- Beekeeping Books
- Beekeeping Video Series
- Online Education
- Regional
- Bee Biology
- Basic Beekeeping Information
- Hive Inspection
- Splits, Nucs and Packages
- Swarms
- Feeding
- Winter Management
- Beehive Construction
Getting Started
This beekeeping manual accompanies an online course from the University of Minnesota Bee Lab. "Interested in becoming a beekeeper? Dr. Marla Spivak, Dr. Katie Lee and Gary Reuter from the University of Minnesota Bee Lab will help you get started in beekeeping. If you have no prior experience keeping bees in our cold climate, Beekeeping in Northern Climates will teach you everything you need to know. The course modules cover honey bee biology, management, successful wintering of colonies, managing diseases and pests and so much more. If your goal is to keep your bees alive and healthy year after year, this engaging course is for you. This online class is over 12 hours of recorded instruction divided into modules. You will be able to work through the course material in modules entirely at your own pace and schedule. There are optional live Q&A sessions with the Bee Squad that you can choose to attend on the first Tuesday of each month at 6pm CT. There is also ample opportunity to ask questions in the discussion forums. You will have access to the materials for two years to allow you to review any module over two beekeeping seasons. Two manuals accompany the class: Beekeeping in Northern Climates and Honey Bee Diseases and Pests. The manuals can be downloaded for free either in the course itself or from our manual page. If you wish to donate see our Giving page." A worthy cause to support. To register for the course. The Beekeeping in Northern Climates video series is also very useful.
Backyard Beekeeping (James E. Tew) This book by Dr. James Tew is a good overview of
the basic steps to acquiring and management of a bee colony for the
beginner beekeeper. Some of the things that are covered are the
cost, races of honey bees, bee life cycle, hive design, equipment,
swarms, hive site, seasonal management, pesticides, diseases and
harvesting of honey and wax. "Nearly anyone can keep a hive or two of honey bees. The majority of
beekeepers are hobbyists, who keep bees just for pleasure. Men, women, teens,
or young children, to some extent, can all be beekeepers. Gardeners,
retirees, professionals, teachers, physicians, construction workers, airline
pilots, and lawyers are among the types of diversified occupations enjoying
beekeeping. A sideline beekeeping hobby can earn extra income if colonies are
managed efficiently. Even if you do not have a place to put a few colonies,
most people can find a friendly farmer or landowner on whose land to place
colonies. If you enjoy biology, outdoor activities, woodworking, gardening,
animal care, or if you are just looking for a sideline income, beekeeping will
probably interest you."
Beekeeping Basics This Penn State University publication provides a fairly
comprehensive and detailed book for the backyard beekeeper. "This manual is all about beekeeping—understanding honey bee biology,
getting started, managing bee colonies for fun and/or profit and is designed to help you become a successful beekeeper. Welcome to the world of beekeeping." It covers topics like bee
castes, beekeeping equipment, clothing, packages and nucs, apiary
location, seasonal management, diseases and pests, honey production
and processing, rendering bees wax and pollen trapping ... A very good resource for the beginning beekeeper. "This manual is all about beekeeping—understanding honey bee biology, getting
started, managing bee colonies for fun and/or profit—and is designed to help
you become a successful beekeeper. Welcome to the world of beekeeping."
Handbook on Beekeeping: (Europe) A good, complete guide to sustainable beekeeping from
the European Union Bees project. "BEES is a Transfer of Innovation
project aiming at further developing a module from the Leonardo da Vinci
ENSA project on organic and biodynamic agriculture education. The main
objective of the project is to create completely updated teaching
materials on bee behaviours and relevant importance as indicators of
agriculture sustainability. Biodiversity is directly linked to this
approach. The main targets of the handbook are farmers' associations,
environmental associations, agriculture professional schools,
agriculture and veterinary medicine universities, bee keepers
associations, policy makers, institutions at European, national and
local level, elementary and secondary schools."
Australian Beekeeping Guide A great beginner's guide to beekeeping from the
Australian government. It covers everything from bee castes
and life-cycle to seasonal management, diseases and pests. "This
book provides basic information to assist beginner and sideline
beekeepers. It draws on the knowledge and experience of apiculture
scientists, various state and territory apiary inspectors and apiary
officers, and most importantly, the many beekeepers who enjoy keeping
bees." It covers most everything except treatment of varroa mites
which are not present in Australia.
A Guide for Beekeepers by the
Honey Bee Health Coalition
Every beekeeper should seek to have hives that are healthy and
productive. Today, the many threats to honey bee health — including
parasites, pests, disease, pesticides, and inadequate nutrition —
make achieving this goal a major challenge. Successful beekeeping
means closely monitoring bee health and taking proactive steps to
protect them.
Whether you are just starting out as a beekeeper or have years of
experience, you’ll find that this guide offers valuable BMPs on many
topics, including:
Safety
Apiary and hive set up and maintenance
Pesticide exposure
Treatment of parasites and bee diseases
Queen health, bee breeding and stock selection
Bee nutrition
Written by Eric Mader, Pollinator Outreach Coordinator,
The Xerces Society Pollinator Conservation Program.
Marla Spivak, Professor of Entomology, University of Minnesota and
Elaine Evans, Author of Befriending Bumble Bees.
"This book cound not have come at a better time. We
stand at a crossroads, where honey bee losses and
rental rates for pollination are on the rise, research is
expanding our knowledge of native bees’ role in crop
pollination, and growers are looking for pollination
alternatives to improve crop security. Herein lies the
heart of this book: It is a technical resource that brings
together the latest advances in native and introduced
bee management with a big-picture perspective on
how to manage a farm for these pollinators’ greatest
success. In the coming years, honey bees will continue to
be critically important for production agriculture. To
improve the sustainability and security of farming in
the United States, however, it is important for grow-
ers to diversify the pollinators upon which they rely. It
also might be time for beekeepers to diversify their own operations and
expand their management to native bees. This book provides the necessary
tools for growers, beekeepers, and other agricultural professionals to
do just that. Perhaps the silver lining of Colony Collapse Disorder is
its wake-up call to invest time, research, and energy into new managed
pollinators and new ways of looking at farm management for the
betterment of all pollinators. We are being asked to picture a future in
agriculture where even the most intensively managed almond orchards,
cranberry bogs, and squash fields make room for flowering plants that
complement blooming crops and have strategically placed hives of honey
bees, tubes of leafcutters, boxes of bumble bees, and natural habitat
that provides a home for wild native bees."
Starting Beekeeping in Ireland by Thomas Carroll
"This book is as much a guide to sources of additional information as
it is a how to beekeeping guide. There is a lot of bee related
information available and I have compiled an impressive list of
sources of additional information from an Irish centric
perspective. Why did I write this eBook? The need for this book
came to me when I searched for as simple and straightforward text on
how to start beekeeping in Ireland. I was restarting my
beekeeping here in 2015. I wanted a plain and straight to the
point book which was up to date and appropriate in the Irish context.
I wanted a book at a sensible price which was available in electronic
format (an eBook) which I could easily and quickly download and start
reading. I could not find or easily access a suitable
publication to assist me and therefore decided to write the book my
self to assist others who may be trying to start beekeeping... I
have spent over two years researching and writing this eBook. I hope
that you find it useful and helpful. I would be delighted to
hear from you and to get your feedback." Tom Carroll PHD,
Killenure Nursery, Ballybrittas, Co Laois. Website - Apiconsult
Beekeeping in California "This publication describes the fundamentals of keeping
bees in California (1987) and discusses the differences between
commercial and non commercial approaches. Persons considering
keeping bees can learn through self education and experience. Classes
and short courses in beekeeping are also helpful, and many good books
and other literature are available (see References). However, no amount
of reading can substitute for actual experience with colonies. Local
beekeeping clubs often willingly share information, and many will show
beginners how to manage a colony and what to expect through the
year."Canadian Best Management Practices for Honey Bee Health (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) - "Best Management Practices (BMPs) for the honey bee industry are developed by different levels and divisions of government, various organizations, institutions and stakeholders. Content ranging from regulations for pest and disease treatment thresholds to management of colonies during pollination services are included. While in many cases these recommendations are readily available, their authors are varied and the publications are provided by diverse sources. Some recommendations will apply to the Canadian nation as a whole, while others will only relate to specific areas of the country. The BMPs discussed in this document refer to those that pertain to honey bee health. Traceability aspects like food safety, beekeeper safety and environmental safety are not included within this BMP document."
4 H Beekeeping Manuals The 4-H Beekeeping Project from Purdue
University is divided into three divisions.
Division I, Understanding the Honey Bee, covers
information on the basic facts of beekeeping: the types of bees, the
honey and wax they produce, the plants that attract bees, and the
equipment a beekeeper needs. In the first year, youth are not required
to have any bees, but prepare to take care of a honey bee colony of
their own. In Division II, Working with Honey Bees, youth acquire a colony of bees and learn
how to care for their beehive throughout the year. This will include
basic beekeeping operations that result in the production of
extracted, chunk, or cut comb honey. When the youth are experienced
and knowledgeable in the basic care of a beehive, they should move on
to Division III, Advanced Beekeeping Methods. The advanced topics include:
increasing the number of your honey bee colonies, increasing honey
production, producing special kinds of honey, learning more about the
bee societies, and how to manage honey bee diseases and parasites.
This is a good resource for beginning beekeepers of all
ages. In addition here is a
4H Basic Beekeeping Manual
from Malcolm Sanford (University of Florida) and from the Virginia
Cooperative Extension
4H Honey Bee Youth Project Book 1
and
2
.
4 H Beekeeping Manual A good beginner beekeeper manual written by Brian Rowe of the 4
H organization that covers everything from hive components, types of
bees, first year and seasonal management, honey, wax and diseases and
pests. "Welcome to beekeeping. I hope you enjoy it as much
as I have. The bees have been good to me, and I hope they will do
the same for you." Brian Rowe.
The Basics of Beekeeping (Scotland) This is a good introductory Beekeeping guide
written by M.M. Peterson on behalf of the Dunblane and Stirling
Districts Beekeepers' Association in Scotland. The topics
discussed include bee biology, beekeeping equipment, handling bees,
swarm control, diseases and pests and
harvesting.
