Summer Management Presented By David Beckinghausen Beck’sBees

Summer Management Hive Evaluation Hive Placement Health Hive Management Disease Pests Colony Expansion Splits Swarms Cut-outs Re-Queening Rewards

Hive Placement

Summer Management Hive Evaluation Where to locate my hive(s)?  Open Meadow Things to consider: Accessibility (Distance, Terrain) Pests (Bears, Skunks, People)

Summer Management Hive Evaluation Where to locate my hive(s)?  Farm / Orchard Things to consider: Pesticides / Herbicides Sustainable vegetation Accessibility (Distance, Terrain) Pests (Bears, Skunks, People)

Summer Management Hive Evaluation Where to locate my hive(s)?  Backyard Things to consider: Home Lawn-care Pesticides Local Town Ordinances Neighbor Acceptance

Summer Management Hive Evaluation Where not to locate my hive(s)?  Flood Prone Areas

Summer Management Hive Evaluation Where not to locate my hive(s)?  Noisy Areas

Summer Management Hive Evaluation Where to locate my hive(s)?  Summary High and Dry Provide some Shade and Wind Protection Convenience

Health

Summer Management Hive Evaluation Health / Strength of my hive(s)?  Colony Numbers Things to look for: Strong hive activity Workers/Drones Too many / too few

Summer Management Hive Evaluation Health / Strength of my hive(s)?  Brood Things to look for: Strong egg and larva numbers Good brood pattern Healthy brood

Summer Management Hive Evaluation Health / Strength of my hive(s)?  Brood Larva Eggs

Summer Management Hive Evaluation Health / Strength of my hive(s)?  Queen Things to look for: Looks Healthy Fresh Eggs Signs of Supersedure

Summer Management Hive Evaluation Health / Strength of my hive(s)?  Supersedure Things to do: Leave the hive to naturally swarm Split hive Remove Queen Cells and add space to hive

Diseases

Summer Management Hive Management Disease  American Foulbrood Disease What it is: Bacterial infection of the Brood

Summer Management Hive Management Disease  American Foulbrood Disease What to look for: Sunken brood caps Foul odor in brood area Dead / rotted brood

Summer Management Hive Management Disease  American Foulbrood Disease What to look for: Gooey mass Stringy Bad Smell

Summer Management Hive Management Disease  American Foulbrood Disease How it is spread: Inter-hive exposure Long life as a spore Infected Bee Equipment Robbing

Summer Management Hive Management Disease  American Foulbrood Disease Treatment: Fire - Burn hive

Summer Management Hive Management Other Brood Diseases  European Foulbrood What it is: Bacterial infection of the Brood Typically infects younger larva

Summer Management Hive Management Other Brood Diseases  Chalkbrood What it is: Fungal Disease Disease of Stress White mummies

Brood diseases in Ohio 2005 Apiary Statistics From ODA Colonies Inspected 21,389 American Foulbrood 388 Colonies: European Foulbrood 31 Colonies: Chalk brood 396 Colonies

Insect Pests

Summer Management Hive Management Insect Pests  Varroa Mite What it is: Parasite

Summer Management Hive Management Insect Pests  Varroa Mite Treatment: Resilient breed stock Chemical treatment

Summer Management Hive Management Other Insect Pests  Tracheal Mite What it is: Microscopic sized Parasite

Summer Management Hive Management Other Insect Pests  Small Hive Beatle

Summer Management Hive Management Other Insect Pests  Wax Moths

Summer Management Hive Management Other Insect Pests  Ants

Summer Management Hive Management Other Insect Pests  Wasps

Summer Management Hive Management Other Pests  Mice  Bear  Skunk  Snakes  Raccoons

Adding Colonies

Summer Management Colony Expansion  Making Splits Why? Control Swarming Increase Colony Numbers Control Stock To sell

Summer Management Colony Expansion  Making Splits How? Select only healthy and larger populated hive(s) Split with healthy brood/ eggs/ and worker/ foresting bees Separate several miles from mother colony

Summer Management Colony Expansion  Capturing Swarms Why? Quick Increase Colony Numbers Add New Stock To Sell

Summer Management Colony Expansion  Cut-outs Why? Save a Colony from “Pest Control” Increase Colony Numbers Add New Stock Fun and Experience

Summer Management Colony Expansion  Re-Queening Why? Queen-less hive Hot Hive Weak Queen/ Poor egg producer

Summer Management Colony Expansion  Re-Queening How? Purchase new from Queen Breeder Raise your own Introduce mature Queen Cell

Reward

Summer Management Rewards  Satisfying and Educational Hobby

Summer Management Rewards  Financial

Summer Management Rewards  HONEY

Thank you!