Beekeepers Friend

September 3, 2009 I collected a swarm in a tree. I brought it home and wanted to see if it would survive till winter. I had just decided 3 days ago to go ahead and feed it. However, when I went to check before I mixed some sugar syrup, it had finally succumbed to hive beetles. It had lasted about 2 1/2 months. It started out with about one pound of bees.I really didn’t think it could last that long.

I started to feed it about a month ago, but it was doing so well on its own that I decided to wait. My first thought was the right one. Go ahead and feed. Usually your first thought is the correct one. Sometimes, though, you can be mistaken.  I really thought that the colony was not strong enough to survive. The next time I get one that small, I will experiment again and add two frames of brood and feed sugar syrup and see if I can save it.

Experimentation is one of the ways you can learn about bees. Really, that is what the researchers do - experiment. As a beekeeper, you have to be flexible enough to experiment with one or two of your colonies so you can improve your understanding of your bees. Great discoveries usually come by accident, but some are on purpose. You will not learn unless you take some risks.

Not to say, experiment with all your bees at the same time. Just one or two at a time. If your experiment works the way you want it to, then–maybe two or three more to be sure. If you have improved the system then go ahead on and do it to all your bees. That is why only some of my bees have screened bottom boards. I am still having some not so good results with my bees. As you know from previous posts, I have lost most of my bees. Some with and some without screen bottom board. However, circumstances have made my experiments invalid. So I must rebuild my apiaries and start over with my studies.

If I seem to be long winded and not saying much, it is because, at the time of this post, it is 12:15 am and I am tired. In the future I will try to post at a decent time so my ramblings will make some sense to you.

In the meantime, your bees have probably slowed down the egg laying and are just meandering around looking for something to collect. This is the time to check their winter stores. Do they have pollen put up close to the brood area? Do they have honey? The way you can tell if they have honey, if you don’t want to open the hive, is to lift the back of the hive to see if there is any weight. If it is heavy, then there is enough. If it feels light, the you have to open the top board and check the honey super frame by frame. If there is no honey stores, then you have to start feeding and you will have to feed all Winter long. You need to feed 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. This is what we call sustaining syrup. In the Spring (Jan and Feb), you need to feed 1 to 1 sugar syrup. This what we call jump starting the queen into laying lots of eggs. This is a thin syrup sorta like the consistency of nectar.

About the middle of February, stop feeding so the bees will use up the syrup before the Spring honey flow commences. Don’t want to mix sugar syrup with your honey.

Have a good Winter and read, read, read. In the meantime, when the weather is clear and not so cold, go out and clean boxes, frames, and paint, if you so desire, so you can be ready with honey supers for the honey flow in March.

Talk to you later.

The suspense was killing me. Did I fail to advance. If I didn’t then I still had 4 months to prepare for the next session. But I was feeling that if I didn’t pass, then I would just quit and be done with it.

We had more speakers and classes for the regular workshop-like convention. Then at noon on Friday, Dr. Ellis said that he was going to leave before the Awards banquet and would like to present the Advanced Beekeeper names at this time. The wait would be over. Out of 7 students to take the advance test only 2 passed everything. Most of the others had some form of paperwork not in compliance with the rules. I knew that my paperwork was all in order along with some documents (newspaper clippings, some personal notes sent to me for jobs well done, etc). So the only thing was the one person that failed the practical test. Ha, I knew it. I didn’t get the pinned insects correct. That killed it. He called (I forgot now who) a name and the guy stood up and received a solid hand clap. Then Jamie Ellis started talking about the other student and I didn’t hear half of what he said until——-”Peaches” —-Wha WHAT!!?? ME? I jumped up and and raised my hands and probably yelled, someone said that I came off the floor about 2′. I cannot jump 6″ under normal circumstances much less 2′. But I was excited and I have to rely on others to tell what happened after that. I do remember that everyone in the room started clapping and yelling for me too. I received my Advanced Beekeeper patch and went across the street to the News paper office and borrowed a big stapler so I could get that patch on. I wanted it to be on my vest for the rest of the convention.

The rest of the convention was spent  getting complimented on my advancement, attending more classes, and getting to go to the hands on bee yard to talk to the public that was invited to the Saturday “Day In The Bee Yard”. I got credit for that for the next years test. I am one happy camper. If I make it through the next two levels, this will be the first time I ever got an award for going to school.

I know that you are tired of listening about me, the next post will be about bees. Thank you for visiting and remember to keep your veil close, your smoker lit, and your hive tool sharp.

