Hello everyone and welcome back to The Bee Vlog.
If you’re new to this channel my name is Bill.
Today I’m going to be doing more viewer Q&A. Today’s question is going to be about
what’s the best type of bee to buy. Since many of you are going to be buying bees for
the first time this year this question comes up a lot.
But first I want to thank you all for the great questions and comments I got on my last
Q&A video. I really appreciate the feedback. Not only does it give me a lot of good content
ideas for videos that you actually want to see, but I like the back-and-forth dialog.
Now, first I’ll answer a couple quick questions before I take on the big one.
Dave Moseley asked:
Did you have to initially register with the State, or notify them if bringing in packages
from out of state?
State registration is different in every state. Also some cities or counties may also require
registration. It’s different everywhere, so check your local laws.
In the US it’s not required to notify any authority about shipping packages. In fact
the United States Postal Service will actually ship the packages for you. But that can be
different in other countries, so again, check the laws where you live.
Dave also asked:
Do you leave your bottom board screen "open" for ventilation, did you consider wrapping
your hives (to protect from wind)?
I leave my bottom boards open all winter.
Wrapping hives is generally not advised in my area. It can prevent good ventilation.
People in more northern climates where they get a lot of snow may wrap their hives. But
here in Portland where our winters are moderate but rainy, we don’t. If you want to provide
a good windbreak then a fence or bales of hay stacked up around the hives would be a
good option.
I saw your video on insulating with the top Vivaldi board (using wood chips) - how is
this working for you?
For those that may not know the origin of this question - last fall I winterized my
10-frame hives with either quilt boxes, or wood chips in the Vivaldi covers. I’ll provide
a link to that video in the show-notes. The idea is that not only does it help insulate
but it also absorbs moisture.
So far it seems to be working really well. 5 out of the 6 hives are surviving. The one
hive that died didn’t die due to moisture. I’ll go into more detail about that in a
few more weeks when I do an autopsy video on the dead-outs.
Now, on to the big question:
Bob Bruchsaler asked (and Dave also wanted to know):
Here is an idea! Talk about the different type of bees and the pros and cons of their
respective genetics. I know as a "soon to be new beekeeper" I find myself vacillating
between Italians, Russians, VSH mated with others and etc. This is a complex issue I
know and I am told it really doesn't matter as the US Bees are Mutts anyways (Not sure
what to make of that statement that I have heard a couple times)
Thanks for the question Bob & Dave. This issue about the different types of bees can really
be a stumbling block for a beginner beekeeper.
To really answer that question though, we need to take a step back and look at the bigger
picture of the origin and present state of bees in the United States.
After you watch this video I recommend you go check out a presentation that Deborah Delaney
did on her research into honey bee genetic diversity. I’ll provide a link to that video
at the end and also in the notes below. It’s a little over an hour long, but very much
worth the time if this subject interests you.
Here’s a really quick summary of the history:
The honey bee (Apis mellifera) that we have here in the US, is not native to North America.
It originated in Europe and was first brought over in the 1600s.
Initially it was the German dark bee (Apis mellifera mellifera).
Then between 1859 & 1922, seven additional subspecies were brought in.
This all stopped in 1922 when Congress passed a law called
the Honey Bee Act, which restricted importing living adult honey bees into the United States.
Not all of these subspecies survived well, leaving us with the 2 main subspecies we see
on the market today. The Italian honey bee (Apis mellifera ligustica) and the Carniolan
honey bee (Apis mellifera carnica).
With no new subspecies or even new queen mothers being imported, the genetics of the Italian
and the Carniolan have been mixed and watered down. Combine that with a few genetic bottlenecks
and what we have left here are considered to be mutts. They no longer are the same as
their progenitors from across the pond, the subspecies they originated from.
Then in the early 1990s the Russian honey bee (Apis mellifera caucasia) began to be
cautiously imported and used in special breeding programs to try to raise a honey bee that
is more resistant to Varroa mites here in the United States.
You may also hear about VSH (Varroa Sensitive Hygiene) or hygienic bees. There’s also
“Starline” and “Midnite” and “Buckfast” bees, and several others. These are not subspecies
but are hybrids created through selective breeding of specialized stock.
And then there is the infamous African honey bee (Apis mellifera scutellata).
Occasionally a story hits the news about someone or some animal being stung to death by bees.
