Happy New Year!

     To everyone I wish a very happy and healthy year to you and your loved ones (including your bees).  May your bees survive the cold of winter, develop a resistance to Varroa and other pests, be free of all diseases and produce buckets of honey.
     Please, don't drink and fly!

Anita the Beekeeper

     The subject of beekeeping in poor countries has intrigued me for some time.  Beekeeping can play an important role in the third world by providing income, increased crop pollination and productivity and natural pollination.  Programs like Heifer International (https://secure1.heifer.org/gift-catalog/honeybees.html), Bees for Development (beesfordevelopment.org/) and a local organization Bee World Project (honeybeecentre.com/bee-world-project) provide a means of assistance for beekeepers in poor countries.  This wonderful film produced by Unicef  portrays a young Indian woman who pays for her schooling through beekeeping and earns the respect of her community.

View this movie at cultureunplugged.com

A Plea for Bees' Needs

     Dr. Elizabeth Elle, a Simon Fraser University professor specializing in biodiversity gives a public lecture on the status of honey and native bees and what we can do to make our community a more bee friendly place.  What I find particularly interesting is her discussion of native bees.  My hope is to become more accurate in my native bee identification this year.  Particularly the mining, leaf cutting and sweat bees.  In Vancouver the Blue Orchard Mason Bee (agf.gov.bc.ca/apiculture/factsheets/506_osmia.htm) and Bumble Bee species (xerces.org/western-bumble-bee/) are fairly easy to identify.  Later in the year I will do a posting specifically on native bee identification.

     Dr. Elle has worked with the Environmental Youth Alliance which facilitates youth based sustainability programs in Vancouver and 15 countries internationally.  The Environmental Youth Alliance manage a garden within our community garden in which they have a top bar bee hive.  They also have two hives at a Mt. Pleasant garden in Vancouver where they run an annual beekeeping program for youth (eya.ca/urban-apiculture.html).  This is a great way for young people in the Vancouver area to get initiated into beekeeping.
 

     Please visit this website (operationbee.com/actnow/banpesticides.html) and sign the petition to the United Nations to ban the use of neonicotinoid pesticides which are toxic to bees (http://strathconabeekeepers.blogspot.com/2011/10/insecticides-and-bees.html).  

Boxing Day Sale

     If you're shopping this boxing day you may want to buy a package of bees to start a new hive this spring.  To start a bee hive in Vancouver at the beginning of our season (approximately March 1st when it is warm enough and there is enough pollen and nectar available for bees to begin foraging) you either have to buy a pre-existing bee hive or a package of bees, usually coming from the southern hemisphere where it is late summer and the colonies are at full population.  The packaged bees come in the mail by air in 2 to 3 pound packages (8-12,000 bees with a caged queen) and usually come from Australia, New Zealand or Chile.  The shipped package has traditionally been of wood with screened sides or ends containing a feeder and a young, laying queen.  The B.C. Ministry of Agriculture has provided basic guidelines for the  installation, feeding and management of your package bees (agf.gov.bc.ca/apiculture/factsheets/301_packages.htm).

     Your packaged bees should be installed as soon as possible on a warm (preferably ar least 10 celsius or 50 fahrenheit) day when it is not raining.  Here is a video describing the installation of a package of bees.

