This is a continuation of the last subject - the current abysmal foraging conditions. I am getting confirmation from all directions that this season is exceptionally bad. This would be the time for many eucalyptus trees to flower, but very few do. On the farm I have a large grey box just outside the window. Normally, at this time of the year, it would be covered in flowers. This year it developed no buds but instead now it shoots heaps of new growth. New growth is fine, but it is of no use to my "girls". Hives keep weight steady or slowly creep backwards.
Today I came across an interesting short piece on Radio National Bush Telegraph program. You can find it here:
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/telegraph/content/2013/s3727970.htm
It is an interview with a commercial beekeeper from SA. He describes the conditions, very much the same as here. He already started feeding sugar - much, much earlier than in normal years. He tells about gum trees that survived the 10 years drought but this year are dying - the same story I have heard from a friend. When I mentioned the miserable foraging conditions to a neighbour on the farm, he commented that indeed at that time of the year in the past trees were full of noisy cockies but there are all silent this year. Birds have no reason to frequent the trees if no flowers are there.
Your bees have it tough new. I advise no hive opening and no harvesting. I do not recommend feeding sugar except as a matter of absolute necessity. It is not true that bees like it or that it does them much good. But it surely can prevent them dying of starvation if no honey is available. I very much advise against any harvesting - your bees need THEIR honey to survive till spring. Harvesting is fine when new nectar is coming, but not in a situation as it is now. I would advise no harvesting regardless of how much honey there is in the hive. Over the next few months bees will eat what they have to eat but what they do not need, they will leave for you to be harvested when the spring flowers come.
The sooner we can forget this season the better.
Apr 2, 2013
Mar 26, 2013
Where is the honey, honey?
This is a very silly season. Normally at this time of the year I would expect lots of nectar coming from gum trees going into flower. In the suburbs these would be local gums and also trees brought from WA or NSW. On the farm there are grey boxes and ironbarks and now is their time. Well, normally it is, but not this year, or at least not yet.
You might have heard on the news professional beekeepers lamenting lack of nectar. The numbers I am getting from those weighing hives tell me the same story - nectar is nowhere to be found. I was hoping for improvement with rains, but this is yet to happen. On the farm we had 35mm of rain lately, but I have no clue where it went. The soil is bone dry below the top 20 mm or so, with huge deep cracks that do not seem to close. Few weeks ago hives started putting on weight but now it is all over - barely keeping steady. I can see a few trees with flowers, but I guess that there may be very little nectar there. Nectar production requires a lot of water.
To add insult to injury caused by draught, in the suburbs we have a plague of soldier beetles (Chauliognathus lugubris). There nasties are around in plague proportions indeed. According to Mrs. Google (and she knows best!), the adult beetles feed on nectar and pollen. I can see them around in gigantic numbers. There is a huge ironbark tree close to my home and now all covered in flowers. The flowers, in turn, are all covered in these nasties. I noticed that bees trying to access flowers avoid any with a soldier beetle on it.
It seems that this is not a very good honey season indeed. Unless the situation changes, it may be wise to be economical with harvesting. Your bees need honey much more than you do and sugar is no substitute for the real stuff.
You might have heard on the news professional beekeepers lamenting lack of nectar. The numbers I am getting from those weighing hives tell me the same story - nectar is nowhere to be found. I was hoping for improvement with rains, but this is yet to happen. On the farm we had 35mm of rain lately, but I have no clue where it went. The soil is bone dry below the top 20 mm or so, with huge deep cracks that do not seem to close. Few weeks ago hives started putting on weight but now it is all over - barely keeping steady. I can see a few trees with flowers, but I guess that there may be very little nectar there. Nectar production requires a lot of water.
To add insult to injury caused by draught, in the suburbs we have a plague of soldier beetles (Chauliognathus lugubris). There nasties are around in plague proportions indeed. According to Mrs. Google (and she knows best!), the adult beetles feed on nectar and pollen. I can see them around in gigantic numbers. There is a huge ironbark tree close to my home and now all covered in flowers. The flowers, in turn, are all covered in these nasties. I noticed that bees trying to access flowers avoid any with a soldier beetle on it.
It seems that this is not a very good honey season indeed. Unless the situation changes, it may be wise to be economical with harvesting. Your bees need honey much more than you do and sugar is no substitute for the real stuff.
Mar 7, 2013
Nice bees, nasty bees
A few members reported recently problems with very aggressive colonies. The subject is important and deserves broader comment.
Experienced beekeepers report that there are some colonies that are consistently nasty and aggressive - they will buzz out anyone coming near and sting at the smallest provocation or even without one. But these are exceptions. Any colony may become very aggressive, but do not put a "nasty colony" label on it after a single mishap. Bee colonies are a bit like us - they have good days and bad days. On a bad day ANY colony will be nasty. The same colony, a few days later, may resemble a congregation of sweet little flying lambs.
