Welcome to Beekeeping

Welcome to Beekeeping

Questions of a Beginning Beekeeper Where do I get bees from? What kind of bees should I get? Where do I put my bees?

Rule of 36 Established by Three Rivers Beekeepers To ensure bees with traits that perform well in our area. To deter bees with Africanized traits from becoming established in the area. To promote sharing of genetics in the area. To encourage better management of bees.

What is the TRB Nuc & Queen Initiative? This is an initiative started in 2011 by Three Rivers Beekeepers to provide locally raised nucs and queens for local use. In 2012 over 150 nucs were prepared and distributed. Nucs can be either 4 frame or 5 frame deeps or mediums All nucs will be available first to TRB beginning beekeeping class students, then TRB club members, then open availability. It is the intention of this Initiative that all queens be of local stock and locally mated or come form above the 36th parallel. All nucs must contain new or like new frames with fully drawn foundation All nucs must contain a minimum of 3 frames of brood covered with bees with a healthy laying queen. A minimum of 2 frames of brood is required for a 4 frame nuc.

Where to get bees There are four general ways to begin a colony of bees. Start with a swarm. Start with a package of bees. Start with a nucleus hive. Start with an established hive.

Starting with a swarm of honey bees Advantage Bees are free Disadvantage Bees are not available when you want them. Challenge of hiving the bees. Have no knowledge of the origin of the bees. You get what you get.

Starting with a package of honey bees Advantage: Delivered to your doorstep. Disadvantage: Violates rule of 36 Bee population will decline while bees build comb for queen to lay eggs. First bee will not emerge until 21 days after the egg is laid. Unlikely to get honey in the first season. Queen may or may not be accepted and is untested.

Starting with a Nucleus Hive (Nuc) Advantage: Start with a viable hive with at least two or three frames of capped brood, a laying queen, and eggs & larvae in various stages of development. The nuc will have drawn comb rather than foundation. Potentially have honey in first season. You grow with the hive. Disadvantage: It will cost more than a package of bees.

Starting with an Established Hive Advantage: Proven hive Comb drawn Honey likely in the first season Disadvantage: Cost Not able to grow with the hive Potential to swarm Equipment age and compatibility

Honey Bee Types It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. John Wooden

Honey Bees Honey bees, like all other living things, vary among themselves in traits such as temperament, disease resistance, and productivity. These traits are affected by the environment (for example, plants in different areas yield different honey crops), and determined by the genetic makeup of a colony. Different genetic stocks have distinctive characteristics. These characteristics can be utilized to suit such things as pollination, honey production, propolis, or bee production.

Honey Bees Honey Bee is the common name for any of several species of highly social bees known for their honey hoarding behavior and their use as a domesticated species. The honey bee has become an important part of modern agriculture. It has provided pollination for crops and wild plants.

Honey Bees Honey bees evolved in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Each region developed a race of bees with certain behaviors and characteristics that had adapted to that region s unique environment (temperature, wet/dry, abundant food/intermittent food, etc.).

Honey Bees Honey bees were not introduced to North America until the arrival of Europeans. By the mid 1800s honey bees had spread across America. Today, they are naturalized on every continent except Antarctica.

Desired Characteristics 1. Good survival 2. Gentle disposition 3. Honey production 4. Low swarming tendency 5. Spring buildup 6. Ability to overwinter 7. Hygienic behavior 8. Resistant to mites 9. Disease resistance 10. Robbing 11.Propolis production Note: It is not possible to get every quality desired from any one race/subspecies of bee.

Disclaimer Wide variation exists within stocks of bees as well as among them. Any generalities about a particular stock should be treated with caution, since there are always exceptions to the rule. Nonetheless, the long and vast experience of beekeepers allows some oversimplifications to be made in order to better understand the different types of bees available. The following is a brief overview of some of the more common commercially available honey bee stocks in the U.S.

Types/Races of Bees Italians, Carniolans, Caucasians, Russians, Hygienic, Natural, Resistant, All American, 3 Banded Italian, Russian Hybrid, New World, Mixed, Big Island, SMR/VSH, Cordovan, Survivor, Fresh, Old World Carniolan, Gentle, Buckfast, Malka, Minnesota Hygienic Instrumentally Inseminated There are a lot of names but in reality, there are only a few choices.

