April 2010 This page is your seasonal cheat sheet for keeping on top of beekeeping chores. We highly recommend you refer to your beekeeping book of choice for detailed information on the following topics. And remember, beekeeping is always local, so you'll need to make adjustments according to your elevation and location!
I also "tweet" daily tips from our Twitter page, for those of you "twits" who need your daily bee fix!
We're always adding classes and events to our calendar! Check it out!
April, 2010: If you bought package bees this month, feed them up well. Make sure to use an inside feeder in cooler weather. Remember, don't disturb the hive until 7 days after installation.
March 8, 2010: The recent warm weather has given our bees a break to cleanse and collect pollen. Brood rearing is under way now, making up for the natural attrition of winter bees. This is a good time to clean out your bottom board, check for moisture build-up, and provide supplemental feeding if the hive feels light. Remember that excessive feeding now will accelerate hive build-up, which might cost you in late spring if the weather doesn't allow the bees to forage. If you are considering hive reversal, make sure to pick a warm day. If you did not treat for tracheal mite, it is not too late to treat with grease patties or Canola oil on a rag.
If you are seeing brown streaks on the front of the hive, this is probably dysentry, which is often associated with Nosema Apis. The most common treatment is Fumagilin-B. If you are opposed to antibiotics, consider Nosevit.
We're happy to announce that our Orchard Mason Bees are still available, and they look great! Our current stock is in open cocoon from, packaged in the equivalent of six 6" lined tubes.Our OMBs are locally-raised, which is important!
And another reminder: The best time to purchase your beekeeping equipment is now, so you have plenty of time to assemble and paint. Package bees, nucs and queens arrive in April, and you don't want to be caught unprepared!
As for your bees: Be sure to review previous posts for winter information, and mark your calendars for April 1, when we recommend you begin your organic acid mite treatments and your choice of Nosema prevention. Heft your hives throughout the winter to ensure they don't starve out, and protect them from high winds, swampy ground and condensation!
October 16, 2009: OK, so your bees are fed and treated...lids are propped open a bit (with a small brick or a stick)to provide ventilation, but otherwise your hives are strapped down against high winds and tucked in for the winter...right? We still get folks calling or coming in asking about mite treatments, and frankly we feel it's a bit too late....there's always April. That's right, mark your calendar...April 1 is an ideal time to put on MiteAwayII (Formic Acid) to knock down any tracheal or varroa populations that may have spiked over the winter, especially if you didn't treat this fall. You'll also want to plan to add another 3-5lb drivert sugar to your colonies early-mid January, and go out and heft them every month from now until April to make sure they're not too light.
Orchard mason bee cocoons arrive next month, and we've got a bunch of houses, tubes and cartridges in stock now. And books, too! Come to our free Orchard Mason Bee class December 5, noon-2pm, led by Josh Hinerfeld here at RBS! (No pre-registration necessary!)
Itching to place an order for package honey bees? We'll happily take a $40 reservation deposit, but we probably won't have our prices finalized until January. You'll have plenty of time to order, though we recommend having your packages reserved by middle of March.
We'll also carry nucleus hives throughout Spring 2010, though we won't be taking reservations until January.
Queens begin arriving again on a weekly basis early-mid April, depending upon the weather.
Review the previous posts on feeding and winterization, and keep this page bookmarked, as we'll continue to update--though somewhat less frequently--over the winter with tips, event announcements and other beekeeping tips specific to the Pacific Northwest!
October 6, 2009: Management-wise, there isn't a whole lot to add to our 9/25 update, though I'm excited to mention Dr. Dewey Caron's October 10 class here at RBS. You'll want to sign up ASAP to get some last-ditch winterization advice, and to learn how to plan out your 2010 season based on your colony's current condition.
The warm weather we're so fortunate to be experiencing this week here in the Valley is a great time to break into the colonies for those who haven't yet equalized brood and stores, or combined weak hives. The goal is to make sure your colonies are roughly equal in brood and stores, so disproportionately larger bees don't rob out smaller neighbors.
Yellow jackets are still an issue, so keep those entrance reducers on...even better, make sure you have 1/4" mesh in front of the opening to keep mice out!
Hives on solid bottom boards (tsk tsk) should be tilted forward a bit so condensation runs out the front; propping up your outer lid a bit will help keep ventilation flowing.
