1. Package / Nuc Management 101 Spring / Early Summer Mid Summer Early Fall / Preparation for Winter 1

2. Introduction I got my first 2 hives in 1980 They were a gift from a bee keeping friend Only stipulation was I had to catch them and hive them myself 2

3. Scared ? Hell Yea !!!!! Although a cool day I was totally soaked within 10 minutes To make matters worst I missed the queen on the first attempt and 10 minutes later the swarm was back in the same tree. I got her on the second try ! 3

4. Package / Nuc Management 101 Spring / Early Summer A time of Plenty 4

5. Nucs & Packages Packages and Nucs have some similarities and some differences so they are handled differently Major differences Queen is already laying (Nuc) Queen is newly mated (Package) Hive already has brood, Larvae & Eggs (Nuc) Capped brood could take a few weeks (Package) Age distribution of colony is in balance (Nuc) Age distribution may / may not be in balance (Package) Nuc is more likely to produce some excess honey in the first year Let’s look at each one separately 5

6. My Package(s) are here !!!!! How do I hive them? 6

7. Package Installation Remove wooden cover. Set it aside you will need it again Mist bees with Sugar syrup Knock the bees down and remove the feed can Remove the queen cage and cover the opening back up Remove the cork end of the queen cage and insert between frames Remove 3 / 4 frames from the center of the hive 7

8. Package Installation Again knock the bees to the bottom and remove the cover Turn the box over and shake the bees into the hive Replace the frames, inner cover and top cover Put feeder and entrance reducer on the hive 8

9. Package Installation Alternative Method This method puts less bees in the air Basically the same process without the “bee shake” Install the queen cage into the hive and don’t remove any frames Put the inner cover back on the hive Remove the package cover and turn the package over Center the package hole over the hole in center cover By evening almost all the bees will find their way into the hive 9

10. How to Install a Package 10 http://www.nebees.com/package.php

11. Nuc Installation 1)Remove the 4/5 center frames in the target hive 2)Transfer the Nuc frames to the target hive 3)Put on a feeder & reduce the entrance Let’s watch a video There are a couple of things done here that are probably not the best method Watch closely we will discuss afterwards 11

12. How to install a 5 Frame Nuc 12 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q7g2pJthdc

13. Feeders To Feed or Not To Feed – The Bee keepers tight rope ! When do I stop? Can I overfeed a new colony ? Do I treat packages differently than Nucs? What is the best kind of feeder? What syrup concentrate should I use 1/1 or 2/1? When should I change and why? Let’s look at each question separately Let’s start by looking at different types of feeders 13

14. There are 3 basic types of feeders Inside the hive Entrance Feeders Free Feeding Entrance Feeding Inside Feeder Lets look at benefits and pitfalls of each type 14

15. Free Feeding Benefits Few if any. Easy access Pitfalls 1 Impossible to determine how much a specific hive has taken if you have more than one hive 2 Will promote robbing if you have multiple hives 3 Close contact of bees form different hives promotes the spread of diseases 4 Weather sensitive Examples of free Feeding Although used by some bee keepers, this method is not recommended or preferred 15

16. Entrance Feeders Benefits 1 Easy to measure a hives intake 2 Easy to fill but time consuming if you have many 3 Keeps robbing to a minimum – entrance reducer Pitfalls 1 Generally take more labor to keep filled than top feeders because they hold less. Typically 1 quart 2 Can promote robbing if you have mature hives near by not being fed Examples of entrance feeders Far better than free feeding. Recommended for maintenance feeding. Also a good system if you are feeding a few hives especially if they are at a similar stage of development 16

17. Inside The Hive Feeding Benefits 1 Easy to measure a hives intake 2 Easy to fill 3 Prevents robbing 4 Holds much more syrup for less frequent tending a) As much as 2 gallons Pitfalls 1 None Examples of inside feeders Much preferred method if you have multiple hives where robbing can be an issue. Allows access in bad weather Usually a fast way to increase food stores 17

18. The Tight Rope ! Should I feed my new packages or nucs ? * For the first few weeks- Absolutely ! * Starvation is a contributing factor to nuc / package failures * Watch nectar flow and weather closely. If its April / May and the flow is strong you can stop. If you are not sure…… feed ! * Remember that package has no food stores at all ! * Several days of rain at this critical time means death What syrup concentrate should I use? * Early season 1/1 is fine. It will promote the queen to lay and expand the colony. As the season progress the requirements will change and so will the concentrate. We will cover this later on Do I treat Packages differently than Nucs? * Yes they are at very different stages of development * Remember a Nuc is a miniature colony already under development The queen is laying, there is brood and larvae in the hive and most importantly they have some food stores * Packages will usually require more feedings and definitely more attention to detail 18

19. The Tight Rope ! The Million Dollar Question Can I overfeed a new package or Nuc? Yes Yes Yes ! Feeding stimulates the queen to lay regardless of the time of year Our flow slows way down by the end of June Vary geographically by as little as a mile In a wild colony the queen reduces egg laying as the flow slows to keep the colony in balance Tons of brood and no food is a disaster- and she know it ! What happens to the colony balance when we feed through July and August? But with that said there are time when we should feed through the summer Slowly developing colony Queen replacement by colony or beekeeper 19

20. The Tight Rope ! Phone Call Sat August 8th A young woman called and said, “ My bees are covering all 10 frames in both hive bodies. I tried to stop feeding them early June but they started to eat their honey stores so I kept feeding them. Now the hive is packed with bees and the top box has 6 frames of brood, I’m still feeding and I’m afraid to stop. What do I do?” Assess the current situation What should her course of action been back in June and why? What is likely to happen if she does nothing? What is her best course of action now to bring this colony into some kind of balance? How likely is it that this hive will come out of winter like a blockbuster or do you think it will survive the winter? 20

