Apprentice Beekeeper Class

1. Apprentice BeekeeperClass • 12:15pm – 2pm (w/break) Fred/Gail Pollard • After the bees arrive (nucs vs pkg. of bees) • Installing the bees & queen • Early care (feeding) • What to look for • What you might see (Drawing comb) • Requeening

2. Your Start • Hive • Accessible by vehicle to transport honey • Pick a sunny spot with air ventilation • Avoid heavy wind areas use wind breaks • Place hive south to east catching early sun • Place hive 4-6 inches above ground • Use of standard size equipment allows interchange between hives (home made?)

3. Working Bees • Wear comfortable clothing light color (PPE) • Use a smoker (only if needed) with just enough smoke to control bees • Temp should be 55 degrees or warmer • Best time of day between 10am & 4pm • Move slow and steady as not to trigger aggressive behavior

4. Buying Bees • Types of bees • Spring Time – Bees arrive mid-April • One pound of bees is approx 3,500 • Equipment – New or used • Packages, NUC, or buy used? • Inspect any winter colony you buy • Look for diseases • Weak colonies • Poor equipment

5. Types of Bee: CARNOLIANS • Dark bees with gray or brown hairs. Native to the Alps of Europe. • Large dark bees (good for cold climates) • Gentle Bees • Conserve winter stores • A little late in spring raising brood • Dark bees, makes finding the queen harder

6. Types of Bee: CAUCASIAN • Dark bees with gray hairs. • They are gentle • Long tongues • Winter well in cold climates • Finding the queen is a challenge

7. Types of Bee: ITALIANS This is the most popular bee in North America. Light color with bands of brown to yellow. • Gentle • Good producers • Use less propolis than some darker breeds • Their biggest weakness is that they are prone to rob and drift

8. Types of Bee: RUSSIAN • Due to isolation in Siberia and a century of exposure to mites these bees are hardy winter and resist parasitic mites. • Gentle • Frugal winter eaters • Can be aggressive

9. After the bees arrive (Nuc vs Package bees) • When you decide to get bees, you can obtain your colony in two ways: • A Nuc, pronounced nuke, is a nuclear hive. It is four or five frames from a working hive including a queen. • Package bees come in a screened cage the size of a shoebox. There are three pounds of bees (upwards to 10,500) in the package. There is a can of sugar syrup in the cage and a queen in a box.

10. NUC: 5 frames = small hive • A nuc comes in a nuc box. It is usually a cardboard hive. The cardboard nuc boxes cost around $7. • You can get wooden nuc boxes for a bit more.

11. Nuclear Hive • A Nuc is 4 or 5 frames from an existing hive. • It is a colony that had been working well for a time and the bees know and are related to their queen. • The frames will contain honey, pollen, eggs and larva. • The frames were pulled from a working hive. • This is the nucleus of a hive. If you feed the bees and keep them happy, they will have a good start • Some think a NUC will stand a better chance of success than a package.

12. Installation of NUC • Remove 4-5 frames from hive body • Transfer frames from NUC box to hive • Add sugar syrup via feeder • Close hive body to insure the bees stay and get acquainted with their new home. • Seal the hive for 3-7 days

13. Package of Bees • Screened Wood Box • Can of syrup (1:1) • One Queen in cage • 3 lbs of bees / ~10,500 workers

14. Package • The bees are grabbed from many existing hives • The queens are raised separately and may not be related to the hive. • Store your package 2-3 days, if necessary • Empty the package into your hive and let them get used to the queen. • If you feed them enough and all goes well, they will all get along and start a colony. • In three or four weeks the hive should be established and start increasing.

15. Installation of package

16. Install Package • Prep - have a cover ready to replace can! • Remove can (hive tool) • Pull queen cage (PREP) • Cover opening • Replace cork with marshmallow • Locate cage in hive • Add bees

17. Package: Prep Queen Cage • Wait for queen to move away from cork • Pullout cork • Keep hole covered! • Add marshmallow • Workers will eat marshmallow and release queen

18. When you Hive • Feeding • What to look for • What you might see • Drawing comb • Requeening

19. Hive Package Bees (pg17) • Prepare with two hive bodies and a feeder • Remove most of the frames from the top hive body • Add a feeder of your choice • Set the can of syrup drip side down into the space you made (can rests on the top of the frames) • Place the queen cage w/marshmallow use the metal tab make a loop, secure to the inside of the hive body • Sprinkle a little syrup onto bees through the side screens of package • Gently place the package down into the hive body • Close the hive, seal the hive for 3-7 days

20. To Hive Bees continued • After 3-7 days open the front of your hive, allowing a 1.5 inch opening • Remove top cover and inner covers • Inspect the hive, you should be ready to remove the package box, syrup can and queen cage….. • Introduce new frames

21. Early Care of Hive: Feeding • Feeding sugar syrup to honey beeshelps ensure that bees survive periods when honey may run short, such as new hive or before winter.  • Feeding syrup is also an important way to ensure bees build up well in spring. • Bees should never be allowed to run short of feed.  (how long before a bee starts to starve?)

22. Feeding Hardware • External • Boardman • Easy to see level • Refill often • Internal • Top Feeder • Holds large amount of syrup • Hard to see level

23. Feeding Alternatives • Small Chicken water bottle • Solid patties • Pile of sugar • Humming Bird feeders

24. Feed the Bees • Feed the bees as necessary, keep a constant supply of sugar water. • Feed until 2-3 frames are full of drawn comb on the bottom hive body • Remember Top feeder (pg17)

25. Drawing Comb • Bees can make the wax comb on anything • Plastic wax foundations help keep uniformity for extraction • Bees build the comb structure with wax • Angled comb keeps the honey inside • Comb is caped when full

26. What you should not see! • Dead or Missing Bee’s • What might go wrong?? • What causes loss • Lack of water • Hive ventilation • Insects (ants) • They simply left?! • Insecticide Spray

27. What If’s • Queen is trapped in cage • Gently release her into the bottom of the hive and close the hive ASAP to keep her from flying away • Queen is missing • The queen has left the building • Need a new queen ASAP (Who ya gona call?) • Queen is dead • Need a new Queen ASAP • Add a frame from an older hive, larvae, capped brood,

28. After 6-7 days • Check to see if Queen is laying • Work carefully use minimum smoke, • Queen is usually in the center of the bee cluster • If you see brood present then you know the queen is there

29. What to look for 3 weeks • Frames with drawn out comb • Caped honey • Brood (eggs – larva) • Queen • Lots of working bees

30. Requeening • WHY? • Sick queen • Old queen • Queen is gone? • Swarming

31. Looking at your Queen • How Sick Is The Queen?

32. Queen issues • Sick queen • Diseases • Parasites • Insecticides • Old Age • Pheromones, different or low? • Swarming • Honey bound - other?

33. Queen Cells (two types) • When; typically just before nectar flow • Often supersedureand swarming take place at the same time (inside frame) • Need to replace • Swarm cells (edge of frame) • Need to leave

34. Need A Queen?? • Buy a queen • Online • Local seller • Buy a frame (How long before a queen is raised) • Local seller • Brood • Worker bees

35. Questions and AnswersThank You