December 2023
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THE BEE SUPPLY
Monthly
Feature Topics Overcoming Winter Issues I Found a Dead Hive Expert David Burns Christmas Gifts Made from Honey
Edition 42
Contents
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Clicking on a topic will take you right to it!
Table Of
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9 Monthly Tips 10 A Yellowjacket Christmas 14 Overcoming Winter Issues 18 Hive Check Temperature Guide 20 Should I Insulate My Hive or Close the Screen Bottom Board? 22 Cold Weather Chores 24 I Found a Dead Hive: Part 1 28 If I Don't Control Varroa Mites Will My Bees Become Naturally Resistant? 32 I Found a Dead Hive: Part 2 36 Expert Interview: David Burns 38 Pros and Cons of Different Kinds of Hives 44 What's the Buzz? Honey Gifts Made from the Heart 48 Planting Now for Honey Bee Forage Later 50 Recipe: Honey Spice Oatmeal Cookies 52 Webinar Q&A 54 Club Finder 55 US Drought Map
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Continue monitoring food stores. Regular pollen patty feeding can be discontinued as your hives remain clustered most days. However, feeding sugar bricks containing carbs and protein above the cluster is fine. During warmer days bees will fly in search of food sources. You may find bees burrowing into chicken feed, sawdust, etc. They are attempting to find a source of protein and will gather any type of dust thinking it is a protein source. You can open feed protein powder in December and January. It is not completely necessary, but any feeding is helpful. During quick hive inspections you will most likely see the size of cluster diminish over time. The bees will be clustering more and more tightly as the weather gets colder. But you will also see a slow loss in population as the fall workers die. This is normal. Expect to see a hive pull out dead bees during this time. This is much more noticeable in areas covered in snow. Hives often lose strength over the winter; thus, the larger and stronger the hive is going into winter, the better. If you plan to purchase nucs or queens for spring, ordering now will ensure you are able to get the earliest possible pickup dates next year. With the cold weather you may notice your harvested honey beginning to crystallize. To reliquefy, warm it at 120 degrees for 24 hours. This can be done using a variety of methods, such as an old refrigerator or ice chest with light bulbs and a thermostat.
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By: CHARI ELAM
A YELLOWJACKET CHRISTMAS
'Twas the month of December when all through the nest Not a creature was stirring, not even a pest; The honey was stored in the super with care, in hopes that St. Ambrose soon would be there; All little bees were nestled all snug in their hives, while visions of honey drops danced in their eyes; And Queen in her crown, and I in my hat, had just settled down for a long winter’s nap; when out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my house to see what was the matter. Away to the bee yard I flew like a flash, tore open the lid and threw it in the grass. When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but yellowjackets and robbers buzzing around my ears! More rapid than honeybees and a lot less tame, I whistled and shouted and called them by name; "Now yellowjackets and robbers starting this brawl, Dash away, dash away, gone with you all!" With my hive tool and knowledge of beekeeping at hand, I made traps and reduced entrances so these thieves would disband. And putting my suit away, feeling the victor, I feel much safer now going into winter! If only it were that easy! These thieves of the day are more than just pests, for sure. It's interesting to learn that yellowjackets can soon follow a robbing frenzy. Who knew? With winter knocking at our door and nature's food resources getting scarcer, robbing can become a huge problem! One of these unwanted robbing pests are yellowjackets. These yellow and black “stripey things” aren’t sweet like our little honeybees. On the contrary, they are MEAN! And to top it off, they have it out for our bees! Yellowjackets are in the wasp family and feed on our bees, larva, brood, bee bread, and pretty much anything they want inside our colonies. Ironically, the robbing from other bees tends to start first, and then the yellowjackets take the opportunity to go in while our bees are distracted. We do have ammunition though. You can purchase yellowjacket bait traps commonly found at your local box store or make your own. Here’s a DIY method readily found online: Fill a 2 liter bottle with about a cup (give or take) of sugar syrup (light or heavy). Or, if you don’t want to accidentally trap honeybees - meat, fish, chicken, or some rotting fruit will also work. Sugar syrup seems to be the preferred method because it’s easily made, and the container can be cleaned and reused time and time again. You can either leave the bottle intact or cut the top third of the bottle off (the neck portion) and place the inverted cut top back down into the cut, opening downward. This is a rather elementary trap. The pest enters through the funnel top and can’t manage to get back out. Cheap and easy! A proactive approach to robbing can be achieved by reducing your hive entrances. We typically suggest reducing them during colder weather anyway. Or some beekeepers use robbing screens year-round as a nonstop means to stop robbing before it even starts. I can’t stress enough the importance of keeping your woodenware in good condition. Robbers, no matter the species, will take full advantage of any opening available (e.g., separating seams or worn places where boxes meet). Take the time during the cold weather to do maintenance on your hive boxes. On a cold day when "all the little bees are nestled snug in their hives,” take some wood putty (or duct tape if you’re like me) and a gallon of paint, make repairs to seams, and give her a nice new paint job! I would still recommend at least a veil when working the front of the box. Those guard girls are on duty year-round! Tracking Yellowjackets You can actually track the yellowjackets to their nest! I know… if you’re really bored, right? Take a clear plastic cup and put a small amount of powdered sugar in the bottom. Then catch a yellowjacket in the cup and quickly cover it with something it can’t sting through. Give a quick shake to coat it in the powdered sugar and then release it. The now white yellowjacket will quickly fly away, hopefully to its nest. Your job is to follow it! Remember, I said you would have to be really bored to spend time doing this right? It may take 