Detailed Hive Inspection

What fun I had visiting a local beekeeper's apiary.  Our local club organized a small outing at one of the member's apiary.  Here's some photos of the experience!  I can't wait for our bees to arrive!

Looking for the queen and inspecting the cells.

Drone being fed by two worker bees.

The queen is in a queen clip surrounded by the workers.

Queen inside the clip with a worker bee looking at me.

Overcrowded nuc - bees are "hanging out on the porch" because there is no more room inside.

Can you find the worker bee telling her sisters where to find something good?

Looking for the queen.

Worker bees telling everyone to come into the entrance of the new hive.

Winter Loss Surveys

From Karen Roccasecca, State Apiarist, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture:

Please remember that time is running out to complete these surveys, so please take the surveys, help spread the word and encourage others to complete the surveys soon.

The first one is offered by The PA State Beekeepers.  Their survey is a Winter Loss Survey for PA beekeepers.  Please go to their website, www.pastatebeekeepers.org , to complete this confidential survey. It is a quick and easy survey and the results will be posted on their website.  This survey will be available until the beginning of May.  Please note that beekeepers using iphones or ipads may have problems completing the survey. PSBA’s webmaster is working on this, but he may not be able to get the two systems to work together. This direct link may work:  https://goo.gl/forms/qbLvyoOfd6OYk8en2 .  Another solution is to use a different computer or android device belonging to a friend or the library.

After you are done taking the survey, be sure to look at all the information and interesting articles on the site. If you are not yet a member of PSBA, you may want to consider joining. It is a great organization and their mission is to help PA beekeepers.

The other survey is offered by the Bee Informed Partnership.  There is additional information below about this survey - The Bee Informed Partnership Colony Loss and National  Management Survey. PLEASE take a few minutes and complete this national confidential survey. YOU have an important role in BOTH of these surveys!

The Bee Informed Survey is only around until April 30, 2018, so it is time to get the word out to your beekeeping friends and associations and complete the surveys! 

I can’t stress enough how important YOUR participation is in these surveys.  These surveys have a huge impact on beekeepers in PA and throughout the United States.  The results are used by a variety of  people and play a large role in determining the outcome of many programs affecting honey bees and other pollinators, as well as beekeepers. This survey will take longer to complete, but is extremely valuable. Please take the time to complete it as accurately as you can. Go to www.beeinformed.org  and then click on “Participate in the Colony Loss and Management Survey” (near the top of the page, in the “moving” dark box).

PA has had the highest response of any state or commonwealth almost every year since the beginning of the survey.  Let's see if we can break our record of responders this year! Please remember that more data, from more beekeepers, will help provide a better and more accurate survey, with results that will help YOU and YOUR BEES!

Preparing Continues!

Both my husband and Dad have been busy at work!  Hives have been put together, I painted, the bear fence has been put up...  I'm going to tell you all about it!

Going into this project, we knew there would be great startup cost.  Please feel free to use this as a guide.

Apiary Bear Fence
After some research, we decided we needed to have a bear fence.  We know we have an active bear in our area - it took out my parent's bird feeder and peanut feeder last year.

We decided to do it big; last year we built a garden fence and greenhouse.  So with the apiary only so far away, we decided to have it match.  However, you can build one more simpler.  We followed the guidance from Craig Cella.

I will outline the basic things you need:

• Kencove Parmak Magnum Energizer - 0.5 Joule
• Field Guardian Complete Grounding Kit - 6ft
• Pin-Lock Insulator
• Cattle Panel 16'

In addition, you need something to hold it all.  We chose to build our fence out of wood.  You will see that we also put cedar panels to block some of the wind that would blow across the open field.

 

Christian is just putting the finishing touches in by completing a gate for us to use.  We will also be hanging signs: one for active apiary that bees sting and another for electric fence.

Hive Preparation
We sourced our equipment from our bee mentor, Joe.  These supplies included the following (times two since we are starting with two hives):

• 2 - 10 Frame Hive Body
• 2 - 10 Frames with Foundations
• Medium Honey Super
• 10 - 6 ⅝" Frames with Foundation
• Telescoping Cover with Inner Cover
• Bottom Board with Reducer

You can buy these assembled, unassembled, painted or unpainted.  We chose to put it together and paint it ourselves.  We also chose to use Sherwin Williams Exterior Latex paint in the color of Tint of Honey.  Not only did I like the color, but the name was about right!  Because this one has the primer built in, it only took two coats to paint.

 

 

 

Here's a list of things you should have for yourself:

• Hive Tool
• Bee Brush
• Leather Gloves
• Bee Veil
• Smoker
• Storey's Guide to Keeping Honey Bees

You may think you should have a jacket, full body suit, etc.  However, remember, bees are gentle.  If you are working lightly in your apiary with only a hive or two, you shouldn't need to be fully geared.

If you can, join a local club and go to a bee seminar.  These two things have proved invaluable to our growth.  It's also a great way to get these supplies and look at them before buying.