A Beekeeper's Guide Year in Management for a Virginia Apiary
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Nosema Disease
Nosema Disease Literature review and three year survey of beekeepers Part 2 by Michael Hornitzky March 2008 RIRDC Publication No 08/006 RIRDC Project No DAN-228A © 2008 Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. All rights reserved. ISBN 1 74151 595 5 ISSN 1440-6845 Nosema Disease: Literature review and three year survey of beekeepers - Part 2 Publication No. 08/006 Project No. DAN-228A The information contained in this publication is intended for general use to assist public knowledge and discussion and to help improve the development of sustainable regions. You must not rely on any information contained in this publication without taking specialist advice relevant to your particular circumstances. While reasonable care has been taken in preparing this publication to ensure that information is true and correct, the Commonwealth of Australia gives no assurance as to the accuracy of any information in this publication. The Commonwealth of Australia, the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), the authors or contributors expressly disclaim, to the maximum extent permitted by law, all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any act or omission, or for any consequences of any such act or omission, made in reliance on the contents of this publication, whether or not caused by any negligence on the part of the Commonwealth of Australia, RIRDC, the authors or contributors. The Commonwealth of Australia does not necessarily endorse the views in this publication. This publication is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, all other rights are reserved. However, wide dissemination is encouraged. -
Colony Growth and Seasonal Management of Honey Bees
Colony Growth and Seasonal Management of Honey Bees Management of honey bees varies based on whether Although honey is essential food for bees, colonies pollination or honey production is the primary objective. cannot grow without sufficient amounts of incoming A simple scheme for those interested in maximizing honey pollen. Pollen contains the essential amino acids, sterols, production can be a template for any beginning beekeeper. minerals, and vitamins that bee larvae need to grow into Managing honey bees involves seasonal manipulations adult honey bees. Bee colonies cannot grow without brood of hive space to provide room when necessary for the production, and brood production hinges on good-quality expanding brood-rearing area and for storage of surplus nutrition that comes from pollen. Hence, bee colonies grow honey. Good management includes reducing colony space largest during or just after periods of maximum numbers during periods of dearth of incoming food, preventing of blooming plants in the spring and autumn (Figure 1). swarming of bees, feeding food supplements to offset any These periods are called honey flows. shortcomings in winter stores or to help stimulate brood Blooming of food plants can be predicted by a crude production during critical periods of colony development, geographic rule of adding a 1-week delay in bloom for keeping young and good-quality queens in colonies, and every 200 miles or so northward in latitude. For example, if managing diseases and parasites. sumac is blooming heavily in southern Mississippi during the first week of May, a person living near the Mississippi- Basic Growth Cycle Tennessee border might expect sumac to bloom from the Good seasonal management begins with understand- third week of May into the beginning of June. -
Best Management Practices for Siting Honey Bee Colonies: Good Neighbor Guidelines 1 James D
ENY115 Best Management Practices for Siting Honey Bee Colonies: Good Neighbor Guidelines 1 James D. Ellis and Jerry Hayes2 Introduction Definitions Beekeeping is becoming increasingly popular in Florida. As used in this document, the following words and terms Commercial beekeepers maintain hundreds if not thou- have the meanings noted in this section unless the context sands of colonies for honey production and to provide of their usage clearly indicates another meaning: pollination services to crops, while the typical urban or backyard beekeeper maintains one to five colonies. Back- 1. Apiary means the assembly of one or more colonies of yard beekeeping traditionally has provided honey for home bees at a single location. consumption and general enjoyment for those who practice the craft. 