June 2015
Nelson County Beekeepers
What’s The Buzz
Volume 1, Issue 2
June
Officers President-Doug Brink Vice PresidentSecretary-Helen Fenske Treasurer-Susan Zhunga
Robbie Smith County Extension Agent for Horticulture Inside this issue: Splitting Hives
2
How and why to use the Newspaper Method To
3
The Life Cycle of a Bee
3
CCD or Colony Collapse
5
How Long Do Honeybees Live
6
Glossary of Terms
6
Club Extractor Rental
8
Meeting Minutes
9
Insider Info
6
Reminder s
7
What’s Happening Inside The Hive? This month is much like May, except the hive will have more bees. The honey and pollen flows continue. The days are long enough that the bees can fly for 14 to 16 hours a day, and they will. There is now plenty of drone brood, which is ideal for varroa reproduction. It’s too early to treat for varroa, but it’s good to look for these mites by uncapping and examining the capped drone brood cells. (See the KSU publication “The Varroa Mite: an external parasite of honey bees”.) Beekeeper Chores Inspect the hive weekly if possible. Provide extra honey supers as needed. Watch for queen cells and destroy all that you find. The brood should now fill many of the frames of two hive bodies. An overcrowded brood nest can stimulate swarming. To provide space you can spread the brood frames apart, and insert one or two empty frames. It’s warm enough now that there is no danger of chilling the brood. The queen is looking for empty cells all the time, and she will quickly fill these frames with eggs. If you are going to increase the number of hives you have by making divides, May or June is the time to do it. Observations and Ideas Walk the roadsides and fields, looking for flowering plants with honey bees on them. If the bees are collecting pollen, note the color. Taste, smell and observe the color of the honey (Continued on page 3)
Page 2 Splitting Hives There are a number of reasons for making splits and a number of ways of making them. The main reasons for making splits are: 1.To increase the number of producing hives either in the current year or in the following year 2.To reduce the size of colonies to discourage swarming and to put off 'peaking' until the expected flow.
will be to manage, assuming that pollen and nectar are available in the field at time of splitting. A minimum of six weeks before a target flow is considered minimum lead time. Brood must be available in all stages in both brood boxes of a two storey hive for the Walk-Away type of splits to work well. One way
3.Control of mites 4.To produce income from sale of nucs. There are many ways to make splits, but most ways are variations on the following: Splitting a two storey hive in half and selecting brood and feed from a colony (or colonies) and making up nucs or full size splits. The time of year and size of the splits will determine how much honey the splits will make in the first year, if any. It will also determine whether they will be trouble free or a waste of time, effort and bees. Generally the earlier and the larger the split, the more they will produce and the easier they
of ensuring this is to reverse at least a week before splitting. Walk-Away Splits It is possible to just split a hive and walk away. Usually bees will raise a queen. It takes 16 days to raise a queen from an egg. If the hive begins immediately from a 1 day old larva (4 days old from the egg), the queen should hatch in another 12 or so. It takes a
week more for the new queen to get properly mated and laying enough that the results are obvious. Compare that to a mated queen in a cage that can take 5 -- or more -- days to get out of the cage and another 5 to get laying well. It is clear that under ideal conditions the use of a mated queen can have about a one week advantage over the split method described here. However, since it takes ideal conditions to de-queen and introduce a mated queen successfully, and the side-by -side method can even be done in the rain, conditions will determine if themated queen has a significant time advantage in real life. Info from www.honeybeeworld.com. Here is another view of the Walk-Away-Split. One way to increase your honey bee hives is to do a Walk-Away-Split. This involves simply taking some honey, pollen, brood and eggs and dropping them into a Nuc, and then walking away to let the bees build a new queen and start a new hive. There are a couple of things to keep in mind when trying this methodology:
