Last Warm Days of Fall

Both September 22 and September 29 weekends' have been dedicated to feed the bees sugar syrup. They are still drinking a lot, and storing it for winter. In my car I have 10 gallons of sugary solution...6 white pails and 2 Jerry cans!

It is still very dry, and relatively warm. Most flowers are spent; few asters and goldenrods can be seen along the roads among the desiccated flora. 

 We are in a strange transitional weather pattern, with many fluctuations. But the honeybees seem to live their lives and continue to gather pollen, and some floral nectar. The drone ares still home but are  roaming a bit more... they may fell that their days are counted. The foragers are collecting their last food of the season. The "winter" bees will be born soon and will live until spring. The queen is laying fewer eggs as the cold and shorter days are approaching. All must be ready, and final touches are underway.
I will check their syrup levels again at the end of the week. It is supposed to be colder with a couple of nights in the 30's. That means the bees will form a ball to keep warm and will stop drinking the sugar solution.

This bee seemed to have fun in the sun...flower! She will bring all that bounty home.

Honey bee gathering pollen Photo: L. Vogel

Extracting the Harvest!

Uncapping the frames of honey with hot knife

Saturday September 8, 2012

Around 11:00 am, we started extracting our honey. Each frame has to be uncapped: removing the fine layer of wax that the bees diligently placed on every cell full of ripe honey. Ben uses a hot knife which melts the wax,opening the cells and  exposing the honey.                                                                                                                                                             

                                            

      

Uncapped frames are lined up in the extractor

Then the frames are placed vertically in the extractor. This machine uses centrifugal force, so the honey is "ejected" on the side of the extractor gliding to the bottom of the cylinder.

Working hard!

Ben has  a helper:Jamison

  

Soon the honey starts to trickle slowly into our large bucket. We use a double filter, to strain. This keeps the debris and  most of the bees legs and wings out!

It was a rather cool day, so the honey was not flowing so well. Liz got the solution...more heat was  needed. Since she is raising a few chickens, she has those heat lamps and an electric heater. After plugging everything...the fuse could not handle all that power! We had to scale down after tripping the fuses twice! Finally the garage was warm enough, and the honey was percolating nicely.

We collected 185 lb (84kg) of honey, and 1.28 lb (578g) of wax. The honey is still in huge buckets, we will bottle later.
 We had a wonderful day, and were happy to see our friends  Jamison and Liz.

Honey Harvesting: Day One and Two

Set up in the garage

As fall comes,   harvesting our honey was our ritual the weekend of September 6,7,8 2012. Friday 6, we set up our extraction station in the  garage.... until we can have a proper honey house! One day:)

Saturday 7th. We headed to Shakopee with our friend Liz. Peter, the farm owner got his ATV ready for us. Ben was happy  and had fun driving  all the way to our 2 hives at the end of the field. We had to clear the squashes, and vines before driving on the made up path.

Once at the hives we had to take each frames from each box (super) and brush gently the bees off. The honeybees were good but a bit sneaky...finding their way back to the cleaned frames from time to time.

Happy beekeeper!

Brushing the frames

Carrying the "bee" free honey supers

Beautiful frame of capped honey

Honey bee drinking the nectar on a frame

Our ride is almost ready to go!

While Ben and I were brushing, Liz was ready with a towel to cover the frames so the bees would not settle again on them. We had to work fast but with grace and slow movements. No need to upset the honeybees unnecessarily! In all it went very well, we got only a handful of bees in the car while driving home. And no we did not wear our veils all the way home... that would have been suspicious! Thanks to Liz who took all of the pictures to document this blog post. Next harvesting day.

New Research about CCD (Colony Colapse Disorder)

A new research on Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) lead by Dr. Jay D. Evans from the Bee Research Lab (ARS) in Beltsville, Maryland  was just released on August 21, 2012. Here's the link to the article: http://home.ezezine.com/1636/1636-2012.08.24.13.30.archive.html

Today I will try to explain what I have read and understood from this new release. As you have probably heard the honey bees are "disappearing"(remember it happens to one of my colony.. ..most of my Russian bees were gone without any traces, leaving the queen, a little brood and a handful of workers), at a rate around 30% of colony loss or about 400,000+ colonies each winter in the USA alone! That is tremendous! This decline has been going on for about 6 years now and the implications are substantial to our economy as well as to our well being.

