Queen Rearing

8/14/2019 Queen Rearing

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Before we get into the actual insect, let's talk about the current hive. Beekeepers, for the most part, stilluse hives designed by Rev. L. L. Langstroth in the early 18!s. "rior to this, beehives were kept in whatlooked like up#side#down baskets known as skeps. $ith skeps, the comb along with the total hive wasdestroyed when honey was harvested. Langstroth is credited with the removable frame hive and withspecific bee space. %n other words, he invented the ability to remove the frames of comb and place themback in the hive without damage to the hive or comb. Langstroth also discovered what is known now as

&bee space& and is generally thought to be between 1( )8&. *nything less, they will add their glueknown as propolis. *nything greater than )8& they will build comb.

*lmost all hive bo+es today are modeled after Rev. L. L. Langstroth's design with slight modificationsover the years.

* typical hive consists of the following pieces, starting at the bottom and working up

The Hive StandThe Bottom BoardThe Hive BodiesThe Medium or Small Honey SupersThe Inner CoverThe Top Cover

-oday, let me e+plain the hive stand and the bottom board. -he hive stand makes up the very

bottom of the hive. owever, many beekeepers do not find thehive stand necessary. % personally do not bother with hive stands. -hey appear impressive because theyhave a ramp leading up to the entrance. *nd, some people feel this helps the bees walk into the hive.owever, % have watched the bees land, and they really don't land on the ramp nor walk up all that much.Bees prefer to fly, not climb. %n the natural, they don't have ramps. % would recommend not using a hivestand to reduce cost and it makes it easier should you need to move your hive.

/o, in my opinion the first piece of e0uipment you need is the bottom board. But before we place ourbottom board, we have to consider where to place the hive, the direction the hive faces and how much toelevate the hive off the moist ground. % like to use wood pallets that % can obtain free from local factories.sually one pallet is enough, but sometimes %'ll place two pallets on top of each other to elevate the hivearound #2& off the ground.

-hen, % place my bottom board on the pallet. "allets work well, but so do concrete blocks or any structurethat will elevate the hive off the ground. 3ou want the hive elevated for two reasons -o make it lessstressful on your back and to raise the hive above the moisture in the ground. Bottom boards do drawmoisture and so will be the first item to deteriorate over time. /o, keeping the bottom board dry will helpthen last longer. "lus, it also means less moisture in the hive. 4levating the hive makes it easier on yourback. But, do remember that eventually you'll have lots of supers, and if you elevate the first hive body toa comfortable range, you may soon find you need a ladder when you place or 2 supers on. #2& is agood range of elevation.

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$hich direction5 $hich direction should the hive face. %t really doesn't matter. $e typically try to avoidthe 6orth so that cold winter wind will not blow into the front. *nd we typically try to face the hive 4asterlyso that the early morning sunrise will get the bees out working faster./hade or /un5 *7%9 /*94:: ;et your hive in total sunlight. -his is e+tremely important. -hey cankeep the hive cool. 9on't worry about the heat. /hade can attract pests such as /mall ive Beetle, antsand wa+ moths. "lace the hive in direct sunlight. %f you cannot avoid the shade, try to place the hive

where it will receive the most sunlight.Let's talk about bottom boards. -here are many different variation of bottom boards. %n the past there wasonly a standard solid bottom board. 6ow, with the introduction of mites, we have found that screenbottom boards help reduce mite populations and the screen also improves overall hive ventilation. *screen bottom board is part of what is known as %"


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ur bottom boards are made very strong, routed in such a way to lock sections together and are gluedwith e+terior glue.=inally, the bottom board's entrance is determined by the placement of what is called the entrancereducer cleat. %t is a )(& + )(& piece of wood with two different si>ed openings. -he cleat can be turnedso that only one of the openings is used at a time.

%n this picture, you can see the smallest setting of the entrance cleat. $hen would you use this

small setting5 1? $hen installing your package of bees. -heycan still come and go, but it keeps them from wanting to fly away until they nest. @? %n the winter, whenyou are trying to keep mice out of your hive. )? $hen the hive is being robbed by another hive. -here isless entrance to protect.

-he ne+t picture shows the larger opening on the entrance cleat. $hen would you use this setting5*nytime you need a larger opening, but don't want to open it up all the way. -his could also be used for

all three reasons above.-hough the pictures shows the opening facing down, please remember to have the opening facing ":$hen bees die during the winter, if the opening is down, then dead bees will fill up the opening. owever,if the opening is facing up the bees can still fly out over the dead bees which you can clean out later on awarm day if the bees do not clean things up first.

nce your hive is more than a few weeks old and is not being robbed and the weather is warm the

entrance cleat should be removed and stored in a place where you can easily find it for future needs.-his ends lesson one. 3ou've learned about hive location, placement and the bottom board. %n our ne+tlesson we'll discuss the ne+t section of the hive, the deep hive body.

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%t is a common practice to use 1! individual frames per hive body. sing only A frames inthe brood nest area will have aid in ventilatin, but will decrease the amount of cells foreggs, pollen and honey storage, because instead of 1! frames there are only A. urframes are strong, have no knots and have full )8& side or end bars. .

$e have found the best frame and foundationcombination is what is known as the top and bottom grooved frame. -his means theframe has a groove in the top and in the bottom so that a piece of plasticell foundationcan snap and lock securely and easily into the frame.

$ood frames with plasticell foundation works very nicely. -he plasticell is a hard plasticabout 18& thick and is coated with real beeswa+. Before we place the foundation andframe in a hive, we spray sugar water D1 part water, 1 part sugar? onto the foundation tospeed up the time it takes for the bees to draw out the comb. -he foundation already has

the comb cell pattern embossed on both sides, making the bees' Cob much easier.

/ome beekeepers use real beeswa+ foundation and use wire to hold it onto the frame.-his was the common practice for many years. owever, today, plasticell is a muchsimplier foundation method and is as good in our opinion. Look at how nice this frameand plasticell foundation looks: ur bees love it.

*lso the milimeter si>e of each cell in very important. -he larger the si>e of the cell in thefoundation, the larger the cell will be drawn out and the larger the bee will be. /o, we use

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foundation that is specifically around milimeters. -hisis an average, industry standard.

%t is important to remember that where winters are cold, two deep hive bodies areneeded so that plenty of honey, around 2! pounds, can be stored for the bees to enCoythroughout the winter months.

-omorrow, we'll take a look at the ne+t item, the honey super.

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).%n lesson one we took a look at the placement of a hive, the hive stand and the bottomboard. -hen, in our last lesson, we e+amined the deep hive body. -hese lessons can beviewed at anytime by simply scrolling down or back.

-oday, let's take a look at the honey super. /ome new beekeepers pronounce &super&

incorrectly, calling it a &supper&, like what you eat at night. %t only has one &p&, so it ispronounced the same as when you say, &super si>e it please&. /ince we have alreadydiscussed the two deep hive bodies, sometimes also called deep supers, today we arelooking at the supers that are placed above the hive chamber, on top of the deep hivebodies. -hese are the supers we place on hives with the intent to remove whateverhoney the bees store in these supers.

-he width D12 1(&? and depth D1A 8&? will be the same for all bo+es, including thehoney super. -he difference with the super is the height. -here are three si>es used forhoney supers. Beekeepers with strong backs sometimes use the deep si>e, A 8& inheight. * very common si>e is 2 8& in height. -his is also called the %llinois super or amedium super. -hen there is the small super. %t is 8& tall.

ere's a picture of all three si>es, side by side.

*s you can see, the only difference isthe height, which is very critical, because the greater the height, the larger the frame inheight, and the larger the frame, the more honey it can hold. -herefore, a deep super fullof honey can weight close to A! pounds. * medium close to 2! pounds and a small )!#(! pounds.-here are some limitations when using the small super. -here is no plastic foundation

made for that si>e super. *nd, during a heavy nectar flow, you will have to super yourhives more fre0uently. *lso, it takes the same amount of time to uncap a small super asit does a deep or medium super. *nd, you get a lot less honey from a small super for thesame amount of work. %n an upcoming lesson, we'll discuss when and how to addsupers. But for now, we are merely getting familiar with the hive components.

/ome beekeepers use only 8 or A frames in a honey super, while others use all 1!. %tdoes make a difference. bviously, if you use A frames, the comb on each frame will bedrawn out wider by the bees, thus making much more space for the honey. %t is true thata A frame super will usually contain more honey than a 1! frame because all nine framesare larger and can hold a total that e+ceeds 1! smaller drawn frames. $ider combs areeasier to uncap because the comb e+ceeds past the wooden frame, allowing the

uncapping knife to ride along the wooden frame as a guide and uncapping all cells./ometimes if the frames are not pulled out past the wooden frame edge, the uncappingknife cannot uncap the recessed cells. %n our hives some have a total of A and somehave a total of 1! frames.

-o help achieve the A frame spacing, a metal frame rest is often used. -his frame rest isdifferent from the plain frame rest in that it actually has notches to hold each of the Aframes, giving a perfect spacing between all A frames. Be prepared for a few challengeswith A frame spacers. =irst, you cannot slide your frames hori>ontally. -hey are held

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tightly in the notches. -here are times when you need to slide your frames. But if youuse A frame spacers, you will have to lift them straight up and out to move them./econdly, the various gaps around the metal notching gets pretty gunked up withpropolis, giving nice hiding places for wa+ moth or small hive beetle to hide and layeggs. %f you don't have problems with these pests, then it's not an issue. 6otice the buildup of propolis in this picture on a A frame spacer rail below.