At the Hive Entrance This useful German handbook written by Prof. Storch in 1985 (pre
varroa) explains the value of being able to calculate a hive health by
observing the outside of the hive. "All year round it is through
this little opening that the life of a colony pulses. Here it breathes
and rejects all that it will not tolerate in its domain. Here it
transmits its meaningful message for the person who can understand it.
Here the colony's behaviour informs the beekeeper of its problems and
state of health, and lets him know whether it needs his help. A keeper
who can tell the condition of his bees by observing the hive entrance
does not need to open his hives and disturb the bees' sanctuary, the
brood nest. This never produces good results. A healthy colony
must have peace if it is to perform its productive role. On principle a
visit should only be made once the keeper has determined at the hive
entrance that something is not in order. It is not always easy to know
what is happening inside the hive by observing the hive entrance and
this is only learnt after many years, especially when the keeper is
alone and there is no-one to give advice.
Beekeeping in the United States This beekeeping handbook from the U.S. Department of Agriculture
provides readers with a better understanding of beekeeping in the United
States from a l980 perspective (pre Varroa). Some topics discussed are
the life history of the honey bee; bee behavior; breeding and genetics
of honey bees; queens, packaged bees, and nuclei; managing colonies for
high honey yield and crop pollination; dis- eases and pests of honey
bees; and effects of pesticides on honey bee mortality. The handbook
also lists beekeeping organizations and some statistics on bees and
honey. Martin, E. C, E. Oertel, N. P. Nye, and others. 1980. Beekeeping
in the United States. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture
Handbook.
Basic Beekeeping Manual
(Africa) This is a 2 volume publication written by Pam Gregory
with assistance of Gay Marris of the U.K. National Bee Unit (FERA) that
concentrates on top bar hive beekeeping, but many of the techniques and
ideas can also be used by traditional and frame hive beekeepers.
"This field manual is designed for use by field-based trainers in
sub Saharan Africa. It is based on colour pictures with few words. The
manual covers basic techniques needed to start a beekeeping business. It
also offers some new ideas to help beekeepers to become independent by
making their own equipment from local materials. I hope that this will
help people to start beekeeping at an affordable cost, and maybe to
experiment with new materials. The pictures show some of the many
different ways that people keep bees. This is intended to promote
discussion and shared experiences to help people to solve problems
locally. The manual concentrates on top bar hive beekeeping but many of
the techniques and ideas can also be used by traditional and frame hive
beekeepers." The
Advanced Beekeeping Manual
covers more advanced management techniques and problem solving and
offers some ideas about how to tackle them. The
Swahili language version
of this manual.
A Beginner's Guide to Beekeeping in Kenya
by Thomas Carroll, Msc. (Agr.)
"This book was written to assist beekeepers in Kenya and other
African countries improve their beekeeping. It is written in
simple language and is intended to be as practical as possible." Thomas
Carroll. Reader's feedback on the guide. “It is a wonderful and easily understandable introduction to
beekeeping with all the important tips and advice……….it is by far the
most informative book (about Kenyan beekeeping)”. From the
Organic Farmer Magazine, Nairobi,
“Congratulations for your Beekeeping Guide that is very interesting,
complete and useful not only for the Scutellata beekeepers but for
the Adansonii ones in Central and West Africa where the problems are
similar”.
Tropical and Sub-tropical Apiculture
The book brings out the enormous untapped potential for the
development of a dynamic apiculture industry in the developing
countries. Most countries in these regions are blessed with abundant
sunshine, and a rich flora which blooms all the year round. An
integrated consideration of the problems and potential of the apiculture
industry in the tropics and sub- tropics will therefore help in
identifying the constraints responsible for the gap between potential
and actual honey production. At the same time, it will help to monitor
and regulate the movement ofbees and associated pathogens from temperate
into tropical areas, where beekeeping is especially vulnerable to
setbacks caused by new diseases. We urgently need a mechanism for
disease monitoring, and for organizing an early warning system with
reference to the spread of new pests and pathogens. Information on
marketing opportunities will also be necessary for countries that are
substantially increasing their apicultural production. Much of
this book has been written by scientists who are authorities in their
respective fields. The book, therefore, serves as an encyclopedia of
information relating to the various aspects of apiculture.
The National Beekeeping Training Extension Manual (Uganda) This beekeeping training guide produced by the
Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture is a manual that others in tropical and
subtropical areas may find useful. "Over the years, several
stakeholders including Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies
have been carrying out training of farmers in their own ways without
standard guide and uniformity. Some of the guides/manuals used by
the stakeholders are substandard. This practice has for long undermined
efforts to increase production and enforce compliance to standards.
This manual has therefore been developed to provide the basic
standards for training beekeepers all over Uganda."
This practical guide to Beekeeping in Africa is one volume in the
programme of publications on apiculture in the Third World initiated early
in 1986 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Previous volumes include Tropical and sub-tropical apiculture; Honeybee
mites and their control: A selected annotated bibliography; Honey and
beeswax control; Beekeeping in Asia, Honeybee diseases and enemies In
Asia: A practical guide; and Beekeeping in Latin America. It is hoped that
other topical works will follow. The present practical guide was
written by Mr. Stephen O. Adjare, Research Fellow in charge of the
Apiculture Promotion Unit of the Technology Consultancy Centre, University
of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. While it draws on a wealth of
information based on the experience of beekeepers around the world, and
especially in the United States, it focuses on those problems,
opportunities and resources which are peculiar to Africa. It stresses the
potential that beekeeping offers to agriculture, rural development,
nutrition and income generation in the continent, and the ways in which
individual, small-scale and commercial beekeepers can improve the
productivity of their hives. The use of local technology and materials, as
well as the particular characteristics of the African honeybee, are
treated in detail.
Apiculture in Sub-Saharan Africa
(A manual for trainers) This manual focuses on modern beekeeping
in Sub-Saharan Africa. It attempts to upgrade and refine the
knowledge of trainers/field workers within government departments or
organizations/NGOs on the correct use of modern beekeeping techniques.
The final aim is that competent services will be provided to
farmers/beekeepers and appropriate transfer of know-how will be
accomplished to the same. It is hoped that this will contribute to the
creation of a new generation of beekeepers in the Region.
Small Scale Beekeeping
(The Peace Corps) As part of the United States “whole of government”
effrt to address food security in the developing world, the Peace
Corps has edited and revised several existing technical manuals designed
for use by Volunteers. Most of these materials were created in the late
1970s and early 1980s and were written by a number of diffrent
subject-matter experts employed or contracted by the Peace Corps. They
have been revised with funding provided to the Peace Corps by the U.S.
Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Bureau of Food Security
under a food security agreement, known as “Feed the Future.” The
Small-Scale Beekeeping manual is written as a guide for Volunteers who
are getting started with small-scale beekeeping projects. The intention
is to provide an overview of beekeeping and its possibilities as a tool
for development. The manual focuses on “intermediate levels” of
beekeeping that can be self-sustaining, using only local
resources.
A Manual for Trainers of Small-Scale Beekeeping Development
Workers
(The Peace Corps) A Manual for Trainers of Small-scale Beekeeping
Development Workers [T0029] is useful for Volunteers and staff for
training purposes. The content is adaptable to pre-service and inservice
training events. It is also valuable to Volunteers interested in
training community members. The training is designed to help
participants develop the skills they will need to work and live as
beekeeping extensionists. The emphasis of this training is on
equipping future Volunteers, counterparts, and community members with
the skills necessary to promote appropriate beekeeping development. This
is a creative process that requires individuals to take an active role
in identifying their own needs and finding appropriate and sustainable
ways to meet them. The sessions outlined in this manual cover a range of
skills needed to establish beekeeping projects. The approach to training
used in this manual is based on the principles of non formal education
and is designed to strike a balance between structured learning and
independent discovery. By using the sessions, resources, and methods
outlined here, participants will develop a working knowledge of
beekeeping, as well as skills for applying that knowledge in a
meaningful way.
Beekeeping Training for Farmers in the Hymalayas This manual produced by the
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
covers the full range of basic topics related to beekeeping development,
including the importance of beekeeping in modern agriculture and the use
of bees for crop pollination; production of honey, wax and other hive
products; honey quality standards; and using value chain and market
management to increase the benefits accruing to beekeepers. The focus is
on participatory hands-on training, with issues explained in simple
language with many illustrations. The manual was prepared to meet formal
training needs in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and
Nepal, but it is suitable for use in ICIMOD's other member
countries as well - Afghanistan, China, Myanmar,
and Pakistan.
Beekeeping in Asia
by Pongthep Akratanakul (Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations) - "In a continent as vast as Asia, differences in
climate, levels of agricultural development, and bee races are so
variable that no one book can cover all beekeeping situations. The
author of this study draws heavily on his experiences with European
honeybees introduced into northern Thailand, but he also discusses the
principal features of beekeeping activities in the other zonal and
socio-cultural contexts in Asia at different stages of development.
Both the experienced beekeeper and the novice will find a mine of
useful information, guidance and suggestions in the publication and it
is for this reason that FAO hopes that it will be a useful contribution
to the economic development of the most populous continent in the
world."
Bees and their Role in Forest Livelihoods
by Nicola Bradbear (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations) - "The role of bees in sustaining forests and forest dependent
livelihoods remains poorly known and appreciated. Bees are a fantastic
world resource: they are essential for sustaining our environment
because they pollinate flowering plants. Bees sustain our agriculture by
pollinating crops and thereby increasing yields of seeds and fruits.
Today, apiculture plays a valuable part in rural livelihoods
worldwide, and this book aims to provide an insight into the many ways
in which bees and beekeeping contribute to these livelihoods, and how to
strengthen this contribution. While the rationale for the sustainable
use of tree resources is widely appreciated, by contrast the sustainable
use of bee resources is poorly promoted and appreciated. Rural people in
every developing country are keeping bees or harvesting from them in one
way or another. This book aims to help ensure that these people
gain the most from these activities."
A Beekeeping Guide - A good beginners guide written by Harlan Attfield of
VITA for
beekeeping in the tropics and subtropics. "This guide provides an
overview of beekeeping in the tropics and subtropics. It
explains hive management techniques and offers insight into the life of
the common honey bee, Apis Mellifera and the Asian Honey Bee, Apis
Cerana. There are many races of these two honey bees and they
often require very specific techniques and equipment to hive them
successfully."
