31 Thursday Aug 2017
Posted in beekeeping, beekeeping pest management, management, varroa mites
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Here in California we had a very hot summer. For most of June, July, and August we’ve had temperatures over one hundred degrees. Most gardens with full sun exposure did not do very well and neither did bees. We were really able to see the difference between hives that were shaded (or had some shade […]
via Late Summer checkup and thoughts on Varroa resistance — Estrada Farms LLC
28 Monday Aug 2017
Source: Honey bee portrait by Gilles San Martin
My wife told me yesterday that one of my bees bit her. I cringed and corrected her, “You mean it stung you?” “Yes,” she said. I went on to explain that her faux pas might lead to an uncomfortable situation should she mention amongst a group of beekeepers that a bee bit her. She understood. But the fact is, it’s possible a bee bit her or at least could bite her.
Today’s beekeeping vocabulary word is “Mandible.” Honey bees have jaws called mandibles that have lots of uses. Below is an excerpt from Rusty Berlew’s excellent blog called Honey Bee Suite. Rusty writes an excellent beekeeping blog and tackles very interesting articles. I highly recommend it.
Here’s is Rusty’s take on mandibles. (Link to full article below.)
Like one of those fold-up multipurpose pocket tools, honey bee mandibles are used for anything that requires cutting, grasping, or squeezing. For example:
Read the fill article on Honey Bee Mandibles here: Honey Bee Mandibles Have Many Uses by Honey Bee Suite
26 Saturday Aug 2017
Posted in beekeeping, honey, honey recipe, recipe
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A light flavoured muffin great for breakfast, brunch or even lunch!
Full recipe here: Honey, Orange and Ginger Muffins with Honey Glaze — Katie’s Time Travelling Kitchen
25 Friday Aug 2017
Posted in beekeeping, management, pests, varroa destructor, varroa mites
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Of all the bad things out there threatening the survival of honey bees in our brave new world, none is more lethal than the Varroa destructor mite.
The Varroa mite has done more than just imperil the future of honey bees, and with that future the very food supply we all depend on. It has pitted beekeeper against beekeeper in the endless debate on whether to treat Varroa mites in your colony, or go treatment free. Treatment lite?
Should we, as Seeley and Winston have suggested, turn our bee genome inside out in pursuit of a honey bee that might outrun Varroa but will end up being just another kind of wasp…no honey harvests, no increase? Do we even have a choice?
[…]
Read more about this interesting option here: Eradication is the Goal: Gene Silencing is the Tool — Here We Bee
22 Tuesday Aug 2017
Seemingly indestructible Varroa mites have decimated honeybee populations and are a primary cause of colony collapse disorder, or CCD. Michigan State University scientists have found genetic holes in Varroa mites’ armor that could potentially reduce or eliminate the marauding invaders. Credit: Zachary HuangMichigan State University scientists have found genetic holes in the pests’ armor that…
Read full article here: Varroa mites—bees’ archenemies—have genetic holes in their armour — BEEKeeperTom’s Blog
21 Monday Aug 2017
Posted in beekeeping, humor, management
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The worst beekeeping mistakes come from putting off what you should have done yesterday. Somehow, problems inside a bee hive don’t get better by themselves. I keep thinking they will, but they don’t…. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more. ]]
We all have days like this. Read more here: Incredibly stupid things a beekeeper can do — Honey Bee Suite
20 Sunday Aug 2017
Having had great success with recipe Saturdays, I’ve decided to add Vocabulary Sundays. Short and sweet vocabulary building for beekeepers and those interested in learning more before taking the leap.
Today’s word is: Larva
Three days after the queen lays the egg, it hatches into a larva (the plural is larvae). Healthy larvae are snowy white and resemble small grubs curled up in the cells (see Figure 2-12). Tiny at first, the larvae grow quickly, shedding their skin five times.
These helpless little creatures have voracious appetites, consuming 1,300 meals a day. The nurse bees first feed the larvae royal jelly, and later they’re weaned to a mixture of honey and pollen (sometimes referred to as bee bread). Within just five days, they are 1,570 times larger than their original size. At this time the worker bees seal the larvae in the cell with a porous capping of tan beeswax.
