Decatur Ridge Apiaries: Refining Beekeeping Standards with Superior Queens and Nucleus Colonies.

Welcome to Decatur Ridge Apiaries, a family-owned business nestled in the heart of SW Michigan. Since our establishment in 2017, we've passionately dedicated ourselves to beekeeping, evolving from a simple hobby into an obsession: raising the finest queens for beekeepers like you.

What makes us truly special is our commitment to quality from start to finish in the queen rearing process. Queen rearing and breeding is not simply about getting a mated queen in a box. There are a number of factors involved in raising quality queens worthy of our beekeeping friends.

• Our breeders are chosen from a number of factors including gentleness, northern winter survivability, productivity and overall health. We are also in the process of adding VSH genetic traits into our bees through selection practices we have learned from some of the leading producers of our day. 
• Our cell building colonies are packed with healthy, strong bees with all the resources needed to make your queens the royalty you require for the productivity you deserve.
• We use larger than normal mating nucs as well so your new queen has the ability to lay non stop until she's pulled and prepped for her new home. Queens raised in small mating nucs can max out their laying quickly and are often pulled within 14 days of placement. Studies have shown that this leads to higher rates of failure during the introduction phase and higher rates of supersedure. Here at Decatur Ridge, our queens are in their mating nucs at minimum 21 days for maximum maturity. This ensures your colonies will be more than willing to accept her highness. It's simple: we've chosen quality over quantity and strongly believe this justifies the premium price tag.

Your bees work hard for you, and we believe it's only fair that your queens work just as diligently. Choose quality over quantity with Decatur Ridge Apiaries, where every queen is royalty, deserving of your trust. Discover the difference today – contact us to elevate your beekeeping experience.