Tag Archive for: Beekeeping

Bee Prepared! A Fall Checklist for the Winter Months Ahead

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As the days grow shorter and the leaves begin to change color, autumn marks a time of transition for beekeepers. The summer honey harvest is over, and the focus shifts to preparing the bees for the winter months ahead. This is a crucial time for beekeepers, as proper preparation can mean the difference between a healthy, thriving colony in spring and a struggling one.

Here are the essential tasks that every beekeeper should undertake in the fall to ensure their bees’ winter survival:

Assess Colony Strength and Food Stores

The first step is to evaluate the overall health and strength of each colony. Look for signs of a healthy queen, plenty of young bees, and minimal pest or disease problems. Inspect the brood chambers to ensure there is enough brood rearing to maintain the colony population over winter.

Next, assess the food stores. Honeybees need ample honey reserves to survive the winter months when foraging opportunities are limited. A good rule of thumb is to have at least 60 pounds of honey per hive. You can estimate the food stores by weighing the hives or inspecting the frames. If the stores are inadequate, consider supplementing with sugar syrup.

Combine Weak Colonies

If you have any weak colonies, consider combining them with stronger ones. This will help to boost their population and increase their chances of survival. However, be sure to only combine colonies from the same apiary to avoid introducing diseases or pests.

Reduce Hive Entrances

Smaller hive entrances help to keep out predators and drafts. Use entrance reducers to adjust the size of the opening based on the colony size and weather conditions.

Monitor for Robbing

Robbing occurs when stronger colonies steal honey from weaker ones. This can be a major problem during the fall and winter when food sources are scarce. Be vigilant and take steps to prevent robbing, such as closing up any cracks or gaps in the hives and moving weak colonies to a separate location.

Keep Records and Observations

Throughout the fall season, keep detailed records of your inspections, treatments, and any other observations you make. This information will be valuable in the spring when you assess the health of your colonies and plan for the upcoming season.

Additional Tips for Fall Beekeeping:

  • Clean and repair hive equipment before winter arrives.
  • Ensure adequate ventilation in your apiary to prevent moisture buildup.
  • Protect hives from strong winds and snowdrifts.
  • Consider taking advantage of any local beekeeping workshops or classes to learn more about winter beekeeping practices.

The Worker Bee: A Labor Day Tribute to Nature’s Workforce

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The phrase “busy as a bee” rings true when considering the remarkable worker bee. These tireless creatures are the backbone of the hive, responsible for its every function. Unlike the queen, whose sole purpose is to reproduce, worker bees are the ultimate team players, prioritizing the collective good above individual glory.

Interestingly, worker bees make up the vast majority of the bee population, often outnumbering the queen and drones by thousands. They are the engine that drives the hive’s success. In fact, during the colder months, when the queen and drones are inactive, the entire colony relies solely on the tireless efforts of the winter bees.

Another fascinating fact is that all worker bees are female. This societal structure is not unique to bees; insects in general tend to be matriarchal, with females playing dominant roles. Even more intriguing is that young worker bees, less than three weeks old, possess ovaries and can lay unfertilized eggs, although these eggs never develop into adult bees.

But what distinguishes a worker bee from the queen? Worker bees are smaller in size, have pollen baskets on their hind legs for collecting pollen, and possess a barbed stinger, unlike the queen’s smooth one. The barbed stinger serves a crucial purpose for the worker bee: it allows her to defend the hive, but at the cost of her own life. The queen, on the other hand, can sting repeatedly without dying.

The average lifespan of a worker bee is six weeks, although they can live longer during the winter months. During this short period, worker bees undertake a variety of tasks, which change depending on their age. Younger bees, known as house bees, focus on internal duties such as cleaning the hive and nurturing the larvae. As they mature, they transition to become field bees, venturing outside to gather pollen and nectar.

Worker bees exemplify the true spirit of Labor Day. They work tirelessly, often performing thankless tasks, yet their contributions are essential to the survival and prosperity of the hive. Just as we celebrate the contributions of human workers on Labor Day, we should also acknowledge the remarkable efforts of these tiny, yet mighty, creatures.

Which Direction Should Honeybee Hives Face?

