DOCSLIB.ORG

2019 Guide to Urban Beekeeping

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
2019 Guide to Urban Beekeeping 2019 Guide to Urban Beekeeping In collaboration with Contents Foreword 5 Preface 6 Summary 7 Urban Beekeeping, Rooted in Agriculture 8 What is Urban Agriculture? 8 Urban Beekeeping Takes Off 9 The Decline of Bee Populations 10 Cities: A Pollinator’s Paradise 11 Five Benefits of Urban Beekeeping 13 1. Community Spirit and Teamwork 13 2. Repurposing Unused Spaces 13 3. Connecting with Nature 14 4. Local Food Production 14 5. Education and Environmental Awareness 14 Six Inspiring Projects 16 Hillcrest Mall, Richmond Hill, Ontario 16 Manulife, Toronto, Ontario 16 Promenades Saint-Bruno, Saint-Bruno, Quebec 16 Optel, Quebec, Quebec 17 RBC Waterpark Place, Toronto, Ontario 17 World Exchange Plaza, Ottawa, Ontario 17 The Bee 19 The Big Bee Family 19 The Honey Bee: A Canadian Immigrant! 19 Wild Bees: The Invisible Ones 19 Apis Mellifera, An Unparalleled City Dweller 19 The Italian Bee 20 The Three Hive Members 20 A Bee’s Flight Radius 21 Safety First 22 Let’s Talk About Stings 22 The Difference Between Bees and Wasps 23 Urban Beekeeping, a Practice Focused on Education 24 Hive Installation 25 1. Determine your Goals and Expectations 25 2. Choose a Supplier 25 Turnkey Service 25 Experienced Team 25 Local Establishment 25 Required Insurance and Certification 26 Adapted Facilities 26 Knowledge of Provincial Regulations 26 3. Obtain a Quote 26 4. Find the Best Location 26 Orientation 27 Traffic 27 Visibility 27 Ease of Access 27 Exposure 27 5. Prepare the Site 27 Rooftop 27 Ground or Interior Courtyard 27 6. Take Action 28 7. Mobilize your Tenants 28 8. Push it Further! 28 A Typical Beekeeping Season 29 Winter (January to March) 29 Spring and Summer (April to August) 29 Hive Installation and Maintenance 29 Swarm Prevention 30 Regular Inspections 30 Custom Label Preparation 30 Educational Workshops 30 Honey Harvest 30 Fall (September to December) 30 Honey Extraction 30 Reception and Distribution of the Honey 31 Creation of Bee Products 31 Preparation for Winter 31 Wrapping the Hives 31 During Winter 31 Alvéole, Canada’s Leading Urban Beekeeper 32 An Active Social Enterprise Since 2013 32 Growth and Expansion 32 B Corp Certification 32 Technology and Innovation 33 A Few of Alvéole’s Partners 33 Last Word… 35 Postface 36 References 37 Dear Friends, You know better than anyone that the general population is migrating to urban centres. By 2030, more than half of the world’s population will live in cities. Collectively, the environmental challenges we face through this migration are enormous. History has shown that change often germinates in metropolitan areas before blossoming in the suburbs and countryside. As owners, managers and suppliers into the commercial real estate industry, you know that we need to become the root of change by reducing our ecological footprint. Some environmental challenges have been highly publicized, while others go somewhat unnoticed by your tenants. One of the simplest, most people-focused ecological initiatives you can take involves bees. Urban apiaries have become sought-after and desirable amenities that contribute to tenant retention and engagement. By offering healthier, greener spaces, building owners and managers contribute directly to the health and well-being of tenants, as well as substantially improving their satisfaction and the value they place on the building. Let's face it: certain environmental initiatives are more complicated to implement than others, while some require major investment. The installation of a hive in an urban environment, however, requires minimal resources while bringing a flood of direct and indirect benefits, notably increased social and ecological welfare. We are proud to present you with the following guide to allow you to dive head first into the universe of urban beekeeping and to better understand how a hive can be a consciousness- raising tool and promoter of important change. Benjamin L. Shinewald President and Chief Executive Officer, BOMA Canada Preface Hardworking, passionate, and community- minded – what sounds like a personal ad for a best friend is the way I like to describe nature’s super insect, the glorious bee. My forward-thinking, environmentally conscious employer helped to set me on a path to being an amateur urban apiarist (or as I’m often referred to in the office, the resident bee expert) by installing hives at our workplace. Since then, I attended e very hive opening and brought along colleagues to share my passion for the project. It only takes a short time to be immersed in bee culture and to understand the vital role bees play in our ecosystem. My fellow team members and I are constantly wanting to learn more – and urging other companies to offer this experience to their teams as well. If you’re looking for me, you’re likely to find me reading a book on bees or studying their movement both in and