3/16/2017

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION Objectives

Bee Basics • All about • Pheromones in the hive • Obtaining bees Amanda Bennett • Foraging and nutrition Extension Educator, ANR • Protecting pollinators

March 25, 2017 Southwestern Ohio School Loveland, Ohio

Honey bees Apis mellifera • man’s flies • Females divided in a Caste system • Social Insects – cooperative brood care, – Worker bees and the Queen reproductive division of labor and overlapping • Drones (males) generations. • Differences in – Biology – Division of labor – Brood cycle

Drones Drones • 6.5 days as a larvae • Males • Domed caps • 24 days to fully • Found on edges • Key differences develop – Larger eyes (2x) • Drones cannot: – Larger, barrel body – Produce wax – Longer, thicker antennae – Forage • Raised for reproduction – Clean house – Guard the hive • They are an expense

1 3/16/2017

Drones Drones • 6.5 days as a larvae • Start eating and flying • 24 days to fully • Congregation Areas (DAC) develop • Number fluctuates during season • Drones cannot: – Produce wax – Forage – Clean house – Guard the hive • They are an expense

Drones Worker Bees

• All female • Underdeveloped reproductive structures • Can lay eggs in the absence of a queen

• Workers removing drone brood

Worker Development Worker Bees

• Size of cell determines fertilization • Complete • Days as larva = 6 • 95% should be fertilized metamorphsis • Days pupate = 12 • Days as egg = 3 • Eggs will remain upright for 3 days

Total is 21 days of development

2 3/16/2017

Worker Bee Development Worker Bees

• Brood Pattern • Lots of hive tasks that change with age – Eating – Cleaning – Feed others (including queen) – Comb construction – Takes nectar from foragers

Worker Bees Worker Bees

• Guards • Foragers – Inspection by odor – 3‐4 weeks old – Drawn to your face – Scout bee or recruited – Defend against intruders – Gather – Defense position • Nectar – 100 +/‐ on duty at one time • Pollen • Water • Propolis – Total lifetime about 6 weeks

Queen Bee Queen cells • Days as egg = 3 • Can be found on both sides of frame • Days as larva = 5.5 • 2‐3 or 20+ developing at one time • Days pupa = 7.5 • First to emerge is the winner! • Queens are different = 15.5‐16 days • Fight to the death, often with help from sisters

3 3/16/2017

Queen Development Mating

• Virgin queen continues to mature • DAC – 30’ to 300’ above open fields or – Eats and then takes orientation flights to forest clearings prepare for mating flight • Same place every year – how do they – Identifies landmarks near hive know? • Emits pheromone to entice drones

Pheromones You’re outta here!

• Virgin queens produce some • Crowding, aging queen, egg laying • Colony uniting scent after mating • Signals queen is present • “Queen substance” = 17 different chemicals produced in queen glands • Reduced over time

Supersedure Races of Bees

• Queen becomes • German Black Bee/Northern European lost, injured, bee crushed, – First imported bee diseased – Flourished along east coast • Workers choose – Stung a lot youngest larvae – Prone to serious diseases <3 days On the lookout for another bee

4 3/16/2017

Races of Bees Races of Bees • Italians (1850s) • Carniolans – Most popular – Austrian Alps (Yugoslavia) – in color – Gray/brown – Overwinter well – Conservative with winter – Build up quick in spring food stores – Prone to robbing b/c of large – Construct new comb slowly populations – Build up quickly in spring *Cordovans – Swarm frequently

Races of Bees Races of Bees • Caucasians • Africanized – Caucasus Mountains (Black –East Africa & Caspian Seas) – Lead gray color – Imported by Brazil – Very gentle – Swarm infrequently – Poor overwintering – Slow spring buildup – Susceptible to Nosema – Propensity to gather large amounts of propolis

Races of Bees Races of Bees to Fight Disease • Russians • Indiana Leg chewers (Purdue Leg – Some resistance to varroa mites Chewers) – Highly resistant to tracheal mites • Minnesota Hygienic Queens – Darker than Italians – – Only raise brood during periods of – High hygienic behavior pollen availability • , chalkbrood, mites

5 3/16/2017

Buying Bees Collecting Bees • Buy an established colony • Acquire a swarm – Market value – Disease, pests – Condition of equipment – Full strength colony difficult to manage for beginners (swarm prevention, disease management, pests, etc.) – Not recommended for beginners

Buying bees: Packages Buying bees: Nucs

• Come in pounds usually 3# • Nucleus • Come from Southern breeders • 5 frame boxes • Queen is mated, caged • Consists of mated queen, bees, drawn • Cheapest option - $110-150 frames of foundation with and • Get what you pay for pollen • Queen laying minimum of one month • Usually from a local breeder • Equipment compatibility

Buying bees Foraging and Nutrition The big three… • Nucleus • Packages Pollen – Most sold out – Generally never Jan/Feb, possibly sell out sooner – Come from the – Find a local southern states breeder – Several – Availability associations place Nectar depends on winter group orders survival Pollen

6 3/16/2017

Worker Bee: Anatomy Foraging: Pollen

• Protein, starch, fat, vitamins and minerals • Varies in color • Produced by flower anther

Poison sac • Covered with layer of honey to preserve it

Foraging: Pollen Foraging: Propolis

• Use pollen baskets • Microbially active resinous substance to transport • Gathered on warm, dry days (77< degrees) • Alders, birch, willows, conifers

Foraging: Nectar Brood Diseases: AFB

• American Foulbrood Disease (AFB) • State Bee inspection programs • Easily spread by bees and keepers

7 3/16/2017

Brood Diseases: EFB Brood Diseases: Chalkbrood

• European Foulbrood disease • Fungal spores • Chilled brood

Adult Diseases: Nosema Adult Diseases: Nosema

• Fungus or Nosema ceranae – Reduced lifespan, reduced output of brood food – Feces on entrances and inner parts – Increased supersedure rates – Periods of confinement or stress – Overall low populations and slow Spring build‐up – Symptoms are subtle – Large‐scale colony dwindling – Scientificbeekeeping.com ‐ sampling • Fumagilin ® B

Parasites Parasites

• Tracheal Mites • Varroa mite • Lives and reproduces in tracheal opening • See without microscope • Common symptom –empty hive • Thresholds 2‐5% • Pelletized menthol crystals or Mite‐Away II ® • Sampling • Api‐Life VAR ® or Apiguard – Cap scratcher • Grease patties – Sugar shake – Sticky boards

8 3/16/2017

Hive Pests: Wax Moth Hive Pests: SHB

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• Many marketed products

Predators Bee Oddities • Drift • Bears –not in this part of OH‐IO • Ants ‐ Use cinnamon sprinkled on inner cover • Skunks • Hornets • Mice, moles, shrews, rats

Bee Oddities OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

• Flower constancy Amanda Bennett [email protected] • Temperatures 937-440-3944 • Speed • Flower visits

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