Library Categories
* This web page still functions but became too big to open and edit so an updated version is available from the menu bar at the top of the page. In the new version the library is divided into several pages. Enjoy!
- Beekeeping
Books- Beekeeping Video Series
- Online Education
- Regional
- Bee Biology
- Basic Beekeeping Information
- Hive Inspection
- Splits, Nucs and Packages
- Swarms
- Feeding
- Winter Management
- Varroa Mites
- Small Hive Beetle
- Bears
- Skunks
- Wasps
- Diseases
- Queen Rearing
- Commercial Beekeeping
- History
- Eva Crane
- Hygienic Behaviour
- Pesticides and Bees
- Products from Beekeeping
- Honey Recipes
- Native Pollinators
- Planting for Pollinators
- Bee Lining
Education - Teaching programs and lesson plans
- Webinars
Books
- Children's Books
* This web page became too big to open and edit so an updated version is available from the menu bar at the top of the page. In the new version the library is divided into several pages. Enjoy!
* To
search for
a specific
word on
this page
like
Varroa or
Nosema you
can use
crtl +
f
on your
keyboard
to bring
up
word
search
on your
browser.
A very
useful
tool.
Getting Started
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.
Most of the
information
in this
library
comes from
beekeeping
organizations,
government
publications
and
publications
from
universites
and science
institutes.
I have found
through many
years of
compiling
this library
that the
best sources
of freely
available
information
on
beekeeping
are the
Australian
government
and U.S.
Universities.
At the
forefront of
the U.S.
source has
been Dr.
James Tew,
through
years of
publications,
webinars,
video series
and power
points all
freely
available to
the
public.
Thank you
Dr. Tew.
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.
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.
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.
The
aquisition
of this
knowledge
can be
facilitated
by
complementing
observations
at the hive
entrance
with those
made at the
rear window
or at the
building
frame. A
look beneath
the frames
is also very
often
instructive.
As
long as the
beekeeper
cannot
understand
the
inter-nal
condition of
the hive by
watching the
outside, he
can only
lose money
and will
have to pay
his
appren-ticeship
dearly.
Therefore
it is in the
best
interest of
every
beekeeper to
learn this
field as
fast and as
thoroughly
as possible.
It is not
only the
ears and
eyes of the
observer
which must
participate,
but also his
senses of
smell and
touch, and
above all
his heart,
spirit and
intelligence."
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.
L'Abbé Eloi
François Émile
Warré was born
on 9 March
1867 at
Grébault-Mesnil
in the Somme
département.
He was
ordained a
priest on 19
September 1891
-- Amiens
diocese -- and
became the
parish priest
of Mérélessart
(Somme) in
1897 then of
Martainneville
(Somme) in
1904. He
disappeared
from the
records in
1916
subsequently
to reappear at
Saint-Symphorien
(Indre-et-Loire)
to devote
himself
exclusively to
beekeeping. He
died at Tours
on 20 April
1951. Abbé
Warré
developed The
People's Hive
based on his
studies of 350
hives of
different
systems that
existed at his
time as well
as of the
natural habits
of the bee. To
publish his
findings, he
wrote several
books: La
santé ou les
Meilleurs
traitements de
toutes les
maladies
(Health or
better
treatments for
all
illnesses), Le
Miel, ses
propriétés et
ses usages
(Honey its
properties and
applications),
La Santé,
manuel-guide
des malades et
des
bien-portants
(Health, a
manual for the
ill and the
well) --1912
-- and by far
the most
important
L'Apiculture
pour Tous
(Beekeeping
for All) whose
twelfth and
last edition
is dated
1948.
"Before
leaving, I
would like,
dear bees, to
carve my name
on these
leaves,
blessed shrub
that has taken
all its sap
from around
your dwelling
place.
In its shade,
I have rested
from my
weariness,
have healed my
wounds. Its
horizon
satisfies my
desires for
there I can
see the
heavens.
Its solitude
is more gentle
than deep.
Your friends
are visiting
it. You
enliven it
with your
singing.
And because
you do not
die, dear
bees, you will
sing again and
for ever, in
the
surrounding
foliage, where
my spirit will
rest.
