Telling the Bees

     Bees and beekeeping have held a great importance to many cultures through history particularly prior to the arrival of sugar cane to colder areas of the world.  A European tradition that was held by some beekeepers was referred to as "Telling the Bees".  This involved informing the bees of any important family events like birth, marriage or death.  Beekeepers would often leave small offerings like wedding cake or small sweets for a birth and drape the hives with black cloth or turn the hives away from the house upon death.  It was said that the bees would either die or leave the hives if not told of the death of their keeper.  This tradition was brought to the Americas by immigrants in the 19th century. 

     In Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn he wrote:

“And he said if a man owned a beehive and that man died, the bees must be told about it before sun-up next morning, or else the bees would all weaken down and quit work and die. Jim said bees wouldn't sting idiots; but I didn't believe that, because I had tried them lots of times myself, and they wouldn't sting me.”

     Another example of "Telling the Bees" is in England in 1840, a woman upon the death of their keeper leaving an offering of sweets and reciting the poem: 

Your master J.A. has passed away.

But his wife now begs you will freely stay,

and still gather honey for many a day.

Bonny bees, Bonny bees, hear what I say. 

     The process is described in 1901 work of Samuel Adams Drake A book of New England legends and folk lore in prose and poetry:

...goodwife of the house to go and hang the stand of hives with black, the usual symbol of mourning, she at the same time softly humming some doleful tune to herself. (Wikipedia)

This video is of a Dutch beekeeper in l926 telling the bees of a death. A black cloth is draped over one of the hives and he taps on each of the hives to get there attention to deliver the news. In Holland it was customary to use a pipe as a smoker to calm the bees. (Historical Honeybee Articles)

     Here is a poem written by John Greenleaf Whittier about "Telling the Bees" of their keepers passing.

Telling the Bees

(The traditional telling the bees of a recent beekeeper passing)

Here is the place; right over the hill

Runs the path I took;

You can see the gap in the old wall still,

And the stepping-stones in the shallow brook.

There is the house, with the gate red-barred,

And the poplars tall;

And the barn's brown length, and the cattle-yard,

And the white horns tossing above the wall.

There are the beehives ranged in the sun;

And down by the brink

Of the brook are her poor flowers, weed-o'errun,

Pansy and daffodil, rose and pink.

A year has gone, as the tortoise goes,

Heavy and slow;

And the same rose blows, and the same sun glows,

And the same brook sings of a year ago.

There's the same sweet clover-smell in the breeze;

And the June sun warm

Tangles his wings of fire in the trees,

Setting, as then, over Fernside farm.

I mind me how with a lover's care

From my Sunday coat

I brushed off the burrs, and smoothed my hair,

And cooled at the brookside my brow and throat.

Since we parted, a month had passed,--

To love, a year;

Down through the beeches I looked at last

On the little red gate and the well-sweep near.

I can see it all now,--the slantwise rain

Of light through the leaves,

The sundown's blaze on her window-pane,

The bloom of her roses under the eaves.

Just the same as a month before,--

The house and the trees,

The barn's brown gable, the vine by the door,--

Nothing changed but the hives of bees.

Before them, under the garden wall,

Forward and back,

Went drearily singing the chore-girl small,

Draping each hive with a shred of black.

Trembling, I listened: The summer sun

Had the chill of snow;

For I knew she was telling the bees of one

Gone on the journey we all must go!

Then I said to myself, 'My Mary weeps

For the dead to-day;

Haply her blind old grandsire sleeps

The fret and the pain of his age away.'

But her dog whined low; on the doorway sill,

With his cane to his chin,

The old man sat; and the chore-girl still

Sung to the bees stealing out and in.

And the song she was singing ever since

In my ear sounds on:

'Stay at home, pretty bees, fly not hence!

Mistress Mary is dead and gone!'

Quaker writer John Greenleaf Whittier’s 1858 poem “Telling the Bees.” (Daily Jstor)

     A poem by by Katherine Tynan (l918)

Tell it to the bees, lest they

Umbrage take and fly away, 

That the dearest boy is dead, 

Who went singing, blithe, and dear, 

By the golden hives last year. 

