History and Beekeeping in Algoma Mary Eaton
Transcription
History and Beekeeping in Algoma Mary Eaton
History and Beekeeping in Algoma Mary Eaton RAIN Agriculture and Food Symposium February 7, 2015 HISTORY OF HONEYBEES IN CANADA 1622 First Honey bees in North America 1815 British Settlers bring first 6 colonies to Upper Canada 1851 Rev. Langstroff discovers Bee Space 1851 Movable frames invented 1870 First bee company – DA Jones 1890 1909 1920 1950 Arsenic spray (fruit trees) and DDT known to be killing bees. First Provincial Apiarist appointed Beekeepers found with Foul Brood in hives have to burn. First Beekeeper to breed bees for hygienic behavior ALGOMA BEEKEEPING 1992 Started beekeeping 1993 New hive from Manitoulin Island 1994 The old hive swarms! 20,000 bees buzzing 1995 Experiencing dead colonies, new hives from S. Ontario bring new issues Algoma Beekeepers Association is formed ABA brought collaborative opportunities with other beekeepers ALGOMA BEEKEEPING - ABA A close relationship was formed with other regional beekeeping experts providing expertise and learning opportunities to Algoma. Jeanette Momet – Bee Breeder and Inspector from Thunder Bay Doug McRory Provincial Apiarist Medhet Nazar ALGOMA BEEKEEPING - ABA ALGOMA BEEKEEPING - ABA ALGOMA BEEKEEPING – THE BASICS During regular season: Drones and Workers = 6 weeks Queen 7 years but less with the meds and Veroa problem The Queen can lay up to 2,000 eggs a day during the honey flow season. The Drones and Workers live 6 weeks. 4 indoors and 2 out The workers (girls) do all the work. They give up their enzymes feeding brood and their fats by making wax. The workers go out to gather their protein and carbohydrates ALGOMA BEEKEEPING – THE BASICS As many as 400 can go out at a time (thus the need to use honey bees for pollination). The first bees to find a source of food comes back to the hive and does a little dance to explain to the other workers where the food is in relation to the sun and the location of the hive. The Drones go out in the off chance that they might get lucky. If they do, they immediately drop to the ground to die, having given up one of their major organs In the fall the workers block the door to the hive for the drones and drag the inside ones out by their legs or wings….. ALGOMA BEES - POLLINATION ALGOMA BEES - POLLINATION ALGOMA BEEKEEPING - BREEDING Support from beekeeping experts enabled local breeding capacity ALGOMA BEEKEEPING - BREEDING Queen marking Grafting kit ALGOMA BEES – BEE HEALTH ALGOMA BEEKEEPING – OVER WINTERING ALGOMA BEEKEEPING – VAROA MITE 1980 Varoa Mite hits the South of USA and gradually moves North European meds were not a great solution for Northern Ontario Meds had to be on for 42 days and no honey supers An Ontario Beekeeper (NODE Apiary) invented a wood chip pad soaked in formic acid to kill back the mites – 14 days Gelatin mixture wrapped in parchment paper – 7 days and the honey supers can be on Still have to do antibiotics (in icing sugar)….the bees clean it out and inoculate the brood. No honey supers can go on until 11 days after the last application ALGOMA BEEKEEPING – PREDATORS Bears, skunks, mice – oh my! ALGOMA BEEKEEPING – PREDATORS Control Methods ALGOMA BEEKEEPING – PRODUCTS Honey, wax, propolis THANK YOU