Bees for Master Gardeners

Transcription

1 Bees for Master Gardeners Today s goal: Help prepare you to educate the public about the interaction of pollinators, plants and people Today we will cover the following: Pollinator disappearance and what this means to gardeners Introduce you to 4 beneficial bees Provide you with ways to attract bees Address several bee related questions you are likely to receive from the public 1

2 Management Stress 2

3 Too Much Stress! Loss of Habitat Herbicides Pesticides 3

4 Guttation Parasites: Varroa Mites Parasites Mite on Adult Mason Bee 4

5 Varroa Mite on Adult Worker Bee Disease: Nosema Spores Newly introduced pathogens Fungus Virus Magnified 40 X 5

6 So.Where do we Stand Now? Still no smoking gun Introduced viruses and parasites (Varroa mite vectors viruses) play a major role Nosema ceranae (new disease) identified Bees: The First Insect Today we will cover the following: Pollinator disappearance and what this means to gardeners Introduce you to 4 beneficial bees Provide you with ways to attract bees Address several bee related questions you are likely to receive from the public 6

7 What makes a bee a bee? Order: Hymenoptera = membrane wings 2 pairs of wings instead of 2 single wings What makes a bee a bee Ability to carry pollen Chris Willis 7

8 INSECT FAVORITE HABITAT HOW TO MAINTENANCE BEHAVIOR HONEY FOOD ATTRACT TOWARD PRODUCTION HUMANS Wide variety Soil Bare patch of soil EASY: None Non-aggressive. None MINER BEE - Native/Solitary Pieris japonica, Wood blocks, Provide EASY: Remove Non aggressive, None fruit trees, roses, straws bundles of old nesting tiny pin prick sting, radishes, straws, wood material yearly. will sting if stepped strawberries. blocks or squeezed MASON BEE Native Solitary Tomatoes, Nesting Provide nesting EASY: Change Defensive 15 feet Just enough for lavender, clover, boxes, box with soft nesting material around hive if colony. honeysuckle, abandoned nesting yearly, sterilize disturbed artichokes mice or rat material nesting box. nests BUMBLE BEE Native /Social Wide variety of Wooden Previously used LABOR Defensive Roughly 30 fruits, vegetables boxes bee hives will INTENSIVE: feet around hive if pounds of honey & ornamental containing attract swarms. Keeping healthy disturbed. About per hive, per year. plants. Most wax comb Best method is bees requires time, 1% of population is important all to purchase knowledge, allergic to sting. around established physical exertion pollinator. healthy hives. and investment. EUROPEAN HONEY BEE Non- native/social Miner Bee aka Digger Bee Miner Bee aka Digger Bee Pollinates many plants Hundreds of varieties Slightly smaller than a honey bee Easiest of all the backyard bees to maintain NON aggressive No honey production 8

9 What is underground Egg on top of pollen and nectar ball 9

10 INSECT FAVORITE HABITAT HOW TO MAINTENANCE BEHAVIOR HONEY FOOD ATTRACT TOWARD PRODUCTION HUMANS Wide variety Soil Bare patch of soil EASY: None Non-aggressive. None MINER BEE - Native/Solitary Pieris japonica, Wood blocks, Provide EASY: Remove Non aggressive, None fruit trees, roses, straws bundles of old nesting tiny pin prick sting, radishes, straws, wood material yearly. will sting if stepped strawberries. blocks or squeezed MASON BEE Native Solitary Tomatoes, Nesting Provide nesting EASY: Change Defensive 15 feet Just enough for lavender, clover, boxes, box with soft nesting material around hive if colony. honeysuckle, abandoned nesting yearly, sterilize disturbed artichokes mice or rat material nesting box. nests BUMBLE BEE Native /Social Wide variety of Wooden Previously used LABOR Defensive Roughly 30 fruits, vegetables boxes bee hives will INTENSIVE: feet around hive if pounds of honey & ornamental containing attract swarms. Keeping healthy disturbed. About per hive, per year. plants. Most wax comb Best method is bees requires time, 1% of population is important all to purchase knowledge, allergic to sting. around established physical exertion pollinator. healthy hives. and investment. EUROPEAN HONEY BEE Non- native/social Huggable Bumbles They are cute and fuzzy Bumble Bee Many varieties and sizes Green house tomato pollinator Love artichokes and lavender Size: variable Defensive 15 feet around hive Honey production enough for colony only 10

