Strange Combs

A while back I read an email on a beekeeping blog.  The beekeeper reported that his bees had built combs above the foundation that he had given them.

He figured that the bees didn't like the plastic.

I think he may have been right.

Here's an example that I was shown of a frame of combs.  It's just like the other beekeeper described.

Can you see the gap underneath the comb?  There's just a "bee space".

 

Now exactly why the bees chose to build this way is a mystery.  They did it to most of the frames in the hive.

It created a real problem when it came to extraction because the combs weren't supported by the foundation.  So they could not be put through an extractor because they'd fall apart.

These combs would need to be extracted by crush and strain.  Or just sell it as honeycombs and eat the whole thing.

I had this happen in one hive last year.  The bees built the comb coming down from the wood at the top and the comb didn't touch the foundation.  They had even sealed the comb on both sides.  It looked like a wild comb.

 

It created a real problem when looking for the queen in this hive. I thought she wasn't there but later I got suspicious that she was hiding on the underside of the comb in that bee space between the comb and the frame.

 

We did make sure to cut that all out when we harvested the frames.

 

Hopefully the bees will get it right this year. 

Spring Treatments

I've come to the conclusion that bees aren't too much different than children.

They just seem to know that the sugar syrup I'm feeding them has medicine in it.  It must taste yucky because they don't want to eat it.

[photo - early spring - pollen patty]

I've tried to get the bees to take sugar syrup mixed with Fumigilin B but they just don't want to eat it.

I've had much more success with the sugar and Oxytet powder.  This is a treatment against AFB - American Foulbrood disease.

[AFB treatment on wax paper and half eaten pollen patty]

This treatment is either sprinkled on the top bars once a week for four weeks or what I do is put a piece of wax paper on the bars and sprinkle the powder there.  This way it doesn't spill down the hive and get wasted.

I also put pollen patties on the top bars.  These look like large peanut butter squares.  Bees really enjoy them... but some hives aren't interested and don't eat them.  Other hives eat them really quickly.  Whatever their need or preference I do my best to provide them in case they do need them.

One thing to do when adding things to the top bars is use your hive tool to scrape out a space.  Scrape out that wax and comb that the bees build up on top.  You may also need to scrape it from the inner cover.

[AFB treatment - many times the bees have chewed up and removed the wax paper from the week before.  That is the intent]

That way when you close the lid you won't squish bees when you close the lid after adding things to the top bars.

If the bees are in the way on the top bar when you want to set a treatment down, give them a puff of smoke to clear them.  Note you may need to clear them off the inner cover too by giving it a hard shake over the hive to knock the bees out of the way.

Ontario Bee Association - Position Statement on Neonicitoids

The message below is copied from the OBA newsletter.  It can be viewed at: 

http://www.lfpress.com/2013/05/06/pesticides-linked-to-bee-deaths

The OBA's new position statement and press release on neonics
Some of you will remember that in our first newsletter, the OBA's position on neonics called for replacement of the pesticides and the use of agricultural Best Management Practices while a replacement is being found. So, you may be surprised to see that our latest position statement and recent press release is stronger, calling for the suspension of all neonicotinoid pesticides starting with the 2014 planting season. Why the change? Well first of all, our original position was developed before the PMRA report was released confirming our suspicions that neonics were the cause of the bee deaths in Spring 2012, as well as the weakened hives resulting from sub-lethal doses of this pesticide. In addition, scientific evidence has been increasing about the longer-term and broader implications of this class of pesticides including the impact on soil and the water table. And finally, the growing public recognition that a world without bees would result in a world without the crops and wild flowers they pollinate, along with the loss of the birds, amphibians and small mammals that feed upon the seeds and other parts of those wild flowers, and of course the  predators that rely on the small birds and mammals to keep them alive. We believe that it is not just our role to take a strong stance on this issue, but our duty.		Does this mean we are no longer working with our agricultural partners on mitigation strategies? Of course not. We continue to be committed to our farm partners and to support efforts in Integrated Pest Management and Best Management Practices. It is also important to remember that our agricultural relationships go beyond this issue; we value our joint marketing initiatives  such as Foodland Ontario and Sustainable Ontario and recognize our interdependence related to pollination services for fruits and vegetables. Will all farmers agree with our position? Probably not, but we are sure they will respect our responsibility to our industry. And in the end, we all want the same thing, a healthy and vibrant agricultural community and a safe and sustainable environment. We look forward to finding new ways to work together toward that end. NOTE: Media reports of new bee kills in Ontario, being investigated by PMRA this morning, arrived just as the newsletter was being mailed. Please see below for latest news.