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In the United States, honeybee hives should ideally face south or southeast. This is because the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, so a hive facing south or southeast will receive the most sunlight throughout the day. This is especially important in the spring and fall, when the days are shorter and the nights are cooler.

The sunlight helps to warm up the hive, which encourages the bees to start foraging earlier in the day. It also helps to keep the hive dry and free of mold and mildew. Additionally, a hive that is facing south or southeast will be less likely to be exposed to strong northerly winds, which can damage the hive and make it difficult for the bees to fly.

Of course, there are other factors to consider when choosing a location for your beehives, such as the availability of food and water sources, the presence of predators and pests, and the local climate. But if you can, it is best to place your hives in a location where they will receive the most sunlight.

It is not absolutely critical that a hive face the south or east.  Here at Wildflower Meadows, we have some apiaries that are excellent for our bees, but due to their layout, don’t accommodate a southern exposure for all of the colonies.  While this is not ideal, the bees manage anyway.

Here are some additional tips for choosing a location for your beehives:

  • Place the hives in a level spot that is well-drained and protected from flooding.
  • Avoid placing the hives in direct sunlight all day long. Some shade in the afternoon is ideal.
  • Place the hives away from high traffic areas and areas where people and pets congregate.
  • Make sure the hives are accessible for inspection and maintenance.

If you are unsure where to place your beehives, it is a good idea to consult with a local beekeeper or beekeeping association. They can help you to choose a location that is best for your bees and your needs.

Protecting the Precious Brood: A Beekeeper’s Guide to Keeping Bees Warm

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For beekeepers, the sight of a hive teeming with life is a source of immense joy. But within that bustling colony lies a hidden vulnerability: the brood, the delicate larvae and pupae that represent the future of the hive. Though tucked away in capped cells, these seemingly motionless forms are very much alive, and their well-being hinges on one crucial factor: warmth.

Imagine a cozy 93 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature that cradles the brood in perfect comfort. Dip below 80 degrees, and the tiny bodies begin to suffer. The cold saps their energy, hinders their development, and in the worst-case scenario, chills them to death.

This chilling tragedy forces the bees into a frantic cleanup operation, removing the fallen brood from the hive. It’s a gut-wrenching loss, not just in terms of bees, but also in the wasted energy and time expended by the colony.

Late winter and early spring are the most perilous times for the brood. The queen, eager for the warmth of spring, ramps up egg-laying, but the colony’s population is still recovering from the harsh winter. A sudden cold spell or even a careless inspection by a well-meaning beekeeper can send temperatures plummeting, putting the fragile brood at risk.

So, how can beekeepers be the guardians of warmth? Here are some key tips:

  • Resist the urge to inspect on chilly days. When temperatures dip below 50 degrees, keep the disruptions to a minimum. Let the bees focus on maintaining their internal furnace.
  • Quick peeks only. If an inspection is absolutely necessary, make it swift and minimize exposing the brood to the cold. Remember, every second counts.
  • Keep the brood tucked in. Don’t leave frames of brood outside the hive any longer than necessary, especially in windy conditions. Let the warmth of the bee cluster be their haven.
  • Ventilation is key. Proper ventilation allows moisture to escape, preventing condensation that can drip onto the brood and turn into a deadly freeze. Fresh air, yes, but frosty drafts, no.

By following these simple steps, beekeepers can become champions of the brood, ensuring that the hive’s future generation emerges strong and vibrant. Remember, a little vigilance goes a long way in keeping those precious bees warm and the colony buzzing with life.

Expanding Your Beekeeping: The Benefits of a Second Bee Yard

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As an experienced beekeeper, you’ve nurtured your hives and witnessed the wonder of their industriousness. But as your bee population grows, you may find yourself contemplating the merits of establishing a second apiary (bee yard).

One compelling reason to establish a second apiary is to alleviate competition for nectar and pollen sources among your hives. When too many bees are concentrated in a single area, they may become stressed and engage in robbing behavior, where they invade other hives to steal their resources.  By distributing your colonies across two locations, you effectively reduce the strain on local nectar and pollen sources. This allows individual hives to thrive and gather more resources, ultimately leading to increased honey production. Studies have shown that maintaining smaller colonies in multiple apiaries yields higher honey yields compared to a single, large apiary.