20-30 attempts, but eventually you’ll locate the nest, giving you the opportunity to destroy it. Unlike our bees, they build their nests in trees, shrubs, or places like flowerpots, as well as in soil cavities in the ground, tree stumps, etc. Also, they don’t use wax to build their comb, but instead, the nests are made from wood fiber chewed into a paper-like pulp to form cells. In the event you find the nest, you can either use a pesticide rated for wasps and yellowjackets or take a pot of boiling water and pour it down the entrance to the nest. It is really important to be well suited for this event, and it’s even suggested to do this at night. Not only will you get more bang for your boil (that’s a punny), but you’ll be less likely get an all-out attack in the event they retaliate. Author's caution: I’ve made light of tracking yellowjackets, but please understand, there is danger of serious stings from these very mean wasps. They can and will sting you given the opportunity. I’ve seen pictures of huge nests, and you would not want to go unprepared.
Text
Always have Robbing Screens available!
Photo by Andrew R. Jenson, 1953 Giant yellowjacket nest located four miles north of Tennille, Florida
Now that you know about the yellowjacket and its mission, you can better calculate your current position. Protecting our bees and their honey, although hard work, is sure to save us money! With determination and commitment to healthy, thriving bees as our plight, “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.”
This box needs repair and painting
Queenless in Late Fall or Winter First, verify they are actually queenless. Depending on what part of the country you are in, queens either completely stop laying in the fall or at least dramatically reduce laying. If you are in an area that typically remains above freezing during the winter and has more days than not in the 60s and 70s, your queen may lay year-round, though at a much-reduced rate during the late fall and early winter. In those warm areas, zero eggs or larva is a good sign that your hive is in fact queenless. For the rest of the country, queens normally fully shut down. That being the case, if your hive has a healthy population and the queen was laying until the weather cooled, she just shut down for the winter. If you have more than one hive, and the other hives are rearing lots of brood but one hive is not, it is most likely queenless. When it comes to starting and stopping brood rearing, most strong hives follow roughly the same patterns. Now, if after reading the preceding information you are convinced that your hive is queenless, you have a few options: If the hive has fewer than 4-5 deep frames covered with bees, join it with another hive. Even if you introduced a queen, there is a good chance they wouldn’t survive the winter anyway. See “How to Combine Hives.” If the hive is a deep box, or 7-8 deep frames covered with bees or better, you can try to save it. That late in the year they can’t raise their own queen since there are virtually no drones left to mate with. So you can do one of two things: 1) Look for queen breeders in CA, FL, or HI who may still have queens for sale, even late in the fall. 2) If that doesn’t work, just leave the hive be. If you have other hives, once they have a few frames of brood in the early spring, give the queenless hive a frame or two of brood and a new queen as early as you can find one for sale. For those in southern states, you can often give them brood in late February or early March, and they may be able to raise their own queen and have sufficient drones available before you can find a mated queen to purchase. Surviving the Cold I know the feeling well―a major cold front blows in with freezing temperatures, and all you can think is, “Are my bees OK?” The good news is, if you’ve properly prepared your bees for winter, they should be just fine. They are incredibly good at adjusting to temperatures and will naturally cluster more tightly, even for weeks or months, to stay warm. They vibrate their wing muscles to stay warm and eat stored honey for energy. Below is what you can do to ensure they are well prepared and can survive the cold winter: Make sure Varroa mites are under 3 per 100 going into winter. Get them under control immediately after harvesting honey and keep them that way. A hive suffering from high Varroa counts and the associated viruses will not survive the winter. Make sure the hive has plenty of food. See “Does My Hive Have Enough Food?” Make sure cold wind can’t blow into the hive by covering the screened bottom board, if you have one, or blocking the sides. See “Should I Insulate My Hive or Cover My Screened Bottom Board for Winter?” After heavy snow, clear off the entrance so the bees can fly if the temperatures warm. If the hive is completely covered in snow, dig out around the hive periodically so they have fresh oxygen. This is most important if the top layer of snow melts then refreezes, creating a barrier for air to get to the hive. Weigh down the lid to make sure it doesn’t blow off. Feeding Syrup When It's Cold If your hive was fed sufficiently in the fall, odds are they won’t need any additional feeding. However, if they did not go into winter with sufficient stores or are eating stores faster than expected, you may need to feed during the winter. This can be challenging since it is difficult for the bees to move around enough in cold weather to access syrup. See Winter Feeding Methods. Here are some tips to give them the best shot at drinking syrup or having enough food: Feed 2:1 syrup. This will allow them to use or store it immediately. Use a division board feeder or a top feeder directly over the cluster. The closer the food is to them, the more likely they are to drink it. Take a few frames of honey from a different hive with excess honey and place them immediately beside the cluster. If the hive is completely out of food, place a gallon-size baggie half full of 2:1 syrup, with all the excess air removed, on the top bars directly above the main cluster, and poke 10-15 small holes or one-inch slits on the top of the bag. This will give the bees direct access to food with minimal movement. For southern beekeepers it's not necessary to feed fondant. Some beekeepers feed a thick sugar patty placed on the top bars for winter feeding. This works for northern climates where bees can't access syrup for weeks or months and syrup freezes even inside the hive. Unfortunately, bees have to turn that sugar into a liquid before they can use it. Syrup is much easier for them to use, and in the South, there are plenty of days the bees can access syrup.