Page 3 1. Walk Away is just a term. It is wise to go back a week later to check for a queen cell (you have to be really careful to be sure that you do not damage this cell). Return in another 2 weeks to see if you have a queen. Finally, return 1 week later to check for eggs (it might take another week for her to lay, so be prepared to not find any eggs on this check.) 2. If you cannot tell if a queen is around or not on the second check, you can always drop a frame of eggs into the Nuc and check back a week later to see if they built a queen cell. If so, then no queen exists. If not, then a queen is in there and you
just need to keep checking for evidence of egg laying. 3. On placement, many folks say to move the Split a good distance (at least 2 miles) from the parent hive. But, a colleague at work (Doug Ladd) just places his split (Nuc) in the location of the old hive. This gives it a boost from the foragers that come back to it. Michael Bush simply moves the split 10 yards and places grass/ twigs on the entrance to make the reorient (he claims to have done several hundred splits in his life and has never had a problem doing it like this.) Info from richmondhoneybee.com
(Continued from page 1)
which the bees have just placed in the supers. Over the years you will learn the seasonal cycle of bee plants. http://www.nkybeekeeper s.com/uploads/beecalend ar.pdf
How and why to use the Newspaper Method To Combine Weak Colonies: Sean Burgess, Former Kentucky State Apiarist and Employee at Kelley's Beekeeping: Combining weak colonies with strong colonies. Occasionally you will have a colony that just won’t do well for one reason or another. Perhaps the queen was not properly mated and she has a spotty brood pattern. Maybe it’s late in the season and a split or a swarm capture has limited or no resources for build up. In any event you feel the colony doesn’t stand a
reasonable chance for overwintering. It would be reasonable, in my opinion, to combine this colony with a strong queenright colony that has adequate stores to support a merge. Curing a laying worker situation. When a hive goes queenless you run the risk of developing laying workers. For whatever reasons, the bees don’t have larvae of the proper age to develop a new queen. Sometimes one or more workers will take it upon themselves to begin
laying eggs. This is evidenced by seeing only drone brood, (workers can only lay unfertilized eggs), multiple eggs per cell, and a decline in the population of your bees. You may also notice a discontented hum coming from the hive and sometimes increased aggression. If steps are not taken to correct this, the colony is doomed. Whatever the reasons for merging hives, I recommend the newspaper combine, which has been very successful for me. When you are merging a weak colony (Continued on page 4)
Page 4 (Continued from page 3)
with a strong colony, you must first find the queen in the weak colony and “dispatch� her. Next I will take two sheets of black and white newspaper and cut them to fit tightly inside of a hive body. Taking the newspaper to the strong colony, I place these sheets on the top of the stack directly in contact with the frames. Using some kind of sharp instrument I will cut about 7-8 slits about 2" long in the paper between the top bars of the frames below, stretching across the entire box. Next I will take the weak colony (box and frames) and put it above the strong colony and close it up
and leave it alone for about three days. When I go back, in almost all cases, I will find the newspaper has been chewed and some removed from the hive. The bees should be behaving normally and moving around the hive freely. Now the rest of the newspaper should be removed from the hive. Depending on the time of year and the nectar flow you may split this colony later. In the case of laying workers, I want the colony below to be really strong and have a good pattern of capped and open brood. I will do the newspaper on top of the strong colony the same as for the weak colony merge. The difference is there is no queen to find
and kill. Laying workers look just like other workers and are almost impossible to find. Set the laying workers on top of the strong colony and wait again for about three days before opening. It is thought that the smell of the pheromones from the open brood below will dry up the ovaries of the laying workers. This colony can also be split later if the season warrants it. My success rate is 100% using this method so far. Info from https:// www.kelleybees.com/ Blog/1/Healthy-Bees/126/ The-Newspaper-Combination
