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.

 

     

Honey Bee Nucs vs Packages

     Whether to buy a bee nuc or package depends like a lot of things on your location and needs.  

Nucs

     A nuc (nucleus of a colony) consists of 4-5 frames of bees in a half sized Langstroth deep box which should include a laying queen, 2 frames of brood, 2 frames of honey and/or pollen and possibly a fifth frame of drawn comb.  Local nucs for us are usually available starting in mid May.  The reason for this is the queen requires temperatures 15-20 C. (60-70 F.) to mate and the formation of drone congregation zones.  In some locations there is a supply of overwintered nucs which are made in August.  The benefits of using a nucleus over a package are that you have a fully functioning colony with a laying queen and brood pattern you can see.  You also have bees in all stages of development from egg to forager.  

 

Good brood pattern

     Unless it is an overwintered nuc produced in the late summer the queen should be a new queen (born this spring). The queen is established (brood pattern visible) and the worker bees in a nucleus colony know their roles so there are nurse bees and foragers and the foundation is set (drawn comb) which will put them at least a few weeks ahead of an imported package.  Because there are foragers and at least 2 frames of honey and pollen the nucleus will not require as much feeding.  Also, with local nucs there is no climatic and forage stress. A negative aspect of nucs is they are available for us l.5-2 months later than packages and may come on old, dark colored frames and nuc boxes that may contain diseases.   

Honey frame

Packages

     A typical package consists of 2-3 pounds of bees, a can of syrup and a queen. A 3 lb package is optimum for most as a 2 lb will be underpopulated and a 4 lb may experience some die off with less accessibility to the syrup can. Normally the package bees are from production hives where they shake out bees into the package box til the required weight is reached. A mated queen is then placed in the package, protected in a queen cage.  There is usually a container of syrup in the package to feed the bees for the few days of travel before they are transferred to a hive. The bees generally fair well for up to a week in a package. A package is usually put together a few days before sold and in the case of cold weather beekeepers in spring comes from a warmer location to the south. In our case because of government restrictions (No U.S. Bees to Canada) this means thousands of miles south from New Zealand, Australia or Chile. Many backyard beekeepers will not have drawn frames to install their packages on to so a lot of energy and feeding will be required to produce the wax to draw out the frames. With a package close attention needs to spent on the survival and performance of the new queen.

A lot of energy and feeding is required to draw out the comb

The video below shows the process of creating a package of bees.

      The main advantage of the package is that in cold weather areas they are available a few months before local nucs which allows beekeepers to take advantage of spring fruit blossoms and to lengthen the beekeeping season. 

      Packages are a necessity in some areas because of the lack of nucs available.  They are usually cheaper, have less pests and diseases (no comb) and can be installed into any type of hive.  Unlike the nuc you don't have bees in all stages of development and if queen acceptance and performance goes well it will take 3 weeks for new brood to be born and several weeks for the population to reach that of a 5 frame nuc.  Despite the added challenges most beekeepers have some success with packages. 

     In most areas the packages come from a warmer climate so winter survival may be less likely as proven in a good, small scale study carried out in New England by master beekeeper Erin MacGregor-Forbes (Comparison of colony strength and survivability between nucs and packages).  This single study is certainly not conclusive evidence but suggests a problem with imported warm weather packages and a need for more projects like this.  Erin found a significant difference in winter survival between the southern package and nucleus (the nucs had twice the survival rate) but also found that a southern package with a replaced local queen performed as well as the nucleus. 

      In our situation bee packages come from a similar climate but the opposite hemisphere so they leave the southern hemisphere in late summer and arrive in Canada a few days later in early Spring where it can be freezing temperatures and snowing (I have experienced this).  This obviously can be hard on the bees.  Erin also found in her study that the packages outperformed the nucs in terms of honey production which she attributed to a high rate of swarming by the nucleus colonies. I don't know if she took measures to prevent swarming but this has not been my experience .  I've not had exceptional problems with nucs swarming but have used swarm prevention methods like checkerboarding and splits (Check out the "Swarms" section in our Beekeepers' Library).



