Swarming

SWARMING Problems from swarming Reduces the worker force Hive that swarms may not make any surplus honey Sometimes the swarm is not recovered Valuable queens can be lost There may be after-swarms which further reduces the worker force Factors that may lead to swarming (“Suggested”) Overcrowded hive Congestion of the brood area or lack of

Swarming Read More »

Swarm Control

If you think of your hive as having three parts, swarm control will involve separating one of these three parts from the other two. The three parts are:  1) Queen 2)  Brood and Nurse Bees 3)  Flying Force To separate the Queen:  Make a nucleus to separate the Queen from the parent colony which has

Swarm Control Read More »

Winter loss report WVBA

At the March and April WVBA meetings, I distributed paper copies and directed members to a web-based colony loss survey, a continuing effort to define overwintering success of backyard beekeepers in Oregon. This was the 9th year of such survey activity. I received 282 responses from OR backyarders, keeping anywhere from 1 to 48 colonies;

Winter loss report WVBA Read More »

Winter loss report WVBA

At the March and April WVBA meetings, I distributed paper copies and directed members to a web-based colony loss survey, a continuing effort to define overwintering success of backyard beekeepers in Oregon. This was the 9th year of such survey activity. I received 282 responses from OR backyarders, keeping anywhere from 1 to 48 colonies;

Winter loss report WVBA Read More »

Let the SWARMS begin

At the April meeting (April 24) we knew of only a single swarm. Rich covered swarming in his comments and his comments will be posted in the meeting minutes. we should begin to hear of local bee swarms  in May and June. Swarming means different things to different individuals. Some beekeepers see swarms as a

Let the SWARMS begin Read More »

Let the SWARMS begin

At the April meeting (April 24) we knew of only a single swarm. Rich covered swarming in his comments and his comments will be posted in the meeting minutes. we should begin to hear of local bee swarms  in May and June. Swarming means different things to different individuals. Some beekeepers see swarms as a

Let the SWARMS begin Read More »

Survivorship Survey – PNW Honey Bee Health & Beekeeping Practices

  Last year, 271 OR/WA backyarder beekeepers returned April surveys on overwintering colony losses/survivorship, and management such as colony feeding, sanitation and Varroa control efforts. There were 38 WVBA respondents included in the OR report, which are posted on the website: http://pnwhoneybeesurvey.com/survey-results/2015-16-survey-reports/ Colony loss levels last year from WVBA respondents were 31% for 8-frame and

Survivorship Survey – PNW Honey Bee Health & Beekeeping Practices Read More »

Survivorship Survey – PNW Honey Bee Health & Beekeeping Practices

  Last year, 271 OR/WA backyarder beekeepers returned April surveys on overwintering colony losses/survivorship, and management such as colony feeding, sanitation and Varroa control efforts. There were 38 WVBA respondents included in the OR report, which are posted on the website: http://pnwhoneybeesurvey.com/survey-results/2015-16-survey-reports/ Colony loss levels last year from WVBA respondents were 31% for 8-frame and

Survivorship Survey – PNW Honey Bee Health & Beekeeping Practices Read More »