The Bees are Alive!

Russian Bees Exploring!

January 26, 2015

It was sunny and pleasant, 42F so I went to visit my bees in Chanhassen, MN.  The Russian colony is alive and well. I saw some bees flying as far as 100 feet from their hive. They really live up to their name...like the Carniolan bees; the Russian bees have a good overall success of overwintering.  And in addition they have a better tolerance to Varroa mites. I love my Russian bees :)

My question is: Why don't we see more of them available to hobby beekeepers? Especially in our rigorous part of the world?

I also have 4 Italian colonies in another apiary in Chanhassen. 3 out 4 survived, so far.
I am a little surprised I thought that maybe 2 would not make it. Hive 4 had a lot of Varroa mites all summer long, I treated, and treated but was not very confident in the fall about their winter survival.

The bees are not out of the wood yet.... The next 6 weeks will be the other big test. The queen will start laying eggs (next couple of weeks or so), thus the worker bees that will keep the brood warm will eat a lot of honey to keep the nest very warm (93F).

I believe that I left enough honey for he bees, since I did not harvest any. However, even if there is food in the hive, the bees have to be able to walk where it is located. Sometimes, if it becomes very cold suddenly, the cluster of bees will tighten, protecting the brood and will not be able to access their reserve, even if it is one inch away.

Bees are flying in and out of their hive

I will keep an eye on the weather and my colonies. Hopefully everything will be smooth and uneventful!

2015 Beekeeping Classes in Eden Prairie!

Bee Class!

Of course it is still winter in Minnesota but it is not too early to think about honey bees and beekeeping! 

Taking a beekeeping class will help you see that spring IS on its way!

Listed below is what the Eden Prairie Community Education Center is offering in 2015

                                      All classes will take place at:

                      EDEN PRAIRIE COMMUNITY EDUCATION
                                         8040 Mitchell Road
                                       Eden Prairie, MN 55344

                                      To register call:  952-975-6940

              OR visit the website: https://edenprairie.thatscommunityed.com


Here are the classes:

Exploring Beekeeping NEXT WEEK!
Wednesday, January 28, 2015  From 6:30-8:30 pm
Education Center in E.P. Room # 319
Cost: $ 15

This two-hour course offers an introduction and brief overview of beekeeping. It will cover: city ordinances, equipment, time and financial requirements, races of honey bees, beehives location, obtaining and installing your new bees, honey plants and bee food needs, pollination, pesticides, as well as helping your honey bees to stay healthy. If you are interested in keeping honey bees, but not yet sure how to start, this class is for you. After taking this course, you will be able to make a well-informed decision about keeping bees in your backyard. And, if you would like to pursue beekeeping, Eden Prairie Community Education will offer other beekeeping courses as part of their spring course offerings.

Backyard Beekeeping I
Tuesdays, February 3, 10, 17 2015  From 6:30-8:30pm
Education Center in E.P. Room # 319
Cost: $35

What's the Buzz? Join Part 1 of our backyard beekeeping class! It is an introduction to keeping bees by learning the basic beekeeping skills: history, honeybee society and biology, equipment, hive products and more! Learn much of what you need to know to start a new hobby--caring for and enjoying your own honey bees.

NEW CLASS Beekeeping in Minnesota: The First Year
Wednesdays February 25 & March 4, 2015
Education Center in E.P. Room # 201
Cost: $25

This class will teach you what you need to know to be a good beekeeper, keeping honey bees in Minnesota. From the time you get your bees, to the tasks that need to be done in your bee yard to be successful throughout your first year. I will teach you the techniques necessary to keep healthy bees and to be a happy beekeeper.
Prerequisite: Exploring Beekeeping

Backyard Beekeeping II
Tuesdays, March 10,17, and 24 2015 From 6:30-8:30pm
Education Center in E.P. Room # 319
Cost: $35

Looking to take your backyard beekeeping skills to the next level? Part 2 of our Backyard Beekeeping series, you will learn all about seasonal colony management like fall harvest and processing. We will also discuss bee health and what you can do to keep your hive healthy. At the end of this class series, you will have the knowledge necessary to create, cultivate and grow a thriving beehive!

Thinking about Beekeeping!

Hives in deep snow

Happy New Year Everyone!

It is still winter in Minnesota, no doubt!  It is only January!
What about the bees? What are they up to?

Right now the bees are hunkered down in their respective hive. It is amazing how they can survive the frigid weather. They do not sleep or hibernate like a bear, instead at about 57 F, they will form a ball, the size of a large grapefruit. The queen will be happily in the center, warm and fed.
Their exceptional success of survival comes from the honey bees themselves. The hive is not heated like our home is, but rather the bees in their well defined ball will generate heat by flexing/moving their flight muscle...like shivering. This will allow them to move a bit around as a cluster, to eat, to feed the queen and to rear brood early in the spring. Right now there is no brood, so the temperature of the cluster in between 57-85F. This helps the bees by not freezing.
An important task for the bees during those very cold months, is to be able to access their food reserve. Usually the cluster moves from the lower box on the ground to the upper box where the honey bees have stored their honey.