21. I bought a package last spring and fed them all summer long. They looked fantastic! Lots of bees, very busy at the entrance with lots of bees flying every time I checked them. They looked so good going into winter I can’t believe they died over the winter. What Happened ? I could not count the number of times I have been asked this question by new bee keepers over the years 21

22. Package / Nuc Management 101 Mid Summer 22

23. As you begin to access your package / nuc from earlier this year keep one important point in mind …….. “A hive is never stagnant, it is in constant flux either building food stores or consuming food stores” As hive populations and brood production decline due to greatly reduced or non-existent nectar flow, your primary concern is accessing food stores and overall colony health 23

24. Hive Inspections How often should I look inside my hive? 1) Many factors come into play but generally every couple weeks is plenty What am I looking for when I do an inspection 1) Depending on the time of year your emphasis will change Examples: Heavy brood production in early spring Food stores late summer & Early fall 2) Brood, eggs, overall colony condition, evidence of pests or disease, food stores and available space What if I can’t find the queen? 1) If you have eggs and brood your queen is most likely alive and well 2) In a large active colony it can sometimes be difficult even for long time bee keepers to find the queen 24

25. Hive Inspections How do I actually do the inspection 1) First remove top cover and inner cover 2) Now remove one of the outside frames This gives you room to work and reduces the possibility of “rolling the queen” 3) Now carefully and gently pry the next frame free and you can remove it for inspection or slide it into the empty space 4) If you feel it necessary you can examine each subsequent frame in the same manner 5) Be sure to put the frames back in the same position they were in when you started Are inspections disruptive to the colony? Yes they definitely are Some feel that a simple inspection disrupts the colony for several days 25

26. How to perform a hive inspection I never realized how many bad videos there are on You Tube Watched at least 15 before finding this one Pat attention to the speed and easy this bee keeper displays He is obviously quite experienced Note how he creates working space first then proceeds frame by frame to do his inspection 26 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9jgnmlIrK8

27. Small Hive Beetles As you do hive inspections keep a keen eye out for small hive beetles They can destroy your honey crop in a matter of days Usually find them on the top cover being held hostage by a group of bees Control will be covered later in this class Heavy populations of this pest can cause a colony to pick up and leave the hive ! 27

28. When should I add the second brood chamber There is no set time line for adding the second brood chamber and it is dependent on several factors Once the colony has built up to the point where they are covering 8 to 10 frames in the first box you should add the second box right on top At this point you should still be feeding Once they have wax pulled on the majority of the top box you can discontinue feeding depending on the time of year and current nectar flow as we discussed 28

29. When should I add my first honey super When bees are covering all frames in the top box a super can be added depending on the time of year and the flow Generally a package will not produce a honey crop in year one. Too much time is taken up building the colony and getting enough stores for winter Some Nucs will produce honey in year one with the right conditions After July 1 its probably too late in most areas to add a super 29

30. What should my hive look like ? By now your hive should have significant food stores of honey & pollen in both brood chambers. 1) Outside 2 to 3 frames on both sides should be relatively full of honey / pollen 2) Brood production should be restricted to the center 3 /4 frames in each chamber and the center frames in the top box may contain significant food stores in a strong colony with good nectar flow 3) You will probably find brood production is low due to low nectar flow and the colony begins to prepare for winter by reducing total population 30

31. To Feed Or Not To Feed Can I overfeed a package or Nuc ? I’ve been told to feed a package all summer in the first year Absolutely !!! (Late season swarms, Over populated hives that deplete winter stores quickly and colony dies from starvation) How do I know when they have enough food and I should stop? Fine line – Walking a tight rope as a bee keeper Does Hive management for varroa mites come into play here? Breaking brood Production cycle – a good time to treat if you are going to If food stores are light how long can I continue to feed? 1/1 or 2/1 Tricky this time of year- Bee careful ! 31

32. Package / Nuc Management 101 Late Summer/ Fall / Winter Preperation 32

33. Varroa Mites Treating for Varroa is a personal management decision Many articles have been written on the effects of total colony health To gain the most from many of these products you have to break the brood cycle How do I break the cycle When is it OK to start feeding again ? Can I treat and feed at the same time? 33

34. Summer turns to Fall - What do I do Now ? As summer turns to fall, our focus turns to making sure we have sufficient stores of food to make it through the winter. Hives should be heavy with honey and pollen at this time Top box should be around 70% full of honey and the bottom brood chamber should have honey on the outside 2 to 3 frames on both sides Risk of swarming by over feeding in pretty much nonexistent at this time Feed – Feed – Feed !!!!! Feeding now will stimulate the queen to lay and produce a crop of young bees to take the colony through winter At the same time feeding will continue to fill empty cells and areas in the hive with food stores Now is the time to feed 2/1. From October 1 on you can no overfeed I feed until the bees wont take any more or the weather gets too cold and bees go into cluster and stop feeding. In Virginia that usually doesn’t happen until December 34

35. Fall turns to Winter Discontinue feeding when the weather turns cold or bees stop feeding Make sure your entrance reducers are on to prevent mice from finding a warm home for the winter They will make a huge mess if they get in Winter means spring is around the corner and our bees will once again be busy…………. And so will you ! Year 2 brings a few different challenges but this is for an intermediate class at a later time 35

36. As a Beekeeper, you will never stop learning regardless how much experience you have It is a fascinating, very rewarding hobby and I hope this presentation will help guide you through your first year Thank You ! 36