Beekeeping & varroa mite and other diseases in Croatia
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Transcript of Beekeeping & varroa mite and other diseases in Croatia
FinlandArea: approx. 338.400 km²Population: 5,4 mill
CroatiaArea: approx. 56.500 km2
Population: 4,3 mill
..some figures about Croatian beekeeping…
Croatia 2005 2008 2011 2014 2016
No hives 291.400 303.700 374.800 452.000 554.000
No hives/km2 5.1 5.3 6.6 7.9 9.7
No beekeepers 5.500 6.200 7.500 11.500 13.200
Yield (t) 6.300 5.770 5.600 9.500 5.200
Croatia LR AŽ DB
Types of hives % 64 35 1
Croatia Stationary Migratory
Types of apiaries % 63 37
Croatia 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016
AFB outbreaks 29 130 162 101 589 674
Current beekeeping situation in Croatia & region
• the number of beekeepers in Croatia increased by 1/2 since 2010• ecological and economic reasons for increase• many beginners without any practical and theoretical knowledge• large amount of mistakes in beekeeping management and honey
bee health
Acacia
Problems with inexperienced beekeepers
• spreading of honey bee diseases• lack of nutrition during the drought• hive robbing behaviours• ignoring the general guidelines of GVBP• „young” beekeepers who think they know everything about
bees
Amorpha
Beekeeping school
• based on program approved by the Ministry of Science and Education
• local government joined the project (reimbursement)• lasts three months (thirty hours of theoretical lessons and
ninety hours of practical works )• only condition for enrolment into beekeeping school is
completed elementary school
Chestnut tree
Examination of colonies / Evaluations of colony strenght
/period of season, geografical position, productivity/
After finishing the course, students should be able to:
1. Understand and explain basics of honey bee biology
2. Recognize most common management systems and explain their benefits and drawbacks
3. Assess general health of honey bee colonies
4. Put beekeeping products on a market, thereby respecting the local regulations
Savory
Our expectations…
• transferring the know-how technology to the beekeepers • fewer problems in apiaries concerning beekeeping
management and honey bee health than before• setting the modern beekeeping in the centre of rural and
sustainable development• the beekeepers will be ready to take care for nature and earn
spare money at the same time
Linden
Honey and products market
Prices
Honey:• Wholesale 3 – 6 €/kg• Retail 4- 10 € /kg
Propolis:• Crude 65 €/kg• Solution 3 € / 20ml
Polen • 13 € / kg
Royal jelly• Wholesale – no exist• Retail 20 € / 10 ml
Beekeeper organizations
Croatian Beekeepers Federations• since 1954• currently - 8.000 members• member fee 30€/ year• 12 issues of Bee Journal „Hrvatska pčela”
145 Local beekeeping associations• member fee 15 – 20 €
Croatian queen breeders association• currently 41 members• 2016 production 35.000 queens
since 1881
Bosnia and Herzegovina
SerbiaSlovenia
Hungary
Montenegro
Italy
Three microclimates
North - Pannonian
Middle - HighlandsSouth - AdriaticThree different types of: weather conditions overwintering spring developments plants & honey flow
Honey & polen plants
CanolaAcacia
Amorpha ChestnutLinden
SunflowerGoldenrod
Wild flowersHeatherSavory
Honeydew
RosemarySage
Lavender
beekeepers
Beekeeping today - challenges
• Global trade of honey bee products
• Global trade od bees
• Global exchange of pests and pathogens
• Global problems of colony losess
• Pesticides/GMO/climate changes/landscape destruction
• Good & bad beekeeping practice
Sunflower
What bothered us in Croatia in 2016?
• weird weather ( rain /frost)• heavy rain and cold during the honey flow• starvation / suspected on poisoning• swarming problems• varroa fitness• sealed honey – high humidity of honey• birds in southern part / Bee - eater
Merops apiasterOverall impression about 2016 ?Better to forget ASAPBut it will be better in 2017 ! – immortal claim
First impression?Vaaauuuuuuuu…great
New South Wales, Australia 1993.
Something is wrong here ! Second impression?Where was the beekeeper?