Winter bee cluster 

Another interesting thing about bees are the fact that they never defecate inside their hive. So they wait patiently for a nice sunny day like 38F, and go outside to poop; called cleansing flight...to be polite!

Dead bee

Sometimes, they underestimate the temperature or are too adventurous, and cannot come back to the hive.

Dead bee in snow

Cleansing Flight!

Soon, in about 6 weeks or so, the queen will start laying eggs. The temperature will be then around 94F in the nest.

On a beautiful, sunny and warm day (40F) in February, I will go and see if my bees are alive. In the meantime, I will stay warm, and hopefully my bees too!

 

2015 Beekeeping Classes offered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota

Russian Hives 

The beekeeping classes that were offered this fall 2014 in Eden Prairie were a great success! Students learned about a new fascinating hobby, and discovered the world of bees. It was wonderful to see so many people interested in honey bees and beekeeping.

We are also lucky that in Eden Prairie, MN; residents can keep honey bees on their lot. The new ordinance was voted in January 2014, and already few people have colonies.

Therefore I wanted to let you know that I will again be teaching few  beekeeping classes in 2015. All classes will take place at:

                      EDEN PRAIRIE COMMUNITY EDUCATION
                                         8040 Mitchell Road
                                       Eden Prairie, MN 55344

                                      To register call:  952-975-6940

              OR visit the website: https://edenprairie.thatscommunityed.com


Here are the classes:

Exploring Beekeeping 
Wednesday, January 28, 2015  From 6:30-8:30 pm
Education Center in E.P. Room # 319
Cost: $ 15

This two-hour course offers an introduction and brief overview of beekeeping. It will cover: city ordinances, equipment, time and financial requirements, races of honey bees, beehives location, obtaining and installing your new bees, honey plants and bee food needs, pollination, pesticides, as well as helping your honey bees to stay healthy. If you are interested in keeping honey bees, but not yet sure how to start, this class is for you. After taking this course, you will be able to make a well-informed decision about keeping bees in your backyard. And, if you would like to pursue beekeeping, Eden Prairie Community Education will offer other beekeeping courses as part of their spring course offerings.

Backyard Beekeeping I
Tuesdays, February 3, 10, 17 2015  From 6:30-8:30pm
Education Center in E.P. Room # 319
Cost: $35

What's the Buzz? Join Part 1 of our backyard beekeeping class! It is an introduction to keeping bees by learning the basic beekeeping skills: history, honeybee society and biology, equipment, hive products and more! Learn much of what you need to know to start a new hobby--caring for and enjoying your own honey bees.

NEW CLASS Beekeeping in Minnesota: The First Year
Wednesdays February 25 & March 4, 2015
Education Center in E.P. Room # 201
Cost: $25

This class will teach you what you need to know to be a good beekeeper, keeping honey bees in Minnesota. From the time you get your bees, to the tasks that need to be done in your bee yard to be successful throughout your first year. I will teach you the techniques necessary to keep healthy bees and to be a happy beekeeper.
Prerequisite: Exploring Beekeeping

Backyard Beekeeping II
Tuesdays, March 10,17, and 24 2015 From 6:30-8:30pm
Education Center in E.P. Room # 319
Cost: $35

Looking to take your backyard beekeeping skills to the next level? Part 2 of our Backyard Beekeeping series, you will learn all about seasonal colony management like fall harvest and processing. We will also discuss bee health and what you can do to keep your hive healthy. At the end of this class series, you will have the knowledge necessary to create, cultivate and grow a thriving beehive!

Register soon & Hope to see many of you in class next year! And more will follow!

Already Winter!

Hives ready for winter

November 25, 2014

A lot happened since August! We drove our son to college 3 months ago, and we became all of a sudden empty nesters. I thought I would have more time, it seems that there is none. I have neglected my blog but not my bees.

I wrapped up the study on mites with the generous help of Gayle,  what a trouper she was. There were days where we were melting away , it was so hot and humid. But we did it.
The study was about following the varroa mite count over the season, and to try to prevent an "invasion".
Here  are our results: mites/24 hours. Below 10-15 is the goal
August
Hive 1: 7.3----Hive 2: 2.6----Hive 3: 4----Hive 4: 34
September
Hive 1: 5.9----Hive 2: 6.8----Hive 3: 9.6----Hive 4: 44
October
Hive 1: 41----Hive 2: 48----Hive 3: 76.3----Hive 4: 156

As you can see, hive 4 had already critical. I treated the colony with Hopguard. The following month, the mite count was still climbing. I did another round of Hopguard.
Now in October, the mite count for all colonies was out of control. I decided to use Apivar. Then November came and winter happened! I did not have time to do a last count. I hope the bees are all OK.

I fed the colonies with 2:1 sugar syrup, until it was too cold and the syrup froze.

On November 7, Julie and Michelle helped me prepare the colonies for winter. I can tell you the all four hives were pretty heavy; that is a good thing. It means there is a lot of store (honey and pollen) for the honey bees to eat during the next few months.

