The Importance of Using Local Queen Bees

Dec 2019 03

Local queens for local populations

Healthy and productive honey bee colonies depend on strong, healthy queens. The strongest queens are the ones that thrive in the local environment regardless of the season.

Breeding stock from other regions has not been exposed to the same pressures that bees in your local area have experienced. In contrast, local queens are produced from breeding stock that is performing well in your area. These colonies have endured and overcome the stresses that are unique to your climate and environment.

Imported queens also risk developing colonies that are at a genetic disadvantage. They can carry foreign diseases and pests that the local honey bee population is not adapted to.

Some beekeepers are unable to produce locally adapted queens due to time, resource, and skill constraints. However, these beekeepers can still make a positive contribution to regional honey bee health by sourcing queens from other local beekeepers. These local queen stocks help to increase local drone populations, which are a crucial factor in any breeding program that relies on open mating.

Local Queens for Alberta

In Alberta, we need colonies that have been tested by our harsh norther climate – we need bees that have survived our winters. By importing queens from warmer climates we cannot select for bees that winter well and take full advantage of our intense summer season. Yet, we continue to import queens due to seasonal breeding challenges and a lack of local supply. This mass importation has created a perilous dependence on a source of bees that is subject to border closures and changes in foreign policy.

For Alberta to overcome this dependence there needs to be a culture change that centers on reducing the mass importation of honey bees. By defining new hive management practices and increasing the number of queen breeders in Alberta we can at least start to increase the use of local queens. This increased supply of domestic queens will not only strengthen beekeeping in Alberta overall, but it will allow the province to move towards greater agricultural sustainability. 

At Revival Queen Bees we are excited to educate local beekeepers on how they can incorporate more local queens into their colonies. Keep an eye on our blog or follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to be part of the journey.

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