Beekeeping

[EddieWalker]

My wife is saying that we've never had more bees in the gardens then this year. She is even finding bees that we've never seen before.

Mexican pitted-stingless honeybee is at the bottom of the picture.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I did see an article yesterday about the honey bee losses this last year for commercial beekeepers. They have attributed it to a virus being carried by varroa mites that are resistant to chemical treatments.

 

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We got two nucs this spring; one is very busy in its rapidly-expanding hive, while the second has swarmed twice they had plenty of room? Not sure what their issue was.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

We got two nucs this spring; one is very busy in its rapidly-expanding hive, while the second has swarmed twice they had plenty of room? Not sure what their issue was.

Bees will swarm regardless of space available. It has a lot to do with genetics. Bees are programmed to propogate, and swarming is that mechanism. Colonies can change their swarm behavior over time too, since each time they swarm, the queen mates and takes on new genetic traits. I've had some very swarmy hives, settle into a much less swarmy attitude over the years due to breeding.
Next year with 20 hives, I'm moving more toward splits and queen rearing, so I have some idea of what the bees disposition will be.

 

[drumminj]

We got two nucs this spring; one is very busy in its rapidly-expanding hive, while the second has swarmed twice they had plenty of room? Not sure what their issue was.

Had they perhaps already decided to swarm while in the nuc box? (was it really full?)

 

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Had they perhaps already decided to swarm while in the nuc box? (was it really full?)

It was very full but pretty recently packaged; also the swarming happened easily a month later.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Space is not the only factor. Mine will swarm with half the hive empty. Bees will do what they want

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I saw a post the other day on a beekeeping forum. The guy had a queen cell in the middle of a frame and asked "why are my bees doing this? I keep crushing these and they keep making more."

I thought, you know, they probably wonder why are YOU doing this? Why are you crushing queen cells, when clearly the they are intent on making a queen?

Mankind is the most egotistical of all beings. Only we take a natural creature, question it's decision making, and intervene. Then ask, "what is wrong with this creature?" when it won't comply with our will.

A simple honey bee manages its home, family and resources better than any of us... And we question it's decisions.

I have hives with 20 queen cells. Fine. I have hives with none. Great. I have colonies that will cast three swarms. I have hives that cast none. In every case, they know better than me, or a book written by man.

Beekeeping has taught me just how controlling and egotistical mankind is. Instead of changing them, I just learn from them.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Busy day building. Aluminum roofs. Paint.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Our approach

Honey Bees Learn to Fight Deadly Varroa Mites

In the face of colony collapse, some beekeepers are foregoing insecticides and opting instead to breed bees with mite-resistant behaviors.

civileats.com