outside of the hives, depending on the season. This initiation to the world of bees has given my colleagues and me a new-found connection to nature in the city. Jeff Simmonds Manager of Customer Experience, Cadillac Fairview “It only takes a short time to be immersed in bee culture and to understand the vital role bees play in our ecosystem.” Summary Where is the interest for urban beekeeping coming from? ɉ Urban agriculture is an ever-growing industry which consists of producing food within cities. ɉ This rise of urban beekeeping has been supported by a general concern for the fate of pollinators. ɉ Today, urban beekeeping answers more and more to objectives that largely exceed economic necessity. Are bees disappearing? How can we reverse this trend? Populations of bees, butterflies, bumble ɉ Conventional agricultural practices need to radically change bees and other pollinators are declining in favour of more sustainable agricultural practices. around the world. ɉ The honey bee is an excellent ambassador for the thousands of other bee species, allowing us to shed light on the dangers all pollinators face. Why are bees important to us? ɉ Bees are responsible for the pollination Why are cities a pollinator’s paradise? of more than 130 varieties of fruits and vegetables around the globe. ɉ No pesticides ɉ In Canada, it’s estimated that bees’ ɉ Abundance of floral resources pollination services contribute a harvest ɉ Many sources of water value of $4 to 5.5 billion. ɉ Temperate climate What are the five main benefits of Let’s talk about stings. installing beehives on a property? Rest assured that honey bees are not interested in the presence of humans. Their daily quest is to bring nectar, Tenant engagement around an exciting, 1 pollen, resin or water to their colony to ensure its teamwork-oriented project development. Unless aggression is demonstrated towards them, bees have no motivation to sting. Improving tenant retention and the 2 perceived value of the building Acquisition of points for sustainable 3 development programs Find the Honey and bee product creation for right partner! 4 marketing purposes Qualified, experienced companies like Alvéole will help you to determine your Implementation of an innovative project 5 goals and expectations, and manage all at the forefront of the industry aspects of your urban beekeeping project. 2019 Guide to Urban Beekeeping 7 Urban Beekeeping, Rooted in Agriculture Before we explore the multiple benefits of urban Small Project, Huge Impact beekeeping, it is important to put this movement in Historically, urban agriculture was practiced on a small context. The phenomenon of urban hives is intrinsically scale. One of the largest Canadian cities, Montreal, was related to the resurgence of interest in local food a pioneer through its community gardens program, production. established in 1975. 3 Demand for local production is driven by a number Today, it has become a thriving industry that can take of factors, including the average distance over which various forms: from small community projects and food is typically transported in order to reach its producers that profit from getting people involved to consumers: roughly 1,200 km. With so much distance hydroponic crops grown on urban rooftops and other to travel, there is an average 30% spoilage rate from underutilized spaces. These exciting initiatives continue the farm to the plate. Local food production allows for to grow. Gotham Greens (New York and Chicago), Square a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions Roots (New York) and Lufa Farms ( Montreal) are three and for the support of local farmers, besides being inspiring examples of businesses that have encouraged fresher and more nutritious. 1 a new way of thinking about the role of agriculture in the city. WHAT IS URBAN AGRICULTURE? Urban agriculture is a growth sector within the food These initiatives have reinvented conventional methods production industry: market gardening (vegetables), of cultivation by growing in different locations (on unused horticulture (flowers), sylviculture (fruits), aviculture spaces) and using sustainable pr actices (composting, (eggs), and, of course, apiculture, more commonly biological pest control, rainwater recuperation and known as beekeeping (honey). recirculation, surplus food distribution, etc.). Besides nourishing those who live in cities, this type The Table is Set for a Rapid Increase of agricultural production brings numerous other in Urban Agriculture advantages such as food security, environmental Today, cities recognize the important role of urban awareness, civic participation, reduction of urban heat agriculture, notably as a factor in urban planning islands, and job creation. 2 strategies as well as in municipal politics. 4 2019 Guide to Urban Beekeeping 8 Photo credit: Lufa Farms Once again, as owners, promoters, suppliers, m anagers Honey in Chefs’ Eyes (and Plates) and b uilding professionals, we have an interest in In Canada, Chef Jean Soulard installed his own apiary encouraging initiatives related to urban agriculture; so of four colonies, on the roof of the Chateau Frontenac in why not become innovators? Quebec City in the spring of 2009.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Controllable Bee Hive and New System of Bee Management: 1887 Annual Circular
