Top Highlights

• He actually keeps bees shirtless wearing only a necklace (haha). This is actually a still picture from a movie called “Queen Of The Sun” but this is a real beekeeper. I don’t recommend keeping bees shirtless but it just goes to show that the possibilities are endless.
• When the queen is older, she stops laying as well. The number of bees in the colony drop and it becomes difficult for the bees to store enough honey for winter months. To prevent this from happening, beekeepers have to maintain good records of the performance of their hive and the laying of their queen.
• When the brood numbers drop or disappear, the queen must be replaced.
• Overall, the replacement of the queen bee should probably be done every three years at the most. There are benefits to replacing the queen yearly, so some beekeepers choose to go this route. By replacing her every year after June 21, the beekeeper can ensure that the overwintering bees will be fat, healthy and possess more gland enzymes.
• At the present time, there are no known causes of CCD. Essentially, the adult honey bees within a hive suddenly disappear without a known cause. There may be no bees left at all or just a few young bees and the queens.