Queenless Surviving the Cold Feeding Syrup When It's Cold
OVERCOMING WINTER ISSUES
QUICK TIP: Test for Varroa at least four times a year to stay on top of your mite counts: Coming out of winter Prior to supering After nectar flow In the fall
Bees will begin to fly at 55 degrees in search of nectar and pollen. Quick hive checks can be made but use caution to avoid chilling the brood.
Bees are loosely clustered. Hive can be opened, but use caution; remove only frames beside brood combs, and not brood combs themselves, to avoid chilling the brood.
Bees in cluster. Open the hive only in emergency. Bees cannot get far from the warmth of the cluster, so feed must be placed directly above it or beside if feeding back-stored honey frames.
Warm enough to do anything needing to be done―hive inspection, splits, etc.
HIVE CHECK TEMPERATURE GUIDE
Bees tightly clustered. Open the hive only in emergency, such as to feed or remove treatments. If feeding is necessary, use candy board or soft sugar bricks.
You don't have to worry about not being able to check on your bees over winter. In and out is all it takes! Check out this video on how to do a 30 Second Winter Hive Inspection!
Complete hive inspections can be done, but use caution with brood comb to not leave it out too long.
Wrapping or Insulating Hives Quick answer: In the South, no. In the North, maybe. This is a great and much debated question! This practice involves wrapping your hive in tar or felt paper, a blanket, or a specially made wrap for hives. The short answer is, if you are in an area that averages 40+-degree days during the winter, with occasional warm sunny days in the 50s, it’s not needed. If you are in a much colder climate, it still isn’t critical but can be somewhat helpful. Keep in mind that bees don’t keep the entire inside of the hive warm; they only keep their cluster warm. A few inches away from their cluster could be nearly the same temperature as outside. So insulating the hive won’t necessarily keep them warmer. Plus, if the hive is too sealed, condensation can form on the inside of the lid during the winter. This can greatly damage or kill a hive. They need some ventilation (even if it’s just small cracks in the woodenware) to let some moisture escape. For these reasons, insulating hives has become less popular. To combat condensation, some beekeepers place an empty super with layers of newspaper or pine shavings at the top of the hive to absorb any moisture. If you do wrap your hive, I do recommend this to absorb moisture. The advantage of insulation, if you are in a climate with extreme cold and high winds for a long period of time, is that it can give a hive a bit of an edge and increase their odds of survival. While it’s not critical, it won’t hurt if you address the condensation issue. For weaker hives or overwintering nucs, an alternative to insulation is a hive warming pad. They do require electricity but are a great way to help warm the internal temperature of these vulnerable hives. To Close or Not to Close Off a Screen Bottom Board Simply put, if you are in the northern half of the US or an area with significant amounts of snowfall, it’s a good idea to cover up the screened bottom boards for the winter. This can be done with a sheet of poster board, corrugated plastic, etc. Insert it into the opening of the bottom board and use an entrance reducer to help hold it down so the bees can still easily come and go. Insert it when temperatures are routinely below freezing at night, and remove it when nights are routinely above freezing. For the southern half of the US, covering the screen is not necessary. Just block off the sides so that cold wind cannot blow up under the screen and into the hive.
SHOULD I INSULATE MY HIVE OR CLOSE THE SCREEN BOTTOM BOARD FOR WINTER?
IN-HIVE WARMING PAD
EASY TO USE: Just place the heating pad flat on your bottom board or under your screened bottom board and plug it in! It automatically turns on and warms the hive. The low amp heat is evenly spread in the heating pad to achieve the effect of even heating. The maximum temperature warms the hive only about 10-15 degrees above the outdoor temperature―enough to help keep small hives alive but not enough to overheat them.