    The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine Maine History Documents Special Collections 1887 The Controllable Bee Hive and New System of Bee Management: 1887 Annual Circular Lizzie E. Cotton Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mainehistory Part of the History Commons This Monograph is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Maine History Documents by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Pamp 88 i Mrs. Lizzie E. Cotton, WEST GORHAM, MAINE. the CONTROLLABLE BEE HIVE ------•—^-AND—j—•------ NEW SYSTEM Of BEE MANAGEMENT. In bringing this my Annual Circular for 1887 before the public, I wish to advise every intelli­ gent person who has a spot of land on which to set a hive, to keep bees. Managed on my plan in Controllable Hives, bees are more profit than any­ thing connected with the farm or garden. Bees will go many miles in all directions from their hives to collect honey. The sources from which bees collect honey are almost innumerable. Nearly every flower, plant, tree, shrub and vine in field, forest, garden and pasture yield honey. If it is not desired to enter largely into the production of honey for market, it is certainly very desirable to keep one or two hives of bees to produce honey for family use. There is no greater health giving lux­ ury than pure honey in snow white comb. Severe hoarseness, sore throats, coughs, and many other diseases are cured by the use of pure honey.
    [Show full text]
  • Life Cycles: Egg to Bee Free
    FREE LIFE CYCLES: EGG TO BEE PDF Camilla de La Bedoyere | 24 pages | 01 Mar 2012 | QED PUBLISHING | 9781848355859 | English | London, United Kingdom Tracking the Life Cycle of a Honey Bee - dummies As we remove the frames, glance over the thousands of busy bees, check for brood, check for capped honey, maybe spot the queen… then the frames go back in their slots and the hive is sealed up again. But in the hours spent away from our hives, thousands of tiny miracles are happening everyday. Within the hexagonal wax cells little lives are hatching out and joining the hive family. The whole process from egg to adult worker bee takes around 18 days. During the laying season late spring to summer the Queen bee is capable of laying over eggs per day. Her worker bees help direct her to the best prepared comb and she lays a single egg in each hexagon shaped cell. The size of the cell prepared determines the type of egg she lays. If the worker bees have prepared a worker size cell, she Life Cycles: Egg to Bee lay a fertilized egg. This egg will produce a female worker bee. If the worker bees have prepared a slightly larger cell, the queen will recognize this as a drone cell and lay an unfertilized egg. This will produce a male drone bee. It is the workers and not the queen that determine the ratio of workers to drones within the hive. In three days the egg hatches and a larva emerges. It looks very similar to a small maggot.
    [Show full text]
  • The Early History of Beekeeping the Moveable-Frame Hive Lorenzo Langstroth
    Lorenzo L. Langstroth and The Quest for the Perfect Hive The early history of beekeeping Lorenzo Langstroth The Moveable-frame Hive The earliest evidence of human interaction with Lorenzo Langstroth was born on Langstroth found that the bees would honey bees dates back 8,000 years to a Meso- December 25, 1810 in Philadelphia, seal the top of the Bevan hive to the lithic cliff painting in Spain that depicts a human Pennsylvania. He attended Yale Col- bars with propolis, meaning that the figure robbing a colony of its honey. Honeycomb lege and was eventually ordained as bars would remain attached to the theft was probably the reason for our ancestors’ a minister. He had a childhood inter- cover when it was removed. In 1851, first intentional encounters with bees. est in insects and was first introduced Langstroth discovered that if he creat- to beekeeping in 1838, when he saw ed a 3/8” space between the cover and a large glass jar containing glistening the bars, the bees would not glue them honeycomb. Langstroth’s first hives, together. He eventually realized that if this 3/8” space surrounded all sides of purchased in 1838, were simple box the frame within the hive box, he could easily lift out the frames without hav- hives with crisscrossed sticks inside ing to cut them away from the hive walls. This “bee space” set Langstroth’s which provided support for honey- hives apart from all the others, resulting in a true moveable-frame hive. The identity of the first beekeepers is unknown, but the oldest historical evi- combs.