A colony will easily become aggressive if it is facing a stress factor. What could it be? Not much to forage, an attack by wasps or robber bees, internal in-the-hive problems such as problems with wax moth larvae, bad (for them) weather coming etc. etc. I heard experienced beekeepers complaining that bees are very nasty when foraging on grey box trees. I do not believe that nectar would make them nasty, but grey boxes flower very late in season when hardly any pollen is available. Perhaps they were desperate for pollen to replenish their numbers reduced by heavy foraging - good enough (for me) reason for them to be stressed.
Stress factors may not always be visible to an observer. I like to quote Michael Bush, a beekeeper not only with exceptional experience but also gifted with lots of common sense. Here is his approach:
The last sentence is worth remembering. What to do if a colony is nasty? First, realize the fact - bees buzzing you out angrily, "bombing" - flying straight into the veil as if trying to get through it, trying to sting gloves, getting all over you in pursuit of any chink in your armour. If this is the case, call it a day, leave them alone and come back later. The situation may be drastically different. If you persevere, all you will get is stings.
Here is an interesting letter from a lady beekeeper:
Just my two cents....had an aggressive hive last year in my yard. One time after checking on the hives, their reaction was more aggressive than normal. They followed me 100 feet away, a dozen or so buzzing and banging into my veil. Over a short time, my backyard become a "no go" zone in the daytime. The aggression escalated; they would fly over my house into the front yard and chase us. However, I noticed it was never more than a half a dozen or more. Long story short, couldn't requeen them at my location but could no longer tolerate the aggression. I very begrudgingly planned on killing the hive (dry ice), even set a date. (I don't even kill spiders!)
A very trusted, LONG time beekeeper told me to leave them alone for a while and they would likely resolve their problem. Took her advice and they did resolve their issue within about 8 weeks. They are a VERY honey productive hive and are now calm. So glad I took the advice.
So if you face an angry colony, leave them alone and give them some time to recover. And if they "get three red pins" as per Michael - re-queening is the only known remedy, but this is neither easy nor pleasant.
Experienced beekeepers report that there are some colonies that are consistently nasty and aggressive - they will buzz out anyone coming near and sting at the smallest provocation or even without one. But these are exceptions. Any colony may become very aggressive, but do not put a "nasty colony" label on it after a single mishap. Bee colonies are a bit like us - they have good days and bad days. On a bad day ANY colony will be nasty. The same colony, a few days later, may resemble a congregation of sweet little flying lambs.
A colony will easily become aggressive if it is facing a stress factor. What could it be? Not much to forage, an attack by wasps or robber bees, internal in-the-hive problems such as problems with wax moth larvae, bad (for them) weather coming etc. etc. I heard experienced beekeepers complaining that bees are very nasty when foraging on grey box trees. I do not believe that nectar would make them nasty, but grey boxes flower very late in season when hardly any pollen is available. Perhaps they were desperate for pollen to replenish their numbers reduced by heavy foraging - good enough (for me) reason for them to be stressed.
Stress factors may not always be visible to an observer. I like to quote Michael Bush, a beekeeper not only with exceptional experience but also gifted with lots of common sense. Here is his approach:
Sometimes a hive is
cranky because of conditions, vandals throwing rocks, bees
trying to rob them, etc. I do the "three strikes you are out" method of
deciding. If I open a hive and they are cranky and I think they have
cause (rainy, windy, late in the day etc.) then I don't count that. If I
don't think they have cause, I put a red push pin in the top box. The
next time I open them, if they are nice, I remove it. If they are mean
again, I add another push pin. If they get to three, I requeen. They
should be allowed to have a bad day.
Here is an interesting letter from a lady beekeeper:
Just my two cents....had an aggressive hive last year in my yard. One time after checking on the hives, their reaction was more aggressive than normal. They followed me 100 feet away, a dozen or so buzzing and banging into my veil. Over a short time, my backyard become a "no go" zone in the daytime. The aggression escalated; they would fly over my house into the front yard and chase us. However, I noticed it was never more than a half a dozen or more. Long story short, couldn't requeen them at my location but could no longer tolerate the aggression. I very begrudgingly planned on killing the hive (dry ice), even set a date. (I don't even kill spiders!)
A very trusted, LONG time beekeeper told me to leave them alone for a while and they would likely resolve their problem. Took her advice and they did resolve their issue within about 8 weeks. They are a VERY honey productive hive and are now calm. So glad I took the advice.
So if you face an angry colony, leave them alone and give them some time to recover. And if they "get three red pins" as per Michael - re-queening is the only known remedy, but this is neither easy nor pleasant.
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