$e'll discuss supering a hive in afuture lesson, but for now, you can place as many supers on your hive as your beeswant to fill up. % typically have at least @#) supers on my hives during the /pring and/ummer.

ur ne+t lesson will be the two final pieces to the hive, the inner cover and the outercover. /ee you then:

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(.%t might seem unusual to have two covers on a hive, the inner cover and the top cover.-his is the common configuration, to place an inner cover on the top super, then placethe top cover on top of the inner cover. $hy5 ;ood 0uestion. ere's the inner cover.

Before % answer that 0uestion, let mesay it is not essential, at least not in my opinion to use an inner cover. % believe it isgood, and can certainly aid the bees at times, to use an inner cover, but it is not alwaysnecessary. %t is suggested that an inner cover, with an oval shaped hole in the middle,provides a dead air space between the top of the hive and the outside world.


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-here are times when it is necessary to reverse the inner cover position, and place therim down. % do this when % place pollen patties on the top bars of the frame. -he e+traspacing the rim provides is Cust right to accommodate the thickness of my patties and toplace my top cover back on.

-hroughout our years of keeping bees, we have been disappointed with inner covers

that are made out of several pieces of wood. -hese seem to always fall apart. $e buildour inner covers from one piece of wood.

$hat's the oval shaped hole in the inner cover for5 ;ood 0uestion.bviously the bees can go in and out, but there is a reason it is oval shaped. $e cut ourholes perfectly to accommodate a bee escape. -his is a small, usually plastic device,that many beekeepers use to get the bees out of the honey supers Cust prior to removingthe supers full of honey. ere's how it works.

=irst, when you see that your honey super is sealed or capped with wa+, you know it isready to be harvested. But, there are still bees crawling over it. /o, simply take the innercover off, insert the bee escape in the oval shaped hole, and place the inner cover Drimup? under the super you wish to remove. -he bee escape is designed so that the beescan walk out of the escape, but cannot get back in. ver the course of )# days, most of

the bees will be gone out of the super. "retty cool huh: %t will not work if a drone getsstuck or if there is brood in the super.


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cover do. 6otice two of my hives side by side. -he white one on the left has an innercover and a telescoping top cover. -he green hive on the right simply has no innercover, but a migratory lid that % added a piece of metal to.

=inally, the top cover. %t is often called a telescoping top cover because it hangs over thehive body.


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.*fter learning about the woodenware that the bees live in, now we are ready to learnabout the actual bees themselves. oneybee can be spelt as one word or two. Both arecorrect. %t never ceases to ama>e me at the number of beekeepers who actually knowvery little about honeybees. /o let's start simple.

-here are three caste to a honeybeehive -he 0ueen, the drones and the workers. * honeybee hive has only one 0ueen perhive. -he hive must have a 0ueen in order to grow and survive. $ithout the 0ueen theywill perish. -he 0ueen is the only bee in the hive that lays eggs producing the ne+t

generation of bees. /he lays between 1,!!!#),!!! eggs per day...yes, per day:

-he 0ueen is noticeably different in si>e and shape. /he islonger than the worker bee and has longer legs, so she can back into a cell and lay anegg on the bottom. nce you become familiar with her appearance, she is more easilyspotted when e+amining the hive. %t is good to e+amine your hives every two weeks tobe sure the 0ueen is alive and healthy. owever, it is very time consuming andsometimes impossible to see the 0ueen. /o one way you can be sure she is in goodhealth is to look for newly laid eggs. -hese are tiny white specks at the bottom of thecells. -his tells you that she is alive and laying. -he 0ueen usually lives significantlylonger than workers and drones, sometimes up to )#( years or longer.

-he 0ueen does have a stinger, but it is not a barbed stinger. /he rarely uses herstinger, and usually only in fighting other 0ueens that may emerge in her hive as virgin0ueens. %t is very rare for the beekeeper to be stung when handling a 0ueen. % amconstantly picking up 0ueens and have never been stung.

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ere is one of my 0ueens. -he white dot onher back is paint that % put there to help me easily identify her. -he other bees have beentrying to clean it off. 6otice how the attendant bees circle the 0ueen. -his is calledretinue. -his is another helpful hint in trying to locate the 0ueen. Rather than trying tospot her, try looking for the circle of bees around her, or observe the frame. -he 0ueenstays on the move and the other bees get our of her way.

6e+t, we have the drones which are the male bees. -heir only obCective is to mate with avirgin 0ueen. -hey differ in si>e and shape from the worker bee in that they are stockier,have larger eyes, usually appear slightly darker in color and do not have stingers. -hewill not and E*66- sting you. -hey eat and wander around looking for a virgin 0ueen.-hey are the only bee allowed to travel from hive to hive. -hey are important to have sothat virgin 0ueens can mate and begin laying eggs. nce the 0ueen has mated with

several drones during her mating flight, she will be able to lay eggs the rest of her lifeand will never mate again.

9rones live around A! days. %n the fall, in colder climates, the worker bees will begin tokill the drones. -hey are no longer needed for winter, and they simply become a costlyliability to the wintering hive. /o, they are not allowed to winter in the hive, and dieoutside. %n the fall, some beekeepers become concerned about the increased numbersof dead bees outside the hive entrance. * closer e+amination reveals these are theperishing drones who are no longer needed.

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=inally, the worker bee. $orker beesare all female and they do not lay eggs. %f a hive becomes 0ueenless for )#( weeks, aworker bee might begin laying unfertili>ed eggs as a result of the absence of the 0ueen'spheromone. owever, this only produces more drones and will not help a dying hive. %t isbelieved that this is one of the last things a dying hive can do, produce drones to matewith other 0ueens. %t is easy to spot eggs laid by a worker. -here is usually more thanone egg per cell, and they are seldom at the bottom of the cell since the worker bee isshorter than the 0ueen and cannot drop the egg on the bottom.

-he worker bee will work in the hive until she is around @1 days old. -hen, she isrewarded her wings and begins foraging for nectar, water, pollen and propolis. %n thesummer, she will work herself to death, usually only living )#( days.

*s a new beekeeper, become familiar with the difference between the 0ueen, the workerand the drone honeybee.

6e+t, we will e+amine how long it takes the drone, 0ueen and worker to hatch and whatthey do in the hive.

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2.Let's follow the growth cycle of the 0ueen, drone and worker bee. Let's begin with theworker bee.

-he 0ueen lays an egg in the bottom of a cell within the brood chamber. $hen first laid,the egg appears like a piece of rice, only much, much smaller. -he egg stands up in the

bottom of the cell immediately after it is laid, and will hatch, lie on the bottom of the cellafter ) days as it molts into a larva. =rom day ( to day A it is known as a larvae andfeeds upon royal Celly and worker Celly. *round day A the top of the cell is capped off andbetween day 1!# @!, the larvae spins a cocoon in the cell and begins to transform into apupae, finally emerging from the cell on day @1.


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.*fter you obtain your new hive e0uipment, you will want to order your bees. * commontype and amount of bees to order is a ) pound package with an %talian 0ueen. =or a fewdollars e+tra, you can have your 0ueen marked. %t is a good idea to have your 0ueenmarked. -his makes it easier to find your 0ueen when you do hive inspections andallows you to keep track if your 0ueen has been replaced Dsuperseded? by the hive. -he

superseding 0ueen will not have a mark.

3our bees will be sent to you by the nited /tates "ostal /ervice. -hat's right, theyarrive in the mail, in a screened bo+. -his bo+ is e0uipped with a sugar water or hardcandy dispenser and a cage to keep the 0ueen separate from the bees. =or fasterservice packages can be shipped via "/.nce you have ordered your package of bees, you will need to notify your local postoffice when you e+pect your bees to arrive. *sk them to call you as soon as they arrive.Leave several phone numbers with the postal service. -his is critical, because you don'twant your bees sitting in a hot back room for several days.

-o prepare for the arrival of your bees, you will want to purchase a new spray bottle and

mi+ sugar water, one part water to one part sugar. 9o not use old spray bottles that havebeen used with other chemicals as this could make the bees sick or kill them. ave yournew spray bottle ready to take to the post office with you.

*s soon as you receive the e+citing call that your bees have arrive, rush to the postoffice with great Coy and pick up your bees: Before leaving the post office, spray yourbees with the sugar water. -he bo+ is made with a wood frame and screen. /pray anample supply of sugar water through the screen. se the mist setting, not the stream.3ou E*66- over spray your bees. -hey have been traveling for several days, and nodoubt have been hot and not able to eat much, so the sugar water will really replenishtheir energy.

-ry to keep the package in a shaded or dark place in the car or truck. %f you use a truck,

try to avoid e+cessive wind damage that may occur if you place your bees in the bed ofyour truck. %f you have to travel a long distance at interstate speed, and the bees are inthe bed of your truck, place something around them, protecting them from the wind,while also providing sufficient air flow. Bees must have air to breathe Cust like us:

/ometimes, the weather might be too wet or cold to install your bees the same day theyarrive. %n this case, simply keep them in a cool basement or dark room and spray themwith sugar water )#( times a day. -hey will usually be fine for a few days if you have towait. /ome dead bees on the bottom of their package is common. *n inch or two ofdead bees might be a problem, indicating they did not withstand the trip well. Eall yoursupplier and report the findings.

