LESSON 119: How To Do A Proper Inspection www.honeybeesonline.com 217-427-2678

Hello from Long Lane Honey Bee Farms in central Illinois! We are David and Sheri Burns and today we want to thank you for visiting our blog/lesson on beekeeping.

Beekeeping is so enjoyable. We love it and it has become a passion of ours to help others start keeping bees. We need our bees for pollination of our fruits and vegetables.

For years, I’ve been writing lessons and making them available to the beekeeping community to help beekeepers around the world sharpen their skills and to improve the overall survivability of the honey bees. So today’s lesson will be on how to make a more complete hive inspection. But before we get started let me tell you what we have been doing.

Sheri taught our basic beekeeping class at Heartland Community College in Bloomington, Illinois on April 21 and on that same day I taught my Advance beekeeping class in Chicago at the Heritage Prairie Farm. Bronwyn Weaver has Bron’s Bees, 150 hives on organic farms and prairies in Northern Illinois. The class was well attended and students were very engaged in how to become advanced beekeepers. Click here to read a newspaper article summarizing the class. Check out: www.http://www.heritageprairiefarm.com/

Speaking about classes, our next classes will be as follows. Click on a link below for more information or call us at: 217-427-2678

MAY 12, 2012 HOW TO RAISE YOUR OWN QUEENS

JUNE 15th-16th, 2012 TWO DAY QUEEN REARING COURSE

JULY 14, 2012 ADVANCE BEEKEEPING SKILLS

OCTOBER 6, 2012 BASIC BEEKEEPING

OCTOBER 13, 2012 NATUAL & SUSTAINABLE & ORGANIC BEEKEEPING

On April 14-15 we had a huge day at our bee farm as this was package bee pickup day! Beekeepers stormed our farm to pickup packages of bees. The weather was cool, windy and rainy…uncomfortable to us, but very pleasant bees in packages.

When you call in you’ll notice we now have a new phone system. With the rapid growth in beekeeping we are working hard to provide quality customer support during the busy beekeeping season. We receive over 100 phone calls a day and we do our best but thank you for your patience when you just cannot reach us. Our new phone system will allow customers to call in and get the information they are looking for and better direct calls. Please be patient as we work out the bugs.

Sheri says, “I don't often see bees on plants like daffodils, tulips, roses or lilies, but early plants they love include boxwood, dandelions, clover, borage and many budding and flowering trees. Mid summer plants and flowers include mint, catnip, flowering herbs, cilantro, and of course vegetables flowering in your garden. I also let some items in my garden flower that typically we eat before it flowers--like the lettuce for example, just so the bees will use some of it. Late in the year, my bees love my cosmos, sunflowers, lavender, sage, coneflowers and seedum”. To read more from Sheri, check out her very interesting blog at: http://www.sheriburns.blogspot.com/

WE ARE NOW SELLING QUEENS!

We are now selling queens. By ordering online rather than placing the order over the phone you save $3. When you order online we pay less salaries to process your order so we pass these savings on to our valued customers. To order queens online now, visit our NEW Queen’s Corner page: http://www.honeybeesonline.com/queen.html

Sign up for our next queen rearing course at our apiary on May 12th. We still have openings. Go to: http://www.honeybeesonline.com/classes.html

Finally, just as I predicted in a past lesson, the swarm season is off to a great start. Healthy hives swarm and we’re getting so many swarm calls. On one call Jesse and I removed a swarm from a tree in Georgetown, Illinois. Valerie was concerned about the safety of her children with so many bees nearby, so off we went. She documented the swarm capture in her blog: http://www.saintsandscissors.blogspot.com/2012/04/attack-of-bees.html

Finally before our lesson today, let me say thanks for joining us for another lesson in beekeeping. We have a growing number of students who have learned how to keep bees based on these free lessons. It’s our hope that if you find these lessons of value, you’ll consider making a donation so that we can continue our research, experiments and communicating to you the best practices in keeping bees. Click on the tip jar to make a $30 donation or go to: http://www.honeybeesonline.com/servlet/Detail?no=144

LESSON 120: How To Do A Proper Hive Inspection

When I hold advance beekeeping courses I stress to the students that I will teach them how to keep hives alive. Certainly there are problems that are beyond the beekeeper’s control such as poisonings and some diseases. But an advance beekeeper is trained how to inspect, prevent and solve most colony problems.

Here’s one of the slides from my advance class. I believe the reason that many new beginners do not properly inspect their hive is because they are not sure what to look for or because they lack the confidence to conduct a proper hive inspection.

A beginner is often unaware, unsure, fearful and phlegmatic about hive inspections. By phlegmatic I mean someone who takes a sluggish approach to inspecting the hive. However, we train advance beekeepers to be aware, confident, comfortable and proactive when inspecting hives.

I also show this slide and tell the class there are 6 noticeable problems found within this photo I took of a friend’s hive and I show that two of these problems will cause the hive to perish in the winter months. Can you find the six problems? Click on the image to enlarge it.

