Strong Hive Strategizing

Presentation by Bill Leitzinger

My Beekeeping Philosophy = Keep the bees happy, healthy, & less stressed

I work for my honey bees as their: Caretaker

Protector

Advocate

Physician

Handyman

• Know bee biology/behavior

• Halt swarming

• Use IPM methods religiously

• Stop robbing behavior

• Only over-winter strong hives

Strong Hive Strategizing

Why Most

Hives Die

1. 2. 3.

4.

Poor queen 31%

Starvation

28% Varroa

24%

CCD 9%

5.

Weather 8%

Bacteria

Parasites Other Insects

Fungi

Nosema

Viruses

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

Sugar Patties Cause

Slippery Conditions

for Trachea Mites

Recipe = 2 parts sugar + 1 part Crisco shortening

Bee & Mite Populations Through Seasons

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

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

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.

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

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

Common

Hive Beetle Traps

Bottom Board Traps Top Frame Traps

Raise or Purchase

Local Queens that are

Mite-Resistant

Use Open Screened

Bottom Boards

All Year Long

• Less mites

• Less disease

• Less starvation

Well Fed Bees

Are Healthier Bees

Common Hive Feeders

Top Feeders

Jar Feeders

Entrance Feeders

Frame Feeders

Bees Are Not Pets…

So, Don’t Play with Your Bees

Limit

Hive

Inspections

Only go into

a hive if you

have a purpose.

What Happens When

You Inspect a Hive

• Disrupts brood production

• Stops foraging activities

• Kills bees !

• 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

• 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

I will be happy to

take questions