Italian Bee (Apis mellifera ligustica) Originally from the southern portion of the Italian peninsula. Most popular honey bees among US beekeepers. Survival: Overwinters well, but sometimes exhausts honey stores in winter. Colonies are large. Disposition: Relatively gentle Production: Good to excellent Swarming: Moderate Buildup: Tends to build up quickly, but are slow to respond to environmental changes. Produce a lot of brood, use a lot of honey. Prone to robbing. Workers and drones have yellow stripes on their abdomens, the queen has a long, fat golden abdomen

German Black Bee (Apis mellifera mellifera) Occurred originally from Britain to eastern Central Europe. Brought to America during colonial times. Survival: Significant winter hardiness. Disposition: Defensive in nature Production: Good to excellent Swarming: Low Buildup: Tends to build up quickly, but are slow to respond to environmental changes. Strong drive to collect pollen Dark in color Not common today.

Carniolan Bee (Apis mellifera carnica) Originally from Austrian Alps and northern Yugoslavia. Survival: Excellent winter hardiness, conserve winter stores well Disposition: Extremely gentle. Production: Excellent Buildup: Later start than Italians, build fast and catch up. Quick response to changes in the environmental (temperature and nectar flow). Tends to be build comb slowly. Swarming: Prone to swarming due to rapid buildup Dark Brown/Gray in color. Swarm management starts early Virtually no robbing

Caucasian Bee (Apis mellifera caucasica) Originally from Caucasus mountains between the Black and Caspian seas. Survival: Does not overwinter well Disposition: Very gentle Production: Good, not exceptional Swarming: Infrequently Buildup: Slow buildup in the spring. Make excessive propolis. Silver gray to dark brown in color

Russians Bee (Apis mellifera caucasica) Original bees were imported from the Primorsky region of Russia, near the sea of Japan. Frugality is similar to the Carniolans. Brought to the USA by the USDA in 1997. They went on sale to the general public in 2000. Survival: Winter hardy Disposition: Highly variable Production: Good Swarming: High swarm tendency. Buildup: Very fast Survived with mites for 150 years. Brought here to address the mite crisis. Frugality is similar to the Carniolans. Mixed colors so you can expect various markings black, yellow, mixed

Buckfast Bee Hybrid Developed at Buckfast Abbey UK. Developed by Brother Adam (1898 1996). A cross of many bees from different areas. Survival: Adapted to damp, cold winters. Conserve winter stores well Disposition: Can be defensive Production: Reportedly excellent Swarming: Infrequently Buildup: Slower but increases once started Curtails egg laying during dearths. If left unmanaged for one or two generations they become defensive.

Minnesota Hygienic Hybrid A result of the work of Dr. Marla Spivak of the University of Minnesota. Outstanding disease resistance. Outstanding hygienic behavior. Good honey producers. The original stock were from Italians so they have much the same tendencies.

Survivor stock Mixed breeds selected for performing well in local conditions Survival: Excellent Disposition: Ask the seller they have their own selection criteria Production: Good to excellent Swarming: Ask the seller Buildup: Will be variable according to local breeding stock Usually sturdy bees who survive and thrive without chemicals or strong management input.

What are some advantages of getting local bees? The bees should be proven to perform well in the local conditions. The vendor probably has a reputation in the area that can be checked (good or bad).

Reasons to Buy Out of Area Stock Specific types of bee may not be available locally. Some vendors have excellent breeding programs for specific traits. Bringing in genetic material from outside diversifies the local gene pool (sometimes good, sometimes bad). Local bee stock may be in low supply.

Africanized Honeybees (AHB) Originated in Africa, south of the Sahara desert. African honeybees were imported to Brazil in 1957 and then released into the wild. From Brazil, they spread to North America. These bees mated with European honeybees and the progeny are called "Africanized honeybees". They have similarities to European honeybees, but are more aggressive in defense of their nests. Similar to the Europeans, they produce honey and pollinate plants. Their social features are akin to the honey bee. Look the same as the European honeybee, though unnoticeably smaller in size.