Beekeeping in the Tropics - A beginners beekeeping guide written by P. Segeren and
published by
Agrodok. "You can keep bees as an interesting hobby, or as a main or an
extra source of income. This booklet mainly provides information
on how to work with honey-bees that nest in cavities. In most of the
world regions this will be the European bee Apis mellifera, but in large
parts of (sub)tropical Asia the quite similar species A.cerana is mainly
used. Although the composition of a honey-bee colony is basically the
same all over the world, the management of bees must be adapted to the
species and race, the climate and the vegetation."
Beekeeping in India
Beekeeping has been practiced in Indian since time
immemorial. The earliest mention of it is in the Vedas and the
Ramayana. Success in beekeeping is largely a question of the
proper understanding of the biology and behaviour of the honey bees and
their proper management including knowledge of their diseases and
enemies and the latest equipment for handling them. This book is
intended to serve as a handy reference and guide for students of
agriculture, extension workers and all those who are interested in
beekeeping either as a hobby or profession.
Honeybees and Their Management in India
by R.C. Mishra (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) - "The
beekeeping practices for domesticated Indian honeybee, Apis cerana
indica F. were adopted from the west with suitable modifications suiting
to Indian honeybee. There is need to undertake intensive research for
therefinement of management practices for improved honey yield and
efficient pollination of crops. Production of other valuable hive
products like royal jelly, beeswax and bee venom needs
commercialization. There is a great diversity in regional agroclimatic
conditions and flora. Therefore, for taking up beekeeping, there is a
need to carry out some careful studies to explore the potential of each
area. This is an attempt to present a world-wide picture of
beekeeping, suitable for practical and class-room reference. The book is
mainly focussed on Indian literature, though the contents also draw from
the knowledge accumulated in more advanced countries. It is a
comprehensive account on different aspects of beekeeping, and students,
teachers and scientists will profit by studying it. I am sure, the book
will generate awareness and catalyse action towards a more effective
exploitation of honeybees for honey and other bee products as also for
crop production through bee pollination."
This is a beginners beekeeping guide to beekeeping in the Central Western
Ghats part of India which includes the keeping of Apis
Cerana, Apis Florea, Apis Dorsata and the stingless Trigona.
"Beekeeping is a forest and agro-based industry, which is beyond the
ordinary realms of industry,in the sense that the humans derive benefits
from interaction between two living things like plants and bees without
affecting adversely both. On the contrary plants, including many
crops,prosper with the abundance of bees (as pollinating agents) and the
bees, sheltered both by nature and humans provide mainly honey and other
by-products like beeswax, bee-pollen, propolis and royal jelly.
Bee-keeping, systematically adopted as a supplement to farming, can bring
prosperity to the villages of Uttara Kannada, a district endowed with
species rich forests and cultivation of a high diversity crops. Unlike
intensive farming or fishing that can corrode the natural resource base,
abundance of honey bees in a natural environment benefits both crops and
wild plants."
Beekeeping Manual for Farmers in Sikkim, India
by Dr. Peter Gross
"Beekeeping has been a traditional household activity in Sikkim for
centuries. Rural communities
throughout the state have adopted this activity as substantial part of
their sustainable livelihoods. In
addition to providing income and honey, beekeeping supports other
products and services such as
wax, pollen, medicine and, of particular importance, pollination. The
entire state of Sikkim represents an ideal situation to develop beekeeping as an important
component of integrated
development and sustainable livelihoods. The various bio physical
conditions, such as varied
natural heritage of rural communities make it an ideal activity for
enterprise development. This beekeeping handbook has been compiled from various sources to provides
a tool to farmers,
governments, NGOs, universities, vocational training institutes, private
sector organizations and individual beekeepers in the North Eastern Region to initiate and
manage beekeeping activities, as well as facilitate the training of other farmers. It includes a wealth
of information on a full range of topics related to beekeeping development. I am confident that the
handbook will be one of the important resource materials for beekeeping development in Sikkim." Dr.
Peter Gross
Beekeeping in the Phillipines
(University of the Phillipines)
The Ancestral Domain and Natural Resource Management in Sagada, Mountain
Province, Northern Philippines is an action research program of the
Cordillera Studies Center, University of the Philippines College
Baguio. In line with the Program’s objective “to test sustainable
and equitable community-based natural resource management systems,”
beekeeping was introduced to thecommunity. Today, there is a cooperative of beekeepers in Sagada that seeks to encourage individuals to take up beekeeping. This Kit covers the following aspects of beekeeping, including discussions
particular to Cordillera conditions, in four sections, as follows:
Section 1: An Introduction to Beekeeping
Section 2: The Bee Farm
Section 3: Operation and Maintenance of the Bee Farm
Section 4: Pests and Diseases of Honeybees
Beekeeper's Manual (Belize) - Management and Caring of Africanized Bees for the
Production of Honey In the Vaca Forest Reserve in Belize.
The primary aim of this Beekeeper’s Manual is to provide
information to beekeepers on the integrated management of Africanized
Bees. The manual describes the basic management of beekeeping from the
formation of a new nucleus to the extraction and marketing of honey.
Beekeepers in Belize should not only think that the only product
in beekeeping ishoney. Pollen, propolis, wax, royal jelly and venom, the
queen, the beehives and the apicultural materials are other products
that capture a good market price. This manual takes into
consideration climatic changes experienced over the past 5 years and the
response of bees to this factor.
Internet Archive: Digital Library of Beekeeping Books and articles
Open Library: Beekeeping Books
Classic Beekeeping Books
is respectfully submitted by the Author, to the candid consideration of those
who are interested in the culture of the most useful as well as wonderful
Insect,in all the range of Animated Nature. The information which it
contains will be found to be greatly in advance of anything which has yet
been presented to the English Reader; and, as far as facilities
for practical management are concerned, it is believed to be a very
material advance over anything which has hitherto been communicated to the
Apiarian Public. Debarred, by the state of his health, from the more
appropriate duties of his Office, and compelled to seek an employment which
would call him, as much as possible, into the open air, the Author indulges
the hope that the result of his studies and observations, in an important
branch of Natural History, will be found of service to the Community as well
as to himself. The satisfaction which he has taken in his researches has been
such that he has felt exceedingly desirous of interesting others, in a pursuit
which, (without any reference to its pecuniary profits,) is capable of
exciting the delight and enthusiasm of all intelligent observers.
Plants and Beekeeping - F.N. Howes (1945)
Practical Beekeeping - Ralph Benton (1907)
Some of the essentials of Beekeeping - Burton Gates (1912)
American Honey Plants (1920 Book)
The Bee-Keepers Guide (A.J. Cook 1883)
Practical Beekeeping - Ralph Benton (1907)
Some of the essentials of Beekeeping - Burton Gates (1912)
American Honey Plants (1920 Book)
The Bee-Keepers Guide (A.J. Cook 1883)
* A few great sources of classical books are Cornell University's "The Hive the Honey Bee Collection", Michael Bush's classic bee book collection and The Biodiversity Heritage Library.
The Travelling Beehive - Children's - "The Travelling Beehive" is an amazing book for children of all
ages. I highly recommend it for every beekeeper, their children and
grandchildren. This book is wonderfully written by Elena Garcia and
Manuel Angel Rosado and beautifully illustrated by
Juan Hernaz (Picture books by Juan Hernaz). It is published by Apolo which is an organization dedicated to the
preservation of pollinators and their habitat. You can follow Polli the
honey bee and her friend Dipter the hover fly as they face the challenges of a
disappearing green space. They are joined in their struggle by Bazumba the
wild bee, Missus Bombus the bumblebee, Lepi the butterfly, her majesty the
queen, Dorian the farmer and Ramon the beekeeper. Sit back and enjoy the The
Travelling Beehive .
The Adventures of Maya the Bee (Children's story) - Waldemar Bonsels
Why the Bee Buzzes (Young children) - Ryan Struhl
Why the Bee Buzzes (Young children) - Ryan Struhl
For more children's bee activities and learning go to the
Education section
of this Library.
Beekeeping Video Series
A Web-Based Introductory Beekeeping Training Program This online beekeeping program from the Ohio State Beekeepers'
Association consists of 34 videos and 3 powerpoints and is made to accompany
the book "Backyard Beekeeping" (above). Some of the video segments
include assembling your hive and frames, branding, lighting a smoker,
seasonal management, cross combing, evaluating a queen, package bees,
swarms, laying workers, diseases and pests, moving hives, feeders and
overwintering your colonies. This combination of information is a
great starting point for the beginning beekeeper.
Honey Bees and Beekeeping: A Year in the Life of an Apiary This is a very useful 7 part, 25 video beekeeper series presented by
Dr. Keith Delaplane of the University of Georgia and covers a wide range of
topics like assembly and placement of hives, installing bees, bee biology,
diseases and pests, seasonal management, harvesting and overwintering.
It was created in l993 so does not include treatment for newer issues like
Small Hive Beetle or Africanized bees.
1.1 Introduction: History, Langstroth equipment, hive placement (8:18 mins)
1.2 Hive and frame assembly and painting (9:29 mins)
1.3 Placement of hive, feeding and medications (9:29 mins)
2.1 Bee biology and equipment (7:38 mins)
2.2 Receiving and installing package bees (7:14 mins)
2.3 Releasing queens (6:43 mins)
2.4 Releasing queens and stings (7:05 mins)
3.1 Maturing hives and migrating hives (7:10 mins)
3.2 The brood nest (5 mins)
3.3 Our growing hives (5:49 mins)
3.4 Migrating our hives (9:18 mins)
4.1 Requeening (8 mins)
4.2 Queen Rearing (9:44 mins)
4.3 Package production beekeeping associations (9:27 mins)
5.1 Diseases and Pests (8:52 mins)
5.2 Chalkbrood, sacbrood, moths, tracheal mites (9:28 mins)
5.3 Varroa mites and queenlessness (8:35 mins)
6.1 Harvesting, processing, packaging and selling (6:45 mins)
6.2 Extracting honey (7:36 mins)
6.3 Packaging and selling honey (6:11 mins)
6.4 Commercial honey processing (6:32 mins)
7.1 Overwintering hives (6:06 mins)
7.2 Overwintering and one story hives (8:20 mins)
7.3 Second season spring management (5:30 mins)
7.4 Fall Management (4 mins)
The University of Guelph Honey Bee Research Centre's online
beekeeping series is a great collection of 50 videos that cover beginner topics like
hive location and setup, hive equipment, protective clothing, smoke use,
stinging, comb building, inspections, colony management, pests and
diseases to more advanced topics like making nucs, queen rearing and
indoor overwintering. The University of Guelph is in the city of
Guelph, Ontario, Canada so although much of the information is universal
it is written from a northern perspective. You can access all of the
videos from this University of Guelph Honey Bee Research Centre's video list.