Whether or not you replace the slide in your screened bottom board is up to you...we've never seen a clear indication that a slide-free bottom board causes issues with the bees.
We won't be updating as frequently as we get into winter, but when we do we'll tweet! Be sure to keep in touch with us this fall and winter, as our class schedule is growing as fast as our store -- including some excellent gift and craft items and workshops!
September 25, 2009: It's been a bad year for honey here in the West, so be prepared to feed, feed, feed. Continue feeding syrup as long as the weather remains dry and warm, but as we get into October, we recommend you pull all your 2:1 heavy syrup (you DID treat for Nosema, right?) and add Drivert baker's sugar. Drivert is a brand name of C&H, and instead of hardening into a large boulder when exposed to moisture, it takes on a soft, fondant texture, keeping moisture away from the cluster yet still accessible to adult bees. This method of "dry feeding" provides an emergency source of feed for the bees without adding moisture to the colonies. We recommend putting 3-5 lbs dry sugar on a sheet of newspaper directly above the top bars of your uppermost brood chamber, using a spacer rim (such as the one used for medications) to allow room between the brood chamber and your cover system. You'll want to check your colonies in January and add another 3-5lbs to get them through their first burst of brood rearing. (For more information on dry feeding, come over and pick up our free handout!)
We sell pollen substitute patties or you can mix your own from powder, and we recommend about 1/2 patty (about 1/2 lb) per colony. Patties go IN BETWEEN the brood chambers for easiest consumption, but if your brood is straddling both boxes and it's getting cool, go ahead and plop them on top of the bars of the uppermost box. NEVER feed pollen substitutes on the bottom board.
We're seeing a LOT of foulbrood in our region due to the density of beekeepers. We recommend you treat with a tetracycline antibiotic brand of your choice. Don't skip it this year, especially if you have older equipment and combs. If you find you actually have American Foulbrood, our strong recommendation is that you break out the s'mores fixin's and have yourself one last summer bonfire. Tetracycline is best to suppress foulbrood, and is effective in retroactively treating foulbrood only in mild cases. (Your mileage may vary.) While we do carry the harder-core Tylan, we're hesitant to recommend its use. It is the beekeeper's last-ditch antibiotic, and if it's used incorrectly and the disease becomes resistant, well, there you go.
Orchard Mason Bee cocoons need your attention late September-early October! This is when cocoons are gathered, cleaned and stored, and tubes collected and placed in a cool, dry, fume free spot. Many OMB propagators refrigerate, others use open-air sheds. We have a fantastic OMB class coming up, and a ton of new mason bee products! We'll have cocoons and live tubes available in November.
September 10, 2009: Making Good Neighbors! Are you an urban beekeeper? Fall is a great time to get some good PR for your bees, especially if your municipality required you to get signatures. A couple pints of honey can go a long way, and you might be surprised by what you bring home. My neighbors usually gift me with apple pies, out of gratitude for the excellent pollination my girls do for them each year. Other neighbors just want to offload their bounty of zucchini (you might know what I mean here) but that's great too--zucchini bread, anyone?
This is also the time of year those of us with offsite apiaries pay our Yard Rent. As a tradition, beekeepers NEVER pay cash for apiary locations. A couple cases of quarts is the usual rent for larger apiaries, and landowners know that in a bad honey season (such as this year's) it will be less. Since my landowners are wonderful and I hate for them to get "the baloney" in terms of their yard rent, I'm dropping off a couple of these for them as extra "thank yous". They make great gifts!
Classroom News: We have our Meadmaking class nailed down! Drew's going to be conducting his Mead Making/Tasting class October 17th, from 3-5pm. And don't miss is Dr. Dewey Caron's Natural History of the Honey Bee, October 10 from 2-5pm. This class will examine the lifecycle of the hive, and how to manage your bees accordingly. Learn some late-season adjustments for your hive to help get them into pole position for Spring!
Our own Brandi Rogers will be teaching a candle making class this season, so stay tuned, and of course, our popular Soapmaking classes are perfect for creating natural, cost-effective Holiday gifts! See all our scheduled classes here!
September 3, 2009: Forgot to treat for mites? "Is it too late," you ask? Well, it's too late for optimal performance for Apiguard (Thymol), and the use of MiteAwayII (Formic Acid) risks damage to your colonies if temps spike above 82 degrees. Apiguard works best in temperature ranges in the mid-80s to high 90s; MiteAwayII shines when temps are between 50-78 degrees. (These are average daily highs).
