Welcome to Bee Centric Apiary
At Bee Centric Apiary, we work exclusively with Italian Honey Bees (Apis mellifera ligustica)—a breed renowned for its gentle nature and exceptional productivity. These bees thrive in our hot summers and mild winters, making them a perfect fit for North Carolina’s climate.
Our main apiary is surrounded by acres of vibrant flowers, providing a rich forage environment. The result? Happy, hardworking bees that produce premium honey.
Why Italian Honey Bees?
Italian Honey Bees are one of the most popular subspecies among beekeepers worldwide. Here’s why:
- Gentle Temperament: Less defensive and easier to manage.
- High Productivity: Excellent honey producers and efficient comb builders.
- Adaptability: Performs well in subtropical and temperate climates.
Originating from continental Italy south of the Alps, these bees are prolific brood raisers and skilled foragers. Their striking appearance—light or golden yellow bodies with brown and yellow striped abdomens—adds to their appeal.
Things to Know:
- They may swarm more often due to continuous brood rearing in spring and summer.
- They consume more stores than some other subspecies.
- They struggle in colder, humid regions.
Spotting the Queen
In a hive of 30,000–60,000 bees, finding the queen can be a challenge. That’s why we mark ours with a colored dot. For 2025, the color is blue, which helps us track her age and locate her quickly.
Check out the photo below to see our bees and queens in action!
Meet the Queen and Her Court
In the photo above, you’ll see the queen bee in Hive 12, marked with a blue dot for easy identification. The queen is noticeably larger than the worker bees around her. On this frame, the cells in the center hold fresh nectar, while the capped cells on the right contain stored honey.
Surrounding the queen is her retinue—a group of dedicated attendants. These worker bees play a critical role in the hive’s health and harmony:
- Feeding the Queen: They provide her with royal jelly and other nutrients to keep her strong and productive.
- Grooming and Cleaning: The retinue constantly cleans the queen to maintain her health.
- Communication Hub: By touching and licking the queen, they spread her pheromones throughout the hive, signaling her presence and stabilizing colony behavior.
The queen’s pheromones are essential for hive cohesion, influencing everything from brood rearing to worker activity. Without her retinue, the queen couldn’t fulfill her role as the colony’s sole egg layer.