September 2023
www.TheBeeSupply.com
THE BEE SUPPLY
Monthly
Cover Photo: Jose Madrigal
Featured Topics Building Winter Bees Equalizing Hives Fall Splits Why Pollen Subs? Changing Out Old Equipment
Edition 39
Contents
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Clicking on a Topic will take you right to it!
Table Of
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About the Cover: Jose Madrigal is an incredibly talented Pollinator Photographer! Just for our readers : Enter code BEESUPPLY30 at checked out for a 30% discount on his new 2024 Pollinator Calendar CLICK HERE!
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6 Monthly Tips 8 Building Your Winter Bees Now! 14 Testing for Varroa Mites 18 A Balancing Act - Equalizing Hives for Fall 21 Thinking Outside the Hive Box 22 Predicting Fall for Our Bees 24 Can I make Fall Splits? 26 Why Feed Pollen Subs? 28 Beekeeper Chat - Randy "Dirt Rooster"McCaffrey 29 Storing Pollen Patties & Can I Make my Own? 30 What's Bugging You? Ants!
September
32 Full Suit, Jacket, or Veil Only? 34 Changing Out Old Equipment 38 Moving Hives 40 What's the Buzz? Nuclear Fallout Honey 43 Can I Feed my Bees Honey? 44 Beyond Bees - Wildlife & Drought 46 Recipe: Honey Pecan Baby Back Ribs 48 Webinar Q & A 50 Club Finder 51 U.S. Drought Map
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This has been a long time coming and we are so excited to finally share with you all - We have our very own smoker! Our completely rebuilt Super Smoker has several new features that make smoking bees so much easier! You get all the convenience of a top-notch smoker at a more affordable price. Updated Features: Thicker stainless steel Ultra thick leather bellows Larger bellows spring for more airflow/smoke Extended heat shield for increased safety Welded lid to smoker joint to prevent long term lid detachment Stainless steel plate to protect flame kick back & bellows burning
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September can bring cooler weather and some moisture…or more scorching heat! Either way, continue to focus on maintaining 30 lbs. of stored food for your bees. Test for mites, as mite populations can begin to climb, necessitating another mite treatment. If you have 2 or less mites per 100 bees, treatment isn’t necessary. However, if you do have 2 mites per 100 bees, test again in October. September begins the rearing of winter bees. Worker bees rear two kinds of bees – spring/summer bees and winter bees. Spring/summer bees are almost disposable and are not fed quite the same diet. During those months, bees work so hard they work themselves to death in a matter of weeks, thus they are reared on a less than ideal diet. Winter bees are fed as close to a perfect diet as possible, to ensure they are able to survive the entire winter. As beekeepers, it is crucial that we provide the bees with all the food and nutrition needed for our bees to rear the healthiest possible winter bees. We recommend feeding at least 2 lbs. of pollen substitute each month in September, October, and November to guarantee sufficient nutrition is available. If you want to requeen your hive, September is a great time to do so. This will be the last month queens are available, so take advantage of the final opportunity to requeen if your queen is over a year old.
LEARN MORE
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We are thrilled to announce TBS is now offering Artisan Classes to our ever-growing line up at most of our store locations. Although some are seasonal, others will be offered throughout the year!
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Mead Making Honey Extraction Class Candle Making & Wax Rendering COMING SOON
By: Blake Shook
September Tips
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Advanced Classes
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We are also near completion on an all day Beekeeping 201 class that will cover the following in detail: Biology Diseases and Viruses Pest management Hive Growth/Increasing Honey production Requeening Laying Worker Checkerboarding Nutrition Problem Solving Bearding Robbing
By: Chari Elam
Building Your Winter Bees Now!