2. Beekeeper means a person who owns or has charge of one or more colonies of bees. Keeping honey bees requires responsible management so that the bees do not become a nuisance. Additionally, the 3. Beekeeping equipment means anything used in the presence of Africanized honey bees in Florida places more operation of an apiary, such as hive bodies, supers, pressure on beekeepers to maintain their colonies properly frames, top and bottom boards, and extractors. (for information about Africanized honey bees, see: http:// edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg113, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in790, and 4. Colony or hive means an aggregate of bees consisting http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in738). principally of workers, but having, when perfect, one queen and, at times, many drones, brood (immature This document is intended as a reference for honey bee honey bees—eggs, larvae, pupae), combs, honey, and the management in Florida, with emphasis on siting apiaries in receptacle inhabited by the bees. -
AUG-2017-ACB-Newslet
Newsletter for August 2017 Monthly Meeting Equipment Available Saturday, August 19th, 3:00 p.m. Don Moore has slowly scaled back his number of Hive Work and hives and equipment over the last few Ice Cream Social @ years. He plans to reduce his hives by another 9 Breezy Acres this year, leaving him with 5 hives to manage. He will offer those 9 hives for sale at the August meeting for $150 each. Each hive consists of a solid 3634 Stoney Creek Church Road bottom board, two 10-frame deep supers, a screen Elon, NC 27244 inner cover, a telescoping lid and a full staff of hon- ey bees. Queen excluders are not on the hives, but Don and Shirley Moore welcome us to their will be provided when you pick up the bees. apiary for some up-close reviewing and Other equipment will also be offered for sale on learning. We’ll spend about an hour and a meeting day (8/19) and will be appropriately half opening up hives and seeing what’s priced. These include hive top feeders, division going on inside, and we’ll talk about re- board feeders, excluders, spacers, honey supers queening and other hive work for the sea- with drawn comb, etc. The equipment is used, but son. Nancy Ruppert and Don Hopkins will in serviceable condition. The price of new wooden- be our excellent guides. ware for a hive as described is more than the $150 price advertised. Then we’ll make our way to the shade and FOR SALE: enjoy some home- made ice cream and 4 complete hives with bees. -
Setting up Your Apiary
ENTO-099 01/21 SETTING UP YOUR APIARY Molly Keck* Whether placing bee hives in a backyard setting or pebbles in the water so the bees have a spot to land and on multiple acres of land, there are several factors to avoid drowning. consider when deciding where to place the apiary. PLACEMENT OF THE HIVE FOOD – NECTAR AND POLLEN SOURCES Place the hives in a spot that is fairly level. Hives do not Honey bees require both pollen and nectar from plants have to be perfectly level, and a slight slant toward the for their survival. When setting up an apiary, get to entrance allows for moisture to be expelled. know the flowering resources in the area and when they bloom. If possible, take steps to ensure that To avoid the cold north wind entering the hive during the bees have reliable nectar and pollen resources the winter, the hive entrance should not face directly throughout the year. Regular monitoring of the bees north. If possible, place the hive entrance facing east or will help determine how much food they are bringing southeast. into the hive at various times of the year and will allow Even if hives are set far from potential passersby, it is the beekeeper to gauge when to feed them sugar water. nice to have some sort of barrier (i.e., dense vegetation, (Refer to ENTO-096, General Maintenance of Honey Bee paneled fence) to separate the hives from people. Face Hives for more information on feeding bees). the entrances away from potential foot traffic so the Bees are known to travel up to 2 miles or more for food. -
Simple Methods of Making Increase
Simple Methods of Making Increase by Wally Shaw Table of Contents 1. Introduction 3 2. The Locally Adapted Bee 3 3. Reasons for Learning How to Make Increase 4 4. Scale of Increase Covered 5 5. Prejudices over Emergency Queens 6 6. Another Common Misconception 7 7. Making Emergency Queen Cells 7 8. Why not wait until a colony sets up to swarm? 8 9. When to Split Colonies 8 10. What Must the Colony Have to Make an Effective Split? 8 11. Which Colonies to Split? 9 12. How to Balance the Split 9 13. A More ‘Natural’ Approach to Making Nucs 11 14. Nuc Boxes 13 15. Split Boards 14 16. Finding the Queen 14 17. Details and Discussion of Examples 15 Example 1 15 Example 2 16 Example 3a and b 17 18. Drawn Comb or Foundation 19 19. Concluding Remarks 19 Appendix 1 – Finding the Queen 20 Appendix 2 – Getting Combs Drawn Prior to Making Increase 22 This booklet has been published and funded by the Welsh Beekeepers’ Association 2 Simple Methods of Making Increase 1. Introduction This booklet is intended to replace ‘Beekeeping – Making Increase’ published by the Welsh Assembly Government which was itself based on an earlier version produced by the National Bee Unit. The aim of this new booklet is to give more detailed coverage of this important subject and in a form of a practical guide for use by both individual beekeepers and associations who want to become self-sufficient for the provision of new or replacement colonies and queens. The methods described are not designed for large scale queen rearing but should be more than adequate to meet the needs of the hobby beekeepers who, let us not forget, manage about 85% of the colonies in Britain. -