Thank
you.
E.Warré"
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.
Both the
experienced
beekeeper and
the novice
will find a
mine of useful
information,
guidance and
suggestions in
this guide,
which FAO
hopes will be
a valuable
contribution
to food
security and
economic
development in
Africa.
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.
Beekeeping
(22 page
overview)
written by
Lance Gegner
of
ATTRA-
"This
publication
is intended
as a guide
for anyone
interested
in beginning
or expanding
a beekeeping
enterprise.
Whether the
bees are
kept as
pollinators
for crops or
for the
income from
their
products,
producers
need to be
aware of
their
states’
apiary laws
concerning
inspection,
registration,
and permits,
as well as
labeling and
marketing
standards.
Producers
also need to
be aware of
pesticide
application
laws and
pesticide
notification
laws
relative to
bees.
Both
beginning
and
experienced
beekeepers
need to
consider
li-ability
insurance;
the
possibility
of
Africanized
hybrid bees
taking over
the hives;
and all the
pests and
diseases
that afflict
bees and
their
colonies."
Introductory
Beekeeping
Powerpoint
Presentations This
is an
informative
8 part
introduction
to
beekeeping
developed by
master
beekeeper
Dana
Stahlman
from the
Ohio State
Beekeeping
Association
that
includes
topics like
starting a
colony,
diseases and
pests,
seasonal
management,
queen
production
and
management
of
nucs.
The first
year of
beekeeping
(Powerpoint) - A
fairly good
picture
based
powerpoint
from Dr.
Deborah
Delaney of
the
University
of Delaware
which
provides a
brief but
comprehensive
description
of "Hive
Mangement in
the First
Year of
Beekeeping".
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.
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"
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.
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.
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
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:
Certificate in Beekeeping:
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.
Beginner Beekeeping Short Course from the Virginia Cooperative Extension.
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
Pollinator Partnership
Xerces Society
Project Apis m.
MAAREC
Bee Culture
American Bee Journal
The BeeMD
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
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 and Beetight.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Diseases and Pests
A Field Guide to Honey Bees and
their Maladies (Penn State
University) - The key to protecting honey bee
colonies from diseases, parasites, and
other harm-ful conditions is the
ability to identify and deal with
problems early. This publication is
designed to assist beekeepers in
recog-nizing the symptoms of common
honey bee maladies. Some simple
cultural controls are included here;
however, for a complete list and
discussion of manage-ment tactics and
currently registered chemicals
approved for the control of honey bee
maladies, see the MAAREC Web site,
maarec.psu.edu.
Pests
Introduction to Varroa Mites and Integrated Pest Management from the Honey Bee Health Coalition
Varroa Population Dynamics from the UoG Honey Bee Research Centre
Tools for Varroa Management: A guide to effective varroa sampling and control
Every honey bee colony in the continental United States and Canada either has Varroa mites today or will have them within several months. Varroa mite infestation represents one of the greatest threats to honey bee health, honey production, and pollination services. When honey bee colonies are untreated
or treated ineffectively colonies can
fail and beekeepers can incur major
economic losses, and, ultimately,
agricultural food production may be
impacted. In addition, colonies with
Varroa are a source of mites that can
spread to other colonies, even in other
apiaries, through drifting, robbing, and
absconding activity of bees. All
beekeepers should remain vigilant to
detect high Varroa mite levels and be
prepared to take timely action in order
to reduce mite loads. Effective mite
control will reduce colony losses and
avoid potential spread of infectious
disease among colonies. This Guide
will explain practical, effective
methods that beekeepers can use to
measure Varroa mite infestations in
their hives and select appropriate
control methods. This guide is produced
by the
Honey Bee Health Coalition.Scientific Beekeeping (Randy Oliver) Varroa Management
Biology and Control of Varroa Destructor (University of Hohenheim)
Sampling Colonies for Varroa Destructor by G. Reuter and M. Spivak (U. of Minnesota)
Alternative Strategies for Control of Varroa Mites in Europe (Apimondia)
Aspects of Varroa Reproduction as possible new control method by D. Anderson (Australian Government)
Varroa Management Decision
Tool. This tool will walk you
through the decisions you need to make
to determine how best to manage varroa
mites. The guide is produced by
the
Honey Bee Health Coalition. "We’ve formed the Honey Bee
Health Coalition to bring together
beekeepers, growers, researchers,
government agencies, agribusinesses,
conservation groups, manufacturers,
and consumer brands to improve the
health of honey bees in general and
specifically around production
agriculture. We’re taking
collaborative action to improve honey
bee health by addressing multiple
factors influencing bee health,
including hive pests and disease,
forage and nutrition, and exposure to
crop pesticides." Click
here
to access the tool.