A second apiary offers a crucial layer of flexibility and resilience in managing your bee population. If one apiary becomes temporarily unavailable due to pesticide spraying, neighbor complaints, or unforeseen circumstances, the other apiary can act as a reliable backup. This safeguards your beekeeping operation and ensures a continuous supply of honey.

When selecting a site for your second bee yard, consider a location that is at least 2-3 miles away from your original apiary. This distance minimizes the risk of bees from one apiary drifting back to the other, causing confusion and potential conflict. Additionally, the location should be within a reasonable travel distance to facilitate regular inspections and maintenance.

Acquiring a suitable location for your second apiary can be achieved through various means. Networking with friends and acquaintances may yield potential sites. Groves and orchards often welcome beekeepers for pollination services. Consider placing advertisements in farm journals or online agricultural forums to reach a wider audience.

Landowners may be more receptive to hosting your beehives if you offer honey in exchange for the use of their property. This mutually beneficial arrangement not only provides landowners with a valuable commodity but also demonstrates your commitment to maintaining a harmonious relationship.

Establishing a second bee yard marks an exciting step in your beekeeping journey. By diversifying your apiary locations, you can reap the rewards of increased honey production, enhanced flexibility, and reduced risks. Embrace the challenge of expanding your beekeeping horizons and witness the flourishing of your bees.

What is a Walkaway Split?

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A walkaway split is a method of splitting a honeybee colony into two colonies without using a queen excluder. It is a relatively simple process that can be done by any beekeeper, even beginners.

To perform a walkaway split, start by inspecting the colony that you wish to split. Find the queen bee and make sure that she stays with the original colony.  Then remove about half of the frames from the hive. These frames should contain brood, eggs, and honey.

Transfer the frames to an empty colony. Make sure to place the frames in the same order as they were in the original hive.  After transferring the frames to the new colony, add empty frames to the original colony to replace what was taken.  Put the lid on the original colony and place it in a different location.

The new colony will now be in the location of the original colony.  Now you can introduce a new queen to the new colony.  Over the next few weeks, the bees in the new colony will begin to grow into a separate colony of their own with a new queen.

How to Use a Walkaway Split

A walkaway split can be used to increase the number of colonies in your apiary, to create a new colony from a strong colony, or to split a colony that is too large.  To use a walkaway split, you will need to choose a colony that is strong and healthy. The colony should have a well-performing queen and plenty of brood.  Once you have chosen a colony, you can start the split by following the steps outlined above.

Walkaway splits are a relatively simple way to increase the number of colonies in your apiary. They are also a good way to create a new colony from a strong colony.  They are relatively easy to create and they do not require any special equipment.  With a little care and attention, you can prepare walkaway splits to increase the number of colonies in your apiary and to create strong and healthy colonies.

How to Find the Queen Bee

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Do you struggle with finding a queen bee?  Don’t be too hard on yourself.  Even here at Wildflower Meadows—with all our experience and years of beekeeping—we occasionally find ourselves scratching our heads, wondering why such a simple task can sometimes be so challenging.

Before you set out on your search, make sure you even need to find the queen. As a beekeeper, unless you are working for Wildflower Meadows or raising queens, you don’t have to look for a queen that often. The main reason for having to locate a queen is when you wish to requeen. In that case, you have no choice but to find the old queen to remove her.

Another possible reason to find a queen is when you want to divide a colony or transfer frames of bees from one colony to another. Surprisingly, even when dividing colonies and transferring frames, you don’t always have to find the queen. So, for example, look at this video, and you will discover a straightforward way of dividing a colony without even having to look for the queen.

Patience, persistence, focus, and relaxation are the key to finding a queen bee. When searching for a queen, the first tip we suggest is to be patient with yourself. Finding a queen is a skill that a beekeeper develops over time.

A helpful strategy is to play the odds. The queen will most likely be near the center of the brood nest, particularly on frames with open cells for her to lay in. That’s her preferred area because, after all, she’s the one laying the brood. However, always keep in mind that queens do move around. Sometimes you will be surprised to discover your queen bee in the strangest place – on the lid, walking on the honey, or cruising around inside the box. She can wander anywhere. However, more often than not, odds are she’s hard at work laying eggs in the general brood area. Why not start there?