Curly-head, ah, curly head!

Tell them that the summer’s over, 

Over mignonette and clover;

Oh, speak low and very low!

Say that he was blithe and bonny, 

Good as gold and sweet as honey, 

All too late the roses blow!

Say he will not come again, 

Not in any sun or rain, 

Heart’s delight, ah, heart’s delight!

Tell them that the boy they knew

Sleeps out under rain and dew

In the night, ah, in the night!

by Katherine Tynan (l918)

     Here is a musical rendition (live) of the poem "The Bee-Boy's Song" by Rudyard Kipling which depicts the practice of "Telling the Bees" sung by Rosie Hodgson.

Bees! Bees! Hark to your bees!

"Hide from your neigbours as much as you please,

But all that has happened, to us you must tell,

Or else we will give you no honey to sell!"

A maiden in her glory,

Upon her wedding - day,

Must tell her Bees the story,

Or else they'll fly away.

Fly away -- die away --

Dwindle down and leave you!

But if you don't deceive your Bees,

Your Bees will not deceive you.

Marriage, birth or buryin',

News across the seas,

All you're sad or merry in,

You must tell the Bees.

Tell 'em coming in an' out,

Where the Fanners fan,

'Cause the Bees are just about

As curious as a man!

Don't you wait where the trees are,

When the lightnings play,

Nor don't you hate where Bees are,

Or else they'll pine away.

Pine away -- dwine away --

Anything to leave you!

But if you never grieve your Bees,

Your Bees'll never grieve you.

by Rudyard Kipling

     There is also a tradition called "Asking the Bees" where a new beekeeper "Asks the Bees" to accept them as their keeper and to impart their wisdom to them.  

     Emily sent me a wonderful story of the prayers read at the funeral of Clive Watson, a much loved leader and supporter of the beekeeping community.  These are the prayers that were read to his hives (Telling the Bees).   

     With the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II, John Chapple, the Palace beekeeper had the sad task of informing the royal bees of their master's passing (Telling the Bees from Bee Culture). He placed black ribbons around the hives and explained that King Charles III is their new master. “You knock on each hive and say, ‘The mistress is dead, but don’t you go. Your master will be a good master to you.’”   

    I hope that upon my passing someone informs my bees.  This is a film about a son informing the bees of his father's passing and deciding their future.

 

     

How Wolves Help Bees

     In l995 wolves from Canada were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park after a 70 year absence.  They had been exterminated by ranchers wanting to protect their livestock and by trophy hunters.  The reintroduction of wolves led to something called a "trophic cascade".  This phenomena occurs when predators in a food web suppress the abundance or alter the behavior of their prey, thereby releasing the next lower trophic level from predation (or herbivory if the intermediate trophic level is a herbivore).  Without wolves the population of deer and elk escalated which led to extreme overgrazing.  Reintroduction of the wolves led to a myriad of beneficial consequences to a variety of species which the video below explains.  One of the benefits to native bees is the increase in aspen and willow (great early season pollen) and the many varieties of fruit bushes and wildflowers (Wildflowers of Yellowstone) which had been overgrazed by the unchecked population of deer and elk.  The video "How Wolves Change Rivers" describes how trophic cascade or removing the top predator, the wolf from Yellowstone effected the entire ecosystem and how the return of the wolf had remarkable beneficial effects.



     A biological survey (Bioblitz) held on August 28-29th, 2009 in the northwest corner of Yellowstone National Park identified 46 species of native bees.  Biologists estimate that there are between 400-500 species of native bees in Yellowstone. 
     My first experience with wolves was about 45 years ago when as a young man working on the railway in the Rocky Mountains I met my first wolf.  I was alone in a blizzard, five miles from camp carrying about 80 lbs of equipment with the task of switching the rails.  As a young greenhorn, unable to see because of the whiteout conditions, I felt my way along the tracks thinking for sure this was my last day on earth.  The snow let up briefly enough for me to see a wolf come out of the woods.  Spotting me the wolf froze about 10 meters from me and growled.  In my anger and desperation I growled back wielding an 8 foot long iron pry bar.  We starred at each other for what seemed like an eternity (probably 30 seconds), he turned and disappeared back into the woods.  Since that moment I have always held a special love and admiration for wolves.
  