Mite-A-Thon "Mite-A-Thon is a
tri-national effort to collect mite
infestation data and to visualize
Varroa infestations in honey bee
colonies across North America within a
two week window. All beekeepers can
participate, creating a rich
distribution of sampling sites in
Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
Their Varroa monitoring data will be
uploaded to
www.mitecheck.com." (from the
Pollinator Partnership)
Varroa Mite Management Videos
Testing
Powdered Sugar Shake and Alcohol
Wash (Honey Bee Health Coalition)
Varroa Sticky Boards (UoG Honey Bee Research Centre)
4 minute alcohol wash mite test by Randy Oliver
Randy Oliver's Varroa Model for determining mite population dynamics to help in creating a mite management strategy.
Treatment
How to use Apivar (HBHC)
How to use Formic Acid (HBHC)
How to use HopGuard (HBHC)
How to use Oxalic Acid (HBHC)
Drone Brood Removal (HBHC)
Honey Bee Health Coalition bee club
presentation (powerpoint)
*HBHC = Honey Bee Health Coalition
James Ellis at the
National Honey Show
The beetle is indigenous to Africa,
where it is considered a minor pest of
honey bees, and until recently was
thought to be restricted to that
continent. However, in 1998 it was
detected in Florida and it is now
widespread in the USA. It is called
the small hive beetle to distinguish
it from other minor pests of bee hives
in Africa, known as large hive
beetles. At the time of writing, the
SHB is not thought to be present in
the UK. The beetle can multiply to
huge numbers within infested colonies
where it eats brood, destroys combs
and if uncontrolled ultimately
destroys them. The resulting economic
impact on the beekeeping industry in
the USA has been severe. Within two
years of its discovery, at least
20,000 colonies were destroyed by the
beetle, costing many millions of
dollars. It has also been found in
Manitoba, Canada where it arrived with
beeswax imported from the USA. In
October 2002, it was found in New
South Wales and Queensland, Australia.
The economic consequences to the
beekeeping industry in Australia are
likely to be extremely serious,
jeopardising bee exports, pollination
services and honey production.
Normally they move down into the hive
to get away from the light It is not
known how the beetle reached either
the USA or Australia, although in the
USA shipping is considered the most
likely route. By the time the beetle
was detected in both countries it was
already well established. The
potential implications for European
apiculture are enormous, as we must
now assume that the SHB could spread
to Europe and that it is likely to
prove as harmful here as in Australia
and the USA. Package bees and honey
bee colonies are the principal means
of spread, but it could also be
transmitted inadvertently and
unnoticed through swarms in shipping
or air cargo, or in consignments of
fruit, unrefined wax and used
beekeeping equipment. Beekeeper
vigilance must be heightened following
the discovery of the SHB in Australia.
In the future, keeping an eye out for
the beetle needs to become a routine
part of colony management in the UK.
Small Hive Beetle Videos
Tracheal Mites
Wax Moth
Wax Moth and it's Control
(Australian Government)Protection of Honey Combs from Moth Damage (Swiss Bee Research Centre)
Florid Fly
Mosquitoes
The heavy-duty straps and the heavy
rocks were no match for the bear. This
time he got the queen too and so many
bees that there's nothing left. The
bees did give a good fight as seen in
the video and the bear had to retreat
a few times, but it is all done.
(Avner Skolnik)
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.
How to install an electric fence (Defenders of Wildlife)
Bear Fence Test (NOLS)
*For us in North America the best
control of Wasps is to catch the
overwintered Queens in spring.
