Introduc)on  to  Beekeeping

David  Hoag

Ground  rules

• Cell  phones  off

• Please  hold  your  ques)ons  un)l  the  end  of  asec)on  so  we  can  get  through  the  material.There  will  be  )me  for  QnA  and  discussion

My  Goals  for  this  class

• Help  you  gain  confidence  that  you  can  be  asuccessful  beekeeper– Increased  understanding  of  what  makes  bees  andbee  colonies  func)on  and  how  you  can  use  thisknowledge  to  beHer  manage  your  bees

– Hands  on  experience

• Increased  respect  for  the  remarkable  honeybee

The  CraJ  of  Beekeeping

• Bee  keeping  is  complicated!

• There  is  no  single  correct  approach  tobeekeeping

• Con)nuously  learn  from  your  bees

• Con)nuously  learn  from  other  beekeepers.

Get  involved,  develop  your  knowledge  andyour  network!

Keeping  Bees  –  First  Steps

• Check  restric)ons  for  beekeeping  in  your  area

• Talk  with  your  family  and  neighbors  beforegeQng  bees– Are  there  swimming  pools  near  by?

– Does  a  neighbor  have  a  strong  allergic  reac)on  tobee  s)ngs?

• Select  your  hive  loca)on  carefully– Select  a  sunny  loca)on  to  set  up  your  hives

– Use  fences,  walls,  or  plants  to  direct  your  bees  up!

– Make  sure  it  is  easy  to  access  and  work  on!

Strong  bees  starts  withSeQng  up  the  Bee  Hive

• Sunny  &  warm

• Wind  break

• Morning  sun  on  thehive  opening

• Easily  able  to  accesshive  from  sides  orback

Cri)que  this  setup

Beekeeping  supplies

• There  is  an  overwhelming  selec)on  of  op)onsfor  the  beekeeper

• There  is  no  one  “best”  solu)on

• But  there  is  a  toolkit  used  by  mostbeekeepers,  and  that  is  what  we  will  look  attoday…

Langstroth  Hive• Telescoping  cover  andinner  cover

• Honey  supers

• Queen  excluder

• Hive  body

• BoHom  board  (screenedor  solid)

• Hive  stand

Box  op)ons

• Hive  bodies  and  honey  supers  come  in  8  and  10frame  op)ons– They  are  not  interchangeable!– 8  frames  are  20%  lighter  and  are  much  easier  to  managefor  the  hobby  bee  keeper

• Hive  bodies  come  in  3  depths:    9  5/8”,  7  5/8”  and  65/8”– My  backyard  choice  was  to  standardize  on  the  8  frame,9  5/8  op)on

• All  equipment  is  interchangeable

• I  pull  my  honey  frames  one  at  a  )me  (vs.  pulling  an  en)re  box  off),so  honey  super  weight  was  not  a  problem.

My  Beekeeper’s  Toolkit

Other  Tools  in  my  kit

Personal  Protec)on“I’m  not  like  other  people,  I  can’t  stand  pain,    pain  hurts  me”

» Daffy  Duck

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Purchasing  Equipment  )ps• Local  stores  and  on  line  catalog  op)ons

• S)ck  with  one  supplier  for  hive  components– Sizes  differ  a  liHle  between  companies,  sodifferent  parts  of  a  hive  may  not  fit  well  together

– Some  companies  offer  discounts  for  largerpurchases.

• You  can  save  money  by  building  your  own– Many  good  plans  on  line

– Need  table  saw  and  hand  tools

– Time  consuming,  but  very  rewarding

GeQng  bees

• Get  your  equipment  up  and  running  beforeyou  get  your  bees!

• Three  op)ons  for  geQng  bees– Purchase  a  package  of  bees

– Purchasing  an  exis)ng  hive  or  a  nuc

– Collect  a  Swarm

Bee  Packages• What  you  get:

– 3lb  of  bees  and  a  queen

– Bees  are  bred  to  bepredictable  and  easy  towork  with

• When:• Once  a  year  only• Order  before  March  for  delivery  in  April

• How  to  get  one:• Contact  your  local  bee  guild

• Carrier  Bees  or  other  local  bee  supply  business

• Cost:    Around  $75

Purchase  a  Hive  or  Nuc• What  you  may  get:

– Queen,  bees  &  larvae

– Pulled  frames

– Unknown  temperamentand  origin

• When:– Any  )me  available

• How  to  get  one:– Craigslist  or  contacts  at  a  bee  guild

– You  swap  out  new  frames  for  “pulled”  frames  andmust  have  all  other  equipment  ready  to  go

• Cost:    5  frame  colony  $150    (craigslist  quote)

Catch  a  Swarm• What  you  get:

– Local  bees

– Unknown  temperament

– Unknown  queen

• When:– March  through  April

• How  to  get  one– Join  your  local  bee  guild  and  get  on  the  swam  list

– Join  your  local  bee  guild  and  join  the  swam  team

– Craigslist

• Cost:    Free  to  $110

Ok  –  now  what?