11 Inside Bumble Bee Nest Honey Pot Adult Bumble Bee Brood Cell Greenhouse Specialist 11

12 Natural Habitat Man-made Habitat The Buzz on Mason Bees Beekeeping without the Sting Why Mason Bees? Honeybee helper Early & efficient pollinators Easy to keep Rarely sting Require little space Not expensive Fun for family 12

13 Honeybee Helper Claim to Fame: Early and efficient pollinator Early season March-June Fewer needed for pollination than honey bees Short foraging range Pollinates early blossoming plants Apple Strawberries Cherry Plum Nectarine Prune Blueberries Japonica A Year in the Life of Masons and Gardeners: Winter 13

14 What Masons do on their own Man s attempt to copy Nature: rustic style wood block Unusual Mason Bee Homes Turning a Weed into a Welcome Mat 14

15 Pre-split Teasel Starting to Look Like Home Just right We ve got customers Mason Bee Nest 15

16 March 1 st about 2 weeks before Masons emerge Mason Bee Nesting Tubes End plug Paper liner Cardboard tube 16

17 Nesting tubes in a section of bamboo Introduction of Cocoons Another introduction technique: 17

18 Location Location - Location A Year in the Life of Masons and Gardeners: Spring 18

19 Early spring males emerge first and eagerly await the females 55 degrees F Mating takes place immediately after emerging in spring-- no courting, no flowers, no chocolates 19

20 Inside View of Mason Bee Nest Glass Tube Egg Pollen & Honey Mud Partition Mason Bees Must Build Mud must be close to nest And Don t Forget a Protected Mud Source 20

21 Summer X-ray of bee pupae Pupae Cocoons in Nesting Block 21

22 Keeping them healthy: Protection from predators Protect from Predators Mason Bee Wasp Nest Mason Home Another Mason Predator Woodpeckers can reach up to 7 inches inside a nesting block or tube. 22

23 Fall Retrieve & store nests Keep this guy away Store: Remember they have to breathe 23

24 Keeping Them Healthy Mites Cocoon Parasites Mite on Adult Mason Bee 24

25 Method of Cleaning Cocoons with Sand Easiest way is to put out nesting tubes. If you have Mason bees in your area, some will nest in those tubes. How Do I Get Started? For faster results you can purchase occupied tubes or get some from a friend. Where can I get Mason Bees? 25

26 INSECT FAVORITE FOOD HABITAT HOW TO MAINTENANCE BEHAVIOR HONEY ATTRACT TOWARD PRODUCTION HUMANS Wide variety Soil Bare patch of soil EASY: None Non-aggressive. None MINER BEE Pieris japonica, fruit Wood blocks, Provide EASY: Remove Non aggressive, None trees, roses, radishes, straws bundles of old nesting tiny pin prick sting, strawberries. straws, wood material yearly. will sting if stepped blocks or squeezed MASON BEE Tomatoes, lavender, Nesting Provide nesting EASY: Change Defensive 15 feet Just enough for clover, honeysuckle, boxes, box with soft nesting material around hive if colony. artichokes abandoned nesting yearly, sterilize disturbed mice or rat material nesting box. nests BUMBLE BEE Wide variety of fruits, Wooden Previously used LABOR Defensive Roughly 30 vegetables & boxes bee hives will INTENSIVE: feet around hive if pounds of honey ornamental plants. containing attract swarms. Keeping healthy disturbed. About per hive, per year. Most important all wax comb Best method is bees requires time, 1% of population is around pollinator. to purchase knowledge, allergic to sting. established physical exertion healthy hives. and investment. HONEY BEE Cretaceous Corsage Orchid Pollen Packets Bee in Fossilized Amber 14 million year old fossil bee 26