The newly mated queens are the only
members of the wasp colony to survive
the winter. You can also,
dressed in your beekeeping protective
gear, drown an in-ground nest or bag a
hanging nest early in the morning
(when most of the wasps are in the
nest) and submerge it in water.
No toxins are required in these means
of disposing of the nests or in traps
described below. When using
traps our wasps tend to be more
attracted to protein early in the
season (they are feeding their brood)
and sugar from late summer to
fall. Add vinegar to the sugar
solution in your traps to deter the
bees. To help protect our hives we
reduce our entrances in late summer
when the wasps leave their nests to
forage so that the hive is easier to
defend. If the wasps gain
entrance to the hive a
robber screen
is a useful defense.
"Yellowjackets are usually considered
beneficial insects because they kill
many pest insects and feed them to
their larvae. However, some
species, such as the western
yellowjacket (Paravespula
pensylvanica), the common yellowjacket
(P. vulgaris), and the German
yellowjacket (P. germanica), can
attack honeybee adults and
larvae. A typical yellowjacket
worker is about 1 / 2 -inch
long. Coloration is yellow and
black or white and black.
Yellowjackets have annual colonies.
Inseminated queens overwinter in
protected locations. They emerge from
late March through May, select a nest
site, and build a small paper nest in
which they lay their eggs.
Yellowjacket species build nests below
the soil in mouse burrows or in
similar sites, also between walls or
in the attics of houses. Worker
yellowjackets rear and feed the brood
and also forage for food. The queen
remains inside the nest laying eggs.
Colonies expand rapidly and may total
up to 5,000 workers when maximum size
is attained in August or September. In
the fall, inseminated queens seek
sheltered spots for
overwintering. Yellowjackets eat
bee brood, rob honey, and sometimes
kill the queen or the colony. Weak
colonies are especially susceptible.
In general, yellowjackets become pests
of honeybees in late summer through
fall and are more serious pests in dry
years."
The easiest DIY wasp trap to make
is to cut the top off of a plastic
bottle or jug and place the inverted
top into the bottom (A picture of
the trap to the right). You
can secure the union with tape and
hang away from the hives. You should
clean and replace the bait at least
once per week. The bait
receptacle is not necessary.
This DIY project is described in
detail in the video below.
Skunks
Skunks can be a problem for
beekeepers though they are
usually not a major threat
and fairly easy to
deter (like most issues a bigger threat
to weaker colonies). They are nocturnal
visitors and evidence of their
presence can be detected in ground
scraping in front of the entrance,
scraping on the bottom board or
lower super, agitated bees,
shrinking population, holes (they
like to dig for grubs) and scat
containing bee carcasses (Evidence of skunks in the
beeyard
- Ian Steppler) . The skunks may be a
benefit to you and your bees by
digging up and preying on wasp
nests and rodents (that may winter
in the hive). Their M.O.
(modus operandi) is to scratch on
the hive to bring bees out to
investigate which they eat as they
exit the hive. A small
percentage of skunks will scratch
on the hive and eat the bees as
they settle on the ground unable
to navigate in the dark (lower bee
fatality - Skunk feeding on ground bees
(Frederick Dunn)).
There are
several methods of skunk
defense. Raising the hive
(12 inches or more) forces the
skunk to stand leaving their
belly exposed to stinging.
This method is effective.
In the video above Ian Steppler
found placing the hives on
pallets effective. If
possible raising it high enough
makes the hive
inaccessible. Raising a
hive that high is not a
practical solution for
most. Another method is
placing a 2-4 inch wide board
over the hive entrance.
This method prevents the skunk
eating all the bees exiting the
hive. The bees not caught
will commence stinging.
Chicken wire (rolled or
surrounding) around the entrance
prevents the skunk eating them
as they exit. A carpet
tack board or bear board under
the hive entrance makes for an
uncomfortable stance. If
you have an electric fence
lowering the bottom wire (or
adding) is effective and if you
have few hives a fence buried at
least a foot deep can be
effective (they love to
dig).
