Morbidity and Mortality in the Bee Yard.... and what to do about it? PART I Dennis vanEngelsdorp Speaking at the Maine State Beekeepers Association Annual Meeting Saturday, October 15, 2011 Lewiston, Main … [Read more...]
Swarm Catching: A Fun [Club] Opportunity?
May 27, 2011 By
![Swarm Catching: A Fun [Club] Opportunity?](http://mainebeekeepers.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/geoff-maclean-swarm-catching-5-125x150.jpg "Swarm Catching: A Fun [Club] Opportunity?")
We're now just a month away from the kickoff of our honey bee swarm season in Maine. With a little preparation, and the right attitude, we can have fun rescuing some of Mother Nature's most healthy, robust colonies. Without our help, they are probably in for a short lifespan as a feral colony in a small tree, your neighbor's attic, or even worse, stuck out in the open come late … [Read more...]
Nuc Transportation & Installation
April 30, 2011 By
Prior to nuc pickup, the empty hive (i.e. bottom board, hive body, five or six frames of foundation and/or comb, entrance reducer, inner cover, outer cover, empty hive body, sugar syrup, feeder) should be assembled and prepared for installation. The hive should be located at the apiary site in accordance with the MSBA’s “Best Management Practices for Beekeeping” found at … [Read more...]
How to Mark a Queen Bee
April 26, 2011 By
Erin MacGregor-Forbes of Overland Apiaries Demonstrates Marking a Queen Bee at a Nuc Making Workshop of the Cumberland County Beekeepers Association. It is common practice to mark the queen with a small spot of paint on her back (thorax). A color code exists within the beekeeping industry to indicate the year the queen was introduced. International Queen Marking Color … [Read more...]
Spring Management
March 28, 2011 By
Wintered honey bee colonies should be checked by early or mid-March for the amount and position of honey stores. Remove the outer cover and note the position of the cluster. In moderate temperatures, strong hives will often have bees present on the inner cover, chewing and/or drinking the water from the insulation material that was placed above the inner cover the previous fall. In cold … [Read more...]
Open Feeding Pollen Substitute for Honey Bees
March 22, 2011 By
Erin MacGregor-Forbes of Overland Apiaries describes open feeding of honeybees after the flow has shut off for the season. Especially useful in urban areas where you don't want your bees bothering the neighbors. Includes recipe for Open Feeding Pollen Substitute for Honey Bees. … [Read more...]
MSBA Fall 2010 Annual Meeting – Business Session
March 21, 2011 By
MSBA Fall 2010 Annual Meeting - Business Session Held at Hannaford Hall in the Abromson Center of the University of Southern Maine in Portland. … [Read more...]
MSBA Fall 2010 Annual Meeting – Welcome from the President
March 20, 2011 By
MSBA Fall 2010 Annual Meeting - Welcome from the President Held at Hannaford Hall in the Abromson Center of the University of Southern Maine in Portland. … [Read more...]
Queen Introduction
March 1, 2011 By
Reasons to Requeen: Failing queen – poor brood pattern (skips), drone layer, queenless colony,Poor performance/behavior- low production, susceptible to disease and mites, excessive swarming, aggressive behavior, nervous festooning behavior. Stock Improvement- hygienic and mite resistant strains, Making Increase- nucs, splits Ordering Queens: Source- Order from reputable … [Read more...]
When Disaster Strikes
In late winter, beekeepers often find themselves thinking about their bees. Apprehension is most common when the previous fall had dismal honey production and when houses creak and snap on bone-chilling nights during January and February. Unfortunately, there isn’t much northern beekeepers can do during the dead of winter. At best, newspaper can be added on top of fiberboards of live hives that … [Read more...]