emba march 9 2016 innovative beekeeping

Innovative BeekeepingEMBA 3/9/16

Grant F. C. Gillard

Reminder of contact info:

gillard5 @ charter.net

www . grantgillard . weebly.com

www . slideshare . net (search “Grant Gillard”)

A Time to Make 2016 Plans!

Every year I say,

“This is going to be my year to….”

Organize My Workshop!

Paint Those Supers!

Rehab Those Old Frames!

Level Up My Hivestands!

Move out of the flood plain

HAS Carbondale, IL 2014

“The OTS Queen Rearing System”A Survival Guide For

Beekeepers Worldwide

Self-Sufficient Beekeeping Strategies

$49.99www.mdasplitter.com

(Mel Disselkoen)

http://www.mdasplitter.com/

Innovative Beekeeping

Describes a practice where I can make my own nucs

(without buying mated queens) potentially quadrupling the

number of my colonies…


Illustrates a simple plan of procrastination-proof

queen rearing, taking the stress out of my present situation.

**NICOT KIT


Teaches an uncomplicated, one-step procedure to totally

eliminate swarming…

**swarming etiquette and neighbors


Describes an effortless system streamlining my management,

simplifying my decisions…

--what to do--when to do it--how to do it


Lays out a foundation for transitioning into

treatment-free beekeeping…

(or enhancing treatment options)

**utilizing a “brood break”

Innovative BeekeepingOffers flexibility catering to beginners

and seasoned veterans…Offers potential to the backyard

beekeeper and the recreational beekeeper, as well as the sideliner and the small scale producer.

Creates options for honey production, nuc sales, or expansion…or a combination of all

Innovative Beekeeping:Streamlines the work flowSimplifies my management and record

keepingGuarantees swarm prevention Hassle-free queen rearing and

requeening, without graftingTreatment-free varroa managementAdapts to any size operation

This has made me a…

HAPPY

Innovative Beekeeping Mel Disselkoen’s OTS “On the Spot” queen rearing

system (really a system of making splits)

Coweta Beekeepers Association (Georgia)www.cowetabeekeepers.org

“…a new era of sustainable beekeeping.”

“…enabling a beekeeper to increase honey production and profits while reducing swarming

and expenses.”

http://www.cowetabeekeepers.org/

Making Mel’s System Work

Starts with overwintered colonies Need 8 frames of brood to initiate Start Date, about one week before

swarm season “normally” starts:Mel = May 1st

Grant = April 15th

Caveat: Must be able to prevent swarming

Walt Wright = “Checkerboarding”

First Move = April 15th

Perform a “reverse” split

Remove queen and two frames of brood to a nuc box (got to recognize and find queen)

**did you mark last year’s queens?

This leaves you with --a queen-right nuc and --a queenless remnant

colony.

First Move = April 15th

“Notch” frames of open brood in the queenless remnant colony

Leave them to make their own queen cells

The strength of the remnant produces great queens. This is Mel’s “On-The-Spot” system

April 15th

Notching Frames

Mark the frames with notches

Why Notch?

Queen cells have to hang vertically.Notching, or scraping, creates a

vacancy below the larvaeNotching specific frames helps the

beekeeper to manage the next step of allocating frames into nuc boxes.

Come Back One Week Later

Seven days later = CAPPED QUEEN CELLS !!!!

Choose destiny of this colony--Plan A to divide into three nucs, two frames of brood each--Plan B to keep intact to make honey

Intent is to squish all but two queen cells--Two cells in each nuc--Two cells in the remnant hive

**how many of us simply detest squishing perfectly good queen cells?

Where are we at? April 22nd

The bees know better

Summary of where we’re at:

April 15th – Make a reverse split, queen to nuc box with two frames of brood

April 22nd – Choose to make honey, or split into nucs, squish excess queen cells

May 15th – Check to insure queen was mated, then let nature take it’s course--remnant colony for honey production--nucs for expansion, or sell nucs or queens

(locally-adapted bees)

Suggestion: Mark the queen

Where are we at? May 15th

What might go wrong?

What if the remnant colony (set up for honey production) comes up queenless?

Re-combine the old queen back into the queenless remnant.

What if nucs come up queenless? Add those bees to the old queen.

How to Recombine

Newspaper method – sheet of newspaper between the colonies, poke a couple of nail holes in it to get it started.

Uniting spray – combine without newspaper

3:1 Uniting spray3 cups hot water1 cup sugar¼ tsp Honey-B-Healthy or four drops LMO

$3.87 Wal-MartPaint section

Funnel recommended

Old Queen in Nuc Reverse split made on April 15th

Does not need to be moved to a new yard Plan on feeding (lost foragers) By May 15th, very likely ready to be moved

to a single brood box with supers Option A: Potential to make honey is still

present Option B: nuc can be sold as a locally-

raised colony Option C: sell the queen out of this nuc,

combine bees with another colony

Benefits Reverse split guarantees swarm

prevention Queenless period establishes a brood

break, interrupts varroa reproduction Brood break = fewer larvae to feed,

nectar stored as honey

Flexibility

Plan “E” for expansion= three nucs with new queens, one nuc with old queen (quadruple)

Plan “H” for honey= one nuc with an old queen and one colony ready to make honey with new queen (double)

Plan “M” for money = sell three nucs and keep old queen around to pollinate the garden

Biggest Benefit

Mel’s Game Plan Part 1 – April 15

Remove the existing queen to a nuc Notch frames to encourage queen cells

Part 2 – April 22 Return a week later and divide frames into three

nucs or keep as one strong hive Squish excess queen cells, leaving only two per

division Part 3 – May 15

Return after four weeks to insure mated queens Mark queens

A Confession My intent was to make honey, not

nucs

I notched multiple frames

Bees made queen cells every where else

Rain prevented me from returning, did not squish excess queen cells

So what happened?