%f you see a few bees on the outside of your package, do not panic. %t does not usuallymean there is a leak. %t usually means that a few bees have been clinging to the outsideof the package for thousands of miles. But do check to make sure the bo+ is sealed well.

$ill the bees in the package sting you5 oneybees can always sting. owever, you willfind that by spraying them with sugar water, they are very calm. *nd, since they do nothave any brood or honey to protect, they are not trying to defend their hive. -echnicallythey don't have a 0ueen either. -heir morale is low, so they are not nearly as aggressive.$hen % install packages, % do not wear cloves or hat and veil. % would not recommend it

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to you, because you don't want a bad e+perience on your first installation, but you willfind the bees to be very gentle. $ork with confidence:6ow, here's how you can effectively install your bees in your new hive. Ehoose a goodtime of the day, when it is sunny, warm and not too windy.


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of bees flying around. -his is normal. -hey need to stretch and go to the bathroom aftertraveling so far. Bees do not defecate inside their hive. -hey are very clean.

6ow, spray the package thoroughly on bothsides of the screen, front and back. -his will calm the bees, keep them well nourishedand keep them from flying about so much during the installation process. Remember,you cannot over spray. Be prepared for sticky hands and fingers.

6ow, you will want to begin opening your package. 9o not be afraid.


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6ow you see the top of the tin can of sugar aswell as the white 0ueen cage strap. -he 0ueen cage strap is also stapled to the top ofthe bo+. =ree this strap, but do not let it fall into the package of bees.

;ently tip the package of bees over the newhive, positioning it over the center where the ( frames have been removed. /lide thesugar tin can out a little so you can get an easier grip on it. /ometimes the can comesout easily, and sometimes it is very tight and has to be wiggled out with considerableeffort. %t will come out.

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/hake as hard as you want and you'll startseeing them pour into the new hive. 3ou may also want to firmly strike the side of thepackage with the palm of your hand to free bees that are hanging on to the screen.owever, be sure not to strike a bee when striking the side of the bo+ or you mightsmash a bee Cust enough to get stung. 6otice in the picture, % take advantage of theremaining sugar water in the tin can by placing if over the entrance feeder. % usually pokea few more holes with a nail so the bees will consume it more 0uickly. *fter it is finished,

% replace it with a mason Car with holes in the lid.

Now you must install your queen./lowrelease method is the best. -hese are not her bees, and she is not the 0ueen they areused to 34-: /o, you must let them get to know her before she can roam freely amongher new hive. ere's how. -he 0ueen cage has a screen on top and through the screenyou can identify a white candy substance at one end. -his is the end that you will *74- remove the cork. 9 6- R4


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nce you've removed the cork, you will want toplace the cage between the frames in the center of the hives from the top. 6otice how %use the pressure of the hive frames to hold the cage between the frames. % hang my0ueen cage with the candy side down. /ome say to hang it with the candy up, in caseher attendant bees within her cage die, they do not block her e+it. owever, bees aregood about moving dead bees out of the way, and % want her to e+it out onto thefoundation.

"L*3 EL/4 *--46-%6. 3


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8.

*s you prepare to keep bees, several tools will make it much easier. f course, youcould do without the tools and probably get by, but these tools have become the bestfriend to the beekeeper.

Let me start by sharing what % feel is *B/L-4L3 essential, and then %'ll talk aboute+tras that Cust make the Cob easier.

4//46-%*L -L/ H 4I%"ed he was tearing up the hives. 3ou'd better get two or three hive tools if you arelike me, and lose them so 0uickly.

ere's what the hive tool looks like

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-he shinny end is mostly used for separating the hive bodies and supers. Bees gatherpropolis and use it as glue to keep their bo+es tightly together. $hen inspecting yourhive, you will need to use this hive tool to separate stuck together pieces.

-he hooked end of the hive tool is used mostly for scraping off the propolis. %t isimportant to scrap off as much e+cess propolis as you can to prevent build up and to

keep a cleaner hive.6otice the small hole in the hive tool. -his is for pulling out nails if needed. f course,you'll find many more helpful uses for your hive tool, but these are everyday uses.

e*t+ #H$ S,'-$.

% would not want to keep bees withouta smoker. /ome brag that they don't smoke their bees, but, to me, this is not practical.kay, first, why blow smoke in a hive5 $e do it to calm the bees. -he idea is that smokecauses the bees to gorge themselves on honey, which makes them less likely andalmost unable to sting. =or one, they are busy eating, and they become so full, they areunable to bend and sting. %t really does work: -rust me, this is not a tool you'll want to bewithout.

$e'll cover how to enter a hive in a future lesson, but for now, let me give a briefe+planation on how to smoke your hive. se pine needles, burlap or corn cobs as fuelfor your smoker. f course, you can use other items such as wood pellets, large sawdust, dried grass or mulch too.


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$hen lighting your smoker, do not pack it full, then try to light it. Load it lightly, and addfuel as it starts burning good. Be careful that the flame coming out of the opened smokerdoes not burn your hand or burn a nice si>e hole in your protective gear:##4+periencespeaking here::

*lso, do not s0uee>e the smoker billow hard when smoking your hive. ;entle:: %f yous0uee>e too hard, you may send fire into your hive. -his is not good for the bees, andcould set your entire hive on fire. /moke only please:

/moke does not hurt the bees. *nd you'll get good enough to know how much to useafter a few tries. -he smoker is good too, in case you get stung, you should blow smokearound the area of the sting. Bees are attracted to the scent of a stinger as a target, soby smoking the sting area, you neutrali>e this scent. 9on't waste your money one+pensive smokers: 3ou're only blowing smoke:: * J)! smoker is all you need andworks well.

HA# / &$%

kay, % admit, % have worked my bees without a hat or veil. *nd % also admit % have been

stung on the face too. -hat's one place% don't like to get stung. *nd you could lose your sight if stung in the eye ball. *nd, if youget stung on the lip, you will look like 9onald 9uck for @ days: $ear a hat and veil at alltimes.

ats are usually plastic and are modeled after the popular pith hat. % like real pith hatsfrom 7ietnam, so % use real ones. -hey are a few bucks more than a cheap plastic one,but it is Cust my preference. ere at L6; L*64 643 B44 =*R


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% wear my pith hat all day. $hen %'mnot working bees, % remove the veil. -he pith hat is a great sun blocker. ere % am afterworking my hives, cooling off in the front swing with my pith hat on.

Both the plastic and real pith hats provide total protection from the bees, not to mentionthey keep ticks out of your hair if your hives are beneath some trees. Dives should beplaced in direct sunlight at all times:?

*n occasional stray bee can sneak in beneath your veil. % wear my veil without tying itoff, so % do find a bee inside with me maybe twice a year. $hat do you do then5 =irst,you do not panic. /he is not in there to kill you. /he wandered in by accident. % advisethose who help me to never take off their veil in the field. -he first instinct is to rip off thehat and veil to get the bee out. owever, that sudden movement with a now e+posedface and head in the middle of an apiary is not a good combination. ere's what % do. %face the sun, tilt my head back. /he will move toward the sun on my inside veil, and %simply s0uee>e her between my fingers. -he veil is fle+ible enough that % usuallys0uee>e from the outside, but you can always slip your hand under your veil inside ands0uee>e her.

'#H$. '$ $SS$#%A #''S

/pray bottle, frame puller, frame holders, gloves, boots, etc. % don't like to wear gloves. %get stung more with gloves than without, because a bee will innocently climb up into myglove and %'ll not know it and pinch her enough to get stung. $ithout gloves, % can betterfeel the bee and know where they are so as not to pinch one. %f % do wear gloves, % use avery thin leather glove. % prefer pig skin gloves. * stinger can get through, but it doesprovide a lot of protection.

*gain, the plan is to work your bees in such a way as to never get stung. %'ll cover that ina future lesson too.

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A.

aving your own beehive is a blast.3ou'll find yourself being entertained as the bees fly in and out for nectar. But, what'seven more ama>ing is to look inside and observe the bees in their own home. 3our hiveshould be inspected appro+imately every two weeks. -his allows proper timing to

monitor the ongoing health of your 0ueen. %f she should die or become unproductive,then a two week interval inspection will give you enough time to order or raise a new0ueen. D-he hives in the photo are in pollination field, and % had to place them in theshade to keep them out of the fields?

Let's talk about making an inspection and what to look for once inside the hive.

=irst, let's pick the right day to do theinspection. $e are looking for a nice, sunny day between 1! a.m. and @ p.m. $e choosethis time so that during our inspection, a large amount of the foragers will be outgathering water, pollen and nector, thus reducing the amount of bees in the hive. Levelto rising barometric pressure seems to help the bees have a less agressivetemperament. 6474R work bees on cloudy days, and especially if there is anapproaching storm. *nd never work bees when it is cold outside. $ait for temperatureswell into the 2!s before working your hives.

Bees cannot hear, but they can sense vibrations e+tremely well. *nd they can smelle+tremely well too, so be sure you don't stink, but don't over perfume yourelf either.