Source and read more on the lifecycle of the honey bee at: Tracking the Life Cycle of the Honey Bee By Howland Blackiston
19 Saturday Aug 2017
Posted in beekeeping
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What are you doing for National Honey Bee Day this year? It’s coming up soon. Share your own plans or events in the comments section below. August 19, 2017 is officially “National Honey Bee Day” in the USA. Every year around the country, bee clubs and bee lovers gather together for education, outreach, fun…
Read more here: National Honey Bee Day is August 19th, 2017 — Keeping Backyard Bees
19 Saturday Aug 2017
Posted in beekeeping, honey, recipe
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These are a big family favorite in our house! These bars are great for when you want a small snack and want something healthy. They are high in fiber, a great source of protein, and energy. They almost taste like a candy bar without all of the added junk. They are also fun to use […]
Read more here: Raw Honey Food Bars — The Honey Cottage
18 Friday Aug 2017
Posted in beekeeping, management, swarms
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From David Morland, ADBKA Chair: I learnt recently that my Grandfather was the first bee scientist at Rothamsted and one of the founder members of the International Bee Research Association (IBRA). His books and papers were passed on to Eva Crane whose own collection was the foundation of the IBRA library. He was succeeded as […]
Read full text here: The Brood Food Theory of Swarming — Aberdeen and District Beekeepers’ Association (SCIO)
16 Wednesday Aug 2017
Posted in beekeeping, opinion
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I’m not feeding them! Can’t get those boxes off. Maybe by Fall…
15 Tuesday Aug 2017
Posted in beekeeper education, beekeeping, education
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Beekeeping is not for everyone. It takes a certain mixture of patience, fascination and a bit of courage. But with some research and the right gear, it is possible to begin the journey as a beekeeper and have the satisfaction of working with the amazing creature…the honey bee. Do Your Homework The first place to start is […]
Read more here: The Reluctant Beekeeper — Farm, Garden and Beyond
14 Monday Aug 2017
Posted in beekeeping, pests
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I’m not fond of yellow jackets. I don’t know anyone who is, though they are considered a beneficial insect because they pollinate. Here is a sweet little honey bee. Look at that fuzz, those intelligent looking eyes! Even though she’s capable of stinging, you know she’d rather just get on with her work. Now look […]
Read more here: Honey Bees and Yellow Jackets = Two Different Things — The Byrd and the Bees
13 Sunday Aug 2017
Posted in beekeeping, beekeeping equipment, beekeeping vocabulary, equipment
Having had great success with recipe Saturdays, I’ve decided to add Vocabulary Sundays. Short and sweet vocabulary building for beekeepers and those interested in learning more before taking the leap.
Today’s word is: Jacket
A beekeeper’s jacket is one component of personal protective equipment designed to protect the beekeeper from stings. As the picture above shows, early jackets were most likely of heavy cloth, loosely fitting, with masks made of woven straw. Today’s jackets are still loosely fitting to distance the beekeeper from the stinger but are lightweight with thin mesh veils, zippers, and ventilated cloth. Today’s jackets can be purchased for as little as $10 USD or as much as $150 USD depending on the quality and source.
11 Friday Aug 2017
Posted in beekeeping, food, honey, products, safety
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I’m back in Canada after a week in Europe. It’s cooler here (21C today) than Hungary’s 39C. It’s been much too dry on the western Canadian prairies – that’s probably going to hurt the honey crop and maybe even the millions of acres of wheat, lentils, and canola in our area. It’s already August, so […]
Read complete article at: Does the Truth Matter? — Bad Beekeeping Blog
10 Thursday Aug 2017
Posted in beekeeping, beekeeping equipment, beekeeping history, equipment, management
In Search Of The Better
MousetrapBeehiveWhen people start looking for a place to live – a home to own – they generally have a good idea what their needs are. And they know their wants – some special things to make it their dream home. The needs and wants are highly variable, even different in different climates. And frequently the needs of a perfect place to live come before considering the wants. However, many homeowners are enthusiastic do-it-yourselfers. After a few weekends a want leads to a new patio. After that perhaps a garden shed. The DIY projects are endless. Build bookshelves, reconfigure a closet, turn a bedroom into an office and perhaps build a beehive.
What do European stock honey bees in search of a home look for? A dry cavity. That is top priority on the need list. (Sometimes it can’t be found.) What about the wants? Well, the preferred size is 40 liters, making a deep Langstroth hive body just right. Close to that size is acceptable. Next, a definite need is a small entrance that can be easily defended. The bees would like the cavity placed not too close to the ground. The bees, industrious do-it-yourselfers, will take care of building their own furniture (comb).