Geared Up and Going Strong

My 15 hives survived the winter.  Thank God.

We're really blessed to have a good spot in an old abandoned orchard.  It's far enough away from corn planting that I did not have any problems last year with wind blown corn pesticides.

There are soya beans planted not too far away--the same pesticide is used on them--but so far we haven't had a problem.

Many beekeepers in Ontario are reporting heavy losses this spring and are looking to acquire more bees to increase their stocks.

It's corn planting season right now and most beekeepers are feeling nervous.  Already some reports of poisoning have come in.  Will it be as bad as last year?  Everyone waits to see with baited breath.

About three weeks ago I was at the yard when the wraps were still on the hives.  The bees were flying like crazy on a few sunny days we had between rain showers.

And they were finding tons of bright yellow pollen.  Traffic at the hive was so busy I had to open up the entrances a bit more just so they could come and go.

I observed them as they circled like planes at an airport, waiting for space and a chance to land so they could deliver their goods.

After a couple weeks of watching a lot of pollen coming in I noticed the bee activity was just as strong but I didn't see pollen on the bees' legs.  I figured this meant they were bringing in nectar.

I believe for the first season I balanced it right to take enough honey in the harvest last fall that they had enough to keep them through the winter but not too much.  The year before I'd left way too much.  Third time is a charm, so they say.

Every year I learn more.  Mistakes are hard to deal with but they really are good teachers.

I have lots to report but have had some camera problems which have held me up... that and the new job (same company but new position).  I'm getting tons of training in the new position and am coming home tired.  But with bees you've got to keep going :)

With the job change I've realized that I really can't afford time and energy-wise to increase hives.  My plan is to do splits once my hives have grown and are developing queen cells.

Then I'll sell my splits.

I'll also do my best to manage my swarm collecting addiction and learn to say "No" when I get swarm calls.

I'm sure there will be plenty of beekeepers out there that would love to collect some bees.

If you are a beekeeper in Ontario, I can add you to my swarm collection list.  It's on my bee-magic.com website.

Beekeepers have reported they are getting lots of calls.  When people see swarms they're quick to check the internet to find out who to contact.

I sincerely hope your bees have survived the winter too and that this spring and summer will be a successful one.

I'm really hoping we don't get a sudden change in weather this year to ruin our fruit crops.

Prepare for Swarm Season

I was just reading a bee supplier price list and noted that a four frame nuc this year is priced at $195.00.

That's some major cash for a new hive.

Swarm calls are frequent in spring and mid summer so if you're looking to increase your hive count why not consider swarm collecting?

Dad and I have only collected swarms from shrubs or trees outside.

For the most part the hives have been less than 10' off the ground so a step ladder works well.

We hold a nuc box under the swarm and then sweep them gently into the box.  There are blank frames in the nuc so the bees have something to hold onto.

We don't use smoke for the most part.  The key thing is to get the main part of the mass into your box because that's where the queen will be.

Once she's in the box it's really easy from there as the bees will smell their queen and gravitate to her.

You should leave the box on the ground until after dark and then come back to collect it.  That way you'll also get the scouts or any foragers that may have been out and about.

This swarm took about an hour to collect and was completely free.

One thing about wild bees is you don't know where they've come from or what diseases they may carry.

Treating for American Foulbrood will be important as well as Nosema.  Mites are a pest for all bees and you can assume they've got them too.

Some beekeepers have a couple beeyards and so they can use one as a quarantine area for new swarms.  Once they know they're treated they can be moved into the main yard.

There are a ton of techniques out there for swarm collecting, many of them are listed on U-Tube. Here's a list below.

Removing Bees from an Old Building - Outside This video is great showing removing bees from the wall of an old building - done from the outside. Note the awesome vacuum that they're using.

U-Tube Videos on Swarm Collecting

An Ode to the Queen, or quite simply: Mom

There are many events in our lives that we can't avoid.  For our bees, it's the death of their queen.

For my family it was the death of my mother on 15 Jan 2013.

I've been reflecting a lot the last few weeks on moms, motherhood, parenting, and nurturing.

Sacrifice comes to mind too.

When doing talks or presentations on bees I like to let people know, especially moms, that bees aren't too much different than they are.  My main point is the sacrifice that the queen makes for the future of her offspring.

When it comes time to swarm, the old, mature but experienced queen leaves the hive.  She flies out into the unknown and unsafe world to seek a new home.  It's dangerous and it could mean her death or the failure of the swarm to reproduce.