COLD WEATHER CHORES
Here is a checklist of some housekeeping that beekeepers can take care of while our bees are warmly tucked away inside their hives: Paint boxes – Winter is the perfect time of year to give those existing hives a quick coat of paint. On a cool, dry day with little hive activity, you shouldn’t have any trouble from the bees while you complete this task. I’d suggest wearing at least a veil just in case, but otherwise taking advantage of the current conditions will prolong the life of your hive boxes for years. And don’t forget those gaps on the corners―a little wood putty or caulk work prior to painting can prevent a serious robbing frenzy next year! Building boxes – Spring will be here before we know it. Take advantage of the indoor garage time to build boxes and frames. Not only can you save a little money assembling them yourself, it’s also a fun family project on a cold winter day! Moving hives – Moving bees can be difficult especially in the production months (March– September). Moving your bees to a better place on your property is never easier than during the winter months. Colonies are at the lowest population of the year, the bees are tucked inside waiting out the cold, and the boxes are at their lightest weight of the year due to less honey and other resources. Moving bees now prevents any orientation issues and fly backs to an old location. No need to worry about the two-foot, two-mile rule. Get organized – For tenured beekeepers, back-stock bee supplies tend to get out of control. While it’s cold outside, take the opportunity to organize the garage, barn, or honey house, getting things in order and ready for spring! You will be much happier walking into an organized work area where you can find what you’re looking for! Order bees/queens! – It never fails―every year, best intentions are to be ahead of the game and get our replacement bees or queens on order early. But l-i-f-e gets in the way, and once again we find ourselves needing to get our spring split queens secured only to find out the soonest available date is 4-6 weeks after we plan to do splits. Ugh! Ordering early is key! Orders placed in November and December will put you at the front of the line instead of somewhere in the middle or even the end. Don’t procrastinate! Make 2024 your year to be ahead of schedule!!
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It may be cold outside, preventing us from spending time with our bees, but one thing is for sure―we still have chores to do!
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A quick 24- hour sticky board test once a month can reveal issues before they get out of control like this.
I Found: Few bees milling around; may or may not still have a queen present, along with an overwhelming bad fermented odor as well as little worms (look like maggots) crawling in and around the cells. Cause of Death: Small hive beetle infestation has overtaken the hive. SHBs are a part of everyday beekeeping in warmer, moister climates, and when not controlled they can and will cause your colony to abscond (leave) or die a slow, miserable death. Staying on top of SHBs is truly one of the easiest tasks we face. It doesn’t require any testing, and all effective methods of control are mechanical and don’t require medication or pesticides to be placed in our hives. Read more HERE
I Found: Dead bees with no evidence of old brood Cause of Death: Failing queen in late fall or early winter. If your queen wasn’t laying sufficiently in the fall, you lacked the workforce to gather resources, feed larvae, and warm the hive during cold weather. In spring, summer, and fall, the colony will quickly die with a failing queen simply because of no eggs being laid. No eggs = no nurse bees = no foragers = no food! Read more HERE Another Possible Cause of Death: Varroa. High Varroa mite loads can and will cause your colony to die. Typically, your indicators were prior to death and are now long gone because of the decay of the colony. Testing and treating for Varroa is crucial for survival all year, every year! Read more HERE
Photo credit: Annalisa Mazzarella
I Found: Dead bees head down in cells or a group of dead bees clustered around what was brood but has long since died. Cause of Death: Starvation. The bees simply ran out of food. This can happen any time of year but primarily at the end of winter and early spring (March). Read more HERE
I FOUND A DEAD HIVE: PART 1
Dead out―The mere words make a beekeeper's face instantly drop. Whether by nature or by beekeeper, losing a hive just stinks! The definition of a dead out is a dead hive. Go figure―that seems a little too simplistic, right? Not really. It implies more of a question than a definitive answer to a problem. Some conditions are seasonal, but so many of them could occur in any season throughout the year.
One of the most preventable issues we talk about here: this hive starved.
By Chari Elam
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Beekeeping can be complicated. Whether you're a new-bee or experienced, all of us get stumped sometimes. A major goal of The Bee Supply is to do more than sell you premium equipment and bees. We want you to succeed, and we are here every step of the way to ensure you do just that! When our videos, magazines, and classes don't answer your questions, send an email to our beekeeping experts, and we will help you with anything we can! Beekeepers helping beekeepers―that's The Bee Supply.
Part 2 Pg. 32
I Found: Some dead bees or no dead bees and no resources. Cause of Death: Robbing. If the rims of the resource cells (honey/nectar) appear to be jagged or torn and you find a lot of wax debris on or below the bottom board, the colony probably didn’t die of starvation but instead was robbed of all of its resources. This doesn’t happen often to strong colonies but rather to colonies with reduced populations due to virus, diseases, or failing queens (causing decreased population).
