End of Fall...Slowing down

Pollen patties:proteins

Sunday, October 23 2011

We visited our bees and they are still doing well. They are not drinking their 2:1 syrup so quickly anymore. We actually left them 1 gallon each until next visit. It is becoming difficult for the honeybees to drink because our night time temperatures are colder 32-38F (0-3C) and the sugary water crystallized, and the syrup stays cold and thick. However they still seemed to enjoy the pollen patties (proteins) so we replenished each colony as needed. Obviously the chores for us are decreasing, the bees know well that winter is looming. 

The queen will eventually stop laying eggs to preserve her needed energy to survive the harsh winter. However she has already diminished her production dramatically since September. The workers are moving honey and pollen around the hive, so the reserve will be close to the honeybees' cluster that they will form soon. The workers' work is almost done preparing the hive for the long wait until spring. They have done all they could to make their "family" strong and healthy. They took the time to remove weak, diseased and unwanted bees. The poor drones have been kicked out of the house, so there are less mouths to feed during winter. But of course the queen will "make" males next spring, so her genetics can be disseminated. Just to be clear, the queen DOES NOT mate with her own sons. But males are  important for queens so they can  pass on their genetics, and life can go on, continuing the cycle.

The honeybee looked just like this one!

We saw few very dark, black honeybees in one of the hive in Chanhassen. It was a surprise but I reminded myself that a queen mates with about 20 drones from many different colonies, so in essence she is carrying many drones' DNA. As she lays an egg, it can be any combinations in various degrees. And this is why the species can survive! Diversity of traits!

In  Shakopee, under the smaller hive we have a mice's nest! We saw them running between our feet during the colonies' inspection. Strange feeling to have something moving so fast when we focus on something else. It spooked me, and made me do a "little dance, and during my fright I crushed one unintentionally. I did not like that but I don't like them squatting in my hive either! We will deal with them and evacuate them presto next time!

NATURAL LOCAL HONEY FOR SALE

Karine and Ben Pouliquen Beekeepers

       12 oz Glass Hex Jar .................$ 8.00

    12 oz Inverted bottle.................$ 7.00

     2 oz Little Bear........................$ 2.50

 

Honeybees Know best!

Saturday, October 15 2011

Since I was very busy Ben took care of the bees yesterday. The only comment I got was that everyone looks good, and no one drinks or eats too much! I guess the honeybees know what to do! Ben did not have to use a lot of sugar syrup or pollen patties. I think the bees are ready for winter. They will eat less and less, especially as the daylight is shrinking and the nights are getting colder.

Since a few weeks now, the queens are diminishing their eggs production tremendously, reducing the workforce, and keeping a minimum but sufficient numbers of honeybees to survive for the next 6 months using only their honey and pollen storage. Hopefully they ALL have enough storage to go through winter. As a beekeeper I feel we have done what we could for our little darlings again this season, and now they have to rely exclusively on themselves. Their survival is mostly determined by their genes , instincts and having a smaller wintering population. Very soon, the workers will kick out of the hive any remaining drones... their days are counted. The poor rejected males will be walking aimlessly in front of the hive knowing that they are absolutely not welcomed back. Yes, it is sad and I don't like seeing them being pushed away, but this seemingly tragic event is of utmost necessity for the survival of each colony ....less mouths to feed.  Remember drones don't work in any shape or form in a hive, not in spring nor summer, not ever. They will mate once in their whole drone-life with a queen IF they are lucky and die soon after. Better luck to play the lottery! But we love them anyway!!!

We will visit the bees next week and see if we are done feeding them, that is if they do not consumed anything (syrup or pollen patties) our feeding chore will be over until spring. Mid-November we will cover the hive with a black waxed cardboard carton to protect them against the frigid winds.

PS: I have some honey for sell! See my next post :)

Another Spectacular Fall Day!

Sunday October 9, 2011


I went to visit the bees today. All look nice and beautiful. In Chanhassen our 3 colonies seem strong, and I saw a lot of honeybees bringing back orange pollen. The paper wasps , yellow jackets and hornets were not bothering them anymore...just saw a few. No drones thrown out yet either.

 Last week, I had given them 2 pails each of 2:1 sugar syrup, but I could tell that  they did not seem very interested. In all I only added a pail of syrup in that apiary. As they also need proteins at this time of year, I gave them some pollen patties. But they had not finished their last serving! Despite the astonishing warm and very dry weather, the honeybees must find some nectar and pollen somewhere because they seemed happy , in good health and calm.

When I opened the covers of each colony, I could smell the honey. Right now it has a very strong and sweet scent... heaven!

On the other hand, in Shakopee the honeybees had almost drank all their syrup and ate all of their pollen patties. I replenished all. They were also calm and seemed in good health, flying around and being bees.

A little anecdote: In Shakopee, before  removing  the outer cover of the colony with the golden honeybees I found a penny next to the  rock that is placed on the top  to prevent the wind or an animal to take it out! I took the penny for good  luck  and in its place I  put an acorn!

Science Does not Explain Everything!

October 7, 2011

Judy pulling larvae to inspect!

I finally brought my frame and some honeybee samples to the University of Minnesota. Judy took a look at the frame itself, and started poking. She noticed some very dark capping. She opened the capping and we saw some brown/black unhealthy larvae (A sign of a brood disease: a virus ), and inside the cell some Varroa mites!

 

Bottom left: unhealthy, grey larva-- Upper right: healthy, pink/white larva

Pupa: Top, healthy Bottom, Unhealthy

The adult honeybees that I collected had deformed wings...could be a virus like Deformed Wing Virus (DWV)but...not necessary the virus transmitted by the  Varroa mites that we found. It is complicated and not well known. Scientists around the world are looking at  that "Soup of Viruses" that seems to afflict and kill our honey bees for what seems no reason. What is clear with our hive is that the population of bees had deceased dramatically in the last few weeks.

 This is our combined theory:
 A small group of honeybees may have swarmed but  we are not sure. The brood was affected  first  by a virus making the colony  weak as those potential bees were not viable, reducing the total population and leaving a smaller aging bee  population to care for the whole. This older honeybee population under tremendous pressure to save the now reduced and sick colony and the queen became weak and more susceptible to other diseases and viruses which are always present in nature. In addition, this weakened colony attracted  invaders and they could not fight due to their affliction. The result: They ALL died together in their hive.

Still strange and unexplained is the fact that healthy pupae in their cells were next to unhealthy pupae, only separated by a thin wall of wax.

Ben and I went back later on  to clean up the hive. It was a gruesome sight... no bees were alive, no humming sound. Only devastation.  On the bottom board we observed  2-3 inches thick of dead bees.  Very sad indeed.

While cleaning I kept thinking  that this colony was already weak and could not sustain such internal and external pressure; however our other 3 hives were doing just fine.  It reminded me of  the Spanish Influenza of 1918 which  did not affect everyone but kill many.  Has great as  Science is,  one cannot know the exact cause of death of our colony. We may be curious, we may extrapolate, and guess but not all is known in the honeybee world...yet.

Bottom board: full of dead bees 2-3 inch thick

Dead bees on frames