Organic Beekeeping Journal - Newsletter

Fall 2001
This Issue:
Wellness Wintering
Preventing late season swarms
Sustainable Beekeepers: Helping your lost swarms through the winter
ErfanFetrat manipulation for mite control

Introduction

We are discovering that in any Organic methods, whether gardening, beekeeping or raising animals the key to success is in hygeine as well as natural remedies. Conditions to be addressed may not be limited to sanitation, but may include protection from weather and special manipulations which help facilitate Nature's Wisdom. It is not our intention to outsmart or outdo nature, but to work within this sacred framework to renew balance where it has been lost.

Wellness Wintering

Insulations and Wraps

Providing more protection for our hives during winter has proven benefits. We can suggest many methods of weather protection. First and easiest is to provide jackets for the hives. A foil coated bubble pack makes a fine hive jacket and can be joined with a hook/loop fastening or foil tape, etc. During the day, a black plastic jacket helps warm the hive a bit. Insulated bottom boards and hive tops are a good idea. It is recommended when this is done, that the insulation space is closed off to reduce the attraction to mice. It is also recommended that special bottoms and tops are not used in summer as well since the insulation space and/or material may provide habitation for unwanted insects. One other important tool is a feeder board which is like an inner cover, but has large holes (2-3) drilled in the board for mason jar lids. The jars of syrup are then placed in the holes for feeding. The board keeps the lower chamber insulated and the bees will come up for syrup more readily than if the chamber is open and the jars sit upon the frame tops.
A pamphlet with recommended designs for insulated bottoms and tops is available at no charge

Switching Stands

Strengthening a weak hive by switching the hive position with a stronger hive can benefit your weaker hive for winter preparation. This method can be used in spring and summer, and we have found it quite useful in winter preparations. This is not recommended to be done after the month of August in North America. Any hive that is not strong enough later than that time should be joined with another small hive to give more benefit to both. The newspaper method between the two has worked well for joining bees from two colonies (the bees chew through the paper in a couple of days and are familiar with the others scent by then and do not fight). Depending upon the size and honey reserves, the queens could both remain with a queen separator between the two hive bodies. Some experience is necessary to properly determine whether this is a viable choice or not. Note: Bees will not attack foraging bees who enter the hive full of honey or pollen. This is what makes this method work so well for "bee sharing"
This can also be effective in reducing the swarming impulse late in the season.

Early Feeding of Syrups

Feeding should begin immediately after the last harvest. The hives should be checked and any undrawn frames replaced with full or drawn comb and if a replacement is not available, move undrawn to outermost area of hive body. Feed at top of brood area (our hives/colonies are two brood boxes deep in most cases). An empty super box is placed above brood box(es) and the jars are upside down with punched holes in tops and a holder is made or feeder board used to hold jars in place. The top is placed on the empty super with feeding jars just as usual.

Spraying Brood

While the weather permits, it is also a good idea to prepare a sprayer with a strong syrup (wintergreen is good) and spray the top of each brood box. The bees will clean the syrup and voila! you have delivered your syrup where it is most needed....in the brood area of the hive. This method works best when spray syrup is applied 3-4 times per week (the more frequent, the better).
Syrup mixtures are on our main page at http://thehealingpath.com/OrganicBeekeeping

Checking for Wax Moths and "Weevols"

I have seen the larger moth larvae referred to as "Weevols". In any case, this is the time of year a serious infestation is likely to occur. This has been my experience, at least. If any such infestation is found on combs, the best remedy is to remove infected frames, shake off the bees and freeze the frames for 2 days or more. The debris should be cleaned out as well as possible before freezing (recommended, probably not necessary) and after frozen for at least two days, the frame(s) may be returned to the hive. Preferably in later afternoon so the frames will warm quickly and there should be sufficient numbers of returning bees to clean any dripping honey. The cleaning of dripping honey is important because it could kill large numbers of bees if not well-managed. The dripping honey is caused when and if you cut debris from the infestation from honey combs. The box interior should be checked for larva as they will burrow right into the wood. Anything found should be well-cleaned and destroyed. A hive that is suffering from this problem will benefit from an application of duck tape to any interior cracks or crevices. A hive can be saved from such an infestation, but must be caught early on. .

Preventing Late Season Swarms

In spring, it is our concern to prevent swarming for the sake of our honey crop. In fall, it is our concern to prevent swarming for the sake of our bees. The best methods of managing the swarm impulse, is to clip the queens wings and catch the swarm from the ground. Another is to check for queen cells weekly and destroy them. If you prefer to let the bees do as they are naturally inclined, but hope to see them survive; the best option is an intentional split when the population justifies this. Only attempt this, if you are exprienced enough and know how or have help from someone sho does. The books I have seen all give excellent instructions on this. Any such split colonies should be fed heavily. The chances of a well-managed split are much better than a wild swarm surviving in the fall. Switching stands is a good way to give a gentle reduction in population where the swarm impulse is strong.

Sustainable Beekeeping:
Assisting your lost swarms through the winter

I have found feed jars left for the wild swarms in key areas has greatly increased their survival. I keep syrup out all winter and a 1:1 sugar/water mixture does not freeze at 0 F! This feeding seems to attract the spring swarms to the area also, so be sure to have an empty box with frames and a little drawn comb (i.e. comb never used for brood as brood comb attracts moths) and a swarm should be "in the bag" so to speak, early in the spring.

Erfan Fetrat Manipulation

Prepare for the Erfan Fetrat Manipulation in the spring. You will need to keep your hives double deep (2 brood boxes per colony) Then read and prepare for any hive you expect a mite increase to occur in. When I say expect, once you have kept bees organically for several years, you can predict this by what you see the year before. For instance, certain bees have better hygeine in the hive and at the entrance and therefore less chance of mites. Some queens and their daughters produce more drones during swarm season (thus more chance of mites).
This manipulation greatly reduced mites in a hive which was becoming infested during swarm season. I have heard claims that a mite CAN live up to 2 mos or even up to 6 mos, but if this is true, not many live that long or this manipulation could not work so well. We will be happy to send a pamphlet free of any fee if you will supply your mailing information in the form below. You have our promise this info will not be shared or sold.

Organic Beekeeping Society
Free pamphlets for subscribing members
Please note: Membership is free for Organic Beekeeping Journal subscribers through 2002 and these pamphlets are free to members! If you are outside the North American states, there may be a postage charge, but send in the request and you will be notified if that is the case.

Peace and Bee Well
If you choose to print this page for your own use...please feel free to do so. In any other case, all copy rights (i.e. common law rights of authorship) are reserved
by Regina: ibn Fetrat in the Year Two Thousand and One (anno domini)

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