I reluctantly share the photo above with you because I do not want you to become fearful and paranoid that your hive is not doing well. Bees normally do well on their own and strong colonies really do not need too much from us. However, like all living things, good management practices can go a long way to ensure proper health.

So, let me walk your through several steps of proper hive inspections:

Keep notes

Keeping good notes when inspecting your hives is essential. I have created a hive inspection sheet that really works well for us. More than just a sheet to write down what you observe, our sheet prompts you to decide what you must do next. This sheet is available FREE by clicking here or going to: http://www.honeybeesonline.com/cis.pdf

This is a .pdf file that you can download and print off as many as you need. Enjoy.

Master of the smoker

Many beekeepers fail to properly inspect their hive because they fail to keep the smoker going, and if the bees become impatient the inspection is abandoned prematurely. In our advance class we walk beekeepers through tips that keeps the smoker going. Remember to start a small fire in the bottom of the smoker and slowly add your choice of fuel. You’re aiming for cool, dense smoke, not hot flames. Keep your smoker lid clean and round so that when closed it makes a good seal. Always take extra fuel in the pockets of your bee suits.

Observe as you approach the hive

As you approach the hive, observe the surroundings of the hive and the outward appearance. Has a skunk scratched the grass and front of the hive?  Are the bees flying in and out in a healthy way or are there dead bees on the entrance of the bottom board.

Observe anything that is unusual

After you blow a few puffs of smoke into the entrance and under the lid, look for anything unusual. When you lift the top, be ready to spot a small hive beetle. Have your hive tool ready to kill the beetle when you spot one.

Is there fresh comb attached to your inner cover?  If so, it means the bees need more frames because they are in a comb building mood and have no more room. Add the second brood box or another super.

Inspect the content of each frame

Inspect your hive every two weeks for the presence of eggs. This can be a quick inspection. But every 6 weeks, you’ll want to do a complete frame by frame inspection. What do you see on each frame? Is there enough pollen, honey and nectar?  What about your brood pattern? Do you see solid and healthy brood?

Start inspecting the hive by slowly removing the comb closest to the outside wall. Keep that frame outside of the hive. Now, slide the next frame into the extra space you have created and slowly lift this frame up, being careful to notice the queen. Do not let her fall off into the grass so hold each frame above the hive when looking at frames. Continue this procedure until you can note what is on each frame.

Inspect content on the bottom board or below

The bottom board can reveal what’s going on above. Mites drop down onto the bottom board as well as extra wax scales, and other debris not needed above. Screen bottom boards provide a much more natural way to keep bees because in a tree, the colony’s debris can fall down and away from the hive.

Inspect drone pupae

Beekeepers must become much more aggressive toward varroa destructor, the mite. By inspecting a purple eyed drone pupa, an assessment of the mite count is much more accurate. If you look at 5 drones and each one has 5 mites then that’s way too many. The varroa mite prefers the drone pupa because the drones are the longest to mature in the cell, 24 days, giving the foundress mite more time to reproduce. Green Drone Comb is a natural way to trap the mites.

Look for viruses, diseases and pests

Good beekeepers who want to keep healthy colonies must become as good as a state inspector in detecting problems in the hive. While we can observe most pests and diseases some require careful lab work for an accurate diagnosis. The Beltsville Maryland bee lab will run tests on your bees for these hard to detect problems such as nosema and tracheal mites. But there is no reason to send samples unless you are certain you have a problem.

Chemical Trespassing

It is illegal for a farmer to allow chemicals to drift onto your land and into your hives. Million dollar lawsuits have been awarded for those who have suffered from chemical trespassing. More and more studies are showing that farm chemical may be harming the honey bees. In my opinion, larger chemical companies deny it, while notable researchers are afraid of the repercussion if they publish their findings. So it must be up to the local beekeeper to keep good records, video tape over spraying and report it to the EPA immediately. Call your local law enforcement at the first sign that someone has poison your bees.

Additionally, quickly collect dead bees around your hive, place them in a Ziploc bag and store them in the freezer. Keep out of sunlight or heat. Carefully note what the farmer was doing prior to your bees dying such as spraying or planting. Note the wind speed and direction for that day. Contact the EPA 1-800-858-7378 or report the incident via email to: Beekill@epa.gov

While today’s lesson on hive inspection barely touches the surface, hopefully it has encouraged you to do a more complete inspection. Consider signing up for our next Advance Class on Saturday July 14th, 2012 Click here for more information or go to:http://www.honeybeesonline.com/servlet/Detail?no=157

Please feel free to contact us. Phone is best. 217-427-2678 and visit us online at: www.honeybeesonline.com

David & Sheri Burns
Long Lane Honey Bee Farms
217-427-2678
Website: www.honeybeesonline.com

Lesson 118: Mild Winter May Mean More Swarm Calls www.honeybeesonline.com 217-427-2678

Hello gang! We’re David and Sheri Burns from Long Lane Honey Bee Farms in central Illinois.