November 15, Liz drove the big truck to get few hay bales! She helped me built the Big Wall to protect the hives this winter. We had a good laugh stacking the frozen bales from last year, they were stuck to the ground and we pulled, and pulled with all our might...the bales stayed put...we fell in the snow on our behind! It was a priceless moment!

On the picture, starting on the left is hive 1, 2, ...
This is my prediction for the chance of survival of the colonies until next Spring: Hive 1: 50% , Hive 2&3: 90% Hive 4: 0%
Why? I looked at 2 important factors, the bees population and the food stored.
Hive 1: medium size and good amount of food
Hive 2 & 3: enormous amount of bees and abundant amount of food
Hive 4: Few bees, and medium amount of food and battle with Varroa mites all summer.

Russian hive Nov. 7

The Russian hive had lots of bees, and lots of food stored. I am very optimistic that it will survive.

It was a very busy season, and a busy Fall but I did enjoy every minute. I wished my bees to stay warm and that I would see them next Spring!

To all of you I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Last Bee Pollen and Nectar

Manure spreader among goldenrods!

August 20, 2014

My friend Gayle made me laugh the other day. She was my handy dandy helper, recording the info seen on each frame for a study on Varroa mites.  While walking towards the colonies, I was happy to see  the goldenrods were finally flowering, and with her beautiful smile she said: "Are you talking about those weeds?" pointing to the wonderful patch they have on their property where my hives are located. I told her that it was fantastic to have so many right here for the bees. After all what we think are weeds, are very often the most appreciated flowers for honeybees like the dandelions in spring.

In the  fall the goldenrod bloom will be the last food they will take back to their hives before the snow starts falling! Thus an important plant for many pollinators.

I happen to like them, they look like feathers, and when it is windy they seem to dance in the patch!

The honeybees are busy filling their "pantry" bringing back tons of nectar and pollen. They will be industrious until the first frost. Then they will be staying indoors from November to April or so... That is 6 months. Can you stay home for 6 months and not go to the grocery store once? That's what I thought , me neither I cannot and I am a very good "planer". 

The bees' main job is to prepare for winter, consolidating their nest, making sure they have enough food, and that everyone is healthy. Soon, the worker bees (all females) will kick out all the drones (males) out of the hive . Remember  drones do not participate in any colony work, and now at the end of summer, sadly, no one needs them. By pushing them away, they will die of starvation just in front of the entrance. It is a survival reflex so they don't consume the food reserve. The worst I think is that I believe they know that they cannot go back in, we can see them crawling aimlessly on the grass in front of the hive...very sad indeed.

Beekeeping Classes in Eden Prairie, MN Fall 2014

Hello all,

I am so excited to be teaching this fall in Eden Prairie.

Again few beekeeping classes will be offered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

They will take place at the Eden Prairie Education Center: 

                                    8040 Mitchell Road, Eden Prairie MN 55344

             Website:    https://edenprairie.thatscommunityed.com/search/beekeeping%22 

                                        Phone(952)975-6900

                                       Mark your Calendar & Register Early

                                            I hope to see many of you!

Beekeepers in action!

1. Exploring Beekeeping

Wednesday, September 24, 2014 from 6:30-8:30pm

Price: $15

Location: Eden Prairie Education Center         Room: 201

                 8040 Mitchell Road, Eden Prairie MN 55344

This two-hour course offers an introduction and brief overview of beekeeping. It will cover: city ordinances, equipment, time and financial requirements, races of honey bees, beehives location, obtaining and installing your new bees, honey plants and bee food needs, pollination, pesticides, as well as helping your honey bees to stay healthy. If you are interested in keeping honey bees, but not yet sure how to start, this class is for you. After taking this course, you will be able to make a well-informed decision about keeping bees in your backyard. Limit: 25

2. Backyard Beekeeping I

Wednesdays: October 8, 22 and 29, 2014 (no classes October 15) From 6:30-8:30pm

Price: $35

Location: Eden Prairie Education Center   Room: 201

                8040 Mitchell Road, Eden Prairie MN 55344

What's the buzz? Join part 1 of our backyard beekeeping class! It is an introduction to keeping bees by learning the basic beekeeping skills: history, honeybee society and biology, equipment, hive products and more! Learn much of what you need to know to start a new hobby -- caring for and enjoying your own honeybees. Limit: 25

3. Backyard Beekeeping II

Wednesdays: November 5, 12 and 19, 2014 from 6:30-8:30pm

Price: $35

Location: Eden Prairie Education Center Room: 201

                8040 Mitchell Road, Eden Prairie MN 55344

Looking to take your backyard beekeeping skills to the next level? In part 2 of our Backyard Beekeeping series, you will learn all about seasonal colony management like fall harvest and processing. We will also discuss bee health and what you can do to keep your hive healthy. At the end of this class series, you will have all the knowledge necessary to create, cultivate and grow a thriving beehive! Limit: 25

https://edenprairie.thatscommunityed.com/search/beekeeping%22