3. My Beekeeping Philosophy =
Keep the bees happy, healthy, & less stressed
I work for my honey bees as their:
Caretaker
Protector
Advocate
Physician
Handyman
4. Strong Hive Strategizing
• Know bee biology/behavior
• Halt swarming
• Use IPM methods religiously
• Stop robbing behavior
• Only over-winter strong hives
6. Fungi
Nosema
Viruses
Bacteria
Parasites Other Insects
7. Trachea Mites
Weaken Hives
• Affect young bees by entering their trachea
breathing tubes
• Block the air exchange and penetrate the
walls of the trachea in order to suck blood
• Infected bees become weak and also crawl
around the bee entrance
8. Sugar Patties Cause
Slippery Conditions
for Trachea Mites
Recipe = 2 parts sugar + 1 part Crisco shortening
10. Drone Frame
Trapping Method
Colonies receiving the drone trap treatment
had twice the fall worker populations
compared to those without the treatment.
Source: Dyce Laboratory for Honey Bee Studies at Cornell University
11. Drone Frame
Trapping Method
• Place drone frame near the center of the
brood nest so bees build comb more quickly
• Simply pull the drone frame with capped
cells and freeze it for three days to kill mites
in the comb
12. Drone Frame
Trapping Method
• Replace with second drone frame for the
cycle to continue within your hive
• Thaw for one day, then put back in hive.
Bees will clean out the dead pupae and mites.
13. Split Hives to Break
Mite Breeding Cycle
• Put all frames of open brood and clinging bees
into new hive body
• Leave closed brood and queen in old hive
• To balance out hive populations, switch hives’
locations one day after doing split
• Benefit of split = breaks the mite breeding cycle in
new hive
• Okay to do splits before June 21st each year in DE
14. Small Hive Beetles
Weaken Hives
• Can multiply in huge numbers in hives
• Larvae eat brood, destroy comb & honey
• Larvae leave hive to pupate in soil
• Prefers light, sandy soils
•Can fly five miles to infest new hives
15. Common
Hive Beetle Traps
Bottom Board Traps Top Frame Traps
20. Bees Are Not Pets…
So, Don’t Play with Your Bees
21. Limit
Hive
Inspections
Only go into
a hive if you
have a purpose.
22. What Happens When
You Inspect a Hive
• Disrupts brood production
• Stops foraging activities
• Kills bees !
23. Reasons to Open the Hive
• The colony is new, and requires progress checks
• You need to feed the colony
• Disease or major pest invasions are suspected
• Low foraging activity during a good nectar flow
• Many dead or weakly crawling bees at front of hive
• The hives have been physically disturbed
24. Reasons to Open the Hive
• Swarm control methods have been recently
performed
• You are introducing or have recently
introduced a new queen
• There is a major nectar flow, and you suspect
the bees need more room.
• The summer or fall nectar flow is over and
you need to harvest the honey
