About this course

Develop your skills in queen bee breeding

Take the next step in your beekeeping journey with this two-day course at Tocal. Delivered by industry-respected specialists, the course will help you understand queen bee development and learn the practical skills needed to rear quality queen bees and establish a breeding program.

You’ll learn how to:

  • select larvae of the correct age for grafting queen cells
  • graft queen cells using appropriate techniques
  • rear quality queen bees
  • understand the principles of queen bee development
  • plan and implement a queen bee breeding program.

Whether you want to improve your existing beekeeping operation or expand into queen bee production, this course will help you build the knowledge and skills to get started.

Is this course right for me?

This course is designed for experienced beekeepers who want to develop their skills in queen bee rearing and breeding. A basic understanding of beekeeping and honey bee colony management will help you get the most out of the training. If you’re ready to build your knowledge of queen bee production and develop a breeding program, click on the register now button.

At a glance:

Location: Paterson campus
Course duration: 2 days
Start date: Multiple intakes
Number of units: 1
Indicative fees: $862 GST-free
Accredited Course: Yes

Details

  • Graft queen cells with correct age larvae
  • Raise quality queen bees
  • Implement a queen breeding program

$862 GST-free

Day 1

  • Introduction
  • Queen bee rearing principles
  • Cell bars and cell raising colonies
  • Grafting
  • Managing small and large numbers of cells
  • Mating procedure
  • Biology of honey bees
  • Castes
  • Reproductive system
  • Life cycle
  • Importance of nutrition and disease management

Day 2

  • Genetics
  • Breeding program and selection of stock
  • Drone mother hive management
  • Nucleus colony size/management
  • Mating yard design
  • Catching, marking, clipping and caging queen bees
  • Packing, mailing and transporting queen bees
  • Banking queens
  • Queen candy
  • Queen bee introduction
  • Artificial Insemination (AI)
  • Conclusion

  • Each participant receives the Queen Bee Breeding AgGuide and grafting kit.
  • This course is delivered using both indoor and outdoor instruction.

Participants must:

  • Be experienced beekeepers with a solid foundational knowledge of honey bee biology, colony management, and hive operations.
  • Be comfortable working outdoors in apiary environments around active honey bee colonies while handling live frames.
  • Have no known severe or life-threatening allergies to bee stings (anaphylaxis).
  • Possess good hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and adequate vision (with correction if needed) to identify, pick up, and graft tiny 12–24 hour old larvae into cell cups.
  • Wear mandatory personal protective gear during practical apiary work (including full bee suit/jacket with veil, protective gloves, and sturdy closed-in leather footwear).
  • Strictly comply with field biosecurity protocols and trainer safety instructions at all times.

Language, Literacy, Numeracy, and Digital Capability Requirements

To complete this course successfully, participants will need:

  • Reading: Interpreting queen rearing manuals, larval development charts, cell builder management schedules, and genetic line records.
  • Writing: Completing grafting record logs, queen cell emergence calendars, cell distribution tracking forms, and breeding line histories.
  • Numeracy: Tracking precise developmental timelines (counting days from grafting to cell capping and emergence), calculating cell acceptance percentages, and measuring sugar syrup feeding volumes for cell starter/finisher colonies.
  • Oral Communication & Hearing: Communicating effectively with instructors and peers during practical grafting sessions and outdoor apiary activities.
  • Digital Literacy: Basic computer or smartphone skills.

This course has been mapped to the national unit of competency AHCBEK409 Rear queen bees.



Additional Information

For information on students rights and responsibilities, and the Tocal College Code of Practice see Industry qualification student policies.



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