The Effects of a Solar Eclipse on Honey Bees

      I wrote this post for our 2017 eclipse and thought with our approaching April 8th eclipse a repost would be appropriate.  

     With a solar eclipse scheduled for tomorrow morning (beginning at 9:10 am, reaching it's maximum at 10:21 and ending at 11:37am in Vancouver - 2017) and the obvious concern for eye safety I wondered how bees and other critters coped with this phenomena.  It appears that unlike stupid humans animals generally don't stare at the sun so don't suffer from the damaging effects of the sun on eyesight.

       As for honey bees, studies like the one above from HOBOS honey bee research in 2015 show that foraging bee activity is decreased during an eclipse as it would be at the normal setting of the sun.  "The reduction in flight activity commenced as soon as the brightness was lower than 400 watts/m2. Only as the re-emerging sun reached a brightness of 400 watts/m2 did the bees’ flight activities begin to increase once more. The bees also reduced their flying ventures in the evening when the brightness level falls below the 400 watts/m2 mark."  

     As most who use links to studies can attest, they are short lived so I've included a few recent links to  studies on the effects of a solar eclipse on honey bees.  "Foraging and homing behavior of honey bees (Apis mellifera) during a total solar eclipse" , "Disruption in honey bee (Apis mellifera) foraging flight

activity during a partial solar eclipse shown by individual flight path tracking" and "Something Eerie Happens to The Bees During a Total Solar Eclipse".

    I'm relieved I don't have to purchase protective eyeware for my bees.

Feeding Bees in Winter

Pollen patty directly on frames (girls drawing comb)

     One of the main reasons for bees not surviving winter is starvation, particularly in late winter/early spring.  Depending on the length of your winter (no natural food source or too cold to forage) a full colony of bees in our northern regions will consume between 27-40 kgs (60-90 lbs) of honey.  In our apiary in Vancouver we have found that a average sized colony requires about 10 deep or 15 medium frames (30 kg or 66 lbs) to overwinter in a normal year.  Every location is different.  

     Opening the hive in winter should be avoided but if necessary you can check if your hive is in need of winter feeding with a quick check on a nice day (not snowing or windy).  This should take less than a minute and not require the lifting of frames.  It's possible to avoid opening the hive by monitoring the weight (vs weight at beginning of winter) by simply lifting the back of the hive if you have experience or using a simple luggage scale.  Here is an example of a winter hive check.

     

     In beekeeping it may vary yearly but months are either negative or positive in terms of food accumulation.  In our temperate northern climate April to October are positive accumulation months, March and October are neutral depending on the weather and November through February are negative.  

     In some areas where there is a late summer dearth (lack of forage) beekeepers will feed a 2 to 1 sugar syrup mixture to ready their bees for winter.  When the weather is still warm and there is not good forage, the bees are still very active and can consume a lot of their winter food supplies.  This can occur for us in October.  

     Sugar syrup is sometimes fed to bees in the spring and fall but below a certain temperature (approximately 12 C / 54 F) the bees are unable to dehydrate the liquid to store it.  One issue to keep in mind when autumn feeding is the accumulation of stored uncapped syrup in frames which acts as a hive humidifier in winter.  It's a good idea to minimize this.  Some beekeepers maintain that the warmth from the cluster will be sufficient to heat a plastic baggy of syrup placed above the cluster at colder temperatures.  I've not tried this.  

     When it is colder beekeepers can use a solid sugar feed in dry form as a sugar cake.  In the "Feeding" section of our "Beekeepers Library" you will find recipes for syrup, candy, pollen patties, grease patties, pollen substitute, essential oil mixtures, inverted sugar syrup and other bee food products.  If you are using sugar make sure it is refined sucrose (table sugar) without impurities.  Unrefined sugars have poisoned bees and brown sugar and molasses are toxic to bees (Selecting sugars for feeding to Honey Bees).  While it was previously thought that high fructose corn syrup, which is used by many commercial beekeepers was chemically indistinguishable from honey a recent study (Honey elements induce detoxification and immunity) found that honey contains important elements of pollen and propolis.  These elements induce the detoxification and immunity genes and may help the bees cope with pesticides and pathogens.  Feeding anything but their own honey is not a long term healthy alternative.  

