“Natural Beekeeping = Happy, Healthy Bees”Keeping honey bees healthy without chemical treatments

Presentation by Bill Leitzinger

Why I am a Natural BeekeeperNatural Beekeeper = Uses No Pesticides in the Hive

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

I work for my honey bees as their: Caretaker Protector Advocate Physician Handyman

Bacteria

Parasites Other Insects

Fungi

Nosema

Viruses

What impact are pesticides having on the health of our hives?

Penn State University research demonstrated that if hives are exposed to certain pesticides…

- One pesticide = No deaths

- Both at same time = MASSIVE DEATHS!

How pesticides affect the health of honey bees

• Toxic - Multiple pesticides increase toxicity (Sara Ashcraft, Penn State)

- Synergy between the use of insecticides + fungicides

• Behavioral - Decreases ability to learn and retain information (Daniel Schmehl , Penn State)

• Physiological - Immune system function compromised (Diana Cox-Foster , Penn State)

- Shorter lifespan

Honeybees are “Sponges”And Absorb Most Pesticides

Acephate Acetamiprid Aldicarb sulfone Aldicarb sulfoxide Allethrin Amicarbazone Amitraz (2,4-DMA) Amitraz (2,4-DMPF) Atrazine Azinophos-methyl Azoxystrobin Bendiocarb Bifenthrin Boscalid Bromopropylate (4,4-

dibromobenzophenone) Captan Carbaryl Carbaryl (1-Naphthol) Carbendazim Carbofuran, 3-hydroxy Carfentrazone ethyl Chlorfenapyr Chlorothalonil Chlorpyrifos Coumaphos Coumaphos-Chlorferone Coumaphos oxon

Cyfluthrin Chlorfenvinphos Cyhalothrin (total) Cypermethrin Cyprodinil DDD p,p’ DDE p,p’ DDT p,p’ Deltamethrin Diazinon Dicofol Dieldrin Difenoconazole Diflubenzuron Dimethomorph Diphenylamine Endosulfan 1 Endosulfan 2 Endosulfan sulfate Esfenvalerate Etoxazole Famoxadone Fenamidone Fenbuconazole Fenhexamid Fenoxaprop-ethyl Fenpropathrin Fipronil

Fluridone Flutolanil Fluvalinate Heptachlor Heptachlor epoxide Hexachlorobenzene Imidacloprid Imidacloprid olefin Imidacloprid, 5-hydroxy Indoxacarb Iprodione Malathion Methidathion Methoxyfenozide Metolachlor Metribuzin Myclobutanil Norflurazon Oxamyl Oxyfluorfen Parathion methyl Pendimethalin Permethrin Phosalone Phosmet Piperonyl butoxide Potasan Prallethrin

Pronamide Propanil Propiconazole Pyraclostrobin Pyrethrins Pyridaben Pyrimethanil Quintozene (PCNB) Sethoxydim Simazine Spirodiclofen Spiromesifen Tebuconazole Tebufenozide Tebuthiuron Tefluthrin Tetradifon Tetramethrin Thiabendazole Thiacloprid Thiamethoxam THPI Tribufos Trifloxystrobin Trifluralin Vinclozolin