Queen cells hatched, new queen took over

In some cases, I made the reverse split, rushed for time (pending rain storm) failed to notch the frames, and queen cells were made anyway, queens hatched anyway.

A Modification - Miller Method

Going Crazy

What if I wanted to become the biggest beekeeper in Missouri?

What if I wanted to push this system to the max?

What if I wanted people to think I’ve lost my mind?

Mel’s Game Plan Part 1


Part 2 Return a week later and divide frames Squish excess queen cells, leaving only two per

division

Part 3 Return after four weeks to insure mated queens

Next Move = June 15th Remnant Hive = supered, making honey Move existing queen to a nuc – reverse

split Notch frames, let them make queen cells Foragers will still keep on foraging

Three nucs = likely need to move to single brood box, maybe a second brood box

Pull out the queens with two frames of brood to a nuc box, notch comb, and let queenless colony raise queen cells

June 15th, Con’t

Old queen = time to “dispatch” her(what if she’s a really good queen?)

Notch frames Colony raises queen cells Foragers continue to forage for

nectar

Summary, June 15th

Next Move = June 22nd Seven days later = capped queen cells Split remnant hive into two other nucs

So we have the existing queen in a nucWe have two nucs with queen cellsWe have the full size colony with queen cells and honey supersForagers keep bringing in nectar

Nucs, now queenless in brood boxes, capped queen cells, leave to hatch

June 22nd , Con’t

Queenless colony (where we dispatched old queen) now has capped queen cells

Split into three nucs with queen cells Full size colony with queen cells and

supers Foragers keep on foraging for nectar

Summary, June 22nd

Next Move = July 15th Check for laying queen Harvest honey from remnant hive and hive

that had the dispatched queen Equalize the honey producing with the

nucs. Each of these colonies will make 4 nucs

each.

**Expansion of one overwintered hive into eight nucs, ready for overwintering

**Honey produced and harvested

July 15th, Con’t

Three “nucs” can be split in the same manner into six nucs by making reverse split on June 15th

With dispatched queen colony, now divided into four nucs,

We have an expansion of one overwintered colony into ten nucs, ready to be overwintered.

Summary, July 15th

Caveats = Warnings

Weak colonies in mid summer are targets for small hive beetles

Feeding small colonies in a dearth invites robbing.

Used dryer sheets for SHB

Why? Why? Why? Seems like a lot of work, but mostly I

just keep on schedule, the bees do the work, OTS

Double requeening, post summer solstice

Beneficial brood break for varroa suppression

Expansion potential w/o buying queens

Offset attrition of winter losses (Michael Palmer)

Options to sell nucs or queens next spring

Biggie = outside of equipment cost, no out of pocket expense




division


Downside ? Work is streamlined, management is

systematized, but you still have to keep accurate records and stay on schedule.

Bonus: Management becomes more efficient, working smarter, more hives can be managed in the same amount of time and energy.

Most time-consuming part = find the queen

Downside ?

You have to initiate the First Move about a week prior to “normal” swarming events.

Need 8 frames of brood (Russians and Carniolans are slower to brood up).

Need to be able to find the queen (marked?)

Need for more equipment, storage of such

My Findings Nucs and splits made in April were 100%

requeened with Mel’s system.

Nucs and splits made in June were 90% requeened, but SHB totally decimated most of my nucs as they moved into July.

Rather than go crazy making nucs, I moved most of my northern hives south to make honey. Too much rain in May and June.

♠♠

℗

סס☻

My Findings Random varroa mite checks via alcohol wash

in late-August ran 6 to 10 mites per ½ cup (300 bees). That fits Randy Oliver’s threshold.

When removing the queen on April 15th, I can assess if I want to make honey or split into nucs. Heavier populated colonies were selected for honey production.

Based on the number of queen cells made, I can change my mind on whether to make nucs or make honey on April 22nd.

Options based on queen cells

My Findings

Mel’s schedule, and the schedule I presented, is adaptable and flexible. It can be done anytime a colony has not swarmed.

Conceivably, if a new beekeeper bought nucs or packages in April, Mel’s system could be used to make more nucs in June or July.




division


My Hope: Innovative Beekeeping

Streamlines the work flowSimplifies your managementGuarantees swarm prevention Hassle-free queen rearing and

requeening, without graftingTreatment-free varroa

managementHuge expansion potentials 1:10

by fallOptions for honey production,

nuc sales, or expansion

emba march 9 2016 innovative beekeeping

Education