Knowing Your Bees: Becoming a Better Beekeeper
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10 ways to get to know your bees better. Presentation given at the Holland Area Beekeepers Association annual banquet. January 23, 2016 in Holland, Michigan, USA.
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Knowing Your Bees: Becoming a Better Beekeeper
- 1. KNOWING YOUR BEES: HOW TO BECOME A BETTER BEEKEEPER JONATHAN R. ENGELSMA, PH.D.
- 2. OUTLINE • Background • Think like a bee • 10 ways to get to know your bees better
- 3. OUTLINE • Background • Think like a bee • 10 ways to get to know your bees better
- 4. QUICK BACKGROUNDER • We are a family of nine from Nunica, MI • Mieke and Jonathan share a background in agriculture • Jonathan works as a prof in GVSU’s School of Computing • Starting keeping bees in 1984. • Family runs a sideline bee operation • run 50-70 colonies mainly for honey production • retail the annual honey crop • sell nucs when able. • Website: http://hudsonvillehoney.com
- 6. A brief but relevant diversion on fastidious Dutch homemakers…
- 7. OUTLINE • Background • Think like a bee • 10 ways to get to know your bees better
- 8. How do you think like a bee?
- 9. THE ANTI-PATTERN: Bees are social… Bees dance … Bees are industrious… Bees are community focused… Have and care for their babies… Protect their home… Love honey!!! Sudden insight! bee behavior = people behavior The logical conclusion: Bees are just like me, only a little bit smaller…
- 10. THINKING ANTHROPOMORPHICALLY ABOUT BEES • Why we do this? • We often learn best by comparing new concepts to things we already know. • We are conditioned by our dogs & cats! • The problem: • Honeybee biology is way different than ours!
- 11. CLASSIC EXAMPLE: BRRR, ITS COLD OUT THERE… Source: http://www.instructables.com/id/Insulation-for-National-Beehives/
- 12. Obvious Conclusion: The more you know about your bees, the more successful a beekeeper you will be.
- 13. OUTLINE • Background • Think like a bee • 10 ways to get to know your bees better
- 14. #1 GET/BE A MENTOR • Get a mentor • Learn faster / better • Avoid costly mistakes • More fun than going solo! • Your local club can help you find a mentor! • Be a mentor • Learn by mentoring others. • Grow the community • Give back Credit: Anne Marie Fauvel
- 15. #2 BE AN AVID AND DISCERNING READER • Books • Magazines • Online Sources • beesource.com • scientificbeekeeping.com
- 16. IMMERSE YOURSELF IN OLD BEE BOOKS!! • Electronic (free): • bees.library.cornell.edu/ • https://archive.org/ • Reprints: • http://www.wicwas.com/ • www.xstarpublishing.com/
- 18. #4 INSPECT YOUR COLONIES REGULARLY DURING THE BEE SEASON • Once a week if possible. • queen status • availability of nutrition • sufficient space? • presence of pests / diseases
- 19. #5 CONSTANT AND CAREFUL OBSERVATION OUTSIDE OF THE HIVE • What is currently blooming in your locale? • Are the bees working it? • Entrance activity? • What’s that smell?
- 21. #6 PRACTICE GOOD RECORD KEEPING • Record information gathered during inspections. (date & location) • First swarm, first dandelion, maple pollen, colony loss, frost date. • Note any reminders / todo’s. • Computer based options - try hivetracks.com
- 24. #7 MONITOR YOUR HIVES ELECTRONICALLY • Join the BIP Hive Scale Portal! • “Locally Grown” at nearby GVSU! • Record the weight and ambient temperature and more 24 X 7 • An eye opening experience!
- 26. HIVE MONITOR AVAILABILITY • Purchase cost: $199 - $1500 • Operational costs vary. • Vendors: • Arnia • BeeWatch • SolutionBee • Learn More: https:// beeinformed.org/hive-scale- program/
- 27. BIP HIVE SCALE NETWORK
- 28. #8 RAISE YOUR OWN QUEENS • Forces you to acquire more intimate knowledge of honeybee biology. • Requires diligent record keeping. • You truly get to know YOUR bees! • Very fulfilling activity.
- 29. SMALL SCALE QUEEN REARING • Small Scale: < 100 per season. • Non-grafting techniques have worked really well for us. • You need lots of bees of the right age in your cell builder! • If you plan to mate in your yard you’ll need a fair amount of stock to make up mating nucs.
- 31. #9 MONITOR FOR MITES • Sample / count at least monthly from April - November. • Pre / Post treatment counts are important! • In larger yards (+20) sample a subset to make treatment decisions.
- 32. MITE SAMPLING TECHNIQUES • Sticky boards • Sugar Roll • Alcohol Wash • Send to a lab! • (Google for details)
- 33. WHY SAMPLE FOR MITES? • You need to actively manage mite levels in your colonies when they are brooding or your bees will die. • If your bees die, you’ve just created a “varroa bomb” for nearby colonies. • Regular mite counts will help you learn when and how to treat most effectively.
- 34. #10 BEE A CITIZEN SCIENTIST! • Participate in Bee Informed Partnership Programs: • Bee Informed Annual Colony Loss Survey • BIP Tier 4 Program • BIP Hive Scale Program • Learn More: beeinformed.org
- 35. ANY QUESTIONS? Jonathan Engelsma’s Contact Info: • email: jengelsma@gmail.com • web: http://hudsonvillehoney.com • twitter.com/honeyandcandles • Like us! /hudsonvillehoney • A copy of these slides are posted on: • http://slideshare.net/jonathanengelsma