Because it was such a mild winter, colonies may produce more swarms. This means as a beekeeper, you should be prepared for swarm retrievals. So today’s lesson will be about swarms: Are swarms worth retrieving? What’s the best way to catch a swarm? How to keep a swarm from leaving again and what is the best use for a swarm that is caught. But before today’s lesson, we want to tell you about what’s been going on with our family business here at Long Lane Honey Bee Farm.

Most of you speak to our youngest daughter Karee when you call in. Karee turned 21 this year and the big news…she eloped with one of our main workers. Right in the middle of our busiest times, they ran off to Montana and were married! We knew about it in advance and we are very proud of our newest son-in-law, Jesse. He’s one of our greatest workers and a super guy to be around. When you call in be sure to congratulate Karee.

We are now offering a new product. We're in a new partnership with a great company called House of Bees. This product is called the Bee Garden and is a package of 10 seed packets with just the right kinds of flowers that your bees will enjoy. Good for the beekeeper as well as the non-beekeeper who want to help our honey bees. Click here or go to: http://www.honeybeesonline.com/servlet/Detail?no=202

David had a blast speaking at the Missouri State Beekeeping Association meeting in St. Louis. David gave many talks on various beekeeping subjects along with Dr. Greg Hunt, Dr. Jerry Hayes and Dr. May Berenbaum. David spoke at their Friday night banquet, presenting a very comical presentation on beekeeping that left them in stiches.

We gave two beginner’s classes on March 24th and the 25th back to back. We met many of you that were there for the first time, so welcome! Sheri and I really love teaching our beginner’s course. These classes always sell out, and we work very hard to make our courses the most thorough and complete courses ever. Our next basic beginner course will be held on Oct. 6th, 2012. Click here to sign up now.

David taught his queen rearing course at Heartland Community College in Bloomington, Illinois last month and his next queen rearing course will be May 12th, 2012 at the Farm Bureau near our apiary in Danville, IL. It’s filling up fast, so click here to sign up or go to: http://www.honeybeesonline.com/servlet/Detail?no=155

Our yearly two day queen rearing course is also filling up nicely and will be held on June 15th-16th. Two days allows us more opportunity to go into greater details in teaching you to raising your own queens. Click here to sign up for our this two day queen rearing course or go to: http://www.honeybeesonline.com/servlet/Detail?no=156

Finally, I’ll be teaching an advance beekeeping course in Chicago on April 21st, 2012 at the Heritage Prairie Farm. Bronwyn Weaver has Bron’s Bees, 150 hives on organic farms and prairies in Northern Illinois. I appreciate the invite to teach on Advance Beekeeping at Heritage Prairie Farm. Click here to sign up.

For all of our future classes go to: www.honeybeesonline.com/classes.html

LESSON 118: A Mild Winter May Mean More Swarm Calls

As  beekeepers we get plenty of calls about swarms, hanging on trees, cars, buildings, fence posts and homes. You’re going to get those calls as a beekeeper. Is it worth going after a swarm? Yes.

First, it is worth it because as beekeepers we need to calm the public when they encounter honey bees. Secondly, a swarm is made up of a laying queen and young bees ready to make a new home. This can be a valuable addition to our apiary. Let’s think about the best way to catch a swarm.

Our primary objective is to safely retrieve the queen and her colony. Consider the risks when climbing trees, ladders and scaling walls. It is dangerous and a swarm is never worth bodily injury. Use good judgment. Some swarms you simply walk away from because the risk is too high.

 

A healthy hive produces a swarm, and since we had a mild winter, many colonies are healthy in numbers and will likely produce swarms. This is a colony’s natural way of reproducing, making another colony.  Around 60% of the bees in a strong hive will leave with the old queen, fly and land close by, and remain there until the scouts report back with a new home location. While the swarm is hanging there, we can retrieve the swarm. However, keep in mind that they may only stay put a few minutes or a few days. You never know. Often you can drive a considerable distance only to find the swarm has flown away to their newly found home.

DAVID’S TIP: When I receive a call about a swarm, I write down the caller’s cell number. Then, when I am half way to the location, I call and ask if the swarm is still there. Many times, the swarm is gone and by calling half way, I minimize my fuel costs.

Make a flyer and post it around various places in town so people will know to call you when they see a swarm. Send flyers to pest control companies, police and fire departments, garden centers and local businesses such as groceries and hardware stores.

How to catch a swarm. Make sure the swarm has landed and is a tight clump of bees. If they are on a limb, it can be as simple as placing equipment below the limb and giving the branch a hard shake. Hopefully all the bees with the queen will be shaken into your equipment so that you can put a lid on it, and wait a few minutes for all the bees to go inside and you’re finished. Sometimes the bees fly back up to their original place in the tree. It may take several shakes.