     Some beekeepers believe that if you invert the sucrose (refined table sugar) by adding an acid (i.e vinegar) you will create a more natural food similar to honey and easier to digest.  The inversion process changes the sucrose to fructose and glucose essentially the same as honey.  However, there is no scientific evidence supporting this and bees actually perform the inversion in the digestive process in their honey stomach.    

     When feeding in winter you want to apply the food so that the girls do not have to leave their winter cluster.  You can invert your inner cover to leave space to place the sugar cake or patty on top of the frames or build a simple spacer or eke.  I use 2 inch feeding spacers similar to those used by Anita at Beverley Bees (Beverley Bees Candy Board) and a simple no cook sugar and water mixture.  I add enough water (not much) that it sticks together and does not run down between the frames.  I place the sugar/water mixture on paper with cuts in it for easier accessibility in the feeding spacer in place of the inner cover (it is removed) with a hole drilled as an upper entrance.  Remember to make your spacer as small as possible as the ladies love to fill that space with comb and may do so rather quickly in the spring.  You can feed the ladies dry sugar on paper (Michael Bush uses a dry granulated sugar for cold weather feeding) on top of the frames wetted down with water (the hive humidity should keep it moist)  or make a Sugar Cake.  You can check quickly throughout the winter on nicer days (avoid windy,snowy days) and add as needed.  Here is a demonstration by Philip from Mudsongs.org adding a sugar cake on a winter day. 

Here is a few simple recipes for those not as lazy as me:

Fondant from Granulated Sugar

Fondant can be fed directly to the bees once cooled. They are a good food source for mini-mating nucs because there is no drowning involved when you have a small amount of bees. It is also common to use this recipe in small quantities to plug the hole on a Queen Cage.
Equipment:
< 1 large saucepan
< 1 Hand or electric mixer
< 1 Cooking themometer
< Shallow disposable setting pans (pizza)

Ingredients:

< 4 parts (by volume) granulated white sugar
< 1 parts (by volume) water
< Optional 1 teaspoon white vinegar

Boil water and slowly add the sugar until dissolved, stirring constantly. Continue heating until the mixture reaches 238°F (114°C). Without mixing allow the solution to cool until it is slightly warm to the touch (200F). Then begin to mix (in a mixer) and aerate the solution. As you do this the color should turn white and creamy with air bubbles. Pour into shallow dishes or mold and allow to cool.  To feed it can be placed directly on top of the frames or in a feeding spacer.  You can make the fondant thin enough to where it can be worked into an empty frame of drawn comb.

This video is a step by step process of how to make their version of fondant by the Northwest New Jersey Beekeepers Association.


Bee Candy
Candy is not used as much as in the past because it's harder to make and work with.  However here is the recipe for those not deterred by hard work.
Equipment:
< Heavy duty cooking pans
< Large spoon for stirring
< Measuring jug
< Cooking themometer
< Plastic containers
< Enameled or pyrex dishes

Ingredients:
< Refined granulated white sugar
< Water
< Cooking oil
< Newspapers

Pour 500 ml (1 pint) of water in a heavy saucepan and add 2 kgs. granulated sugar. Heat to the boiling point, stirring constantly to prevent the sugar burning on the bottom. Continue to boil til the syrup reaches 117 degrees centigrade (242 fahrenheit).  Prepare your enamel or pyrex glass dish by coating with vegetable oil, then lining with a sheet of newspaper.  Also, soak an old towel in cold water and lay it on a waterproof heat proof work surface.  Once the boiling syrup has reached 117 degrees centigrade place it on the wet towel to cool.  Stir the mixture continuously as it thickens.  Stir only so long that the mixture can still be poured into the lined dishes.  Allow to set and cool and to remove (when cooled) pull gently on the edges of the paper liner. 