Continued from Master Beekeeping Program post:

I asked my son how to study for a test since it has been over 50 years since I graduated High School. He said that he waited till the last week and crammed all that he could so it would be fresh on his mind. (I didn’t know at the time that he was joking.) That is exactly what I did. I crammed and crammed and in the night I dreamed that if I wasn’t a bee in the colony, then I was a beekeeper and was covered with honey, ants, wasps, yellow jackets, or I was in the honey house covered with honey, ants, wasps, yellow jackets!!. I was very strung out and on the way to Monticello, FL where the meeting would be held, I started having doubts about my knowledge.

My wife and I left on Wednesday so I could get a good night sleep and be alert for the school Thursday morning. I won’t go into minute by minute details, but I will say that trying to find the school area which was at the same place that the open bee hives were proved to be difficult in the night.  I did find it the next morning by talking to someone and having it explained that the testing site was inside another site that was not named in the directions.

I did take the test and suffice it to say that I wasn’t at all impressed with my answers. The written test was kinda ok with some reservations. 50-50 chance of passing. The practical test I knew that was a disaster. I had to guess at over half of the insects and there was no way I could tell you if they were East or West Yellow Jackets, Greater or Smaller Bumble Bees. North or South Carpenter Bees, Red or Green Fly’s, or if they were even in Florida at the time of the test. Certificates were to be given at the banquet Friday night.

After that was over, my wife and I hotfooted it down to the place we were having a cookout. It was served inside the Opera House that is over a hundred years. Had a good time just visiting with old friends and making new ones. Next day would be another story. Sooo——Continued again  hehe!

The North Escambia Bee Association (NEBA) will be hosting a Beekeeping Chautauqua February 20, 2010 at the Northview High School in Bratt, Florida.

Some of the speakers will be: Dr. Lilia de Guzman - USDA Bee Lab, Baton Rouge, LA;  Virginia Webb, Entrepreneur Extraordinaire:  Doug Corbin, Bee Inspector, NW FL; Laurence Cutts,  Retired FL St Apiary Inspector & Past FSBA President;  Wayne Miller, President  NEBA: David Barns, AFB  Testing Lab - Gainesville, FL; David Westervelt, Apiary Research Environmental Specialist I & Bee Inspector,  FL; Dan Mullins, Santa Rosa County Agent.

Registration will begin at 0700. The meeting will begin at 0800. Every one is welcome to attend. The preregistration cost will be $30 for man and wife, $25 for singles, $12.50 school students (12+) children 11- admitted free. If you choose to register at the door, there will be an additional  $5.00 per person. Please make plans to attend.

For those of you who wish to participate in the honey judging, click here.

If you need more information, please email ekpeach@dpeach.com or call Diana Miller at 850-968-2676 or Peaches at 850-206-9352. See you there.

As some of you know, I am enrolled in the Master Beekeeper Program (MBP) sponsored by the University of Florida. This program is designed to help beekeepers learn parts of the beekeeping industry that they would otherwise ignore. It also helps in public relations skills as well as teaching and presenting the story of honey bees and their products.

Dr. Jamie Ellis, a professor and research leader in the entomology dept of UF, is the instigator of this program and with the help of the Florida Dept Bureau of Plant and Apiary Inspections, and the Florida State Beekeepers Association (FSBA), can conduct the annual classroom training and administer the exams at the FSBA annual meeting. There was so much interest and applications that the FSBA offered to put on a mid year program so the students of the MBP could be spread out to keep from overcrowding the facilities. This has also helped some of the students that for one reason or another did not get to attend the annual classes and test. I happen to be one of those students.

The first year test is administered to those beekeepers that have had bees for a year or more. There was no study period other than what they learned during that year of keeping bees. To become an Apprentice Beekeeper, the student had to go to the beeyard and show the  queen, drone, and worker bee as well as show the egges and larvae. Know the difference in sealed brood and capped honey. Then to the lab to identify parts of the hive bodies, tools, and equipment. There was a written test that was part of the class. Upon satisfactorily completing all this, the student was elevated to the Apprentice Beekeeper level. I received this level in March 2008. March 2009, I didn’t get to attend as that was the time my wife was convalescing from her surgeries in January. However the college said that I could take all the time I want to complete this course. That means I could take 10 years if necessary. I don’t think I will stretch it out quite that long.

When I found out my wife would be able to make the FSBA meeting this November, I decided to start studying again. I had to have read some bee books on my reading list and completed some computer modules, which meant I had some computer websites I had to have read and/or watch some videos to gain that information. There were six modules and each one had a minimum of five websites to study. In addition, I had to have a minimum of five public service points (teaching/explaining about bees to non beekeepers). I had more than that but I was told by several classmates that I could not get more than necessary and bank them for the next year’s quota. I stopped getting them signed. Later I found out that I needed to send in all public service points I could just for the panel to review to see if we were doing our assignments!!? Hummmmm———.