If you live on the coast or at higher altitudes, go ahead and give MiteAwayII a shot, but be sure to pull the pads when temps threaten to spike. Otherwise, stick with Apiguard, and follow the instructions to the letter.
Feeding time! If your colonies are light, mix 2 parts sugar to one part water and feed your bees (with your Nosema treatment of choice added after cooling). Tip: Do not re-boil the syrup after adding syrup. Carmelization may occur, which can make your bees sick. Continue to feed until the top hive body is full. Be sure to remain vigilant for robbing!
August 27, 2009: Fall Re-queening & Medications Many beekeepers prefer to requeen their colonies in late summer or early fall. Queens produced later in the season have better odds of successful mating, and are younger and fresher the following Spring.
Don't plan on re-queening until you've finished with your mite treatments, though--the smell of thymol (Apiguard) can conflict with the queen pheromone, making it difficult for a colony to get to know their new matriarch. (Yet ANOTHER reason to get your mite meds on EARLY!) When re-queening, be sure you remove the existing queen no more than 36 hours before introducing the new one. 24 hours is ideal. Be sure to feed during the introduction-- a lighter syrup for about 3-4 days before resuming your heavy Fall syrup feeding of 2 parts sugar to one part water.
If you're going into your hives for a final run-though and discover no open brood and apparent queenlessness that has endured longer than a few days, your best bet is to combine your existing hives rather than try and re-queen at this late state.
Mite Treatments: You should be finished with your Apiguard treatments no later than the 15th of September. Apiguard requires hotter temperatures--ideally in the 80s and 90s--for optimal effectiveness. If you're on the coast, or really behind schedule, you can use MiteAwayII (formic acid) as long as you pull the pads whenever the temperatures spike above 80 degrees. Both these treatments address Tracheal and Varroa mites, unlike the strip medications that we no longer recommend (chemical buildup in wax, resistance of mites to the treatment, etc) which only treated Varroa. Do NOT blow off Tracheal mites as insignificant!
Treating Nosema: There are two strains of Nosema these days, and the new kid on the block is the Asian strain (N. ceranae) which seems to be the common denominator in colonies diagnosed with CCD. Good news is, both Nosemas are easy to treat. We recommend Fumidil-B as the treatment with the longest and best track record, though the combination of Honey B Healthy and Nosevit certainly shows promise as a more natural alternative.
Foulbrood: We are now carrying TetraBee in place of Terramycin for the prevention of both American and European Foulbrood. TetraBee is tetracycline pre-mixed with powdered sugar, and each pound-jar will treat up to 5.5 double-deep colonies throughout the standard three-application cycle. We have seen a LOT of foulbrood in the area this year due to a higher density of honey bee colonies. Robbing season (i.e., now) is when this disease spreads like wildfire, and due to our lackluster nectar flow, robbing has been a big problem. So have beekeepers who don't go through their hives to monitor for this highly-contagious disease.
Coming Soon: On my next update, I'll address fall feeding and the final steps to tucking your bees away for the winter. I hope to update before mid-September. In the meantime, be sure to go through your colonies and arrange brood/pollen in the lower deep, nectar/open cells on top, and to combine any weaker hives now. Remember, take your losses in the Fall, not in the Spring! Yes, go ahead and give them a few rounds of heavy syrup (2 parts granulated cane sugar, 1 part water) now if they're light, and do some reading up on feeding dry baker's sugar after October 1. (I'll touch on that soon, or you can always ask for a free handout when you come in!)
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July 28: Pull Those Supers, Add Your Treatments! For the beekeeper, fall begins August 1st. The brood your bees raise in August and September will be responsible for overwintering your colony--they'll live up to three times as long as peak-season workers, and they need to be disease free.
We recommend that those in the Valley use Apiguard, and apply the first tray (of two) the first week in August, with the second tray added two weeks later. Those of you who are above 700 feet are a bit behind us, but don't push your start date beyond August 15th.
"But my bees are bearding! Shouldn't I be adding supers?" The answer to that is, NO. The bees need to use any incoming nectar to backfill their double-deep brood nest with honey, not to make a surplus, especially if your foundation is brand new.
