Basics of Starting Beekeeping Still You? Bethany Swartz Jenn Van Wagnen

Keys to Beekeeping  Knowledge of bee science  Knowledge of bee botany  Familiarity with modern agriculture  Some elementary economics  Tools & ability to work with wood  Ability to keep vehicles running  Fortitude to take bee stings

Keys to Managing Bees  knowledge of bee biology/art  commitment of time and interest  a bee hive [Langstroth]  bees  an apiary site  personal protective & ancillary equipment  basics of what – when - where - how & why  solving requeening/feeding management

What to wear/use?  a veil (always)  coveralls  boots  sleeve/pant leg tie downs  gloves (sparingly)  avoid strong body odors  smoker  hive tool/frame lifter  tool box/stool

When to manage When to manage ♦ AVOID RAIN ♦ warm dry, windless days are best ♦ 10 AM- 4 PM ♦ during nectar flow (or feed colonies sugar water) ♦ when smaller in population size or in supers--only during the summer

Where & How long? ♦ At side of colony ♦ 5 – 20 minutes ♦ avoid robbing ♦ use manipulating cloth to cover exposed frames ♦ consider tools like frame lifter ♦ ‘listen’ to bees

Why Inspect? ♦ For a reason - intensively or extensively ♦ spring & fall ♦ to control swarming ♦ to super ♦ to harvest ♦ to overwinter successfully ♦ to control pests including mites

Do you need to see the queen? YES! No!

10 Inspection tips *Refer to page 195 in the text  Examine on warm sunny days between 10AM -4PM  Examine under good forage conditions  Concentrate on smaller colonies to learn  Always wear veil and bee-tight clothing  Keep lighted smoker handy  Manipulate as rapidly as possible w/out hurrying  Slow down and smooth-out hand/body movements  Start on outer frame – avoid jarring & crushing bees  Hold frames to permit easy, rapid viewing  Avoid robbing  ENJOY! The KEY is your enjoyment!

Handling difficult colonies  Don’t!  Use tools  Wait for better forage/bees forage/bees  Avoid robbing  Requeen –Have to 1 st dequeen  Feed bees

Requeening

Requeening  introduce a purchased gentle queen  rear a new queen from gentle bees  add a queen cell from gentle bees  allow bees to rear own new queen  do nothing – will eventually raise a new queen Hardest part is dequeening!! Dequeen and....

Feeding Bees  To avoid colony starvation  To stimulate colony development  To modify foraging population  Provide newly hived bees w/ food  Make queen rearing/requeening easier Sugar syrup or powdered sugar  To feed medications Sugar syrup or protein  Stimulate drone production Dry sugar with protein Dry sugar with protein  To feed supplemental protein into colony Sugar syrup

Feeding sugar  WHY? – save colony (fall, winter or early spring) – stimulate colony (early spring) – get new colony (pkg, nuc, swarm) started – administer medications – assist w/ queen rearing/drone production – sample for mites (powdered sugar) – help make inspections easier Feeding is never easy

Feeding sugar but also... but also...  in dry form  in candy form  as powdered sugar ♦ As sugar syrup

Feeding honey  Never! except except when needed! when needed! and and you know source! you know source!

Feeding protein Pollen supplement – Pollen substitute

Supplying water

Starting !!! You & friends!!!