Raising Honeybees in the Suburbs

After taking a few entomology classes at the University of Minnesota. I discovered with fascination the world of insects, especially honey bees. It will be my seventh year as a beekeeper and I am sure a new adventure as well.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Preparation for Winter

The last 24 days have been spectacular in Minnesota. No rain, plenty of sunshine and above normal temperatures. However, the honey bees know that winter is around the corner, and they have been busy getting ready. The queen by now is laying fewer eggs, knowing that the food will be rationed for the next few months. Foragers are still going out and about collecting the little precious nectar left and the priceless pollen. This is also becoming a rarity as the flowers are mostly spent. Right now, the bees' activities are done later during the day than previously as the temperatures are lower in the morning, impeding them. However we can still see them hovering around flowers late morning and early afternoon. Then the honey bees seems sluggish again, and just walk around the hive, or fly nearby.
As beekeepers we still have one more thing to do before we "tucked them in" for a long winter and say: "Have a good and safe winter!" So, in order to protect our bees against the wind, we will plug the bottom holes with cork and we will wrap each hive in a waxed cardboard, making sure that we leave one opening at the top for the bees to get in or out as weather permits. Ben has been cutting out perfect little holes in our cartons. We will wrap them up sometimes during the first week of November. Then our job as beekeepers will be done until March! However in the meantime we will build more hives, order new bees and queens...and thinking about next season!


This is how the hives will look like
in the fields.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Pessimism is Lurking


Italian bees are still trying to get into Carniolans' hive despite the
contraption to slow them down.



The Green beehive in Shakopee which has been " rescued" many times over the season: Losing a queen, adding a new queen, honey bees killing the new queen, adding a nuc ( 5 frames of brood, nectar, pollen, Caniolan honey bees and queen), battling mites, and ants, feeding them, building a "super" structure to slow down robbing by their next door neighbors the Italians bees. It is not because we did not try to help them, we did really try very hard. However, after seeing the colony yesterday...the robbing continues, the fights are numerous around the entrance, and the Carniolan seem overwhelmed, and overpowered.

Fights among the bees.


The colony is robbed because it is weak, and nature knows, it will not survive. Even with all our ingenuity or because of my stubbornness to save the bees by feeding them some sugar syrup earlier, and protecting them; I have reached yesterday the sad and somber conclusion that it is really doomed. This colony cannot survive on this meager sustenance The Italian bees are stealing their honey; the Carinolans' reserve needed to survive the winter.

Ben looked at some frames, and not much honey was left for the Carniolans. Although these type of bees make a smaller cluster when the cold arrives and thus need less honey to feed the colony, the reserves are dwindling and insufficient.

I feel sad. I really thought that I could save them. But I guess I knew deep inside that it was a lost cause but I had to try, I had to hope. No one can win against Nature... she always wins. However, I take comfort in the fact that I gave it all. No regrets.


More fighting and trying to get in.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Mysterious Illness of Honey Bees: CCD Colony Collapse Disorder

In a recent article which I read with interest : " Iridovirus and Micosporidian linked to Honey Bee Colony Decline" published October 6, 2010 in the Scientific Journal PLoS ONE; Scientists have found new 2 unreported RNA viruses in North America which live in honey bees. It could be a clue to the cause of CCD (colony collapse disorder), which in recent years have decimated the American honeybee population by 40% with no known scientific causes so far. Many causes have been suggested to the mysterious disappearance of bees while overwintering: viruses, parasites, fungi, pesticides, malnutrition and stress, in combination or not. Some ideas have been already refuted.

However, a team of scientists with the help of the U.S. military, discovered as I mentioned two new viruses : Varroa destructor-1 virus and Kakugo virus, together called: IIV (invertebrate iridescent virus...no need to know that really!)
What is interesting to note is not only the IIV seems to be associated with the honey bee collapse, but paired with Nosema ( a common fungal bee disease which can be controlled) has been observed to be lethal to bees from samples taken from commercial apiaries across the USA. In comparison, the pathogen pairing was not observed in samples from colonies with no history of CCD. This important finding then could suggest that bees co-infected with those 2 pathogens at the same time is eminently more lethal to honey bees than either pathogen alone.

However like any viruses IIV is vulnerable and can't replicate at very high temperatures (85 F). As beekeepers we may receive some instructions on how to protect our bees in the near future but it seems to me that just like humans when our immune system is weak, the chance to get sick is greater. So maybe by controlling the overall good health of a colony of bees would help. Still a lot of questions remain with no clear answers.

Article: http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0013181

Tuesday, October 05, 2010

What a Treat...and the Bees Helped too!

What do they have in common?

But of course Caramel Apples! It has been a majestic and pleasant 2 weeks, here in Minnesota. Fall has arrived and the crisp sunny days are spectacular. It has to put a large smile on you face too ! Fall is also the perfect time to pick apples. Here is a recipe for caramel apples using a load of honey. I hope you will enjoy.

Caramel Apples

- 2 cups (yes!) of honey
-3/4 cup evaporated milk
-1 tsp. vanilla
- 3 Tbsp. butter
- a pinch of salt
-6-8 of your favorite apples

1. Mix honey and evaporated milk together in a medium sauce pan.
2. Cook and stir constantly until mixture reaches 258F ( 125C), or until a teaspoon of mixture dropped in cold water forms a firm ball.
3. Stir in vanilla, butter and salt.
4. Dip apples into caramel and place on greased cookie sheet to cool.
5. Chill until caramel is firm.

And voila! I will make them this week :)

PS: The honeybees are just like us, enjoying the beautiful days and waiting for winter.