Contents:
Multiple Queen Beehive plans and desrciption U. Portable Beehive for Pollination plans and description U. Bushkill Swarm Trap Bushkillfarms. Building a Swarm Trap Bees on a Mission. Swarm Trap Lite Plans Horizontalhive. Bait Hives plans and description T. Alternative Equipment Michael Bush Powerpoint. How to build a Beehive Bed Horizontalhive. Observation Bee Hives by M. A plan for a very simple Observation Hive by Dr. Single Frame Observation Hive plans N. Carolina State College and the U. Setting up an Observation Hive N. 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. In addition there are three common widths: 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.
The plans presented in this article are for frame medium hive bodies, though tables on the cut list page provide dimensions for the other sizes. Foundation Form Board Holds frames to aid foundation installation and frame wiring. Vented Beehive Outer Cover design U. Beehive movable top entrance design U. Shaw Anglesey Beekeepers' Association. Langstroth Gable Roof Plan Bill's. It is easiest to install if it is stapled on after the front, back and sides are assembled but before the bottom is attached.
The feet may be made of treated wood or other wood that resists rot to extend life. 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. 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. Bushkill 4 Way Mating Nuc Bushkillfarms. Plans for a 5 frame and Double 3 frame Nuc L. Removeable Swarm Catching Frames Beesource. Frame Assembly Jig Robo. Foldable Beehive Foundation Frame U.
Dadant type Langstroth Frames Deep, medium and shallow Beesource. Bottom Boards and Racks. Langstroth Screened bottom board Plan by G. Langstroth Double Screen Board Beesource. Parasite Reducing Bottom Board U. Langstroth Slatted Bottom Rack Beesource. 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. Construct a Boardman Feeder. Entrance Jar Feeder Plan. Frame Holding Bee Feeder U. Ontario Agricultural College Pollen Trap. Pollen Trap Plans and description U. Pollen Trapping in Minnesota by S. Pollen Trapping and Storage D. Wood Queen Cage Holder by G. Queen Cell Bars and Frames by G. Constructing a Grafting Tool by G. Formic Acid Fumigator Plans and description of use W. Parasite Removal Device by agitated bee filtration screen U.
Parasite removing apparatus by heating element U. Beehive Infestation Device using essential oils - "Thymol" U. Beehive Clamping and Transfer Device U. Beehive Heater Plan U. Van Damme and C. Beehive Ventilator Plans U. Beehive Upper Aerator U. Beehive Fence Construction Manual Step by step guide to deter elephants.
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. Cost-effective energized fence to protect beehives from black bears Minnesota Department of Natural Resource. Study on the design of effective bear fencing to protect apiaries by T. Otto Michigan State U. Bearproofing Beehives Vermont Bearhound Association. Florida Bears and Beekeeping by M. 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. Model Honey Extractor Beesource. Honey Extractor Plans U. Extractor Use and Maintenance Bobsbeekeeping. Ag Center and Penn State U. Solar Wax Melter Plans by G. Mini Solar Wax Melter by G. Honey Heater for crytalized or high water content honey Beesource. Honeycomb Uncapping Tank U. Preserving Woodenware in Beekeeping Operations U.
Beehive Monitoring System U. Honey Bee Diseases and Pests. 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.
Honey Bee Diseases and Parasites by Dr. Honey Bee Diseases and Pests by W. Akratanakul United Nations F. Honeybee Diseases and Parasites by Bob Arnold. Medhat Nasr Alberta Provincial Apiculturist. Diagnosing Varroa by D. A Honey Bee Lab. Managing Varroa Mites by D.
Powdered Sugar Sampling to monitor Varroa by D. Gizmo Varroa Sampler Instructions by G.
Varroa Mite Reproductive Biology by Z. Huang Michigan State U. Sagili, Oregon State U. Managing Varroa - Biology, identification and treatment F. 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 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. 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, colonies were destroyed by the beetle, costing many millions of dollars.
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. Lifecycle of the Small Hive Beetle Diagram. The Small Hive Beetle by J. Wax Moth Control by M. Wax Moth Prevention and Treatment B. Mosquito Control and Beekeepers University of Florida. Protecting your camp from bears: Shocking Bears by Riley Woodford. 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. However, some species, such as the western yellowjacket Paravespula pensylvanica , the common yellowjacket P. 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, 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.
How to make a bee safe wasp trap Completegarden's Weblog. Dave Cushman's Wasp Trap. Rescue Yellow Jacket Trap. Honey Bee Colonies and Wasps Nationalbeeunit. Asian Hornet Information Sheet beewars. Asian Hornet Identification nonnativespecies. Enhanced trapping of Yellowjacket Wasps via spacial partitioning of attractants D. Yellow Jacket and Honey Bee Nests. Bacterial Diseases in Bees by A. Alippi Universidad Nacional de la Plata, Argentina.
