Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Feral Bees and Swarms

Speaking at the Arkansas Beekeepers Association’s fall conference in Mountain View, Arkansas, Dr. Tom Seeley, author of Honeybee Democracy, described his genetics study of feral honeybees collected at Cornell University’s Arnot Forest in 1977 and 2010, http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2015/150806/ncomms8991/full/ncomms8991.html. The study analyzed honey bees before and after the arrival of parasitic Varroa mites. Surprisingly, colony densities in the forest remained the same after the introduction of the mites. Bees collected in 2010 were, however, the offspring of only a few surviving colonies that repopulated the forest. Finding feral survivor colonies is encouraging news for beekeepers.

Other work by Dr. Seeley defined the mechanisms honeybees employ in swarming. To determine honey bees’ preferences for choosing a nesting site Dr. Seeley used numerous swarm catcher hives. He questioned: How large a cavity? How large an entrance hole? Hive in the sun or shade? Direction hive should face? Can the hive be drafty? Can the hive be damp? Answering these questions help us design effective swarm catcher hives. Bees choose hives according to their ability to correct hive deficiencies. For example, if a hive is drafty, bees will often accept it because they can easily fill drafty cracks with propolis. On the other hand, bees will often reject a hive in the full sun because it is more difficult to cool in the summer. Pixar Studios filmed honey bee swarms moving from their swarm resting site to their permanent hive. Observing individual bees in flight lead to an understanding of how workers guide the swarm. Of great interest was Dr. Seeley’s finding of feral honey bee colonies surviving in the forest while carrying parasitic Varroa mites. Two significant factors seem to support the feral colonies’ survival. First, there is little drifting of forest bees. Next, honey bees in nature prefer a nest cavity of approximately 40 liters, close to that of a single Langstroth hive body. Small cavity hives develop brood nest congestion, leading to swarming. Swarming interrupts Varroa mite reproduction. Today’s photo: Ozark Mountain maples.
--Richard

5 comments:

  1. I am a beekeeper from Phlippines. Im just inquiring if you use formic acid for mites control?

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  2. Leomyr Carulla, formic acid is a legal treatment for Varroa mites in the United States. However, I have not personally used it. I have used thymol-based treatments when mite counts approached threshold limits. Formic acid is available as Mite-Away Quick Strips. If you use this product, carefully observe the temperature restrictions of 50 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, make sure to wear chemical-protective gloves. Best wishes.
    --Richard

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the reply, sir. We used formic acid because it is not costly and basically it is organic and really effective. But, can you help me how to use thymol-based treatment?

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  3. Thymol, the oil of the thyme plant, is the base of products like Apiguard and Api-Life VAR (not to be confused with Apivar, an amitraz-based treatment). Check with your agricultural extension agents for products that are legal in your country.

    Thymol is considered a less-harsh treatment than the miticides. Follow the labeled instructions, and only use the thymol product when there are no honey supers on the hive. Observe the temperature requirements of around 65 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit for effective use of the thymol product.
    --Richard

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