Interview with a new Beekeeper

 

 

          Susan is an amateur naturalist, gardener and birdwatcher.  She monitors Bluebirds as part of the Cornell Nestwatch program and also rears and tags monarch butterflies in a project with Monarchwatch.  This year she added to her nature harmonizing activities with beekeeping.  This interview will hopefully answer some questions you might have.

 

How long have you been beekeeping?

This (2010) is my first year.

 

When did you decide to become a beekeeper?

It had been a dream of mine, after watching a movie, years ago, and seeing the harmony and symbiosis between the bees and the beekeeper.  After attended a one-hour workshop at the 2009 Blueberry Festival (Sponsored by the Pinelands Preservation Alliance) we learned of the Rutgers program.    The workshop was informative enough, to make beekeeping seem like it was within grasp.  The decline of pollinators is a concern for my husband and I.  Not only does keeping bees help the flowers and trees, but it provides a fascinating interaction with nature.

 

Why are pollinators in decline?

Many reasons, introduced species, disease, air and light pollution, pesticides, loss of habitat.  There may be other additional factors that are not clear at this time

 

What is the Rutgers program? Did you take it?

The beginner beekeeping Rutgers program is a two and a half day comprehensive, almost intense, but fun program that teaches you everything you need to begin beekeeping.  You learn about the biology of bees, options on the variety of bees, equipment selection, starting and maintain a hive, honey extraction, and you will handle live bees.  Yes, my husband and I both completed the course and received our certification in fall of 2009

 

Is that all someone needs to do, is take the Rutgers program?

          Well, maybe.  You would do better to also join a club, where you continue to learn, receive support, go to workshops, receive discounts on equipment and have the option to borrow club equipment. In addition to spending time with people that have been keeping bees for decades as well as others new to the hobby.  Books will further your knowledge.

 

Are you a member of a club?

          Yes, my husband and I are members of the New Jersey Beekeepers Association (NJBA) The nine chapter’s make finding a close chapter easy.

 

Is there any one book you would recommend, are their periodicals? 

Beekeeping for dummies is my favorite book.  Beeculture is the best magazine for beginners.

 

Aren’t you afraid of being stung?

No, honeybees are very docile.  They will happily lap sugar water from your hand, or your finger without stinging you.  Most people have experience with aggressive Yellow Jackets and cannot distinguish them from the far more timid honeybee.  Bee stings are a part of the handling of bees, and I was stung once.  Not bad for a newbie beekeeper that inspects her hives, frame by frame weekly.

 

Why were you stung?

I am very careful and cautious with my bees, but a brief lack of focus, and I inadvertently squeezed a bee.  She responded predictably, by defending herself.

 

What made you think it was a female?

          Male bees (drones) do not have stingers.  Drones are also larger with wraparound upward looking eyes

 

What did you do when you were stung?

          I stayed calm, as I was holding a frame with several hundred bees on it at the time.  I gently set the frame down on my holder, and scraped the stinger from my finger, with my ever present hive tool. And continued with my inspection.  The sting is really not all that painful, much less than a Yellow Jacket, or other wasp.  A horsefly bite is actually much more painful than a bee sting. 

 

What is a frame?

          The frame is the support for the foundation; the foundation is what the bees build the honeycomb on.  Ours are made of beeswax with wire supports, and an embossed pattern.  They are available in plastic, but I prefer beeswax, it is more natural and I love the sweet smell!

 

What is a hive tool and what is it used for?

A hive tool is perhaps the most important tool for a beekeeper.  It is used to pry frames and hive boxes apart that have propolis holding them together as well as removing burr comb.

 

What is burr comb?

Burr comb is irregular shaped comb that is not on the foundation.  Removal is primarily for the convenience of the beekeeper, but its removal may cut down the incidence of mites

 

What is propolis?

          Propolis is a sticky, finger staining resin, that bees place everywhere in the hive, caulking and securing it

 

Are there other tools you use?

          I use a smoker.  Gently smoking the bees calms them, making it easier and safer.  The smoke will mask the alarm scent the guard bees release and instinctively the bees will gorge themselves on honey, thinking the hive is in danger of forest fire.  Once they have filled themselves with honey, it is difficult for them flex their abdomen enough to sting.  There are MANY others gadgets out there, but I am a minimalist and like to keep things simple.