In the article "Pathogen Webs in Collapsing Honey bee colonies" recently published, the new study seem to indicate that the collapse of honey bees in the United States differs from one region to another. However pathogens were in greater abundance  and incidence in colonies showing CCD than healthy controlled colonies. Colonies affected seem to be more susceptible to a diverse set of pathogens, the co-infections acting together in synergy producing a rapid reduction in worker bees a characteristic of the disorder.
The scientists also showed that  individual bees can have this "mix"and interaction  of pathogens without affecting the colony as a whole. This shows that pathogen interactions is an important factor of bee disease. Many microorganisms affect honey bees in general, and/ or the colony entirely but  their effects is not well known today.
One thing is clear from this paper: CCD colonies did have more pathogen species present than did non- CCD colonies. However these pathogens are also present in non-CCD colonies but not at the level of CCD hives. Some specific viruses have a higher incidence as well as gut parasites N. apis, and C. mellificae. N.apis...some 20-fold higher! In addition, what is remarkable is that it is a certain combination of viruses is needed to show the symptoms of CCD.
Conclusion:

• Honey bee pathogens exist in healthy colonies as well as those affected by CCD
• Many honey bees can be infected with pathogen loads but without affecting the colony as a whole
• Higher pathogen loads is a hallmark of CCD but not necessary the colony's size.
• A specific set of pathogens, in a certain amount working together show symptoms CCD colonies
• No single pathogen or virus is responsible for CCD
• Novel strains of virus (LSV) "provoke" a shift in the composition of gut bacteria: may be a bio marker for CCD detection

However, having observed and quantified scientifically the role and relationship between pathogens, honey bees and the tremendous decline all over the world...the cause of CCD remains ambiguous. Researchers will continue their quest to find an answer which perhaps will save our honey bees.

The USDA now estimates that every third bite we consume in our diet is dependent upon honey bee pollination. In the US alone, the total contribution of pollination in terms of added value to fruit crops exceeds $15 billion per annum (Kaplan, http://www.ars.usda.gov/IS/pr/2007/070906.htm 2007). CCD-related losses (direct and indirect) have been estimated at $75 billion (Swinton et al., Ecological Economics volume 64, pages 245-252; 2007). (taken directly from Beelogics.)

Honey bee Pollination Helps!

Harvest in Chanhassen!

September 2, 2012
Look at the beautiful vegetables, melon and eggs! All harvested from the Chanhassen apiaries where Liz and her Mom have a huge garden. Today, I am making a big salad for lunch using these veggies and eggs. For dessert a slice of melon! I have to believe that our bees helped a little in pollinating some of their crops. Liz and Gayle tell me that they see honeybees foraging all the time in their garden....That makes me very happy!

Friday morning Liz helped me with the Fall bee "chores". From the four hives at this location, we removed the supers that were empty: the bees did not give us a surplus this year. They worked mainly on building their hive, caring for the young bees , gathering pollen and nectar, and keeping the queen healthy. Together we placed in each brood box 2 cardboard strips that were soaked in  natural hop and food grade products mixture, it is called Hopguard. It is highly effective against Varroa mites, the number one enemy of honeybees.

Hops female flowers

Hopguard strip (picture: Beta Tech Hop Products)

Hop plants belong to the Cannabaceae family which include the well known Cannabis (hemp) and less known Celtis (hack berries). You may know about this plant as it is use in flavoring and stabilizing  beer! To make this natural medication, only female flowers or cones are used, the species is Humulus lupulus. Now you know everything :)

At this time of year, honeybees are very protective of their nest (hive) because they have gathered a lot of food since Spring which will be their reserve for this winter. So, when we started moving boxes and adding the hop strips a couple of colonies were really mad. We were in a cloud of terrified bees, hopefully Liz was there to "puff" the smoker around us! As soon as we were done, they would calm down...but it can be unnerving to work in this situation. Liz did an awesome job! I was glad she was by my side.

We refilled the water pans that I had set up in July when the temperatures were 80-100F . In two weeks, I will do it all over again...hopefully the bees will remember that I am not a horrible intruder, I just want to protect them against the big bad mites!

Goldenrod

A honey bee on Goldenrod in my garden!

August is the month of Goldenrod (Solidago) in Minnesota, one of the last flowers the bees will enjoy before winter arrives. As I drove to Shakopee through Chanhassen this weekend, I could see the golden flowers dancing in the light breeze. This plant attract so many bees/pollinators, it is incredible! When I was taking this picture, I saw a sweat bee, a carpenter bee, a wasp, a bumblebee and a honey bee...all that in 3 minutes!

Many beekeepers say that when the honey bees collect pollen and nectar from the Goldenrod, the whole hive smells like old sweaty socks! That's our signal that the bees have visited those plants. To me it is the signal that summer is coming to an end.

Our bees are all doing well, even the Russian bees have recovered. The queen is laying many eggs and "everyone", from nurse bees to foragers seem to have found a job to do. I am relieved and happy for them. I really wanted to save them :)

Benoit and I will watch carefully for the next few weeks, to make sure they are still bringing the necessary nectar and needed pollen as a reserve for the long anticipated winter months.

2 honeybee colonies in Shakopee

We will harvest our honey sometimes in September with the help of a friend. Our most productive colonies are in Shakopee with 4 and 7 supers respectively! However they are more difficult to access. I don't know if we will be able to drive in the pumpkin field this year. I will keep you posted...can be an adventure!