Nevertheless, before diving into this promising brood area, it’s best to remove and inspect a frame or two at the ends of the hive. Start with a quick check of the end frames (not to mention the lid) and set those aside. Why? By doing this, you will free up some working space and gain space to comfortably separate the remaining frames in the hive. Now you can focus on the high-probability areas.

You want to relax your vision. A soft and relaxed vision will enable you to spot something that looks just a little different. Also, remember that sometimes, your eyes will pick up the unusual pattern of the queen’s retinue, which will naturally direct you to the right spot. If you’re a beginner, after checking each side of a frame, pause, take a quick break, then give both sides of the frame a second look. This saves time in the long run because missing a queen right in front of you will waste time when you fruitlessly look through all the remaining frames.

Keep a routine going. Have a systematic approach to each frame, so you don’t overlook areas. For example, you can begin at the top of the frame, scanning down the frame from left to right. Or you can start at the left of the frame and scan up and down across the frame. Just be thorough and consistent.

Be mindful of the conditions around you. This is crucial since you will hold the frames outside the hive for some time. If there is robbing in the apiary, use a robbing cloth. If the weather is chilly, you must work relatively quickly to keep the brood from chilling. If conditions are sunny, be mindful of keeping the frames exposed to direct sunlight for too long, as prolonged sunlight can dry out the larva and damage the brood. Also, queen bees tend to avoid the sun, so holding a frame up to the sunlight can encourage a queen to run to the other side of the frame, and you can miss her altogether.

Understand that there will be times when you just can’t find the queen bee and strike out. This is normal and happens even to experienced beekeepers. We would advise that you probably don’t want to disturb the colony after two rounds of searching. It is best to call it quits, put everything back together, and come back another time.

The Relationship Between the Beekeeper and the Bees

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The history of beekeeping is closely tied with humanity’s love of honey and people’s desire to produce as much of this delicious food as possible. People have been keeping bees since ancient times, almost always with the purpose of harvesting honey or other bee products for human consumption.

The relationship between the beekeeper and the bees, throughout history, has been largely an exploitative one, sadly often leading to the demise of the beehive. For example, before the invention of the Langstroth hive in 1851 with its removable frames, harvesting honey meant destroying the entire hive of bees.

The invention of the Langstroth hive in many ways led to birth of modern beekeeping. By utilizing this new equipment, which allowed for removal of the frames of honey without destroying the beehive, beekeepers became incentivized to learn how to manage a colony of honeybees over the long term. Instead of providing a single honey harvest, a managed colony could provide multiple harvests of honey over years—theoretically indefinitely.

This led to a focus on how to keep bees healthy and strong for the long run, which to this day continues. It has also led to a closer relationship between the beekeeper and the bees. Beekeepers in the twenty-first century, as opposed to early generations of beekeepers, are less abusive toward the bees and act more like attentive stewards, carefully managing and caring for their bees.

Today, this level of care is critical for the well-being of honeybees. With current-day adversities such as mites, parasites, pesticides, climate change, etc., honeybees face a world that is much more challenging than in the past. They need help.

This dynamic has led to relationship now where the beekeeper is almost a key part of the colony itself. A beehive greatly benefits from a caring beekeeper that provides it with timely feeding, nourishment, supplements, medications, protection against robbing, ants, beetles, etc., and other adversities.

At Wildflower Meadows, we like to think of our beekeepers as liaisons or concierges between the bee world and the human world. Most people in the outside world have no idea how to relate to bees, and the bees have little or no way to relate to people. The beekeeper bridges this gap by taking care of the bees so that they can live in a human-dominated world—and, by doing so, enables bees to deliver the benefits of pollination and food production that humans so greatly need.

Keeping Honeybees is About More Than Just Honey

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Beekeeping is more than just about honey (although it’s a fantastic perk). People who keep honeybees—if they are humane and respectful to their bees—are serving nature and humanity by building the number and strength of pollinators available.

