20249 version 2
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Manipulate beehives in spring, evaluate queen performance, and
requeen beehives
Level
4
Credits
7
Purpose
People credited with this unit standard are able to: manipulate beehives in
spring to maximise honey production; check, and report on queen bee
performance; and determine the need for requeening, and requeen the
beehive.
Subfield
Agriculture
Domain
Apiculture
Status
Registered
Status date
21 August 2009
Date version published
21 August 2009
Planned review date
31 December 2014
Entry information
Open.
Accreditation
Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA, industry
and teaching professional in the same field from another
provider.
Standard setting body (SSB)
Primary Industry Training Organisation
Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) reference
0052
This AMAP can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
Special notes
1
Legislation includes but is not limited to the – Health and Safety in Employment Act
1992, and subsequent amendments.
2
Definition
In-house procedures – the verbal and written instructions to staff on procedures for
hive manipulation, and requeening, which must comply with legislative requirements.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
20249 version 2
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Elements and performance criteria
Element 1
Manipulate beehives in spring to maximise honey production.
Performance criteria
1.1
The requirement for spring manipulations is described in terms of the
determining factors and in-house procedures.
Range
fluctuating weather and hive temperature, presence of disease
and pests, failing queen, fluctuating food supply, overcrowding,
swarming, harvesting honey, market requirements.
1.2
Food stores are assessed against spring requirements, needs of beehives are
determined, and appropriate food supplied in accordance with in-house
procedures.
1.3
Beehives are checked for disease, and the queen bee is located and isolated in
accordance with in-house procedures.
1.4
Beehives are assessed to determine likelihood of swarming and suitability to
produce a nucleus hive or top hive in accordance with in-house procedures.
1.5
Procedures to control swarming are implemented in accordance with in-house
procedures.
Range
1.6
Weak and strong beehives are manipulated in accordance with in-house
procedures.
Range
1.7
artificial swarming, add supers, remove queen cells.
includes but is not limited to – unite, requeen, introduce and feed
new queen bees, produce top beehives and nucleus boxes.
Beehive manipulations are implemented to produce healthy and vigorous
colonies for honey flow in accordance with in-house procedures.
Element 2
Check, and report on queen bee performance.
Performance criteria
2.1
Check of queen bee performance is conducted in accordance with in-house
procedures.
Range
even or uneven brood and egg laying pattern, brood viability,
drone laying in worker brood, queen bee physical appearance and
behaviour on comb.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
20249 version 2
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2.2
The performance of the queen bee is recorded and recommendations for
replacement are justified in accordance with findings.
Element 3
Determine the need for requeening, and requeen the beehive.
Performance criteria
3.1
Requeening is described in terms of the reasons it is carried out.
Range
3.2
Requeening is described in terms of the determining factors.
Range
3.3
swarm prevention, maximisation of honey production, ease of
management, damage to existing queen, disease resistance, use
of more docile strain.
seasonal timing; workers – age, population size; incoming food
(natural or synthetic); genetic similarities; genetic differences;
robbing.
The need for requeening beehives is determined in accordance with in-house
procedures.
Range
evidence is required for at least two beehives.
3.4
Requeening is carried out in accordance with in-house procedures.
3.5
New queen bees are monitored and fed in accordance with in-house
procedures.
Please note
Providers must be accredited by NZQA, or an inter-institutional body with delegated
authority for quality assurance, before they can report credits from assessment against
unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be accredited by NZQA before they can register
credits from assessment against unit standards.
Accredited providers and Industry Training Organisations assessing against unit standards
must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Accreditation requirements and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this
standard are outlined in the Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP). The
AMAP also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations
wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for
tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
20249 version 2
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Comments on this unit standard
Please contact the Primary Industry Training Organisation standards@primaryito.ac.nz if
you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016