"But I live in town, there's still a lot blooming. Can't I add a super?" I wouldn't advise it. We keep bees in SE Portland, where full-contact gardening is de rigeur, and believe me they're beginning to move honey from the supers, down into the brood nest. That's what I discovered when I pulled supers last week for Saturday's Demo Day. (Did you miss it?)
"There are tons of bees festooning in front of my hive! Are they going to swarm?" Bearding is common on hot days and nights. (See photo in left sidebar.) It's not likely that your bees are preparing to swarm, but if you haven't checked your hive in a few weeks, now's also a great time to make sure your brood is in the lower box, with any empty, drawn comb above and center. If you see any queen cells on the bottom bars of the frames in the top deep, a swarm is indeed imminent. Refer to your bee book or handouts from our End of Season Management class for tips on heading off swarms.
If you feel you must do something to keep the bees from bearding, you can add a slatted rack between your bottom board and lower deep box. This allows bees a space to hang out and fan that doesn't crowd the brood cluster.
"Oops! Looks like I've been queenless for a while. Can I introduce a new queen?" Requeening a hive that has been queenless more than a week or so is extremely difficult this time of year. We recommend you combine your colony with another. (You do have more than one colony, right?) If you only have one colony, and you still have some capped brood, make up a nuc and introduce your queen there. She will be more readily accepted in the smaller space, and you can decide whether you want to overwinter the nuc, or transfer back into the colony after a couple weeks. However, your best bet by far is to combine your hive with a queenright colony.
"What if I want to requeen on my own terms?" If you are, yourself, removing an old queen and introducing a new queen a day or two later, this is a fantastic time to do so. Late summer/fall requeening is gaining popularity, as you have a younger, fresher queen leading the colony through winter. Queens produced in summer are usually better mated, too, due to greater number of drones, and better mating flight weather. We recommend waiting a week or two before applying Apiguard to a newly requeened colony, so you should do your requeening the week of 7/27, or wait until your Apiguard treatment is finished. Note, we can't guarantee queens will be available in September, so getting her in NOW is the way to go.
What's Ahead: Fall feeding, Treating & Preventing Nosema,
Older But Relevant Stuff Worth Reviewing:
Nectar Flow a No Show? Most sea-level Willamette Valley beekeepers are reporting lackluster honey yields. (It's not just you!) This is because the cooler temps during the peak of the blackberry flow inhibited nectar production. For those of us who are still seeing blossoms, and for those with bees at higher altitudes, expect things to pick up with the current heat. Altitudes above 700 feet tend to be behind us on the valley floor by a couple weeks. So a shout-out to my bees in Sandy--GET GOING, GIRLS!
What to Expect through October: Keep on guard for yellow-jackets, and be sure your bees have a reliable water source. Chicken or quail waterers, with a chain coiled in the trough area, are one favorite. Another is a pan of pebbles kept under a dripping faucet.
Ants? They don't eat much. Unless you live in fire ant territory, don't worry. The cure is often worse than the disease (so to speak)...
"I've got swarm cells/my bees are swarming, even though I've added supers/second hive body!"
Answer: Just because you have added new frames and foundation does not mean the bees recognize it as "more space".
If your colonies are in two deep hive bodies, manipulate the frames so that all the brood is in the lower box, and any drawn empty comb and undrawn foundation is in the second hive body, above the cluster. Deep frames with honey should be placed in positions 1 and 2 in either box, with bee bread (the colorful, glossy cells containing pollen and nectar) as close to the brood as possible.
Having open drawn cells above your brood cluster will tell your bees that they have to focus on filling that space rather than swarming.
Don't wait until your hive bodies are crammed with bees and nectar before adding the next box/honey super. When adding another box of new foundation, spray the foundation with sugar water to entice your girls to work on them.
Nectar-bound hives occur when the bees backfill the brood chambers with honey, not leaving enough room for brood rearing. This often happens when a colony has been queenless for a period of time, when the beekeeper hasn't followed the 70% rule (scroll down), or when the beekeeper has added brand-new supers above a queen excluder (read on!)
Most Common Question Last Week: How do I use my queen excluder? Answer: Queen excluders work well if you follow these rules:
Do not put them under brand new supers/foundation. Let the bees do whatever they want in that first honey super for about a week or two, then make sure the queen is chased down to the lower box, and place the super (IF there are some drawn cells with nectar or even eggs). Workers will be more eager to cross the excluders if they've got a purpose, i.e. caring for brood, processing nectar. Once the brood hatches out, the workers will backfill with nectar...nothing wrong with some brood having been up there.