Now  that  you  are  all  set  up,Let’s  talk  a  liHle  bit  about  Bees

The  Honey  BeeQueen Worker

Drone

The  Queen• Queens  are  “made”  by  theworkers– To  replace  a  failed  queen

– Or  to  swarm

• The  queen  as  the  ovariesof  the  “super  organism”– Can  lay  up  to  1500  eggs  per  day

– Can  “choose”  to  lay  worker  eggs  or  drone  eggs

• “The  queen  is  dead!    Long  Live  the  Queen!!”– Unproduc)ve  queens  are  replaced  by  the  colony

– She  can  live  up  to  7  years  (but  2yrs  is  more  normal)

The  Worker• All  female  bees

• Any  worker  bee  had  thepoten)al  to  become  a  queen– All  bees  are  fed  royal  jelly  forthe  first  3  days  of  life

– Worker  bees  are  switched  to  pollen  and  nectardiet.

– Queen  bees  are  fed  royal  jelly  their  en)re  life

• Workers  live  around  6  weeks

Drones

• The  male  bees  in  the  hive

• En)re  role  is  to  take  ma)ng  flights,  seekingout  other  queens  to  mate  with

• They  are  expendable  when  )mes  are  tough

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Honey  Bee  Lifecycle

Foraging

• Worker  bees  forage  for  pollen,  nectar,  waterand  tree  resins  (propolis)

• Food  that  is  not  consumed  by  the  colony  isstored  and  consumed  when  no  food  isavailable

Trophallaxis

Nectar

• Nectar  is  converedinto  Honey  or  Waxdepending  oncolony  needs

• Nectar  is  “ripened”into  honey

• Honey  is  then  the“heat  source”  –  carbohydrate  –for  the  colony.

Pollen

• Pollen  is  the  protein  forthe  colony  and  isessen)al  for  colonysurvival

• Pollen  is  a  key  trigger  forcolony  expansion  orcontrac)on  throughoutthe  year.

Water

• Water  is  essen)al  to  thebee,  the  bee  colony,  andto  honey  produc)on.

• A  bee  colony  can  consumeup  to  1  liter  of  water  perday

Propolis

• Bees  collect  plant  resins  (sap)  and  use  it  toseal  small  gaps  in  the  hive

Organiza)on  in  the  Hive

Hive  Inspec)ons• Use  a  checklist

• Start  with  the  outside– Ac)vity  level

– Pollen  coming  in

– Dead  bees  on  the  ground  (type?  Age?Cause?)

– Signs  of  ants  or  other  predators

– Condi)on  of  equipment

• Inside– Seasonally  predictable

– Brood  paHerns

• Be  respecrul,  be  inten)onal,  bequick

When  to  Open  a  Hive

• Best  to  inspect  when  most  of  the  bees  are  outforaging.

• Sunny,  warm,  and  wind  free  days– 65  to  95  degrees

• Mid  day  is  best.    Target  10am  to  4pm

If  your  bees  are  happily  going  about  theirbusiness,  they  are  less  likely  to  be  concernedwith  you.

Prepara)ons  before  Opening

• Smoker  is  full,  lit  and  smoking  before  youopen  a  hive.

• Bee  suit  is  clean  and  your  veil  is  on.– You  don’t  want  to  have  bees  flying  before  you  putthat  veil  over  your  head.

• All  supplies  you  might  need  are  with  you  andready  to  be  used– Do  not  leave  an  open  hive  unaHended

– Do  not  leave  your  smoker  unaHended

– Do  not  leave  the  hive  open  longer  than  absolutelynecessary

Calm  Bees:Tips  When  Opening  a  Colony

• Stand  on  the  side  or  the  back  of  the  hive,  notthe  front.– Standing  at  the  front  will  prevent  foragers  fromreturning

• Be  gentle.    Avoid  bumping  or  snapping  soundswhich  will  alarm  the  bees

• Use  enough  smoke  to  make  the  worker  beescomfortable

• Avoid  crushing  bees!

Visit

Strong  colonies:Let  the  bees  do  the  figh)ng  for  you

• A  focus  on  STRONG  colonies  will  reduceimpact  of  disease.– Good  colony  loca)on  (sunny  and  warm)

– Room  to  grow  when  they  need  it

– Feed  when  they  need  it

Colony  health• Strong  colonies  maximize  new  bees  (recruitment)

– The  queen  has  sufficient  room  to  lay  eggs

– Plenty  of  nurse  bees  to  take  care  of  brood

– Adequate  food  stores  in  the  hive

• Strong  colonies  minimize  death  (AHri)on).– Loss  of  bees  through  wear  and  tear,  disease,  andstarva)on,

– AHri)on  is  reduced  average  lifespan  of  the  worker

• Our  task  is  to  maximize  recruitment  poten)alwhile  minimizing  aHri)on.

Maximizing  New  Bees

• Good  colony  loca)on

• Equipment  in  good  shape– No  cracks  or  gaps  that  would  let  predators  or  badweather  into  the  hive

– Equipment  is  serviceable  (safe  for  you)

• Room  to  grow  when  they  need  it

• Feed  when  they  need  it.– Don’t  take  too  much  when  harves)ng  honey.

