There are many different techniques used in managing honey bee colonies. If you have a system that works for you, then keep using it. If you have a system that you would like to improve on, then read, talk to other beekeepers and study various other methods. The methods and suggestions outlined in these monthly articles are merely additional inputs that you may want to consider.
During the month of January, about the only thing that can be done in the bee yard is to check and make sure that the entrance reducer is still in place on each colony and that each entrance is open and not clogged with dead bees.
With nothing happening in the bee yard, this is an ideal time to order supplies, make repairs, assemble new equipment and get everything ready for the season ahead.
On a warm sunny day with calm winds, walk around the bee yard and observe the activity at the entrance of each hive. Examine more closely those hives with no activity. Close the entrance of any hive that has died out and check for brood diseases before moving that equipment to another hive for clean up. If the bees are flying and carrying pollen, then that colony is alive and most likely raising brood.
In my Bee Ready article in the November 2002 ACB Newsletter; I quoted a few words spoken by Tom Glenn of Glenn Apiaries during the EAS Meeting at Cornell University in August 2002. His words quoted from the October 2002 issue of Bee Culture were as follows: "The time has come, according to Mr. Glenn, for beekeepers to 'get off the pesticide treadmill.' ….. the future lies in the committed, amateur beekeeper, who will no longer tolerate chemical treatment, and who must lead the way in the brave new world of 'stewardship' of honey bees through genetic selection for tolerance to pests and diseases." This article continued and a part of the next paragraph is as follows: "Beekeepers can facilitate selection in a number of ways, according to Mr. Glenn, who quoted the well-known saying, 'A small group of committed citizens can change the world.' They can help accomplish this by influencing the genetics of a bee population one hive at a time, as every colony is a possible participant. In addition, he urged those present to take up queen rearing themselves, for he said there is no better time than now to engage in an activity that is considered one of the most intricate and interesting the beekeeping craft has to offer."
In less than two months, a new year, 2010, will be rolling in and Tom Glenn is still doing his part at Glenn Apiaries in Fallbrook, California by continuing his selective breeding program. According to Glenn Apiaries web site, selection is the key to improvement in any breeding program. Selection means defining and measuring the most desirable traits, then sorting out the very best to breed from. Their selection priorities include: Resistance to Varroa mites, American Foulbrood, and Chalkbrood and is controlled in part by the “hygienic behavior” of the bees. Other traits that they select for includes tracheal mite resistance, solid brood patterns, gentle temperament and high honey production. All of their queens are instrumentally inseminated and they do not sell naturally mated queens. The Glenn Apiaries web site is as follows: www.glenn-apiaries.com/catalog
Four of those queens are listed below and described in words partially gleaned from Tom Glenn's web site.
Minnesota Hygienic Italian Queens – These queens offer good resistance to American foulbrood, chalkbrood and some resistance to Varroa. They are gentle and excellent honey
producers. Developed by Dr. Marla Spivak at the University of Minnesota.
Suppressed Mite Reproduction (SMR) Queens – USDA ARS scientists Dr.John Harbo and Dr.Jeffrey Harris have defined and tested this trait that suppresses the reproduction of the parasitic mite Varroa destructor. Recent studies by Dr. Spivak and Dr. Harbo have shown that the SMR trait might be best described as a “Varroa sensitive hygienic behavior”. VSH/SMR bees remove mites that have started to reproduce. The reproduction of mites triggers their removal by the bees. The only mites left in the cells are non reproductive or sterile.
Cordovan Italian Breeder Queens – The cordovan gene changes black body parts (head, thorax, bands) to reddish brown. It is a color variation rather than a race of bee. The abdomen is golden yellow to the tip. Their bright color makes them the easiest queen to find. According the Glenn’s Queen Comparison Chart, the cordovan has the lowest honey production, the lowest Varroa resistance and the lowest tracheal mite resistance but the highest marks for gentleness of the five different queens that are compared. Glenn Apiaries has crossed the cordovan bees with VSH bees to enhance their Varroa mite resistance.
Carniolan Breeder Queens – These bees are known for their winter hardiness and rapid spring build up. They are excellent honey producers and comb builders. They have proven to be exceptionally resistant to tracheal mites. This is Glenn’s darkest colored line of bees. Glenn Apiaries has also crossed the Carniolan bees with VSH bees for enhanced resistance to Varroa mites.
Russian Varroa Resistant Queens – USDA scientists have imported a strain of honeybees from Russia, which are naturally resistant to Varroa mites. The imported queens were selected from bees, which had been exposed to mite infestation for more than 150 years. Dr. Thomas Rinderer is Research Leader of this team. Glenn Apiaries will not be selling Russian Breeder Queens in 2010. kgp
Updated:
11-17-09