Read full article here: In Search Of The Better Beehive — Bee Culture
09 Wednesday Aug 2017
Posted in beekeeping
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via Knot bad for bees! — Ray Cannon’s nature notes
Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) is a fast growing, invasive perennial with a terrible reputation for spreading and excluding other native plants. Its roots are also capable of breaking through concrete and other man-made materials (1).
But it’s not all bad! It looks quite nice when it is flower, right now in September, and it’s good for bees and insects. Another blogger beat me to the excellent title ‘knotty but nice’ (2) and there is a lot out there on the Web on it’s good-for-beeness!
There seems to be some debate on bee fora (forums) about the tastiness of Knotweed honey, which is sometimes sold as ‘bamboo honey’ in the US apparently. I’d like to try it; bet it’s nice.
08 Tuesday Aug 2017
Posted in beekeeper education, beekeeping, education, honey bee biology
Perhaps you’ve seen the 2015 video from photographer Anand Varma (and shared again last week via National Geographic), a time-lapse of bee larvae hatching and growing in their cells: Watch: larvae grow into bees in this mesmerizing time-lapse https://t.co/JvRbXDMl2e — National Geographic (@NatGeo) July 19, 2017 What you can’t see in that video—in fact, what […]
Read more about this fascinating topic here: The Microscopic Spines That Many Bee Species Use to Hatch — Entomology Today
07 Monday Aug 2017
Posted in beekeeping
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Summer in Maryland means stickiness. This is not the same glorious stickiness we negotiate when we’re harvesting honey. It’s much less desirable as the heat and humidity make us want another shower five minutes after getting out of one. If it’s that hot for us, imagine how honey bees feel! All animals need hydration. In […]
Read more and see lots of great pictures at: Water Sources for Bees — settling for bees
06 Sunday Aug 2017
Posted in beekeeping, beekeeping vocabulary, education, honey bee vocabulary
Having had great success with recipe Saturdays, I’ve decided to add Vocabulary Sundays. Short and sweet vocabulary building for beekeepers and those interested in learning more before taking the leap.
Today’s word is: Imago
In biology, the imago is the last stage an insect attains during its metamorphosis, its process of growth and development; it also is called the imaginal stage, the stage in which the insect attains maturity. It follows the final ecdysis of the immature instars.[1]
In a member of the Ametabola or Hemimetabola, in which metamorphosis is “incomplete”, the final ecdysis follows the last immature or nymphal stage. In members of the Holometabola, in which there is a pupal stage, the final ecdysis follows emergence from the pupa, after which the metamorphosis is complete, although there is a prolonged period of maturation in some species.[2]
The imago is the only stage during which the insect is sexually mature and, if it is a winged species, has functional wings. The imago often is referred to as the adult stage.[1]
04 Friday Aug 2017
Posted in beekeeping, management, varroa, varroa mites
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Hobby beekeeping is very common. A European Bee Health Report found that in many countries, the majority of beekeepers pursue the activity as a hobby. They give Germany as an example: 80% of beekeepers keep just 1–20 colonies, 18% keep 21–50 colonies and only about 2% keep more than 50 colonies. They note that improving expertise and education are likely good ways to improve honey bee health.
They may be on to something. In fact, in the past months two scientific publications – a large European surveillance study, and an essay in Journal of Economic Entomology – turn the spotlight on bee management, holding handling factors, like the lack of appropriate treatment, largely accountable for the spread of bee mites and diseases.
Bee epidemics have become a growing problem for both wild and cultivated bees thanks to the spread of the cultivated European honey bee. The Varroa Destructor mite is at the core of the problem, because it also passes on bee diseases (I have discussed this more at length in my earlier bee health piece).
Read more here: ‘Treatment-free’ Beekeepers Give Varroa Mite Free Rein
02 Wednesday Aug 2017
Posted in beekeeping
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A fast warm up with not just warm but down right hot days this spring allowed plants to bloom early, providing pollen and nectar to pollinators searching for much needed food. The past few weeks were more indicative of spring with lots of rain and cooler weather, although the whole package is typical Maryland weather- unpredictable. […]
Absolutely fantastic pictures accompany this article here: The Magic of Nectar Becoming Honey — settling for bees
Beekeeping365 