Getting Started with bees
Working with Bees
Working with Queens
Colony Management
- Supering Hives
- Swarm Control
- Splitting Hives
- Moving Hives
- Feeding Bees and Overwintering
- Dealing with Deadouts (Part 1)
- Dealing with Deadouts (Part 2)
- Managing Towards Gentle Behaviour
Abnormal Colony Conditions
- Abnormal Conditions Part 1 – Failed Queens and Chalk Brood
- Abnormal Conditions Part 2 – Wax Moth, Monitoring Mites, and Antibiotics
- Abnormal Conditions Part 3 – Laying Workers and Sacbrood
- Laying Worker
Pest Management
Double Nucleus Colonies
- Making Double Nucleus Colonies Part 1
- Making Double Nucleus Colonies Part 2
- Fixing Problem Double Nucleus Colonies
- Transferring Double Nucleus Colonies
Queen Rearing
- Grafting
- Cell Building – Part 1
- Cell Building – Part 2
- Making Mini Nucleus Colonies
- 4-Way Mating Nucleus Colonies
- Handling Queen Cells
Honey Harvesting and Processing
Miscellaneous Videos
Beekeeping in Northern Climate Video Series from the University of Minnesota. This is a very useful
collection of videos particularly for the northern, cold weather
beekeeper. "The following videos were produced by the University of
Minnesota’s Department of Entomology Bee Lab and UMN Extension. Starring
lead UMN Bee Lab apiculture technician, Gary Reuter, they are intended to
be instructive and entertaining vignettes on a variety of beekeeping
topics. Each video covers a single topic, and you do not have to watch
them in any special order. In their entirety, they are a lesson on how to
keep bees in cold climates such as Minnesota. Videos produced by Deacon
Warner: dwarner@myfilmnorth.org"
Have you ever thought about keeping honey bees, but can't decide if you are ready to make that commitment? Our popular educational series, the Complete Beekeeping Short Course, is now available for you to watch online -- for free! All lectures are presented by UA Extension apiculture specialist Dr. Jon Zawislak, an entomologist and EAS-certified Master Beekeeper. The series will introduce viewers to the structure and function of each component of a modern bee hive, the basic tools and equipment needed, and how to choose the right protective clothing. Basic honey bee biology and behaviors are also explained. Seasonal colony management tasks are presented, along with laws and regulations, and the basics of honey production and harvesting. Honey bee health is also covered, including recognizing and treating honey bee diseases, parasites and hive pests.
Stewart Spinks of the Norfolk Honey Company in the UK has produced and is continuing to produce an exhaustive
series of over 200 videos that cover pretty much every topic you may
encounter from your initial setup (hive construction, painting, installing
bees, inspecting, diseases and parasites.....) to catching swarms, shook
swarms, queen rearing, overwintering, poly hives etc... "Here you
will find resources to help you get started in beekeeping, learn the basic
essentials for a successful first year. Gain help and advice to take you
through into your second year and beyond." You can access all of the
videos from the Norfolk Honey Company youtube channel.
Hiveworld
out of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada offers a large library of instructive
videos based on season. "We've arranged our video gallery by seasons because we think that's the
most logical way to do it! But note that our most recent Meet the Beekeeper
sessions get their own section because they're so popular. Pretty well
all of the YouTube videos we've produced can be viewed here. Tip: Once
you've started running a video you can make it go full-screen by either
clicking the four square corners icon in the bottom right corner of the
video box, or pressing 'F' on your keyboard. Use the same controls to shrink
it back down when done. We always get asked by new beekeepers, "Why do
I need to split my hive?" Here Barry talks about why you need to do a split
and few other options for those who don't want to make a split..."
Beekeeping Video Resources
B.C. Honey Producers Education Day Videos and Slides This is a large library of videos and slides covering every subject
from overwintering 4 frame nucs to evaluating honey flavour.
Brushy Mt Bee Farm
has a very large collection of educational videos on pretty much every topic
of beekeeping.
North Carolina State Apiculture
has produced an informative selection of videos.
Honey Bee Honey
has a good selection of videos on a wide variety of topics like spring
management, hive inspection and fall preparation for winter.
The folks at GardenFork have produced a series entitled
Beekeeping 101
which covers a wide variety of subjects any new beekeepers should
know.
A good collection of videos from David Burns at
Long Lane Honey Bee Farms.
A selection of videos from the legendary
Don the Fat Bee Man.
Informative videos from
Devan Rawn.
Home Beekeeping Course Arkansas Division of Agriculture
National Honey Show A selection of beekeeping lectures from beekeeping experts
Nashville Area Beekeepers Association Virtual Beekeeping School
University of Florida short course: Is Beekeeping Right for You
First Year Beekeeping is presented by biologist, Randy Oliver on his website Scientific Beekeeping which is one of the best sources of beekeeping information available. "I’ve attempted to distill 50 year’s of beekeeping experience into a short set of instructions for starting out with bees in the Sierra Foothills. This page provides some quick step-by-step notes for your first year of beekeeping, written specifically for those starting with a nucleus hive or package bees purchased from me, but generally applicable. Since the vast majority of colony failures are due to lack of varroa management, I’ve covered this subject more extensively. For a summary of treatment options, scroll to the end (Randy Johnson)." As mentioned this website contains a wealth of regularly updated information on most beekeeping subjects.
Ohio State University has created a free honey bee biology and beekeeping course based on
Dr. Reed Johnson's for-credit OSU Beekeeping Course. The free course
consists of video lectures, handouts and readings presented on iTunes which
is a free download. Unfortunately it's only available to those with
apple devices which means most people can not access it. The course is in
the testing phase, is extensive and consists of 138 segments covering every
aspect of bees and beekeeping including: Packages and Nucs; Package
Installation; Pheremones; Mites; Swarming; Vitellogenin; Queen rearing and
development; Foraging; Planting; Pesticides; Phenology; Nest Architecture;
Honey Extraction; IPM; Honey Flow; Honey Laundering; Commercial Pollination;
Drone Congregation; Dance Language; Feeding and Wintering; Honey
Crystalization; Apiary Sites; Nutrition; Pests and Diseases; Broodmapper;
Bee Races; and Bee Biology. O.S.U. is asking for volunteer beekeepers
to review the course and offer suggestions. The only suggestions I
would give of this great course are that a few of the videos are repeated
and that they be presented in order of learning. To access this course
and assist in it's development go to "Beekeeping and Honey Bee Biology on iTunes. 
The University of California Cooperative Extension-San Diego County has
developed this self-paced online training course for beginning beekeepers
and as a refresher annual training for experienced beekeepers with hives
located in unincorporated areas of San Diego County. The course
consists of three modules and a 10-question quiz survey, which may be taken
separately. The entire course is approximately 30 minutes long. To
begin the course, click the button below and wait a moment for the course to
load in your Internet browser. If you are using Internet Explorer®, use the
'Direct Links,' below. Once started, you will be able to move through the
training using the forward or back arrows located at the bottom left and
right of your screen. You may also move back and forth through the course
using the slide navigation panel on the left. Note, module 2 includes
videos. Depending on your Internet connection, you may need to wait a few
moments for each video to load on-screen.
At the end of the training, you will be provided a link to the quiz survey.
You may also access the quiz, directly, by clicking the button or direct
link below. To begin the survey, you will be required to enter your first
and last names and email address. Your information and quiz results will be
recorded.1 A summary of your quiz results will be provided at the end. To
keep a copy of your quiz results for your own records, you may print using
your computer's print-screen function.
The BeeMD
is a diagnostic tool to help beekeepers identify honey bee health issues. The
BeeMD will be used in multiple modalities including computers and handheld
devices such as tablets and smart phones. The information on The BeeMD will be
continually evolving and updated as science and technology add new information
to the ability to diagnose and understand hive health. The BeeMD
originated as a project of the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign
(NAPPC) with funding from the USDA APHIS, the Rust Foundation, the Pollinator
Partnership and the University of Delaware. The founding team included the
University of Maryland, Jamie Ellis from The University of Florida, the
American Beekeeping Federation, and the Pollinator Partnership. The
BeeMD welcomes comments and photographs to expand the effectiveness of this
free service.Begin at the Beeginning:
Beginner Beekeeping Course:
This is a beginner beekeeping course from Amazing Bees in Australia which includes bee biology, rules, regulations and registration, hive inspection, honey extraction, swarming, queen replacement, winter prep and feeding. It covers most everything a new beekeeper in Australia needs to know.
This is a beginner beekeeping course from Amazing Bees in Australia which includes bee biology, rules, regulations and registration, hive inspection, honey extraction, swarming, queen replacement, winter prep and feeding. It covers most everything a new beekeeper in Australia needs to know.
 |
Jamie Ellis' Field Guide to Beekeeping (use the above link for all 41 issues in Jamie's DropBox) These articles originally published in the American Bee Journal. Note: These PDF files may take several seconds to download... patience! See Jaime's Curriculum Vitae |
The Perfect Bee
is a commercial beekeeping company that sells beekeeping equipment and
lessons. They also offer a free introductory beekeeping course in the
form of 40 emails. To sign up for the course go to
Perfect Bee Introductory Beekeeping Course . Below is a sample from
Paul Mikkilsen's website
which is a useful source of beekeeping information.
