GrandmaB's Notes: April 2014

Notes I took at the class as my own reminders, not fully inclusive of presentation materials.

April 12, 2014

Central Oregon Beekeeping Association

Advanced Beekeeping Class

People I met for the first time:

Greg, Camp Sherman: bubble wrapped 3 sides and top of hives for winter, leaving bottom and front side clear. Greg will be in Sisters on May 3 to get pkg.

Bill on Newcastle (close to castle) getting two hives ready—will be in Sisters on May 3 to get pkg.

Starr from Terrebonne, raising bees for medicinal honey.

And the others who come to monthly bee meetings….

Ramesh Sagili, Professor at OSU in Horticulture http://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/content/ramesh-sagili began the day with stats on colony losses (22% in 2013) citing that he feels nutrition is the key in dealing with major problems such as Varroa mites; bees need good immune systems. Nectar is 25-40% carbs; pollen has vitamins, minerals, and protein, (10-40% protein). Therefore, one must include real pollen, not just protein patties, in addition to sugar water when feeding the bees. Amino acids are also needed; 10 essential for bees. Bees collect a variety of pollen and nectar to cover their needs. HoneyBHealthy stimulates bee appetite; no studies support its claimed benefits.

Ramesh suggests one plant for nectar/pollen dearth: borage, bachelor button, pysillium, poppies, etc.

Branded protein supplements recommended: MegaBee (18% CP); BeePro (12.5% CP); Global Patties (17%CP). Must have 5-10% pollen added. Place protein patty between waxpaper pieces and slit top for bee access. No real substitute for bees’ own pollen; save pollen in freezer if extra when collecting honey.

Remember: bees will eat only if necessary; otherwise they are out collecting what they need or using stores. Protein feeding in Willamette Valley at OSU during Mar-April and Aug-Oct 15.

Then on to bee anatomy: body hairs are sensory as well as for heating. Bees warm up before leaving hive and hopefully return before cooling down. Bee eyes are compound: different focus with each segment and hairs between eye segments—only honey bees. Bees’ proboscis curls at end to form a scoop to pool nectar and then a tube above to form a straw. Mandibles (mouth parts) mold wax flakes from body gland for wax caps and cells and for carrying debris out of hive and to pack pollen into pollen baskets on legs. (Cells begin round and bees thin sides which are compressed and form into six sided cells.

Ramesh talked about 15,000 commercial hives brought to Madras area for hybrid carrot seed pollination in July. Unhealthy after 6 weeks because of limited nectar and pollen source and mite increase.

5-10% drop from powdered sugar treatment for Varroa mites. Varroa mites are the #1 killer of bees because they transmit viruses. Track mites by use of sticky boards (spray cooking oil on white board and use a 3 day average) or use the alcohol wash method. See http://scientificbeekeeping.com/sick-bees-part-11-mite-monitoring-methods/ for details.

ET=economic threshold or “action” threshold—the time to act. ET percentages w/alcohol wash are 2% in spring and 10% in fall. July-Aug is the time in Oregon to treat for mites. Different theories for mite control. One is that natural foundation is 4.9 compared to 5.2 commercial foundation; equals smaller bees which develop faster (19.5 days incubation compared to 21 days) so mites are unable to mature. However, drones take 24 days so longer time for mites. Also, shorter cycles means more cycles so mites might be equal overall…

Mite treatments recommended: Amitraz (Apivar), contact miticide, 2 strips per brood chamber; 87-95% control over 10 years in Canada. Checkmite and another ?? don’t work—don’t buy. Apiguard and Mite Away Quick strips are temperature sensitive—don’t buy. HopGuard is a natural product to be used three weeks in a row. Exposing hives to sun seems to control mites (keep hives in sun, not shade).

Nosema—May treatment.

Dewey Caron, http://honeybeespeak.com/speakers/dr-dewey-caron/, was the afternoon presenter.

Started the presentation by suggesting we are creating “welfare” bees by feeding sugar; are we training bees to change their digestion?

Went on to talk about pesticides and insecticides and other negative factors:

-5 to 7 of the top pesticides found when wax/bees are tested are miticides, applied by beekeepers.

-insecticides with IGR (inhibiting growth regulator) tested to not affect ‘adult’ bees—what about incubation time?

-synergism: mite treatments now and next summer pesticides=death.

-climate change: many blooming times changing and bees are not ready to harvest nectar so beekeeper pushes bees by feeding earlier which equals environmental stress.

-survivorship selection: queen factories select colonies that produce queens, not what beekeepers want; worker bees wanted. (See article of March 2014, Queens for Pennies)

-swarms settling into hives in trees have a 20% winter survival rate.

Best is NO TREATMENT for Varroa mites: hygienic stock; new colonies break brood cycle.

Other tips/tricks:

Bait box for swarms: 10’ high in tree; use essence of queen; include comb piece for bee smell

Ants over running hives: try a line of used oil around base of hive if all else has failed.

Reference materials:

Dewey Caron “Honey Bee Biology” textbook used at OSU—I purchased at class.

Oregon State Bee Group magazine newsletter

Book: Honey-Maker (form and function based) Gail Gibbons?

Cool key chain: taylorcustom.com pewter anatomical bee key chain

After the bee class on Saturday, April 12, in Bend, OR I decided that sumps were a good thing and asked Ken, the hive builder, to consider them. Not only did he consider, he adapted boxes that I had for both hives to be sumps, which included constructing an entrance door for me and as an extra, he created sugar feeders to be placed inside. What an amazing friend I have in Ken! He's done research on sugar feeding and agrees that seems to be one of the best ways to care for bees' food needs during early spring and late fall. With a sump, one can insert/remove feeders easily; check mite population using sticky boards, take pictures of the hive interior...all very nice. See these pictures, which show it all--or most of it. Inside hive pictures when I open the door, later.

At some point I plan to summarize the notes I took at the bee class--the Central Oregon Bee Club is quite an active, helpful group and I was happy and fortunate to attend their annual spring class for advanced beekeepers.