 

What do you put in the smoker?

          Initially I used pine needles, but have found wood chips, such as hickory or cedar work better.  When the guard bees are lining up shoulder to shoulder, you want to know your smoker has not gone out.

 

Do you use a bee brush?

          No, some beekeepers refer to bee brushes as “agitators”.

 

What do bees store in the honeycomb?

          They store water, pollen and honey; the honeycomb is also for raising brood.

 

What do you do for self-protection?

          I wear light colored clothing, ensure I have no strong scents or perfumes, and minimize any areas where a bee could fly up and get disoriented.  I feel proceed slowly is one of the best precautions.  On occasion I wear a veil.

 

What are you inspecting for?

          I inspect for progress with honey production, pollen and a good brood pattern, overall health and check for disease.  If we are lucky we will find the queen, by noticing her long abdomen, and the attendants that follow her.  Some beekeepers place a dab of paint on the queen, for ease of identification, I do not.  If I cannot find her, I confirm continued egg production.

 

What does a bee egg look like?

          The eggs look similar to a grain of rice, but smaller in the bottom of a cell in the honeycomb.

 

Where did you get your bees?

          We got ours locally, from Charlie Toth, he provided two nuclei.  A nucleus, or “nuc” is a few frames with honeycomb, workers, brood and a queen.  Charlie has been working with bees since he was 10 years old!  Old world quality with bees!

 

How do you transport bees?

          The frames containing the bees were placed in my hive boxes, with all openings secured, and we drove them home.

 

How many hives do you have?

          We have two.  It is recommended that a beekeeper maintain at least two hives, so they can compare them and a have some reference to see how well each is doing.  It was surprising to see that each of the colonies has a slightly different “personality”, with varying responses and behaviors.

 

How many bees are in your hives?

About 50,00 thousand in each, we started with about 6,000 per hive.  These are eight frame hives, so they would have fewer bees in them than a ten-frame hive.

 

Why did you choose eight frames?

          Primarily for weight, eight frames are lighter than ten frames.

 

What type of bees do you have?

          Carneolan’s, I chose them for the gentle nature, adaptation to the New Jersey climate and resistance to disease.  They are the second most popular type kept.

 

What do you feed bees?

          Sugar water, through a feeder, placed on top of the hive.

 

Why do you feed them?

          Feeding them helps the colony grow and become established.

 

How often do you feed them?

          Twice a week they get one and a half gallons of sugar water for each hive.  Amazingly they can consume this in as little as one day!

 

Will you always have to feed them?

          No, once they become established, they will become more self-sufficient.  In fact in mid July the hives were established enough, that I took off the feeders and replaced it with a honey super

 

How many flowers do you need to feed you bees?

          Although we have extensive gardens with hundreds of species we cannot possibly have enough flowers to support a hive.  Honeybees will travel as much as five miles for pollen and nectar.

 

Is a license required to keep bees?

          No, but hives must be registered with the state, ours are registered.

 

Are there other restrictions?

          Yes, some towns do not allow beekeeping.  There are also some guidelines to help beekeeper maintain a relationship with their neighbors.

 

How much honey will you collect this year?

          We may get some honey this year, but the first year is primarily to establish the colony.  Next year, twenty-five, maybe thirty pounds per hive.

 

Where can I get local honey now?

          We get ours from the local farm market, Trapper's Honey produced by Anna & Angelo, right here in Clarksburg.  The New Jersey Beekeepers Association maintains a list of honey and hive products.

 

What is the cost to start a hive?

          Depends, taking the course at Rutgers got us free shipping on the hive boxes, which we bought pre-assembled, so that helped.  We opted for Cypress wood for it’s decay resistance, and that was a slight premium.  I also liked the look of the copper top covers, which was additional.  In addition I opted for “nucs” from a supplier well known for his quality, as opposed to less expensive packages.  I would say the cost per hive would be in the $300 to $500 range.

 

Thank you Susan, good luck with your hives.

 

 

A happy beekeeper, on their day of arrival, 28 May 2010.

 

Created 25 July 2010