Colony Lineage Tracking
Every hive has a history. SunnyBee is the only beekeeping platform that lets you trace that history across generations — connecting every split, every queen replacement, and every daughter colony back to its origin. Know your genetics. Breed for performance.
Track Your Colony Genetics FreeWhy Colony Lineage Changes Everything
Traditional beekeeping records tell you what happened inside a hive. Colony lineage tells you where that hive came from — and why it performs the way it does. The queen's genetic line determines swarm tendency, varroa resistance, honey productivity, and winter survival. Without lineage data, every queen is a mystery. With it, every decision becomes evidence-based.
Colony lineage tree inside SunnyBee — every split and queen change recorded automatically.
Visual Lineage Tree
See the full mother-daughter relationship between colonies as a branching tree. Each node shows the hive name, queen introduction date, and current health score. Trace any colony back through three, four, or five generations of queens.
Split History Tracking
Every time you split a hive, SunnyBee records which frames moved, which colony kept the original queen, and which raised a new one. The split event is permanently linked to both resulting colonies — no more trying to remember where a hive came from.
Queen Change Timeline
Every queen event is recorded: introduction date, origin (purchased, raised, supersedure), mating result, and performance notes. The full queen history of every hive is always one tap away.
Performance by Queen Line
Compare colonies that share a common queen ancestor. Identify which genetic lines consistently produce high honey yields, calm temperament, and strong winter survival — then breed from those lines deliberately.
Swarm & Disease Resistance Data
Over seasons, SunnyBee builds a performance profile for every queen line. Colonies that descend from low-swarm-tendency mothers inherit that tendency. Track it. Select for it.
Cross-Apiary Lineage
Manage queens and splits across multiple apiaries in one lineage view. Move a nucleus to a different location and the relationship is preserved in the lineage tree automatically.
Who Uses Colony Lineage Tracking
Track which queen lines produce the highest honey yields, lowest varroa mite counts, and best wintering success. Breed from documented performers, not guesswork.
Manage splits and requeening across dozens of hives without losing track of which colony came from where. The lineage tree gives you a complete picture at a glance.
Know exactly which of your queens you raised, which you purchased, and what the offspring of your best colony produced. Build a breeding programme that improves year on year.
Colony Lineage — Questions Answered
What is colony lineage tracking in beekeeping?
Colony lineage tracking is the practice of recording the genetic relationship between bee colonies — specifically, which colonies share a common queen ancestor through splits, rearing, or requeening. SunnyBee stores these relationships as a visual tree, so you can trace any colony's genetic history across multiple seasons and generations.
How does SunnyBee record a colony split?
When you perform a split, you log it as a 'hive change' event in SunnyBee. You specify the parent colony, the date, which queen went where (or that a new queen was raised), and any notes. SunnyBee then links the two resulting colonies in the lineage tree automatically. Future inspections on both colonies remain connected to their shared history.
Can I track queens I purchased from external breeders?
Yes. You can record the breeder, breed or strain, purchase date, and any performance notes for externally sourced queens. These queens become the root nodes of new lineage branches in your tree.
Is colony lineage tracking available on the free plan?
Yes. Basic split and queen change recording is included in the Standard (free) plan. The full lineage tree view, cross-apiary lineage, and performance comparison across queen lines are available on Premium and PRO plans.
How does lineage data help with varroa resistance selection?
By recording varroa mite counts (alcohol wash results) alongside inspection data, SunnyBee can show you which colonies — and which queen lines — consistently maintain lower mite loads. Over several seasons, this data identifies naturally resistant genetic lines that are worth propagating.
Know your genetics. Breed from your best queens.
The only beekeeping app with a full colony lineage tree.
Track Your Colony Genetics Free