I Found: Few bees or no bees; big worms and moths crawling around; cocoons and webbing built on the tops, sides, and faces of frames. Cause of Death: Overrun with wax moths because of neglect. Yes, you heard it―neglect! Wax moths are the vultures of the bee world, meaning they will take over a weak, failing, or failed hive. Typically, they take over where the bees had been, completely destroying old comb and even eating into frames and the boxes―all completely preventable. When you have a colony in decline, address the problem immediately. If it’s obvious the colony isn’t going to make it, break the box down and store the equipment for future use. A dead out left in your bee yard will quickly turn into trash if not addressed. Read more HERE
Robbing can be stopped quickly by reducing the entrance, installing a robbing screen, and running a water sprinkler over the hive.
Unfortunately, no. Not controlling Varroa mites will allow them to spread not only to your other hives but often to all the hives within a few miles of your own bees. Not controlling Varroa is, in some manner, irresponsible as a beekeeper and inhumane to the bees. We would never neglect treating a pet for an infestation of fleas, mites, or ticks, especially if it could lead to their death. We should practice proper animal husbandry and take care of our bees just as well. Breeding bees to become consistently resistant to mites has been the lifetime pursuit of many brilliant beekeepers and scientists, but we aren’t there yet. Three common outcomes are to be expected when you don’t treat or intervene, in any way, for Varroa. Your hive does fine since they didn’t have a very high mite population to begin with, or you hit the beekeeping lottery and your hives are resistant enough to mites to survive without treatment. This scenario is very rare, but it can happen. It's important to note that, if you don’t test to confirm this, the odds are certainly not in your favor that this will be the outcome. If I had to guess, I would say this would be the case with less than 1% of hives in the US. There are always some beekeepers who say they’ve never treated for mites and their hives do fine; however, that is certainly not the norm. Another noteworthy thing to mention is that, even if your hive, in the very rare instance, survives with higher mite loads, you are spreading mites to all hives in a few miles’ radius of your own beehive. This has become known as a mite bomb. Your hive dies quickly. This is a common outcome. Mites weaken a hive both through sucking the fat bodies from the bees and transferring viruses to adult and developing bees. They can kill a hive quickly or slowly depending on the mite population and how healthy the hive was to begin with. If the population of mites increases rapidly, a hive can go from a single deep box or two deeps full of bees to a few frames of bees, or all dead, in a matter of weeks. Your hive becomes greatly weakened and slowly dies over a period of months. This is the most common outcome. As the mite population steadily grows, the bees’ immune systems steadily decline. They contract viruses and other diseases and eventually die. Many beekeepers believe their hive populations are fine over the summer, but as the bees begin to cluster as the weather cools, along with continued population losses, it becomes more apparent how weakened they are. Ultimately, after a few cold fronts, the colony dies. What about VSH? VSH, or Varroa sensitive hygiene, bees are specifically bred to remove capped pupa infested with Varroa mites from the hive. They are also better at grooming themselves and removing mites. While it may sound like you can buy these bees and not have to treat for mites, that is unfortunately not the case. The vast majority of the time, you will still need to use some form of treatment. The best widely available VSH bees are perhaps 10-20% better at removing mites from themselves and the brood. While that does have advantages, it isn’t nearly enough to control Varroa mites and expect a hive to survive. It’s recommended to try a variety of breeds of bees and see what works best for your area and hives. That may or may not end up being VSH bees. There are many other very important aspects, like gentleness, honey production, resistance to foulbroods, etc., to consider as well. VSH should be considered a great place to start in combating Varroa mites and one of many tools used in the effort to help keep Varroa mites under control.
IF I DON'T CONTROL VARROA MITES WILL MY BEES BECOME NATURALLY RESISTANT TO VARROA?
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Here's a short video where I discuss the topic of not treating bees to build resistance to Varroa mites.
Here's Lauren Ward's take on the subject. It's not just about VSH. It takes hive management, testing, and queen replacement when necessary to truly manage your hives to have the lowest Varroa mite thresholds possible.
READ MORE Varroa Destructor IPM (Integrated Pest Management)
Absconded Hive
I Found: Some bees still milling around but queen long gone, no brood or bad/sick-looking (white, black, shriveled) dead brood, maybe an overabundance of nectar but no nurse bees present. Cause of Death: Possible disease or virus present. When a colony dies from disease it can be very difficult to pinpoint the cause. Your evidence is most likely gone by the time you find the dead out. But it is very important to know the most common among those we experience. It would take a small novel for me to list the descriptions and explanations of the viruses and diseases honey bees are subjected to. For a very good reference guide CLICK HERE to learn more. Note: Most viruses and diseases are preventable by controlling Varroa mites. To learn more about Varroa mites and how to stay ahead of them CLICK HERE. Another Possible Cause of Death: Swarming. Yes, swarming can cause the death of a colony! When a colony prepares to swarm, in theory they will create multiple viable queen cells. But what if the surviving daughter queen leaves to be mated and never returns, leaving the remainder of the colony that didn’t swarm to fend for themselves? This often has detrimental results.