For those of you with a few years into this habit…I mean hobby… Have you mastered being on top of winter prep for your bees? Hum, go ahead, admit it – Hey with my schedule, my hand could be raised as well…shh – don’t tell anyone. It never fails, we’ve been enduring crazy summer heat, and then all of the sudden – Boom – We have to start winter preparations! Most often temperature has little to do with the “seasonal changes” going on within our hives – however the tilt of the earth does! September beekeeping can be extremely diverse from a geographical standpoint so it’s impossible for me to cover each of your areas but here’s the gist of it. It is a timing thing… We want our bees to pull in as many resources as they can “now” to support the colony with a good population of healthy bees going into winter. Remember, these bees aren’t "expendable" like our spring/summer bees. Although we did a great job at building a viable workforce, we (they) weren’t thinking long term – Now they are! Part of building a winter hive is ensuring the bees have enough stored honey. Most of us have already pulled our honey crops (not touching the brood box honey of course), but during the summer dearth of July and August, more than likely they lost some ground on the amount of honey they stored. Thankfully, a lot of areas receive a fall nectar flow of Goldenrod, Asters, and other fall nectar producing plants which are very helpful. If not – feeding is needed. As for me, we feed post-harvest even if we have 30-40 lbs. stored honey until it starts to cool off – UNLESS we have a full top box or super we leave on. Feeding in the fall means switching over to 2:1 sugar syrup or pre-made syrup. Both are much thicker and require less work to be consumed or stored. Consider adding a little bonus to that sugar syrup while you’re at it. Years ago, we were limited to just a couple of options – but now we have proven feed enhancing additives that can give our bees added nutrition along with the plain carbs of sugar syrup. Pollen, on the other hand, is where things get a bit dicey. Quantity vs Quality becomes the name of the game. As we build our winter bees, quality over quantity pollen is what our goal should be. The pollen consumed now will be stored in the bees’ bodies enabling them to go through winter with less food consumption, increased longevity, and better overall health to tend to the needs of the nest – such as temperature control and caring for the queen - and of course – feeding any remaining brood. Not only that – coming out of winter into spring! These bees have a huge responsibility on their little shoulders! Do bees have shoulders? Hmm…. If we’re talking about quality protein (pollen), we are referring to diversity. Nature falls short when it comes to a variety of pollen producing plants in summer, and hasn’t improved much as fall creeps in. The problem with this is if the only pollen available is of poor quality (and most often it is), the health benefits dramatically decrease. In the long run our bees' longevity and productivity suffer because of it. Therefore, feeding quality pollen patties is the solution. Right now, you have the opportunity to make a big difference by feeding 4% Global with Apis Biologix or Stan's Soft Sugar Bricks. Both are superior products compared to just standard pollen patties, resulting in healthier stronger colonies going into winter. Not a sales pitch…We’re doing it too! Speaking of colony strength - Colonies with no less than 25,000 bees (8/9 frames) is our target to cluster and maintain the temperature needed to survive winter. However, colonies with less than 15,000 bees (5/6 frames) have a much more difficult time. Not that with care they won’t overwinter – you just might have to do more to help them through. Although having a healthy, well-fed population is great, having a productive queen is equally as important. While not as popular – we often requeen our older production hives in the fall. This gives these hives a huge advantage overwintering as well as a young queen ready to perform come spring! It isn’t always necessary, especially on spring splits, but our older hives definitely benefit. On smaller colonies that “just never took off” we will requeen or combine with another colony depending on its strength. A hive with less than 10,000 bees (in my opinion) should be combined. So, you see? Building a winter hive isn’t that difficult! Maintain healthy hives by feeding with purpose (quality over quantity) and have a healthy queen. You watch – We’ll come out of winter with some super hives ready to get busy for bee and honey production 2024!
Check out our NEW Internal Patty Tray This screened wire tray will hold pollen patties or Stan's Soft Sugar Bricks. Because it suspends the patties above the top bars - they aren't as likely to become a Small Hive Beetle breeding ground! Genius!
Exclusively at The Bee Supply
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1st Thursday of Each Month Monthly Buzz Webinar September 7th, 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
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Join Blake Shook as he walks you through what's going on in your hives and prepares you for the month to follow!
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Live Virtual BEE Meeting
James and Chari Elam answer your questions LIVE and present short practical timely topics.
Upcoming Agenda
Live in the Bee Yard Tips September Tips Pollen Subs - Essential or a Waste? How much honey should you leave for winter? Combining Hives Fixing Weak Hives Live Q &A
Italian/Carniolan