       Most of the imported bees in Vancouver come from New Zealand because of the similarity in climate and lack of  hive beetle found in Australian bees.  Also, most beekeepers in Vancouver are not fluent in Spanish so are unable to communicate with Chilean bees.  Que pasa abeja?  Sometimes bees are shipped in tubular packages for easier and safer shipping and installation.  Urban Bee Supplies is now taking orders for New Zealand bees to arrive in tubular packages in the spring (urbanbeesupplies.ca/packaged%20bees.html).   These Arataki Carniolan Bees are bred for the Canadian climate and disease resistance (aratakihoneyrotorua.co.nz/packagebees.htm).  The Carniolan honey bee (Apis Mellifera carnaca Pollman) is a subspecies of the western honey bee and native to Slovenia and some parts of the former Yugoslavia, southern Austria, and parts of Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.  I bought a New Zealand (the bees speak with an accent) Carniolan hybrid nuc (nuc- nucleus of a colony in a nuc box with 3-5 frames of 8-12,000 bees) last year from Urban Bee Supplies and it has done very well.  Studies show that the Carniolan hybrid bee ranks high in temperament, productivity, swarming (less) and varroa tolerance.  My personal experience supports these studies except that of temperament.  When talking of temperament I'm always amused when people say their bees are so gentle and would never sting them.  My girls are gentle til you mess with their hive (inspect) and then they become rabid pitbulls.  I keep my bees in a downtown eastside community garden which is open to the public.  The girls are exposed daily to mice, rats, squirrels, birds, wasps, skunks, raccoons, junkies, hookers and a teen gang that occasionally hits or knocks over the hive.  You don't mess with my downtown eastside girls.  I have witnessed them attacking in force a bald faced hornet twice their size trying to enter the hive with a viciousness that shocked me.  Their protective nature of their home is not only healthy but an added attribute to their character.  I was stung probably a dozen times this year and I'm glad my bees are so protective of their home.  I'm hoping that my body develops a tolerance for stings that I have heard some beekeepers develop over time.  Til then I'm happy (well, maybe not happy but amused) to receive the occasional reminder of their constant vigilance.  Here are three videos on tubular packaged bees and their installation.

Everything's Connected

     Another ted.com talk about the connection of people to their environment.  The implementation of big, industrial agriculture disconnects us from any concept of a healthy, diverse ecosystem.  Bigger is not always better!  We need to think and function in a state of harmonious, environmental balance.
     Christy Hemenway, the founder of Goldstar Honeybees (natural, chemical free top bar hives) is working towards reintegration of small scale diversified farms and honeybees.  She speaks of the connection between bees and our food, our health and our planet.

     I strongly believe that this small scale diversified farming philosophy emphasizing local control should be applied to all industries from logging to high tech.  It is only with local control that you have a long term social and environmental vested interest.  "Think globally, act locally."

To Bee or Not to Bee

     David Suzuki, possibly Canada's greatest scientist and environmentalist narrates this interesting documentary on the plight of the bee in environmentally stressed planet earth.  Although David is known for an amazing portfolio of work he is best known as the host of the award winning program the "Nature of Things" since 1979 (http://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/episode/50-years-of-the-nature-of-things.html).

     This documentary highlights the issues and challenges that bees face in this toxic environment we have created.  Watch "To Bee or Not to Bee" at http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Shows/The_Nature_of_Things/1242300217/ID=1380312270.

Christmas Bees

     It was a beautiful, sunny December 18th at the bee hive and the girls were excited it being the week before Christmas.  A beekeeper from Hornby Island dropped by and was surprised the ladies were so active on this cool 7 degree Celsius day (44 fahrenheit).  I explained that they were city bees and they had a lot of last minute Christmas shopping to do.

     Penny, from the Natural Beekeeping Trust of the United Kingdom says "Traditionally, Christian beekeepers have visited their colonies at midnight on Christmas Eve to tell the bees of the nativity.  They also hoped to hear the special melodious humming that the bees were said to perform at this time, portending health and prosperity throughout the coming year.  It was thought that this custom was predated by an earlier pre-Christian one when the return of the sun was by no means guaranteed!"

The girls getting ready for Christmas

     If you're wondering what to recite to your bees on Christmas Eve here is a poem by Carol Ann Duffy.

Silently on Christmas Eve,
the turn of midnight's key;
all the garden locked in ice -
a silver frieze -
except the winter cluster of the bees.

Flightless now and shivering,
around their Queen they cling;
every bee a gift of heat;
she will not freeze
within the winter cluster of the bees.

Bring me for my Christmas gift
a single golden jar;
let me taste the sweetness there,
but honey leave
to feed the winter cluster of the bees.

Come with me on Christmas Eve
to see the silent hive -
trembling stars cloistered above -
and then believe,
bless the winter cluster of the bees.

     Please visit Save the Bees and sign the petition to the U.S. Congress to ban neonicotinoid pesticides (Insecticides and Bees) and protect our bees.  Merry Christmas!

Beeology 101

         Dr. Jim Tew from the department of entomology at Ohio State University does an amazing job of presenting a 40 minute summary of basic bee biology.  If you're a beekeeper or just like bees it's a must. It's something you may want to watch more than once. To partake in this  informative presentation go to Honey Bee Biology and Behavior.    Check out Dr. Jim Tew's website at  onetew.com.
     For an interactive honey bee anatomy analysis go to DeBug. 

