Collecting royal jelly requires more equipment than most other products, and most of it has to do with speed and cold.

The equipment

• Cell bars with cups: The same as in queen rearing
• Grafting tool
• A strong, cool light source
• Suction device or small spatula: To lift the jelly from the cups
• Dark, airtight glass jars
• Refrigeration: From the moment of collection

The method in brief

Larvae are grafted into cups and given to a queenless or partly queenless colony. The bees fill the cups with jelly.

After about three days it is harvested: the larva is removed and the jelly lifted from the cup.

Why timing is so tight

The quantity of jelly in the cup peaks around the third day. After that the larva begins to consume it.

Harvesting too early yields little; harvesting too late also yields little. The window is narrow and demands a strict schedule.

Material choice

Prolonged contact with metal is avoided. Wood, glass or food-grade plastic are preferred.

Everything touching the product must be food-safe and completely dry after cleaning.

The cold chain

Royal jelly is sensitive to heat, light and air. If the cold chain breaks, the product looks the same but loses value.

The buyer cannot detect this — which makes it a matter of honesty.

What it costs the colony

This is the most demanding product there is. The colony is held queenless or partly queenless and becomes exhausted.

It should only be done with designated production colonies, not used simultaneously for honey or breeding.

Market and warning

The market is narrow and the labour high; find the buyer first. Royal jelly carries the clearest allergy risk of all bee products, and that should be stated.