The most accurate of the quick methods to test for Varroa mites is using an alcohol wash. To do this, I love using the “Easy Check” system, which supplies a ready-made wash jar. All you have to provide is the 91% rubbing alcohol or Dawn dish washing liquid and the bees. A similar test can be done using a quart jar, it just does not have a basket to hold the bees like the EZ Check. Either way, the methodology is the same: 1. Pull 1 frame, covered with bees and brood, out of your brood box. 2. Check to make sure the queen is not on the frame. 3. Vigorously shake the bees off onto an unfolded sheet of newspaper. 4. Place roughly 300 bees (1/2 cup) into the jar by quickly picking up both ends of the newspaper, and folding and shaking it slightly, create a slide to slide the bees into the jar. Alternatively, you can brush bees off a frame into an open jar. The latter method may take a couple of frames to get the number of bees needed, since most of the bees will fly. Either way, act quickly and keep the lid on the jar as much as possible to keep the bees inside! 5. Pour about 2 cups of rubbing alcohol or a solution of Dawn dish washing soap (2 tablespoons to 1 gallon of water) into the jar with the bees. Gently shake and swirl the bees in the liquid for about a minute. 6. Hold the jar up and look at the bottom of the jar. You should be able to count individual mites as they settle to the bottom of the jar. 7. The treatment threshold is more than 2 mites per 100 bees. So, if you see more than 6 mites, you should certainly treat. If I see less than that, test about 4 weeks later to continue monitoring levels. Sugar Roll Varroa Mite Test This is a popular method, since unlike the alcohol wash, it does not kill the bees. However, it has also been shown to be far less accurate than the alcohol wash, not giving a precise mite count. But since it is common, we'll address it and give instructions on how to make it as accurate as possible. You will need a pint size canning jar, with a cutout circle of #8 hardware cloth in place of the lid. The ring can still be used to secure the hardware cloth in place. Follow steps 1 – 4 from the alcohol method first, then: 1. Pour about 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar into the jar. Shake the bees in the jar for about 30 seconds to completely coat the bees with the powdered sugar. 2. Let the jar sit in the sun for about 2 minutes. 3. Shake the bees again for about 30 seconds. 4. Turn the jar upside down and shake all the powdered sugar out through the screen onto a flat surface. Tip: Shaking the powdered sugar out over a plate with a small amount of water on it will dissolve the sugar making it easier to see the mites. 5. Count the mites. 6. The treatment threshold is more than 2 mites per 100 bees. So, if you see more than 6 mites, you should certainly treat. If there are less than that, test about 4 weeks later to continue monitoring levels. HOWEVER, this method does not fully remove all the mites off the bees, so the results are more variable and less reliable. 7. You can open the jar, and shake the bees back into the hive, or in front of the hive. Sticky Board Test Although even less accurate than the sugar roll – the sticky board test has grown in popularity due to simplicity of it. I will caution you though, this will only give you a peek at what the mite load could possibly be, not an actual counting of the mites. For screen bottom board users using the standard sticky board 1. Place the sticky board under the screen wire of the bottom board. 2. 24 hours later, count the mites. 3. Any more than 9 mites, treat the hive. It is imperative you check the board at 24 hours. Any longer than that can’t be used as an assessment. Solid bottom board using the sticky board w/screen 1. Pull the paper off the sticky trap and place the screen on top of it. 2. Slide the sticky board on top of the solid bottom board. 3. Wait 24 hours and count the mites. 4. Any more than 9 mites, treat the hive. Same caution as previously mentioned regarding the importance of checking back at 24 hours. For a clearer understanding of the varying degrees of testing efficacy, check out this published study by Randy Oliver. How Many Hives in Each Apiary Should I Test for Varroa? Varroa Mites spread from hive to hive as they ride on worker bees who drift into the wrong hive occasionally. As foragers work closely together on the same flowers or watering areas, mites can also jump from one bee to another. As a result, you often have similar mite populations in each hive in each location. There are always a few hives that are much higher, and a few that are much lower. The best option is to test every hive and treat, or not, accordingly. Each hive that has over 2 mites per 100 bees should be treated. That being said, if you have 50 hives, testing each one takes far too long. Your goal in testing is to get a good average of what is going on in that location. With that in mind, below is my recommendation for testing depending on how many hives you have per location. This is not a scientifically proven equation...it is simply based on industry norms:
Does this sound like you when it comes to testing for Varroa? I give – it’s hard and I don’t want to do it! I’ll just treat anyway…! I understand – it can be very intimidating. In this article I’m hoping that laying this out step by step will give you some confidence and may inspire you to (at the very least) test some of your hives.
Testing for Varroa Mites
1-3 hives- Test each hive. 4-20 hives- Test 4 hives 20-50 hives- Test 5 hives 50+ hives- Test 5-10%
Sticky Board Test
By Chari Elam
I just love this part of beekeeping- Don’t you? It’s like playing a game of “Go Fish” with your bees! Colony A, do you have any brood you can spare? Yes – Then hand it over… No – Go Fish! And here we go in search of brood in the other hives …. So fun! It really is that easy! So often we have a bee yard with multiple colonies – maybe even on the same platform, where 1 or 2 of them are under performing. I should point out that I’m not referring to colonies that have issues with untreated pests or diseases – but instead colonies that had (could have been pest/disease) an issue causing a shortage of nurse bees, foragers and/or brood. Most often this is caused by queen problems. So, what do you do when this happens? Correct the original problem first – be it queen replacement or in some cases getting Varroa mites in check. #1 in the book of successful beekeeping is having a healthy “young” queen in your colony. Once you have that, the rest is just housing, nutrition, and management! One of the hardest management skills to acquire confidence in is frame manipulation. After all, it was drilled in your head as a new beekeeper to put frames back “exactly” like you found them, right? Well, in this case we won’t! Take a breath, pretend you are confident – you can do this! Hypothetical Hive #1 (HH #1) I requeened the hive 3 weeks ago because the old queen had died (make up your own