With the permission of the owner of the tree, you might consider cutting a small limb supporting the swarm and physically carrying the swarm on the limb to your box to shake them in or to simply place the limb, bees and all into the hive box.

Many beekeepers are frustrated when the swarm will not stay in the box, but takes flight again. How can you prevent that from happening. Well, nothing is perfect, but it can help to add drawn comb that has been sprayed with sugar water with Honey-B-Healthy. For our swarm retrieval boxes, we use a screen bottom board, a deep hive body, an inner cover and a lid. We also have a specially cut piece of screen for the front entrance and a tie down strap to strap it all together for transport.

We sell this Emergency Swarm Catch Kit. Click here for more information. Since our kit uses a screen bottom board and a screen blocking the entrance, we will keep the hive sealed off for about 24-48 hours. This allows time for the hive to settle in to our new box. It isn’t always 100% but it certainly helps.

As a beekeeper, you should always be prepare to retrieve a swarm. Every where we go our vehicles are loaded with swarm retrieval items such as the swarm kit, ladders, sugar spray, protective gear etc. We’ve found many swarms even while traveling on the road. So take equipment with you during the swarming months of April through June.

Thanks for joining us for another lesson in beekeeping. We have a growing number of students who have learned how to keep bees based on these free lessons. It’s our hope that if you find these lessons of value, you’ll consider making a donation so that we can continue our research, experiments and communicating to you the best practices in keeping bees. Click on the tip jar to make a $30 donation or go to: http://www.honeybeesonline.com/servlet/Detail?no=144

Thank you in advance for your donation.

Please feel free to contact us. Phone is best. 217-427-2678 and visit us online at: www.honeybeesonline.com

David & Sheri Burns
Long Lane Honey Bee Farms
217-427-2678
Website: www.honeybeesonline.com

LESSON 117: A Strong Queen Means A Strong Hive www.honeybeesonline.com 217-427-2678

Hello from David & Sheri Burns at Long Lane Honey Bee Farms. Thanks for joining us for another lesson in beekeeping.

For those that are new to these lessons and new to beekeeping, you may want to start at lesson one and work your way through all the lessons. Click here to go to Lesson Number One.

In today’s lesson, we’ll take a look at why a strong queen is so important in keeping a strong colony. But before today’s lesson, we want to tell you what’s been going on here at Long Lane Honey Bee Farms, after all this is a blog/lesson.

We had to make more room for our operation. So in the middle of winter we poured concrete and built a new addition to our production building.

Though it was a mild winter, it did turn cold after we poured the concrete so we had to work hard to keep it curing at the right temperature for 5 days, but we  pulled it off. Who, in their right mind, builds a building in the middle of winter. We did.

We try to make wise use of every inch of our space and usually end up adding on each year. The added space will help us keep up with orders and better serve our customers.

 

Many have been calling in and wanting to start beekeeping. This is great news. 2012 is like no other year so far in the number of new beginners. Our classes are maxing out. Orders are staggering and we are working as fast as we can so if you’ve ordered a hive, please be patient.

We strongly suggest that all beekeepers complete a class. We offer many classes. David is a certified master beekeeper and you will benefit greatly from one of our classes. Here’s the upcoming list:

Here's a list of our future beekeeping classes.

Click on the links below or call to register today!

Basic Beginner's Class March 25th Noon-6pm

April 21 Advance Beekeeping (Chicago) (Request info by email)

May 12 Queen Rearing 9am-3pm

June 15-16 Two Day Queen Rearing Course

July 14th  Advance Beekeeping

October 6 Basic Beekeeping

October 13 Natural & Organic Beekeeping

Join David in St. Louis Missouri this weekend March 9-10, 2012.

David will be speaking at the Missouri state convention along with Dr. Greg Hung, Jerry Hayes and Dr. May Berenbaum. Click here to register to attend or go to: http://mostatebeekeepers.org/meeting/

LESSON 117: A Strong Queen Means A Strong Hive

I love to raise queens. When I first started beekeeping I loved to harvest honey. There was no greater thrill than opening the valve at the bottom of the extractor and let the golden honey flow. For years I was more interested in producing honey than bees. I thought about raising queens at times, but it seemed too complicated. But, finally I took the plunge and with the help of Joe Latshaw spending an afternoon teaching me how to raise queens, I was raising my own queens. I started off like most, learning, failing and occasionally succeeding. But over the years we improved and now raising queens is second nature. Over the last few years we’ve shipped queens throughout the US and we are proud of our Pioneer Queen. I gave her that name because I’ve heard people talk about our great grandparents as having “pioneer stock”, meaning for what they endured they must have had great genetics.

Some people want our secret recipe for raising good queens. Sorry, it’s not a secret. Graft only from the best hives. Graft from hives that produce large amounts of honey, are gentle, don’t swarm much, put up with mites without crashing and overwinter well. There’s no exact science to it but then there is also no fool proof guarantee either. Queens mate with over 20 drones so though our results are very similar, bee genetics are still difficult to clone.