*lways wear bright colored clothing, preferably white. Bees become more aggressivetoward dark clothing, but will rarely land on white. 6ever eat bananas prior to workingyour hives. /ome suggest the odor of a banana can mimic the smell of another 0ueenand cause the hive to become alarmed.

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3ou'll want to approach the hive with your appropriate gear which includes your hivetool, your lit smoker, your hat and veil and any other protective clothing which you feelnecessary. *s you approach your hive, remember never to stand directly in front of thehive. -his is their flight >one. %'ve watched beekeepers work their hive from the front,never being taught otherwise and % am ama>ed that they do not see the thousands of

bees that want to land, but are blocked and are gather behind the beekeeper's backwondering what to do. *lways work your hives from behind the hive.

Eonsideration must be given when placing you hive so that you can have enough roomto stand and work behind your hives. /-*3 - = -4%R =L%;- "*-: ere's avideo of the entrance during a heavy nectar flow...

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6e+t, gently pry up your inner cover using your hive tool and blow a few puffs of smokeinside the hive.

/et it back down for a minute then lift itoff, gently puffing smoke once or twice as you remove the inner cover. 6ow, you are in

the hive: *nd in our ne+t lesson, we'll begin to get familiar with identifying the inside ofthe hive.K/pecial intK Be sure and secure all your beekeeping e0uipment during the winter, sothat you'll have all you need in the /pring::

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10.%n our last lesson, we approached the hive from the back, smoked it, and lifted off theouter cover and inner cover. 6ow, we are ready to inspect what is inside. /ince this is abeginning lesson, we will assume that you have installed your bees, and now you areready to inspect you hive.

ow soon should you inspect your hive after installing your packaged bees5 %t is hard towait, but you should wait days. -his will help the bees accept the 0ueen. *fter days,you'll want to open the hive and check to see if the 0ueen has been released from hercage. -o do this, the first thing you'll look for is the 0ueen cage you installed between theframes. %t is common for bees to be on the 0ueen cage, and it is very common for thebees to build comb on the bottom of the cage too. $hen pulling up the 0ueen cage begentle as it is possible that your 0ueen may be on the comb attached to the cage. Lookto see if you see the 0ueen, and if you do, brush her off onto a frame. nce there is no0ueen present on the cage or comb, shake off the bees and discard the 0ueen cage andthe comb. % save the comb that is attached to the 0ueen cage and use it in my schooltalks. Fids love to hold bee comb and look at it up close.

6ow, start by pulling out the frame thatis closest to one of the sides. %t is usually less populated with bees and has less honey,pollen and brood. Gust set that frame temporarily on the ground, or you can purchaseone of our frame holders that attaches to the side of your hive bo+ where you can placeyour frames as you work. nce you pull out this frame, you now have more space toslide each frame back into that space. -his helps you have the room you need toseparate the frames that the bees have glued together with propolis. sing your hivetool, separate the frames and slide them apart.

nce the frames are free, you can choose which one to lift out and e+amine. %t is best tostart ne+t to the wall of the hive body. %f you start in the middle, you could risk inCuring the

0ueen or never finding her. Remember, ;46-L4


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3ou might think you are going to hurt them, but they will finally let go. *s you pull up theframe slowly, the bees will have time to move out of the way.

%f you are uncomfortable using yourhands to pull out a frame, you can also purchase frame pullers like the one in thepicture. %t is a spring loaded hand grip frame puller and does work well. -he differencebetween a frame puller and using your bare hands is that with your bare hands you can

feel the bees, so as not to smash any. $ith the frame puller, it is hard not to kill several.%f % am not rushed, % use my bare hands. %f % am in a hurry, % use frame pullers. -heseframe pullers that we sell are very durable and handy. 3ou probably want to have a pairhandy when you inspect your hives. 6ow here you are, holding a frame full of comb andbees: ;ood for you. %f only your friends could see you now:

$hat do you do now. LF: Rely onwhat you see. 3ou are actually looking to observe any abnormalities. *bnormalities arerare. 3et, most new beekeepers are alittle suspicious of any and everything: 9on't be.3ou're going to observe everything that is suppose to happen in a hive. %t may look andappear unusual to you, but it will probably be a normal thing. Believe me, % answer

beekeeper's 0uestions everyday, and most of their concerns are no big deal. But, when %first started, % thought everything % saw was a problem.

n this frame, you are looking a sealed brood. -his is what beekeepers call a &goodbrood pattern&. %t's pretty complete. $e see a few dotted spots sprinkled throughout theframe, which could be caused from the 0ueen not laying an egg in that spot or the bees

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have a strong hygienic trait, which caused them to pull out a larvae that hat a mite insidethe cell or maybe these bees recently hatched./ome beekeepers ask how to tell the difference between brood and sealed honey comb.Eolor, te+ture and content. Eolor /ealed brood is usually a tan brown color whereassealed honey comb is light, sometimes very white or slightly yellow. -he te+ture ofsealed brood is more velvety while honey comb is more smooth. =inally, if you still can't

tell the difference you can open up a cell, and you immediately either see a developingbee and you'll know it is brood, or you will see honey, and you'll know it's honey comb.Look for the 0ueen. %f you do not see her, do not panic.


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%t is typical for a frame to have arainbow shape of stored nectar, pollen and brood. sually the brood will be toward thelower part of the rainbow, and ne+t to the brood will be pollen, then the nectar will bestored on the outer or upper part of the rainbow shape. 3ou can see this, somewhatbeing started on this frame in the picture."ollen in a cell is usually orange or yellow in color but can be many different colorsdepending on the flower source. %t can sometimes look like dry powder in a cell, butsometimes it sees moist.6ow that you've seen all that you need to see, place the hive back together andremember to place the inner cover and outer cover securely on the hive. *lso, pleaseplace a heavy rock on top of the outer cover to help hold down the hive on windy andstormy days. 9on't let your hive be blown over.

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11.% thought %'d take a break from the bee lessons today and tell you about how weremoved a honeybee hive from a diesel engine yesterday. But, then % decided this wouldmake a good lesson on swarms, although the hive in the engine was not a swarm, butan active hive with comb.

% received a call on $ednesday night from a man who noticed bees coming and goingout of a small hole in the oil pan of one of his Eummins 9iesel engines.

$anting to sell the engine for scrap metal, he needed the bees removed first. =or mostbee removals % am assisted by my father#in#law, Bill enness of "aris, %llinois. Bill makesour bee#vac that we sell and works in our hive production as well. ur bee#vacs arewonderful. %t sucks the bees into a screen cage and the air suction can be adCusted sothat it does not inCure the bee. -hen, the cage can be pulled out of the vac so that thebees can be transported safely to their new location.

*t 8!! a.m. Bill and % met the man and his father, the owner of the engine and theunwanted bees. e used a sledge hammer to break open the aluminum oil pan, and

sure enough, there the bees were, on a cold 6ovember morning, clustered together overtheir comb.

$e take a lot of calls like this, almost one per day in the /pring and early summer whenswarms are more common. 3ou will too, when people learn that you are a beekeeper./ince it was around (! degrees the bees were very calm and on the comb. % startedsucking them into the cage, peeling back the comb and revealing more bees along theway. =inally after about an hour, % had removed all the comb and captured all the bees.

*nd as par for the course, we spend the ne+t half hour answering honeybee 0uestions.

-his was the wrong time to remove a hive. -here was only about @ lbs of bees and theyhad very little hone in their comb. But, the engine had to go for scrap the ne+t day. %t is

normally best to remove a hive in the /pring, so they can have time to build up their newhome with comb and gather enough nectar throughout the year to carry them throughwinter. -his hive could never get ready for winter now. /o, % combined them with anotherhive.

n site, back at the engine, % tested the hive for *merican =oul Brood, sacbrood andchalk brood and saw no signs. % inspected many bees for mites and found none. 6odeformed wings, so that's why % decided to add them to one of my other hives.

$hen combining bees like this, it is best to place a piece of newspaper between the twodifferent sets of bees. therwise, they will fight each other because the main hive willview the new bees as robbers. But, by placing a newspaper barrier between the bees

with a few holes in it, the bees will eat through the paper and by time they meet, they willlive happily ever after or at least for )! days, the normal lifespan of a worker bee.

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/warms are easier to capture thanremoving an e+isting hive. /warms usually have no comb, and are Cust a huge pile ofbees hanging from a tree, car bumper, fence post, bird house or as in this picture, aporch on a beautiful house. * swarm is the natural way hives multiply. -his happenspredominately in late *pril,


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hive. /o, capture and move it once they are all in.

%n this picture, notice the swarmhanging Cust above the deep hive body sitting on a bottom board5 6ow, all % do is givethe branch a hard shake and all the bees and 0ueen drop in the bo+. %f they don't5 Gustdo it again, only harder:

Feeping a swarm in their new hive bo+ is tricky too. ere's what % do. % save drawn combCust for the capture. 9rawn comb is another best friend of a beekeeper. /warms will staybetter if there is drawn comb, and a lot better if you can add a frame of brood fromanother hive. % spray the foundation with sugar water too. $hat bee would leave a sugarcoated comb5 % also restrict the opening down to only a small, small opening where onlyone or two bees can get through at a time. %t's hard to swarm again if everyone has to gosingle file through the door. Feep it this way for at least @( hours. e, foot ball si>e, bowling ball si>e or beach ball si>e.-his will help you know what to take. *lso, ask how high the swarm is off the ground.

