We breed our own open-air mated queens from local resilient stock that show desirable traits, we assist our bees to adapt to their surroundings allowing them to evolve and become fit for their environment. The looming threat of the spread of varroa mites in Australia will test our bees to new limits. Assisting our wild locally adapted bees to co-exist with Varroa is our greatest challenge.

 

We found that queens that had been purchased and breed from other locations did not stand up to the challenges of tropical Queensland, the long wet season and increased numbers of small hive beetles would often overwhelm a small colony and without our constant input would often fail. We soon discovered that bees that had been raised and bred locally showed much more resilience to our climate and pathogens and so began our decade of breeding locally adapted queens.

 

We observe what they are doing and support them in their cycle of life and production of pure honey. We use foundationless frames so the bees can draw their own beeswax, which they use to rear their young and store their honey. This enables the bees to make their home the way they want, in return supplying us with 100% natural wax when we extract. We only take surplus honey and allow adequate honey stores for the bees to overwinter and rear their young. We care about our bees and believe that they make the best beekeepers.