Once again, we will raise our Pioneer queen in 2012 starting sometime in last April or May, depending on the weather and how early the drones mature. We are excited to be able to also sell other queens from our friends who raise queen after our similar technique. We train many people each year, and we are glad to help sell queens that also meet our qualifications. This will help us to meet more of our queen orders.

A healthy queen means a healthy hive. To maintain a healthy hive the colony has to have lots of bees. A strong laying queen will build up the numbers in a colony. A weak laying hive will keep the numbers low and the colony weak. A weak colony is not always the result of a bad queen. For example, if a colony is sick or has an infestation of a pest, the numbers can go down resulting in the queen not being fed well. This will cause her not to lay well. That same queen would lay like crazy in a healthy colony. So do not always blame your queen.

If the colony is healthy, strong in  numbers but the queen is not laying well, it very well may mean a new queen is necessary to keep the hive growing well. All queens sold for less that $100 have been open air mated, which means no one can perfectly control the results. These are known as production queens. Queens that have been instrumentally inseminated with drone sperm from chosen lines are called breeder queens. These queens are not production queens, but are queens used to raise other queens. The average beekeeper uses production queens but queen producers will buy breeder queens to raise queen from her eggs.

I do not believe anyone will be able to produce a queen that can totally resist all pests and diseases in the near future. We can make small headway, but with open air mating it is not easy to hold the lines tight. There are many claims about queens, but if there was a perfect queen we’d all be buying queens from that producer. Much more goes into a successful colony than a perfect queen. For example, we cannot control the weather, amount of nectar produced in plants, bears, skunks, pesticide poisoning etc. Even the best queens need a skilled beekeeper to help monitor and manage the hive.

Spring queens must be monitored closely. It’s not uncommon for new colonies to have queen issues. A new queen may not be immediately accepted. In fact, she may be “balled” or attacked before she is finally accepted. Therefore, it is very important for the beekeeper to inspect the colony every 2 weeks in the spring and early summer. If the queen is missing or not laying populous frames of eggs, replace her immediately with a mated queen. If one week goes by without a queen, close to 10,000 eggs may not have been laid. This iwill lead to a small and weak colony unless a new mated queen is introduce. Call us immediately to purchase a Pioneer queen if your queen is missing.

Whether you are a new beekeeper or an experienced beekeeper you must monitor your queen. Please consider these important tips when inspecting the queen’s performance:

1) Locate your queen. Become familiar with her appearance. It is best to mark your queen so that you will know if the colony replaced her by raising their own queen. Pay close attention to her color, legs, wings and abdomen.

Visible damage could also mean she is unable to lay effectively.

 

2) Observe the number of actual eggs she is laying. A new egg stands straight up in the cell. This will allow you to see how well she is laying. Learn to identify eggs.

3) Observe the number of frames of sealed  brood as this reveals how well she was laying 8-10 days ago.

4) When manipulating the frames, keep your eye on the queen especially as your return a frame back into the hive. Be sure to allow enough space to slide the frame into position without smashing the queen against the next frame. This is called “rolling” the queen. Many beekeepers carelessly kill their queens when inspecting the hive. If the queen is on the outside edge or wooden parts of the frame, do not place the frame back into the hive. Wait until she moves to the safety of the middle of the comb. Keep your eye on her all the way until the comb is in the hive.

Thanks for joining us for another lesson on beekeeping. Please let others know about these lessons and our business. We appreciate you spreading the word!

Your donations helps us continue our work and research on the honey bee, such as our recent development of our Winter-Bee-Kind. These lessons are free and will provide you with as much if not more information than you would find in a $30 book. So consider making a $30 donation so that we might continue these lessons, CLICK HERE TO DONATE $30 Thank you in advance.

David & Sheri Burns
Long Lane Honey Bee Farms
217-427-2678
Website: www.honeybeesonline.com

LESSON 116: STATE BEE INSPECTORS & YOU MUST FEED YOUR BEES www.honeybeesonline.com 217-427-2678

In today’s lesson David will share why state bee inspection programs are so important and give you several ways you can best utilize this service. And David will also explain why this warmer winter posses a serious threat to bees surviving and what you can do to save the bees!

Hi, we are David & Sheri Burns, of Long Lane Honey Bee Farms. Sheri and I were high school sweethearts, married as soon as we graduated and immediately started our family of six children, now ranging in age from 30 to 4. (That’s not a typo). We set out to work hard, make a decent living and raise our children in the fear and admonition of the LORD. I’ve spent my whole live (from age 18) preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ. I’ve preached in villages in Africa, India and lots of other countries. When I was younger, I worked in the fields, factories and even went door to door selling smoke detectors to make a living. So Sheri and I are as ordinary as it gets.We are down to earth, hard working folks trying to get the most out of life and pay our way through life. Isn’t that what we’re all really trying to accomplish. Honey bees have helped us reach our dreams.