Solar powered motion
detectors
may work if you have the money,
the sun and are not annoyed by
the sound or flashing
light. I have found store
bought
animal repellent
works on squirrels and rats for
me. It is supposed to work
on skunks. The concept is
that it replicates the smell of
a predator (i.e. coyote
urine). There are several
d.i.y recipes for deterrent
sprays using pepper, urine,
vinegar and ammonia and citrus
(D.I.Y Recipes). While they can be a
nuisance and washing a skunked
dog is a pain a mother skunk
followed by a string of baby
skunks is pretty
cute.
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| Connecticut Wildlife Rehabilitators Association |
Skunk Behavior in the Bee Yard
(Mark Headings, Ohio State
University)
Prevention of Deformed Wing Virus by dsRNA ingestion (University of Manitoba)
Nosema
Foulbroods
Chalkbrood
Deformed Wing Virus
Dysentery
CCD
Pathogen Webs in Collapsing Honey
Bee Colonies (N.C. State, U. of
Maryland, U.S.D.A)
"On-site" Replication of CCD
(Harvard, Worcester County
B.A.)
"Hygienic honeybee colonies are those
in which dead and diseased brood is
rapidly removed from the colony,
thereby reducing the amount of
inoculum present. Hygienic behaviour
is a trait present in about 20% of
Australian honeybee colonies. Some
researchers claim that highly hygienic
colonies are strongly resistant to the
major diseases of honeybees including
American and European foul brood,
Chalk brood and Sac brood. Hygienic
bees are also claimed to be resistant
to the parasitic mite Varroa. Hygienic
behaviour is usually measured by using
liquid nitrogen to freeze-kill a small
patch of brood. Hygienic colonies
uncap and remove the dead brood within
24 hours whereas this process takes
several days with non-hygienic
colonies. The first studies of
hygienic behaviour were conducted in
the 1960s. Walter Rothenbuhler crossed
a strongly hygienic line with a
strongly non-hygienic line. The
resulting F1 colonies were not
hygienic. Rothenbuhler then raised
daughters off an F1 queen backcrossed
these to drones of the hygienic
parent. He then evaluated these
colonies for hygienic behaviour. The
pattern of expression of hygienic
behaviour among these backcross
colonies suggested that the trait was
controlled by two separate genes, one
that controlled uncapping behaviour,
the other which controlled removal
behaviour."
Medications and
Stress
Essential Oils
Brief Beekeeping guide to
Essential Oils (Wikibooks)
The Use of Essential Oils to Control Varroa Jacobsoni (Swiss Apiculture Institute)
Essential Oils and the Beekeeping Industry's Survival by Ross Conrad
Feeding Essential Oils in Syrup and Liquid Protein to Control Varroa (IBRA)
The Use of Essential Oils to Control Varroa Jacobsoni (Swiss Apiculture Institute)
Essential Oils and the Beekeeping Industry's Survival by Ross Conrad
Feeding Essential Oils in Syrup and Liquid Protein to Control Varroa (IBRA)
General
Why should parasite
resistance be costly? (U.C.
Santa Barbara and U. of
Vermont)
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| Hygienic bees removing infested larvae |
Comparative study of the hygienic
behavior of Carniolan and
Africanized honey bees (U. of Sao
Paulo)
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).
Pollinators
An Introduction to Native Bees
(U.S.D.A and Pollinator
Partnership)
Native bees are a hidden treasure.
From alpine meadows in the
national forests of the Rocky
Mountains to the Sonoran Desert in the
Coronado National Forest in Arizona
and from the boreal forests of the
Tongass National Forest in Alaska to
the Ocala National Forest in Florida,
bees can be found anywhere in North
America, where flowers bloom.
From forests to farms, from
cities to wildlands, there are 4,000
native bee species in the United
States, from the tiny Perdita minima
to large carpenter bees.
Most people do not realize that
there were no honey bees in America
before European settlers brought hives from Europe.
These resourceful animals promptly managed to escape from
domestication. As they had done for millennia in Europe and Asia, honey
bees formed swarms and set up nests
in hollow trees. Native pollinators,
especially bees other than honey
bees, have been pollinating the continent’s
flowering plants since long before
the arrival of honey bees. Even in today’s
vastly altered landscapes, they
continue to do the yeomen’s share of pollination,
especially when it comes to native
plants.
Native Bee Identification