I can see that this is going to take a lot of reading so I will break it down to several smaller posts.

TO BE CONTINUED———

I told you that I am enrolled in the Master Beekeeper Program sponsored by the University of Florida. I have taken the first test and have graduated to the rank of Apprentice Beekeeper. I couldn’t attend the following year as that was the time my wife was getting over her pancreatitis operation and I was her sole caregiver. My classmates are now upperclassmen to me and this test will get me to their level for only a half year. If I pass this test, I will obtain the rank of Advanced Beekeeper. Then I still have 2 more tests to go in the next 2-3 years. Those ranks are Master Beekeeper and Master Craftsman Beekeeper.

I am getting ready to go to school on November 5, 2009. My wife will accompany me and will be there for the Florida State Beekeepers Association held on 5th and 6th. Then on Sunday the 7th they will hold a honey judging at the State Fair in Tallahassee. I don’t know if I will be attending that, but I heard that entering a honey judging event will be a requirement for my next level. I haven’t told my wife that yet. She only made arrangement for 3 nights at the motel. I don’t know if I can talk her into another night away from hom. Time will tell.

As you know, I have lost down to only 8 hives. I have one swarm that was a very late swarm. I have not fed or medicated it, and it is still hanging on. It is in a nuc box in my front yard and I watch it as it struggles to survive. I will probably relent and start feeding it pollen patties and sugar water.

I am going to have to go back to basics. I started out with 2 colonies in the fall 13 years ago and bought 2 more the next spring. That was the last ones I bought. Through splitting and catching swarms, I grew to 86 hives and 100 nucs (nucleus). This is what I meant by going back to the basics. I will just have to split and catch swarms to increase my hive count. It will not take me as long this time because I am no longer a beginner and I know what to do now.

I have plenty of boxes and frames with foundation so that all I have to do this Winter is; scrape and clean wooden-ware, paint and mark them, clean and put in foundation, build and paint top boards, screen bottom boards, and feeders. Then I need to read, read, and read some more.

I just got a commit from a man in Uganda that wants me to help him get started. This will be the first time for me to help someone by long distance. This will be a good project for me to see if I can help through emails and my beekeepersfriend.com website. You know that I am enrolled in the Florida Master Beekeeper Program and I wonder if this would count for extra credit. Even if it doesn’t, I will have gained a friend and maybe help guide a new beekeeper.

Until the next post; keep you veil handy, your smoker lit, and your hive tool sharp .

I want to apologize to you who have been following my experiences. I have been detained, derailed, and just plain procrastinating. Since my last posting, I have been to two workshops and have been bottling honey for sale. One of my outlets called me and said he had only two pints left and wanted to know when I could bring him some more.

Here is the rundown on my time and what I did to come to this post. My son, a missionary to Latin countries, came back to the States from the Yucatan peninsula , Mexico with a utility trailer sporting a bent axial, broken tongue (welded twice in Mexico) and new tires and wheels that were trashed on a bad stretch of road. I took it on my own to repair it. I didn’t know what I was getting into. I am not a welder, but—-, I was the one on the welding rod. In the meantime, I went to the Tupelo workshop in Chipley hosted by Laurence Cutts, formerly of the Florida State honey bee inspection dept. He was the big cheese there. He also is a past President of the Florida State Beekeepers Association.

We had as instructors:

Dr. Jamie Ellis of the University of Florida’s Entomology Dept. He is one of the heads of the research dept. His subject was history of the African bees and how they are surviving in the southern US.

David Westervelt is a bee inspector and a researcher for the State of Florida. He talked about pests in the bee hive.

Doug Corbin is a bee inspector of NW Florida. His subject was about diseases of the bees.

Larry Cutts, son of Laurence, explained about queen rearing and why we as beekeepers need to know how to raise our own queens.

Back on the trailer. After setting the axle, welding the tongue and latch on, I had to get a schedule ready for a Fish Fry/Mini-Workshop for Beginners. This had to be finished by the following Saturday. In the meantime, I have been getting my study information from the computer so I can attend a Master Beekeeper course sponsored by the University of Florida. My level at this moment is Apprentice beekeeper. I am studying for the Advanced beekeeper patch. This will be in Monticello, Florida on the 5th of November. I am running out of study time!

The 6th and 7th will be the State Beekeepers convention. On Sunday the 8th, there will be a honey judging at the State Fair in Tallahassee which I will probably not enter as my wife will be with me and she will be ready to come home by then.

Back to the Fish Fry/Mini-Workshop for Beginners. We had 50 people in attendance with maybe 20 newbee’s. Laurence Cutts talked about what we needed to be doing right now to get ready for Winter. David Westervelt talked about getting ready for the Spring honey flow. Doug Corbin talked about controlling the mites now to help the bees overwinter and come out stronger than going in.