From early on, keeping bees has been part of our life. I started keeping bees 17 years ago. Didn’t know what I was doing, but an elder in our church helped me get started by cutting a hive from a fallen tree. He suited me up and I’ve been hooked ever since. It’s a hoot. We’ve learned to really love keeping bees and this passion has spilled over to our beekeeping business. We want others to enjoy this relaxing hobby and to help rebuild the honey bee population in our country. We need our bees to pollinate our food. Not to mention that the honey is good for us.

After 17 years of constantly learning about bees I studied hard and became a master beekeeper. There are only about 120 EAS certified master beekeepers in the world. I worked to become a master beekeeper so that our customers could benefit more from the classes I teach and these lessons that I write. Becoming a master beekeeper equipped me to be a better mentor and teacher for our customers. That’s my story, what’s yours?

OUR CLASSES ARE OVERFLOWING!  Due to the increase student registration for our March 24th beginner’s class we are now offering this same beginner’s class on Sunday, March 25th from Noon – 6pm. Click here to register for our Sunday, March 25th Beginner’s Class.

We are trying hard to get more packages, and as of yesterday we have about 50 remaining, but we are only selling packages of bees that go with our hive kits. So call us today or next week to place an order to get started with a hive or two and some bees. Don’t delay. 217-427-2678.

Join me March 9-10 as I’ll be speaking at the Missouri State Beekeeper’s Association meeting in St. Louis. Here’s the agenda. To register, CLICK HERE. It will be held at the Marriott St. Louis West,  660 Maryville Centre Drive, St. Louis, MO 63141. Other speakers include Jerry Hayes, Dr. May Berenbaum and Dr. Greg Hunt.

LESSON 116: State Bee Inspectors And You Must Feed Your Bees.

Throughout my years of keeping bees I’ve always benefited from bee inspectors. I first started keeping bees when I lived in Ohio. A year before I started beekeeping we lived in a house that had someone else’s bee hives out back. I remember watching from the window the bee inspector taking the hive apart and looking at frames. He left a sheet of paper with me stating that the bees were healthy.

Because we sell nucs, our bees have to be inspected every year. A nuc is a very small hive, maybe four or five frames with a queen. In order for customers to purchase nucs, they must be inspected, approved and also have a moving permit for each nuc. This has been the best of experience. Each year, the inspector spends the big part of a day searching for any problems, filling out health certificates and moving permits. It is a valuable service. We know our inspector very well and consider him a friend. Though some states do not have any inspectors, our state has 8. Our neighboring state of Indiana has only 1.

I’ve heard some say they feel threatened by “big government” messing with their bees. But this is not the case at all. Our honey bees have much more to deal with today and state inspectors are here to help. They are a tool that beekeepers should embrace and take full advantage of their services.

If you see something that concerns you or you just need help knowing if your queen is doing okay, call your inspector. Don’t sit around and wonder if you have a disease or a pest, call your inspector.

Because of our inspection program we can rest more comfortably knowing that our inspectors are merely trying to prevent the spread of harmful pests and diseases.

So we strongly urge all beekeepers to register hives with either your Department of Ag or Division of natural Resources.

WARNING: YOUR BEES MAY STARVE FROM THE WARM WINTER

Bees cluster in the hive when the temperature drops below 50 degrees F.  A mild winter can cause the hive to get an early start raising new brood. This new brood requires a significant amount of pollen and nectar. Now that most hives are raising significant amounts of new brood, the demand for pollen and nectar is strong. In northern states we are several weeks away from any type of natural resources for our bees. And if we have more than a few days of extremely cold weather, the bees will be forced to cluster without food over the brood to keep it warm, and they may starve out.

There are several ways to feed bees during late winter and early spring. For Northern states the weather will change back and forth so an entrance feeder is not recommended. In a cold snap, bees will cluster and not be able to reach the entrance feeder. Here are feeding methods we recommend:

1) Candy Boards
Our first choice is the use of candy boards. We sell a candy board we call Winter-Bee-Kind which has an upper vent/entrance, insulation and 5 lbs of sugar with pollen mixed in as well. Placed on the top of the hive, it is always above the cluster for easy access. The upper vent/entrance allows bees to stay close to the food source but still be about to exit the hive when needed without having to travel all the way down to the lower entrance.

2) Top Feeders
Top feeders are large reservoirs placed over the top of the hive and usually hold between 1-3 gallons of liquid fed such as 1:1 sugar water. As long as the temperature remains warm these are effective. However, if there is a sudden drop in temperature the bees will be stranded feeding and fail to re-cluster and freeze. So be sure you are out of the woods for cold snaps. Some make their own top feeders by placing pails or entrance feeders on top of the hive and then place an empty deep hive body around it with a lid. Again, make sure the temperature does not rapidly fall off or this added space above the hive can deplete their pocket of warmth.