27 Spanish Cave Drawings Approximately 8000 years ago African Rock Painting Honey Bees in Ancient Egypt years ago 27

28 Beekeeping: Then and Now years old Modern Day Egypt 3000 Year Old Bee Hive To bee or not to bee 28

29 Mis-identification can result in a bum wrap for the honeybee Honey Bees: Swarm Food: flowers Bald Faced Hornet: Nest Food: other insects Paper Wasp Nest Food: other insects Yellow Jacket Nest Food: other insects, food, fruit and flowers 29

30 Honey Bee Most important pollinator: pollinates 1/3 rd of the food crops Several varieties Defensive feet around hive if disturbed Honey production approximately 30 pounds per hive per year Not native to America? Pollination: Primary Value When split ends are a good thing 700X 30

31 Without pollination some fruits and vegetables don t grow up DAY 1 Pollination vs non pollination Pollinated Non-pollinated 31

32 Day 7 Pollinated Non-pollinated Day 11 Pollinated Non-pollinated Percentage of Decline of Crop Yield without Honeybees Pollination Crop % Dependence on Honeybees Crop % Dependence on Honeybees Almond 100 Lemon & Lime 20 Apple 90 Lettuce 10 Apricot 70 Lupine 10 Asparagus 90 Macadamia 90 Avocado 100 Mandarin 30 Bean 10 Mango 90 Blueberry 100 Nectarine 60 Broccoli 100 Onion 100 Brussels sprout 30 Orange 30 Cabbage 30 Papaya 20 Carrot 100 Peach 60 Cauliflower 100 Peanut 10 Celery 100 Pear 50 Cherries 90 Plum and prune 70 Cotton lint 20 Pumpkin 90 Cucumber 90 Strawberry 40 Grapefruit 80 Watermelon 70 Kiwi 90 32

33 Benefits of bees Modern Bee Hive Section Super (honey comb) Honey Supers Outer Cover Inner Cover Queen Excluder Brood Box Frame Landing Board Entrance 33

34 Three Bee Castes Workers Drone Queen Queen and Her Entourage The Queen s Only Role Lay Eggs Lay Eggs Lay More Eggs Lay Even More Eggs Depositing an egg in cell 34

35 Wax Comb with Eggs I laid 1,500 eggs today, and you expect me to dress for dinner? Drone aka Male Bee Mates with Queen Expects to be Waited On Mostly Does Nothing 35

36 Worker Bees: 60,000 Strong From Darkness to Light to Flight Protect Hive as Guard Bee Raise Babies Care for Queen Maintain Hive Build Comb Collect Nectar Collect Pollen Work Until Their Wings wear Out 36

37 Beekeeping Basics: spring Rapid growth Check Queen performance Brood Honey stores Swarm control Disease management Swarm Control: Remove queen cells weekly starting late March until early summer Capped Queen cell Waited too long Emerged Queen cells 37

38 Oops, waited too long Fortunately it landed close by Beekeeping Basics: summer Add boxes Swarm control Extract Disease management 38

39 Honey Harvest Beekeeping Basics: fall Winter Insulation Box Disease management medicate Feed if needed Provide insulation Beekeeping Basics: winter Keep entrance clear Protect from weather Build equipment for next spring 39

40 Beekeeping Basics: winter Incredible behaviors, abilities and curiosities of honey bees What does evaporative cooling have to do with honey bees? 40

41 They did it first 41

42 Where do drones party? Drone Congregation Area Drone congregation area: How do they know where to go? 42

43 Why should honey bees have the patent on Velcro? 43

44 What work with honey bees won a Noble Prize? Making a Bee Line Relative position of hive/sun/flowers View inside the hive 44

45 Dancing with the Stars Inside View of Hive More going on than meets the eye! 45

46 Why do bees have the reputation as perfect builders? Is there sibling rivalry among queens? 46

47 Piping Capped Queen cell Waited too long Emerged Queen cells Surprise Picnic Guest 47

48 How does the queen know spring is coming? Spring approaching: how do they know? How do bees see flowers? 48

49 Sherry Williamson 49

50 Is there flower fidelity in the garden? Flower Fidelity Refresher course in flower constancy Tundra 50

51 Today we will cover the following: Pollinator disappearance and what this means to gardeners Introduce you to 4 beneficial bees Provide you with ways to attract bees Address several bee related questions you are likely to receive from the public So.What can you as a gardener do to attract pollinators? Use Herbicides & Pesticides Wisely 51