Massachusetts Beekeepers Association's
MASSACHUSETTS BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES Disclaimer This document is intended solely as guidance. This document does not confer, and is not intended to create legal rights or impose legal duties or obligations. The general descriptions provided here reflect the Massachusetts Beekeepers Association’s current views regarding reasonable considerations for safe and healthy management of honeybees in Massachusetts and may not apply to particular situations based on the circumstances. This document may be revised periodically. Introduction It has often been observed that if you ask ten beekeepers the same question, you will get at least ten different answers. This adage reflects, in part, the great diversity of practice that has grown up around beekeeping. For every beginning beekeeper, there is inevitably another beekeeper, whose enthusiasm to share his or her personal observations and techniques provides the spark for the new beekeeper’s own venture into beekeeping. Diversity of ideas and practices among beekeepers is essential to the continued success of honeybees and beekeeping. Yet, it must also be recognized that beekeepers do not exist separately and apart from the communities in which they live, and as beekeeping becomes more popular, particularly in suburban and urban areas, the potential for misunderstandings with neighbors and local officials also grows. Thus, responsible management of one’s hives within the community in which they are located is also essential. For this reason, the Massachusetts Beekeepers Association has developed these Best Management Practices to provide a framework for determining appropriate, site- specific management practices to promote healthy bees and avoid potential conflicts between beekeepers and others. -
BEEKEEPING: General Information by R
BEEKEEPING: General Information by R. A. Morse and E. J. Dyce A Cornell Cooperative Extension Publication Information Bulletin 90 The New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is a statutory college of the State University, at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. 2 BEEKEEPING: This bulletin provides general informa Honey Bee as a Pollinator tion about beekeeping that is not usually General Information included in current publications. Informa The pollination of agricultural crops is by R. A. Morse and E. J. Dyce tion on specific beekeeping problems can the most important contribution of honey be obtained by writing to the Office of bees to our national economy. Although Apiculture, Department of Entomology, the value of honey bees for pollination Contents Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853. cannot be estimated , it is many times the 2 Extent of Beekeeping Industry total value of both the honey and bees wax that they produce . Without cross 2 Honey Bee as a Pollinator Extent of Beekeeping Industry pollination many crops would not set seed 3 Who Keeps Bees? or produce fruit. Many insects other than In New York State about 8,500 people the honey bee can carry pollen from one 3 Where Bees Can Be Kept keep at least 125,000 colonies of honey plant to another; but in areas where agri 4 A Skilled Occupation bees. The annual production is about 8 culture has been intensified, such as the million pounds of honey and 120,000 fruit areas in New York State, the number 4 How to Acquire a Knowledge of pounds of beeswax. -
Beekeeper Registration Application City of Richfield