3) Frame Feeders
Frame feeders are plastic reservoirs shaped like a frame and slip in place of a frame in the brood nest area. Their obvious disadvantage is that the temperature has to be above 60 degrees F in order to manipulate frames to place it in the hive. Be sure to include chicken wire, card board or some sort of floaters to prevent the bees from drowning in the sugar water.

Please take the warning that most colonies starve and crash in March. The increase brood requires much more food. In fact, they are consuming much more food than they can bring in. So they will rapidly deplete their stored resources. Feed your bees starting now!

Thanks for joining us for another lesson in beekeeping. Please check out our other resources:

BEEKEEPING PODCASTS
FREE ONLINE LESSONS IN BEEKEEPING
OUR BEEKEEPING VIDEO INSTITUE

We have the lowest price on complete hives. Assembled, painted with wooden frames and plasticell foundation, screen bottom board, inner cover, two deeps and a medium super with metal covered telescoping top cover only $199. Same price for the last 3 years!  When comparing prices remember that a good gallon of paint is $25. Our hives are painted, assembled and ready for bees. CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR COMPLETE ASSEMBLED HIVE FOR $199

CONTACT PHONE: 217-427-2678 M-F 8:30am-4:30pm Central Time

LESSON 115: Is A Warm Winter Good For Bees?

www.honeybeesonline.com  217-427-2678
Isn't it time you improve your beekeeping knowledge and skills? Spend the whole day with certified master beekeeper David Burns, February 11, 2012.  Pick his brain, and advance you knowledge of beekeeping. Click here for class registration information.
Hello from Long Lane Honey Bee Farms. We are David and Sheri Burns. We live out in the country in central Illinois where we’ve enjoyed running a beekeeping business for 5 years now. We raise chickens, bees, queens and of course manufacture beekeeping equipment. In fact, David and a few others have been so busy building hives that they’ve become really fast at it. Watch this video of David in high speed!
(If the videos in this lesson do not play, view this blog directly at: www.basicbeekeeping.blogspot.com)

We take great pride in our work, building hives by hand for our customers. We view our customers as friends and David is one of two EAS certified master beekeepers in the state of Illinois so you’re in good hands with us for all your beekeeping needs.  David will share his next beekeeping lesson with us, Lesson 115 and he’ll be talking about how a warm winter may actually not be so good for our bees. But before today’s lesson…
We’ve produced another Studio Bee Live podcast! Click here to listen.

We have a Valentine Special now available. It includes one hive and one 3 pound package of bees with a queen.
Get One Complete Hive painted and assembled, 1 package of bees with queen an we’ll also include a FREE Queen Excluder and a FREE Entrance feeder with jar lid with holes.
OFFER ONLY GOOD THROUGH FEB 20th.
This is an easy way to add to your hives or get started in beekeeping. This offer is good through Feb. 20th, 2012. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
JOIN US IN ONE OF OUR UPCOMING BEEKEEPING CLASSES
ADVANCE BEEKEEPING FEB. 11, 2012 DANVILLE, IL 9-4.
Long Lane Honey Bee Farms is offering an Advance Beekeeping Course Saturday February 11th, 2012 from 9am to 4pm. Take the next step, and leap into becoming a better beekeeper! We'll take a more in depth look at swarm prevention, splits, overwintering hives, pests & disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention, increase honey yields and tricks of the trade. Stop repeating the same mistakes. Join EAS certified master beekeeper David Burns and go to the next level in understanding beekeeping. This course will be held in Danville, Illinois at the Farm Bureau building. Call 217-427-2678 or CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
BASIC BEGINNING BEEKEEPING  MARCH 24th, 2012 DANVILLE, IL 9am-4pm. Sheri and I are looking forward to the upcoming basic beekeeping class we are offering on Saturday March 24th, 2012. We have designed this one day beekeeping course to cover topics on basic beekeeping. Those interested in becoming beekeepers as well as those who have kept bees for a few years will benefit from this class. We have a maximum registration so register as soon as you can to reserve your spot! It will be held at the Farm Bureau in Danville, Illinois (Central Illinois). Get a few friends to come along with you! Lunch is on your own, but there are several places to eat lunch nearby. Also, why not save shipping costs and purchase all your hive equipment on this day? This course is team taught by David & Sheri and you'll have a great day learning about beekeeping. Don't let distance keep you away. We've had people from California to Louisiana and other states, so come on over. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
SPECIAL TUESDAY BLOG READER SPECIAL! Our Complete Hive, assembled and painted is normally $199, but we are offering this special to our blog readers of only $179 to the first 10 callers on Tuesday. Calls will be answered starting at 8:30am central time. This offer is only good on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 to the first 10 callers. The 7th caller will receive free shipping of the hive. You must use CODE: 2VS
PACKAGE BEE UPDATE: We are sold out of our individually shipped packages. We only have packages left that go along with our hives or hives kits. We always save back packages for new beginners or beekeepers adding to their current hives. We’ve sold individual packages for the last four months. Call for availability or click on our valentine special which is one hive and one package.

