Making & Managing Viable Bee Colonies-- a primer to sustainable beekeeping Central Maryland Beekeepers Association May 7, 2013 Pat & Jim Haskell

We’ll discuss What nucs are and are not Some real data on why nucs are important in this area What some Northern VA Clubs are doing A month-to-month “guide” on integrating nucs, honey, & queen production Managing nucs in certain dearth areas Some take-home lessons from the school of hard knocks

Common Definitions A split is basically the process of separating the two hive bodies of a colony and providing a queen for the queenless portion A nuc is, biologically, a fully balanced colony in miniature. –Can be anywhere between 2-10 frames An increase is simply adding to the number of colonies that you have –Via splits, swarms, nucs, packages, etc

Additional Definitions T-Bug Palmerization, or “to Palmerize” The M A G I C effect of changing bloom dates =The queen that works well in our area =The making of multiple nuc’s from unproductive colonies =Maybe Al Gore Isn’t Crazy!

Nucs are not Defined by; –# of frames –# of boxes –Size of frames –Configuration

Nucs different than full-sized colonies in Size Bee population –Nuc has only 10-25% of the population of a full sized colony Ease of frame manipulation Less difficult to locate queen Colony difficulties are concentrated intensive management Great mentoring tool!

Nucs and their uses are often defined by WHEN they are made Spring Nucs (specific?) –Increases –To sell –Holding colonies –Mating nucs –Starter colonies Nucs for Overwintering (broad?) –To be ready for early nectar flows (esp. in north & east) –To be ready for pollination needs (esp. in west)

Why make nucs? To grow your beekeeping business Cheaper than purchasing packages or nucs To replace winter losses Can use a queen of your choice Keeping a backup queen Foolproof requeening To sell Management tool in swarm prevention As a mentor/teaching tool As a food and/or brood resource for your other colonies

WHY we’re doing nucs Demand for bees & queens “adaptable” (T-Bugs) to our area exceeds the supply Status quo is not “sustainable” Exit of two regional queen breeders –Who bred resistant production queens Dissatisfaction with current sources –Timeliness (the MAGIC effect?) –No “seasonal sense” –High winter losses –High spring & summer losses Queen survival – Not just Nov thru March!

Some Actual Data (in 5 th year)

Summary of BANV Survey Results (3 years, weighted survival rates) 1.Locally produced nucs with resistant queens 87% 2.Locally produced resistant queens 70% 3.Bee raised queens (emergency, supercedure and swarm) 65% 4.Beekeeper produced queens 60% 5.Queens from GA 35% 6.VA produced nucs with GA queens 25% 7.Packages from GA 20%

Origin of Out of State Queen and Package Bees to Virginia

What some Northern Virginia Clubs are Doing

Northern Virginia Beekeeping Teaching Consortium BONS PWRBA GBA NNBC LBA RABA WOODSTOCK BANV NPBA D.C. PBA

Community-Based Nuc and/or Queen Rearing Programs (2011) BONS PWRBA GBA BANV D.C.

Community-Based Nuc and/or Queen Rearing Programs (2012) BONS PWRBA GBA NNBC LBA BANV D.C. PBA

Integrating Nucs, Honey, & Queens

NUC’S Full Size Do nothing with your production colonies –Just stay out of the way Start producing some cells, virgins, or queens for yourself or for your Club –If it has a queen program –If it doesn’t, help start one Most intense management month –Use of spring nucs made from overwintered nucs Sell to new students Sell to other club members Use to expand your own operation –Closely monitor remaining nucs Use brood & food as a resource for –Full sized colonies –Mating nucs –Can even make more splits May

NUC’S Full Size “Palmerize” your unproductive colonies –Make sure the unproductive colonies are free of brood diseases –May get from 2-6 nucs out of each colony –Pinch that unproductive queen June 15 – July 15 Make your nucs for overwintering –Use your own queens or those known to be resistant or hygienic –Make “strong” nucs – 2.5+ frames of brood, (no eggs or young larvae) plus food frames & a frame of mostly open, drawn comb June

NUC’S Full Size Extract honey from production colonies –Wet supers back on if still in flow –Otherwise store when dry Use uncapped honey & nectar in nucs for overwintering Start feeding light syrup if in dearth Artificial pollen also if few stores Start “fall” requeening –Your own May or June queens –Outside resistant queens June 15 – July 15 Make your nucs for overwintering (cont) –Reduced entrance, robber screen –Nematodes & in-hive SHB trap –Start feeding sugar water & pollen right away, especially during expected dearth –Mite count after old brood has emerged, new brood not yet capped July

NUC’S Full Size Important feeding month in our area! –Usually no rain – an almost sure dearth Light syrup also a much needed water source –Need to stimulate queen The bees that will raise the 1 st winter bees Need her to out-lay any varroa Complete fall re-queening this month SHB controls? Add 2 nd, 5-frame box, if haven’t already done so! –honey/nectar frames, left over from honey harvest, are great –Drawn comb OK –Foundation as last resort –Mite count –Check adequacy of SHB controls August