scenario.) The colony had been without a queen for about 2 weeks prior to that and is very low on nurse bees and foragers because of it. Hypothetical Hive #2 (HH #2) Great hive – thriving young queen laying up a storm (even now) – everything working like a well-oiled machine! HH #1 needs: Nurse bees, nearly emerging brood, and foragers Solution: Take 1 frame of capped (about to emerge) brood (with adhering bees) + 1 frame of open brood (uncapped larvae) (with adhering bees) and add to HH #1 Note: Locate your queen– it is not your goal to move her! Then –Trade locations with HH #2 (the colony you just took the 2 frames from.) In trading hive locations, you gain the foragers you so desperately need! Make sense? Note: You’ve actually given HH #2 a shot in the arm and not a deficit by taking brood from it. How’s that? Taking the drawn comb frames from HH #1 and placing them in HH #2 gives instant access to space for the good “young” queen to continue laying into the fall! Boom! Both colonies happy! Have you ever heard the phrase “Rob Peter to pay Paul”? That phrase refers to taking a problem from one and giving it to another. This is NOT what you want to do. Ensure you do not give good resources to a bad colony – and on the other hand –Do not give bad resources to a good colony! Have your mites in check and nutritional requirements met, giving the equalizing method the best chance possible of being successful. There are times a colony just needs a population boost. It’s lagging behind although it has plenty of brood. Simply trade locations with another and watch the magic happen! The boost in the arm it will get from a good forager population will make a huge difference! Note: Do your hive swap in the middle of a warm day when the foragers are out, so that when they come back it will be to the colony that needs them. If I had to point a finger at one aspect of beekeeping under emphasized, it would be forager/house bee population ratio. A colony is truly a balanced ecosystem when given half the chance. It takes a balance of workers bringing in resources to pass off to another worker (house bee), she in turn – feeds the queen, cleans the cells for her to lay, feed the larvae and mind the front door! Without this balance, one of the steps goes undone. When a step is undone it throws the entire ecosystem off. Basically, it starts a downward spiraling effect that if not caught, can and will cause you to eventually lose your colony. I can hear someone out there saying: “Do the bees fight when you take them from one colony to next?” A short answer: No, not necessarily. When you exchange/trade frames and bees or swap colony places the bees are somewhat caught off guard (no pun intended) plus you are typically taking them with the frame they live on. To mitigate the fighting, simply shake the bees off the donor frame at the front entrance of the new hive and the nurse bees will migrate in – the foragers that would be the fighters will fly back to their original colony. Problem solved. When can you do this? Really anytime. I can honestly say other than right smack dab in the middle of a nectar flow you are ok to exchange frames and hives. I singled out nectar flow/honey flow simply because you’ll run the risk of robbing and slowing your honey production down. Get comfortable equalizing colonies. It’s part of successful beekeeping and it’s probably one of the easiest maneuvers in management. Plus – for equalizing hives going into winter, it is an insurance policy we all need!
A Balancing Act Equalizing Hives for Fall
Thinking Outside the Hive Box!
Mastering Hive Inspections Virtual Class
NOW YOU'RE
Photo/Idea Credit: Marvin May put his mind to work and streamlined the decap and drain cookie sheet drain method!
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How fast is fall coming? How can we prepare/predict our bees' needs? Great question! The easiest way to do that is to look no further than NOAA. Each year NOAA publishes their “guestimate” on what rainfall and temperatures to expect for the U.S. In this prediction, we can somewhat adjust our approach for care and feeding in preparation for the upcoming fall season. To us this prediction tells us a lot. Should I expect to feed more or less? Will my brooding season be shortened, stay the same, or longer than normal? Early winter can mean much more down time for my bees; therefore, they need to have plenty of stores and go in really well fed to endure an elongated winter. Postponed fall can mean more hive care required – more of an opportunity for Varroa to maintain strength if not taken care of. This isn’t a science, but more of an art. The definition of art is "a skill at doing a specified thing, typically one acquired through practice.” What that means is – the more experience you have the better you adapt to the changes seasons can throw at us year after year. What is your area’s prediction telling you?
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Predicting Fall for our Bees
For a LOT MORE information on Splits
Listen as Lauren Ward (Entomologist - Bar A Bees) gives her opinion on requeening vs letting your bees raise their own queen.
Doing a Fall split can be a bit tricky because you are in a race against time. You need the hive to grow as quickly as possible to be prepared for the upcoming cooler weather to maintain hive temperature and food requirements. The most common reason for failure in making splits this time of year is letting the hive raise their own queen and not giving a split enough brood to grow quickly. But – if all goes well, by the time winter conditions arrive, you’ll at least have a very strong single deep or even a double that is able to hold it's own! Start with at least 8 deep frames of brood Use mated queen as opposed to letting them raise their own Locate the queen or make the split and identify the Queenless split within 3 – 4 days Split using 4 frames of brood and ideally 2 frames of honey Fill the rest of the space with frames of empty comb, foundation, or frames of honey/pollen Install the new queen ideally within 0-12 hours. If you wait more than 24 hours you will need to remove any queen cells the bees have begun to raise. Feed both hives if there is not a strong natural fall nectar flow
Can I Make a Fall Split?
Why Feed Pollen Substitutes?
