Modification History
Not Applicable
Unit Descriptor
Unit descriptor |
This unit covers the process of requeening a honey bee colony with a replacement queen, and defines the standard required to: identify need to requeen, breed and select for replacement queen bee and place in hive; monitor activity of new queen bee and threat of competition. |
Application of the Unit
Application of the unit |
This unit applies to beekeepers that are likely to be working supervised. Well-reared and mated, young healthy queen bees of good genetic stock are a major factor in improving honey yields. Requeening is typically practised annually to obtain benefits from the increased egg-laying ability and high pheromone production associated with young queen bees. Requeening by commercial honey producers is normally carried out in spring/summer through to autumn to fit in with seasonal conditions and management practices. |
Licensing/Regulatory Information
Not Applicable
Pre-Requisites
Prerequisite units |
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Employability Skills Information
Employability skills |
This unit contains employability skills. |
Elements and Performance Criteria Pre-Content
Not Applicable
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT |
PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
1. Identify requirement to requeen a colony |
1.1. Vigour of the current queen is assessed. 1.2. Colony is monitored for signs that indicate queen replacement is necessary. |
2. Prepare to requeen a colony |
2.1. Replacement queens that meet enterprise criteria are obtained from a commercial supplier or from own breeding stock. 2.2. Replacement queens and any escort worker bees are stored in appropriate conditions and monitored until requeening is undertaken. 2.3. Hive is monitored to ensure requeening occurs under optimum conditions. 2.4. Replacement queen is confirmed as being healthy and free from parasites. |
3. Introduce replacement queen bee |
3.1. Old queen bee is located in the hive and removed. 3.2. Where queen bee has been raised in a nucleus colony, either nucleus colony is placed on top of colony to be requeened, and the two colonies separated by a single layer of paper, or queen bee is caught and introduced into another colony. 3.3. Hive is left undisturbed for a period of ten days. |
4. Monitor progress of a replacement queen bee |
4.1. After ten days, the hive is monitored for acceptance of replacement queen bee by colony. 4.2. Replacement queen bee is monitored for evidence of egg laying and adequate levels of hatching. |
Required Skills and Knowledge
REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE |
This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit. |
Required skills |
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Required knowledge |
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Evidence Guide
EVIDENCE GUIDE |
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The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package. |
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Overview of assessment |
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Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit |
The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy holistically all of the requirements of the performance criteria and required skills and knowledge and include achievement of the following:
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Context of and specific resources for assessment |
Competency requires the application of work practices under work conditions. Selection and use of resources for some worksites may differ due to the regional or enterprise circumstances. |
Range Statement
RANGE STATEMENT |
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The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. |
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Honey bee colony may include: |
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Unit Sector(s)
Unit sector |
Beekeeping |
Co-requisite units
Co-requisite units |
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Competency field
Competency field |