A reminder that a super (box) full of honey can weigh about 40-60 lb. ( 18-27 kg); walking with one...the whole length of the field can be challenging!

Our five new hives will not produce enough honey for us to harvest. This was expected because those bees were from new packages this spring, younger-lived than our other honeybees. What we are seeing right now in the colonies would be for the honey bees to eat. We only harvest the surplus nothing else.

Enjoy the beautiful, cooler days of summer!

Pollen

Pollen

Ben had notice last week that the honey bees were not bringing as much pollen as we were used to see in the past seasons. We started thinking about why this would be the case this year. I thought that it had been really hot for us in Minnesota, and thus maybe the honey bees preferred nectar? However, it has been relatively humid, so plants have both nectar and pollen. Maybe the bees are busier cooling the hive? I know that when it rains, the pollen is washed down from the flowers and lands on the ground,  honey bees don't collect from the ground. So? I was curious and looked into it! This is what I found.....fascinating!

First a good definition of pollen is needed. Of course everyone knows that it is the powdery stuff inside a flower but actually there is more to it! It is really the male germ cells produced by plants. When male pollen is brushed with female pollen, there is pollination. We know that! Pollen is a very important source of protein, vitamins and fat.

Bee pollen has been considered to have the following nutrients:


Vitamins: Provitamin A, B-1 Thiamin, B-2 Riboflavin, B-3 Nancin, B-5, B-6 Pyridoxine, B-12 (cyanocobalamine), Pantothenic acid, Vitamin C, F, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin H, Vitamin K, Vitamin PP, Folic Acid, Choline, Inositol, Rutin.

Minerals: Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Iron, Copper, Iodine, Zinc, Sulfur, Sodium, Chlorine, Magnesium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Selenium, Boron, Silica, and Titanium.

Other: Amino Acid, Carbohydrates, Fatty Acids, Enzymes & Co-Enzymes, Fats.

Bee Pollen contains at least 22 amino acids, 18 vitamins, 25 minerals, 59 trace elements, 11 enzymes or co-enzymes, 14 fatty acids, 11 carbohydrates and approximately 25 % protein. Bee pollen is extremely rich in carotenes, which are metabolic precursors of vitamin A. It is also high In B complex and vitamins C, D, E and Lecithin. Bee pollen contains over 50 % more protein than beef, yet its fat content is very low. It is also an excellent vegetarian source of protein typically possessing more of the essential amino acids, pound for pound, than animal proteins like meat, eggs, and dairy products. (Enviro Bee Products Disributors)

Who  eat pollen? Very young bees eat the largest amount, although some adults will consume some. After the third day in the life of a "bee egg", the larva is fed mostly pollen and honey.

Honey bee larvae in royal jelly and eggs

Who collect pollen? Forager bees have this duty; they are the oldest members of the colony. As they are more experimented, they fly out every day relentlessly until their death.

Notice the heavy pollen load on legs!

While foraging, the bees become sometimes completely dusted with pollen. The grains stick to their hair by static electricity!

                                                                          

                                                                                            All covered in pollen!

Digging for pollen

Pollen well organized in hive

To pack the pollen in their "baskets", the bee sticks her tongue out spitting some of the nectar she had collected previously and applies it to her forelegs. Then she starts brushing/combing her



head, antennae, and front thorax to clean up the pollen. The back of her thorax is cleaned by her middle legs! She cleans the rest of her abdomen with her hind legs, just like a dog scratching his belly. This  specialized set of legs helps also pack, shape and mold the pollen grains into a little kidney bean shape. So helpful to have 6 legs!

However the honey bee is not done. Now that she has gathered her pollen, she needs to fly back to her colony. She will have to be brave. In her flight back home, many dangers lurk: she could be eaten by a bird or hit by a truck.

After arriving at the hive, she grooms herself, and starts looking for a cell to deposit her loot. The cell can already have some pollen, or be  empty.  After finding the right spot, she lowers herself backward, and with her middle legs she dislodges the pollen. She also remove any pollen grains that are still on her tiny body...wasting nothing. Another bee  pushes and packs the pollen with her little face and front legs. Some enzymes and other substances are added helping the pollen to go through a lactic acid fermentation period. Before leaving again to gather more, the forager bee looks for another bee to give her some honey (carbohydrate) before returning to the flowers. As you can see the foragers are working extremely hard, from sunset to sundown. It will be their last task before perishing of exhaustion.

Now to come back to our question: Why our honey bees don't seem to collect a lot of pollen? I found an explanation. Pollen collecting is driven by the colony's needs! Is it not fabulous? " A correlation exists between the amount of brood in a colony and the number and proportion of pollen foragers, also pollen foraging increases with higher egg-laying rates of the queen. " (The ABC & XYZ of Bee Culture). It is speculated that the queen's pheromones play a role in this event.  So now we know!

Next time you see a honey bee, just smile!