It’s always just assumed to be a colony of Africanized honey bees. Hence the nickname “killer bees.”
It’s always a very tragic event when something like this happens, but it’s not a major threat.
I dislike calling them “killer bees.” It’s not accurate and it causes unnecessary
panic and fear.
Africanized honey bee hives can’t really survive in the northern climates of the US
so they’re limited to just the southern regions. Beekeepers in those areas say that
they are quite workable and resilient bees if you know how to work them carefully.
You are more likely to be killed on the drive in to work than to be stung to death by Africanized
honey bees. The concern and media hype are blown way out of proportion.
So it’s time to buy some bees, what kind of bees should you get?
The answer to this varies depending on what your goals are and where you live. Do you
want to be a honey producer? If so, then maybe the Italian honey bee is be best for you.
They tend to bring in the most honey and can fill a hive very rapidly. But they also tend
to eat the most honey during winter so you have to make sure to leave them plenty or
they might starve.
On the other hand, Carniolans don’t eat as much during winter, but they also don’t
produce as much as Italians.
Many beekeepers in Northern climates tend to favor Carniolans for their capabilities
to overwinter. Or if you can get some Russian bees, maybe they’d be better at dealing
with Varroa mites.
However, none of this matters to a first year beekeeper. In your first year your main goal
is to learn how to work with bees. And this can be done with any type of bee. Of course
it helps if they’re gentle. It helps the learning to be a little less painful.
Many first-year beekeepers are thinking too far ahead about the next winter and trying
to find bees that will survive. I understand that desire, but it’s not that simple.
Statistically speaking, and based on my experience and the experience of every other beekeeper
I know, the chances of your bees surviving the first winter are not very good
I don’t want to dampen your spirits, but I do want to prepare you for reality.
It’s going to take a few years to get used to working with the bees and understanding
the timing of the seasons and the bees’ cycle. The more hives you have the faster
this may go.
My recommendation is to start with as many hives as you can. The race, breed, or subspecies
doesn’t matter. Just maximize the number of hives you can handle. Don’t just start
with 1. Get at least 2, or even 4 if you can. If you have the option of getting a variety
of bees then do that. Also catch swarms. Set out swarm traps, get on a swarm list, or see
if a beekeeper buddy can take you on a swarm chase.
Before your bees arrive spend a lot of time practicing lighting your smoker and keeping
it lit. Learn to use the smoker. It’s your friend.
Once you have the bees you’ll want to make sure they’re drawing good comb. Take a peek
under the lid once a week. You don’t have to take any frames out, just look at the top
bars and down into the combs and make sure they’re drawing it out nicely. This is especially
important if you don’t use foundation like me, but it’s even important if you do use
foundation. Sometimes bees can mess things up even on foundation.
At least once every 2 weeks you’ll want to pull out some frames and practice finding
eggs, and identify the various stages of brood development. Look at how and where they store
the bee bread in relation to the brood nest. What colors do you see? How much nectar are
they storing up and where do they put it?
While you’re in the hive it’s important to start developing all your senses.
Don’t just look, but listen, smell, and feel. Watch how the bees behave and move around.
Put together a mental map or image of how they organize the hive. Listen to the sounds the bees make.
Learn what a healthy hive smells like. Feel the heat on your hands that the brood nest
gives off. Feel free to even gently touch the bees on the combs. This is why I don’t
use gloves. You lose one of your important senses when working with the bees when you
use gloves.
Spend several days each week observing from the outside. What kind of activities do you
see at the entrance? Are they bringing in pollen? What does the activity look like in
the morning, afternoon, and evening?
This is how you develop your bee senses and learn from the bees. Having more than 1 hive
helps you to spot differences. It gives you more exposure and learning opportunities.
And when winter does come, it helps to improve the odds of having at least one survive.
As you fine tune your bee senses, and learn more about the weather, seasons, and flowers,
you’ll get a better idea of what types of bees will do best in your area. Then you can
start to get a little more particular about Italians vs Carniolans, or VSH Hybrids, or
whatever.
I’ll be doing more of these viewer Q&A videos throughout the year, so leave a comment below
with any questions you might have.
Once the weather gets better I’ll be back outside and shooting videos with the bees.
So click the subscribe button to get my videos in your subscription feed.
Thanks for watching and stay shiny.
Now, go watch that Deborah Delaney video.