Pollen - agric. pesticides - in-hive miticides

Wax - in-hive miticides - agric. pesticides

Foundation - in-hive miticides

Pesticides are Present in…

M.T.Frazier

Percent Frequency of Pesticides Detected in Honey Samples

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

90.00%

100.00%

Coumaphos Fluvalinate 2,4 DMPF Chlorpyrifos Thiacloprid

Per

cent

Fre

quen

cy

Pesticides detected at 15% frequency and aboveCheckMite+ contains coumaphos

Percent Frequency of Pesticides Detected in Bee Samples

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

90.00%

100.00%

Fluvalinate Coumaphos Chlorpyrifos Chlorothalonil Permethrin Cypermethrin

Per

cen

t F

req

uen

cy

Pesticides detected at 7% frequency and above

CheckMite+ contains coumaphos

Percent Frequency of Pesticides Detected in Wax Samples

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

90.00%

100.00%

Coum

apho

s

Fluva

linat

e

Chlor

pyifo

s

Coum

apho

s oxo

n

Chlor

otha

lonil

Endo

sulfa

n I

Endo

sulfa

n II

Endo

sulfa

n su

lfate

Cyflut

hrin

Per

cen

t F

req

uen

cy

Pesticides detected at 15% frequency and above

CheckMite+ contains coumaphos

Percent Frequency of Pesticides Detected in Pollen Samples

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

90.00%

100.00%

Fluvalinate Coumaphos Chlorpyifos Chlorothalonil Pendimethalin Endosulfan I Endosulfansulfate

2,4 DMPF Atrazine

Per

cen

t F

req

uen

cy

Pesticides detected at 20% frequency and above

CheckMite+ contains coumaphos

Percent Frequency of Pesticides Detected in Brood Samples

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

90.00%

100.00%

Fluvalinate Coumaphos Cypermethrin Cyprodinil Deltamethrin

Per

cen

t F

req

uen

cy

Pesticides detected at 5% frequency and above

CheckMite+ contains coumaphos

You wouldn’t wrap your baby in a blanket

that has pesticides in it, would you?

Don’t do it to your bees!

Average bee weights

0

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.1

0.12

0.14

Controls 5ppb 20ppb

wei

ght/bee

(g)

P = 0.06 P = 0.001

Exposed bees to pesticides at low levels (5 & 20 ppb)(Univ. of Maryland)

Nosema Spores / bee (12 days old)

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1 2 3

Controls 5ppb 20ppb

Sp

ore

s/b

ee

(±

SE

M)

Why Most Hives Die

1. 2. 3.

4.

Poor queen31%

Starvation28%

Varroa24%

CCD9%

5.Weather8%

Mite Numbers

Mite Population Explodes in August/September

Bee & Mite Populations Through Seasons

Trachea MitesWeaken 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

Trachea MiteLife

Cycle

Natural Beekeeping Methods Not for Everyone

• More labor intensive• Honey production may be less• Losses may be greater in the short term

Natural beekeeping is not for this guy

• Use drone brood frames & grease patties

• Give frequent “powdered sugar baths”

• Split hives to break mite breeding cycle

• Breed local queens that are mite-resistant

• Well fed bees are healthier bees

• Use screened bottom boards

• Limit hive inspections

Hive Management the “Natural Way”

Sugar Patties Cause Slippery Conditions

for Trachea Mites

Recipe = 2 parts sugar + 1 part Crisco shortening

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

Worker Cells & Drone Cells

Drone

Worker

M. Frazier

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.

Frequent “Powdered Sugar Baths”

• Powdered sugar clogs up the “suction cup” feet of varroa mites so they can’t hold onto bees

• Combining drone trapping with sugar dusting really knocks down varroa reproduction

• Harmless to the bees and brood

Powdered Sugar Dusting

After a year's treatment, dusted colonies had less than a third of the mites that they started with, whereas the control colonies returned to the original mite levels.

Source: “Powdered sugar dusting — sweet and safe, but does it really work?” www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

How to Give Your Bees Powdered

Sugar Baths

• Use only on hives with screened bottom boards• Coat hive bottom board insert with vaseline or

vegetable oil to catch mites & powdered sugar• Smoke hive, then open hive and dump 8-10

ounces of well-sifted powdered sugar onto top frames of upper hive body.

How to Give Your Bees Powdered

Sugar Baths

• Brush sugar off top of frames so that powdered sugar goes down into hive. That’s it!

• Take out bottom board insert the next day and throw into trash, not near hive

• Repeat two more times, 7-10 days apart

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

Raise or Purchase Local Queens that are

Mite-Resistant

Raise or Purchase Local Queens that are

Mite-Resistant

Well Fed Bees Are Healthier Bees

Use Open Screened Bottom Boards All Year Long

• Less mites• Less disease• Less starvation

Limit Hive

Inspections

Only go into a hive if you

have a purpose.

Bees are NOT Like Humans

I will be happy to take questions