Overwintering Queen Banks in Oregon—2022 Update
Beekeepers can offset the increasingly high demand for new queens by overwintering late-season queens in bank colonies. After winter, beekeepers can use these queens to replace failing queens in colonies prepared for almond pollination services. Ellen will discuss: 1. How to build and maintain bank colonies, 2. Tips on the best overwintering approach, and 3. OSU study results on queen survival rates, queen reproductive quality, and colony performance after queen banking.
Ellen Topitzhofer is a Research Assistant with Oregon State University’s Honey Bee Lab. She has been working with commercial beekeepers mastering on-the-ground testing and applicable research since 2012.