How to Manage a Colony

As your bee colony grows, it will need more room. If the bees become too crowded and there isn't enough room for expansion of the brood-rearing area, they will swarm (fly off in large numbers, along with the queen, to start a new colony). You should prevent this, if possible. Loss of a swarm of bees may leave the remaining colony too weak to store surplus honey.

To make more room for your bees, add extra boxes of combs (supers) to the hive, or onto the supers already in place.

Always leave plenty of honey for the bees. Remove only the amount that you estimate as surplus to their needs. Be sure there are at least 90 pounds of honey in the hive when winter begins; otherwise, your bees might starve before springtime.

Since one frame holds 3 to 5 pounds of honey, an average size colony needs about 15 to 20 frames of honey to get through a winter.

Comb honey

Some beekeepers produce comb honey by cutting out pieces of honeycomb, putting them in glass containers, and pouring liquid honey around them.

Another method of producing comb honey is to place small wooden boxes or "sections" in the top of the hive just as the honey flow begins (illustration, p. 5). In a good flow-bees will neatly fill the sections with honey-about a pound in each section. If you remove the sections as soon as they are filled, you will have no problem with honey dripping or leaking, and no further handling or processing will be necessary.

The best way for the beginner to produce comb honey is in shallow frames containing "thinsuper" (or comb honey) foundation. When these are filled and removed, they can be sold (or given away) intact or cut into drained squares wrapped in plastic film.

Granulated honey

Honey tastes best when it is fresh, whether in the comb or in liquid form. But some honeys, even when fresh, granulate or become sugary-and most honeys will granulate sooner or later. The size of granules that form and their appearance and flavor depend on the kinds of plants that the bees collected nectar from.

Granulated honey is good food. In fact, some people prefer it to either liquid or comb honey. But if your honey granulates and you do not prefer it this way, liquefy it by this method:

. Place jars of granulated honey in a container with enough water to reach to the level of honey in the jars. Support the jars so they do not rest directly on the bottom of the container, and so water can circulate beneath them.

. Heat gently until granules have disappeared. (The time required will vary, depending on the size of the jars of honey and the temperature to which you heat them. DO NOT heat water above 160° F; excessive heating will darken your honey and lower its quality. )

. Stir occasionally to distribute heat evenly throughout the honey and to determine when the granules have disappeared.

How to Deal with Stings

The sting is a weapon for defense of the colony. In order to reduce the likelihood of being stung, keep the following principles in mind:

Try to work the bees when they are flying actively in favorable weather.

Wear protective clothing: A veil over your head and face; gloves for your hands (which you will quickly discard with experience); and closewoven, light-colored clothing sealed at the ankles and wrists.

Always use a smoker when working with the bees.

Direct smoke into the hive entrance before disturbing the bees.

As you remove the hive cover or a super, apply smoke gently to the exposed bees.

Don't oversmoke-use just enough-this will come with experience.

If you are stung, remove the stinger immediately by scraping it off with your fingernail or any straight edged instrument. Do not try to pull it out, because this will force more venom into your skin.

Since the stinger is barbed, rapid removal can greatly reduce the effect of the sting.

Most beekeepers eventually develop immunity to stings after a few seasons. However, if you become allergic to bee stings, consult an allergy specialist before you become committed to beekeeping.

Bee Diseases and Pests

Several diseases attack honey bees. None of them are dangerous to humans.

Most States have laws to control bee diseases and to prevent their spread. In many States it is illegal to offer for sale bee colonies and equipment that are not certified free of disease. Before you buy or sell bees, notify your State or local bee inspector.

If you need more specific information on bee diseases, consult your county agricultural agent. Or write for a copy of FB 2255, "Identification and Control of Honey Bee Diseases, " available from the Office of Governmental and Public Affairs, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington,

D. C. 20250.

Keep your colonies strong. This is good beekeeping practice. It is also your best protection against wax moths, the serious insect pests that invade unprotected honeycombs.

Learn More About Beekeeping

A good way to get information on keeping bees in your area is to talk with a local beekeeper. He will be glad to show you how to open a hive and handle the bees, how to reduce swarming, and how to get honey out of the hive.

Your county agricultural agent should be able to supply you with pamphlets or to direct you to other information sources. Or you may find that you can take a correspondence course in beekeeping from your State agricultural college.

Brood combs showing (A) healthy brood necessary for high-honey production and (B) diseased brood, which results in weakened colonies and lowhoney production.

Brood comb infested with greater wax moth larvae.

You will also find it useful and enjoyable to join a beekeepers organization; most States have one or more. And you can subscribe to bee journals, or borrow beekeeping magazines or textbooks from your public library.

More complete information on all phases of beekeeping is available in Agriculture Handbook No. 335, "Beekeeping in the United States. " It is for sale from the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C. 20402.

USDA Bee Laboratories

Department of Agriculture research on beekeeping and insect pollination is conducted in laboratories across the country, usually in cooperation with State agricultural experiment stations or universities. A list of USDA bee research laboratories follows.

Arizona

Bee Research Laboratory 2000 East Allen Road Tucson, Arizona 85719

Louisiana

Bee Breeding and Stock Center Laboratory

Rural Route 3, Box 82-B Ben Hur Road

Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70808

MAR YLAND Bioenvironmental Bee Laboratory

Bldg. 476, BARC-East Beltsville, Maryland 20705

PENNSYLVANIA Honey and Maple Research Eastern Regional Research Center

600 East Mermaid Lane Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19118

Utah

Wild Bee Biology & Systematics Laboratory U. M. C. 53, Room 261 Utah State University Logan, Utah 84322

Wisconsin

North Central States Bee Res. Laboratory

Russell Laboratories, Rm. 436 University of Wisconsin Madison, Wisconsin 53706

Wyoming

Pesticides/Bee Diseases Laboratory University Station P. O. Box 3168 Laramie, Wyoming 82071

Reviewed by

Floyd E. Moeller, SEA research entomologist North Central States Bee Research Laboratory Russell Laboratories, Madison, Wis. 53706

Revised April 1974 Slightly revised June 1979