Spring development / Swarming
• Queen excluder - YES• Queen excluder - NO • Supering
• Demaree method• Rotation system I• Rotation system II
Swarm control
Sometimes is necessary to adopt new approach in swarm control
QE
BC
SF
S
BC – brood chamberQE – queen excluderSF – shallow frames S - super
broodhoney
Rotation system I
Cluster
Spring development
Active season
End of the seasonRotation
Begining of the winter
Early springRotation
1
Attention!1. Never extract honey from SF
2
2. Add sugar solution if no honey flow before main pasture
Graphics originally by O.Boecking
♀
+
+ + +
If queen cells (QC) appear….
1. Have time - make splits with QC (remove) + leave the queen with 1 brood frame on the same spot
2. No time – check for QC/leave the 1 frame with QC + remove the mother colony
1.
2.
+
productive colony
XxXxXxXxXxXx
XxXxXxXxXxXx
swarming – splits – honey - queens – varroa ?
split new colony
oxal/lactic acid
+- = 0
Rotation system II
Originally by O.Boecking
Croatia 2012/2013 2013/2014 2014/2015
Colony losses%
9,5 7,7 9,8
Colony losses in Croatia
Causes:• varroa• AFB• pesticides - intoxication• lack of polen supplies• malnutrition / starvation• bad beekeeping practice
Varroa + xyz
„...in August and September my bees were great – lots of bees and honey, but in October/November I don’t have anymore bees. I’ve just found few bees on a bottom bord and frames full of honey…and I did varroa treatment…do you have any idea where did they go? Anybody seen my bees ?....”
August number of varroa in a hive >10 % (delaying / ineffective treatment)
September - October number of varroa in a hive around 20 %
October - November = cleansing flights ! the bees damaged by varroa can’t return / cluster is getting smaller varroa attack other bees in a hive / few more cleansing flights remain just few hundreds bees /can’t keep the warmth /leave the hive
The best time for varroa control ?
Winter control – (November – January)
Spring control – (April – June)
Summer control – (July – September)
.
Winter control 3.5 % Oxal acid
Broodless colonies - Trickling 5ml/ bee gapTemperature not below 5 C / One treatment
.
Spring control – no chemistryRemoving /cutting drone combs
Making splits – sealed brood / varroa control
Registered / legal medicaments in Croatia• Apiguard
• Apilife Var
• Bayvarol
• Check Mite+
• Thymovar
Summer varroa control
Varroa control program – issued by Veterinary administrationEvaluation of infestation level/control of medicaments
• Formic/Lactic/Oxal acid treatment
Foto:S.Spiewok
Ongoing applied researches
„Varroa treatment for 3rd millennium”(Italy) • caging the queen/ summer• broodless colony/ oxalic acid treatment
Completely removing of brood frames • after last honey harvest • 1 trapping brood frame remains/get
treated• creating new colony
AFB - the holes on the cappings
Healthy brod AFB• scattered brood pattern• punctured & sunken cappings
Comparative diagnosis
If AFB is confirmed…
X
• Restricted area must be established with radius of 3 km• All apiaries in protected zone must be examined• Health certificate is needed for migratory operations• All apiaries have to be registered
Great problem!Abandoned apiaries
AFB sanitation
Shook swarm method
• early stage of AFB• strong colony• regular occurrence in the area
Burning
• late stage of AFB/weak colony• first outbreak in new area• reimbursement of 90 €
Veterinary authorities order:
SHB outbreaksItaly 05.09.2014. (Calabria)
Protected area - 20 km radius
Monitoring area - 100 km radius
Italy - Sep 2015 – 6 more casesItaly - Aug 2016 – new outbreaks
Croatia 2017Active & pasive monitoring in 300 apiaries
Comparative diagnosis
3.2 – 5.6 mm © 2010
Torsten Bittner
5 – 7 mm
Chychramus luteus
Chychramus variegatus
Take home message
• Varroa/AFB/EFB control• Spring development/Swarm control• Queen exchanging• Preparing for winter• Change/adopt new approach of beekeeping
managment if it’s necessary• Always look on the bright side of….
Heather