Photo Credit:Theresa Guy
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Pollen 101- Honey bees use pollen as a source of indirect nutrition. Adult bees don't really eat pollen, but they are the collectors and transporters. Once back to the hive they pass it off to the house bees who in turn place / pack it into storage within cells. This pollen packing process includes some extra saliva. The finished product is fermented pollen known to us as bee bread but to nurse bees it is known as food! They eat, digest, and internally process it into royal jelly which is eventually fed to developing brood. Now, back to the question It’s a fair question. Is pollen substitute actually necessary? Why should you feed pollen substitute at all? Don’t the bees gather pollen themselves? Honey/syrup are the carbs in a bee’s diet, and pollen/pollen substitute is their protein. They must have sufficient quantities of each to raise brood and survive as a hive. We can also use food to manipulate hives to grow faster and stay healthier during certain times of the year. This is especially true with pollen subs. Ok, now to finally answer the question, “Why feed pollen substitute”? If you have a strong, year-round, multi-source pollen flow, you don’t need pollen substitutes. Chances are (unless you live in the tropics) this is not the case for you. There are, however, major summer droughts, freezes, winter, etc. conditions that prevent the quantity and quality of natural pollen needed. So, we feed pollen sub to accomplish three primary goals: 1. Feeding 2-3 months before the first freeze to help our bees rear healthy bees going into the winter by ensuring they have all the nutrients needed as they rear brood. See “Building Your Winter Bees Now” for a more in-depth discussion, but in essence, during the late summer and early fall workers rear a different kind of bee...a “winter bee” that is raised to live much longer than summer bees. These winter bees need a very complete diet to have the fat stores and immune systems needed to survive the winter. A poor pollen flow, or a single source pollen that isn’t nutritionally sufficient (think eating nothing but pizza), they won’t be able to raise healthy winter bees. Feeding pollen sub and syrup if needed ensures they have the needed protein and nutrition to successfully raise winter bees. 2. To extend brood rearing – By feeding pollen substitute approximately a month after the first freeze, and 2 weeks before your first pollen blooming plants in the spring you can help the bees rear brood later and longer than normal. This helps increase the hive's population, which is always a good thing! 3. To prevent nutritional deficits during pollen dearth – I alluded to this in #1, but if you have a hot dry summer or a late spring freeze, and thus little to no pollen producing plants, your hive can begin to starve nutritionally if sufficient pollen and pollen varieties are not present. When this happens, the bees begin to cannibalize the brood, which dramatically reduces the health and population of the hive. See “Symptoms of a nutritionally starved hive Pg 14” to identify if this is happening to your hive. Feeding pollen substitute and syrup during these dearth’s can save your hive! (Starvation symptoms- Robbing and aggression, Undersized adults, Bees eating their own larva, colony population reduction and hive activity) While it’s not a primary reason to feed, multiple studies have also shown that feeding pollen substitute during the times outlined can significantly boost the immune systems of your bees and help them better withstand the effects of Varroa mites and Nosema.
POLLEN
TBS Beekeeper Chat Introducing Randy "Dirt Rooster" McCaffrey YouTube Beekeeper Sensation
The "Dirt Rooster" has been busy! Between traveling to conferences and doing removals, Randy McCaffrey doesn't have a lot of time to just hang out - So for me to get him online to talk about himself is rare - Tune in to hear about the "field study" he's doing on Varroa?! What? That can't be right? Listen in to hear Randy's take Varroa, Africanized bees, cut out success stories, tips on catching swarms, and so much more! Join me and Subscribe to 628DirtRooster on YouTube
with Chari Elam
Storing Pollen Patties...and, Can I Make my Own?
If you end up with extra pollen patties, they can be frozen and reused next year. It will reduce the nutritional value a bit, but not enough to prevent re-use. If you only need to store them for a month or two: Wrap them in plastic wrap or seal them in a resealable bag. Store them at room temperature out of direct sunlight. The key is to help them retain their moisture. It’s critical they stay as pliable and moist as possible to help the bees eat them quickly. A peanut butter consistency is the goal. If they become hard, you can quickly dip the patty in water, then feed it to the bees. Can I make my own pollen subs? This answer can be short and sweet – don’t try to make your own pollen substitute. There is a huge difference in homemade recipes and purchased pollen substitutes. Typical homemade recipes call for things like soy flour, brewer’s yeast, etc. It has been shown those ingredients have very little to no nutritional value for bees. Purchased subs have come a very long way nutritionally in the past 10 years and are carefully created with ingredients not readily available to the general public.
NEW PRODUCT ALERT
What's Bugging You? Ants!
By: Blake Shook and Chari Elam
Image Credit: scientificbeekeeping.com
NEW PRODUCT - Say goodbye to ant problems with AntCant™! It's scientifically developed, non-toxic, low maintenance barrier coating prevents ants from attaching to surfaces. Apply the 3.5oz bottle of coating with the included 2" aluminum tape for guaranteed ant protection. Easy and effective!
Much like wax moths and small hive beetles, fire ants can on a rare occasion move in and eat honey or dead bees when a hive has died from something else. Fire ants can also overrun a weak hive. However, strong hives don’t seem to have any trouble keeping them out of the hive, and it's pretty rare they cause an issue for bees. I’ve frequently seen fire ant mounds built directly up against hives while not causing any issues for the bees. They are, however, annoying to us as beekeepers! If you kill the ants with a ground contact drench product, be sure to do it at night, and ensure nothing gets into the hive. Try to use natural methods, when possible, to kill the ants. Don’t apply poison to a mound if it is within a foot or less of the hive. Ways to stop Fire Ants: Work Diatomaceous Earth into the soil around the hives. (This also helps with Small Hive Beetles) Mix Glass cleaner with some liquid dish detergent added sprayed around the hive. Ground Black or Red Pepper sprinkled on the ground around the hive. Peppermint, Tea Tree, or Clove Essential oils (5-20 drops) mixed with 2 cups of water and sprayed around the hives. (Peppermint is a Small Hive beetle deterrent) Pour hot boiling water on top of ant mounds. May take several times, but it will work. Brewed coffee grounds sprinkled around the hives. Replenish often. Sugar Ants Sugar ants love sugar syrup and honey! Like fire ants, they don’t tend to cause an issue for the bees. They will often drink syrup out of an entrance feeder at night or eat honey out of a dying hives. Strong hives usually easily keep them at bay. Ways to prevent Sugar ants: Avoid spilling sugar syrup when filling feeders. Don’t discard pieces of honey comb near the hives. Avoid leaving equipment near the hive with honey residue on it. Build a hive stand with 4 legs and set each leg in a container of oil. Make sure your syrup feeder is not cracked or leaking. Switch from an entrance feeder to an internal feeder.