Add an entrance above the excluder. Create a gap between the inner cover and your telescoping (or outermost) cover with a brick, twig or wedge. Your bees will use the hole in the inner cover for entering/exiting the hive, and for better air circulation. OR, drill a 3/4 inch hole between the front handgrip and side of your supers for better access. You can always block the holes with #8 mesh or coarse wire wool.
Getting the Most from the Nectar Flow: If your hives are disease-free, placed in a good location and have good populations and 2008/2009 queens, you're off to a good start. Here are a few tips to help you increase your honey yields:
Stay On Top of your Supering. Remember the 70% rule? It still applies. Rotate ignored frames toward the middle of your honey supers, and be prepared to add them as frequently as every few days when the blackberry blooms are in full swing! If you don't keep up, the bees can backfill the broodnest with nectar, forcing them to swarm.
Increase ventilation. More airflow means fewer bees dedicated to hive HVAC! When moist air escapes, nectar dehydrates faster and the hive is more productive. Michelle often bores multiple holes in her supers, lining them from the inside with #8 mesh to prevent robbing, so that ventilation is optimized.
Offer a local source of water. The farther the bees have to forage for water, the less energy they have to spend on nectar gathering. Also, the more energy you spend apologizing to your neighbors for your bees partying in their hot tubs, the more energy you can spend partying in your OWN hot tub. Do your best to prevent your bees from seeking out inappropriate water sources by keeping a pan of gravel and water nearby, at all times.
Plan to pull and extract supers regularly, re-supering as you go. The motto "Harvest Early, Harvest Often" is one to live by. Doing so motivates the bees. Providing them with lots of open drawn comb makes them think they're behind the 8-ball. Plus, you get the benefit of isolating specialty crops!
Honey Harvesting Equipment We're offering the fabulous Maxant honey processing equipment at their list prices. We've got a lot of product coming into the store for you to browse, but since it will be going FAST you may want to check out their page and contact us to place an order.
This means excellent savings for beekeepers in our region, as shipping costs for these large items when purchased from back East really adds up.
I really like their belt-driven extractors. And we do have a used chain uncapper, by the way, for $1000. Come check it out!
If you're just putting your toe into the shallow end of the beekeeping pool, we recommend you reserve our 2-frame rental extractor before purchasing your own gear. First, you'll better understand what's involved in the process, and second, you'll be less inclined to buy the wrong size extractor.
Older (but still relevant) Almanac Info: Herbicide/Pesticide Kills (From last month, but still scary and worth noting) We've had a few beekeepers call or come in to verify massive die-offs due to pesticide/herbicide kills. If you need to spray to get rid of brambles, spray after sunset so the foliage can dry. NEVER spray blooming plants.
One classic symptom of a pesticide kill is having piles of freshly dead bees in and around the hive. The colony next door may be fine, because the foragers were visiting a different area.
The Swarm Season is (still) here. Are you prepared? Swarm control is important if you want to capitalize on the main nectar flow, which here in the Willamette is the blackberry bloom. Watch for peanut-shaped queen cells on the bottom edges of frames.
It's also a good time to make splits and nucs to cut down on overcrowded, overwintered colonies. Be sure you have extra equipment on hand, and if you don't wish to increase your colony numbers, offer to sell your extra bees through your local bee club message board.
New Colonies: Time to add that second deep? When your first deep hive body is 70-80% in use by the bees--i.e. comb being drawn--tuck outermost frames in a few spaces, being careful not to break up the brood cluster, and go ahead and add that second deep. This, my friends, is the gist of the "70% Rule": Don't add boxes above until the box below is 70%-80% utilized. At this point, you can remove the entrance reducer, but keep feeding as long as the bees will take it--or until it's time to add your first honey super, whichever is sooner.
Requeening: How often? There is no hard-fast rule for frequency of re-queening in the hobbyist's apiary, but it's a good idea to replace your queen every one or two years. Younger queens have stronger pheromones, and are typically less-likely to be superceded. A well-mated young queen is more likely to lead a colony through the winter.
We will have queens available through August, possibly into September. Or, you can pick up one of our great books and some basic queen rearing gear, and raise your own!
Bearding like this is days. The second picture was taken on a much hotter day. If you see bearding much larger than this it might be a signal of imminent swarming.