Page 5 CCD or Colony Collapse Disorder: Entomologists are currently studying the reasons behind the enormous bee die-off happening worldwide. The phenomenon is called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), and is characterized by the sudden -- overnight, in some cases -- loss of the vast majority of the hive, leaving a queen, full brood (larvae) cells, and full honey stores behind. In collapsed hives, no dead bees are found -- puzzling scientists and posing a major challenge to the study of the disease. The USDA has been studying the phenomenon since 2009, when it became apparent that Colony Collapse was not something that would disappear on its own. Research on the possible causes of CCD is currently ongoing, and there has been progress! Most recent evidence points to a combination of factors as the culprit -– these factors include monoculture farming, pesticide and fungicide usage, and parasitism within the hive. As the theory goes, farming in monocultures limits the bees’ diet to one type of pollen for extended periods of time. Think of it as if a
human was limited to eating only strawberries for three months -- not very healthy. These malnourished bees are more susceptible to chemical pesticides, which disorient them and further weaken their immune system. Weakened beehives are more vulnerable to parasitism and, consequently, collapse. ZOMBEES PARASITIC RELATIONSHIPS Almost as scary as the ones on The Walking Dead, these bees are parasitized by the Zombie Fly Apocephalus borealis. The Zombie Fly lay its eggs inside the bees, and when the eggs hatch into larvae they feed on the bees while they are still alive -pretty gross!! Wanna see one? The "Zombie Fly" earned its name from its effect on honeybee behavior. The fly lies eggs within the bee, which hatch into larvae that control the bee’s flight patterns. These parasitized bees often leave the hive at night never to return and have earned the name ZomBees. Eventually, the ZomBee will die and little flies will emerge from its body. Info from planetbee.org.
Images of Apocephalus borealis and honey bees: (A) Adult female A. borealis. (B) Female A. borealis ovipositing into the abdomen of a worker honey bee. (C) Two final instar larvae of A. borealis exiting a honey bee worker at the junction of the head and thorax (red arrows). Images courtesy of "A New Threat to Honey Bees, the Parasitic Phorid Fly Apocephalus borealis" Published: January 3, 2012DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone .0029639
Page 6 HOW LONG DO HONEYBEEs LIVE? The queen bee can live for several years. Worker bees live for 6 weeks during the busy summer, and for 4-9 months during the winter months. THREE CASTES OF HONEYBEE Queen Bee There is only one queen per hive. The queen is the only bee with fully developed ovaries. A queen bee can live for 3-5 years. The queen mates only once with several male (drone) bees, and will remain fertile for life. She lays up to 2000 eggs per day. Fertilized eggs become female (worker bees) and unfertilized eggs become male (drone bees). When she dies or becomes unproductive, the other bees will "make" a new queen by selecting a young larva and feeding it a diet of "royal jelly". For queen bees, it takes 16 days from egg to emergence. Worker Bee All worker bees are female, but they are not able to reproduce. Worker bees live for 4-9 months during the winter season, but only 6 weeks during the busy summer months (they
literally work themselves to death). Nearly all of the bees in a hive are worker bees. A hive consists of 20,000 30,000 bees in the winter, and over 60,000 - 80,000 bees in the summer. The worker bees sequentially take on a series of specific chores during their lifetime: housekeeper; nursemaid; construction worker; grocer; undertaker; guard; and finally, after 21 days they become a forager collecting pollen and nectar. For worker bees, it takes 21 days from egg to emergence. The worker bee has a barbed stinger that results in her death following stinging, therefore, she can only sting once. Drone Bee These male bees are kept on standby during the summer for mating with a virgin queen. Because the drone has a barbed sex organ, mating is followed by death of the drone. There are only 300-3000 drones in a hive. The drone does not have a stinger. Because they are of no use in the winter, drones are expelled from the hive in the autumn.
Beeswax: waxy material produced by worker bees and used to build combs. Drones: Male bees, whose main function in the colony is to fertilize the queen. Drones make up a very small percentage of the total colony. In the Autumn drones are expelled from the hive by the female worker bees. Foundation: Thin sheets of beeswax imprinted with a pattern of honey comb. The beekeeper installs these sheets into wooden frames as "starters" for the bees in making uniform combs. Frames: The removable wooden structures which are placed in the hive. The bees build their comb within these frames. The removable quality allows the beekeeper to easily inspect the colony. Hive Bodies: The first one or two wooden boxes of the colony. The hive bodies contain the brood nest of the colony.
