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NorCal Nectar

NorCal Nectar Journal

Raw honey, honey sticks & beekeeping

Buying guides, serving maths, recipes and hive management — written to answer one question at a time, with the sources shown.

3 articles · page 1 of 1

Beekeeping

How to Requeen a Hive: Buying, Introducing, and Acceptance Step-by-Step

Requeening is one of the highest-leverage interventions in beekeeping -- it can fix a failing colony, swap aggressive genetics for gentle stock, or refresh productivity in an aging hive. This guide walks through every step from sourcing a quality queen to confirming she's been accepted and is laying.

22 min read

Beekeeping & Sustainability

Locally Adapted Queens vs Commercial Queens: Survivor Stock in 2026

Commercial queens dominate the U.S. market, but locally adapted survivor stock now outperforms them on overwintering, mite resistance, and brood patterns in independent field trials. Here is what 2026 data shows, who is breeding the best queens regionally, and how to decide which to buy for your hives.

18 min read

Beekeeping

Queen Rearing for Beginners: 5 Methods to Raise Your Own Queen Bees

Queen rearing is the single most useful skill a beekeeper can develop beyond basic colony management. This guide covers five proven methods -- from the simplest walk-away split to full Doolittle grafting -- with honest assessments of difficulty, equipment costs, and when to use each one.

22 min read

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