Dennis vanEngelsdorp

     Check out ted.com for some intelligent, thought provoking conversation.  Since 1984 TED has produced a wild array of honest, at times controversial lectures that are guaranteed to stimulate the mind.  This talk is from Dennis vanEngelsdorp, the acting state apiarist from Pennsylvania"s Department of Agriculture, a leading figure in the battle against Colony Collapse Disorder.  According to vanEngelsdorp "pollinators are canaries in the coal mine and their disappearance is a referendum on the state of our environment - a reminder of the brilliant and frightening interdependence of our ecosystem".

Please visit http://www.operationbee.com/actnow/banpesticides.html  and sign the petition to the United Nations to ban neonicotinoid pesticides (http://strathconabeekeepers.blogspot.com/2011/10/insecticides-and-bees.html).

                                   http://thehoneybeeconservancy.org/

Bill Maher talks about Bees

     Bill Maher and I are in perfect agreement.  The honey bee is the canary in the coal mine and the coal mine is planet Earth.  Colony Collapse Disorder is simply a smack in the face telling us to wake up and smell the roses as long as they're not drenched in pesticides and herbicides.  We have created an agricultural system and world that is completely unnatural and toxic and are surprised when bees with one third the immune system genes of a fruit fly start to die.

Remember to sign the Operationbee petition to the United Nations banning the use of neonicotinoid pesticides (http://www.operationbee.com/actnow/banpesticides.html).  It has been proven that pesticides and particularly the neonicotinoids are toxic to bees and people (http://strathconabeekeepers.blogspot.com/2011/10/insecticides-and-bees.html).

Australia still Varroa free

   Of beekeeping nations Australia is the last country remaining free of the Varroa destructor mite.  The Varroa mite is a small mite (approximately 1mm in diameter) native to Asia and the Asian honey bee (Apis Cerana) which has developed a resistance to the mite enabling it to cope with it's presence.  In the early part of the twentieth century Russian beekeepers brought the European honey bee to the Korean Peninsula via the Trans Siberian Railroad where it became the first European honey bee (Apis Mellifera) infested with the Varroa.  There are two types of Varroa mite, Japanese and Korean of which the former Japanese has not as of yet spread to other parts of the world.  The Korean Varroa mite mutated and adapted to the European honey bee which has no defense to it's presence.  Over the last 50 plus years the Varroa has spread from country to country having reached North America about 30 years ago.  However, it did not establish a stronghold until the last decade when it's presence became a serious threat to the bees (both native and honey) in North America.  The Varroa displays vampire like behavior (blood sucking), is a carrier of so far 18 identified viruses (Including Sacbrood, Acute Bee Paralysis, Deformed Wing Virus and Israel Acute Paralysis) and is considered a major contributing factor in Colony Collapse Disorder.  New Zealand became infected with the Varroa mite in 2000 and it seems just a matter of time until Australia is populated by Varroa.  The method of entry into Australia will probably occur through Asian honey bees (very similar though slightly smaller than European) swarming undetected onto ships in Asia and entering the country along with their native Varroa through one of the many Australian ports.   At present Australian authorities are actively hunting down invasive Asian honey bee nests in Australia.  So far none of the Asian bees found in Australia have had Varroa.  Recently a second mite, the Jacobsonian Varroa mite was discovered in Papua New Guinea and although slightly smaller is similarly destructive. 

Varroa mites on bee larva

     We tested our bees at Cottonwood Community Garden in September and October (http://strathconabeekeepers.blogspot.com/2011/09/checking-for-mites.html) and fortunately our Varroa numbers are manageable (less than 12 in a 24 hour period).  Our method of testing and probably the greatest defense to the Varroa is the use of a screened bottom board.  The board is simple to make and is simply a bottom board with one eigth inch hardware cloth under the hive instead of wood.  You can find construction plans for the screened bottom board in "Beekeeping Downloads" at the top of the page.  The idea is that the mites naturally fall off the bees (constant preening) and hive frames and with a traditional wooden bottom board they would simply crawl back on an adult bee.  With the screened bottom board they fall out of the hive and are unable to reenter.  A simple testing board, painted yellow for better visibility and covered in vaseline is slid through an opening in the back under the screened floor.  Left for 24 hours, using a magnifying glass we are able to get an approximate idea of the Varroa population in our hive.  Less than 50 is considered manageable.  The screened bottom board also helps to ventilate the hive keeping the heat down in the summer and reducing cold condensation in winter.  

