![]() If you use commercial bees that produce a lot of brood but have low disease resistance, and if you do not treat these bees against the Varroa mites, by the end of the summer the mite infestation reaches the level where the viruses start taking a toll on the colony. But sometimes a strong prosperous colony dwindles at the end of the season, which is not a good sign. The population of a colony will decrease in the fall, which is normal. However, artificial swarms made in the second half of May through early June take advantage of strong honeyflows in late May and in June and gain good strength before the dearth. ![]() So late-June artificial swarms would not thrive most of the years. For example, here in the Ozarks of southern Missouri, July and August are usually hot and dry, with little nectar available. Avoid making artificial swarms / splits too late in the season or before anticipated dearth - the colony needs to have sufficient time and resources to build up strength by the end of the season. We make artificial swarms with at least half of our hives every year - highly recommended. The temporary absence of brood following natural or artificial swarming knocks down the population of Varroa and other problem organisms.Ĭolonies that went through artificial swarming and experienced a brood cycle break earlier in the season are more likely to winter successfully compared to very large colonies that had plenty of brood at all times and never swarmed. Varroa mites and other bad guys propagate on honeybee larvae. 185 and 258, and the Afterword to Keeping Bees with a Smile, 2020 edition. And, if done at the right moment, artificial swarming will contribute to a good honey harvest - see details in Keeping Bees in Horizontal Hives, pp. Making artificial swarms will increase the number of your colonies and will make them healthier. This is because many parasites (e.g., Varroa mites) and disease (e.g., European foulbrood) breed on honey bee brood (larvae and pupae) - so the temporary absence of brood messes up the parasites’ reproduction.Ĭolonies living in spacious horizontal hives will have more room to produce brood than in nature, and may not swarm every year. In nature, swarming interrupts brood rearing and cleanses colonies of parasites and disease. Buying bees from a local breeder who’s been keeping bees treatment-free and sugar-free for many years and breeding from that stock is another good option, if you can find such a beekeeper nearby. Using swarm traps to catch local wild swarms (away from any known beekeeper using commercial bees) is the best way to obtain the best local genetics, and goes a long way in having robust colonies that will winter successfully with minimal help. To make more honey when nectar is available, and to not squander the resources during dearth, the colony should raise brood at the right time of the year as dictated by the timing of the local blooming of plants - all these conditions are unique to every location (called “bioregion” or “biological region”), and local bees will always be a better match than bees brought in from elsewhere. Bees need to be resistant to pests and disease and be frugal with winter reserves. It only makes sense that bees bred in the north for many generations would be a better match for wintering in Wisconsin than package bees of subtropical Italian race bred in Florida - but, again, it is not just about winter hardiness. ![]() This is the reason local bees are the most crucial element of natural beekeeping, as stressed by Fedor Lazutin in Keeping Bees with a Smile and by Georges de Layens in Keeping Bees in Horizontal Hives. Besides, bees’ generations turn over much faster than humans’, so adaptations may only take years to arise, instead of centuries or millennia. Rearing brood (when and how much), resisting parasites and disease, foraging, swarming - all these things differ in different places. Likewise, local adaptations permeate bees’ biology and behavior: some strains have longer tongue to work local flowers, some have higher body fat content to stay warm during long winters, and some are particularly ferocious to ward off dangerous predators. With humans, different ethnic groups have traits that aid survival in different environments: the Inuit in Greenland have genes that help them digest large amounts of animal fat North Europeans have genes for digesting lactose in cow’s milk people living where malaria is endemic have genes for resisting this disease, etc. And just like us, they can survive the cold by seeking shelter and adapting to local conditions. ![]() Just like us humans, honey bees are children of the tropical climate. The most important part of winter preparation is not about hive design and insulation - it is about having the right stock of bees. ![]()
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