Certificate in Beekeeping:
This is a fairly complete beginners beekeeping course from the Indira Ghandi
National Open University. The course focuses on beekeeping in India with
an awareness of the preference for the more productive introduced European
honey bee. The course covers subjects like bee biology, beekeeping
history, bee flora and pollination, seasonal management, pests and diseases,
hive products and the economics of beekeeping. The course is accompanied
by several manuals available to view or be downloaded from the University
website.
North of 60 Beekeeping For beekepers in the extreme north (Yukon, N.W.T. and Alaska). This website is a good source of beekeeping information specific to northern latitudes. They include an education section which covers all the basics from a northern perspective: Bee Biology Basics, Getting Started, Northern Basics, Bee Yard Setup Basics, Nuc Install, Hive Inspection Basics, Disease and Pests, Northern Forage, Honey Harvest and Fall and Winter Preparation. Their facebook group.
Beginner Beekeeping Short Course
from the Virginia Cooperative Extension.
Plan BEE aims at the development of an apiculture training game for adults supporting the development of beekeeping. The Plan BEE serious game will serve as single information point that guides potential beekeepers on how to start a lucrative business depending on their own needs and background by diminishing risks related to traditional beekeeping. At the same time, the project aims at increasing the bee population in the wild by promoting apiculture.
Perfect Bee
|
Browse at www.perfectbee.com Save at www.perfectbee.com/store Learn at www.perfectbee.com/course Higher learning at PerfectBee Academy |
Like at www.facebook.com/perfectbee View at www.pinterest.com/perfectbee Join at www.perfectbee.com/colony-membership |
Certificate in Beekeeping:
North of 60 Beekeeping For beekepers in the extreme north (Yukon, N.W.T. and Alaska). This website is a good source of beekeeping information specific to northern latitudes. They include an education section which covers all the basics from a northern perspective: Bee Biology Basics, Getting Started, Northern Basics, Bee Yard Setup Basics, Nuc Install, Hive Inspection Basics, Disease and Pests, Northern Forage, Honey Harvest and Fall and Winter Preparation. Their facebook group.
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Class 1: Honey Bee Biology - The Basis of Beekeeping (Fell)
- Class 2: Equipment and Hive Location (Quesenberry and Flowers)
- Class 3: Getting Started and Locating Bees (Flowers and Fell)
- Class 4: Overview of Yearly Management (Flowers)
- Class 5: Monthly Management (Flowers)
- Class 6: Bee Diseases (Fell)
- Class 7: Managing Maladies (Kreowski)
-
Plan BEE aims at the development of an apiculture training game for adults supporting the development of beekeeping. The Plan BEE serious game will serve as single information point that guides potential beekeepers on how to start a lucrative business depending on their own needs and background by diminishing risks related to traditional beekeeping. At the same time, the project aims at increasing the bee population in the wild by promoting apiculture.
Field Guide to Beekeeping from The American Bee Journal (University of Florida)
*This course uses adobe flash which is no longer supported by major browsers because flash has been replaced by newer technology. It can be viewed using some apps and browsers like Flashbrowser. There are inherent risks to using non updated technology.
Free Online Beekeeping Course "Honey Bees and Colony Strength Evaluation" (You can log in as a guest) Recommended for beekeepers, inspectors and farmers hiring bee pollinators. This online course from the University of California is useful for all beekeepers from the beginner to the professional. "The objective in developing this course was to provide easily accessible information to improve the understanding of basic honey bee biology, recommended colony strength evaluation practices, and recognition of important diseases, pests, and parasites that impact honey bees. The course consists of individual modules that provide background information on honey bees as well as clear, consistent recommendations for apiary inspection. Individuals can take advantage of the training at their convenience. The modular approach requires short blocks of time for each section and the viewer can proceed at their own pace viewing modules in any order they wish. Modules covering basic information may not be necessary for more experienced beekeepers or apiary inspectors. However, for those less familiar with the process, training modules can be re-visited as necessary. The existing information will be updated when appropriate and additional topics may be added in the future. Within each module, there are short quizzes to test for understanding. A series of skills practice sets is also included in this online training to improve your understanding of brood, frame, and cluster count evaluation. Nothing can replace actual hands-on experience, so this course should be considered as an overview of the colony strength evaluation process with the aim to improve consistency of inspections." This course comes with a workbook that you can view or download, Honey Bee Colony Assessment Workbook .
Beekeeping Tests
The legendary master beekeeper Dana Stahlman has an online course which is being worked on at present but he has a test for the beginner, advanced and master beekeeper which are useful tools. Check it out at Gobeekeeping.
Beekeeping in West Virginia Beekeeping in West Virginia began with individuals keeping
bees in log hives often called gums. Some bees were managed in hives made
out of rough sawed lumber and they were called box hives. Records show
that these honeybee colonies produced from 14 to 24 pounds of honey on
average each year.
Beekeeping in the Phillipines
Biosecurity Manual for the Honey Bee Industry (Australian Government)
Best Management Practices for Beekeeping (Australian Government)
Asian Honey Bee Manual (Australian Government)
Easy Beekeeping for Hobbyists in New Zealand by Tudor Caradoc-Davies
Internal Anatomy of the Honey Bee (Texas A and M University)
A Microscope Atlas of the Honey Bee (U.S.D.A.)
Basic Bee Biology and Identification (The Xerces Society)
Basic Bee Biology for Beekeepers (MAAREC)
Honey Bee Biology by Dr. Debbie Delaney (University of Delaware)
Honey Bee Biology by Rick Fell (Virginia Tech)
Biology and Anatomy of the Honey Bee by D. Lesco and T. Lulec
Biology of Bees - Hymenoptera Apoidea (Russian Academy of Sciences)
Biology of the Honey Bee (CIHEAM)
Western Honey Bee Subspecies The European Honey bee or Western Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera)
is a species of honey bee. The genus Apis is Latin for "Bee" and
mellifera comes from the Latin meli meaning "honey" and ferre meaning "to
bear". Hence the scientific name means "honey-bearing bee".
The name was coined in 1758 by Carolus Linnaeus who, realizing that
bees do not bear honey, but nectar, tried later to correct it to Apis
Mellifica (honey-making bee) in a subsequent publication. However,
according to the rules of synonymy in zoological nomenclature the older
name has precedence.
Hobby beekeeping in the city of Vancouver
Useful Beekeeping Websites
Beekeeping Glossary
Glossary of terms use in Beekeeping
Flow Frame Instructional Manual
Keeping a hive at someone's home written agreement
Honey and Infant Botulism by John Durkacz (S.B.A.)
Honey Bee Sting Pain Study by Michael Smith (Cornell University)
Normal and allergic reactions to insect stings
Odds of death by stings
Informative Beekeeping Websites:
Dave Cushman's website
Scientific Beekeeping (Randy Oliver)
Michael Bush's website
Bee Informed
Ohio State Beekeepers
Cooperative Extension
Virginia Cooperative Extension
Beesource
Free Online Beekeeping Course "Honey Bees and Colony Strength Evaluation" (You can log in as a guest) Recommended for beekeepers, inspectors and farmers hiring bee pollinators. This online course from the University of California is useful for all beekeepers from the beginner to the professional. "The objective in developing this course was to provide easily accessible information to improve the understanding of basic honey bee biology, recommended colony strength evaluation practices, and recognition of important diseases, pests, and parasites that impact honey bees. The course consists of individual modules that provide background information on honey bees as well as clear, consistent recommendations for apiary inspection. Individuals can take advantage of the training at their convenience. The modular approach requires short blocks of time for each section and the viewer can proceed at their own pace viewing modules in any order they wish. Modules covering basic information may not be necessary for more experienced beekeepers or apiary inspectors. However, for those less familiar with the process, training modules can be re-visited as necessary. The existing information will be updated when appropriate and additional topics may be added in the future. Within each module, there are short quizzes to test for understanding. A series of skills practice sets is also included in this online training to improve your understanding of brood, frame, and cluster count evaluation. Nothing can replace actual hands-on experience, so this course should be considered as an overview of the colony strength evaluation process with the aim to improve consistency of inspections." This course comes with a workbook that you can view or download, Honey Bee Colony Assessment Workbook . 10. Bee Frames
Beekeeping Tests
The legendary master beekeeper Dana Stahlman has an online course which is being worked on at present but he has a test for the beginner, advanced and master beekeeper which are useful tools. Check it out at Gobeekeeping.
Beekeeping in West Virginia Beekeeping in West Virginia began with individuals keeping
bees in log hives often called gums. Some bees were managed in hives made
out of rough sawed lumber and they were called box hives. Records show
that these honeybee colonies produced from 14 to 24 pounds of honey on
average each year.
Biosecurity Manual for the Honey Bee Industry (Australian Government)
Best Management Practices for Beekeeping (Australian Government)
Asian Honey Bee Manual (Australian Government)
Easy Beekeeping for Hobbyists in New Zealand by Tudor Caradoc-Davies
This is the first of a 9 part video series,
Understanding Bee Anatomy
by Dr. Ian Stell
The multifunctional glands of the honey bees's head
The honey bees's eyes and vision
The remarkable brain of the bee
The honey bees's eyes and vision
Anatomy of the bee antennae
Bee metamorphosis: Remarkable internal changes
How do bees bite and suck?
The mandibles of the honey bee
The multifunctional glands of the honey bees's head
The honey bees's eyes and vision
The remarkable brain of the bee
The honey bees's eyes and vision
Anatomy of the bee antennae
Bee metamorphosis: Remarkable internal changes
How do bees bite and suck?
The mandibles of the honey bee
Internal Anatomy of the Honey Bee (Texas A and M University)
1. Digestive and excretory systems.
2. Circulatory, respiratory, and nervous systems.
3. Endocrine system.
4. Reproductive organs.
A Microscope Atlas of the Honey Bee (U.S.D.A.)
Basic Bee Biology and Identification (The Xerces Society)
Basic Bee Biology for Beekeepers (MAAREC)
Honey Bee Biology by Dr. Debbie Delaney (University of Delaware)
Honey Bee Biology by Rick Fell (Virginia Tech)
Biology and Anatomy of the Honey Bee by D. Lesco and T. Lulec
Biology of Bees - Hymenoptera Apoidea (Russian Academy of Sciences)
Biology of the Honey Bee (CIHEAM)
This video, "Biology of the Honey Bee" is presented by Dr. Jamie Ellis,
Professor of Entomology from the University of Florida.
