Presentation for OTFBC 2016 reduced.pdf

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Kira Jones

ORGANIC TREATMENT

FREE BEEKEEPERS

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Why did I seek the group?

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Why go?

•_{I HAD to meet Dee Lusby …}

• Began age 12

• _{700 Hives}

• Switched to SC in 1990

Dee.Digital image.

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Discussion covers

•_{Cell Size}

•_{Hive Size}

•_{Queen Cells}

•_{AHB Concerns}

•_{Housel Positioning}

•_Feeding

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Keep an Open Mind

•_{What can we agree on?}

• Something is wrong

• _{Organic vs non-organic losses on par}

•_Journey

• _Rediscovery

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Cell Size

•_{Supersizing farm products}

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Cell Size

•_{In the late 1800s, we started upsizing bees …}

•_{Published beeks who trailled this - A.I. Root, Pinchot,}

Baudoux, and Gontarski

•_Why?

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Cell Size

•_{How bees build?}

• Using thorax size

• _{Their cubit}

Honey-bee-anatomy.Digital image.

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Cell Size

•_{Ancestral cell size in the 1800s 4.75 mm or less}

•_{As foundation became the norm, we removed the}

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Foundation Production

Left: auto-beeswax-foundation. Digital image. Right: wax-embossing-roller.Digital image.

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Cell Size

•_{Making foundation larger = larger bees}

•_{Modern foundation cell size typically 5.4 mm,}

considered “large cell” (LC)

•_{“Small Cell” (SC) = ancestral cell sizing}

•_{4.8 mm SC vs 5.4 mm LC = 157% volume increase, OR}

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Cell Size

•_{Large Cell Results}

• Higher disease susceptibility

• _{Less Pollen} • Less Nectar

• _{Population size smaller}

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Sacrificial Drones

•_{Diseases and parasites attacked ancestral drones}

more successfully than workers

•_{BUT, LC workers the same size as ancestral drones}

… same infection rate

Honey-bee-colony-members.Digital image.

Get Buzzing About Bees. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 April 2016 <http://getbuzzingaboutbees.com>

•_{Drones larger, longer}

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Ancestral Regression Results

•_{Small Cell}

• Development faster by ~1-3 days in each caste/stage

• _{More colony members}

• Less aggressive (some report)

• _{More efficient}

• _{Fewer parasites attain sexual maturity}

• _Soooo,

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Regressing Bees

•_{Replace all brood foundation}

• Replace ONLY when hive strong and large

•_Options

• _{Honeysuper Cell – plastic frame replacement} • Mann Lake plastic PF100 or PF 120

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Honey Super Cell – 4.9 mm plastic frame

Index~~~element78.Digital image.

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Mann Lake – PF100/120 – 4.9 mm plastic frame

- with wax coating

Left: pf100_270x132. Digital image. Right: pf120_270x101.Digital image.

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Dadant – 4.9 mm foundation

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Regressing Bees

•_{Foundationless}

• We are kinda stuck

• _{Because our bees are oversized, their thorax is larger}

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Regressing Bees

• Topbar Width

• _1.25”

• Shave down topbar with simple coarse file (no one is making these for langstroth … yet)

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Hive Size

•_{Our hives are too small}

•_{Normal hive size?}

• _{4-5 deeps} • _{8+ mediums}

•_{Better storage}

•_{Larger Population}

•_{Funky climate}

Dee in her yard.Digital image.

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Queen Cells

•_{Small hive size encourages swarms}

•_{Queen does not have enough room to lay}

• _{Ovaries shut down}

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Queen Cells

•_{Typical occurrence}

• See swarm/supercedure cells

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Queen Cells

• By the time cells are seen, old queen often left or failing

• Do not kill queen cells, consider splits when hive strong enough

• _{Why don’t people raise their own queens? … AHB?}

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How to Recognize Africanized Honeybees

Africanizedbees.Digital image.

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AHB Fear

•_{AHB is everywhere in the south}

•_{Locally mate queens to better adapt to the climate}

(stop replacing with foreign queens)

•_{Do not keep multiple “races,” let your bees}

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AHB Fear

•_{F1 (Euro x AHB) tend to produce really hot offspring}

•_{We continually recreate that F1 cross by bringing in}

“European Queens”

•_{F2 (hybrid x hybrid) and later crosses seem to be less}

aggressive

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Housel Positioning

•_{Comb has a “side”}

• Bees build directionally

•_{When looking at comb base/foundation structure}

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Housel Positioning

•_{Y shape}

• The Porch

• _{Face Out}

•⅄ shape

• _{Face In}

Left: M&M Candy Sugar Water [Y].Digital image.

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Housel Positioning

•_{Confused bees}

build this

-ConfusedPrimaryCombCloseup.Digital image.

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Housel Positioning

•_{Y shape}

• Face away from center

•⅄ shape

• _{Face toward}

center

Y ⅄ Y ⅄ ⅄ Y ⅄ Y

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Feed

•_{Do Not Feed}

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Instincts – Laying Worker(s)

•_{Not 1 laying worker, but a hive of them}

Crowded_House_Laying_Workers_And_Too_Many_Eggs.Digital image.

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Instinct

•_{Bee Space and Bar width}

• 1/4 to 3/8” space for bee movement

• _{Between bars, between comb and walls}

• Less and they cannot maneuver - propolis

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Instincts

•_{Beek Rule}

• Sometimes the best, and hardest, thing to do is leave the bees alone and let nature work it out. You can screw up (and spend lots of money) doing something that may or may not help.

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Follow Up

•_Questions?

•_Comments?

•_{Contact Info}

• _{Kira Jones}

• [email protected]

• (832) 856-2337

• (832) 856-BEES J