Honeybees are essential for the reproduction of many plant species and food crops. From the ecosystem perspective, bees are more valuable as pollinators than honey producers. This is because pollination sustains the reproduction of countless plants. In contrast, honey production is generally only valuable to the bees themselves (as well as any other species that eats their stores, such as bears and humans).

It is estimated that one out of every three bites of food we eat is made possible by pollinators. This percentage is even greater when focusing exclusively on fruits and vegetables, as honeybees make up 80-90 percent of global fruit and vegetable pollination!

Without honeybees, our world would look very different. The loss of bees would likely have a ripple effect on the entire ecosystem, as plants and animals that depend on each other would no longer be able to thrive. Many plants simply would not be able to reproduce. As a result, humans would lose a massive amount of the fruit, vegetables, and nuts we rely on for food.

This is not to deny that bees also produce honey and beeswax, which are valuable commodities in their own right. Before the European discovery of the new world, honey was practically the only sweetener available to people in medieval times. This changed, however, with the European discovery and colonization of the Americas. Vast sugar cane plantations gave rise to a global sugar trade, along with cheap and abundant sugar supplies. As a result, sugar has crowded out honey as the world’s primary sweetener.

Similarly, the development of the petrochemical industry in the twentieth century gave rise to paraffin, which has almost completely replaced beeswax as the preferred wax for candles. As a result, honey and beeswax have become specialty and niche products these days. This leaves pollination as the most valuable service of honeybees by far.

As beekeepers, it is our job to ensure that honeybees continue to play a vital role in our world. The decline of pollinators is an ongoing worldwide crisis. Pollinator populations have been taking a nosedive in recent years due to various factors, including habitat loss and pesticide use. This is a serious dilemma, as pollinators are crucial for the health of our planet.

The modern agriculture industry needs to feed 8 billion people—this number continues to grow each year. Keeping honeybees is primarily about helping to ensure the health of our ecosystems. One of the most important things you can do as a beekeeper is to take care of your bees healthily and humanely. You can also do your part by planting native flowers and trees and avoiding pesticides.

 

Why Do Beekeepers Feed Sugar Syrup?

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Some beekeeping purists and animal advocates have argued that feeding bees sugar syrup is contrary to their authentic nature. After all, bees in the wild live off of flower nectar, which is certainly more natural and very likely more nutritious for them.

In theory, a wild beehive collects honey during the productive months, enabling the bees to store natural and nutritious honey for the off-season. In the wild (or in a managed situation where a beekeeper does not intervene), a beehive must preserve and consume its stored honey provisions. If enough honey is stored, then the beehive does not need sugar syrup. If not, then the beehive is in trouble.

In today’s world of modern agriculture, pesticides, and a planet of over 8 billion people, this hypothetical situation of bees sustaining themselves is becoming less and less realistic. Wild honeybees scarcely exist in many parts of the world. Most honeybees are kept by beekeepers responsible for their well-being.

Most commercial beekeepers, and many other smaller-scale beekeepers, maintain apiaries consisting of large numbers of beehives—sometimes 100 or more in a single location! This crowding creates high competition for nearby flowers. Often, the surrounding food is not enough to sustain such elevated concentrations of bees. Beekeepers fill the gap by feeding supplemental sugar syrup feeding

In addition to beekeepers who manage large apiaries, most backyard and hobby beekeepers supplement their beehives’ food stores by feeding sugar syrup – a mixture of sugar and water.  Beekeepers have many reasons for this, but the most common are:

  • To prevent the beehive from starvation
  • To allow the bees to have more honey than they need, providing a buffer against future shortages
  • To build up the population during early spring or right before a honey flow
  • To build up heavy stores before winter, which provides not only food but insulation against the cold
  • To assist with the queen’s introduction
  • To deliver medicine (through the feed)

Sometimes beekeepers are forced to feed sugar syrup when they over-harvest honey. This situation seems rather ethically wrong. A conscientious and responsible beekeeper will nearly always leave enough natural honey stores, so the colony does not lose all the fruits of its hard work. Fair is fair! Plus, the honey is likely healthier for the bees and contains some of the trace minerals of plant nectar. Ideally, a beekeeper wants their hive to prosper.