Videos
Bee Biology
with Larrry Connor from Wicas Press
The Biology of Wintering Bees
by Medhat Nasr, Provincial Apiarist, Alberta, Canada
Western Honey Bee Subspecies The European Honey bee or Western Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera)
is a species of honey bee. The genus Apis is Latin for "Bee" and
mellifera comes from the Latin meli meaning "honey" and ferre meaning "to
bear". Hence the scientific name means "honey-bearing bee".
The name was coined in 1758 by Carolus Linnaeus who, realizing that
bees do not bear honey, but nectar, tried later to correct it to Apis
Mellifica (honey-making bee) in a subsequent publication. However,
according to the rules of synonymy in zoological nomenclature the older
name has precedence.
Useful Beekeeping Websites
Beekeeping Glossary
Glossary of terms use in Beekeeping
Flow Frame Instructional Manual
Keeping a hive at someone's home written agreement
Honey and Infant Botulism by John Durkacz (S.B.A.)
Honey Bee Sting Pain Study by Michael Smith (Cornell University)
Normal and allergic reactions to insect stings
Odds of death by stings
Informative Beekeeping Websites:
Dave Cushman's website
Scientific Beekeeping (Randy Oliver)
Michael Bush's website
Bee Informed
Ohio State Beekeepers
Cooperative Extension
Virginia Cooperative Extension
Beesource
Beemaster
Pollinator Partnership
Xerces Society
Project Apis m.
MAAREC
Bee Culture
American Bee Journal
The BeeMD
Pollinator Partnership
Xerces Society
Project Apis m.
MAAREC
Bee Culture
American Bee Journal
The BeeMD
Better Bee
"OUTSIDE OF THE HIVE • What is the level of activity of the colony at
the entrance of the hive? • How does the activity compare to that of
other colonies in the bee yard? • Are the bees “bearding” (festooning)
and what does that behavior mean? • Is there any indication of robbing
behavior? • Are the bees bringing in pollen? What does that
mean? FESTOONING Hanging out on the front of a hive. Just cooling off
on the front porch on a hot summer day. Don’t confuse this with swarming or
robbing behavior. ROBBING BEHAVIOR Bees are all over a hive and can be on
all sides. Flight patterns are erratic and frenzied. Installing entrance
reducers may help to mitigate robbing behavior.... " INSIDE THE HIVE
Checking for adequate stores, queenright, pests, parasites and
diseases. Prepared and presented by Bill Evans, Master
Beekeeper, Rose Hill Farm, LLC, Jemison, Alabama.
Brood cell types
Hive Inspection Guide and Checklist "To have healthy, strong, honey producing hives, beekeepers
must make inspections to know the conditions inside the hive. Hive
inspection is simply a term to describe: Taking the hive apart and
making observations, then deciding what needs to be done, based upon those
observations. There are a number of things we need to look for when we
inspect a bee hive. An inspection sheet helps keep things organized and
allows easy comparison from one inspection to the next. Experienced
beekeepers may find this check list too detailed, but that’s really the
point. It helps keep beginners and forgetful old folks like me from
overlooking something important.
APPROACH the hive from behind or from the side. As much as possible, stay out
the bees’ line
The BeeMD
is a useful tool to help identify issues a beekeeper may find during an
inspection. "The BeeMD is a diagnostic tool to help beekeepers
identify honey bee health issues. The BeeMD will be used in multiple
modalities including computers and handheld devices such as tablets and
smart phones. The information on The BeeMD will be continually evolving and
updated as science and technology add new information to the ability to
diagnose and understand hive health." The BeeMD originated as a
project of the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) with
funding from the USDA APHIS, the Rust Foundation, the Pollinator Partnership
and the University of Delaware. The founding team included the University of
Maryland, Jamie Ellis from The University of Florida, the American
Beekeeping Federation, and the Pollinator Partnership.
From
Bee Health Honey Bee Development
• The queen will often be moving, but training yourself to recognize her
on still pictures will still make you better at locating her.
• She is often easier to see when she is moving. She is much larger
than workers and when she moves quickly she leaves a wake of workers in
her path.
• If she is laying, or not
running from you, her movement is usually slow and graceful with a
noticeable retinue of attendants as seen in many of these images.
The advantages of using Nucs (University of Florida) Nucleus colonies, commonly called “nucs”, are smaller versions
of full-size Langstroth colonies. They usu-ally have the same length and
depth dimensions as full-size colonies, but nucs are not as wide. As such,
nucs may hold 3-5 frames compared to the 8-10 frames typically held by a
full size colony. A second type of nuc, commonly called a “baby nuc” or
“queen mating nuc”, exists but is smaller than full-size colonies in every
dimension and is used primarily for queen bee production. Queen mating nucs
will not be discussed in this document. Rather, we will focus on five-frame
nucs exclusively, although three- and four-frame nucs can be used and
managed almost identically.
The main thrust of Checkerboarding is to break up the overhead band of
capped honey maintained by the colony through the swarm preparation season.
(The literature refers to the band of honey or nectar as causing a “honey
bound” condition.) In the undisturbed colony, it is capped honey. In the
colony reversed in the early season, the band is rebuilt with nectar.
Maintenance of the band is deliberate addition of empty comb above the band
is often ignored, and swarm preparations continue below the band – which
Walt calls the “reserve”. He says that the reserve is maintained through the
swarm prep period to offset forage drop – outs or bad weather during swarm
preps.
(Beaverlodge Research Farm, Alberta, Canada) In nature bees have two
general methods for maintaining colony temperatures in winter: 1) selecting
a protected and well-suited cavity (Tab. 1) and 2) clustering.
Clusters have a two-part structure (Fig. 1): 1) a dense outer mantle
in which bees jam together, orienting their heads towards the center of the
cluster and 2) a loose inner core where bees are free to move. The mantle
insulates and, at its tightest, approaches the insulation of bird feathers
or mammal fur (0.1 W/kg/ºC). Clusters move slowly from empty combs to ones
full of honey. This movement is typically upwards and sideways, never
downwards. Before we go on, here are four critical temperatures you should
know: 1) brood nest = 32-36ºC, 2) minimum thorax temperature needed for
flight = 27ºC, 3) minimum temperature needed to pump flight muscles and warm
up (analogous to mammal “shivering”) = 18ºCand 4) below which bees go into a
“chill coma” = 6ºC.
It's important to have a purpose/s when inspecting a hive. Why are you
inspecting and what are you looking for? An argument can be made that
new beekeepers can only improve their skills by regular weekly inspections
but the disruption to the colony is real and should be minimized. A
beekeeper can learn a great deal by observing the entrance to the
hive. The book "At the Hive Entrance" explains the value of being able to calculate a hive health by
observing the outside of the hive. In this video Paul Kelly, research
and apiary manager (University of Guelph, Canada), shows how to open a bee
hive and in the following video he will describe what you are looking for.
A
list of frequently asked questions
on the University of Guelph Honey Bee Research Centre website. These
videos are from University of Guelph's video series which can be found in
the
video series section
of our Library.
The Hive Inspection
- What are you looking for
and what do you see?
"OUTSIDE OF THE HIVE • What is the level of activity of the colony at
the entrance of the hive? • How does the activity compare to that of
other colonies in the bee yard? • Are the bees “bearding” (festooning)
and what does that behavior mean? • Is there any indication of robbing
behavior? • Are the bees bringing in pollen? What does that
mean? FESTOONING Hanging out on the front of a hive. Just cooling off
on the front porch on a hot summer day. Don’t confuse this with swarming or
robbing behavior. ROBBING BEHAVIOR Bees are all over a hive and can be on
all sides. Flight patterns are erratic and frenzied. Installing entrance
reducers may help to mitigate robbing behavior.... " INSIDE THE HIVE
Checking for adequate stores, queenright, pests, parasites and
diseases. Prepared and presented by Bill Evans, Master
Beekeeper, Rose Hill Farm, LLC, Jemison, Alabama.
Hive Inspection Guide and Checklist "To have healthy, strong, honey producing hives, beekeepers
must make inspections to know the conditions inside the hive. Hive
inspection is simply a term to describe: Taking the hive apart and
making observations, then deciding what needs to be done, based upon those
observations. There are a number of things we need to look for when we
inspect a bee hive. An inspection sheet helps keep things organized and
allows easy comparison from one inspection to the next. Experienced
beekeepers may find this check list too detailed, but that’s really the
point. It helps keep beginners and forgetful old folks like me from
overlooking something important.
of flight. The rule of thumb is to smoke the bees a little and smoke them
often. Give them 2 or 3
puffs of smoke in the entrance and under the lid before opening the hive.
After that, giving them
1 or 2 puffs of smoke across the frames before you remove each frame will
usually keep them
calm. Smoke under each box before removing it. If the bees get aggressive,
put a LOT of smoke
in the air. This will mask the alarm scent and some of the bees will seek
shelter inside the hive..."
Jerry Freeman, Ashley County Beekeepers Association, Arkansas.
September Inspection, Menifee County, Kentucky.
An inspection sheet helps keep things organized and allows easy comparison
from one inspection to the next. It helps keep new beginners from
overlooking something important. I encourage you to use one of these
or one of the many available apps. As you become more experienced you
will make up your own checklist that suits your needs. There are many
apps and software programs for tracking your hives like Hive Tracks, BeeCloud, Beetight and Apiary Book.
Inspect a Colony with
Project Apis m
Executive Director, Danielle Downey
The BeeMD
is a useful tool to help identify issues a beekeeper may find during an
inspection. "The BeeMD is a diagnostic tool to help beekeepers
identify honey bee health issues. The BeeMD will be used in multiple
modalities including computers and handheld devices such as tablets and
smart phones. The information on The BeeMD will be continually evolving and
updated as science and technology add new information to the ability to
diagnose and understand hive health." The BeeMD originated as a
project of the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) with
funding from the USDA APHIS, the Rust Foundation, the Pollinator Partnership
and the University of Delaware. The founding team included the University of
Maryland, Jamie Ellis from The University of Florida, the American
Beekeeping Federation, and the Pollinator Partnership.