     The Prince William Regional Beekeepers Association in Virginia carried out a study which compared hives started from packages to those started from nucs which found a higher survival rate in nuc started hives, particularly evident in the second year (Promoting Sustainable Beekeeping Practices Through Local Production of Nucs and Local Honeybee Queens).  One aspect of their study was the importation of Africanized bee genetics and small hive beetles.  Importation of diseases and pests is perhaps the biggest challenge for beekeepers presently.  
     A survey by the Beekeepers Assocition of North Virginia to determine if the source of queens effected colony winter survival found significant differences between southern imported queens (23%) and local queens (87%).  While this is an extreme example I thinks it supports the theory of the benefits of local nucs over imported southern packages.      

      Biologist and author Mark Winston (Bee Time: Lessons from the Hive) suggests we need to wean ourselves off of this dependence on imported bees.   In l985 he wrote "it is estimated that, at present colony densities, BC has the potential to produce 75,520 spring packages each year, and increased colony density and a higher level of commercial beekeeping could elevate this figure. Continued and increased package and nucleus production, coupled with increased wintering and queen production, could result in a high degree of Canadian self-sufficiency within the next few years (l989 Study on package and nuc production in B.C.)."  That self-sufficiency was never realized.  Large scale package and nuc production was never developed and with current 25-30% winter colony losses our dependence on imported packages will continue. The solution may be in the lowering of the winter loss rate through the development of a strong local, survivor stock with hygienic behavior and supporting the development of a large scale, local bee colony production industry.  Government initiative, leadership and support may be essential for this to be realized.

  

     In the video below Michael Palmer describes some of the difficulties associated with starting a bee hive from scratch using package bees including the lack of nurse bees for the new brood.

       Here are some questions you may want to ask your nuc supplier and some questions for queen purchasers as suggested by the BC Honey Producers Association.    For more information on nucs and packages check out "Splits, Nucs and Packages" in the Basic Beekeeping section of the Beekeepers' Library.  Also check out the articles on overwintering nucs by Kirk Webster, Mel Disselkoen and others in the "Winter Management" section of our library.  In Vancouver Urban Bee, B.C. Beekeeping and Dancing Bee Apiary will be selling packages in April (Vancouver Bees for Sale).  Good luck.

      

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.
  

Grafting Queen Bees Made Easy

     For many backyard beekeepers the thought of grafting queen cells sounds similar to performing brain surgery or rocket science.  While there are many methods of making queens (Advanced Beekeeping) Randy Oliver has produced a great powerpoint presentation that provides an easy and understandable step-by-step tutorial on grafting queen cells.  The advantages of creating your own queens are numerous.  They include cost savings as queens in our area sell for about $60.  Also time savings as allowing a split nuc to create their own queen takes about 30 days to produce a laying queen.  This means the building of your colony and honey production are delayed 30 days.  Maybe most important of all, grafting your own queens from your strongest colony allows you to control some of the future genetics of your colonies (not the drones).  This allows you to participate in creating your own disease resistant, hygienic, local, survivor stock which may be the most important aspect of the future of beekeeping. 
     While the grafting process can be performed at any time mating is possible your local swarm season is best.  All that is required is a frame of pollen, a frame of young brood and lots of nurse bees.  The tools required are a grafting tool, plastic cell cups and a damp towel.  A magnifying jeweler's headlamp is optional.  Queens emerge 10-12 days after grafting.  To check out Randy's detailed powerpoint on grafting view and/or download Queens for Pennies in Pdf format or Queens for Pennies in powerpoint format from our Beekeepers' Library  or better yet go to ScientificBeekeeping.com.  A great beekeeping resource website.

