[Fwd: {OHG} Monthly Beekeepers update – September, 2007]

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{OHG} Monthly Beekeepers update – September, 2007

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 06:40:30 -0000

The Last Penny Farm <backwaterjon

organichomesteadinggardening

organichomesteadinggardening

 

 

 

Lake Barkley Beekeepers Association - Visitors Welcome

September, 2007

Officers and Beekeeping Officials

 

Phil Craft, KY State Apiarist 502 564 3956

 

Tom Webster, Ag Extension Specialist 502 597 6351

LBBA Pres. Kent Williams Wingo Kentjcky

Vice Pres. Richard Broyles Lone Oak Kentucky

Secretary Myrna Burchett Grand Rivers Kentucky

Treasurer Gerald Burchett Iuka Kentucky

 

What's Going On.

 

Maybe we are beginning to make the turn toward Fall and cooler

temperatures. You know it has really been hot when you are talking

about " cooler temperatures " of 92 degrees.

 

I remember at least three years when we had similar drought

conditions and high tempsÂ…I didn't like them either. The late freeze,

followed by a very dry and hot summer has made for a strange year

weather-wise.

 

It leaves me wondering what nature has in store for us next.

 

My late father-in-law had a saying " expect the worse and hope for the

best " . In keeping with the spirit of his saying, I am planning to

prepare my bees for a long and cold winter.

 

A long and cold winter is not necessarily the worst scenario for your

bees. In cold weather the bees cluster tightly together and maintain

the proper temperature in the cluster by having some of the bees work

their flight muscles (somewhat like running in place) creating heat –

while the outer layer(s) of bees overlap one another, insulating the

cluster.

 

The bees are constantly switching positions with each other so the

harder task is shared. By late winter there is usually not much, if

any, brood in the hive, so the cluster is not required to expend as

large an amount of energy heating the cluster as would be needed to

keep an area of brood warm.

 

Honeybees are most efficient in their metabolism of food at around 45

degrees, so the ideal would be for the weather to stay near 45

degrees from November until late February, then turn warm – with one

inch of rain every Monday from 1:00 a.m. until noon - if you are

going to be in charge of the weather do it right.

 

When we lose the most bees here in Western KY is when the winter

sputters along with temps more closely resembling Indian Summer until

mid to late February, or even early March, when bad weather sets in

and stays for six weeks.

 

The bees had been flying – burning energy and consuming food –

throughout the nice weather. Their flights may have brought in some

pollen, and maybe even a little nectar – but they are in a deficit

production situation, where they cannot bring in and store as much

energy as they are expending.

 

Now this may seem to work for the Government, but it won't for the

honeybees. By the time cold weather sets in the " young " bees in the

hive have aged considerably because they have been doing a lot of

flying. Also, once a bee begins foraging it – to some degree - loses

the ability to be a quality " brood-food " supplier, so when the queen

starts laying eggs, the bees that you were counting on to be going

wide open rearing brood are going to be having an identity crisis.

 

Many times you will find them in early April; a softball sized

cluster with their heads stuck into empty cells – with honey five

inches away from the dead cluster.

 

By now I imagine some of the experienced beekeepers are nodding their

heads and waiting for the " silver bullet " answer to this almost

yearly dilemma. Well there's not one. There is no one thing that will

solve this problem – save moving the bees to Florida for the winter…

and maybe becoming infested with some new, exotic problem. There are

several things that can help though.

 

Choose you apiary site carefully. Avoid facing hives into a

prevailing wind, or placing them in a low-lying area. Feed light

syrup late into Fall in an effort to keep the queen laying and allow

the bees to store plenty of food for Winter – mainly to keep the

queen laying. During the " Indian Summer – like " days in Winter feed

pollen patties and sugar syrup. Even if this causes the queen to

begin laying early resulting in some chilled brood, there will still

be an increase in total brood production.

 

All of the brood will not be chilled. Some beekeepers wrap their

hives with some sort of insulating material. While the experts claim

this is not necessary, you might want to take a look at the over-

winter losses (very few compared to most beekeepers) suffered by

Alvin Joyce over the past few decades (he usually insulates his bees)

before making a final judgment on the value of insulating hives

during cold weather.

 

Probably the most important factor in keeping your bees alive over-

winter is their overall health. Make every effort to go into Winter

with the healthiest bees possible. This means a very low level of

pests and pathogens in the hive right now.

 

IF you treat for mites unlike most of us, now is the time to be

treating. Try to keep the mite count very low, so as to keep Varroa

predation of the last large brood rearing cycle of the calendar year

at a minimum. If you are seeing symptoms of Tracheal mites (K-wings,

crawling bees) send some bees to Phil Craft and get them sampled.

Contact Phil as to his preferred method of preservation and for

shipping instructions. Feed Fumigillin for two feedings in late

Fall/early Winter. This will keep Nosema at a minimum during the

extended periods of poor flight conditions when Nosema is most likely

to gain a foothold in your hive(s). Doing this could prevent your

having to destroy all your hives from disease.

 

One pest that is often overlooked is the honeybee. Take the necessary

steps to prevent robbing. Once robbing begins it is very hard to

stop. If you have one very diligent robber hive in your beeyard, and

do nothing to prevent robbing, the robber hive will end up costing

you at least a couple of hives over the Winter. Remember that the

honey crop you will make next year will be greatly influenced by what

you are doing in August and September of this year.

 

The preceding was all about keeping your bees alive over the Winter,

and how the process begins in late summer.

 

This paragraph is a reminder that Fall is fast approaching. Fall is

the time of year for festivals and events where people are primed and

ready to part with their hard earned cash in exchange for almost

anything they perceive to be associated with " harvest time " ,

or " country " life. G

 

et your product(s) ready to hit the festivals and Pow Wows (Jon) this

Fall; meet people and have yourself prepared to answer the many

questions they will have concerning honeybees and honey.

 

Recruit new beekeepers; make some new friends. Then bring them with

you to our beekeepers meetings.

 

Kent Williams

 

 

 

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