Becoming A Backyard Beekeeper. Eric Mussen Extension Apiculturist, Retired Entomology and Nematology University of California, Davis

Transcription

1 Becoming A Backyard Beekeeper Eric Mussen Extension Apiculturist, Retired Entomology and Nematology University of California, Davis

2 Topics to be Covered Bee-havers vs. Beekeepers Apiary Location Choice of Equipment Obtaining a Colony Colony Buildup Honey Production Wintering Potential problems

3 Bee-haver vs. Beekeeper Bee-haver Puts bees into a container and that s it Survival of the fittest No colony examinations or adjustments Inadequacies State law requires movable frames Neighbors dislike swarm clusters in their yards Neglected colonies may become sources of diseases and parasites for miles around (4+) American foulbrood and Varroa mites

4 American Foulbrood Disease Lethal to most colonies Bacterial spores spread by robbing sick colonies Left photo by Kathy Garvey Right photo by Univer. MN

5 Varroa destructor Upper photos by Harry H. Laidlaw

6 Beekeeper Intends to keep bees Plan ahead to avoid difficulties Read a few how-to-do-it paperbacks Order a few beekeeping supply catalogs (easier to handle than web pages) Attend a beginning beekeeping course Become involved in a local club, or enlist the advice of an experienced beekeeper Don t believe everything you read on the Internet University information is the most trustworthy Not a bad idea for the whole family to be tested for bee venom allergy

7 Beekeeper Purchase your equipment well in advance Boxes, frames with foundation, etc. can be purchased assembled or knocked down (KD) Boxes can even come pre-painted, but this is the time for some artistry Honey bees drift less with hives looking different Keep track of what is going on in the hive Periodic examinations of bees on combs Intervene only when essential Intervention may never be essential

8 Beekeeping No synthetic chemicals have to be used in hives Dead or dying colonies must be quarantined and abated (eliminated) Burning County agricultural commissioner and Air Resources Board Burying County agricultural commissioner and Landfill supervisor

9 Apiary Location Paramount importance Abundance of fresh nectars and pollens throughout the year Nearly 50 pounds of pollens and 100 pounds of honey required to live through a year Beekeepers can harvest surplus honey Nearby source of fresh water Urban and suburban areas can be better than many natural habitats, espec. in California

10 Apiary Location Best not to be on the top of a hill or down in a valley Has to be accessible year-round, despite the weather The closer to home the better Try to avoid areas with bears, skunks, livestock (espec. horses) and vandals

11 Choice of Equipment Standard Langstroth hive is easiest to manage Normal ten-frame or eight-frame sizes Decide on original source, then stick with that manufacturer Bee Space 3/8 inch Alternative hives should come later Long box, Jackson, Top-bar (Kenyon), Perone, Warré, etc.

12 Personal Equipment Required Veil Smoker Hive tool or something equivalent Optional Bee suit various types and costs Jeans and kaki work shirts are fine Avoid black and red Bee gloves various types and costs Boots

13 Example Starter Kits Dadant & Sons $179.50

14 Obtaining a Colony Purchase a hived colony already going Move it to your location at night At least a five mile move Catch a swarm Enlist experienced help the first time Purchase a package Usual manner of starting Purchase a nuc (nucleus colony) 4 or 5 frames of bees with a laying queen

15 Starting Out Swarm cluster From mainebeekeepers.org Serge Labesque s handsome hives Packaged bees

16 Colony Buildup With abundant food and healthy bees, they can fill up one deep super (9 X 16 ) with brood and food in a month Then more boxes must be ready to add on Added one at a time to the top of the hive Congesting the bees will cause them to swarm When the honey flow is on, more boxes must be added to the stack to hold the incoming nectar and honey

17 Colony Buildup

18 Honey Collection Use one of many methods to get the bees out of the honey supers Take the honey to someplace where the bees cannot get into it (attracted strongly by the odor) Remove the honey from the combs, unless they are comb sections or you are going to store the combs frozen Try to bottle the honey in its final container the first time it is handled save labels for later

19 Round Comb Sections

20 Colony Reduction During and after the honey flow, the bees will begin to push the brood nest down toward the bottom box That is where you want the bees to cluster for overwintering If they don t do it themselves, you help them

21 Wintering Wintering colonies in California are not really wintering At temperatures below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, the bees will cluster The cluster tightens as the temperature drops Cluster stays warm eating stored honey Cluster moves up in the hive over time Above 55 degrees, the bees are apt to fly They can burn through a lot of stored honey, for nothing, trying to find food in the winter You may have to feed them

22 Potential Problems (First Year is the Easiest) Malnutrition or starvation Bacterial, fungal, and viral bee diseases Tracheal mites and Varroa mites Pesticide exposure Agricultural Golf course Landscape Landfill Urban gardeners

23 Speaker Contacts Eric Mussen Extension Apiculturist, Retired Entomology and Nematology University of California, Davis Phone: URL: entomology.ucdavis.edu/faculty/eric_c_mussen/