I FOUND A DEAD HIVE: PART 2
Do you have a drone layer? Should you try to save it? Let's ask Lauren Ward, Entomologist
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Sacbrood Virus
I Found: Some dead bees or no dead bees and no resources. Another Possible Cause of Death: Failed queen. The queen was present but stopped laying; if left unnoticed, the colony was doomed. If you spot an excess of dead drone brood cells (capped or not), it is possible your queen became a “drone layer.” A drone-laying queen ran out of sperm at some point; either she wasn’t mated well, or she simply aged out. Either way when this happens the colony is hopeless. Recognizing they need to replace the queen, the workers will begin to lay eggs, trying desperately to save the colony to no avail. Having no “fertilized” eggs to make a supersedure or emergency cell at this most crucial time, the colony ultimately dies. Read more HERE Another Possible Cause of Death: Absconding. Often when colonies are sick and failing, are starving, or have high mite loads, they will just leave. Would you live where the conditions were so bad you couldn’t stand to stay? Odds are those bees didn’t survive long once they left, but they really didn’t have a choice―die if we stay, die if we go.
American Foulbrood
Queen Failed or Drone Layer
Drone Layer Queen
PREVENTING & CONTROLLING SWARMS
All is not lost! Your value is in your equipment and drawn comb. Listen as Blake tells us how to handle a dead out.
To prevent moisture: Add a toothpick or popsicle stick under the edges of the outer cover. Repair any cracks or crevices that rain may be seeping into.
I Found: Dead bees on the bottom board (moist and rotting) Cause of Death: Moisture. If the colony doesn’t have sufficient ventilation in the winter, condensation can occur under the lid due to the temperature differential from outside to inside the hive. This water vapor can then chill or even freeze, causing the refrigeration outside to develop inside, resulting in the inability to warm the hive. Mold and mildew are also a problem with an overabundance of moisture; they are not likely to kill the bees but make for a very poor environment for your colony. They will often abscond if left unresolved. I Found: Dead bees inside the box, on the bottom board, on the landing, and on the ground in front of the hive. Cause of Death: Possible insecticide, herbicide, or pesticide poisoning. A good indicator that bees have been exposed to poison is a dead bee with her tongue sticking out. Sometimes a kill can occur over a period of time if the bees simply foraged in an area that was recently sprayed. In this case, the foragers may die off slowly and, over time, carry the poison into the colony, causing a rapid kill. There are so many ifs, ands, and buts in the forensics of a hive. But truthfully, it all boils down to one big point: Do regular hive inspections and stay on top of the condition of your bees! When we do the biweekly checks and quarterly hive inspections on our bees, we are able to see if something needs to be addressed. The problem starts when we don't react to a situation, then a month later we are faced with the reality that our colony didn’t recover without our intervention. Be proactive!
So much of what we do in beekeeping is using what we've learned to identify a problem before it becomes one. Learn the swarm indicators, what to do to prevent them, and what to do if you see signs. Listen as Dr. Jamie Ellis teaches us all of the above!
David Burns is no stranger to making videos. As a pioneer beekeeper on the YouTube scene since 2008, his practical, easy-to-understand style of teaching is exactly what new beekeepers need when trying to traverse the first few years in their journey. Join Chari as she and David talk about the importance of science behind beekeeping, all while trying to simplify the overall concept to make it easier to learn. Other topics to be discussed include feeding protein and sugar overwinter to maintain colony population and health, 8 things to remember during winter, and so much more!
NEW PRODUCT ALERT
TBS Beekeeper Chat with David Burns Popular YouTube Practical Beekeeper
The Storage & Transport Hive Butler features a tote with both a solid and ventilated lid, providing versatile use for any weather condition. Utilize the ventilated lid for hive inspections, swarming, and split making, while the solid lid is ideal for transport and storage of items such as honey, draw comb, and frames. Make every job easier with the ST!
with Chari Elam
THE HIVE BUTLER IS NOW AT TBS!
