One of our 2019 queens

Last year I gave a late mated queen in a nuc to a beekeeper friend. This was a very small nuc and so you would expect that they would need to be kept in ideal conditions in order to overwinter successfully. However shortly after taking possession a storm struck, the nuc was blown over and the majority of the bees we’re tipped out onto the ground. Their new owner being a particularly caring  beekeeper, carefully scooped up as many bees as possible but resigned herself to the most likely outcome would be a failed colony.
I was delighted to hear from her last week when she told me that the small colony had made it through the winter and spring and was doing extremely well. The queen I was told was, and I quote, “HUGE AND VERY BLACK”,  Oh dear, it’s the same year after year, the queens that I sell or pass on seem to be the very best.
Today I received a photo and video of the queen. The beekeeper only has a yellow marking pen which is why the queen isn’t marked green for 2019.
I get a lot of satisfaction from hearing stories about the queens that we raise here a Woodside Apiary.

The first of this year’s  queens are out for mating now, let’s hope that they are as hardy and successful as the queen featured above.