Bio Control of Varroa Mites

Varroa Mite on a queen bee

     The Varroa mite is a small mite (approximately 1mm in diameter) native to Asia and the Asian honey bee (Apis Cerana) which has developed a resistance to the mite enabling it to cope with it's presence. In the early part of the twentieth century Russian beekeepers brought the European honey bee to the Korean Peninsula via the Trans Siberian Railroad where it became the first European honey bee (Apis Mellifera) infested with the Varroa.  There are two types of Varroa mite, Japanese and Korean of which the former Japanese has not as of yet spread to other parts of the world.  The Korean Varroa mite mutated and adapted to the European honey bee which has no defense to it's presence.  Over the last 50 plus years the Varroa has spread from country to country having reached North America about 30 years ago.  However, it did not establish a stronghold until the last decade when it's presence became a serious threat to the bees (both native and honey) in North America. The Varroa displays vampire like behavior (blood sucking), is a carrier of 18 identified viruses (Including Sacbrood, Acute Bee Paralysis, Deformed Wing Virus and Israel Acute Paralysis) and is considered a major contributing factor along with pesticides in Colony Collapse Disorder. The Varroa was named after Marcus Terentius Varro, a Roman scholar who was also a beekeeper (I expect he wouldn't be too happy about that).

Worldwide spread of the Varroa Mite

     Australia remains the only beekeeping nation free of the Varroa destructor mite (Australia still Varroa free).  In Canada the island portion of Newfoundland remains Varroa free.
     There are many methods of treating your hives for mites such as the pesticides Apistan and Checkmite.  As with all pesticides, the pests may adapt and therefore it is suggested that treatments be changed each year to prevent adaptation.  Traces of the chemicals may remain and accumulate in the wax.  This can weaken the bees immune system and makes them more susceptible to pathogens and pests.
       There are also a number of organic mite treatments like drone brood removal, brood breaks (through natural splits), heating (see below), screened bottom boards, Formic (Mite Away Quick Strips) or Oxalic acid (Powerpoint by Randy Oliver), mineral oils (including thymol as crystals or Apiguard) and sugar dusting (Study by Randy Oliver).  It is suggested that you use a combination of control measures.


 
     While there are many proposed forms of bio control of Varroa (i.e. Metarhizium anisopliae, Beauveria bassiana ...) the predatory mites used to control Varroa are a species of Stratiolaelaps mites (Hypoaspis) which have been used for biological control in horticulture for over 15 years (Stratiolaelaps).  This predator mite attacks the phoretic (adult) stages of the Varroa mite. The idea is that they can keep the Varroa population at a low level which does not significantly effect the colony.  Unlike some chemicals Stratiolaelaps (Stratiolaelaps) can be used throughout the year (during the nectar season), there is no accumulation in the hive wax and presumably no adaptation by the Varroa.
     The results from the early stages of testing of the use of Stratiolaelaps have been mixed.  The "Niagara Beeway"  in southern Ontario have reported positive results.


Varroa Mite Final from Electric Dreams Video on Vimeo.

     As part of the Bee Informed survey Brookfield Farm in northwest Washington State found Strateolaelaps did not reduce the population of Varroa in the bee colonies.  Here is a post by Brookfield Farm detailing the methods and results of predatory mite usage (Mites that might eat mites).  The issues regarding the use of Stratiolaelaps are that they only works on adult bees (not the larvae where mite reproduction take place),  do not work on heavily infested hives,  are expensive and they leave the hive for their natural environment in the soil.  An updated video from the Niagara Beeway contradicts some of these findings suggesting that there were no mites in the drone brood and Stratiolaelaps were breeding in the hive.  I've not seen any studies since to support this.  They also suggest that they may provide a solution for the small hive beetle.  In the video Ham SS refers to Stratiolaelaps.

 
     Phil Chandler, the "Barefoot Beekeeper" proposes the use of an "Eco Floor" in a Top Bar Hive in this case to provide a natural environment for predatory mites.  The Eco Floor can be adapted to any style of hive.

"A simple modification to the floor of the horizontal (Kenyan-style) top bar hive improves insulation, reduces air exchange at floor level and creates an enclosed ecosystem designed to provide habitat for earwigs, wood lice, moulds, fungi and myriad other flora and fauna that may be found inside the average hollow log - the natural habitat of the honeybee."