Page 7 Larva: The grub-like, immature form of the bee, after it has developed from the egg and before it has gone into the pupa stage. Nectar: Sweet fluid produced by flowers is 60% water and 40% solids. This is collected by the bees and converted into honey at 17 18% moisture content. Pollen: Very small dust-like grain produced by flowers. These are the male germ cells of the plant. Propolis: Sticky, brownish gum gathered by bees from trees and buds and used to seal cracks and drafts in the hive. Also called "bee-glue". Pupa: The immature form of the bee (following the larval stage) while changing into the adult form. Queen: A completely developed female bee (with
functioning ovaries) who lays eggs and serves as the central focus of the colony. There is only one queen in a colony of bees. A queen's productive life span is 2-3 years. Royal Jelly: The milky white secretion of young nurse bees. It is used to feed the queen throughout her life, and is given to worker and drone larvae only during their early larval lives. Super: The supplementary wooden boxes places on top of the hive body the expand the size of the colony, and to provide for storage of surplus honey. Supercedure: When a colony with an old or failing queen rears a daughter to replace her.
do have developed ovaries and do not not normally lay eggs. They gather pollen and nectar and convert the nectar to honey. A worker's life expectancy is only several weeks during the active summer months. However, they can live for many months during the relatively inactive winter period. Info from www.backyardbeekeepers.c om/facts.
Ask the Expert Have a question? Send it to nelsoncountybeekeepers@g mail.com and an expert will answer your question.
Workers: Completely developed female bees that
CLUB MEMBERS DISCOUNT SUBSCRIPTION TO AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL
1 YEAR REG PRICE $28.00 NCB PRICE $21.00 2 YEAR REG PRICE $53.00 NCB PRICE $39.75 3 YEAR REG PRICE $75.00 NCB PRICE $56.25
JUST MAIL SUBSCRIPTION WITH IN THE FRONT PAGE OF THE NEWSLETTER WITH MAILING LABEL AS PROOF OF MEMBERSHIP TO GET DISCOUNT PRICE. http://www.americanbeejournal.com/
Page 8 Extractor Rental Rules Members must call me to get on the schedule for use of the Extractor. 1.
Must be picked up and dropped off to Susan Zhunga unless other arrangements have been made . No Pass offs or passing from member to member. Susan’s address is 555 King Rd Cox's Creek, KY 40013, Phone (502)507-8789
2.
Deposit is $25, includes $10 non refundable rental Fee. You will receive $15 back when you return the extracting equipment in good condition and on time.
3.
Time Limit- Extracting Equipment must be returned within 48 hours (or sooner) to give everyone a chance to get their honey extracted. If extractor is Not returned within 48 hours you will forfeit your full $25 deposit
4.
Extraction Equipment will be checked out with an itemized list describing condition of equipment to be signed by you and Susan. Failure to return Extraction Equipment will result in full reimbursement to the club of $300. Just don’t lose it or not bring it back. Broken parts will be replaced up to and including the entire extractor($165). If you break or lose anything the club will have it fixed or replaced and you will be responsible for any cost incurred. Parts are NOT available for the extractor, it must be replaced as a unit.
5.
Extraction equipment Must be returned clean or you will forfeit your deposit. You must purchase a separate bucket and or have jars ready ahead of time. When you extract the honey you will need somewhere to put it as the bottling buckets that are part of the kit Must be returned with the equipment. Walmart sells Ball Jars or Kelley’s sells the same buckets with a gate valve for easy bottling $27. All prices listed are for 2014 and subject to change.
6.
Be sure you know how to operate the equipment safely and effectively before you take it. Please ask any questions you have. Susan can give you a brief demo if needed when you go to pick it up.
