The Hygienic Hive

A talk by Tony Boonham of Hartpury, Gloucestershire

Date: Thursday 4 March 1999

Venue: Church Rooms, Stow on the Wold

Honey bees are very hygienic. They live in hives which can become very warm and humid. If they were not so hygienic, bacteria, fungus and mould would break out.

What does the beekeeper need to consider when thinking about hygiene ?

The Environment

The Quality of the Hive and Equipment

The Bees

The Environment

In high areas like much of the North Cotswolds, hives need shelter from the north and east. Strong northerlies in particular, can be very damaging.

Find a location which is safe from flooding

Beware of frost pockets

Do not place hives too close to large groups of trees as these will cause vibration

Avoid overhead power cables which generate large electromagnetic fields which affect bees which do not cross them

Avoid anywhere that wasps may nest

Avoid anywhere that Green Woodpeckers frequent

Ensure good access

Choose a place where, if possible, hives may be placed in a crescent

Never align hives in a straight line. If linear, angle them so entrances point in different angles

If gathering a swarm, place it in an outer hive first to make sure they don’t bring diseases in

Try to locate hives by a water source. Need water nearby. If no pool or brook, fill a tyre with stones and keep damp for water – carrying bees to settle on

Plant the right sort of trees and bulbs around hives e.g. Pussy Willow. Gives the bees a good start to the year.

The Quality of the Hive and Equipment

Ensure no holes in the side of the hive

Ensure no Woodpecker damage

Can treat the external parts of the hive with Cuprinol Clear (Cuprinol produce a leaflet on treating hives) or Ronseal Fence Life. Research in US suggests 25% bee deaths due to treatment of outside hives, especially with creosote

Fit suitable mouse guards

If bees don’t like certain air vents etc, they will fill them up

Ensure that hive stand bases are well off the ground. Fourteen inches is a good height. A milk crate can be useful

Sterilize the hive suit regularly

Use appropriate materials in the smoker for burning. Rolls of Cardboard / rotted wood is good

The Bees

Good bee husbandry is essential. You really should kill old bad tempered queens.

Be Bee Observant. Keep good records

A little pocket tape recorder is useful to dictate when working at the hives

Change the floor on First Inspection in February/March

On First Inspection, look for lines on the floor indicating which frames have active bees in them. Need 4 or 5 lines of wax together. If have 2, then gap, then another 2, then have a problem

How do you assess “gentle bees”? When lift off the lid of the hive, some bees will just wander about. Others will stream out and gather on the veil.

Frugal Bees- Some bees will survive the harshest winters on limited stores. Don’t feed them with sugar syrup. Leave boxes of honey in the Super at the top. If you give bees sugar, you are working the bees harder than they normally would do. Surely any beekeeper can spare the bees 25lbs of honey.

Social Bees – Some bees will rob out syrup from another colony. If the Social Bees rob out a strong colony then return to their hive, then need to separate hives.

Chalk Brood Disease – This is normally activated if the Carbon Dioxide level is too high. It means the bees are not maintaining good hygiene. It is a genetic trait. If this happens, you must re-queen the hive.

In considering the environment within the hive three things to consider

Temperature Regulation

Humidity

Air flow within the hive

Bees are superb air conditioners

Queen excluder – A Herzog is the best sort of Queen Excluder. If using a flat & press one, frame it with beading. By framing it, raise the excluder above the top of the frames

A wooden scraper is best for cleaning Queen excluders. It ensures that you don’t snag them.

Dead Brood or Addle Brood – This happens if it is too cold. You can tell that you have it when a whole range of larvae / eggs all die on the same night

Grooming Bee –This bee grooms other bees. The recipient bees raise their wings and the grooming bee works deep under the wing

The Key

A Hive with disease is always a stressed Hive. Good hive hygiene is an attitude. If you minimise stress, then you contribute to a boosting of the immune system.

This may, in due course, contribute to the overcoming of the problem of the Varroa Mite.