The queen takes this risk so that she can leave the safety and comfort of the established hive to her inexperienced daughter who will soon hatch and be that hive's new queen.

When I talk about this I notice many women's eyes will well up.  They understand the reason why the queen does this.  She'll do whatever it takes to ensure the success of her offspring.

I'd like to thank all the moms and queens out there that have sacrificed their peace and comfort for their children.

The Secret Behind the Honey Bee Bite

Secrets of the Honey Bee Bite Revealed: A Previously Unknown Honey Bee Defense Weapon Against Varroa and a Potential New Natural Anesthetic for Humans

Researchers have discovered that honey bees can bite as well as sting and that the bite contains a natural anesthetic. The anesthetic may not only help honey bees fend off pests such as wax moth and the parasitic varroa mite, but it also has great potential for use in human medicine.

The surprise findings discovered by a team of researchers from Greek and French organizations in collaboration with Vita (Europe) Ltd, the UK-based honeybee health specialist, will cause a complete re-thinking of honey bee defense mechanisms and could lead to the production of a natural, low toxicity local anesthetic for humans and animals.

The natural anesthetic that has been discovered in the bite of the honey bee and measured at the University of Athens is 2-heptanone (2-H), a natural compound found in many foods and also secreted by certain insects, but never before understood to have anaesthetic properties. Independent tests have verified Vita's findings and the potential of 2-heptanone as a local anaesthetic.

As a naturally-occurring substance with a lower toxicity than conventional anesthetics, 2-heptanone shows great potential. Vita has already patented the compound for use as a local anesthetic and is seeking pharmaceutical partners to develop it further.

Until recently, research seemed to indicate that 2-heptanone was either a honeybee alarm pheromone that triggers defensive responses, or a chemical marker signalling to other foraging bees that a flower had already been visited. Vita's results contradicted these notions.

The new research clearly shows that 2-heptanone paralyses small insects and mites bitten by bees for up to nine minutes. Somewhat like a snake, the honey bee uses its mandibles to bite its enemy and then secretes 2-heptanone into the wound to anesthetize it. This enables the honey bee to eject the enemy from the hive and is a particularly effective defense against pests, such as wax moth larvae and varroa mites, which are too small to sting.

Dr. Max Watkins, Technical Director of Vita (Europe) Ltd, said, “We are very excited about our findings on at least two levels. Firstly, the revelation that honey bees can bite enemies that they cannot sting confounds some existing ideas and adds significantly to our biological knowledge. Secondly, the discovery of a highly effective natural anesthetic with huge potential will be of great interest to the pharmaceutical industry eager to develop better local anesthetics."

In laboratory neurophysiological trials in the School of Biology of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece), 2-heptanone was found to have a similar mode of action to Lidocaine, the dominant local anesthetic used in humans and other mammals. 2-heptanone is found naturally in many foods such as beer and white bread and is so safe that it is permitted as a food additive by USA regulatory authorities. 2-heptanone therefore offers considerable potential as an alternative to Lidocaine. Very recent laboratory research using mammalian cells in the USA, has confirmed Vita’s expectations that the anesthetic could be as effective on humans and mammals as it is on insects and mites.

In considering the biological impacts of the findings, Dr. Alexandros Papachristoforou, a Vita researcher working under the supervision of Professor G Theophilidis in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece, said: “It is amazing that this second line of honey bee defense has gone undetected for so long. Beekeepers will be very surprised by our discovery and it is likely to cause a radical rethink of some long-held beliefs. It will probably stimulate honey bee research in many new directions. For instance, many beekeepers have spoken of the 'grooming' behavior of honey bees in helping to control varroa populations. This grooming behavior can now be interpreted as biting behavior.”

Dr. Papachristoforou described how the unexpected properties of 2-heptanone were discovered: “We were investigating wax moth control. Wax moths are a serious honey bee pest whose larvae consume wax and pollen, often completely destroying honeycomb. When exposed to 2-heptanone, which is produced naturally by honey bees, the wax moths appeared to die. However, on closer inspection, we realized that the wax moths were merely anesthetized for a period of one to nine minutes. This was quite unexpected, so our scientific team set up a series of rigorous experiments to find out what was really happening and came up with our remarkable discovery.”

The research has just been published in the peer-reviewed journal, PLOS ONE: http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0047432

Several organizations contributed to the research in collaboration with Vita (Europe) Ltd: the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece, the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Paris-Sud, Cyprus University of Technology, and the University of Athens.