Using Apideas

Queen raising is one of the most rewarding aspects of beekeeping, allowing beekeepers to propagate the desirable characteristics of their best colonies throughout their apiaries. Father and son commercial beekeepers Ken and Dan Basterfield, both holders of the National Diploma in Beekeeping, have been using Apideas to raise their own queens for forty years. Here they present the tips and techniques that have evolved with their working practices. This book is for anyone who would like to use Apidea (or similar) mini polystyrene mating nucs to produce mated queens. Whether you are thinking of ten or a hundred Apideas, the principles and practices covered here will scale up accordingly.