Enhancing hive health

 

Ensure bees go back to the same hive – reduce pathogen movement between hives

Drifting is when bees fail to return to the correct colony and instead join an adjacent hive.
Reduce drifting by using painted hives, coloured entrances and using local landmarks for bees, such as trees and bushes.  Ensure hives are placed well enough apart and if possible have slightly different directions for the entrances.

 

Shook Swam Technique

This can be used to clean a hive from a number of brood issues

1

Prepare a new sterilised brood box with undrawn foundation (Hive A)

2

Place this hive A next to the original colony (Hive B)

3

Remove each of the frames of the hive B and shake the bees into the new box (Hive A).    It is essential to include the queen

B

 

A

 

4

Remove the original hive B

5

Place the new hive A onto the original hive stand

6

Treat the bees in hive A with icing sugar or pyrethroids

7

Feed the bees in hive A with 2 parts sugar and 1 part 1 to help the bees draw out the combs

8

Kill all remaining bees in hive B

9

Remove and burn all the frames from hive B

10

Sterilise the brood boxes from hive B.

11

Freeze for at least 7 days

Note

If the queen is damaged, killed or failed to be transferred the colony will be lost as the new colony as no brood present.

 

Varroa and other mite control

Drone Trapping

The principle is that the drone larvae take long to pupate.  The Varroa mite is attracted to drone preferentially.

Technique

1

Add 1 or 2 frames with drone foundation to the edge of the brood box

2

Mark to top of these drone frames

3

Record the date

4

Observe the combs and note the date when the frames have capped cells

5

Remove the frames before the capped cells are opened – about 9 days later

6

Remove the cappings and flush out the pupae and incinerate.  This will destroy the pupae and Varroa mites

7

Dry the combs.  Freeze for 7 days and repeat

Note

This should only be used 2 or 3 times in a season as it can deplete the hives resources

 

Queen Trapping

This seals Varroa mites in capped cells when they are then removed from the brood

This should only be used in the spring or early summer

Technique

1

Confine the queen in a comb cage

2

The queen is placed on one comb (A) for 9 days

3

She is then moved to comb 2 (B) for 9 days

4

Then she is moved to comb 3 (C) for 9 days

5

Observe the 3 combs and leave the sealed cells for 9 day and then remove the cells and destroy the comb. Do not allow the pupae to hatch and release the entrapped mites.

Time line:

Artificial Swarm Technique

The aim is to separate the flying bees from the majority of the mites.

The mites on the adults are more susceptible to removal – Apistan or Icing Sugar for example.  The technique cleans colony A by an extended brood-less period.   But the technique needs advanced bee keeping skills and the ability to manipulate two colonies.

 

Time lapse

Colony A

Colony B

 

Watch for development of queen cells

Prepare new colony.

Place a queen excluder above and below brood box – this will prevent the queen from absconding

 

When queen cells observed – capture original queen (A) and place her in a cage

 

Day 1

Move colony 10 metres from original site

Place Colony B at the original site of colony A

Remove queen from colony A

Place colony A queen in colony B. 

The flying bees from colony A will enter colony B.

Feed with a weakly sugar syrup for one day to help production of brood.  Take care to avoid robbing.

Day 2

 

Introduce icing sugar to remove any surface Varroa mites.

Treat with Apistan or Bayvoral and oxalic acid.

Week 1

Remove all but one queen cell.

Once the queen cell is sealed – place a cell protector cage over queen cell – to capture the queen upon emergence.

Do not allow the queen to leave the hive and mate

 

Week 3

Transfer 2 frames with combs of unsealed brood from Colony B to Colony A. Clearly mark

These will act as bait for any Varroa mites

 

Week 4

When the 2 marked frame’s combs are sealed – remove and destroy by incineration.

Do not allow cells to become unsealed.

 

Introduce icing sugar to remove any surface Varroa mites.

Treat with Apistan or Bayvoral and oxalic acid.

 

Week 6

Check for Varroa mites

Check for Varroa mites

Options

Remove virgin queen A and replace with a clean, mated and tested laying queen- thus producing two clean colonies

Remove virgin queen from colony A.   Combine cleaned colony A with colony B and original queen.

Remove the virgin queen from colony A, re-queen colony A and then established, unit with de-queen colony B and reunite with colony A

 

Artificial swam technique over 30 days

 

Start

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Super

 

+9 days

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

+21 days

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Completion

Re-unite or re-queen colonies

 

 

 

 

 

Swarms

Do not capture and use swarms of unknown health.  They can prove to be a serious risk to your own apiary.   From a neighboughly view, capture the swarm, and then humanely destroy the bees.