"Strong Hive Strategizing"
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Transcript of "Strong Hive Strategizing"
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Strong Hive Strategizing
Presentation by Bill Leitzinger
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My Beekeeping Philosophy = Keep the bees happy, healthy, & less stressed
I work for my honey bees as their: Caretaker
Protector
Advocate
Physician
Handyman
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• Know bee biology/behavior
• Halt swarming
• Use IPM methods religiously
• Stop robbing behavior
• Only over-winter strong hives
Strong Hive Strategizing
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Why Most
Hives Die
1. 2. 3.
4.
Poor queen 31%
Starvation
28% Varroa
24%
CCD 9%
5.
Weather 8%
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Bacteria
Parasites Other Insects
Fungi
Nosema
Viruses
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Trachea Mites
Weaken Hives
• Affect young bees by entering their trachea breathing tubes
• Block the air exchange and penetrate the walls of the trachea in order to suck blood
• Infected bees become weak and also crawl around the bee entrance
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Sugar Patties Cause
Slippery Conditions
for Trachea Mites
Recipe = 2 parts sugar + 1 part Crisco shortening
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Bee & Mite Populations Through Seasons
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Drone Frame
Trapping Method
Colonies receiving the drone trap treatment
had twice the fall worker populations
compared to those without the treatment.
Source: Dyce Laboratory for Honey Bee Studies at Cornell University
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Drone Frame
Trapping Method
• Place drone frame near the center of the brood nest so bees build comb more quickly
• Simply pull the drone frame with capped cells and freeze it for three days to kill mites in the comb
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Drone Frame
Trapping Method
• Replace with second drone frame for the cycle to continue within your hive
• Thaw for one day, then put back in hive. Bees will clean out the dead pupae and mites.
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Split Hives to Break
Mite Breeding Cycle
• Put all frames of open brood and clinging bees into new hive body
• Leave closed brood and queen in old hive
• To balance out hive populations, switch hives’ locations one day after doing split
• Benefit of split = breaks the mite breeding cycle in new hive
• Okay to do splits before June 21st each year in DE
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Small Hive Beetles
Weaken Hives
• Can multiply in huge numbers in hives
• Larvae eat brood, destroy comb & honey
• Larvae leave hive to pupate in soil
• Prefers light, sandy soils
•Can fly five miles to infest new hives
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Common
Hive Beetle Traps
Bottom Board Traps Top Frame Traps
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Raise or Purchase
Local Queens that are
Mite-Resistant
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Use Open Screened
Bottom Boards
All Year Long
• Less mites
• Less disease
• Less starvation
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Well Fed Bees
Are Healthier Bees
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Common Hive Feeders
Top Feeders
Jar Feeders
Entrance Feeders
Frame Feeders
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Bees Are Not Pets…
So, Don’t Play with Your Bees
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Limit
Hive
Inspections
Only go into
a hive if you
have a purpose.
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What Happens When
You Inspect a Hive
• Disrupts brood production
• Stops foraging activities
• Kills bees !
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• The colony is new, and requires progress checks
• You need to feed the colony
• Disease or major pest invasions are suspected
• Low foraging activity during a good nectar flow
• Many dead or weakly crawling bees at front of hive
• The hives have been physically disturbed
Reasons to Open the Hive
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• Swarm control methods have been recently
performed
• You are introducing or have recently
introduced a new queen
• There is a major nectar flow, and you suspect
the bees need more room.
• The summer or fall nectar flow is over and
you need to harvest the honey
Reasons to Open the Hive
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I will be happy to
take questions