Honeybee Genome offers clues for fighting Diseases by G. Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus in the U. Nosema Disease by M. Nosema ceranae and fipronil synergy on honeybee. Pesticides Exposure result in increased level of Nosema U. Nosema Ceranae escapes Fumagillin control in Honey Bees. Eric Mussen UC Davis.
Treating European Foulbrood by M. Chalkbrood Recommendations by M. Chalkbrood Diagnosis and Control Australian Government. Biological Control of Chalkbrood Australian Government. Bee Dysentery Cause, identification and treatment. Essential Oils as Varroa control: Nosema Ceranae and Fipronil Synergy France. Testing for Hygienic Behavior by G. Seven suggestive quantitative trait loci influence Hygienic Behavior by K.
Evaluation of the time of uncapping and removing dead brood from cells by hygienic and non-hygienic bees funpecrp. Effect of population size on the expression of hygienic behavior in Iranian Bees U. Comparison of hygienic behaviour between 5 honey bee breeding lines U. Comparative study of the hygienic behavior of Carniolan and Africanized honey bees U. Africanized honey bees are efficient at detecting, uncapping and removing dead brood U. Breeding for hygienic behaviour in honeybees using free-mated nucs Agri-Food Canada.
Hygienic responses to Varroa by Hawaiian Bees U. Honey bee nutrition and supplementary feeding by D. Pollen nutrition and colony development in honey bees Swiss Bee Research Centre. Pollen Substitutes and Supplements including recipes B. Homemade Protein Supplement Recipe. Bee Tea Recipes Honeybeelives.
Feeding Bees Welsh Government. An Introduction to Native Bees U. From forests to farms, from cities to wildlands, there are 4, 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 se tt lers brought hives from Europe. Th ese 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. Managing Alternative Pollinators by E. The Power of Pollinators: Bee Biology and Identification - Part 2. Gardening for Pollinators - Part 3. Habitat Conservation for Wild Pollinators: Building Nests for Native Bees by M. Sheperd The Xerces Society. Pollinators in Natural Areas: Butterfly Conservation The Xerces Society.
Pollinators and Plants in Peril: Can We Prevent a Crisis by S. Pollination Information Poster Beesfordevelopment. Value, decline, habitat and attracting NRCS. About Bees, habitat and coevolution Resonatingbodies. Smithonian Pollinator School Lesson Plans educate. Managing Roadsides for Bees and Butterflies by J.
Hopwood The Xerces Society. Flower traits that appeal to pollinators Pollinator. Making Room for Native Pollinators: Habitat Conservation The Xerces Society. Tofilski University of Krakow. Natural history and role in beekeeping Zookeys. Hall University of Wisconsin.
Mitchell's Bees of the Eastern U. Hinojosa-Diaz University of Kansas. Bee Observer Cards To assist in observation by J. Guidelines for creating and managing habitat The Xerces Society. Conserving Native Pollinators in Ontario: A land owners guide Government of Ontario.
Forest Service and the Pollinator Partnership. Raising Bumble Bees at Home: A Guide to Getting Started U. Bumble Bee Nest Box: Construction and Placement of. Plight of the Bumble Bee: From landfill to pollinator paradise by Candace Savage. A and the Pollinator Partnership. Forest Service and Pollinator Partnership. Heinrich University of California. The connection Bee Craft. The Bumble Bee Scarcity Syndrome: Are Heat Waves causing extinction?
The Mason-Bees by J. Henri Fabre 19th Century Europe. Meliponas in Yucatan University Autonomous of Yucatan. Ancient Maya Beekeeping University of Michigan. Making Native Bee Homes. Making Nests for Native Bees by M. Shepherd The Xerces Society. Hallett University of Toronto. Create Bee Habitat in your Backyard Lifecyclesproject. Norms Solitary Bee House Drawings. Farming with Native Bees. Guidelines for providing native bee habitat on farms The Xerces Society.
Delaware Department of Agriculture. Two-Queen Colony Management by C. Increase from to hives in 3 months by H. Mating Frequencies of Queens in Northeast U. The age of grafted larvae plays a major part in the quality of resulting queens. The younger the larvae the better the queens. Select the smallest larvae possible , p referably larvae just hatched from the e gg.
A larvae 0 to 24 hrs old is the same length as an egg. Grafting of eggs themselves is extreme ly difficult and not recommended. Introduc ing plastic queen cell cups into strong colonies about one day before grafting allows the bees to clean, polish and warm the cells. Place the frame containing the larva onto a support board at an angle of about 30 degrees, with a co ol light shining i nto the cells so that each larva can be seen.