JACKET
Full Suit, Jacket, or Veil?
POCKET VEIL
PANTS
What do the Experts say about it?
Deciding which suit to buy can be a rather confusing experience. So much of the decision can be based on the following: What is most comfortable to you – Having full coverage; or are you ok with just jeans and a jacket or just a veil? Do you live in an area where bees are consistently docile and not defensive – Or are they more on the spicy side? What time of year is it and what is your task? Cotton or Ventilated? So often this is decided by your geographic location. Hotter climates tend to prefer ventilated suits as opposed to cotton. We assume that cotton is cooler, but when it gets wet and sticks to your skin any breathability is restricted…not to mention reducing the protection from stings. On the other hand, ventilated suits are thicker and heavier but do allow for air circulation – giving the person wearing it the ability to feel a breeze and overall feeling cooler. The thickness gives you the most protection available to prevent stings. Round Veil vs Fencing Veil Although both give you adequate sting protection, each has its own attributes and downfalls. Round Veil – Full vision ability – not limited to seeing just right in front of you. Cooler around the neck Sits directly on top of your head – can experience stings at your forehead because of it. Fencing Veil Stands up away from your head making it feel less restrictive. Super Suit version – has a zipper on the veil so that you can easily take a drink while wearing it. Tends to fall back onto the chin or face making the possibility of a sting greater. Wearing a ball cap under it helps prevent this. Smaller field of vision than a Round Veil Typically, most beekeepers find themselves owning at least 1 of each for multiple uses at different times, depending on the need and the time of year. There are no right or wrong answers when it comes to choosing your protective gear. The more comfortable you are, the more likely you are to work your bees with confidence – and in return your bees are more likely to be calmer because you are.
Check out this step by step video on "How to Rotate and Cull old Comb"
Photo Credit: Fox and Hound Bee Company
CHANGING OUT OLD EQUIPMENT
As boxes and frames age we are faced with the task of replacing them even though they are in use. That in itself can be a bit tricky if you’ve never done it. Changing out boxes Once a hive box starts to deteriorate, most often patching it is only a short-term fix. Replacing it is really the best thing to do and is quite simple. Have a new replacement hive box ready and sitting empty right next to, or behind, the old hive. One by one start pulling and placing the frames from the old box into the new one – in the same order as you are pulling them, until all have been relocated. Take the old box and remove it from the bottom board and replace it with the new box full of the old frames. It’s really that easy. You can do this with any box needing to be replaced, even if it’s the one on the bottom of a double or triple deep stack. Always place it back in its original location otherwise the bees might have issues with your new arrangement causing them to abandon brood and lose track of resources. Changing out old frames Frames seem to be harder for most of us to swap out. Inevitably the oldest worst frame in the hive is the one with the most brood and bees and center of the brood nest. It’s not like you can just reach in and pull it out and replace it with a new frame and foundation! Tip: For frames that are still in basically good but the tabs (ears) are broken, you can purchase Frame Savers. They are easy to install and will last as long as the frame or even longer. How do you know if a frame needs to be replaced? Bees are no longer utilizing the entire frame – blank spots on the frame where you can see old foundation. These are easy to spot. The bees won’t rebuild comb on them – the foundation has become almost smooth and is abandoned. Extremely old comb is dark and brittle – although they may still use it, it harbors chemicals from treatments, pathogens from the air and any outside contaminants the bees may have brought in. Broken sides do not repair well – even those where the nail keeps coming apart from the top bar. This is a sign that it was not glued, and now that’s it’s been an active frame it’s impossible to take it apart and glue it back properly. Frames where the foundation has pulled out – unfortunately this happens. Once the bees have built comb across a frame it’s virtually impossible to pop foundation back into the groove. Obviously, broken frames Rotating frames out With each inspection, migrate the old frame over a space or two until it is an outside position. By that time all of the brood will have emerged allowing you to remove it and replace it with a new frame with foundation. Honey frames can be done the same way – Or set them well away from the hives and let them get robbed out. Rule of thumb – Most pine hive bodies will last about 5 years with decent care. Meaning, each year plan to repaint during winter while the bees are tucked away inside. Also, making “lid leak repairs” is as important as repairing a leak on your home’s roof! Moisture rot is the #1 cause of box deterioration. Telescopic covers have a habit of leaching moisture through the staple holes made when attaching the metal top. Silicon them in advance and it will make a big difference in their life span.
