Winter Prep

Tammy Horn Potter, KY State Apiarist. Photo, Gary Grubb, 2015

Fall & Winter Preparation• August: Harvest Honey: Requeen/combine/treat for mite

• September: Finish varroa mite treatments; combine weaker hives; feed if necessary

• October—check honey stores; move SHB traps to middle around cluster, remove supers/frames

• Late November or December: Bees “jogging in place”! Oxalic acid treatment to “clean up”varroa mites; Add quilt boxes or wraps, but don’t block ventilation. Moisture needs a way to escape the interior of the hive; check food supplies

Hive Temperature Guide

Bee Wrap

Kelley’s: $29.95, Model #: WT160

Dadants: $34.9510-Frame M610010

Carpet Strip Tacks

Tacks on the carpet strip need to be placed “up,” so that when the animal puts its paws on the bottom board, the tacks make it uncomfortable for the animal

Some beekeepers put chicken wire in front of the hives because skunks, raccoons and oppossums do not like stepping on unstable surfaces

Photo: Barbara Bloetcher, Ohio State Apiarist, 2019

Traps to collect small animals

Photos: Gary Grubbs and Gin Petty

Bear-Proof Fence• Establish fences *prior* to bears finding the

hives• Craig Cella, American Bee Journal 6 (2005):

479-482. $500.00 design w/ cattle panels, solar fencer, fiberglass oil rods

Photo: Cordis “Cuzz” Bishop, 2020

Varroa Mite Counts

Varroa Easy Check

w Varroa destructor has no free living stage, it is totally dependent on its honey bee host

w (obligate parasite)

w Female varroa mites have two distinct phases in their life cycle:

1.“Hitchhiker” phase- mite is on adult bee and being transported, but 95.2% of the phoretic bees found between sternite/tergitescales

2.Reproductive phase – female mite is under sealed worker and drone brood cells

Varroa Mite—Reproductive Biology

• A female mite drops in shortly before capping stage and hides in worker bee food• Once cell is capped, the female varroa mite climbs on the (bee) prepupa and

within 30 hours, she produces her first egg, which is a male.• After an additional 30 hours, she produces 1-2 fertile female eggs, which hatch

into daughters. When mite eggs hatch, they are called protonymphs, then molt into deutonymphs and in turn molt into adults.

New Research by Dr. Samuel Ramsey (UMD lab): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK2Xi0ST4rA

Varroa Mites: “Hypodermic needles”

•The adult varroa mite pierces the exoskeleton of the (bee) prepupa so she and her daughters can feed on the fat bodies of the host. •Drone bees offer more time for the female mite to rear two-three daughters because of the longer capped cell time. •A male mite mates with 1-2 sisters and then dies inside cell

SPREAD OF Varroa destructor• Robbing (bees pick up mites )

• Drifting (drones accepted in other colonies

• Absconding from colonies collapsing (robbers pick up mites)

• Swarming (swarms bring mites with them)

• Beekeepers (transferring affected bees)

Varroa Mite Damage

• Larvae are dull white (not glistening)

• Prepupae die after cell has been capped

• If you try to pull out larvae, it will be chunky, not ropey

Researchers have located 27 different viruses, most of which are transferred by varroa mites

Deformed Wing Virus Israeli Acute

Paralysis Virus

Once you have your “mite count,” then you are ready to choose a treatment: honeybeehealthcoalition.org/varroatool/

Mite Treatments—The Label is

the Law1. Spring and Summer: Mite-Away Quick Strips

or Formic Pro (formic acid) when you have

honey supers on and temperatures allow

2. Fall—Apiguard (thymol) or Apivar, especially

critical before or during September when the

queen starts laying her “winter cluster” bees

3. Winter and/or swarms (when no brood is in

the hive)—Oxalic acid that is labeled as

miticide, use as a “clean-up” treatment

Varroa Mite Counts 2019

Viruses 2019

Nosema • Spore-forming fungal

disease• Infected adult workers

defecate close to hive rather than out in the field

• Can resemble CCD• Only treat with Fumidil-B

if you know you have nosema spores

Nosema Spore Counts, Fall 2019

**cull old equipment and beeswax since Fumidil B is available and sample at KSU if needed

Small Hive Beetle—the “hyena” of the hive

(Aethena tumida)

Small Hive Beetle Control: diatomaceous earth, queen

excluder, and smoker

Consider applying nematodes Heterorhabditis indica

D r . Izzy H ill

Summer 2019 KSBA Meet

Source of Nematodes•• The source of your Heterorhabditis indica nematodes matters.

so be sure tell the person taking your order that you are a beekeeper and you need good quality stock (some nematodes may arrive dead). Here is the contact for Southeastern Insectaries:

•• Phillip Tedders, Owner & Manager

1-877-967-6777 (toll free)1-478-988-9412 (office)1-478-988-9413 (fax)

• Southeasterninsectaries@gmail.com• Southeastern Insectaries•

Nutrition and Bee Numbers

Photo used with permission from Kevin Hale, 2017

Photo: Jessica Lawrence, 2014

The Honey Bee Grocery list=A Healthy Honey Bee Caste System

• Pollen becomes brood food, bee bread, royal jelly. 44 pounds needed throughout the year

• Nectar becomes honey, a super-saturated sugar that can withstand fermentation, dissection, any environmental changes. 120 pounds needed throughout the year

• Water is needed in production of royal jelly, reliquifying honey, transpiration of carbon dioxide. 27 pounds needed for every 40 pounds of honey consumed

• Resin—forms the propolis “envelope” inside the hive

Feeding• Light syrup: 1:1 (1 cup of sugar to 1 cup of

water)• Heavy syrup: 2:1 (2 cups of sugar to 1 cup of

water)• Sugar cakes: 1 cup of water to 10 pounds of

white granulated sugar• Fondant—best choice for winter emergency

or supplemental feeding because it doesn’t have moisture

Avoid HMF• Hydroxymethylfurfural• Is caused when heat (temps above 115F)

causes fructose to decompose• Is toxic• Most recipes call for the addition of an acid

such as vinegar, lemon juice or cream of tartar to prevent crystallization

• However, HMF is formed with the combination of acid and heat

Photo: Kevin Hale, Licking River Beekeepers, 2015

Feeders

• There are many types of feeders. The Boardman Feeder is popular, but I do not recommend it:

• Glass freezes and breaks, drawing critters

• Messy• Bees are inside winter

cluster, not feeding

Photo: Kevin Hale, Licking River Beekeepers, 2015

Feeders!

• Division board feeders fit inside the hive. (I do not recommend this feeder in winter. Bees will not break cluster to access feed)

• One Gallon Bucket to feed over the inner cover hole.

• Top feeder -- no picture shown.

• Zip Lock baggie

Bees have run out of “fuel” or “starved: Photo by Leah Steidle, 2016

https://www.projectapism.org/indoor-storage-guide-for-honey-bees.html

The Future of Overwintering?• Ventilation• Darkness• Constant

temps, 37-42F

Resources• Tools for Varroa Mite Management found at

www.honeybeehealthcoalition.org• 12 Videos showing sampling, treating for mites,

available on the KY State Beekeepers Association website

• KSBA: kybees.org• USDA Honey Bee Health Survey results:

https://research.beeinformed.org/state_reports/

Richard Olson, Berea, Spring 2015

Thank You!

•Tammy Horn Potter•KY State Apiarist•KY Dept of AGR•109 Corporate Drive Complex•Frankfort, KY 40601•502.229.2950•Tammy.potter@ky.gov•

Photo: Ray Tucker, Jr.

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