Place the nib or needle of the grafting tool under the royal jelly under the middle of the larva Queens for Pennies by Randy Oliver scientificbeekeeping. How to raise a queen bee by the Hopkins method Khalil Hamdan.
The Natural Beekeeper: Learning Organic Beekeeping Successfully (Smart Beekeeping Series Book 1) - Kindle edition by David Thomas. Download it once and. I've visited beekeepers in many countries, and realize that there are as many top-bar, small cell, foundationless, “natural” or conventional beekeeping–the I decided to “hit the books” and use my scientific background to learn to fight back. the success we should aim for, will be acceded by all intelligent beekeepers.
A Queen Manual by Dana Stahlman. Scientific Queen Rearing by G. The Rearing of Queen Bees by E. How to Grow Queens for 15 cents by Walter T.
Practical Queen Rearing by Frank C. Queen Rearing by Q. Queen Rearing Simplified by Jay Smith Introduction to Queen Rearing by Dr. Jeremy Wagnitz University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Use of Cloake Board for Queen Banking. Queen Rearing Inroduction by Dewey M. Queen Rearing Class by Larry Conner. Bee Breeding by W. Principles of Bee Breeding by Robert Page. Queen Rearing and the use of Queens by Alan Wade. Starting a Bee Breeding Program rosecombapiaries. Bee Breeding by Haim Efrat Israel. Selection and Breeding of Honey Bees by Dr.
Queen Marking Cup by Stephen Tilmann. Queen Banking Cages beesource. Queen Banks by Larry Connor. Queen Birth and Mating Time Table. Bibba Queen Selection Stud Book bibba. Bibba Queen Stud Book bibba. Mike's Queen Breeding Timetable. Drone Mother Colonies - numbers and positioning Australian government. Bee Research Centre, Germany.
Protocol for the in vitro rearing of honey bee workers Apis mellifer L. The value of single-drone insemination in selective breeding of honey bees by John Harbo. Woodcock University of Guelph. Watermelon Pollination University of Florida. Apple Pollination by Dr. Pollination of Lowbush Blueberrry University of Guelph.
Pollen and Nectar Plants of Alberta.
The Value of Bees for Crop Pollination. Bees and Pollination in B. Introduction to Commercial Pollination. Chemical Manipulation of Pollinator Behavior: Pollen Dispensers for Crop Pollination Pollinator.
S Migratory Beekeeping Operations U. Guide to Integrated Crop Pollination U. The Future of Crop Pollination by W. Commercial Pollination Australia Australian Government. Commercial Beekeeping in Australia Australian Government. Profitability and Sustainability of Migratory Beekeeping by L. A Food Labeling Guide U. Hives for Hire by Penn State For the farmer. Migratory Management and environmental conditions effect lifespan of honey bees.
Movement of migratory beekeepers in the U. Observed Declines in Managed Honey Bees. Preparation and evaluation of 6 frame nucs wintered indoors by D. Beekeeping Economics by Stan Yoshinobu. Guidelines for Crop Pollination Services Pollinator. Value-adding to Honey by Dr. Value-added Products from Beekeeping F. Pollination and Cut-Out Contracts. Making a Pollination Contract by J. Skinner University of Tennessee. Sample Pollination Agreement by M. Sanford University of Florida. Agreement for Pollination Services.
Honeybee Crop Pollination Contract. Honey Bee Crop Pollination Contract. Sample Almond Pollination Agreement projectapism. Sample Beekeeper Grower Contract. Bee Cut-Out Contract and Checklist. Bee Yard Agreement Keeping bees on someone's property. CanPolin Canadian Beekeeping Pollination. On the subject of pesticides, Dr. A recently-filed lawsuit by beekeeper Jeff Anderson deserves our support, in order to close a huge loophole in pesticide regulation. There have been a couple of excellent and objective reviews of our state of knowledge on the effects of neonicotinoids on bees.
Both are open access. The lay reader may wish to simply read the summaries in the second link. A restatement of the natural science evidence base concerning neonicotinoid insecticides and insect pollinators.
A restatement of recent advances in the natural science evidence base concerning neonicotinoid insecticides and insect pollinators. Neonicotinoids and Honeybee Health. Julia tracked varroa, nosema, and virus levels in 96 colonies, equally divided between 16 fields of oilseed rape, half seed treated with clothianidin, half as untreated controls. She measured parasite levels before June and after flowering of the crop late July-early August.
This may be of interest to those re a general discussion of the issue of good science vs. Read it at A Review of Dr.
