🐝💗Our Backyard Beekeeping Journey!💗🐝

[drstratton]

Just finished the 5th OAV treatment. Takes less than 15 minutes, probably closer to 10 with both of us setting up to taking off my protective gear. 5 more treatments to go.

I think we will be doing our full hive inspections this weekend. Hoping the bees aren't too spicy, but not holding my breath...lol

I think a bee was on my pants and stung me when I squatted down, much too close to my backside...lol I don't think I got the full brunt of it. Next time I'm wearing my husband's jeans, they're thicker.

 

[drstratton]

These are the highest counts I've seen. I hope that just means it's working.

As the weather cools I'm going to leave the boards in longer.

It was 68 at the Apiary this morning.

36 hours after treatment
Varroa Mite Count
Nuc Hive #1: 9
Nuc Hive #2: 12
Package Hive: 3
Swarm Hive: 0

 

[Baymule]

Are wild swarms more resistant to mites than tame bees? Can bees become resistant to mites?

 

[Mini Horses]

I don't know that answer but, suspect something about the bee is different. It might be pheromones, or something about their production capability that makes a taste or odor, undetectable by humans, offensive to mites.

Most swarms are from over sized hives. If that was a domesticated hive or not, often you don't know. The hive I had swarmed 2x one year. I called my local beekeeper ended up asking him to take the hive!! He brought me honey each collection. Perfect!!

@drstratton there's a research for you

 

[drstratton]

Are wild swarms more resistant to mites than tame bees? Can bees become resistant to mites?

I don't know that answer but, suspect something about the bee is different. It might be pheromones, or something about their production capability that makes a taste or odor, undetectable by humans, offensive to mites.

Most swarms are from over sized hives. If that was a domesticated hive or not, often you don't know. The hive I had swarmed 2x one year. I called my local beekeeper ended up asking him to take the hive!! He brought me honey each collection. Perfect!!

@drstratton there's a research for you

From what I've read, the bees don't become resistant to the mites, they become more hygienic. They can actually sense when something is wrong with the larvae in the capped cells. They will uncap the cell and remove the larvae from the hive. It's pretty amazing that they can sense this without seeing it. I don't know if they can hear that the larvae is in distress or if it is giving off some kind of distress pheromone. I will see if there is any information on what triggers the hygienic behavior. I've also read that bees will completely abandon a hive if they have become overrun by disease or pests. Some bees are resistant to the diseases that the mites carry. Russian bees are very hardy and resistant to some of the viruses. From what I've read they are also a little spicier, not as calm and don't produce as much honey. I like calm bees...lol My hives are acting spicier than I like at the moment and they are considered to be very calm and gentle, most of the time, so I don't think I'd want to deal with that all season long...lol

I'm hoping we can keep our bees from swarming, but I'm not going to hold my breath. Bees do what they want and if you can't keep ahead of their instincts, then they will buzz off...lol I want to set up some swarm traps on our property, so if they do decide to swarm we might be able to catch them again.

Free honey sounds like a good deal! Right now, I'm really enjoying learning about and experiencing the whole process. That could change down the road. Especially if I keep getting stung...lol

 

[drstratton]

That didn't take long. Bees sense the distress and illness through their high olfactory capabilities. Not hearing it, but they smell it. Here is more information on it.

Hygienic behavior in honeybees is primarily triggered by chemical cues, or semiochemicals, released from diseased or dead brood. The most prominent triggers are the volatile β-ocimene and the necromone oleic acid, which signal a death cue. Additionally, cuticular hydrocarbons like (Z)-10-tritriacontene and (Z)-6-pentadecene, as well as specific compounds from Varroa-parasitized brood, also stimulate the uncapping and removal of infested or unhealthy brood by worker bees.

Chemical Triggers

• β-ocimene and Oleic Acid:
• When brood is freeze-killed, it releases β-ocimene and oleic acid. β-ocimene acts as a volatile flag, attracting attention, while oleic acid serves as a potent death cue, triggering the hygienic removal of the unhealthy brood.

• Cuticular Hydrocarbons:
  Specific cuticular compounds, such as (Z)-10-tritriacontene and (Z)-6-pentadecene, are associated with stressed or diseased brood and can trigger hygienic behavior.
• Varroa-Parasitized Brood Odors:
  Brood cells infested with the parasitic Varroa mite release a distinct blend of volatile and non-volatile compounds that signal to bees to perform hygienic tasks like uncapping and cleaning the cells.

The Hygienic Behavior Process

1. Detection: Hygienic worker bees use their enhanced olfactory sensitivity to detect the chemical signals emanating from unhealthy or infested brood.
2. Uncapping: The worker bee then uncaps the affected brood cell to investigate further.
3. Removal: If the brood is found to be diseased or parasitized, the worker bee removes it from the comb to prevent the spread of infection or infestation within the colony.

Significance of Hygienic Behavior

• Social Immunity:

https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=2485b17250e0dec8&cs=0&sxsrf=AE3TifOO9vSHrcEPbfkQOaMHp6pXpmHT3w:1757082093596&q=Social+Immunity&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwifj4bw6MGPAxWwATQIHY56CcsQxccNegQINRAD&mstk=AUtExfDYIVKQjY4Px1reu8-nu6IV2d-yD5inVYI92u13CJ6LDKGqnppdICLTjmv0gM096M3IsC4C2RtC_41t7ggS_PseJJBpHBhjDU9I1NlGYnbZeJ-Cbgje513p5p35WTEvA26Zs-PtvuO41-89ZHz1gtlhC3jTPAaKWBkddzv052nk68E&csui=3

• 
  
• Hygienic behavior is a crucial form of social immunity that protects the colony from devastating brood diseases like American foulbrood and chalkbrood.
• Varroa Control:
  It also helps control the population of the parasitic Varroa mite by detecting and removing infested pupae.
• Colony Health:
• By removing a few unhealthy individuals, the overall health and survival probability of the entire colony are improved.

 

[drstratton]

We were playing golf with a big group of people last night. There were two groups, in the other group a lady I just met had a bee fly into her mouth and sting her on the lip, ouch. She jokingly told me later that one of my bees stung her...lol If my wit had been quicker, I would have asked her for compensation...

 

[drstratton]

Just finished our 6th OAV treatment.

No stings tonight. That's a win...lol

I'm still thinking we'll inspect sometime this weekend. I need to make a list of what I really want to see. It helps me to not miss something. But, if they're really spicy, that list may go out the window or up in smoke...

 

[fuzzi]

This morning I went to the farmers' market, stopped and spoke with the beekeeper, let him know about the 2024 "lavender" batch crystalizing. He said a couple batches from last year have done that. I also mentioned to his wife that I saw where someone had placed hives, about a mile from my house. She told me that those were their hives, they'd gotten permission from the property owner to place the hives there, but then a neighbor complained, so they had to move the hives. The neighbor's complaint was the bees were in her pool. Um, duh, wasps do that too, I see them in my pond, they're thirsty.


Some people...

 

[drstratton]

This morning I went to the farmers' market, stopped and spoke with the beekeeper, let him know about the 2024 "lavender" batch crystalizing. He said a couple batches from last year have done that. I also mentioned to his wife that I saw where someone had placed hives, about a mile from my house. She told me that those were their hives, they'd gotten permission from the property owner to place the hives there, but then a neighbor complained, so they had to move the hives. The neighbor's complaint was the bees were in her pool. Um, duh, wasps do that too, I see them in my pond, they're thirsty.


Some people...

Yeah, some people just like to complain. I bet she still has bees in her pool.