Getting Your Honeybees Through the First Year

Getting Your Honeybees Through the First Year

This Presentation and statements This Presentation represents what works for me, your experiences will vary This presentation is intended to help you recognize problems and seek documentation and assistance towards a solution This presentation is not intended to discuss detailed problem solutions I take a pragmatic approach, not much on philosophy Your environment will be different from everyone's, 2 miles down the road could be different Any advice you read, see or hear could be great or not so good, soak it up, find what works for you Don t listen to anyone who says only their way works Criticism, don t let anyone crack your perseverance Beekeeping is enjoyable and rewarding but not effortless or free of expense (beehavers vs beekeepers) As a beekeeper, you will get sweaty, stung and sticky Honeybees are living creatures, they deserve compassion & respect The only time you need to look for a queen is if you have to do something with her

This Presentation and Statements continued Get rid of your insecticides, they're designed to kill bugs, honeybees are bugs Mentors are invaluable in your hive or with them in theirs, buy lunch Don t panic but if something doesn t make sense or seem right, look for or seek advice quickly Practice lighting your smoker before you open a hive Always wear a veil, have gloves with you when you open a hive Acute close up vision is important, REQUIRED, you must be able to see eggs in cells Before you enter a hive have a mental or written plan, its easy to get distracted, intimidated Be prepared to abort your plan and try again on a different day Beekeeping success is greatly influenced by the weather, it s somewhat like farming or gardening Rain washes nectar and pollen out of blooms, spring and the main flow can be a complete washout Honeybees can t work in the rain, producers vs consumers Please be patient and thank you for taking on beekeeping

First Year Hive Components 3 Deeps or 2 Deeps and Other Boxes to House Feeder Jars

Open Hive One Week In: 5 to 7 days since your package or NUC was installed Weather could be cool during the days and freezing at night Bees will cluster when cold Enter in temperature above 50, low wind Move slowly but Get in and get out, do not look for the queen Always have a smoker lit, no oily smoke, don t burn fabrics, sticks are free and readil Queen should be released from the cage (in a package), take it out Make sure the cage is empty & any attached comb doesn t have bees attached Eggs should be present if you started with a NUC Should be feeding 1:1 sugar syrup Entrance reduced Screened bottom closed

This is what you want to see on your first visit

Feeding Feed 1:1 sugar syrup, (corn syrup? > I don t like it) Use granulated sugar / 1:1 by weight or volume Feed syrup cooled/warmed to room temperature Only feed in portions that can be consumed in a week or less, clean jar then replenish Mold in syrup can be fatal, this retards mold growth----> Microwave preparation retards mold growth Do not use an entrance feeder Feed on/from top using jars with perforated lids, inner covers, leave this on as long as the bees consume it -or- Until 15 frames are nearly drawn / filled Pollen substitute optional, not consumed if natural pollen is present

Jar Hive-top Feeding Inner Cover Feeder board I have had the best success using this method Together

Open Hive 7 to 14 days in: 7 to 14 days since your package or NUC was installed Weather is variable. cold and rainy (not good) or could be hot and clear (better?) Plants in bloom now (maybe), flow picking up Low lying flowering plants, Maple, small trees Look for pollen on inbound field bees legs Eggs should be present, you need to see them Queenright Look for brood stages Don t look for the queen Should be feeding 1:1 sugar syrup

Eggs in cells

Eggs and Larva

This is what you want to see in about 7-14 days

Two Deep Boxes All Drawn 60 Pounds Stored

Capped Brood

Full Frame of Brood with Pollen

Full Frame of Brood with Capped Honey

Strong, Healthy, Established Colony Frame

Small Hive Beetle in Packages

Small Hive Beetle Damage to Weak Hive

Parasites Varroa Mites

Where is the New / Young Brood?

Drone Laying Worker

Laying Worker Drone Brood

Queen Supercedure Cell

Queen Swarm Cell

Brood Indicating Failure

Foulbrood

How to Get there Learn to recognize a failing colony and strive to fix it Inspect your colony every 10 to 14 days all the way to the first hard freeze Rapid problem solving is important Make sure your colony is queenright, look for eggs Make sure you have a reliable queen breeder in mind Consider and adjust based on the effects of the weather Some queens are just duds, poor breeding or mating, replace them Building strong colonies sometimes means feeding for an extended time Consult a mentor Join a local beekeeping group