    [Show full text]
  • Beekeeper Volume I, II & III Ebook Beekeeping Naturally
    The Practical Beekeeper Volume I, II & III EBook Beekeeping Naturally Copyright © 2004-2011 by Michael Bush All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author. Cover Photo © 2011 Alex Wild www.alexanderwild.com ISBN: 978-161476-084-9 X-Star Publishing Company Founded 1961 Dedication This book is dedicated to Ed and Dee Lusby who were the real pioneers of modern natural beekeeping methods that could succeed with the Varroa mites and all the other new issues. Thank you for sharing it with the rest of us. About the Book This book is about how to keep bees in a natural and practical system where they do not require treatments for pests and diseases and only minimal interventions. It is also about simple practical beekeeping. It is about reducing your work. It is not a main-stream beekeeping book. Many of the concepts are contrary to “conventional” beekeeping. The techniques presented here are streamlined through decades of experimentation, adjustments and simplification. The content was written and then refined from responding to questions on bee forums over the years so it is tailored to the questions that beekeepers, new and experienced, have. It is divided into three volumes and this edition contains all three: Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced. Acknowledgments I’m sure I will forget to list many who have helped me along this path. For one thing many were often only known by the names they used on the many bee forums where they shared their experiences.
    [Show full text]
  • Comb the Honey: Bee Interface Design by Ri Ren
    Comb the Honey: Bee Interface Design by Ri Ren Ph.D., Central Academy of Fine Arts (2014) S.M., Saint-Petersburg Herzen State University (2010) B.A.,Tsinghua University (2007) Submitted to the Program in Media Arts and Sciences, School of Architecture and Planning in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Media Arts and Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology May 2020 © Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2020. All rights reserved. Author ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Program in Media Arts and Sciences May 2020 Certified by ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Neri Oxman Associate Professor of Media Arts and Sciences Accepted by ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Tod Machover Academic Head, Program in Media Arts and Sciences 2 Comb the Honey: Bee Interface Design by Ri Ren Submitted to the Program in Media Arts and Sciences, School of Architecture and Planning on May 2020 in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Media Arts and Sciences Abstract: The overarching goal of the thesis is to understand the mechanisms by which complex forms are created in biological systems and how the external environment and factors can influence generations over different scales of space, time, and materials. My research focuses on Nature’s most celebrated architects — bees — and their architectural masterpiece — the honeycomb. Bee honeycombs are wax-made cellular structures of hexagonal prismatic geometries. Within the comb, bees form their nests, grow their larvae, and store honey and pollen. They operate as a “social womb” informed, at once, by communal (genetic) makeup and environmental forces. Resource sharing, labor division, and unique communication methods all contribute to the magic that is the bee “Utopia.” Given that the geometrical, structural, and material make up of honeycombs is informed by the environment, these structures act as environmental footprints, revealing, as a time capsule, the history of its external environment and factors.
    [Show full text]
  • Keeping Bees in the City?
    KEEPING BEES IN THE CITY? DISAPPEARING BEES AND THE EXPLOSION OF URBAN AGRICULTURE INSPIRE URBANITES TO KEEP HONEYBEES: WHY CITY LEADERS SHOULD CARE AND WHAT THEY SHOULD DO ABOUT IT Kathryn A. Peters* I. Introduction .......................................................................................... 598 II. The Life of Honeybees ........................................................................ 600 A. Life in the Hive ............................................................................... 600 B. Honeybees in Commercial Agriculture .......................................... 604 C. Honeybees in Urban Agriculture ................................................... 610 III. The Disappearance of the Bees ............................................................ 614 A. Honeybee Health Pre-Colony Collapse ......................................... 615 B. Mad Bee Disease ............................................................................ 616 C. The Emergence of Colony Collapse Disorder ................................ 619 D. Possible Causes of Colony Collapse Disorder ............................... 621 E. Pesticides and Colony Collapse Disorder....................................... 624 F. The Role of Federal Pesticide Regulation ...................................... 628 IV. Keeping Bees in the City? ................................................................... 631 A. Municipal Regulation of Urban Beekeeping ................................. 632 B. Case Studies of Beekeeping Ordinances in U.S. Cities ................
