The NSQBA

Providing Better Queens to Beekeepers

 Since 2008

The Northern States Queen Breeders Association provides assistance and support for the growing number of northern breeders, that are dedicated to providing acclimatized, northern hardy, and survivor stock queens and honey bees to the beekeeping industry.

Highlighted Information You Can Use:

For a number of years, the bee industry in the U.S. imported tens of thousands of packages from Australia. Many beekeepers opposed such importation of weak genetics, from honey bees never exposed to mites or the various disease issues mite spread. Some say that a queen is a queen. That all queens are created equal. But a recent study has now shown that Australian bees have NO mite resistance. Thank goodness, the importation of bees from Australia has stopped. But the damage to the genetic pool of honey bees here in the U.S. will probably never be fully understood. The lesson is that there are huge differences between various queen stocks,and breeders.

Mission Statement:

To build a network of bee breeders who will contribute queens, breeding knowledge, and goodwill, benefitting other NSQBA members, and the bee industry.

To provide beekeepers a source of northern raised queens and bees.

To work towards a better survivor stock of acclimatized and over-wintered bees with traits desirable to benefit northern beekeepers.

NSQBA member Lucas Yule

demonstrating his grafting skills.

The NSQBA encourages local queen production. The bee industry can benefit greatly when more beekeepers raise their own queens. We encourage local clubs and beekeepers to pool their resources and raise queens as a group. The more bees raised in their local environment, the stronger the traits, allowing bees to deal and cope with environmental conditions in their local areas.

While we do maintain a minimum standard for membership into the association, we are more than willing to help those interested in raising queens. The demand for northern raised queens and nucs is tremendous. And we all benefit from building a stronger bee industry.