We are often led to keep bees in a particular hive style based on who we are exposed to when we start beekeeping, but knowing the options can either solidify your choice or open doors to methods better suited for you. Traditional Wooden Langstroth Hives The Langstroth hive has been the most commonly used hive for over 150 years and is considered by many to be the gold standard in beekeeping design principle. Management focuses on upward growth for both brood and honey while making use of specific bee space. Bees build honeycomb into interchangeable, vertically hung, and suspended frames. The interchangeability allows for individual frame inspections and thus pest and disease control and easier honey harvesting. Boxes are added above the brood nest as needed for honey stores, allowing for readily accessible honey removal. Pros: Standardized box and frame dimensions―components are easily purchased and shared among fellow beekeepers Cross-combing not normally an issue Easily expandable since growth is upward Various price points reflecting construction quality Honey yield greater than other hive configurations Extractors can be used for honey removal Transportable for large operations Cons: Boxes can be very heavy Inspections require hive disruption Components can deteriorate quickly if not painted properly Apimaye Hives Apimaye hives are considered the next-generation beehive. While maintaining the basic principles of the Langstroth hive, modern advances have been incorporated, specifically involving hive insulation and interlocking components. While not critical to be a successful beekeeper, it is the premium version of a hive. Pros: Fully assembled No painting required Long lifespan Ventilated/insulated design is effective in cold or hot weather Compatible with Langstroth components Cons: Upfront costs are high when compared to other hives Top Bar Hives Top bar hives are considered the oldest method of beekeeping in the world. They utilize individual bars laid across the top of a horizontal hive cavity. The bees naturally build unframed comb down from these bars for construction of the nest. Pros: Single box allowing for noninvasive inspections at practical horizontal hive height Only one level, thus minimizing heavy lifting, exposing one bar at a time during inspection. Bars do not require independent protective storage when removed Easy and inexpensive honey harvest with limited equipment required. The crush and strain/drain method is the most practical approach. Comb honey is readily available and is usable beeswax for making products of the hive. Cons: Difficult to find a teaching mentor as this is a nonstandard form of beekeeping Requires regular work and attention as bar manipulations are specific and cross-combing is a common occurrence Potentially produces less honey if not harvested regularly Fragile, unsupported honey frames are very vulnerable and subject to damage Bees must build new comb after every harvest Once the hive is full, it cannot be expanded Consists of nonstandardized parts including outer covers, box sizes, bar dimensions and length; entrances are characteristic to the hive Warre Hives Warre (War-ray) hives are vertical stacking top bar hives that use wedge-shaped bars, instead of frames, for the bees to build their comb nest on. The natural wax, scents, and heat retention are characteristics of the nest design. Hive management is focused downward as brood expansion is always to the bottom of the stack with excess honey stored in the top of the hive. This design mimics natural hive- building locations such as in trees. Pros: Light boxes Honey removal is from the top by pulling the entire box or boxes in the fall Cons: Smaller boxes than Langstroths Mentors are normally not readily available Difficult to add expansion boxes since the hive grows downward Natural unsupported comb is fragile Not readily available from suppliers
PROS AND CONS OF THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF HIVES
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STOCK UP FOR SPRING!
There are very few beekeepers out there who wouldn’t love a new pair of gloves for Christmas―even if you are your own Santa! These premium goatskin gloves are top of the line quality―thick, rugged leather, reinforced palm and thumb made to outlast most gloves on the market. The shorter gauntlet (6”) stops the struggle of trying to get it up over your sleeve yet allows the protection needed at the wrist from stings. Great Glove – Great Quality – Great Price
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS ARE... THESE GLOVES!
Give the gift that is always JUST what they wanted!
The first time I made Pecan Praline Honey Butter, it was for last-minute gifts. It was so popular, several of the recipients asked me for the recipe. My next-door-neighbor loves it so much that I give one jar to the family and one jar just to him. This recipe is super easy!
By Lynne Jones
In my first years of beekeeping, a bottle or jar of honey was my go-to for holiday gift-giving for neighbors, coworkers, and teachers. When I started selling honey, I realized I needed to be a bit less frivolous with my stock of honey because I ran out before the next year’s extraction. Since then, I have given gifts made with honey, or as I call them Honey Gifts from the Heart. A few of the gifts I’ve made are candied bacon, honey Chex mix, and honey chipotle oyster crackers. Once I even made a copy-cat version of York Peppermint Patties, using peppermint-flavored creamed honey for the filling. But the overall most popular food gifts that have come from my kitchen are Pecan Praline Honey Butter, Honey Crispies (no bake cookie balls), and Cinnamon & Honey Nuts.
WHAT'S THE BUZZ? HONEY GIFTS MADE FROM THE HEART
Do you have a go-to Honey Gift from the Heart recipe? If it is quick and easy to make, I’d love to hear from you. You can message me on Facebook or send an email to BrazosRiverHoney77474@gmail.com
Cinnamon & Honey Nuts, Cinnamon Nuts, Candied Nuts, Glazed Nuts, Caramelized Nuts, or Rodeo Nuts… no matter what the name, these are a popular gift. Every year after Thanksgiving, one of my coworkers makes it a point to mention how much he likes the nuts I make. I have used several recipes for Cinnamon & Honey Nuts, but I like really this one because it is done in the crock pot. Making honeyed nuts on the stove requires constant attention and stirring because it is too easy to burn the honey. With walnuts, almonds, pecans currently selling for $6, $8, and $10 a pound, respectively, the last thing you want to do is to burn a batch. Even in the crock pot, burning is still possible if you go off and forget about it. I learned the hard way – set a timer! For the crock pot method, I recommend setting a timer for 45 minutes. Check and stir. Re-set timer for 15 minutes; check and stir. Repeat if needed until almost no liquid remains. Dump the nuts onto a sheet of waxed paper and use a spoon or spatula to spread into a single layer. Let cool. Variations: Substitute 3 cups raw almonds for the almonds/pecans/walnuts. For Hot Honey Nuts, substitute 1‑1/2 teaspoons chipotle powder for the cinnamon.
