Queen Rearing Program

Microbreeding initiative in Local Queen Rearing, through NC State

NC State Apiculture Objective: To foster a community of local “microbreeders” of honey bee queens, NCSU is providing specialized hive equipment and other materials to local county beekeeping chapters. WCBA was chosen to receive a $2500 grant to participate in 2026.

This effort is meant to be an effort focused on small scale queen rearing for backyard beekeepers.  Our club has a majority of backyard beekeepers and we want to develop processes that fits the skills and scale for those members.

Several WCBA members are participating and will have locally raised queens available through the summer.  As well, this group will provide educational programs for others who may be interested in raising local queens.

Request a Queen

Our queens have all been sold for 2026. Please check back in the spring of 2027.

Learning resources:

• Hive splits
• Requeening a split
• Requeening to improve the hive
• Determining a queenless hive
• Laying working hive
• Fixing a laying worker hive (Note: Requeening a laying worker hive is highly likely to fail)