Screened Bottom Board

The Varroa reproduces in the bee larvae and in the fall when there is less pollen and nectar the queen lays less eggs so the Varroa population resides more in the adult bees.   This is the best time, if using natural methods (mineral oil or sugar dusting) to treat your hive for Varroa.  Freezing drone brood is a labor intensive but successful method of lowering mite population (http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/apiculture/factsheets/221_varroa.htm).  Mites are now showing a resistance to the popular pesticides Apistan and Checkmite and evidence shows that the pesticides are absorbed into the wax comb and can have deadly effects on the long term health of the bees.  Formic and oxalic acid are also used though a little messy.  Recently an easier application of formic acid has been made available (http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=5fd2b1aa990e63193af2a573d&id=680200b0f7&e=720034afe9).  Antibiotics are used but the Varroa quickly adapts to antibiotics reducing the efficacy.  We sugar dusted in late September and October and got a significant mite drop each time.
  

Installing the mite test board

The numbers went from an average of 8 prior to dusting to 25 in the 24 hours following a sugar dusting.   Beekeepers should regularly check for mites ( http://www.al.gov.bc.ca/apiculture/factsheets/222_vardetect.htm) and treat accordingly.  We are going to attempt to stay completely natural in our treatment (no pesticides or drugs).  We believe our bees are hygienic in nature as we have kept our bees with a master beekeeper (our queen hopefully mated with his drones) who has bred his bees for hygienic behavior.  This natural hygienic cleaning behavior is intensified through selective breeding and bees bred this way have shown grooming and biting behavior.  Actually grooming off the mites, grasping them in their mandibles and biting them.  To test for biting use a magnifying glass when inspecting mite drop on your test board and look for mites with missing legs.  Guard bees displaying hygienic behavior may grab and shake infested bees trying to enter the hive, removing the mites and either killing them or chasing them away.  Group grooming has also been observed ( http://www.theecologist.org/how_to_make_a_difference/wildlife/649951/photo_gallery_breeding_bees_resistant_to_the_varroa_mite.html).  It is believed by many that this behavior can be passed both genetically and by learning. 

     Here is a great movie which follows the efforts of Australian scientist Dr. Denis Anderson to keep the Varroa mite out of Australia.  

   
     To release your inner anger at the mite check out the game "Buzz Off" which allows you destroy the mite but not the honeycomb (http://www.bbka.org.uk/learn/bees_for_kids/childrens_corner).

     Bees need our help now!  Neonicotinoid pesticides are killing bees now!(http://strathconabeekeepers.blogspot.com/2011/10/insecticides-and-bees.html) Sign the Operationbee petition to the United Nations banning the use of neonicotinoid pesticides.  To sign the petition go to http://www.operationbee.com/actnow/banpesticides.html .

Every Third Bite

     Bees have a very weak immune system. Because of this they are a prime indicator species revealing a major problem in the world today. Our food system has become an international industry controlled by multinational corporate entities who's only interest is profit margin. Maximum productivity equates maximum profit at any cost. The answer local control, local food production and local beekeeping. Let's revert to a time long forgotten before genetically modified food and neonicotinoid insecticides.

     Neonicotinoid insecticides are harmful to you and our bees and they are present in the foods you eat (http://strathconabeekeepers.blogspot.com/2011/10/insecticides-and-bees.html).

Beekkeeper Leaks EPA Document from Bee The Change on Vimeo.

Beekeeping in NYC

Beekeepers in New York City

      If you're in New York City this Thursday check out the free beekeeping course (http://www.nycbeekeeping.com/events/40298962/?eventId=40298962&action=detail) put on by NYC Beekeeping.  Beekeeping became legal in New York City in 2010 and has gained great popularity since then.  Prior to that people kept bees in New York illegally as they have in Vancouver.  Here's a video on NYC beekeepers in 2009 prior to the legalization. 

     
     For beekeeping lessons in the Vancouver area check out Beekeeping Courses (Beekeeping courses) at the top of the page.  Blessedbee and Honeyland Canada have courses available in January and February.