HAPPY SPRING!!!

Today is the first day of spring! It is 8F (-13C)... Brrrrr......that is cold.  I was listening to the radio yesterday and heard that the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil has been fired :)

Russian Hive in Chanhassen

Spring in Minnesota!

Actually these frigid March temperatures look like January...what a huge step back. I wonder how the bees are going to make it . Foraging might start very late this year... the ground is still frozen, and  has many inches of snow.

We checked our hives again on March 17, 2013. They are  still alive but now we are worried because it is still cold, and the honeybees are going to run out of fresh food. They have some reserves from last fall, like honey and  pollen but they will not go out and forage soon. It is a vulnerable time for the honeybees. Of course we are giving them pollen patties, but now the queen has been  laying eggs for few weeks and most bees are busy covering the brood to keep the next generation warm. Since this is the utmost job, it takes precedence to eating. It is true honeybees would rather starve to death than leave the brood unattended, in order to save the species. But they don't know that if they don't eat, all will perish.  I guess I have to have faith in nature. We will see.

Bees are Alive!!!

See the little bees!!!

Benoit and I went to visit our hives yesterday , March 3 2013. We were getting nervous by all the reports that I was reading coming from all over the US, plus from the beekeepers right  here in Minnesota. Everyone was reporting heavy losses... we could not wait any longer.

6/7 hives survived! We are so happy!!!! However, we still have the month of March to battle, we may have another cold snap, and that is dangerous for the bees. The queens are already laying new eggs and little ones are being born, they are vulnerable at this early stage of life. We also gave each colony a pollen patty, so they won't starve before the first bloom. 

Some honey bees were very curious, and came out to see what was the commotion all about. Benoit put 2 little bees back in the hives, because it was cold and they  had trouble going back home. He also got his first sting of the year :( It is a good thing that it does not react at all. It happened when we were closing the hive and the bee got stock between his fingers and the cardboard. 

Keep our finger crossed for a peaceful March.

Next visit in 7-10 days!

Spring is in the Air!

Willow in my herb planter, last summer!

I know spring is close when Willow, our 11 year old cat wants to go on the deck to check things out! She never goes outside after Halloween, and start asking to go out when the temperatures are on the rise. I don't know how she knows...but she is always right :)

On the bee side, I am still hopeful that they all made it through the winter. I am planning on checking on each hive in the next 10 days,or so. However, I hear and read a lot about honey bees that did not survive, and not having enough bees to pollinate the crops this season. 

It is still a little bit too cold to open the hives, and take a look. When the temperature will be around 40F (4C), I will give the bees a pollen patty if they need it ( meaning if they have eaten all their supply already). Remember , the first dandelions are in bloom around April 15. However, some trees like the willows,  maples and few others will be blooming before that time.

I gave a presentation about the honeybee through time, at the Arboretum in February to a group of wonderful ladies. I really love to talk about honeybees, beekeeping and pollinators. I am always amazed how much people know about bees and their difficulties. The questions asked are always pertinent and the desire to learn is great. I love it!

It is not to early to think about planting a pollinator garden. Native plants are the best! Those little "oasis" of good pollen and nectar sources are wonderful not only for my golden darlings but also for hummingbirds, butterflies,  bats, and bumblebees.

Spring in California: Almonds and Bees

It is not a rumor anymore...many beekeepers are reporting a lot of bee losses this year, up to 90-100%. This is devastating. I won't know the fate of my own bees for another 3 weeks or so. This report comes from California, Eric Mussen (Apiculturist in the UC Davis Department of Entomology since 1976) suggested that this spring 2013, California may face a shortage of bees pollinating their almonds orchards. As many beekeepers noticed, last year was a bad year for honey production in the United States. The bees did not have enough to eat due to a lack of pollen and nectar in some regions. Bee nutrition is becoming a huge topic of discussion among scientists, as it is an important factor associated with CCD( Colony Collapse Disorder). The view is that if a bee is not well fed (just like us),  she becomes weak and more susceptible to pests and diseases.

Hives in almond orchard, CA
(photo: entangled bees-tumblr.com)

The state of California is the largest exporter of almonds in the world; 80% of the global supply of almonds is grown there. 70% of the harvest is exported. This year forecast states that 2.10 billion of meat pounds will be produced (National, Agricultural, Statistics Service) which is valued at about 3 billion dollars!

Every year almond orchards need 1.6 million colonies  or about 2 colonies per acre to pollinate the trees properly. California has about only 500,000 colonies this year. Because of what is happening to the little bees (winter loss), there will be less colonies and they  will be less populous. Usually almond growers would like to have at least 8 frames of bees per hive to ensure that the efficacy of pollination. But this year, they will be lucky if they get 6 frames of bees... this is 1/3 less bees per hive to pollinate the same amount of trees!

