Healthy Bees
Why Are Honey Bees Dying?
Thank you for your interest in becoming a beekeeper. To us, beekeeping is so enjoyable. We believe you will enjoy it as well. We want to share some basic information about how to keep healthy bees.
One of the main reason so many bees are dying is because new beekeepers are learning an old paradigm of beekeeping. Many clubs are filled with old beekeepers that are stuck doing things the same way they did prior to the introduction of varroa mites, small hive beetles and many viruses of today. A new paradigm is essential to keep bees healthy now in the 21st century. Be sure and take Our Beekeeping Class.
We are offering beginners, advance and queen rearing classes online to make it as simple as possible. Now, learn from EAS Certified Master Beekeeper, David Burns on your own schedule from home. These online lessons can be watched on your computer, smartphone or tablet when you have time. Click here for more information. During our classes we teach you the 4 methods to combat varroa mites without the use of chemicals. You'll learn important management skills that will make you a better beekeeper.
The truth is that many hives die due to poorly trained beekeepers. So many beekeeping mistakes can easily be avoided.
Let me give a couple of avoidable bee losses.
1. Winter Losses can be minimized with the right queen, varroa reduction and strong colonies with sufficient pollen and honey resources. So often a colony dies because the beekeeper did not monitor the health of the queen and she either did not lay well, die and was not replaced or the queen was replaced too late in the year to build up the needed overwinter population. Or, a colony can die because the beekeeper failed to reduce the mite population. Every beekeeper should implement our 4 IPM approach to reduce mites.
2. Winter feeding can be the lifesaving factor in getting your hive through the winter. Since winter is cold, traditional entrance feeders and top feeders will freeze. That's why we invented the Winter-Bee-Kind. This is a piece of equipment that is placed on top of the cluster, providing top insulation to reduce excessive condensation and sugar, pollen and honey-b-healthy as well as an upper vent.
3. Keep colonies healthy throughout the year. Regular inspections will help the beekeeper take the necessary steps to strengthen a hive. Sometimes maybe the hive just needs fed protein added to their sugar water. Maybe the colony is too crowded and needs frames managed to reduce a potential swarm. Maybe the queen needs replaced so that the colony can grow and build up. Strong colonies fight off most problems. As a new beekeeper, you may not know these early warning signs.
Remember, not all colony deaths are preventable. Sometimes it is beyond our control. Bees are in the animal kingdom and they die from viruses, diseases and environmental issues that we have little control over. We have to do our part, though, to eliminate as many potential threats to our honey bees.