A number of ABJ readers have asked me to post the following graphic from one of my recent articles. You can view a full-sized version at Colony Demograph y. I occasionally comment on bee issues or the news, or link to interesting blogs by others on beekeeping, bee biology, or the environment. Although innovative, it is similar to a patent from http: By means of producing brilliant and compelling fundraising videos, they have raised enough money to bring their product to market.
I suspect that much of their funding has come from non beekeepers, who have always been fascinated by the promise of hive from which liquid honey could be directly taken without the need for actually handling bees. The question regarding the Flow Hive is whether it will turn out to be practical, especially with regard to cost and whether it will stand up to repeated use. I wish the developers the best of luck.
Only time will tell whether the device actually flies or flops. Let me state very clearly that I myself support organic and sustainable farming, use of Integrated Pest Management, and greatly reduced use of pesticides. That said, I feel that any pesticide regulations, and agricultural recommendations, should be based upon sound science. An exemplar of this philosophy is Dr. This includes greatly reducing our reliance upon pesticides. But such reduction needs to evolve as we learn or re learn alternate and more sustainable strategies for growing food.
This is best done by rational and sober scientific assessment of current and alternative practices. Daynard pointing this out. It also occurred to me that the niches occupied by beekeepers have changed substantially mine sure has; indeed several times. Habitat —where the bee species lives or could live. The bees in the U. Fundamental niche — the potential full range of environmental conditions and resources that the honey bee as a species could possibly occupy and use, without the limitations of predation, competition, or other factors.
Realized niche —the less-than-optimal niche that each subspecies of bee actually occupies; constrained by weather, resources, parasites, etc. In its home range, various subspecies of honey bee adapted to narrow realized niches occurring in the warm Mediterranean, the cold Alps, the British heathland, the Egyptian desert, the African savannah, etc. In each of those niches, the bees adapted to the seasonality of local nectar flows, the local plant toxins, temperature, predators, and parasite pressure. These bees are at the top of the winter cluster at the interface between empty cells and sealed honey.
This remarkable technique of using stored sugars from the previous summer as an energy source during winter allows the honey bee to overwinter as a populous colony, ready to exploit early spring pollen and nectar sources. Facilitation —Optimal conditions in the fundamental niche occur infrequently, if ever.
The job of the beekeeper is to optimize the conditions for his bees as best he can, such as by supplemental feeding, medicating for parasites, protecting from predators, providing a larger nest cavity, or providing water or winter insulation. I recently enjoyed a lunchtime conversation with a couple of professional beekeepers who moved their hives from almonds, to the tallow bloom in Texas, to the Dakotas for summer, and then to a mild area in California for wintering their problem is having too many bees each spring. What they are doing is facilitating the optimal fundamental niche for their bees for the entire year there are many other ways of doing so.
Practical application flip side: If a beekeeper is keeping colonies alive outside of their fundamental niche, such as in densely-packed apiaries, in areas of crop monoculture or high exposure to toxic chemicals, in flowerless forest or dry grassland, or by the chemical suppression of parasites, should that beekeeper falter in his constant facilitation, his bees may not be able to continue to survive without such help.
The realized niche of the honey bee is constrained by limiting factors, which may change from season to season. Common limiting factors for populations of honey bees are:. But at the edges of their tolerance limits, colonies will be stressed, and may not be able to deal with other limiting factors.
Competition for food —in some areas there is such an abundance of nectar during the main flow that there is little competition an important point when speaking with native pollinator advocates. The main competition for food resources occurs at other times of the year; assume that there is serious competition happening if robbing behavior is evident.
This is clearly evident in America and Australia, where some pollen sources are notably nutritionally inadequate for honey bees think corn, blueberry, watermelon, pumpkin, some eucalypts. And in some areas or under dearth conditions, bees will unwittingly collect naturally toxic pollen or nectar. And of course, some human-applied pesticides make the available food unsuitable.
Competition for nest sites —without hollow trees or other natural cavities, honey bees cannot survive the winter in temperate climates Fig. One of my colonies swarmed late this spring and built open-air combs in a nearby hawthorn tree. We noticed it when the leaves fell in early December, following a week of subfreezing temperatures and a foot of snow. The population had obviously grown large enough to build and completely cover all the combs, and could easily have survived the winter had it only found an appropriate cavity in which to build its nest.
Predation —Such as birds, bears, wasps, and ants. The main predator of bees, of course, are humans, who often rob too much honey from the hive, resulting in winter starvation. Parasitism —Again, natural populations of European honey bees appear to historically have been minimally affected by parasites under normal conditions. We will return to how this has changed. Transmission of parasites —This is very density dependent—the more colonies within flight range, and the more competition for resources, the greater the transmission of parasites.
The swapping of combs by beekeepers also changes this dynamic.