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HIVE CARRIER
Listen as Cameron Crane - Beekeeping Expert, gives his take on how to move bees. His unconventional advice sounds like a great idea!
Moving Hives
Long distance (beyond your property) Determine where you’re moving them to and prepare that place. Move bees at night to prevent loss of foragers if possible. Close off the entrance prior to moving by smoking the bees back inside and installing a product such as vinyl corner bead allowing ventilation and security. Secure the bottom board to the bottom box, and top box to bottom box with hive staples. Use a ratchet strap (not tension strap) to ratchet the entire hive together “tightly.” Load using a helper and a hive carrier. A double deep box full of bees and resources can weigh 75 lbs. or more. Be prepared! When loading into a truck or on a trailer, face hive entrances to the rear or side if possible (avoiding direct wind blowing into the entrance). Strap hives down to the vehicle transporting the bees. It’s ok to load bees side by side. Don’t delay getting your bees to their new location. If transporting your bees for long distances in hot weather take caution for extended stops. Once you have arrived at the new location, unload your bees promptly. Remove the ratchet straps. Open the hive entrance once it’s placed at its new home. Wear your bee suit!! Consider feeding once they’ve settled - giving the bees some food will calm them and settle them quickly.
Short Distance Move Follow the first 5 steps for moving a hive a long distance. If you’re moving to the other side of your yard or property you can use a wagon, golf cart, or other means. If you want to move your bees only “feet” from their original location – You can place them on a wagon, or another “wheeled” device and move them just a foot or so a day with the entrance facing the same direction. This method of transportation will jog the bees much more than a car ride – prepare accordingly. If you need to reorient the direction the entrance is facing, do so gradually by turning the box just a few inches a day until the direction desired is achieved. If you have to move your bees “today” and don’t have time to move them a short move each day – Move the hive to its new location in the yard and place an “object” at the old location. (Block of wood, brick, chair… etc.) This will give the bees something to land on. Each afternoon for several days, pick up the “object” and take it to the moved hive and shake the bees off at the entrance. They eventually get the point. Also- Place an “obstruction” like a branch standing up in front of the hive to create an obstruction at the entrance. This will force them to “reorient” themselves and help with them adapting to their new location and prevent them from returning to their old one. Remove the obstruction after a week.
"There’s no need for alarm or to boycott honey ...."
By: Lynne Jones
Have you seen the movie Oppenheimer? If you haven’t, don’t worry, there won’t be any spoiler alerts here – unless you count facts forgotten from history class. The movie is about J. Robert Oppenheimer who is considered the father of the atomic bomb. He was appointed director of what became the top-secret Manhattan Project in September 1942. In less than three years, he led a team of scientists in the development of two types of atomic bombs. On July 16, 1945, the Trinity test was the world’s first detonation of an atomic bomb. Only three week later, on August 6th, atomic bomb “Little Boy” was detonated over Hiroshima, Japan. Then on the 9th, “Fat Man” was detonated over Nagasaki. In the years that followed, the United States conducted around 1,054 nuclear tests (1946-1992). During the 1950’s, most of the tests were done in Nevada. Although routinely downplayed, there was a lot of radioactive fallout from these tests - which brings us to Nuclear Fallout Honey. Yes, that is really "a thing" and has been available for purchase for $6.00/ounce. However, based on the results of a project conducted by researchers at William & Mary College and University of Maryland, pretty much any honey originating from South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and coastal Alabama contains trace amounts of Cesium-137 and could be considered "nuclear fallout honey’". When the fallout from the tests in the 50s drifted Southeast, it didn’t single out the southern states, sparing the northern states though - the reason these states have 137Cs in their honey is due to the composition of their soil. Potassium and 137Cs have similar chemical properties. Plants require potassium, and in the Northeast where the soil is plentiful in potassium, plants choose potassium. But in potassium-deficient soils of the Southeast, plants can confuse 137Cs with potassium. When the plants choose 137Cs, this is transferred into their nectar which the bees then gather and convert into honey. Despite the more than 60 years since the atomic bomb testing, the radiation is still detectable due to Cesium -137’s radioactive half-life of 30.2 years. There’s no need for alarm or to boycott honey from Southeastern states though. The highest amount detected in any of the samples was 19.1 becquerels per kilogram, "well below" 1200 becquerels per kilogram, the cutoff for any food safety concerns, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. What you should know if you are thinking about seeing Oppenheimer in the theater: Portions of the movie were filmed in 70-millimeter film, but there are only 19 screens in the U.S. which can project it in this format; all other theaters will show it in digital The movie is 180 minutes long (3 hours). The question remains… Can you sell your honey as Nuclear Fallout Honey and get $6.00 oz? One could only imagine!
What's the Buzz on the Oppenheimer Movie ... Nuclear Fallout Honey?