Check us out on Facebook. Every Monday we post a picture of a malady of the hive and the first person to guess correctly wins a prize from Long Lane Honey Bee Farms. This Monday’s photo is already posted.
LESSON 115: IS A WARM WINTER GOOD FOR BEES?
Bees overwinter best when they are held at a temperature that keeps the cluster quiet and eating very little honey. That’s why sometimes we say we are putting the bees to bed for the winter. Though bees do not hibernate like bears, they cluster, produce heat, eat and wait for warmer days. There is an ideal temperature between 30-40 degrees F that keeps the bees quiet and eating the least amount of food. The warmer the weather the more the bees eat. AND oddly enough, the colder the weather (below 30 degrees F) the more the bees eat to generate heat. Does an unseasonably warm winter mean trouble for bees? Yes.
Don’t panic just yet. If a colony is healthy, meaning they are not suffering from viruses, mite overload or high nosema spores, they always stand a better chance of making it through the winter. But remember this: They need numbers!  A colony must be heavily populated to provide the needed heat during extreme cold snaps. A large colony can generate more heat with less consumption of honey. In a smaller colony each bee will have to work harder to generate enough heat, which requires the consumption of more food.
It is not unusual for smaller colonies to die in the winter even though they had plenty of honey. It is because they could not maintain a survivable temperature in the cluster. In this case, the winter did not kill the colony, but rather poor summer and fall management. The colony was just too small to overwinter.
In the winter, the colony’s cluster shrinks in size as temperatures fall. The colder the temperature, the tighter and smaller the cluster becomes. This can be another explanation as to why bees die in close proximity to frames full of honey. Let me explain. On day one, the outside temperature can be 30 degrees F resulting in the cluster compressing into a loose cluster. They will begin to consume honey in combs near them. The next day, the high temperature may drop  to 10 degrees F resulting in the bees compressing into a very tight cluster, shrinking in size even more. If the bees are held in this tight cluster for several days, they can quickly consume all honey near by. To complicate matters, winter can throw another punch and the temperature can continue to sink resulting in the bees being unable to break cluster to go to areas nearby containing honey. As the cluster tightens and shrinks the comb around them has been drained of honey. As a result, the bees can starve out with nearby honey in combs they cannot reach due to the cold temperatures.
Winter survival depends on these factors:
1) Low level of mites
2) Low level of diseases and viruses
3) Amount of bees that can generate heat
4) Volume of stored honey and pollen
TIPS FOR WINTER FEEDING
1) Lift the rear of the hive to check the weight. If the hive is very light the colony is lacking stored honey and needs fed.
2) Do not remove frames unless the temperature is 60 degrees F or higher.
3) Do not feed liquid sugar during the winter. It will freeze. Also the bees will be unable to fly out and defecate due to being tightly clustered. Instead feed solid sugar such as our Winter-Bee-Kind Candy Boards. We’ve started the Beekeeping Video Institute and we featured our Winter-Bee-Kind in our first video. See our 1st Beekeeping Video Institute below.


4) Bees die in February and March when the weather begins to warm up a little, but there is still no available nectar or pollen. This is more common in northern states such as mine, Illinois. The queen starts laying more and the added brood requires much more consumption of resources that cannot be replaced. Late winter is the time to start feeding a liquid sugar mixture, one part sugar to one part water. It is only advisable to feed sugar water when you know the bees will be able to fly out of the hive once or twice a week. Pollen substitute is always a valuable resource to keep in the hive. Bees with a variety of pollen are always healthier. Yes, bees need pollen even during the winter. Pollen is the bee’s protein. In late winter, here in Illinois, bees are starved for protein and will begin eating almost anything that resembles pollen such as dog and cat food, dust from tiny bird seeds, and even our saw dust piles. Every spring I spread out dry pollen powder and the bees go crazy hauling it back to the hive.
Thanks for joining us for another lesson from Long Lane Honey Bee Farms. We are glad that we can provide these free and informative lessons to the beekeeping community.  We hope you’ll consider making a purchase from Long Lane Honey Bee Farms. We need your business. Buy a hive or two from us. Check out out hive kits. Attend one of our classes. Your future business helps us raise our family, enjoy life and pay bills.
Your donations helps us continue our work and research on the honey bee, such as our recent development of our Winter-Bee-Kind. These lessons are free and will provide you with as much if not more information than you would find in a $30 book. So consider making a $30 donation so that we might continue these lessons, CLICK HERE TO DONATE $30 Thank you in advance.
Here’s our contact information. We hope to hear from you soon.
Check out our website: www.honeybeesonline.com
Phone: 217-427-2678