"No creature on Earth lives in isolation from all others. All sorts of relationships develop between different species, many of them mutually beneficial. Yet honeybees are usually housed in sterile, wooden boxes with little opportunity to come into contact with the myriad other bugs, beetles and bacteria found in their natural habitat: hollow trees. Little is known about the effects on bees of other organisms, but it seems reasonable to suppose that because they have co-evolved with a whole range of other species over tens of millions of years, they will have developed mutually beneficial relationships with some of them."     Phil Chandler

     In this video Phil Chandler shows how the deep floor is made and how it can be retro-fitted to any top bar hive.



     As of yet Phil has not done any studies on long term resident population of Strateolaelaps in the hive (Eco Floor).  The problems with the "Eco Floor" are the hive is generally warmer than the natural environment of Strateolaelaps (soil), there is no light in the hive to allow for plant growth (part of Strateolaelaps diet) and there is no evidence that Strateolaelaps will leave the soil and travel upwards through the frames to feed on Varroa.
     In New Zealand there are preliminary studies being carried out on the use of Pseudoscorpions as predators of Varroa (Pseudoscorpion Study).  There are also preliminry studies from the University of Warwick (England) (Varroa killing Fungi) on naturally occurring fungi that kill the varroa mite.  They have narrowed the field down to four potential lethal fungi and are determining the method of delivery (i.e. foot bath, spray..).   In addition mycological researcher Paul Stamets has found that mushrooms offer many benefits to bees including detoxification, immunity booster and disease control, and increased longevity of worker bees.  It has been suggested by some that this is due to the natural presence of oxalic acid which is relatively low (Oxalic acid presence in mushrooms).

These graphs show the effects of mycelium fungi increasing bee survival rate and longevity

     Further studies are being carried out and the product may be available to the market in the near future (Fungus and bee health).  Meanwhile watch for your bees feeding on fungi and consider planting some mushrooms in your apiary.  In this video Paul Stamets explains the connection between mushrooms and bee health. 

 
      In Germany they are studying the use of mite sex pheremone to disrupt male sex activity and have found a significant reduction in mite reproduction.
     For many years researchers have been studying the effects of heat on Varroa.  At temperatures above 39 celsius (102 fahrenheit) mites suffer irreparable damage while bees can manage temeratures up to 45 celsius (113 fahrenheit).

 
   
     There have been many marketed hive heaters from the inexpensive Mite Zapper , to the under hive mounted Hive Sauna to the Thermosolar Hive above ($650 U.S. plus shipping).  To enable exacting heat control so as not to harm the bees expensive sophistication appears paramount.  There is also the issue of honey deterioration at high temperatures.  Heating honey to 37 celsius (98 fahrenheit) reduces nutritional value.  
     On a unrelated note a BYU undergraduate is working on a biocontrol of American Foulbrood.  Phages (microscopic bugs) are used to kill the AFB bacteria.

“Phages are the most abundant life form on the planet and each phage has a unique bacteria that it will attack,” said Sandra Burnett, BYU professor of microbiology and molecular biology. “This makes phage an ideal treatment for bacterial disease because it can target specific bacteria while leaving all other cells alone.”

The trick is identifying the right phage.  They have narrowed it down to 5 phages (Research article).

 