The Honey Crispies were also a scrambling at the last-minute gift. I had made Honey Vodka Balls as gifts for my neighbors, overlooking the fact that two of the households have children. Not wanting to leave them out, I was looking to make something similar, but kid friendly. This recipe found at honey.com was perfect for the occasion and was enjoyed by both the children and the adults. It is such an easy and inexpensive recipe to make! It is also convenient because you can make it ahead of time and it keeps well when stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container (provided you can keep your family out of them).
Wonderful grazing snack!
PLANTING NOW FOR HONEY BEE FORAGE LATER
White Clover
Photo Credit: East Texas Seed Company
By: Ed Erwin
No matter what demographic of beekeeper you are (urban, suburban, rural, hobby, or commercial), honey bee forage should be an aspect of beekeeping you think about. I’ve often said, “Urban and suburban area honey bees generate the very best honey!” Why do you think that is? Forage, of course! When you consider the plants these “backyard” beekeepers have literally under the bees’ noses, how can their honey not be the best? So many of these landscapes include marigolds, pansies, cosmos, coneflowers, dahlia, butterfly bush, crocus, and geraniums, just to name a few―all of which provide our bees with wonderful pollen and nectar that, together, make great honey and for the most part very healthy bees! But what if I’m rural? Do I really have control over my honey? Maybe! Most often those of us who live out away from cities or towns have little to do with what our large-parcel neighbors do with their properties. Many of those properties are under some sort of ag related crop or livestock management plan. But that in itself can be beneficial to your bees! Bees naturally forage on a variety of wildflowers and hays such as the well-known alfalfa hay. Alfalfa is a wonderful pollen- and nectar-producing hay that, when other forage plants have played out, is still going strong as a valid resource for our bees. It’s common and prolific in rural agriculture. What about smaller plots you do have control of? In spring we often see the highway frontages blanketed by crimson clover, a very pretty and beneficial nitrogen-producing legume. Clover varieties are not only good for providing much needed nutrients back into the soil, but livestock (including chickens and game birds) and our beloved pollinator the honey bee love it as a food resource! Clover is a nectar- and pollen-producing plant that boasts a high protein content of 17–33%. For beekeepers this is especially beneficial as we strive to provide our bees with the highest crude protein possible. The better the pollen source is, the better the brood viability of our bees is. There are several types of clover available in varying quantities for the average Joe or Josephine landowner at very affordable prices. Some options are crimson clover, white clover, and sweet clover. Most of these seeds are recommended to be down by late winter. Factor in order time and delivery time, and I’d recommend getting this project underway! Watching our bees flourish in plants that we as their keepers have propagated ourselves is a very sweet reward. Also, providing them a good nutritious forage that not only benefits pollinators but livestock and the soil as well is a reward all in itself.
Crimson Clover
Photo Credit: BestForage.com
Sweet Clover
Photo Credit:Peace Bee Farm Master Beekeeper Richard Underhill
DIRECTIONS In large bowl, combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, cloves, and nutmeg; mix well. Add oats; mix well. To prepare cookies: In a large bowl, beat butter and honey with electric mixer until creamy. Add egg; beat well. Add half of cookie mix; beat well. Add remaining cookie mix; beat well. Divide dough into thirds; place each on a piece of plastic wrap and flatten to 1/2-inch thickness. Wrap tightly; chill at least 4 hours. Heat oven to 350°F. Remove one portion of dough from refrigerator. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten to 1/8-inch thickness with bottom of glass dipped in granulated sugar. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake 5 to 7 minutes, just until the centers are set. (Cookies will feel soft. Do not over bake.) Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.
1 1/2 cups - oats (quick-cooking or old fashioned), uncooked 1/2lb. (2 sticks) - butter, softened (no substitutions) 3/4 cup - honey 1 large - egg
Variations: Decorated Cookies: Decorate cooled cookies with melted dark or white chocolate, ready-to-spread frosting, decorator frosting in tubes, assorted small candies or candy sprinkles. Thumbprint Cookies: Use your thumb to make a deep indentation in center of each cookie dough ball. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until very light golden brown. Remove cookies from oven; press small dark or white chocolate candy into indentation or fill with 1/2 teaspoon preserves. Cool and store as directed.
INGREDIENTS 2 3/4 cups - all-purpose flour 1 T - ground ginger 2 tsp. - ground cinnamon 1 tsp. - baking soda 1/2 tsp. - salt 1/4 tsp. - ground cloves 1/4 tsp. - nutmeg
HONEY SPICE OATMEAL COOKIES
YIELD:Makes 6 dozen
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