Finding the Queen - It's important that new beekeepers know you don't have
to find your queen each inspection. You can observe the state of her
health and performance by the brood pattern and the presence of all ages
of brood from egg to capped.
However, finding the queen is a necessary skill you will eventually have
to develop.
• The more your eyes get used to landing on the queen, the faster you will
be able to find her during hive inspections.
• Move from slide to slide, and see how fast you can find her. Some are
very easy. Others are more of a challenge.
• She is often easier to see when she is moving. She is much larger than
workers and when she moves quickly she leavesa wake of workers in her
path.
• If she is laying, or not running from you, her movement isusually slow
and graceful with a noticeable retinue of
attendants as seen in many of these images.
• Move from slide to slide, and see how fast you can find her. Some are
very easy. Others are more of a challenge.
Queenspotting Like a Pro - How to Spot the Queen Every Time from
Beekeeping Made Simple
The advantages of using Nucs (University of Florida) Nucleus colonies, commonly called “nucs”, are smaller versions
of full-size Langstroth colonies. They usu-ally have the same length and
depth dimensions as full-size colonies, but nucs are not as wide. As such,
nucs may hold 3-5 frames compared to the 8-10 frames typically held by a
full size colony. A second type of nuc, commonly called a “baby nuc” or
“queen mating nuc”, exists but is smaller than full-size colonies in every
dimension and is used primarily for queen bee production. Queen mating nucs
will not be discussed in this document. Rather, we will focus on five-frame
nucs exclusively, although three- and four-frame nucs can be used and
managed almost identically.
Splitting Hives (University of Guelph Research Centre)
Nuc vs Package Bee Comparson (A 6 video series from
Beekeeping University)
Package vs Nuc Challenge (A video series from
Kamon Reynolds)
Swarm Control
Swarm Intelligence with Tom Seeley
Swarm Control: University of Guelph Honey Bee Research
Centre
The main thrust of Checkerboarding is to break up the overhead band of
capped honey maintained by the colony through the swarm preparation season.
(The literature refers to the band of honey or nectar as causing a “honey
bound” condition.) In the undisturbed colony, it is capped honey. In the
colony reversed in the early season, the band is rebuilt with nectar.
Maintenance of the band is deliberate addition of empty comb above the band
is often ignored, and swarm preparations continue below the band – which
Walt calls the “reserve”. He says that the reserve is maintained through the
swarm prep period to offset forage drop – outs or bad weather during swarm
preps.
Swarm Catching
Swarm Traps: What you need to know to be successful (Brown's Beef and Bees)
(Beaverlodge Research Farm, Alberta, Canada) In nature bees have two
general methods for maintaining colony temperatures in winter: 1) selecting
a protected and well-suited cavity (Tab. 1) and 2) clustering.
Clusters have a two-part structure (Fig. 1): 1) a dense outer mantle
in which bees jam together, orienting their heads towards the center of the
cluster and 2) a loose inner core where bees are free to move. The mantle
insulates and, at its tightest, approaches the insulation of bird feathers
or mammal fur (0.1 W/kg/ºC). Clusters move slowly from empty combs to ones
full of honey. This movement is typically upwards and sideways, never
downwards. Before we go on, here are four critical temperatures you should
know: 1) brood nest = 32-36ºC, 2) minimum thorax temperature needed for
flight = 27ºC, 3) minimum temperature needed to pump flight muscles and warm
up (analogous to mammal “shivering”) = 18ºCand 4) below which bees go into a
“chill coma” = 6ºC.
Winter check with Jorik, from
Hudson Valley Bee Supply in Kingston, New York.
Indoor Wintering Highlights (Research Station, Beaverlodge, Alberta)
Remotely Controlled Bee Wintering Building (Latvia University)
operation. The following statements might have made for a good title for
this publication and reflect underlying principles for the recommendations
found herein. These sayings have become something of a mantra from
beekeepers with experience in managing indoor storage.“You get out what
you put in” “Garbage in, garbage out” “Storages are not hospitals” Indoor
storage is not a cure-all and they are not suitable for all operations.
All the work and preparation in the month leading up to the storage period
are critical. This document is intended to be a starting block to be built
up and create a central repository of knowledge on the practice of indoor
honey bee storage and the management surrounding storing bees in
buildings. The following sections are the initial collection of invited
contributions from individuals with experience from different aspects
related to indoor storage. We expect to learn more and openly invite
additional collaborators to add to this work - watch for an online
resource coming soon. Following this introduction is - The “Ins” and
“Outs”. A section intended
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Beehive construction
(B.C. Government) - Most beekeepers will assemble pre-cut beehive
equipment at some time. Others go farther by manufacturing their
own equipment. In either case, it is important to use standard
dimensions and assembly methods to ensure that the equipment will be
interchangeable, strong and durable. This publication offers
dimensions and designs of individual hive parts, and a few assembly
hints. In Canada, the Langstroth movable-frame hive has been adopted
as the hive standard. This hive design provides simplicity of
construction and ease of manipulation, permitting rapid inspection and
interchange of frames. Well-constructed equipment pays off in
ease of management, and retains its resale value.
Hive bodies take a lot of abuse and need to be con-structed accordingly. Not only do they have to bear a lot of weight (up to 70 pounds, or more) for a super, but the bee-keeper will use their hive tool to twist and pry apart hive bodies after the bees glue everything together with propolis. Of all the hive components, hive bodies have the most differences in size. There are four standard heights
(referred to as “depth”) for hive bodes: deep, medium, shallow and
comb honey. In addition there are three common widths:
10-frame, 8-frame and 5-frame. We typically recommend to beekeepers just starting out to decide on one size hive body and then stick with it. That
way, all equipment is interchangeable. Because a 10-frame deep super can be very heavy (70+ pounds), we suggest using 10-frame mediums (which usually top out around 35 pounds when full of honey). The plans presented in this article are for
10-frame medium hive bodies, though tables on the cut list page provide dimensions for the other sizes.
1. #8 Hardware cloth should be placed over the middle section of the
bottom of the hive for ventilation. It is easiest to install if it is
stapled on after the front, back and sides are assembled but before the
bottom is attached. 2. A 9 3/4 x 9'' piece of corrugated plastic
can be slid in the dados in the bottom pieces to block off the
ventilation in cold weather. 3. The feet may be made of treated
wood or other wood that resists rot to extend life. 4. To enable
feeding the nuc a hole may be cut in the top to fit a quart jar or other
suitable feeder. Screen may be placed on the inner side of the hole to
prevent the bees from coming out when the feeder is replaced and a
square of heavy plastic may be placed over the hole and attached by one
screw or nail. This piece of plastic can be moved aside when feeding and
moved over the hole when not feeding.
Give entire inside of feeder two coats of polyurethane or
marine varnish. Pour molten wax onto all inside
seams. Attach hardware cloth to top of boards "A" with
staples (Beesource.com).
Winter Protection
A properly constructed electric fence is safe for people and pets
and has proven to be effective at deterring bears from apiaries (beehives), fruit trees, gardens,
livestock pens, rabbit hutches, garbage containers, dog kennels, chicken coups, compost piles, storage sheds,
along with numerous other uses. There is an abundant variety of applications and effective fencing
designs for deterring bears. Design, construction and proper maintenance will determine the effectiveness of
your electric fence. Safety is always a concern when using electrified equipment. Modern
electric fence energizers have been shown to be safe for humans, animals and vegetation. The pulse
rate of a modern energizer is so quick that they cannot generate enough heat to start vegetation on
fire. While touching an electrified fence is unpleasant, modern energizers are safe to use around pets
and children.
The bicycle wheel extractor begins with a bike. The frame cage
is made of the bicycle rims, with the spokes serving to hold the
frames in place. Which bike you want is based on your drum and
your frames. Not all bike wheels are created equal, primarily
because of the spoke design. For the western supers I use, I
discovered that the front wheels of some sixteen inch bicycles would
fit nicely, while the rear wheel and some other spoke patterns
wouldn’t allow western frames (but did allow true shallow
frames). The way that I discovered this involved my daughter’s
bike. “You don’t need a wrench to put on streamers,” she
said. Her bike wasn’t right anyway. I didn’t want to buy
two bikes just to sacrifice the front wheel, so tape measure in hand I
descended on yard sales and thrift shops, carrying a western frame
along for a “test fit”...
Fat Bees Skinny Bees
- a manual on honey bee nutrition for beekeepers by Doug Somerville
(Australian Government). This publication provides information on the
known essential chemical requirements of honey bees including the
components of nectar and pollen. Pollens with a protein level
around 25% or greater have been recognised as excellent quality
pollens, those less than 20% have been described as of a poor
quality. Australia has had more pollens analysed than any other
country, and for the first time all of the profiles of the analysis
are presented, representing 183 species. There is some
evidence that pollens from the same genus, i.e., closely related
plants, exhibit similar nutritional values in regards to pollen
chemical composition.
Lack of nectar or stored honey presents the beekeeper with various
sets of problems.
These scenarios are discussed with the most appropriate course of
action. Likewise,
lack of pollen or poor quality pollen creates its own set of
problems, often exacerbated
by the stimulus of a nectar flow. How to recognise the need to
provide pollen
supplement and the circumstances which may lead a beekeeper to
invest in this
practice are discussed.
Some facts about honey bee nutrition include; nectar flows
stimulate hygienic
behaviour; total protein intake is what should be
considered, not so much the individual
chemical properties of individual pollens; fats in pollen
act as strong attractants to
foraging bees, although increasing concentrations in
pollen limit brood rearing;
vitamins are very unstable and deteriorate in stored
pollen; principal cause of winter
losses is starvation, not cold...
Honey Bee Nutrition by Eric Mussen (UC Davis)
Honey Bee Nutrition by Zachery Huang (Michigan State U.)
Honey Bee Nutrition - Review of Research and Practices by J. Black (Australian Government)
Honey (not sugar) constituents up-regulate immunity and detoxification genes in Honey Bees (University of Illinois)
The Benefits of Pollen to Honey Bees (University of Florida)
Considerations in Selecting Sugars for feeding to Honey Bees by R. Barker (U.S.D.A)
Feeding Bees Pollen Substitute by Dr. E. Mussen (UC Davis)
Honey Substitution Chart for Feeding Bees (National Honey Board)
Recipes
Bee Feeding Recipes by Cass Cohenour
Recipe for a Pollen Substitute (Scottish Beekeepers Association)
Give entire inside of feeder two coats of polyurethane or marine
varnish. Pour molten wax onto all inside seams. Attach
hardware cloth to top of boards "A" with staples
(Beesource.com).