    [Show full text]
  • Welcome-To-My-Hive-Honeycomb
    Copyright © 2017 Dick Blick Art Materials All rights reserved 800-447-8192 DickBlick.com Welcome to my Hive Materials (required) Sturdy paper for hexagons; Build a “honeycomb” that credits recommend: those who keep the community humming Blick Construction Paper, assorted colors, 9" x 12" (11409-); need one sheet per student (art + social studies) (art + math) (art + science) Pacon 2-Ply Tag Board, Oak, 9" x 12", 100-sheet pack In a honey bee community, one can find a level of coopera- (13111-1103); need one sheet per student tion and collaborative teamwork that exists nowhere else Blick Economy White Posterboard, 5-ply, 22" x 28" on earth. Each bee has an important role to play to guaran- (13109-1102); share two sheets across class tee the survival of the hive. Some bees work in food pro- Decorative or Drawing paper for backgrounds; duction, some in reproduction, some in raising the young, recommend: others as hive security officers — there are even bee house- Decorative Paper Assortment, 1 lb (12440-1001); share keepers! one package across class In the human world, there are workers who keep the Awagami Creative Washi Paper Pack, 1 lb community humming along as well. In this lesson, students (11325-1001); share one package across class are asked to consider the people who provide services Borden & Riley #840 Kraft Paper, 50 sheets, and necessities for them, then design a hexagon cell that 9" x 12" (11519-1023); share one pad across class represents their respective contribution. Cells can be Drawing media for cells; recommend: connected to create a honeycomb-shaped display that Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • A Comparison of Russian and Italian Honey Bees
    A Comparison of Russian and Italian Honey Bees American beekeepers have been using Italian honey bees (Apis mellifera ligustica) since they were first imported to the New World in 1859. The standard German honey bee (A. m. mellifera), which had been in America for more than 200 years, was by that time ill-tempered, disease-ridden, and less suited for honey bee management. Conversely, the Italian bees were and are excellent honey producers, show a gentle temperament that makes them the most popular race of honey bee in North America, have a moderately low tendency to swarm, and have a bright yellow color that makes queens easy to find. ut Italian honey bees are suscep- chemicals can contaminate the honey Btible to two deadly parasitic mites, and beeswax in a hive. The mites also the tracheal mite (Acarapis woodi) and are becoming increasingly resistant to the varroa mite (Varroa destructor), the pesticides, making the chemicals which were introduced into the U.S. in less reliable and, eventually, ineffec- 1984 and 1987, respectively. Colonies tive. The high colony mortality that ac- contract these mites through equipment companies these two mites is a serious sharing and overcrowding, and, once concern of the bee industry today, and infested, entire colonies can succumb various types of bees are continually within one or two years. Beekeepers being examined with an eye toward have relied largely on pesticides to finding a hardy, productive stock that control the mites, but many of these can resist them. Russian Bee Project Management of Russian bees Efforts to find a honey bee that is genetically resistant to Russian bees are quite different from standard Italian bees the varroa and tracheal mites led researchers at the USDA in several ways (Table 1): Honey Bee Research Laboratory in Baton Rouge, Louisi- • Russian bees do not build their colony populations ana, to Russia.
    [Show full text]
  • Towards a New Approach to Beekeeping Policy in Urban Ontario
    Towards a New Approach to Beekeeping Policy in Urban Ontario Michelle Berquist Alyssa Bird M. George Dean R. Brandon Law Sean Lee Harleen Panesar E_monk M.Sc. Planning Workshop University of Toronto At the request of Sustain Ontario Executive Summary Urban agriculture and food production in cities has recently experienced a huge growth in interest. In response to concerns about the safety and sustainability of our existing food systems, many people in cities are looking for ways to produce more of the food they eat within the city itself. Part of this trend is a growing interest in urban beekeeping. Advocates of urban beekeeping argue that it can be a safe and healthy practice with a number of environmental, economic, and social benefits, for practitioners and cities alike. While many municipalities in North America have taken steps to legalize and regulate urban beekeeping, existing legislation in Ontario largely prohibits keeping hives in cities. With the existence of a number of high profile beekeeping initiatives in Ontario cities, and the growing visibility of urban beekeepers, the gap between the regulatory framework for beekeeping in the province and actual practice continues to grow. It is time to reconsider our approach to urban beekeeping in Ontario. In Ontario, beekeeping is regulated by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Farms, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). OMAFRA does not currently address urban beekeeping as a separate practice and maintains a uniform set of regulations for both urban and rural hives. Crucially, the Ontario Bees Act (1990) requires that all hives be kept further than 30m from the property line of the lot where they are kept.