52 Guttation Provide Habitat: You can encourage Masons by providing them with a home Leave grassy thickets for Bumble Bees Protect grassy thickets or other areas of dense low cover from mowing or other disturbance 52

53 Leave tree stumps and leaf piles for Masons and Bumble Bees Leave a bare patch of ground for Miner Bees Best way to promote honey bees 53

54 Create a pollinator friendly garden Provide a diverse community of plants attractive to pollinators Use plants that attract pollinators Final Tip: Sit back with a furry friend and enjoy the results 54

55 Today we will cover the following: Pollinator disappearance and what this means to gardeners Introduce you to 4 beneficial bees Provide you with ways to attract bees Address several bee related questions you are likely to receive from the public Hot Line Questions Hot Line Question It s not time for the Mason bees to emerge but the nesting block has holes in the mud plugs. Why is this happening? What can I do about it? 55

56 A. Protect nest Hot Line Question I have a couple of apple trees and a small garden. What do you recommend I do for pollination? What do I do for pollination? A. Mason Bee: an efficient low maintenance pollinator A. Honey bees pollinate and provide honey but are high maintenance 56

57 Hot Line Question I have seen Mason bees coming out of holes in the side of the house. Are they causing any damage? A. No, Masons can not chew; they use existing holes Hot Line Question I have been hearing a lot about Mason bees. How do I get some? 57

58 A. Purchase Mason bees in tubes or cocoons A. Get populated tubes from a friend A. Put nest/tubes out and wait Hot Line Question I just got a Mason bee starter kit. Where should I put it? 58

59 Hot Line Question I put a Mason bee nest near my front door so my family could watch them. But my cherry tree is still not producing fruit. What s wrong? A. Location, location, location Ask how far away is your tree from the Mason bee nest? Mason bees have a very short flight range with a maximum of 300 feet. Hot Line Question A swarm of bees landed in my back yard. I want to get rid of them but don t want to kill them. What can I do? 59

60 What can I do? A. Reassure caller that the swarm is valuable and NOT aggressive. Just leave them along; often will leave within a day Best thing; call a local beekeeper Hot Line Question I ve heard killer bees are spreading northward. Are there killer bees in Oregon? A. No, no killer bees have been found in the state 60

61 Hot Line Question I ve been thinking about keeping honey bees. Are there any zoning problems I should know about? A. Each County and each City has different regulations Contact the appropriate agency for proposed location of bees Hot Line Question I used to see lots of bees on my fruit trees but now it s rare. Is this because of the bees disappearing? 61

62 A. Greatest likelihood neighborhood hives now lost due to Parasitic Mites Front desk questions Client Question This bee was stinging my dog and when I tried to get it out of her fur, it stung me too. What is it? How can I get rid of it? 62

63 A. It is not a honeybee because honey bees only sting once How do I get rid of Yellow Jackets? Chemical: Spray insecticide into nest entrance AT NIGHT. Non-chemical: Invert a large transparent container over nest AT NIGHT or Just wait and the workers will die after a couple of frosts Hot Line Question There is this grassy stuff sticking out the end of one of my Mason nesting tubes. What is it? 63

64 A. Mason Bee Wasp nesting material; it is grass Hot Line Question I ve read that herbicides are bad for bees? Bees aren t plants so why is it a problem? A. When bees pick up herbicide from plants, it kills their beneficial microflora. 64

65 Hot Line Question I m having a real problem with insects eating my garden. How can I use pesticides without harming the bees? A. If you absolutely have to use pesticides: Most importantly do NOT apply pesticides on plants that are BLOSSOMING Apply a minimal amount Follow directions on the label Hot Line Question My plants look good but my zucchinis don t mature? What s wrong? 65

66 A. Lack of Pollination Pollinated Non-pollinated Hot Line Question What can I do now? Hand Pollinate FEMALE MALE 66

67 What the caller can do now 67

68 Censored Successful interaction among pollinators, people and plants Save the bees save ourselves 68

69 The End 69