Africanized Honeybees (AHB) Africanized bees do not store much honey (come from tropics). They have smaller colonies and tend to swarm more often. Africanized swarms settle in hollow trees like northern honey bees; they also colonize in rubber tires, crates and boxes, wall voids, abandoned vehicles and other protected places that abound in urban areas. Worker bees tend to mob intruders.

Comparison of Bees and Their Traits Comparison of bees and their traits. Italian German Carniolan Buckfast Caucasian Russian Color Light Dark Black Medium Dark Gray Disease resistance Varroa + Tracheal + 0 + AFB* 0 + 0 0 0 EFB** 0 0 0 0 0 0 Other 0 0 + + 0 Gentleness Moderate Low High Low Mod High Low Mod Spring buildup Good Low Very good Low Very low OK Over wintering ability Good Very good Good Good OK Very good Excess swarming OK OK High Low Low Ok Honey processing Very good Ok Good Good Low OK Propolis Low OK Low Low High OK Other traits Heavy robbing Short tongue nice white good comb * AFB = American foulbrood present ** EFB = European foulbrood Low robbing good comb builders Supersedure queens produce defensive colonies Long tongues Brood affectived by flows, queen cells always present

Where do I put my bees? Where a hive/ hives should be located. Some general rules: 1. Your honey bees should not become a nuisances to your neighbors! If they do, you will face problems with their complaints. 2. It is often recommended that a hive of bees face toward the sun and away from prevailing winds. 3. It should be located within a short flying distance to a water source. 4. It should be protected from the heat of the sun during summer months. However, deep shade is not necessary. 5. Easy access to the hives.

Where to put your bees Know where you will be placing your bees before they arrive. Consider your neighbors. The hive should have a visual screen from neighbors and/or the street. Hives do not have to be painted white. The site should have some shade and protection from afternoon sun. Hives should have access from front and back. Bees should have access to water other than your neighbor s pool. Consider the bees flight pattern. Manipulate the flight pattern by causing them to fly high. Place on firm, dry ground. If possible face the hive south or east.

What is next Talk with your family Know your local rules and regulations Read, study Purchase the necessary equipment (start small, two hives) Purchase your bees

Is your family willing? And of course your family needs to sign off on this enterprise. Your spouse, kids, pets all need to know that bees will be around. Is anyone allergic to the sting of a honey bee. If you don't know get tested by a family doctor. Emergency room trips are scary and expensive.

Check Your Yard, the Law... and Your Family Is your backyard big enough for a beehive or two? A typical sized city lot of about a tenth of an acre can accommodate one or maybe two colonies. Do your zoning regulations permit bees where you live? Check before you go further because you may be violating a local ordinance.

Good Neighbor Guidelines Being a good neighbor is not building fences as Robert Frost once put it. As a beekeeper our bees don't get fenced in. I always recommend common sense. Place your colonies of bees away from lot lines and occupied buildings. If near buildings, place colonies away from used entrances and lines of traffic. If your colonies are near the line, erect a six foot barricade between the bees and the line. Use anything bees will not pass through: dense shrubs, fencing, etc. Bees may be annoying at their water source. If you do not live within 500 feet of a natural water source, or if you live near a swimming pool, place a tub of water in your apiary with wood floats in it. This is to allow the bees to drink without drowning. Change the water weekly to prevent stagnation and mosquito breeding.

Good Neighbor Guidelines Minimize robbing by bees, since those which are being robbed become very aggressive. To accomplish this, work your bees only during a nectar flow, keep exposed honey to a minimum, and use entrance reducers on weak colonies. Try to prevent swarming. Though gentle, swarms are a nuisance. Follow local ordinances Do not work your beehives when close neighbors are in their yards. If you have a mean colony that may bother neighbors when you are working it, re-queen it. A pound or two of free honey each year to neighbors bordering on your property often makes bees much more acceptable to them. The successful beekeeper s bees are not a nuisance to his neighbors. Most do not realize you keep bees.