Adding Sugar Bricks to Beehives in Newfoundland (Mudsongs making no-cook sugar bricks)
Indoor Storage of Honey Bee Colonies in the United States It is important to consider the purpose and/or motivation for the use of
indoor storage as part of the overall management strategy of each unique
to cover the preparation of colonies before they go into storage and some
precautions and advise for treatment of colonies when they get out of
storage. This is mainly composed of advice gathered from commercial
operations who have been storing bees indoors.
For those beekeeping in the extreme north
(Yukon, NWT and Alaska) a good source of information is
North of 60 Beekeeping.
Our goals are:
To develop a better understanding of Beekeeping in Extreme Northern
Climates (Yukon, NWT and Alaska)
•Best Practices – How can we improve yields and winter survival of
honeybees?
•Best Forage for Success – What are the best native and non-native
pollen and nectar sources in the different parts of the North?
•Best Equipment to Use – What is the best equipment to use to here for
our specific conditions?
To develop North of 60 beekeeping knowledge for all levels
To introduce beekeeping to more people in the North (more data and
experiences to learn from and share)
•Save money by not making the same mistakes we made
•Ability to run successful beekeeping businesses
•Pooling and sharing resources, skills and tools to reduce some costs
(OAV Vapourizer, Extractors, Books, etc...)
•To educate beekeepers on diseases and pest that could have a large
impact on the viability of keeping bees in the North Facebook group
Abstract: A bee colony in a hive will undergo a wide variety of
heating and cooling events related to weather and due to internal hive
biological processes (e.g. brood rearing) where they will be required
“control” thermoregulate their internal environment. Our job as
beekeepers is to understand these requirements and provide them with
the best “homes” possible for them to succeed. In this presentation I
will explore the use of simple. Temperature and Humidity data
(in/out of the hive), basic geometry and basic thermodynamic
principles to illustrate what goes on in the hive during very cold
winters (0C to -46C). I will look to find practical
implications/approaches and concepts that beekeeperscan use to improve
their wintering performance and make the bees more comfortable during
very cold winters.
The "Biology of Wintering Bees" by Medhat Nasr, Provincial Apiarist,
Alberta, Canada.
Winter Management Webinars
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Hives
Beehive construction
(B.C. Government) - Most beekeepers will assemble pre-cut beehive
equipment at some time. Others go farther by manufacturing their
own equipment. In either case, it is important to use standard
dimensions and assembly methods to ensure that the equipment will be
interchangeable, strong and durable. This publication offers
dimensions and designs of individual hive parts, and a few assembly
hints. In Canada, the Langstroth movable-frame hive has been adopted
as the hive standard. This hive design provides simplicity of
construction and ease of manipulation, permitting rapid inspection and
interchange of frames. Well-constructed equipment pays off in
ease of management, and retains its resale value.
Beehive Construction Resource Websites
- One of the best sources of beehive construction information I have
found is Steve Tilmann of the Michigan Beekeepers
Association. His instructional written and video presentations
are detailed and easy to understand. A great contribution to
the beekeeping community. Michigan Beekeepers Association
Beekeepers Workshop Videos
- Dave Cushman's drawings of National Bee Hive Component Parts. (UK)
- DIY Hive Construction Plans and Tools from UK Beekeeping Forum.
- Plans for bee hive components from FreeWoodworkingPlan.com.
Observation Hives
Parts
Hive bodies take a lot of abuse and need to be con-structed accordingly. Not only do they have to bear a lot of weight (up to 70 pounds, or more) for a super, but the bee-keeper will use their hive tool to twist and pry apart hive bodies after the bees glue everything together with propolis. Of all the hive components, hive bodies have the most differences in size. There are four standard heights
(referred to as “depth”) for hive bodes: deep, medium, shallow and
comb honey. In addition there are three common widths:
10-frame, 8-frame and 5-frame. We typically recommend to beekeepers just starting out to decide on one size hive body and then stick with it. That
way, all equipment is interchangeable. Because a 10-frame deep super can be very heavy (70+ pounds), we suggest using 10-frame mediums (which usually top out around 35 pounds when full of honey). The plans presented in this article are for
10-frame medium hive bodies, though tables on the cut list page provide dimensions for the other sizes.
All Season Ventilation/Insulation Box (in place of inner cover) by
Tim Arheit (Honeyrunapiaries.com)
Nucs
1. #8 Hardware cloth should be placed over the middle section of the
bottom of the hive for ventilation. It is easiest to install if it is
stapled on after the front, back and sides are assembled but before the
bottom is attached. 2. A 9 3/4 x 9'' piece of corrugated plastic
can be slid in the dados in the bottom pieces to block off the
ventilation in cold weather. 3. The feet may be made of treated
wood or other wood that resists rot to extend life. 4. To enable
feeding the nuc a hole may be cut in the top to fit a quart jar or other
suitable feeder. Screen may be placed on the inner side of the hole to
prevent the bees from coming out when the feeder is replaced and a
square of heavy plastic may be placed over the hole and attached by one
screw or nail. This piece of plastic can be moved aside when feeding and
moved over the hole when not feeding.
5. When moving the nuc you need only close off the entrance with duct
tape. The bees will have plenty of ventilation from the bottom screen.
Frames
Bottom Boards and Racks
Feeders
Give entire inside of feeder two coats of polyurethane or
marine varnish. Pour molten wax onto all inside
seams. Attach hardware cloth to top of boards "A" with
staples (Beesource.com).
Pollen Traps
Queens
Vacuum
Parts for Pests
Insulated Moisture Quilt
Ventilation/Insulation Box
Transporting
English translation: The large bicycle tires (57-406, 20 x 2,
125) give the sack barrow a particularly good ride suitability in uneven terrain. The wide wheelbase provides a good grip against slip of the Hives. The Prey truck for hives to max. 46 cm width. If your hives be wider than 46 cm, is only an adaptation of Pos. 1 and 2 (see Plan A) to the desired width make. The construction of the prey truck based on both a comfortable
posture and on the great usability with secure stand against overturning.
Ventilation/Insulation Box
English translation: The large bicycle tires (57-406, 20 x 2,
125) give the sack barrow a particularly good ride suitability in uneven terrain. The wide wheelbase provides a good grip against slip of the Hives. The Prey truck for hives to max. 46 cm width. If your hives be wider than 46 cm, is only an adaptation of Pos. 1 and 2 (see Plan A) to the desired width make. The construction of the prey truck based on both a comfortable
posture and on the great usability with secure stand against overturning.
Heating and Ventilating
Elephants
Bears
A Starter's Guide for using Electric Fencing to Deter Bears by K.
Annis (M.F.W.P Bear Specialist)
A properly constructed electric fence is safe for people and pets
and has proven to be effective at deterring bears from apiaries (beehives), fruit trees, gardens,
livestock pens, rabbit hutches, garbage containers, dog kennels, chicken coups, compost piles, storage sheds,
along with numerous other uses. There is an abundant variety of applications and effective fencing
designs for deterring bears. Design, construction and proper maintenance will determine the effectiveness of
your electric fence. Safety is always a concern when using electrified equipment. Modern
electric fence energizers have been shown to be safe for humans, animals and vegetation. The pulse
rate of a modern energizer is so quick that they cannot generate enough heat to start vegetation on
fire. While touching an electrified fence is unpleasant, modern energizers are safe to use around pets
and children.
Honey Extraction
The bicycle wheel extractor begins with a bike. The frame cage
is made of the bicycle rims, with the spokes serving to hold the
frames in place. Which bike you want is based on your drum and
your frames. Not all bike wheels are created equal, primarily
because of the spoke design. For the western supers I use, I
discovered that the front wheels of some sixteen inch bicycles would
fit nicely, while the rear wheel and some other spoke patterns
wouldn’t allow western frames (but did allow true shallow
frames). The way that I discovered this involved my daughter’s
bike. “You don’t need a wrench to put on streamers,” she
said. Her bike wasn’t right anyway. I didn’t want to buy
two bikes just to sacrifice the front wheel, so tape measure in hand I
descended on yard sales and thrift shops, carrying a western frame
along for a “test fit”...
Hive Care
Beehive Construction Resource Websites
- A great collection of plans and videos from Steve Tilmann and the
Michigan Beekeepers Association. Michigan Beekeepers Association
Beekeepers Workshop Videos
- Dave Cushman's drawings of
National Bee Hive Component Parts. (UK)
- DIY Hive Construction Plans and Tools
from UK Beekeeping Forum.
- Plans for bee hive components from
FreeWoodworkingPlan.com.
Honey Bee Nutrition by Eric Mussen (UC Davis)
Honey Bee Nutrition by Zachery Huang (Michigan State U.)
Honey Bee Nutrition - Review of Research and Practices by J. Black (Australian Government)
Honey (not sugar) constituents up-regulate immunity and detoxification genes in Honey Bees (University of Illinois)
The Benefits of Pollen to Honey Bees (University of Florida)
Considerations in Selecting Sugars for feeding to Honey Bees by R. Barker (U.S.D.A)
Feeding Bees Pollen Substitute by Dr. E. Mussen (UC Davis)
Honey Substitution Chart for Feeding Bees (National Honey Board)
Nutrition Section
of Scientific Beekeeping (Randy Oliver) which includes studies on a
variety of topics like light or heavy syrup?; probiotics; beebread; pollen
substitutes and more.
Bee Feeding Recipes by Cass Cohenour
Recipe for a Pollen Substitute (Scottish Beekeepers Association)
Pollen Substitute Patties by DC Honeybees
Adding Sugar Bricks to Beehives from
Mud Songs.
Feeders
Feeder Types from
Brushy Mt Bee Farm.
Give entire inside of feeder two coats of polyurethane or marine
varnish. Pour molten wax onto all inside seams. Attach
hardware cloth to top of boards "A" with staples
(Beesource.com).
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