Page 9 Nelson County Beekeepers General Meeting May 21, 2015
Meeting was called to order at 6:30 PM with opening prayer and pot luck refreshments There were 25 members and two guests present. Our guest speaker, Michele Colopy from the Pollinator Stewardship Council, presented her program “Pollinator Stewardship Council Collaborations: Education, Advocacy, Action.” Susan Zhunga presented her Treasurer’s report with a current balance of $1,328.59. President, Paul Kiener / Announcements Special thanks to all those who participated in the Nelson County trash pick-up on April 27th. We completed our assignment in two hours and received $250 for our efforts. Paul thanked Susan Zhunga for a great first newsletter “What’s the Buzz” and asked members for feedback. Susan Zhunga presented guidelines for responding to swarm calls. A new sign-up sheet was passed around. The swarm phone number is (502) 2034136. At the suggestion of Henry Wilkerson, the steering committee recommended that we donate $100 to Bernheim Research Forest’s Beekeeping program for a children’s beekeeping suit. President open it for a vote by general membership for approval. Members approved with a vote. An additional $50 was donated by the members and Bob Deegan offered to match the suit purchased. The floor was opened for questions. Meeting closed with two door prize drawings. Helen Fenske Secretary
Page 10 Insider Info Bernheim Youth Bee Suit What started as a small conversation during the meal at the April 2015 General Meeting of the Nelson County Beekeepers, soon became a project which exceeded anyone's expectations. The initial conversation suggested that the Nelson County Beekeepers (NCB) would donate a bee suit to Bernheim Arboretum which could be worn by youngsters interested in beekeeping while they were watching the beekeepers at Bernheim. The Steering Committee suggested a donation of $100.00 to be given to Bernheim for purchase, pending approval of members at the General Meeting. There were no objections and a voice acknowledged that the donation was a very good idea. However, what followed next left the group speechless: David Sweazy stood up and offered a donation to go along with the initial offering; soon followed by additional donations from Steve Hutchins and Darrel Hester. Tara Valdez, a guest attending her first meeting, also contributed generously. Then, to top it all, Bob Deegan offered to match the initial donation with another, full youth's beekeeping suit for Bernheim! We all knew that the members of the Nelson County Beekeepers were very generous with their time and talents. But this gesture of generosity to the youth of our community will certainly provide the seed for future beekeepers. May you all be rewarded generously in the fruits of your labor and love of beekeeping! Thank you again, Paul Keiner. Doug Brink has NCB T-Shirts ($11) and Hooded Sweatshirts ($23) for sale. Janet Brown is selling NCB Hats and Visors for $10.00. The club gets $2.00 from each sales. Darrell Hester is selling his stainless 2 frame extractor for $150.00. If interested contact him at the meeting or call 502-648-2044.
Bluegrass Seed & Fertilizer Inc 3345 Bloomfield Rd. Bardstown, KY 40004 (502) 348-7333 Mon - Fri 8:00 am - 5:30 pm Sat 8:00 am - 1:00 pm
Bardstown Mills 1393 Withrow Ct. Bardstown, KY 40004 (502) 348-3949 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturday
Page 11 WANNA BEE A MEMBER or NEED TO PAY YOUR 2015 DUES Annual Dues $12.00 Send your name, address, city & zip, Phone & email to : Susan E. Zhunga 555 King Road Coxs Creek, KY 40013 To maintain your status as a member in good standing, please send me your annual dues before June 30, after that I will delete the names of members who have not paid for this year.
KY State Fair Aug. 20-30, 2015 Louisville, KY We will get details on participation in Honey Competition and working honey booths when available. Road Clean up October more information to follow. Christmas Parade—Date to be determined. We will be looking for volunteers to decorate and ride the wagon. Will need you to wear bee suits, carry smokers and have a good time. All are welcome. Contact Henry Wilkerson.
DON’T FORGET TO JOIN US ON FACE BOOK!!
Meeting !!!!!! June 18, 2015, 6:30 p.m. Pot Luck: Bring what you’d like to share Guest Speaker: Dr. Lee Towsend Effects of pesticides on Honeybees Call to report a Honey Bee Swarm 502-203-4136
Next month Field Day at Pat Swartz’s
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Nelson County 317 S Third Street Bardstown, KY 40004
University of Kentucky
Cooperative Extension Service
address