One of our overwintered Saskatraz queens sourced from Olivarez. Using Saskatraz hybrid stock in your apiaries should provide drone populations which will increase the frequency of alleles for honey production and varroa tolerance, as well as other economic traits. This is because drones from the hybrids carry the genetics of their mother, the breeder queen.
2019 Grafted queen from Saskattraz Queen and open mated in early May 2019.
This queen can barely get her booty in a cell! One of our 2019 GSA grafted queens - Open mated.
The Queen will emerge from this cell!
We captured this queen in the act of laying eggs!
We love the colors of these dark queens!
One of our finest brood producers from 2018.
A hybrid queen grafted from New World Carniolan hybrid stock - just upon returning from her mating flights.
Not the best marking job - but she was a great producer!
Our favorite queen grafted from New World Carniolan hybrid stock - she loved having her photo taken!
Beginning in May, we assess our colonies for healthy drone populations and evaluate which hives are best suited for grafting larvae. The queen bees raised in our mating yards are hybrids of various honeybee varieties, carefully selected for traits we aim to cultivate. These queens are “open mated,” ensuring a rich genetic diversity within our colonies.
A classic breed queen bee from our Cream Ridge mating yard - Butterscotch abdomen and a dark thorax
Fully established 10 Frame New Jersey Honeybee hives
Proven queen with strong healthy bees
Fresh, new and quality beekeeping equipment
Annually inspected by New Jersey Department of Agriculture
The honeybee (Apis mellifera) was officially designated as New Jersey’s state insect in 1974, thanks to the efforts of students from the Sunnybrae School in Hamilton Township, NJ. This recognition is well-deserved, as honeybees play an essential role in New Jersey’s agriculture. Beyond producing delicious local raw honey and other hive products such as wax, pollen, and propolis, honeybees are crucial for pollinating many of the state’s key crops, including tomatoes, blueberries, cranberries, cantaloupes, watermelons, cucumbers, and peppers.
New Jersey is home to thousands of beekeepers, many of whom are members of the New Jersey Beekeepers Association (NJBA). This organization provides beekeepers with opportunities to learn the craft of backyard beekeeping while also connecting with others across the state.
The NJBA is a nonprofit, 501(c)(5) agricultural organization dedicated to promoting and supporting all aspects of beekeeping in New Jersey. Acting as the collective voice for both hobbyist and commercial beekeepers, the NJBA has played a pivotal role in shaping legislation that aligns with good beekeeping management practices and land use policies, ensuring a sustainable future for beekeeping in the Garden State.
For more information about the NJBA, visit www.njbeekeepers.org.
At Garden State Apiaries, we believe in the power of “locals supporting locals,” which is why we are dedicated to providing high-quality honeybee colonies for New Jersey beekeepers. Our mission is to not only make beekeeping an enjoyable experience but also to ensure your success. Your success is our success, and while we won’t dictate how you manage your bees, we are here to offer guidance and support based on our knowledge and experience.
To stay at the forefront of honeybee management practices, we continually educate ourselves on the latest developments in apiary science, ensuring our methods align with what works best for the honeybees we selectively breed and raise in our bee yards.
Our 5-frame nucleus (NUCs) and 10-frame honeybee colonies feature robust hybrid queens and are inspected by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. These partially established colonies include a laying queen, healthy brood, nectar, pollen, and honey, offering New Jersey beekeepers a strong foundation for success.
Garden State Apiaries • Jackson, NJ 08527 • Copyright © 2023 Garden State Apiaries. All Rights Reserved.