2) Have euipment ready li!e a fireman. 3ou'll need a spare hive: "lease don't call usand ask us to send you a hive in @ hours: ave an e+tra one on hand. %t's an e+trae+pense, but you save by not having to buy bees: 3ou'll also need sugar water to spraythe new frames. ave the sugar water already mi+ed and in a spray bottle. 3ou'll alsoneed ropes to possibly tie off limbs, a nice limb saw, gloves because some tree sap issticky when you cut the limbs and a secure way to tie down the hive bo+ you aretransporting home. 3ou don't want the hive bouncing apart in the back of your truck, onlyto find all the bees are gone when you get home with your captured swarm. % keep myswarm supplies in a big army ammo container so that % can grab it and run. % also keepmy ladder in my truck from late *pril through


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always warn bystanders to back away or watch from their car or bedroom window. 3ourwork will most certainly draw a crowd.

") e 4areful9on't try to climb the highest tree or put yourself in danger. /ome swarmsare way up in the tops of trees. -he most dangerous aspect of swarm capture is theclimb: Be careful:

5)or! fast+ but not hurried-he bees are waiting for scouts to take them to a betterhome. r the 0ueen may have become too tired on their way to the better home andthey may Cust be taking a break, a 0uick break:

6) .etrieval Sha!e+ cut or vac7 3ou'll have to make important decisions once you seehow the swarm is positioned. 3ou'll have to decide whether to climb into the tree, or usea ladder or you may be fortunate enough to simply have the swarm at waist level. -hen,you'll have to decide if you can shake the branch or cut it. %f the swarm will fall directlyinto the bo+ without having to fall through other branches, then by all means shake: %fnot, and they are on a small branch, cut the branch and carry it down to the bo+. -his isreally dangerous and takes a lot of balance and strength. /ome swarms can be veryheavy. -his is where your ropes come in handy. Before cutting someone else's tree, askpermission. 4+plain the si>e of the branch so they will not be surprised when theirbeautifully shaped tree now looks like the cookie monster took a bite out of it.

$hen swarms are on buildings, cars and permanent structures, you have to use a bee#vac. 3ou will never scrape them all off or get the 0ueen. %'ve tried: %t's like pushing achain uphill. But, with a bee#vac, you simply vacuum them safely into a cage. * bee#vacis the second most important tool to the beekeeper, second to the hive tool, in myopinion.

8) 9lace the captured swarm bo* in its new location ASA9 -hough you must allowade0uate time for the swarm to work its way into the bo+, you must move it to its newlocation as soon as possible. -here is a good chance that the swarm has a plan, aplanned place to go. 3ou've got your work cut out to disrupt that and convince them togo where you want them to go and to stay.

) #he white sheet approach sing a white sheet works: %t seems to help the beesnotice the dark entrance to the hive bo+ you are using. % rarely use a white sheet. nce %removed a swarm from garden. % placed a hive bo+ on the ground very close to the hive.-hey begin walking in. %t took around )! minutes for the swarm to finally walk into thehive, and at the end of the )! minutes, % observed the 0ueen walking in.

How to prevent swarms in your own hives

/warm prevention is vital for a good honey production year. /warming is a naturalinstinctive behavior and is how a mature hive multiplies into two hives. *ttempting toprevent a swarm is a challenge, and sometimes after doing everything to prevent aswarm, they still swarm. %f a hive swarms and !M of the hive leaves, then it will unlikelybe able to produce a good honey crop that same year due to the reduction in bees. %fyou are fortunate enough to capture the swarm, the good news is that you now have twohives, but the bad news is, neither will provide a honey crop that year. 3ou can usually

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place the swarm back into the hive it came from, and the swarming instinct will havebeen satisfied.

/o, the best honey crop comes from operating a hive slightly below the swarmcongested level, while preventing a swarm.

4ongestion vs 4rowded ;;you need open cellse hive before winter arrived they didn't store up enough food for winter. /ome ofthem were hives % removed from residential areas late in the year. % could replace these by purchasingnew packages, and sometimes % do. owever, at J! a package, that gets e+pensive each year. /plittinga hive only cost time and maybe a new 0ueen, unless you raise your own.

-here are several advantages and reasons why you will want to split your hives

-o increase the number of you hives.-o prevent swarming.-o produce nucs.

,A-%= S9%#S % '&$.%#$.$> H%&$S

%t is important to reali>e that splits should only be made from overwintered hives, or what we refer to assecond year hives. * first year hive usually will not e+pand enough to split.

f course, how soon you start to split your hives will depend upon where you live. 3ou will have to waituntil the evening temperature is warm enough so that the transferred brood will not become chilled. %t is agamble for me, here in Eentral %llinois, to make splits prior to the month of


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%f you know that your transferred brood has eggs that are less than three days old, you do not have toadd a 0ueen as the split hive will reali>e they are 0ueenless and begin to raise their own from thefertili>ed eggs in the brood. -his is preferred when % wish to retain the 0ualities of the 0ueen from thestrong hive.

-his is convenient for me, because it doesn't matter to me where the 0ueen is, either in the old hive, orperhaps % moved her over to the new split. *s long as both hives have 1#) day old eggs, the 0ueenlesshive will raise their own 0ueen.

E*LL46;4/ %6


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1!8 split twice N )@( hives in @!1@)@( split twice N A@ hives in @!1)

%n years @ hives could increase to nearly 1!!!:

%n our ne+t lesson, %'ll be sharing how to get the most honey from you hives. -hen, %'ll share how to

market your honey, such as bottling and labeling and were to go to sell your honey.

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1).

$hile visiting with ;ene, he showed me aroundhis place where they processed comb honey and prepared their supers for the ne+t year.6ot only that, but he gave me one of his famous 8 frame comb honey supers that he andhis dad made and used.

Lots of our customers re0uest comb honey. /ome customers are convinced that comb

honey helps their arthritis, citing the Bible verse that says, &"leasant words are ahoneycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones& D"roverbs 12@(?. /o this/pring, we are gearing up now to produce much more comb honey, which is almost alost and dying art among beekeepers. %t's not easy to do, and some have concluded it isnot worth the bother. Li0uid honey sells Cust fine, so many beekeepers no longerproduce comb honey.

$hen % talk to other beekeepers, they too tell me that more and more people are turningto pure, raw honey including honey comb. $e find it impossible to produce enoughhoney to keep up with the demand from our customers. ur comb honey sells out withina few weeks after we harvest it, and our honey sells out in the fall. /o, we are constantlyconsidering how to produce more honey.

%t is a great Coy to any beekeeper to place frames full of honey into the e+tractor andwatch the honey start flowing out. -ake a look at the video below and you'll hear oure+citement:

oney bees produce honey and in a good year, they produce lots of it, more than theywill need, so the beekeeper can remove the e+cess. -his is why most of us keep bees##for the honey. *lthough, truth be told, we Cust love keeping bees:

Let me share with you, two things =irst, how to manage a new hive to produce the mosthoney, and secondly, how to manage established hives to produce the most honey.

*lso, let me say that sometimes, even after all the right management techni0ues arefollowed, bees are insects, and might disappoint you in doing something contrary to whatyou want them to do. owever, bee management is effective for the most part.

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$ - "R9E4 -4


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normally found this time of the year, thus increasing the amount of foragers prior to


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14.% work in the bee yard on occasion, when %'m needed. $hile the bees did bother mesome in the beginning, % 0uickly got used to them and are not bothered by them at allnow. % have never gotten stung by the bees while working with them, but have asked9avid to sting me at times to help with some occasional Coint pain. *fter the first sting ortwo, you get used to it: % have learned not to fling my arms around them and never wear

perfume or hairspray while working with them. ;entle, purposeful movements are key toworking with the bees but no matter how careful you are, you may get stung. Gust part ofthe business:Regarding selling honey, you have to develop a clientele. -here are many ways todevelop a clientele, such as posters in area stores, ads in your newspapers, etc. -ell thegroups you participate in Dcommunity groups, school groups, committees, etc.? that youhave honey to sell. 4mail all your friends about your honey and have them pass it on:$e, of course, always have a booth at area festivals and in addition to the honey wesell, we make sure we have magnets for people to put on their refrigerator so they canremember where they got that good honey: $e also have small displays we put in somearea stores, and most work places allow you to do the same as well. 3ou can also trycalling your local newspaper and seeing if they would like to do a newspaper article on

your business or farming venture. -his will generate a lot of interest.

*nother idea is to let scout troops or classes come out for an educational proCect andmake sure you send home literature with them for their folks: %f you have teachingabilities, you may wish to consider putting on some &beekeeping& workshops andgenerate some business at the same time.

*nd of course don't forget to put out abig sign in your yard to advertise so people can stop in and buy:

ing group will typically automatically send youinformation the following year for vending at their activity again.

%t is important to have good presentation by attractively bottling your honey. Bottles canbe purchased from any maCor beekeeping supply house. owever, you must take intoconsideration the price, as well as shipping costs. %n addition, many companies will notship glassware to you but if they do, you will typically take that at your own risk Dso inother words, if it breaks the company will not replace it?. "lastic can be pricey, especiallywith the lids so a better idea may be to go with glass canning Cars you can buy at your

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local hardware or Big Lots stores. 3ou can get pint and 0uart Cars which hold 1.lb and)lb respectively for sometimes half the cost of the Cars you buy in the catalogs and youdon't have to pay any shipping:


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new skills is a pleasure and % especially enCoy having my husband around during the

day:

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15.