      I believe the future of dealing with Varroa will be breeding for Varroa Sensitive Hygienic behavior (Breeding for Hygienic Behavior by Marla Spivak and Gary Reuter). Many believe that the VSH behavior traits are passed both genetically and through observed learning.  In hives with VSH behavior bees, bee pupae infected with mites are detected and removed.  Other VSH behavior traits include: more effective self grooming; group grooming; guard bees removing mites from bees entering the hive (either killing the mites or chasing them from the hive) and bees using their mandibles to kill the mites.  Decreased drone production (most mite reproduction takes place in drone brood) and a higher resistance to diseases (the diseases passed by the mites kill the bees not the mites themselves) are also desirable breeding traits.  While there are very positive results of breeding queens for VSH behavior the long term problem is the inability to flood the area breeding population (drones as well) with bees possessing VSH traits.  It is important to remember that Asian honey bees (Apis cerana), African honey bees (Apis mellifera scutellata), Africanized honey bees (hybrid European and African) and a strain of Russian honey bees have developed an effective resistance to the varroa mite.  Some believe that the unnaturally increased size of Apis Mellifera (carried out 100 years ago to increase honey production) hinders their attempts to remove the mites and the enlarged areas between body segments allows for mite penetration.  If true this would support the beliefs of  natural, small-cell beekeepers who also support the practice of non treatment.  To this point there is no scientific, conclusive proof of this theory (some natural beekeepers would argue this). The video below shows bees displaying VSH behavior by removing mites (removal at the 2 minute point of the video).
 
    

     For further information on hygienic behavior in honey bees go to the Hygienic Behavior section of our Beekeepers' Library.
     While I don't profess to know the perfect solution this year I am using Mite Away Quick Strips (naturally occurring formic acid) to control the Varroa population.  I'm treating usuallly at least twice per season based on what has worked for me (once in early summer May-June and once in late summer, September).  This method is open to change as needed or not.  I test regularly but not so much to derive a specific number but to compare the health of the colony with the mite population to observe any possible developing coping mechanisms.  For more information on Varroa Mites and mite treatment go to the Varroa Mite section of our Beekeepers' Library.  I hope that whatever method of mite defense you employ is successful and that you and your bees are healthy and happy.

 "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."

No U.S Bees for Canada

     In a recently released report from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (Risk Assessment of Importation of U.S Honey Bees) they concluded that the risk was too great to remove the blockade on U.S honey bees (this post was originally written in 2013 when the assessment was released).  The initial blockade was implemented in 1987 in response to an outbreak in the U.S of the tracheal and varroa mites.
     My personal viewpoint on the subject has evolved through the years.  Initially I was totally against the ban on importation of U.S bees from a purely practical point of view.  First it made no sense to import bees from the southern hemisphere (Canadian Regulations on Importation of Honey Bees) thousands of miles away when bees were readily available closeby at a fraction of the cost and environmental impact.  Present regulations allow Canadians to import packages of bees from New Zealand, Australia and Chile only and queens from New Zealand, Australia, Chile, California and Hawaii.  Secondly, the blockade has not worked.  26 years after the ban on U.S bees, both the tracheal and varroa mites are alive and established in Canada.  Strange as it may seem bee swarms do not go through the regulated border crossings when flying into Canada.  The majority of the Canadian population and beekeepers live close to the U.S/Canada border which is the longest unregulated border in the world.
  My viewpoint now is very much in support of developing localized bee breeding.  I think it's important for us to decrease our dependence on imported bees.  Many of the major pests and diseases we are dealing with are imported and our reliance on imported early spring packages prevents us from developing a strong, local, survivor stock bee population.  As E. Punnett and M. Winston of Simon Fraser University suggested 30 years ago "a local bee production industry would not only be a new and lucrative source of income for local beekeepers, but may be essential to the survival of Canadian beekeeping." (A Comparison of Package and Nucleus Production from Honey Bee Colonies) 
     The reasons given for maintaining the ban on importation of U.S bee packages are the risks associated with the importation of Africanized honey bees, antibiotic-resistant American foulbrood, small hive beetle and amitraz resistant varroa mite.