     Here are a few other versions of fondant recipes from Brookfield Farm and Backyard Beehive or you can purchase it from a retailer.  Whether you use the above recipes or just dry granulated sugar you can check on your feed and add as needed whenever there is a break in the weather.  Here is another video showing feeding at 40 fahrenheit (4 celsius).  

    

     Pollen patties (with sugar) provide both the carbohydrates from sugar and the proteins from pollen (usually pollen substitute) to stimulate brood production.  The presence of new pollen substitute in the hive triggers the nurse bees to produce royal jelly to prepare the cells for queen egg laying.  A good explanation of the importance of pollen by Beespoke Info.

The Importance of Pollen  

"Protein is important because it is the building material for growth and tissue repair. As a measure of the importance of the protein in pollen, it has been shown that the amount available to a colony influences the size of the emerging brood. In fact it has been calculated that the amount of pollen required to rear a bee – from the hatching of the egg to the emergence of the adult – is between 120 and 145mg.

But it doesn’t stop there because bees continue to grow after emergence. On average, emerging bees contain 13% protein (Witherell) but by the time they are 5 days old, the heads, thoraces and abdomens of young bees contain 93%, 38%,76%, more protein respectively than those of the newly emerged (Dietz). This huge increase is brought about by a massive consumption of pollen which is initiated within a very short time of emergence, perhaps as little as two hours, and rises to a peak at about 5-9 days old before gradually diminishing and eventually tailing off at 15-18 days (Dietz).

However not all this protein intake is used in growth of the bee or development of the hypopharyngeal glands because it is on about the 3rd day after emergence that the bees are directly employed in brood rearing, an activity that continues up until about the 13th day (Gary) and involves the passing on of pollen-derived protein to larvae in bee milk.

During brood rearing, a nurse bee needs to digest about 10mg of pollen to produce 4mg of protein per day in brood food which is produced in the hypopharyngeal glands. The more protein that is available to the nurse bees either by concentration in, or sheer bulk of, pollen the more larvae a bee is able to feed."

     We want to time the protein feeding to coincide with the main nectar, pollen flow which for us is early April (fruit flower).  In Vancouver pollen patties can be added as early as February.  I place them right on the sugar in the candy board described above.  There is an old theory to begin feeding pollen patties 8 weeks prior to that main nectar and pollen flow.  3 weeks for the girls to be born, 3 weeks to become foragers and two weeks to build up the forager numbers.   Why not feed all winter?   A brood break is good for the colony for many reasons.  First of all no brood, no varroa reproduction.  This means the colony can start the year with a minimal varroa.  Secondly, in cold climates in winter the center of the cluster may be only 20 celsius as opposed to 35 in summer resulting in chilled brood.  Third, less bees means less food consumption and lastly a break for the queen.  

     Pollen is the source of protein and nutrients for bees.  The level of body protein in bees varies seasonally between 21-67% depending on the availability and type of pollen available and the amount of energy expended foraging and brood raising. Different blossoms produce different quality pollen.  For example dandelions and blueberries produce a fairly low nutritional pollen while almond pollen is fairly high in nutrition. 

Dandelion pollen, although attractive to bees lacks certain amino acids.  Other types of pollen must be gathered in order to fully utilize the protein.

     Bees store protein in their bodies in the form of vitellogenin which directly determines their life span and immunological strength  to fight diseases and pests.  When the body protein level in bees drops it may take several weeks to recover.  Low body protein level means low brood and honey production.  A wide variety of pollens are essential for optimum bee health as each pollen provides different essential nutrients.  The report, "Nutritional Value of Bee Collected Pollens" is an qualitative analysis of the pollen from different plants and trees.  This is why pollen patties or pollen substitute patties are not as healthy as a natural variety of stored pollens but rather a diet supplement.  Having said that research has shown that colonies receiving pollen supplements in early spring can produce 2-4 times the brood of a non supplemented colony.  In addition the life span of worker bees is increased up to 15 days and consequently mid summer honey production is also increased.  

     The best protein source for supplemental feeding is of course pollen.  Studies show that bees are attracted to pollen and consume significantly more when the patties contain pollen rather than pollen substitute.  The graph below illustrates the benefits of pollen in supplemental feeding.  

