Through the years we have used different mating nucs.  We currently use mini Styrofoam mating nucs.  Since we designed our custom mating nuc frames these units work well in our mating yards.   When we "make up" new nucs (1st round) each box receives:

• 1/3 lb of bees
• Adequate syrup.
• One queen cell
• One "Queen Track" tag

We usually make these up between 12pm-4pm each day we "pour." These nucs are then stacked on custom stacking racks designed for appropriate ventilation. For the next 36-48 hours the nucs remain closed giving adequate time for the cells to hatch. This also gives the virgins adequate time to acclimate with the workers.

On day 17 we place the mating nucs in the mating yards.

Our mating yards are located on the southern end of Northern California's mating nuc heaven. Vaca Valley Apiaries, Taber's Honey Bee Genetics, Bee Happy Apiaries, BZ-Bee, Fosters, Lohmans and other quality queen breeders have utilized this terrain and climate for many years producing quality queens.

Our mating nucs are placed in blocks of four nucs. Each of these four nucs are of a different color. We space these blocks approximately 6 to 10 feet apart in areas with numerous large trees to provide suitable orientation and shading. Our mating yards are also located in areas "designed" for good mating flight (Located in areas with minimal wind).

We flood each mating nuc yard with 50-100 survivor hives derived from our previous year's stock. This helps ensure adequate drone population for mating.  Those who want to purchase queens from us often ask if our queens are "pure bred." Our queen mother stock is pure bred as advertised. However we do not claim that when you purchase a queen (Russian, Cordovan, Carniolan, or Minnesota Hygienic-Italian) that all the drone mothers that have mated our queens are of the same pure stock. We believe that flooding our mating yards with a diverse drone stock from survivor hives will better ensure a well bred queen. For example a Russian queen might have some lighter progeny in the hive.

For the last 9 years we have been working on reducing-eliminating foreign chemicals in our hives. We have never used "illegal chemicals" to save our hives. The empirical data shows that use of these chemicals has reduced the virility of drones. Therefore we have established "Drug Free" Drone Zones in our mating yards to better ensure well mated queens.

When we pick our queens we use only one criterion:
Pick for quality - Not for quantity.

We could pick our queens when there are eggs present in the mating nucs but we have found that waiting until the mating nuc contains sealed brood will benefit both the queen purchaser and ourselves. By waiting for sealed brood we can better check or "prove" the queens quality. Waiting for capped brood benefits us by reducing the need to continually restock the mating nucs.





Checklist for Queen Quality:

• Well formed brood pattern in mating nuc.


• Good body size /shape / condition.


• Compare queen appearance to "Queen Trac".