     I believe maintaining the ban on importation of American bees will only delay the arrival of these 4 stated health risks.  Reasons that these risks may not be valid are most jurisdictions do not treat American foulbrood but have regulated mandatory eradication through the burning of the colony and hive.  The small hive beetle has been detected in small populations in Canada but is considered more of a southern problem probably due to it's origination in the warmer climates of Africa.  The small hive beetle arrived in Australia in 2002.  Similarly, the Africanized bees progress northward has been slowed by the colder winters of the north (Killer Bees).  As the Africanized bee moves northward the genetic dilution of the much publicized aggressive behavior and tendencies toward swarming have resulted in the creation of a more manageable bee.  Finally, all pests eventually develop resistance to pesticides.  The philosophy of agrichemical dependent farming (including beekeeping) only serves the profits of the agrichemical corporations.  In addition Australia has as stated the small hive beetle, the Braula fly and is geographically susceptible to the Tropilaelaps mite especially with the recent findings of Apis Cerana and Varroa mites.  Tropilaelaps mites have rapidly expanded their range over the last 50 years and are present throughout Asia, including nearby Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (roughly 3.75 km separates the two countries at Saibai Island).  The Tropilaelaps mite may be a greater future threat to us than any of the 4 stated threats posed by U.S. importation.  At present the mite range is limited by lack of brood in cold regions as their mouths can't penetrate the exoskeleton of adult bees they starve in 3 days outside of brood.  The concern as stated by the BBVA is increased year round brood presence due to global warming especially for us in the lower mainland.

     The dilemma is that my alternate solution of locally produced survivor stock is not a practical reality.  It will take substantial support and leadership from the government and bee industry to create a large scale bee breeding industry capable of supplying our needs and to date there is none.  Everyone appears content with our present reliance on southern hemisphere imports.  Meanwhile beekeepers are faced with the financial reality associated with importing bees from the southern hemisphere.  
     Maybe we should build a Bee Wall.

   

         

Mason Bee Cocoon Cleaning

     While I have been honey beekeeping for a number of years this year was my first attempt to raise native Blue Orchard Mason Bees in our garden.  Also known as Osmia Lignaria it is a major native pollinator in our area of the world.  They make nests in reeds or natural holes and utilize mud to space their cocoons.  This bee is a particularly important spring fruit tree pollinator for us.

 

     While there is an endless variety of homes that your can make for your mason bees and I encourage you to do so (Native Pollinators) the important thing is that the inner tube be accessible to clean and access the cocoons.  Without the ability to access and clean the nesting area it would soon become filled with debris, mites, diseases, wasps ... 

     These are the trays that I used this year which are easily seperated and cleaned but a good alterntive is simple paper straws that can be removed.  

Orange Rumped Bumble Bee

      I have identified a number of native and non native bees and wasps in our garden and my favourite and most prolific is the Orange Rumped Bumble Bee (Melanopygus) which pollinates our raspberries, blueberries and black locusts to name a few.  How can you not like a bee whose distinguishing feature is it's butt.  However, the population of Blue Orchard Mason bees is relatively low which is why I am raising them. 

     

     Above is a view of some of my harvested cocoons covered in mites and mite poop.  The cleaning process I initially employed was the sand method.

      The process is fairly simple mixing the sand with the cocoons and sifting through a screen.  This method is described below in the video by Hutchings Bees.

      I found that this method did not work for me completely and possibly it was because of the type of sand I used.  After the process the cocoons were still covered in debris.

     To finish the cleansing process I soaked the cocoons in a 5% solution of bleech and gently scrubbed with an old tooth brush.

   The finished product.

     I then put the cocoons in a paper bag enclosed in a plastic bag in the crisper section of the fridge.  Modern self defrosting fridges tend to be too dry so the crisper section is recommended.  The cocoons will be placed outside in their mason bee homes in early spring.

 P.S.  After a few years of keeping mason bees I have evolved to making my bee houses by simply drilling 3/8ths inch holes in 6 inch deep wood.  I use plain, unbleached brown paper from grocery bags rolled around a tent pole as liners which brings the finished diameter of the hole to the optimal 5/16th inch.  The rolled liners extend 1 inch out the back and are folded over with a back plate screwed on.  When harvest time comes I just unscrew the back plate and pull out the paper liners (Paper Liners That Work).  For more information on how to manage Mason Bees for your home or farm go to the Native Pollinators section of our Library and scroll down to Mason Bees.  If you are just starting out you can buy cocoons off Craigslist for 50 cents a cocoon and from some garden stores for $1 per cocoon.  Good sources of supplies and information are Crown Bees  and Beediverse.  Good luck.