For Maximum Results and
Yield!
Your overwintered 4-frame nucleus is a live unit of honeybees from
the Russian stock, with a laying queen introduced during the summer of last
year. The queen is the daughter of a
Pure Russian Select Breeder Queen who underwent a number of tests designed to
select for traits desirable to genetically control both mites: Varroa and Tracheal. These test also deals with resistance to
brood diseases, such as AFB and EFB.
It has not been treated with a Check-Mite or an Apistan strip last fall or this
spring. It may have been treated with
formic acid last fall, using the Mite-Wipe application three times, to control
varroa. It was treated with
oxytetracycline last fall and this spring against AFB and EFB.
This nucleus is capable of producing a good crop of
honey this summer. Your nucleus needs
care and attention from you the beekeeper and to maximize its potential for
production you should follow these guidelines outlined below.
1.
Clean Equipment
1.1.
Use new
equipment if you can or disinfect with a propane torch by scorching brood
chamber, inner cover and floorboard.
1.2.
Use
frames of foundations or new empty combs to fill the supers.
1.3.
Do not
use combs of honey from a dead colony, it may contain disease spores in the
honey.
1.4.
Discard
or cull old dark combs, the ones you cannot see through when holding up to the
sun.
2.
Location
2.1.
Locate
your nucleus in a permanent location that will enhance its productivity.
2.2.
Choose a
sunny area, sheltered from dominant winds.
2.3.
Keep
away from wet locations where melted snow tends to accumulate in the spring, or
where heavy rainfall might also make the immediate environment soggy and
humid. Bees like a dry location.
2.4.
Elevate
your colony from the ground by putting it on a hive stand or a pallet, about
6-9 inches from the ground.
3.
Least Disruption Possible
3.1.
When
transferring the frames of brood and bees into your full-size equipment, take
care not to injure the queen. Do it
delicately, trying not to crush any bees if possible.
3.2.
First,
remove all empty frames from the brood chamber, or remove the 4 center frames.
3.3.
Second,
you can begin transferring the nucleus by removing the frame of foundation
first. Put in the brood chamber or put
aside for later use.
3.4.
Third,
gently pry apart the other frames and remove them one by one and transfer them
into the brood chamber.
3.5.
Keep
them together in the center of the box, making sure they are positioned the
same way they were in the nucbox, in relation to one another.
3.6.
Replace
or add empty frames on either side to fill the box.
3.7.
Reduce
entrance. Install the inner cover and
outer cover.
4.
Feed Immediately
4.1.
Your
objective is to stimulate and give some food stores to your nuclei.
4.2.
You want
to prevent starvation and dwindling.
4.3.
Even if
a strong flow of nectar is on you should feed your nucleus to help it develop
and grow fast.
4.4.
You can
feed it continuously using a top feeder or an entrance feeder.
4.5.
Use 2:1
sugar syrup (2 parts sugar - 1 part water) by weight or volume, it makes no
difference.
4.6.
Do not
feed dark honey, brown sugar or molasses.
4.7.
If you
elect to supply the nuclei with combs of honey, make sure it is white honey and
free of disease or contaminants, such as pesticides or antibiotics.
4.8.
Do not
underestimate the potential of your nuclei.
The goal is to ensure the nuclei builds up without interruption because
of inclement weather in the spring. It
takes a lot of feed to raise lots of bees.
4.9.
Stop
feeding whenever the nuclei has gained some weight, and the brood chamber is
full of bees.
4.10.
Do not
overfeed, because the queens need enough room to lay eggs.
4.11.
Heavier
is not the better in the spring.
5.
Miticide Strips and Medication
5.1.
Your
nucleus was NOT given a mite strip; either Apistan or Check Mite
to help controlling Varroa Mites on the day the nucleus was made.
5.2.
It may
have been treated with formic acid, using the Mite-Wipe method, whenever
necessary.
5.3.
It was
treated with Oxytetracycline last fall and this spring, for the prevention of
AFB American Foulbrood and EFB European Foulbrood.
5.4.
In our
opinion, you need not treat again for either of these diseases or parasites
before next fall.
5.5.
The only
medication that we recommend to give the nuclei now is Fumagilin to prevent
nosema.
5.6.
The
direction of the label calls for 1 treatment only.
5.7.
1-2 litres
of 2:1 sugar syrup, containing about 2.5 grams of the product.
5.8.
Equivalent
to 5 ml or 1 teaspoon per nuclei.
5.9.
If you
install a Check-Mite strip in your nuclei, be aware that this product is very
strong and can kill the nuclei instead of helping it. This product is not intended for small colony of bees.
5.10.
Do not
use the formic acid pad Mite-Away II on a small nuclei, it is not intended for
colonies smaller than 5 frames. The
harmful vapour will also kill the nuclei.
