“Pushing” (a.k.a. messing with…) Your Bees to increase Production

* Not Pushing * Natural variability * This is “Waiting” are NOT Maple syrup producers …this is why they are NOT called “TreeKeepers”... • Weather dependent…like most of us… • Waiters…like us …see RTH migration map • Wait and See…Get what you get…NOT like us… – Limited “tree sucking” actions… This is Pusing…

(Above: 287 pound average)

• Bee “Pushing” Defined • Why pushing is possible? S=>R… • Why Push? • How to Push • When to Push • Pushing recipes: simple, moderate, complex • Examples

PUSHING Defined

• True (not just keeping bees) is pushing… • Planned management… • Directed management… • Proactive resource(s) management… • Monitoring changing hive conditions… How is Pushing even possible? Understanding the Stimulus=>Response turns “keepers of bees” into beekeepers Behavioral psychology…

S => R…If => Then… Example S => R: Bee Space

• If you violate the bee space (3/8”) any time (pic) Example S=>R: “Bee Racing” Example S=>R: OTS Queen Rearing

Example S=>R: WV 2017 Fondant “Stimulative” Feeding

Results…the good…the bad… Why Push?

• You already are! – Bee Trees > Bee Hive…. – Transporting…migratory… • For Hive Health… • For Hive increased hive product(s) • For Additional hive products… • Because you can…opportunism…curiosity…

Hive Products you can Push for…

• Bees…splits, pkgs, nucs, queens • Honey • • Wax…general, drawn brood/super comb • Propolis • How to push

• Depends on what pushing for… • Pay attention to 1st Principles…resources… – Bees! – Seasonal…light, temperature, rains… – , Pollen, Resources… – Nectar, Pollen Supplements…

When to push

• Better seasonal times to push…prime times… • There are wrong times… – Ex. Foundation… Pushing for Honey

• Reverse engineering…how did we did it…the recipe Honey Recipe • Healthy, overwintered colony (fall queens)…… • Queens monitored for egg laying viability…good stock… • Unseasonably warm spring…brood stimulation • Sufficient onboard feed resources…supplement… • Hive management…brood swaps…room/swarm control. • Good nectar (and water) location • Early supering and often…stay ahead. • Proper weather to extend nectar season (45+days)******* NOTE: Hive health, pests, and diseases were monitored early and regularly throughout the nectar season.

“Pushed” Honey Recipe • More pre-planning and direction than regular recipe. • Understand: 1 large colony > honey than 2 mediums… • Estimate peak nectar flow for your area. • Stimulate brood to coincide with peak nectar flow… • Use 2+ colonies brood to build large, single production colony.

Ingredients explored… (Hippopotamus Pie) Lots of beekeeping “noise” out there…

Monitoring…simplify…”B”- Curves…

Monitoring to simplify the clutter…

Fact: Most of your total honey crop for a season is collected in 30 days… Internal hive populations

Apis Labs – Alex Zomchek

Apis Labs – Alex Zomchek

Apis Labs – Alex Zomchek Nutritional Monitoring

Once you understand “B” Curves you can PUSH your Bees!

Caveat” Garbage in….garbage out… • Need good ingredients to have good results Recipe for “Super charging colonies for honey production” (a.k.a. “Hippopotamus Pie”…) • Caveat: – recipe is a guideline – tailor it to your tastes and environments Simple Recipe (Wait and See)

• Boxes • Bees • Forage • Wait for it… Moderate Recipe

• More Boxes • More Bees • Better Forage • Wait for it… Moderate +

• More…healthier bees • More boxes…w/drawn comb… • More flowers…better locations… • Waiting  Go for it… Advanced “Super Charged” Recipe

• 1. Lots of Honey production bees… • 2. Lots of Healthy bees… • 3. Lots of (1) and (2) at the right age… • 4. Lots of (1, 2, 3) in the right place(s)... • 5. Lots of (1,2,3,4) at the right time… • 6. RM: Sufficient & Timely supering. • **Sufficient and proper honey storage… be careful what you wish for… World distribution map of primary species (Apis )

Apis andreniformis Apis cerana Apis koschevnikovi Apis nigrocincta Apis mellifera Bee Vernacular…species, races, hybrids…

• 8 species (apis melifera)of honey bees • Within the species are races… • Example: Apis mellifera ligustica “Italians” • So much mixing…tough to keep a pure bred… • Today, more interested in genetic diversity …which leads to “survivor” stock…”mutts”… • Other race examples: – Apis mellifera caucasca - caucasian – Apis mellifera carnica - carniolan – Apis mellifera scutellata – Africanized Crossing these races leads to hybrids... Examples: Cordovans, Buckfast, Russian, Starline, Minnesota Hygenic

Hive health…you know it when you see it…

Need lots of foragers to make lots of honey

Bees in right place…limit! • 1 colony ~ 200 pounds of honey…100 for them and 100 for you. • 1 pound of honey takes the nectar from 2,000,000 flowers. • So, 200 lbs of honey takes 400,000,000 flowers. • An of 10 colonies: 4,000,000,000 flowers. • Treasure map(s)…! Water, nectar, weather…

Pushing Honey production…what type?

• Liquid honey production • production • Hybrids…Ross Rounds, Box, Plastic, etc.

There are product/quantity tradeoffs Pushing on Steroids - I

• Strong bee stock… • Strong over wintered colony… • Stimulated early with carbs, protein, vits, mins… • Hive management…box swaps… • Great year…. • Supering…

Pushing on Steroids - II

• Strong bee stock… • Strong over wintered colony… • Stimulated early with carbs, protein, vits, mins… • Hive management…box swaps… • 2 Queen Systems… • Great year…. • Supering…

Pushing on Steroids - III • Good bee stock… • Strong over wintered colony…OR • Queen nucleus hive (QNH)… • Produce multiple nucs from QNH… • Stimulated with carbs, protein, vits, mins… • Combine frames from multiple nucs … • Hive management…box swaps… • Great year…. • Supering…

Plan for Success…”boomer” colonies are made; not waited for…

We are not treekeepers…

A little luck does not hurt!

287 pound average “Your PUSHING journey can starts with a single drop…

Push it a little farther…

Push to let your imagination (and bees) fly! …for there is a fresh wind blowing; we may yet again do things like mountains, and music and beekeeping because they are hard, and clean,

and clear in the morning! - Philip Gillett

Contact Information: That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse. Alexander Zomchek -Walt Whitman [email protected] 513.280.3476