Having said that pollen can be a carrier of bee diseases and if the source is unknown should be irradiated before use in a pollen patty. Since most beekeepers don't want to irradiate use your own pollen collected from healthy hives.  The nutritional value of pollen diminishes quickly when dried and stored so it is best to freeze your pollen immediately after collecting without drying.  It is recommended that you use between 3-5% pollen in your pollen patty and that your overall protein level be about 25%.  The best protein supplements or alternatives to pollen are yeast and soy flour.  Brewer's yeast has a 48-56% protein content and is a good but expensive protein source to stimulate brood production.  The more affordable soy flour (48-50% crude protein level) appears to be more of an adult bee food stimulating activity in the hive.  Due to these different benefits a combination of these protein sources is recommended.  Other additives like pollard (mixture of fine bran and flour- vitamin and essential oil source), vegetable oil (feed palatability), vitamins and minerals and sugar (carbohydrate and energy source) can be utilized.  I read recently where a local beekeeper is using herring meal as a protein source and no his honey doesn't taste like fish. Human vitamin and mineral supplements are made for mammals not bees so are not recommended.  Always use fresh ingredients as nutritional values decrease with time and old soy flour may even be toxic to bees.  Sugar is an attractant in your feed and vegetable oil (like soy or cotton seed) can make it more palatable.  The patty should be placed directly over the winter bee cluster which is normally in the middle of the brood box as the bees will not leave the cluster if it is cold.  You can invert your inner cover to make room for the pollen patty.  If you find there is not enough room between your hive frames and your inner cover you can make a simple hive eke (an extender frame or shallow box). When I made my insulated moisture quilt (Insulated Moisture Quilt) I left space over the frames for supplemental feeding.  Pollen patties can usually be obtained from any beekeeping supply store but here are a few pollen or substitute pollen patty recipes. 

Pollen Patty (3 different recipes)

(Government of B.C. Apiculture Department)

In supplement mixes, the percentage of pollen can be increased or decreased depending on availability.

#1             3 parts soybean flour

                 1 part pollen

#2             4 parts Brewer’s Yeast

                  2 parts dry sugar

                 1 part pollen

                 2 parts lighter sugar syrup (2 sugar : 1 water)

#3              10 parts Torula Type S Yeast

                  10 parts Brewer’s Yeast

                   1 part pollen

Note: use 2 parts dry mix to 3 parts syrup

Substitute Pollen Patty (3 different recipes)

#1               soybean flour only

#2               4 parts soybean flour

                   1 part Brewer’s Yeast

#3               10 parts soybean flour

                  6 parts casein

                   3 parts Brewer’s Yeast

                   1 part egg yolk powder

In each case, add 4-5 parts of the dry mix to 2 parts heavy sugar syrup as indicated below in directions on preparation of patties.

Prepare patties as follows:

Mix dry ingredients thoroughly.

Mix a heavy syrup of 3 parts sugar to 1 part water.

Slowly add 2 parts of syrup to 4-5 parts of dry mix (see dry mix formulas above), while kneading.

Leave overnight and knead again before flattening into a 1.5 cm cake.

Cut into squares weighing about 0.5 kg (1 lb).

Place on wax paper and cover with another wax paper to prevent drying.

Here is a video from DC Honeybees showing how to make a substitute pollen patty using these ingredients: 

1/2 lb yeast;
1/2 lb dried milk;
1.5 lb soy flour;
1/3 cup canola oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
a multi vitamin

Here are the folks from Mudsongs installing a pollen patty.


      

      For more information on feeding bees go to the "Feeding" section of our library and for more information on winter management go to the "Winter Management" section of our library.

"There is no other field of animal husbandry like beekeeping. It has the appeal to the scientist, the nature lover, and even (or especially) the philosopher. It is a chance to work with some of the most fascinating of God's creatures, to spend time and do work in the great outdoors, to challenge my abilities and continue to learn. My hope is that I never become so frail with old age that I cannot spend my days among the bees. It gives credence to the old saw that "the best things in life are free". I thank God daily for the opportunity and privilege to be a beekeeper."