Today, I want to offer another lesson in beekeein! fo"#sin! on how toreare o#r hi$es to %ake it thro#!h the winter. &efore I !et into today'slesson, let %e re%ind yo# that we do ha$e o#r beekeein! "lass "o%in!# ("tober 11th here at o#r aiary. If yo# are interested, we %i!ht be ableto s)#ee*e in a "o#le %ore eole, so !i$e #s a "all at the n#%ber at the

botto% of this lesson. +lso, we are still rod#"in! )#eens, tho#!h it is!ettin! late in the year, now is still a !ood ti%e to re)#een.

&y the way, here at on! ane -oney &eear%s, we are a fa%ily b#siness workin! hard to hel %ore eoledis"o$er and en/oy keein! honey bees. e %an#fa"t#re beehi$es andsell e$erythin! related to beekeein!. (#r b#siest season is fro%

o$e%ber#ly. o if yo# are lannin! on #r"hasin! hi$es fro% #s, andyo# don't %ind !ettin! the% early before net year, then now wo#ld helrelie$e the srin! de%and and we always raise o#r ri"es the first ofan#ary.

e ha$e a re#tation, a arti"#lar way of keein! bees. -ere are a fewf#nda%entals abo#t beekeein! that we ha$e settled on and ha$e be"o%eknown for

1. No harsh chemicals. (We do not use any chemicals in our hives)

2. Use locally produced queens. (We raise and sell from our own

survival stock).

3. creen !ottom !oard.

". #ive inspection every 2 weeks$ especially for monitorin% the queen.

&. 'early requeenin% is a must

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I was not $ery fond of re)#eenin! yearly #ntil thiss#%%er. I did a little test. I re)#eened abo#t half of %y hi$es and theother half I allowed the 23 year old )#eens to "arry on. a"h half"onsisted of aroi%ately 25 hi$es. &y far, hands down the re)#eenedhi$es way o#t erfor%ed the hi$es with the older )#eens. It was not e$en

"lose. The hi$es with the older )#eens had lower o#lation of bees,weaker fora!in! ower, less honey, less e$erythin!.

I i%%ediately be"a%e a fir% belie$er of re)#eenin! a hi$e e$ery year.ete%ber ro$es to be the %ost strate!i" %onth so that the )#een islayin! stron! !oin! into and "o%in! o#t of winter, and the new )#een "anlay well in the fall to rod#"e lots of yo#n! bees who sho#ld o$erwinter

better than older bees.

(kay, so those are a handf#l of o#r arti"#lar hilosohy of beekeein!.

ow, let's talk abo#t !ettin! yo#r hi$es ready for another winter. hat

sho#ld yo# do inter is aner$o#s ti%e for beekeeers. ith e$ery snow, and blast of "old, northwind, we wonder and worry how o#r bees are doin!. onths of "old,winds, snow, rain, fo! and "lo#ds "a#ses #s to fret o$er o#r bees well

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bein!.

In :e"e%ber, %ost of #s la"e o#r ear a!ainst the o#tside of the hi$e and!i$e a !entle ta to see if they are still b#**in!, and #s#ally they are. It is

rare for a hi$e to die in :e"e%ber or e$en in an#ary. The fa"t is, %osthi$es that die do not e$en die in ebr#ary. They die in ar"h, when theyha$e eha#sted their food s#ly and ha$e few to fora!e the early ne"taron the o""asional war% days.

o what "an we do to hel o#r bees %ake it thro#!h winter There is nolan that ens#re 100; s#r$i$al. &ees are li$esto"k. Thin!s "an /#st !obad. t a few thin!s "an hel.

Tyi"ally, %ost "onsider winter rearations "onsists of the followin!

1< =#t on a %o#se !#ard at the entran"e.2< ift the hi$e and see if it has eno#!h stored honey by how hea$y it is.3< ra the hi$e with so%e sort of ins#lation or roofin! aer.4< e b#ild a wind break.5< e treat for %ites and nose%a.

These %i!ht be !ood %eas#res to take. -owe$er, they are not fail roof.In fa"t, here are three "on"erns that robably "a#se o#r hi$es to die d#rin!the winter that %any o$erlook

1< Queenlessness.>o#r hi$e is %ost "ertain to die if yo#r )#een is weakor !one !oin! into winter.2< Winter Condensation.If yo# seal # yo#r hi$e too ti!ht, yo# %i!htin"rease the o$erall "ondensation within the hi$e and "a#se this "oldwater to "onstantly dri onto the "l#ster and e$ent#ally kill yo#r hi$e.3< Keeping stored honey next to the winter cluster. -ow %any ti%esdo we hear that a hi$e died e$en tho#!h there was lenty of honey.

o, here's %y "he"klist for what yo# sho#ld be doin! to yo#r hi$es nowto reare for a !reat hi$e in the srin!

1< ?e%o$e )#een e"l#ders.2< ?e%o$e honey s#ers.3< a%ine the a%o#nt of stored honey and be s#re yo#r bees ha$e

lenty. ost beekeeers in the north lift the ba"k of the hi$e and hoe it

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feels like there is 70 o#nds of stored honey. 70 o#nds is thearoi%ate e)#i$alent of 1 %edi#% s#er f#ll of honey.4< If yo#r hi$e is short on stored honey, :@ eed 21 s#!ar water. Asean internal or to feeder if robbin! is a roble%. ?obbin! is %ore of a

roble% d#rin! the fall dearth.5< ake s#re that yo#r hi$e has so%e sort of #er $entilation. It does notha$e to be %#"h b#t so%ethin!. e now %ake o#r inner "o$ers with$entilation slots. +nd we lea$e o#r s"reen botto% boards oen all winter.6< Ase !ood %o#se !#ards, either %etal or wooden entran"e "leats to kee%i"e o#t.7< Treat the hi$es 3 weeks in a row with owdered s#!ar for %ite "ontrol.This is best started in +#!#st.8< If wrain! hi$es, be s#re to allow #er $entilation.9< Bo%bine weak hi$es with stron! ones. ost of the s%all swar%s yo#"a#!ht are not !oin! to winter well #nless yo# "a#!ht the% in ay. :onot feel like a fail#re if yo#'$e worked hard to b#ild # yo#r n#%bers, b#tnow yo# ha$e to sli"e yo#r hi$e "o#nt in half by "o%binin! hi$es.Bo%binin! ten hi$es into 5 whi"h s#r$i$e the winter is better than ha$in!8 o#t of 10 die o#t.

#"h "an be said abo#t rearin! a hi$e for winter, b#t the hi$e that hasthe best "han"e of s#r$i$in! the winter will be the hi$e that was $erystron! all year and has a yo#n! )#een. ?e%e%ber, a stron! hi$e is %ore

at to be est and disease free, th#s o$erwinterin! %#"h better be"a#se itdoes not ha$e $ir#ses "a#sed by %ites.

o %atter how %#"h yo# wra yo#r hi$e, %edi"ate yo#r bees and b#ild awind break, nothin! will do %#"h to i%ro$e a weak hi$e o$erwinterin!well. (nly stron! hi$es o$erwinter well eno#!h to elode in the srin!.eak hi$es that do s#r$i$e the winter #s#ally are not i%ressi$e thefollowin! year, #nless re)#eened soon in the srin!.

This year, I will eand %y o$erwinterin! eeri%ents. I will beo$erwinterin! a $ariety of "onfi!#rations to see whi"h hi$e does best. Iwill be o$erwinterin! 5 fra%e n#"s, sin!le hi$e bodies and a hi$e that is%ade # of 1 dee hi$e body and 3 %edi#% s#er boes.

e also ha$e one hi$e !oin! into winter that we are now feedin! ollen

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16.% haven't heard a peep out of my bees. %n fact, their hives are all covered with snow.-ake a look at the picture below of some of my hives. % took this picture /aturday. 3oucan click on the picture to see a larger version. %sn't that pretty5 % think you can right clickon the picture and save it to your computer and make it your desktop background image:

3ou might be wondering about myentrances being glogged with snow. 6ormally, % would clear them after each snow.owever, since % use screen bottom boards, % don't worry about ventilation through theentrance. But, % will need to clear it out before the ne+t warm day when the bees willwant to take a potty break.

% like it when it get's cold like this because it keeps my bees in a warm tight cluster, noteating much. %f we have warm winters, they can get more active and eat more. %'m oftenguilty of taking off more honey than % should have, cutting the bees pretty close on winterreserves.

ey: =or all you who are interested in taking a beginner's beekeeping class in Eentral%llinois, be sure and call Fathy /ponder for more informatoin about registration: -heclass will start on =ebruary @1 and %'ll be there teaching a couple of sessons and wouldlove to meet you: %t will be in rbana, %llinois and the cost is J2!. Fathy's number is @1#))#!)!A. $e'll also help you purchase your hives and packaged bees for the /pring:

ow for todayBs lesson< How many hives should you startwith7

$hen getting started in beekeeping, a common 0uestion is, &ow many hives should %start with5&

e that if beekeeping doesn't work out, then it is easier to get out of it with

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only one hive. Let me tell you what my opinion is on how many hives to beginbeekeeping.