We had fish deep fried on location by our unofficial cook who by the way, did a real good job. The food was excellent and the trimmings were supplied by the association members.

The afternoon was taken up by three stations showing how to melt wax and apply it to plastic foundation, nailing different ways (power and hand) of pre-cut hive boxes and frames, and the last station was talking about the bees using 2 hives that were supplied by one of our members.

As always, we had a vendor there. This time it was Millie Bee out of Marianna, FL.

Now I am printing my computer modules so I can study and my wife can use the computer at the same time.

Maybe now, I can settle down and continue my posts on a more regular basics. Thank you all for bearing with me and I hope your interest has not deserted me. Until later, keep your veil close, you hive tool sharp, and your smoker lit.

PS. By the way, I did get the honey poured and delivered and in the meantime I think I picked another outlet. I will know by Monday.

The USDA Lab and the Louisiana Beekeepers Association will hold their thirteenth annual field day on Saturday, October 3, 2009. This event will be held at the lab building and grounds near the intersection of Nicholson Dr (Hwy 30) and Ben Hur Road (1157 Ben Hur Rd.). This is about 2 miles south of the LSU football stadium. Gates will open at 0930. Activities are scheduled from 1030 to 1530.

Registration is $12 for Adults and $5 for children and includes a catered lunch consisting of Shrimp Fettuccini or Roast Pork with Rice and Gravy, Snap Beans, Salad, Roll, and Strawberry-Peach Crunch.

The field day will have activities for both beginners and advanced beekeepers. Some of the classes will be together and some will be separated. It is very informative and interesting. I personally have been to several of their workshops and I have come away with answers and/or ideas on how to improve my own beekeeping.

For more information, you can call Lanie Bourgeois (255-767-9288), Sandra Hineman (255-767-9280, Alva Stuard (255-767-2032), or you can go to the website for the Louisiana Beekeepers Association www.labeekeepers.org.

Yesterday, I collected an open air hive from the Pensacola Navy Hospital parking lot. It was in a Crape Myrtle tree about 12′ in the air. I backed the pickup under the colony  and placed a 7′ ladder in the bed.

The contact person helped me spread some of the lower limbs and tie them off so I could climb close to the main limb that the comb was attached to.  I put on my bee suit and taped up the sleeves and legs. I did not, however, put on my veil. I was intending only to cut some of the little twigs to clear the path so I could cut the main branch, which was only about a pencil size, and bring the main comb and bees down. What I didn’t realize, was that one of the twigs had some comb on it and I flipped some bees on my chest just below my chin and one of them nailed me on the jaw. There were about 20-30 bees in that bunch and I decided to vacate the pickup bed in a hurry. I jumped off the tailgate onto the ground and went all the way to my knees.

After walking about half a block before the bees stopped chasing me and  went back to their home in the tree, we decided that now would be a good time to put the veil on. Remember this is the first time I tried to collect an established hive out of a tree. I learned that it would be a good thing to put ALL of my bee equipment on before I even started to cut anything. See, you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Anyway, after securing my veil, I finished the task of cutting the branch and placing it with the comb and bees in my brood box. The bees seemed happy. Yesterday, the bees were very active and flying in and out of the hive. Today, there is not a bee left. Two things come to mind. 1) I inadvertently killed the queen and the bees left, and 2) This is a hive box that had some bees in it before and they left also.  It could be that there is something wrong with this box that the bees don’t like and I will probably have trouble keeping bees in it. The next time I place bees in a box, I will use a different one and see if they stay. If so, then I will either scorch the inside of this box and try again or I will just go ahead and bite the bullet, burn it and build another one to take its place.

Now for the rest of the story. Remember, I am 68 years old and 100 lbs overweight. Yesterday morning, I got up and was weed-eating some of the weeds in my back yard so I could move the new hive of bees I acquired to the stand in the far back. While I was weed-eating, I got int0 a mound of fire ants. After about 20 or so stings, I stopped my work and went inside. I sat for about a hour and went to get up. My left leg was very sore on the front of my left thigh. At first, we decided that it was all the work I was doing, since I don’t do that much in the first place. Later, my wife asked me just what did I do when I collected the bees. That is when I told her about jumping off the back of the pickup.

My wife is a nurse and has a very intelligent way of thinking. She said that since my right leg doesn’t hurt as bad as the left, she is of the opinion that since the left leg was smashed by the 18 wheeler years ago, that will be the leg that is the weakest and easiest to be hurt. I guess that that is the reason that I hurt on just the one side. I will start taking a kitchen step ladder with me when I go somewhere.

Always learning. I am still reading and rereading my magazines. Remember, keep your veil close, your smoker lit, and your hive tool sharp.