I’ve enjoyed eating honey for as long as I can remember. Even as a child I was fascinated with honey bees. Now that I’m older and have the space, I’m trying to keep bees. I’m finding out there is a lot to learn (but very interesting). And the reward is, shall we say, sweet!
The queen bee is essential to the success of the hive. For starters, she is the mother of all the workers. That’s an incredible feat in and of itself. Finding her and seeing that she is healthy and laying eggs gives me a good indication that the hive is thriving.
Finding the queen bee, however, can seem like a daunting process in a hive with thousands of worker bees and many drones (the male bees). There are some tips that I’m learning that I wanted to be sure to remember (and to keep on hand for review). They may help new beekeepers as well.
The how to find the queen bee video below was recommended to me by a beekeeping friend. I found it helpful and also appreciated the written instructions (on the YouTube page linked above). Enjoy, and feel free to share any of your own queen bee finding tips you may have in the comments below. Thank you!