Canadian researchers are utilizing infrared technology to investigate methods for overwintering queen bees to reduce reliance on foreign imports. By monitoring outdoor queen banks, experts discovered that bee clusters prioritize staying with the banked queens over moving to hive walls for shared warmth, suggesting that repositioning queen frames could improve survival. The study also examined indoor mating nucs, where thermal imaging identified temperature fluctuations and colony age as critical factors in late-winter mortality. These findings indicate that maintaining precise environment controls and ensuring a high population of young bees in the fall are essential for success. Ultimately, this non-invasive monitoring provides vital data to help local producers refine their techniques and stabilize the domestic queen supply. #honeybees #valleybeekeeping
http://www.valleybeekeeping.com
