queens have been installed in mating hives.

It was an early run of grafts but the weather cooperated and drones are out. Already, two new, likely feral swarms have made it into our apiary for breeding, one from 28805 and another from 28801.

2019-04-22 -- First batch of virgin queens are now available for purchase.

We'll be doing weekly grafting through May so let us know if you are interested in treatment free survivor stock to re-queen your hives.

2018-04-06 -- Carl Chesick from chbr.org demonstrates his method of increasing stock.

See the full write up here: http://www.psychochickenecofarm.com/2018/04/04/honey-bee-increase-nucs/

Direct link to images and summary here: https://bit.ly/2JnhTEK

2018-04-04 -- Gallery of grafting images from 2018: https://photos.app.goo.gl/nzZ9RqULJoKr18jm2

2018-04-02 -- CALL FOR QUEENLESS NUCS! (Your opportunity to increase the diversity and size of your yard at no cost to you!).

Some members of the cooperative are planning to produce more queens than we have mating nucs to hold. These surplus virgin queens will either be sold or, if you're willing to loan us a queen-less nuc with 4 frames of brood and bees, we'll split them in two, attempt to raise two queens from them, and if successful, return your equipment with an open-mated queen from local survivor stock (We only guarantee the return of your equipment. As any beekeeper knows...things can happen outside your control, but we'll do our best to return it with a mated queen). We'll need queenless nucs in our mating yard by April 11, 2018.

2018-03-29 -- Website Launch:

The WNC Queen Breeding Cooperative's official website is launched at the March BeeCentric Alliance meeting at AB Tech, Sycamore Building, room 201.