NUC’SFull Size Continue feeding if needed –Both carbs and protein –Goal is 60-90? pounds of honey going into winter May get lucky and have a little goldenrod or aster flow that will help ease the Costco bill Last mite count Continue feeding nucs if needed –Both carbs and protein –Goal is to have top box full of honey by mid-October May get lucky and have a little goldenrod or aster flow that will help ease the Costco bill Last mite count September

NUC’S Full Size Continue feeding if needed –Both carbs and protein Continue feeding nucs if needed –Both carbs and protein Good time to add excess frames of honey from big colonies to top boxes of nucs Want top box full of honey by end of month October

NUC’SFull Size Position & Ventilation checks –180 from prevailing winter winds –Air movement top & bottom Continue feeding, if needed, and if it doesn’t get too cold if still inadequate stores, get fondant ready Position & Ventilation checks –180 from prevailing winter winds –Air movement top & bottom Continue feeding, if needed, and if it doesn’t get too cold If still inadequate stores, get fondant ready November

NUC’S Full Size Continue feeding, if needed, and if it doesn’t get too cold If still inadequate stores, put on fondant Continue feeding, if needed, and if it doesn’t get too cold If still inadequate stores, put on fondant December

NUC’S Full Size Continue to feed fondant (if necessary) January early Feb

NUC’S Full Size Start stimulation of colonies (weather dependent of course) –Light (1:2) syrup to start Hold off on pollen (if stored pollen appears adequate) till first maple bloom Start stimulation of colonies (weather dependent of course) –Light (1:2) syrup to start Hold off on pollen (if stored pollen appears adequate) till first maple bloom Mid February

NUC’S Full Size Start reversals of colonies –For swarm control Start other swarm mgt. techniques if warranted Mite count Start reversals of colonies –For nuc mgt. & swarm control reasons –Nucs will start to explode in mid to late March Start other swarm mgt. techniques if warranted Mite count March

NUC’S Full Size Start supering your honey producing colonies –Via George Imrie ‘s Pink Pages –Supering finishing colonies is optional Start producing your own queens in late April/early May –As soon as you see purple eyed drones –Or as soon as you see drones outside the colony Nematodes for SHB Need intensive mgt. NOW! 1. Put them in your full-sized colonies –Will surpass packages installed at the same time –Will be ready to collect the April, May, June honey flow 2. Split them several times if necessary) to make Spring nucs –Make “weak” nucs – no more than 2 frames of brood 3. Nematodes for SHB control April

NUC’S Full Size If it looks like we’re starting over again, that’s right! May

Over wintering nuc management We’ll look briefly at –Setting up the nuc –What you’re looking for going into winter –Feeding –Nuc placement options for the winter –Wind protection

Overwintering initial setup; 1 st box (A) In our area, June 15 thru July 30 is best time to establish nucs for overwintering Start with one box Add 2 nd box as soon as population warrants Honey (or honey/pollen mix) (sealed brood) Pollen (or honey/pollen mix) Brood (no eggs or young larvae)

Overwintering initial setup; 2 nd box (B) Ideally, all 5 frames in 2 nd box would be drawn comb A good population can draw out foundation in late summer/fall Need to feed 1:1 early, 2:1 later And pollen patties of course Drawn comb

Going Into Winter Bottom Box (A) Ideal positioning! may vary a little depending on weather and/or beekeeper management Cluster will normally locate on middle three frames Cluster may move a frame toward the SE, (warm side) depending on nuc orientation On warm days, bees should basically cover all 5 top bars on the lower box Honey/pollen mix Brood, pollen/honey mix A few eggs, young brood, likely mama Honey/pollen mix Brood, pollen/honey mix

Going Into Winter Top Box (B) At this time, remove all undrawn foundation; replace with frames of honey All frames should be capped honey Some may be actual honey: others may be sugar honey from your 2:1 or 1:1 feedings Watch winter stores! feed bee candy/fondant as needed (use shim or extra hive body) Honey

overwintering Initial setupReady for winter Box A Box B

Nuc’s for Overwintering Management Tips Use worker brood only when making the nucs Use the queens you made in May & June for nuc’s and to requeen production colonies Small Hive Beetle management Robbing Feeding – don’t forget the pollen –Fruitless foraging Ventilation Wind protection

Winter “protection” Nuc entrances should face downwind in the winter; fortunately, our winter winds are mostly from the N or NW Mite boards can be left in to cut off heavy drafts Note: overwintered nucs need a lot of and the right kind of ventilation in the winter! Protection from strong winter winds can come from several sources

Hillsides, hedges, & fences can aid in wind protection

TAKE HOME LESSONS We haven’t paid enough attention to where and when we get our QUEENS, NUC’S & PACKAGES –Or about the genetics of the queen contained in those NUCS & PACKAGES & QUEEN CAGES we purchase We need to understand the elementary economics of buying and replacing bees and queens (requires simple math) We DO have to learn how to overwinter nucs, and We DO have to learn how to raise some T-bugs that have “seasonal sense”

QUESTIONS?