• Beekeeping

    When to Requeen a Hive

    The queen is the most important bee in the hive.  She is the only one that lays eggs, and therefore is responsible for the growth of the colony.  Sometimes the beekeeper will decide that the queen needs to be replaced.  This is called requeening a hive.  There are a few reasons why requeening should occur. For example, when a queen gets older, she may not be as efficient at laying eggs.  Sometimes requeening a weak hive is necessary for the colony’s survival.  But how do you know when to requeen a hive?  Read on to find out.  When to Requeen a Hive A hive should not be requeened without good…

  • Bees

    8 Interesting Facts About the Queen Bee

    The queen bee is the only one in her caste, and she is the most important bee in the entire colony.  Her job is to lay all of the eggs in the hive, and she lays a lot of them.  While her name implies that she’s the ruler of the colony, that isn’t quite true. They have more of a democratic system, where worker bees actually vote on certain things, such as the swarm’s next nesting location.   Read on to learn 8 more interesting facts about the queen bee.  1. The queen bee lays up to 2,000 eggs per day. That amounts to 1 egg every 43 seconds.  She is…