This unit applies to those who rear queen bees to produce high quality queen bees and queen cells through the application of good management practices.

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1. Establish conditions and obtain requirements for queen bee rearing

1.1. Breeding stock is selected from productive healthy stock according to established breeding program criteria.

1.2. All tools, equipment and other requirements needed to rear queen bees are obtained and confirmed as being in good repair and serviceable for use.

1.3. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is checked for serviceability and worn and used correctly.

1.4. Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) hazards associated with rearing queen bees are identified and action is taken to minimise them.

1.5. Any site quarantine or other biosecurity protocols in force are observed.

1.6. All hives and colonies used for queen bee and drone production are confirmed as being in clean and healthy condition.

1.7. Day-old larvae from the breeder queen bee are selected for grafting and transferred from worker cells into queen cell cups.

1.8. Adequate numbers of nurse bees are confirmed as being present in cell raising colonies.

1.9. Grafted cells are placed into cell starting colonies and then into cell finishing colonies.

2. Establish and monitor the queen mating process

2.1. Ripe queen cells are transferred into the nucleus 10-11 days after grafting.

2.2. Adequate numbers of mature, well nourished and genetically suitable drones are provided during mating period.

2.3. Details of grafting and subsequent placement of cells into nucleus colonies are recorded according to enterprise standards.

2.4. Age of the queen removed from mating colony is recorded.

Required skills

identifying hazards and implementing safe work practices

grafting

handling the hive

recognising diseases, pests and disorders and taking appropriate action

use literacy skills to read, interpret and follow organisational policies and procedures, develop sequenced written instructions, record accurately and legibly information collected and select and apply procedures to a range of tasks

use oral communication skills / language competence to fulfil the job role as specified by the organisation including questioning, active listening, asking for clarification, negotiating solutions and responding to a range of views

use numeracy skills to estimate, calculate and record routine and more complex workplace measures and data

use interpersonal skills to work with others and relate to people from a range of cultural, social and religious backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental abilities.

Required knowledge

basic knowledge of the principles of inheritance of bee characteristics

signs of brood and adult bee ill health sufficient to recognise diseases, pests and disorders and take appropriate

techniques and timing for queen cell production

storage requirements of queen bees

optimum conditions for requeening

OHS and animal welfare requirements.

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.

Overview of assessment

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:

select breeding stock according to established breeding program criteria

graft larvae of suitable age

assess and maintain nutrition and health of larvae and drones.

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.

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole.

Stock may include:

breeding stock from instrumentally inseminated stock

stock mated in an isolated area

select tested

stock selected according to established breeding program criteria.

Unit sector

Beekeeping

This unit contains employability skills.