Beekeeper Registration Application City of Richfield FEE: $30.00 Directions: Print legibly in blue or black ink. Answer all questions and indicate not applicable if appropriate. Any falsification of answers may result in denial of the registration. Please complete both sides of the form. Return to Richfield Business Licensing – 6700 Portland Avenue, Richfield MN 55423. Section 1: Applicant 1. Name: Last First Full Middle Maiden Name 2. Permanent Residence Address: Street City State County Zip 3. Apiary Address (if different than above) Street City State County Zip 4. Home Phone: Cell Phone: Business Phone: 5. Email Address 1: Email Address 2: Section 2: Beekeeping Education / Experience 6. Do you have formal education (courses) or prior hands-on beekeeping experience/ Yes No If yes, please describe and provide documentation: Section 3: Acknowledgements Please check each box and then sign and date indicating that you have read and agree with the following: Copies of city code 906 (the Beekeeping ordinance) and city code 509.21 (the Home Occupation ordinance) are attached to this registration form. I acknowledge that I have read, understand and will comply with all the requirements of both ordinances. City code 906 requires that the Richfield Public Safety Department shall send notice to all owners of lots adjacent to any lot line of the apiary site. I acknowledge and understand that the City will send notice to all owners of lots adjacent to any lot line of the apiary site. I understand and agree that I may not engage in the practice of beekeeping within the City of Richfield until I have received notification from the Public Safety Department that my beekeeping registration has been approved. -
<Article-Title>Langstroth's Hive and the Honey-Bee
naturalists.This small book is full water. The head is almost nonex- American Goldfinch, Canada of interesting facts about the istent and lacks a radula or any Goose, and Great Blue Heron are groups of animals that live in the significant eyes" (p. 104). introduced with the family they sea. The authors cover sponges, This book is definitely worth belong to, the habitat in which sea anemones, jellyfish, sea mats, reading if you are interested in they are found, their call or song, marine worms, mollusks, echino- marine animals. It is interesting and general size information. In derms, sea squirts, cartilaginous and contains many wonderful old the lower corner of each bird fish, marine reptiles, birds, seals, drawings, some as old as 200 page, an "Also meet" section is [-' sea lions, walruses, whales, and years. However,it really is not very included where the authors intro- sea weed. The book also contains useful for research purposes in duce us to a relative of that bird. a glossary, index, and a section on either a college or a high school For example, the Downy [-' books and Web sites that are use- setting. Woodpecker page also introduces ful for further research. the Hairy Woodpecker and the Although this book contains Herring Gull page introduces the many beautiful drawings, it is real- Lorelei Crerar Ring-billedGull. ly not very useful for research pur- J.E.B.Stuart High School The book includes a delight- 14 poses. A lot of the information Falls Church,VA 22044 ful chapter on notable birds with contained in the book is in the incredible facts. -
Honey Bee Colony Assessment Workshop Colony Strength Evaluation
Honey Bee Colony Assessment Workshop Colony Strength Evaluation Shannon Mueller, Ph.D. Agronomy Farm Advisor UC Cooperative Extension Fresno County Learning Objectives Following this presentation, you will be able to: • Understand how the pollination contract relates to the colony strength inspection. • Understand how to evaluate the elements that contribute to colony strength. • Worker Population • Brood • Queen • Understand both methods of colony strength evaluation. • Frame Inspection • Cluster Count Colony Strength Evaluation Pollination success is dependent upon a number of factors, but in terms of the pollinator, it is a function of both the number of colonies and the average strength of the individual colonies. – Strength of a colony is evaluated by estimating the adult honey bee population and, in some cases, the amount of brood in a hive. – Colony strength can vary with time of the year and management by the beekeeper. Colony Strength Evaluation When colony strength is important, the grower and the beekeeper agree on the strength of the colonies to be delivered. A signed contract spells out each person’s expectations, which may help avoid misunderstandings and possible legal action later. Independent confirmation that bees are present in the number and strength promised is frequently desired. Colony Strength Evaluation Conducted at the request of the grower or the beekeeper. The person requesting the certification typically pays for the inspection. Apiary inspectors - independent contractors - work for bee brokers - employed by County Ag Commissioners Using consistent procedures and definitions for inspection criteria helps insure consistency. Colony Strength Evaluation Make every attempt to notify the beekeeper of the inspection and he or she can observe the process or assist in handling the hives if the inspector desires. -
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 ..............................................................................................