Feep in mind that colonies of honeybees can and do sometimes die out even after wedo everything right. % call it a natural death. =or e+ample, last year, in one bee yard, % hadabout )! hives. =rom that /pring until mid summer, % lost one hive. -hen from mid

summer until fall % lost another one. $hy5 %t was not EE9: -he bees did not leave thehive all at once. -hey didn't abandon their young. -hey didn't have any pests or disease.-hey had honey. -hey Cust didn't do good.


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hive, looking at it, pulling frames out and showing friends and realtives. % opened onehive times in one day show interested people the inside of a hive. %t does disrupt theiractivities, so it is best to limit your inspections to twice a month, but some newbeekeepers can't stay out of the hive, because it is so much fun. *nd the distruption isworth the e+perience you get by opening up the hive. $ith the more hives you have, themore you can inspect different hives and enCoy your hobby more.

% once had a real nice motorcycle the kind you have to polished after every ride. % spentless time keeping 1!! hives than keeping that motorcycle wa+ed: %t really ismanageable.

2ith several hives+ will the bees rom one hive be /onusedand not know whi/h is their hive12ill the hives i-ht ea/hother1

Bees keep to themselves pretty well. 4ach hive has a uni0ue smell, to the bees, not tous. -hey will not bother other hives. *s you can see by the snow picture above, % try tokeep about 2#8 inches between my hives so that on windy days, they don't drift into thewrong bo+. 4ven if a few do, it is not a big deal.

$ill they fight each other5 6o. -hey keep to their own business. %n the fall, during adearth of nectar, a very strong hive might try to rob a very weak hive. But through propermanagement this will not be an issue. "roper management means keeping hives e0ualand avoiding attracting bees to another hive by mishandling honey or honey supers inthe weak hive. 9on't work a weak hive for very long in late summer or early fall.

How /lose to-ether /an I pla/e multiple hives1

%'ve had hives on pollination pallets which were only )(& a part from each other, ( hiveson a pallet. But % think 2 # 8 inches is a minimal. *nd if you have a bit more space, givethem a foot or two. 9on't place them too far a part or else you'll be walking too much towork them. % keep them close so % can go right down the line when % am working myhives. %f you have more ( or more, try to make a && shape bee yard, like a horseshoeshape apiary yard. -his helps the bees identify their hive 0uickly and it provides a littlewind break for landings and takeoffs.

Can too many hives in one area deplete the available ne/tarsour/e1

%'ve heard people argue that too many hives in one area can cause a depletion in nectarin that area so that only the strong hives do well. -hat might be possible if you live in themiddle of a desert with only a hand full of flowers within 1@ miles.

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17.*s a beekeeper, you must understand several important factors regarding your 0ueen.-he 0ueen is the most important bee in the entire colony. /he lays the eggs. /hedetermines the overall health and productivity of the colony. /he even influences howhygienic her daughters are toward mites and disease. *nd though she may live four orfive years, she will be at her best only for one to two years. *fter that, she needs

replaced. ut of all the hives % have lost over the years, yearly re0ueening would havesaved most of my hives.

-he 0ueen: 3ou gotta love her. 3ou know that when you go to bed at night, your 0ueenis keeping order, giving directions and e+panding your hive. /he's in charge. 3ou keepbees, but really the 0ueen is the real bee keeper. -he hive's success is kept under herwatchful eye.But here's another hard fact to face. 6ot all beekeepers replace their 0ueens every yearor two. -hough re0ueening has so many positive benefits, it Cust takes time and it ise+pensive unless you raise your own 0ueens. -herefore, many beekeepers don't bother,and yet they complain about how they didn't take off as much honey or how the hive hasmites.

3ou should seriously consider re0ueening your hive once a year. 3ou will have todetermine where to buy your 0ueen, from stock that you prefer. % don't like buying0ueens from others. 4ven though there are many impressive breeder 0ueen suppliers,you Cust really never know the 0uality of your 0ueen until she is released and goes towork in your hive.

%'ll address 0ueen stock in a moment, but for now, let's consider re0ueening a hive.$ho5 $hen5 $hat5 $here5 and $hy5 -hese are 0uestions surrounding re0ueening ahive. Beginners seem to be reluctant to re0ueen, because most beginners do not havethe confidence yet to open a hive, maticulously search every frame until the 0ueen islocated, grab her in your hand, and put the hive back together 0uickly. But, it really isn't

all that bad. Let me give you some tricks of the trade.

/imply put, here's how to re0ueen a hive. =ind the old 0ueen if the hive still has a 0ueen,remove her and introduce the new 0ueen. -hat's it. /ounds simple, and sometimes it is

Cust that simple. owever, more often than not, it takes a bit more work.

$e've talked about why to re0ueen, not let's talk about when. /eptember is often viewedas the best month to re0ueen because it allows your young 0ueen time to become wellestablished with her hive prior to winter. %n fact, she may lay some good brood of winterbees. $inter bees live a month or two longer because they are not working much duringtheir lifetime due to mainly riding out the winter in a cluster. *nd, when /pring arrives, anew 0ueen will be ready to lay as the weather warms up. owever, re0ueening in

/eptember is more difficult because during /eptember there is not a heavy nectar flowand bees more readily accept a new 0ueen during a heavy nectar flow.

% prefer /eptember because it produces the most /pring benefits. owever, it alsocarries with it the most liabilities. * liability might be that they bees will not accept her,and the weather may keep me from inspecting to insure she is accepted and laying well.-hus, there is a risk in removing an old laying 0ueen for a new one, because the newone could be a dud, worse than the older one. 6o 0ueen in /eptember means no winterbees...you get the picture. %t's worth the challenge, but it is a challenge.

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I 6ound Her &nd 2ant To (epla/e Her...Now 2hat 7o I 7o1

6ormally, a 0ueen will not sting. nlike the working bee, the 0ueen does not lose herstinger but it is rare for her to sting the beekeeper. %'ve never been stung by a 0ueen,even when holding them captive in my hand between bee yards. But it is possible.

sually if you are removing a 0ueen to re0ueen a hive you probably do not want to usethat 0ueen in a nuc or another hive. 3ou are re0ueening her usually because she is tooaged or substandard. Let me put it nicely. /he's done. %Oll leave it to your creativethinking as to how you wish to end her life.

-iming is important. 3ou need to have your replacement 0ueen on hand before you killthe substandard 0ueen. nce you remove the old 0ueen, wait at least @( hours beforeintroducing the new 0ueen. 3ou may even wait up to @ days. owever, remember thatyour bees will know that they are 0ueenless and will begin to resolve their problem byraising their own 0ueen from a fertili>ed egg. -his is one way to re0ueen a hive, Custallow the bees to raise their own 0ueen. %n doing it this way, you have to wait three to

four weeks before she will emerge, mate and begin laying. *nd remember that by raisingyour own 0ueen she will have most of the characteristics of her mother. -hat may ormay not be what you want.

/o, after waiting a couple of days, you can now introduce your new 0ueen. Before doingso, check the hive to be sure there are no 0ueen cells. 3ou can remove sealed 0ueencells and use them in other hives such as splits, nucs or 0ueenless hives by gentlypressing them into the comb of a 0ueenless hive.

How 7o I Introdu/e & New 4ueen1

-here are many ways to introduce a 0ueen. %t boils down to two basic methods. 9irect

release and indirect release. 9irect release is rarely a good idea as the bees will usually&ball& the 0ueen and kill her. n rare occasions % have directly released 0ueens into0ueenless hives successfully. nce % covered the 0ueen with honey, and set her nearthe entrance. Bees will come out, clean the honey off the 0ueen, and usually she willwalk in once she is well groomed. /ometimes % have sprayed down the hive with sugarwater with peppermint e+tract in the water. -he smell seems to neutrali>e the bees fromattacking the 0ueen.

n the other hand, the indirect release method allows the bees a chance to get used tothe 0ueen before she is free to walk among them. owever, prior to her release, shemust be in the hive, but kept safely from the bees who may want to initially kill her.

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ld time beekeepers used a methodthat is still very successful even today, though many people have either never heard ofit, or don't use it. %t's a 0ueen cage made out of hardware cloth, shaped like a s0uare,about 1@ # )( inch tall with the bottom missing. %t is pressed down over sealed combwith the 0ueen inside, holding the 0ueen within the cage. Be sure that no other bees arein the cage, only the 0ueen. -his gives time for the 0ueen to be accepted by the other

bees.

$hat has almost replaced this method is that of indirectly releasing the 0ueen in cageshe was shipped it, the mailing cage. -hese shipping cages are the same that areincluded with packaged bees. owever, some 0ueen suppliers are using a combinationof a mailing cage and a push it screen cage.

$hen your 0ueen arrives in her mailing cage, the cage will have a candy plug on oneend. 3ou will have to remove the cork to e+pose the candy plug. 6ow, take a very smallnail or pin, and carefully poke a very small hole through the candy plug. Be careful not tomake it too large. *nd when you poke it through, be careful not to inCure the 0ueen onthe other side. -his hole will encourage the bees to begin to eat their way through the

candy. -his usually takes a couple of days.

"lace the cage between the frames. By placing the candy plug up, the 0ueen can alwaysclimb up and out and the opening will never be blocked by her dead attendants. By thetime the candy plug has been eaten through, the 0ueen will have become acceptedwithin the hive. %t is very important to wait one week before opening your hive afterinstalling the new 0ueen.