6.
Summer Management
6.1.
When the population has reached about 9-10 frames,
add another brood chamber or a queen excluder and a honey super.
6.2.
Make
sure to add supers as they are needed to make sure the queen has enough room
for her to lay abundantly. The queen
must not become honey bound, or her population of bees will dwindle in the fall
and they won’t winter successfully. The
queen’s brood nest must not be restrained from May until August. The queen must be allowed to maintain a
large population of bees until the end of summer. Otherwise, the bees will be too old to spend the winter, leaving
the colony with too small a cluster.
The colony needs lots of young bees being produced in September.
6.3.
SUGGESTION:
When the colony has grown in population to cover about 9 to10 frames,
add a queen excluder immediately and one empty super for honey. The bees will move newly collected nectar
above excluder and the queen will have enough room to lay eggs. Do not underestimate your bees! Add supers as needed; to make sure they have
enough room. It is possible to get 175
lbs in a good summer from a single nucleus!
7.
Varroa Survey
7.1.
You
should monitor the population of Varroa mites in your colony.
7.2.
You
should survey your colonies twice during the season.
7.3.
End of
June, beginning of July AND end of August, beginning of September.
7.4.
Survey a
minimum of about 25% of your colonies.
7.5.
Install
a Sticky Board on the baseboard for a period of 48 to 72 hours approximately,
to collect dead mites falling by natural death.
7.6.
A sticky
board is a piece of white poster board about 8 ½” x 11” covered with a sticky
substance such as Tanglefoot, sold at Lee Valley Tools & Garden to catch
fruit flies in orchards.
7.7.
Record
the times and dates you put it on and remove it, so you can calculate the
24-hour average of natural mite fall by natural death.
7.8.
You must
cover the cardboard with 8x8 mesh to prevent the bees from cleaning it.
7.9.
Retrieve
it the sticky boards and bring them home to examine.
7.10.
Count
the number of varroa mites on each sticky board and record.
7.11.
Calculate
the 24-Hour Mite Drop.
7.12.
24-Hour
Mite Fall=# of mites x 24 hour / # hours of survey.
7.13.
If
24-Hour Mite Fall # approaches or exceeds 10 mites, you must consider
treatment, otherwise you risk damage or losing the colony during the winter.
7.14.
If
24-Hour Mite Fall # approaches or exceeds 20, you must treat immediately,
otherwise you risk losing the colony during the winter.
7.15.
The
decision is yours to make. These
guidelines are for your own information and are there only as a help. We do not make any guarantees in offering
advices and accept no responsibilities if you suffer damage to your bees
because you followed our advices.
8.
Fall
Treatments
8.1.
Follow
the recommended treatments as described in the Ontario
Recommendations for Honey Bee Disease Control located on the OMAF
website (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food).
9.
Feed Early
9.1.
Remove
honey supers early in September and feed immediately before the daytime
temperature falls below 15 Celsius
9.2.
Do not
leave surplus honey for the bees.
Honeybees overwinter well on white sugar honey. Fall honey granulates hard and fast, and the
bees cannot feed themselves properly.
9.3.
Feed
your colony early in the fall, in the month of September, early October. This is to insure your bees has enough warm weather
to help them evaporate all the excess water from the feed and keep them nice
and dry for the coming winter.
9.4.
Feed
them using 2:1 sugar syrup (2 parts sugar: 1 part water).
9.5.
Give
them enough feed: about 60 lbs .
9.6.
Remember
they have to last until the next dandelion flow in May of next year, and raise
brood in early spring also.
9.7.
Sometimes
the weather in April or early May is unreliable.
9.8.
That way you
rarely have to feed them in the spring.
10. Overwinter Properly
10.1.
Make use of
wintering boxes with wood shavings or else use some of those valuable winter packing
available at most bee supply house.
11.
Next
Spring Treatment
11.1.
Monitor your
colonies again, using the sticky board method.
11.2.
If you have
done a good job last fall, you may not need to treat again before next fall.
11.3.
If you need
to treat, consult the Ontario Recommendations for Honey Bee Disease Control.
12. Support
and Attend Beekeepers' Association
12.1.
At the local level, provincial level OBA and
national level CHC.
12.2.
You can
learn a lot from attending and participating in beekeepers’ meetings.
12.3.
The last
research and techniques are discussed on a regular basis.
12.4.
They
have hands-on sessions or how-to demonstrations.
12.5.
You can
ask questions to experienced beekeepers.
12.6.
Experts
in the fields show presentations of research results
12.7.
You can
visit apiaries and honey house facilities.
12.8.
They
organize courses for beginners and other topics.
Back To Pilgrim Honey House Page
This page updated on January 28,05