    [Show full text]
  • GENETIC VARIATION in HONEY BEES from an AREA of RACIAL HYBRIDIZATION in WESTERN CZECHOSLOVAKIA Walter S
    GENETIC VARIATION IN HONEY BEES FROM AN AREA OF RACIAL HYBRIDIZATION IN WESTERN CZECHOSLOVAKIA Walter S. Sheppard, Bruce A. Mcpheron To cite this version: Walter S. Sheppard, Bruce A. Mcpheron. GENETIC VARIATION IN HONEY BEES FROM AN AREA OF RACIAL HYBRIDIZATION IN WESTERN CZECHOSLOVAKIA. Apidologie, Springer Verlag, 1986, 17 (1), pp.21-32. hal-00890673 HAL Id: hal-00890673 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00890673 Submitted on 1 Jan 1986 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. GENETIC VARIATION IN HONEY BEES FROM AN AREA OF RACIAL HYBRIDIZATION IN WESTERN CZECHOSLOVAKIA Walter S. SHEPPARD Bruce A. McPHERON Department of Entomology, University of Illinois 320 Morrill Hall, SOS S. Goodwin Ave. Urbana, Illinois 61801 SUMMARY Twelve colonies of honey bees from an area of hybridization between Apis mellifera mellifera and A.m. carnica in Czechoslovakia were electrophoretically examined at eighteen enzyme loci. The following five enzymes were found to exhibit polymorphism : malate dehydrogenase, esterase, malic enzyme, phosphoglucomutase and aconitase. The polymorphism for aconitase is reported here for the first time in the honey bee. Based on electrophoretic and morphometric data, many of the bees examined cannot be considered pure mellifera or carnica.
    [Show full text]
  • Small Hive Beetle Management in Mississippi Authors: Audrey B
    Small Hive Beetle Management in Mississippi Authors: Audrey B. Sheridan, Research/Extension Associate, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University; Harry Fulton, State Entomologist (retired); Jon Zawislak, Department of Entomology, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service. Cover photo by Alex Wild, http://www.alexanderwild.com. Fig. 6 illustration by Jon Zawislak. Fig. 7 photo by Katie Lee. All other photos by Audrey Sheridan. 2 Small Hive Beetle Management in Mississippi CONTENTS Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 Where in the United States Do Small Hive Beetles Occur? .................................. 1 How Do Small Hive Beetles Cause Damage? .......................................................... 1 How Can Small Hive Beetles Be Located and Identifi ed in a Hive? .............................................................................................. 2 Important Biological Aspects of Small Hive Beetles ............................................. 5 Cleaning Up Damaged Combs ................................................................................ 8 Preventing Small Hive Beetle Damage in the Apiary ............................................ 9 Managing Established Small Hive Beetle Populations ....................................... 12 Protecting Honey Combs and Stored Supers During Processing ..............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Africanized Bee from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
    Africanized bee From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Africanized bee, also known as the Africanised honey bee, and known colloquially as "killer bee", is a hybrid of the Western Africanized bee honey bee species (Apis mellifera), produced originally by cross- breeding of the African honey bee (A. m. scutellata), with various European honey bees such as the Italian bee A. m. ligustica and the Iberian bee A. m. iberiensis. The Africanized honey bee was first introduced to Brazil in the 1950s in an effort to increase honey production, but in 1957, 26 swarms accidentally escaped quarantine. Since then, the species has spread throughout South America and arrived in North America in 1985. Hives were found in south Texas of the United States in Scientific classification 1990.[1] Kingdom: Animalia Africanized bees are typically much more defensive than other species of bee, and react to disturbances faster than European honey Phylum: Arthropoda bees. They can chase a person a quarter of a mile (400 m); they Class: Insecta have killed some 1,000 humans, with victims receiving ten times more stings than from European honey bees.[2] They have also Order: Hymenoptera [3] killed horses and other animals. Suborder: Apocrita Subfamily: Apinae Contents Tribe: Apini Genus: Apis 1 History 2 Geographic spread throughout North America Species: Apis mellifera 3 Foraging behavior Subspecies 3.1 Variation in honey bee proboscis extension response 3.2 Evolution of foraging behavior in honey bees HYBRID (see text) 3.2.1 Proximate causes 3.2.2 Ultimate causes 4 Morphology and genetics 5 Consequences of selection 5.1 Defensiveness 6 Impact on human population 6.1 Fear factor 6.2 Misconceptions 7 Impact on existing apiculture 7.1 Queen management in Africanized bee areas 7.2 Gentle Africanized bees 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External links History There are 28 recognized subspecies of Apis mellifera based largely on geographic variations.
    [Show full text]