%n one week, inspect the hive to ensure the 0ueen is out of her cage, alive and if youhave drawn comb you can inspect to see if she is laying.

6ow, let's go back to the old fashioned cage that is pressed into the comb over capped

brood. % like it: %t works well. *ny emerging bees within the caged area immediately taketo their new 0ueen. er pheromone has a chance to spread over comb and on to othernear by bees. -his is a good method to use in /eptember to help the 0ueen becomeaccepted in the absence of a nectar flow.

$e make and sell these cages. ur cages do come with a small opening where you caninsert a mini marshmallow. -his serves as a candy plug, giving time for the bees toaccept the 0ueen while they eat through the marshmallow.

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How 7o I Sele/t New 4ueens &nd 2here 7o I 6ind 8oodSuppliers

-rial and error will lead you to a good 0ueen provider, and the supplier may or may notbe a well known and long established breeder. 3ou may find that the best 0ueens are

raised by the beekeeper down the road who has )! or (! hives and is willing to sell yousealed 0ueen cells. % have pursued the various ads boasting of a great 0ueen only to finddidn't live up to how she was advertised. owever, there are some suppliers who go togreat lengths to raise the best possible 0uality 0ueens.

"ersonally, % am more successful in operating my hives with survivor stock 0ueens,0ueens that % find in barns and trees, feral 0ueens who have already demonstrated thatthey can survive cold winters, mites, disease and swarm very little. % keep track of thehives in my yards that continue to survive year after year and produce an above averageamount of honey and from these hives % raise my own 0ueens.

% use a new 0ueen rearing system that allows me to never have to graft eggs with tools.

-his system works great and can produce hundreds of 0ueens in several easy steps.$e also sell these systems. -hey are e+pensive, but can pay for themselves afterproducing Cust 1! 0ueens. %t is worth the investment.

2hi/h (a/e O 4ueen Is Better1

-here are many races of 0ueens each claiming to have uni0ue characteristics. ere's afew common ones

Italian+ Minnesota Hy-ieni/+ Cordovan+ Cau/asians+ Carniolans+ (ussian+ andBu/kast. $eOll look at the different characteristic of these 0ueens in our ne+t lessons.

"lease keep in mind that the /pring beekeeping season is fast upon us. % will begin briefinspections and placing pollen patties in my hives in less than 2! days: % will place all mysupers on my hives in 1@! days. -hat means % must get everything ready and in orderwithin the ne+t 1@! days. -hereOs lots for me and you to do to get all of our beekeepinge0uipment ready for /pring. LetOs not put that off.

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18.

$e all like to save a buck and many people want to get started keeping bees by luring ahive out of a wall of their home, barn, garage or from a tree. %t is a fre0uently asked0uestion, &Ean % lure the bees out of the wall by placing an empty hive ne+t to the wall5&%t is a good 0uestion. *nd if it works, you save J2, the price of a package of bees. But,does it work5

Last 6ovember % received a call from a couple who noticed bees flying around thebushes in front of their home. -hey thought they had a swarm. -his was 6ovember 1),when there are 6 /$*R


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*lso, for those who choose to spray poison in the hole in the house, let me warn you thatthis is not effective. =irst, it is very difficult to saturate the hive enough to kill it entirelydue to the way the comb is large and layered. /econdly, if you were to kill it, then youwill have a larger problem. 6ow you have unprotected honey which, without bees to tendto it, will run, oo>e, and drip attracting such other pests as roaches, mice and even black

mold. -his can happen too, if you lure out the bees through a screen funnel but the0ueen is left inside with the young bees. %t is critical to have a beekeeper remove thehive entirely from the home. -ake a look at this hive % removed. %t was huge and took afull day to remove. 3ou can click on the image to download the full si>e image.

3ou'll receive calls from friend and neighbors asking you to remove hives from variouskinds of structures and if you notice in the image above, you see very few bees. -hat'sbecause we manufacture a specially made bee#vac that vacuums the bees safely into acage. therwise, there would be thousands upon thousands of bees flying aroundprotecting and defending the brood and honey in the picture. -he brood is toward thecenter of the pictures, toward the lower left. %t is a bit lighter in color, a leather browncolor. /ealed honey can be noticed at the top of the picture. %f you'd like to in0uire aboutone of our bee#vacs click here

$hy would you leave your house and move into an empty garage5 Bees will not either:

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2H&T &BO5T S2&(M 95(3S

war% l#res are different in that when #sin! a swar% l#re, yo# are not tryin! to l#re ahi$e o#t of a dwellin!, b#t yo# are tryin! to in$ite a swar% into yo# hi$e or tra. In otherwords, a swar% is a nat#ral slit fro% a lar!er hi$e. They lea$e with a )#een and send

s"o#ts o#t to find a ni"e new ho%e. This is how bee "olonies %#ltily, kind of likeha$in! "hildren. The s"o#ts "an be attra"ted to yo#r hi$e or swar% l#re be"a#se of thes"ent. or that %atter the whole hi$e "an be drawn to yo#r swar% l#re. The s"o#ts "an !oba"k then, and infor% the swar% that they ha$e fo#nd a ho%e and lead the% to yo#r bo.ow a "o#le of thin!s ha$e to haen for this to be s#""essf#l.

1< +n eistin! hi$e has to rod#"e a swar% $ery "lose to where yo# li$e and this #s#allyonly o""#rs in ay#ne.2< "o#ts bees ha$e to haen on to yo#r l#re s"ent or hi$e. ItCs a bi! world o#t there ands#"h a s%all bee to find yo#r bo.

ast s#%%er I had h#ndreds of bee boes with drawn "o%b stored in a friendCs barn. (neday, I re"ei$ed a "all that tho#sands of bees were in his barn. Dreat@ I "on"l#ded that aswar% was %o$in! into so%e of those boes. t, he was ri!ht and I was wron!. Therewere tho#sands of bees, b#t it was not a swar%. They were /#st s%ellin! o#t so%e driedhoney s%ells and lookin! aro#nd. t i%a!ine tho#sands of bees knowin! how !reat of aho%e those boes with drawn "o%b wo#ld ha$e %ade. >o# wo#ld ha$e tho#!ht that ifany hi$es in the area were to swar%, this is where they wo#ld !o. They ne$er did.

HO2 TO (3MO%3 & HI%3 6(OM & ST(5CT5(3

-ow do yo# re%o$e a hi$e fro% a str#"t#re aws, ha%%ers, ry bars, ladders, li!hts,etension "ords, drills and all the other tools yo# need to b#ild a ho#se < It is rettyintensi$e. I a"t#ally ha$e a lon! "he"k list of tools and s#lies I need to do the /ob, and Iload the tr#"k the day before.

>o# ha$e to de"ide where the hi$e is lo"ated by #sin! a stethos"oe. Then yo# ha$e tode"ide, alon! with the ho%e owner if yo# sho#ld enter the wall fro% the o#tside byre%o$in! sidin! or the inside by re%o$in! drywall. To %e, it is %#"h easier to re%o$edry wall, and less work to reair. t it /#st deends on the sidin! and ba"ker board.

>o# sho#ld also si!n a "ontra"t with the ho%e owner se"ifyin! that yo# are (T abonded "ontra"tor and that yo# will not be resonsible for da%a!es. In a erfe"t world itis best for the ho%e owner to ha$e their fa$orite handy %an there to oen # the wall and

"lose # too. t do ha$e it in writin!. &y the way, %ost ho%e owners ay between E200 E1000 to ha$e bees re%o$ed.

I only oen eno#!h of the str#"t#re to be!in #sin! %y bee $a" to $a"##% the eosedbees. Then, I re%o$e %ore of the str#"t#re and $a"##% %ore bees. I "ontin#e this #ntil Iha$e all the bees re%o$ed. (n a lar!e hi$e this takes se$eral ho#rs. (n"e all the bees arere%o$ed, I be!in to tear o#t the "o%b.

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I then take the bee $a" f#ll of bees and d#% the% into an e%ty hi$e,)#een and all, then I ro"ess all the honey fro% the hi$e and ro"essthe !ood wa. It "an be a rofitable $ent#re in that the ho%e owner%ay ay yo# E500, yo# "an then sell the honey and bees wa for

another E300 if the hi$e is lar!e, and yo# obtained a free f#ll si*e hi$e, worth at least

E150. :o the %ath, not bad for a dayCs work. t it is work@ I wear a f#ll s#it, d#"t taee$ery hole and wear boots and hea$y !lo$es. >o# %#st, be"a#se #nlike workin! yo#rhi$es at ho%e, yo# are tearin! # and atta"kin! a hi$e.

eC$e sent a lon! ti%e erfe"tin! o#r $ersion of the bee$a", ad/#stin! the air s#"tion soit does not in/#re the bees and addin! addin! in the ri!ht la"es so the bees are notkno"ked a!ainst walls when drawn into the "a!e. These bee $a"s are !reat to #se onswar%s too, ese"ially swar%s that are too hi!h to shake o#t of a tree or han!in! on theside of a b#ildin!. -ereCs what o#r bee $a" looks like.

4very beekeeper who is interested in retrieving swarms or hives would benefit greatly inowning a bee#vac, and beekeeping associations could have one on hand to lend to itsmembers:

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8/14/20

Queen Rearing

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