Photo Credit: Mudsongs.org
We get this question asked all year long – Can I feed my bees honey? It makes sense, right? Bees do best eating honey rather than syrups (though not substantially) so why not feed bees old or leftover honey? There are some major cons to feeding bees honey rather than sugar or corn syrup. They are: Honey is very thick, and bees will often drown in any sort of open feeder. Old honey can have high HMF levels, which sicken a hive. Honey can carry foulbrood spores, thus infecting hives. See “American Foulbrood”. For those reasons, it's not recommended to routinely feed your hives honey from other beehives. That being said, there are a few times bees certainly eat honey from other hives. Here are some instances when it is OK, assuming you’ve verified the honey came from healthy hives: You are taking frames of honey from a hive with excess honey, and giving putting them directly into a hive that needs honey. You are allowing bees to rob out some frames of honey due to a hive being honey bound. Other scenarios are where you need bees to rob out frames from a healthy hive or need to transfer honey between healthy hives. In summary, what is not recommend, is routinely using liquid honey to feed your bees in place of syrup and NEVER feeding store bought honey. Occasionally to get rid of some honey, or to empty frames is fine, as long as they came from healthy hives.
Can I feed my bees honey?
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Beyond Bees By: Paul Fagala
Photo Credit: Nanette Davis
Wildlife and Drought
If you haven’t noticed, this summer has been hot and dry in Texas! As of mid-August, the U.S. is 28.8% in drought with Texas being extremely high at 78.8% and 19.26% of it in severe to exceptional drought.We know the effects drought has on our lawns and vegetation (and water bills!), but what about the wildlife out there including our bees? As water sources dry up, wildlife must change their habits and territories to access water. Bees cannot simply pick up their hive and move closer to water sources so they must fly even further to find water. Many older, diseased, or very young animals cannot make the trek and will often die due to dehydration. Other problems arise as disease is spread among the animals forced to congregate closely around shrinking water sources. Waterfowl are susceptible to cholera outbreaks when they gather in large flocks as lakes and ponds dry out. Plants cannot thrive in drought conditions and will produce less. This can be a huge problem for herbivores that rely on plants for food. Without the plants, many animals will not be able to put on fat reserves needed to survive the winter and some nursing females will not be able to produce enough milk to provide proper nourishment for their young. In both cases, starvation is the likely outcome. If bees use all their stores from the spring and are unable to replenish those in the fall flow, they face starvation as well. Millions of birds across the nation migrate through Texas on their way to Central and South America for the winter. If plants suffer, insects suffer and many of the birds will not have enough to eat to continue their journey. Hummingbirds can be especially affected because of the lack of nectar-producing plants. Encounters with wildlife are much more likely during drought conditions. Animals become desperate to find enough water and food for themselves and their young. Many times, this means moving into urban and suburban areas in search of water and food. Armadillos may tear up your yard looking for grubs since your grass is watered and the soil is softer. Raccoons may be more likely to tip trashcans in search of tasty morsels of food and coyotes may search neighborhoods for outdoor pets left unattended. Most animals will put their fear of humans aside when faced with starvation or dehydration. They are not looking to cause problems for you – they simply want to live to see another day. What can you do? You can help wildlife by providing water in your yard for them. Don’t be alarmed when you see animals in your yard you don’t normally see. They are simply trying to survive, and your beautifully watered yard is a buffet to them. Plant native plants in your yard since they are typically more drought-tolerant and need less water. These hardy plants will provide nectar for your bees, migrating hummingbirds, and Monarch butterflies as well as host insects for migrating birds to feast on. Also, keep bird feeders and water sources clean to prevent disease from spreading. Drought is tough on all of us! The wildlife around us suffers as well. We may not be able to save all of them, but just as we do with our bees, we can help those right around us during these tough conditions.
YIELD: 6 servings INGREDIENTS 4 lbs. - baby back pork ribs, cut into 4 to 5 rib racks 2/3 cup - honey, divided 1 T - black pepper 1 T - paprika 1 T - salt
DIRECTIONS Preheat grill to 300° F or medium heat. Lay each rack of ribs on a large piece of foil. In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup honey, pepper, paprika, salt and garlic powder. Rub both sides of each rack with 1 T of the mixture, divided evenly. Wrap foil around racks to form packets. Place foil packets seam-side up on grill rack and put down the cover and bake on the grill for about 1 1/2 hours. Remove ribs from the grill, spray grill racks with vegetable oil spray and fire up the grill up to medium-high. Combine pecans and flour. Remove rib racks from foil and press pecan mixture onto meaty side of each rack. Combine barbecue sauce and 1/3 cup honey. Drizzle pecan crust with honey barbecue sauce to cover. Grill each rib rack over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, starting with the bare side and brushing on more sauce as desired. Turn and baste the ribs until they are caramelized. Sprinkle with additional toasted chopped pecans and extra honey barbecue sauce and serve.
HONEY PECAN BABY BACK RIBS
1/2 tsp. - garlic powder Vegetable oil cooking spray 1 cup - toasted pecans, finely ground 2 T - all-purpose flour 1 bottle (18-oz.) - prepared barbecue sauce Toasted pecans, for sprinkling on finished ribs
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