Good  colony  loca)on

• Sunny  &  warm

• Wind  break

• Morning  sun  on  thehive  opening

• Easily  able  to  accesshive  from  sides  orback

Room  to  Grow:Seasonal  Changes  in  the  Hive

Typical  colony  popula)on  growth  curve  (veryapproximate)

Adding  a  Second  Brood  Box• Colony  growth  happens  very  fast!

– One  bee  takes  roughly  5  )mes  the  space  of  abrood  cell.

– The  colony  needs  to  take  full  advantage  of  nectarand  pollen  flows  in  order  to  survive  the  winter.

• Colony  is  telling  you  they  need  more  roomwhen:– There  are  lots  of  bees

– The  hive  is  heavy

– White  wax

Two  Brood  Boxes,  Lots  of  BeesAdding  a  Honey  Super

• Just  another  name  for  a  box  with  frames– OJen  a  Medium  or  Shallow  box

– Consider  weight  when  determining  what  you  aregoing  to  use  for  honey  supers

• Use  a  Queen  Excluder  to  keep  the  honey  freefrom  brood

• Don’t  mix  honey  frames  with  brood  frames

Two  Brood  Boxes,  Lots  of  BeesOther  Op)ons

• Check  to  see  if  there  are  bees  in  both  boxes– Bees  may  have  en)rely  moved  up  –  leaving  thelower  box  empty.

You  may  want  to  swap  box  posi)ons.

• Check  for  queen  cells,  especially  if  both  boxesare  stuffed  with  bees– They  may  be  preparing  to  swarm

Op)ons  may  be  to  split  the  hive  or  let  themswarm

Queen  Cells

Too  Few  Bees• Queenless  hive  or  failing  queen

– Hive  inspec)on  reveals  no  brood,  or  spoHy  brood.

– Hive  inspec)on  reveals  no  queen

– Hive  inspec)on  reveals  queen  cells.

– Bees  are  loud  and  agitated

Possible  solu)ons:• Requeen

• Combine  colonies

• Disease,  starva)on…– Increase  bee  longevity

Increasing  Bee  Longevity

• Focus  on  the  big  items

• Focus  on  those  items  we  can  control

• Learn  from  your  bees  and  learn  from  otherbee  keepers.

Starva)on• Spring  is  a  high  risk

– Lots  of  new  brood

– Low  food  stores

– Winter  bees  too  )red  toforage

– Spring  rains  or  frost  can  killfood  supply  or  preventforaging.

• Watch  carefully!– HeJ  the  box  to  check

weight

– Look  for  capped  honey

– Feed  if  at  risk!

Ants  and  Wasps• Strong,  healthy  colonies  arerarely  killed  by  ants  and  wasps– Ants  can  push  a  weak  colonyout  of  the  hive

– Wasps  feed  on  brood  and  can  overrun  a  colony

• Simple  preventa)ve  maintenance  usually  doesthe  trick– Set  wasp  traps  out  early  in  the  year

– Use  ant  barriers  or  traps  if  needed

– Don’t  use  spray  insec)cides  around  your  hives!

Varroa  destructor• Breeds  in  capped  brood  cells  andfeeds  on  larva  and  adult  bees.

• Mite  infesta)on  can  kill  a  beecolony.

• Biggest  risk  is  in  late  autumnthrough  early  spring

• Infested  colonies  will  oJen  havelarge  number  of  bees  withdeformed  wing  virus.

• Try  to  keep  mite  levels  below  a  1%infesta6on  rate  in  adult  bees

Deformed  Wing  Virus

• Numerous  bees  with  stunted  wings  in  front  ofthe  hive

• Most  visible  indica)on  of  a  heavy  Varroa  miteload

Tes)ng  for  Varroa• Slide  in  a  solid  boHom  board  for  24  hours

– Recommenda)on  is  to  use  white  board  withcooking  spray  so  mites  s)ck.

– Carefully  remove  board  and  count  mites

– This  is  a  crude  measurement,  but  may  besufficient  to  determine  any  ac)on  needed

• BoHom  board  count  tolerances:– Spring:    >  10  mites

– Fall:    >50  mites  (personally,  I  think  this  is  way  toohigh)

Closer  look  at  Infesta)on  Rate

Varroa population

• Rate  affected  by  bee  popula)on  changes

• A  manageable  mite  load  in  one  month  couldquickly  turn  into  a  major  issue  later  on.

BoHom  line  with  Varroa

• Your  colonies  will  have  Varroa  mites

• They  become  a  serious  risk  to  colony  healthwhen  the  ra)o  of  mites  to  bees  is  too  high

• Your  task  is  to  learn  how  to  read  the  signs  andtake  appropriate  ac)on

IPM  Approach  toTrea)ng  for  Varroa

• Large,  healthy  colony  in  a  good  loca)on  isyour  best  defense!

• Use  screened  boHom  boards  so  mitesnaturally  fall  out  of  the  hive

• Use  a  drone  frame

• Treat  with  a  mi)cide  in  fall  and  spring.

• As  a  beekeeper,  con)nue  to  learn  and  adapt

END