*Not recommended for 1st year hives*
There are lots of ways to raise queens and we’ve tried most of them. This is an easy way to raise and bank a queen for people who only have a few colonies but want to keep a queen on hand just in case. (Keeping a queen on hand is sometimes referred to as banking a queen).
In order to raise a queen, bees need lots of food coming in, and a fertilized egg or larvae under 3 days old. During normal swarm season in your area (generally May and June in Twin Falls area) is a good time to raise a queen. We are going to use a 5 frame waxed cardboard nuc box, take some frames with eggs, some frames with brood, and some frames of honey and pollen and create a queen rearing nuc. The bees will use one of the eggs to raise a queen. If she successfully mates then you have a queen about a month later. If they fail you can try again or put the bees back in your hive. This is a simple way to dabble in queen rearing without needing lots of special equipment or expertise.
