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Basics of Starting Beekeeping

Basics of Starting Beekeeping. Still You?. Bethany Swartz Jenn Van Wagnen. Keys to Beekeeping. Knowledge of bee science Knowledge of bee botany Familiarity with modern agriculture Some elementary economics Tools & ability to work with wood Ability to keep vehicles running

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Basics of Starting Beekeeping

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  1. Basics ofStartingBeekeeping Still You? Bethany Swartz Jenn Van Wagnen

  2. Keys to Beekeeping • Knowledge of bee science • Knowledge of bee botany • Familiarity with modern agriculture • Some elementary economics • Tools & ability to work with wood • Ability to keep vehicles running • Fortitude to take bee stings

  3. Keys to Managing Bees • knowledge of bee biology/art • commitment of time and interest • a bee hive [Langstroth] • bees • an apiary site • personal protective & ancillary equipment • basics of what – when - where - how & why • solving requeening/feeding management

  4. What to wear/use? • a veil (always) • coveralls • boots • sleeve/pant leg tie downs • gloves (sparingly) • avoid strong body odors • smoker • hive tool/frame lifter • tool box/stool

  5. When to manage ♦AVOID RAIN ♦ warm dry, windless days are best ♦ 10 AM- 4 PM ♦ during nectar flow (or feed colonies sugar water) ♦ when smaller in population size or in supers--only during the summer

  6. Where & How long? ♦ At side of colony ♦ 5 – 20 minutes ♦ avoid robbing ♦ use manipulating cloth to cover exposed frames ♦ consider tools like frame lifter ♦ ‘listen’ to bees

  7. Why Inspect? ♦ For a reason - intensively or extensively ♦ spring & fall ♦ to control swarming ♦ to super ♦ to harvest ♦ to overwinter successfully ♦ to control pests including mites

  8. Do you need to see the queen? YES! No!

  9. 10 Inspection tips*Refer to page 195 in the text • Examine on warm sunny days between 10AM -4PM • Examine under good forage conditions • Concentrate on smaller colonies to learn • Always wear veil and bee-tight clothing • Keep lighted smoker handy • Manipulate as rapidly as possible w/out hurrying • Slow down and smooth-out hand/body movements • Start on outer frame – avoid jarring & crushing bees • Hold frames to permit easy, rapid viewing • Avoid robbing • ENJOY! The KEY is your enjoyment!

  10. Handling difficult colonies • Don’t! • Use tools • Wait for better forage/bees • Avoid robbing • Requeen • Have to 1st dequeen • Feed bees

  11. Requeening

  12. Requeening Dequeen and .... • introduce a purchased gentle queen • rear a new queen from gentle bees • add a queen cell from gentle bees • allow bees to rear own new queen • do nothing – will eventually raise a new queen Hardest part is dequeening!!

  13. Feeding Bees Sugar syrup • To avoid colony starvation • To stimulate colony development • To modify foraging population • Provide newly hived bees w/ food • Make queen rearing/requeening easier Sugar syrup or powdered sugar • To feed medications Sugar syrup or protein • Stimulate drone production Dry sugar with protein • To feed supplemental protein into colony

  14. Feeding sugar • WHY? • save colony (fall, winter or early spring) • stimulate colony (early spring) • get new colony (pkg, nuc, swarm) started • administer medications • assist w/ queen rearing/drone production • sample for mites (powdered sugar) • help make inspections easier Feeding is never easy

  15. Feeding sugar but also ... • in dry form • in candy form • as powdered sugar ♦ As sugar syrup

  16. Feeding honey • Never! except when needed! and you know source!

  17. Feeding protein Pollen supplement – Pollen substitute

  18. Supplying water

  19. Starting !!! & friends!!! You

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