Besides the honeybee situation, weather has to cooperate as well! If it is too cool, fertilization may not happened. The pollen tubes that are located at the base of the flower may not grow properly, thus not reaching the ovum (lower portion of the pistil containing the ovules or female parts).

                                                                                       

 What is called a good "nut set", the beginning of the development of (in this case), the almond occurs in the first 3 days of pollination,and at the most within 5days. On the other hand if it is too warm, the tissues dry out and die, not producing a potential nut!

Almond season is very short in California, about 2 weeks, depending on almond cultivar and the weather.  On average, full bloom happens usually on Valentine's Day, February 14!




Hopefully the honeybees in California will be able to handle the immense task that is ahead. As for me, I will still wonder how my bees are doing this winter....but no peaking until warmer!

Unscientific Data!

Photo: Z. Huang

Today, Sunday January 13 2013 I decided to get my bag of bees from the freezer.... So far no one at home had made any comments regarding the little cadavers in a Ziploc bag "hidden" between the ice cream and the waffles!

Here are some facts:

I collected from the frozen, snowy ground right in front of hive #1 in Chanhassen some dead female honeybees.

Total # Bees : 123 

Total # Mites : 2

Total #  Bees with Deformed Wings: 3

I then chose 10 bees randomly, and looked at their stomach and intestine. All but one were brown, yellowish (normal) and one was opaque and whitish. This could suggest Nosema. However, as I said before there were no streaks on the front of the hive. Conclusion: unlikely Nosema

The fact that I found 2 mites on 2 randomly chosen bees out of 123 collected, can only indicate a low count of Varroa mites.  However 300 bees is the suggested minimum to really tell the mite infestation in a colony. Conclusion: Probably a normal to low level of mites

I also found 3 bees/123 with deformed wings. As mentioned previously my sample is small, and trying to read anything would only be speculation. Conclusion: Probably some level of virus

Although this was fun to do! It is unscientific... and since it is about 4F (-15C) outside and that Spring is still just a dream at this moment. There is nothing I can do for the honeybees now. We all have to wait until better sunny, warm days. Hopefully all hives are wintering well, time will tell.

10-sample bees

Bee guts: the second to last from L to R (with arrow) maybe sign of  Nosema

Total sample:123 bees

Happy New Year 2013!

 Photos:Liz Vogel

Colonies in Chanhassen Dec.31 2012

The colonies were or seem to be fine when we put them to "rest". We were gone to Senegal for 12 days to visit Julie and her village as she continues her service in the Peace Corps. As I understand Minnesota was very cold during that period, and snowed only a little. 

While Liz was out...the last day of December 2012...she noticed "a lot of bees" dead in the snow in front of one hive. This phenomenon can happen, when the temperatures are a bit warmer and the bees decide to take a cleansing flight (to defecate), and then it gets a bit cooler and can't fly back home.

It could also be that some bees were sick, and got out by themselves to "save" the rest of the colony. 

Bees dead in snow, in front of hive

Last week, I was curious about the dead bees and therefore I stopped by the Chanhassen apiary, and collected few bees. They are now in my freezer! I will dissect them this weekend and see what's going on.

   When I was collecting I saw a mite on one bee. However there is no sign of dysentery (no brown streaks) on the front of the hive. Interesting! I will keep you posted on the results.  

Clean upper entrance

 

Antibiotics, Honey Bees and Resistance

A group of scientists at Yale University led by Dr.Nancy Moran, have discovered that bacteria in the guts of honeybees are highly resistant to the antibiotic tetracycline. This specific antibiotic, which is good in itself,  was  used for  decades in the United States as preventative medication in domesticated hives. As a result, the "good" and "healthy" bacteria that live in  honeybees' guts, have been altered, and slowly became resistant or used to the medication. Researchers have identified 8 different tetracycline resistance genes among American honeybees that were treated with this medicine. However, those same genes were almost absent in bees, in countries where this specific antibiotic was banned, (and still banned today).

Therefore this prevention (giving the tetracycline in case the bees become sick) may have been detrimental to the honeybee well being in the long run. Like us, honeybees have a lot of beneficial bacteria that live in their guts.  A healthy intestine with healthy living bacteria  play  important roles in neutralizing toxin's in the bee's food for instance, and also in defending the bee against pathogens, or diseases.

By wanting to prevent diseases and strengthen the colonies this automatic long term  treatment may have actually weakened the honeybees internal system making them more susceptible to be sick, and perhaps decline.


From: Journal of the American Society for Microbiology ; Long-Term Exposure to Antibiotics Has Caused Accumulation of Resistance Determinants in the Gut Microbiota of Honeybees, Nancy Moran      (http://mbio.asm.org/content/3/6/e00377-12)