UF Bee College

It has been a few weeks since the University of Florida Bee College and being delinquent with the updates, I figure I'm over due.

The bullet points of the Bee College that caught my attention:

Moving Bees
Dark overalls are a must for moving bees at night, along with a headlight using red light.

Practical Experience with Cordovans in Florida
David Westervelt was reporting Cordovan queens would lay upwards of 2,000 eggs a day even in a dearth so keep 15 frames of honey on so they will successfully over winter in Florida.

New Beekeeping Supply Company
There is brand new company that's producing locally (North Florida) milled pine boxes at list prices well below Dadant and superior quality to Groeb. The North American Bee Hive Company has price breaks at 5, 100, 250, and 500 allowing for a small operation to get more for their money. In speaking with the representative, he says their shipping rates are the best they can get and are pretty accurate on the site. Below is a list of their prices for Commercial Mediums:

Quantity	Amount
1 to 4	$9.00
5 to 99	$7.25
100 to 249	$6.75
250 to 499	$6.50

Come fall of this year, I'll be making my way up to see them.

Trick for Installing Packages
Something I hadn't seen before was that it's a good idea to use powdered sugar on a new package. The recommendation was to turn the package on a screened side a couple of inches off the ground, so that enough powdered sugar can be sifted over the bees to make them "ghost bees". The bees should then bee left to clean themselves up for a couple hours, which will help remove any varroa mites. The space between the package and the ground is to prevent the mites from crawling back up into the package.

Sugar Markets Improving

After I predicted the price sugar (50 pound bags) would reach $30, I'm pleased to see that India and Brazil are looking at better weather and will have better production this year.

$29.99 Costco (2010-04-06) [EDIT: Updated sugar price; don't expect improvements until June/July, in my opinion]

$29.69 Costco (2010-03-31)
$27.99 Restaurant Depot (2010-03-28)

I didn't check Sanwa International or Sam's Club but I heard from a guy that runs an ice cream business that Sam's was up to $30.

Sanwa Reviews can be read here. It's a well kept, little known market that I don't get to visit all that often but highly recommend a visit.

The 400 pounds of sugar I have is going unused since I'm still waiting on my 10 packages from Mark Lally, which were delayed by the chilly winter we had. Since the winter extended well into January it caused delays in a lot nectar producing plants.

This cold was a problem for others as well, seeing as how some strawberry farmers aren't going to be picking, because it delayed some strawberry crops until California was in season at the same time. I know I was able to buy a $6 flat this last weekend, which was the price I was paying back in the early to mid-1990s. I can feel for the farmers but after all the snarled traffic on I-4 from pumping induced sinkholes and stories of people going without water, and sometimes homes, I'd hope they develop a better sense of charity.

Costs of Beekeeping: the Feed

Before we get started let's get the disclaimer out of the way

NEVER GIVE BEES FEED DURING A PERIOD YOU WANT TO COLLECT NECTAR FOR HONEY

Beekeepers are starting to feel the pinch when thinking about increasing their colony numbers. There are a few ways to increase your counts; splits from successful hives, buying a package of bees, or collecting feral colonies. Buying packages is how I'll be growing my apiary until my girls are established, which means I need to supplement them with feed. The other reason to feed is to trick the queen into becoming more productive prior to a desired pollination period, or contract.

Feed Options: the Syrup
The Basics: In beekeeping, the concentrations are often discussed in ratios and the assumption is that everyone is talking in ratios of sugar to water. When most say, "2:1 syrup", it's 2 units of volume sugar to 1 unit of volume water. In smaller quantities, measuring by weight or volume is negligible. Sugar has a density of about 849 kg/cubic meter and water is 1000 kg/cubic meter, or 1.77 pounds per quart and 2.00 pounds per quart.

1. Granulated sugar syrup, or glucose syrup, is a simple syrup commonly used in cooking.
water + granular white sugar + heat = syrup
Some may want to talk about the benefits of eating less processed foods or raw foods, which doesn't apply to bees. Brown sugar and molasses (byproduct of sugar production) contain compounds which are not good for bees so avoid them. Keep in mind that all living creatures and all cells can absorb and use glucose for energy. As for the preparation, I recommend heating the water to no more than roughly 130 degrees Fahrenheit, I microwave the water for about 20-30 seconds per cup. The hotter the water the more time is needed to let the syrup cool. Never put hot syrup on, or near, a bee hive as the bees will find it and kill themselves while trying to feed.

2. Corn syrup, or High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), is used most often because it is cheap and readily available by the tanker load. Fructose is found in nectar but this simple sugar is found in some nectars but it is not as easily digested. Tupelo honey is an example of flower nectar which bees will collect that is high in fructose. The only consideration with corn syrup is dilution methods, no heating is necessary. While this sounds like an easy solution, it is not recommended by any beekeeper I have ever met and is only used by large operations for its simplicity.

3. Honey from extraction is another option and comes with the most cautionary warnings. While honey that has been extracted is what bees will gravitate to the most, it is also the most likely to transmit disease. Unless you absolutely know the source of the honey, never feed it to your bees. It is a vector for spore forming bacterial and fungal diseases among bees, including the devastating American Foulbrood.

Between refills, I sterilize/sanitize as best as possible to minimize bacterial and fungal growth on the containers themselves.

Pollen Substitute
Pollen substitutes are commonly available from any of the major beekeeping supply companies and there are a number of brands to chose from, including recipes to make your own. Often these powders are mixed with syrup, or melter honey (byproduct of melting wax cappings), and formed into patties which are then put on the top of the frames. The patties are typically wrapped in wax paper to prevent them from sticking together and from falling to the bottom of the hive. When feeding syrup during a dearth of nectar, it is a good idea to include a pollen substitute to balance the sugar with protein and fats. Putting a patty on a bee hive is like giving them an MRE, meal ready to eat. It isn't desirable as a food source but it will supply the bees with essential proteins and strength the hive may need to increase brood prior to a particular bloom or to help out a new package of bees.

I've only had experience with Megabee and it was my substitute of choice because of David Miksa. He is a scientist by nature, has been experimenting with all the variables of brood rearing and queen rearing, and lives within 150 miles of Tampa Bay. If he found that he gets better results from using a particular product and is willing to be quoted as such, I'll trust it.

The Pinch
The inspiration behind this blog is the increased pressure on the sugar market. Sugar prices are going to get to nearly 50% more than they were last year. I'm predicting $30 for a 50 pound bag of sugar by the summer. It's not a huge leap given that the price has risen $3.80 in the last 6 months and is now ~$27.80 at Costco. I have heard that the Super Walmarts were selling 25 pound bags for about $12 early in February, but my lack of faith in Walmart's suppliers (the Chinese produce sugar now?) keeps me from giving them my money. When I check Restaurant Depot, I'll post their prices. [Edit: $25.99 as of 2010-02-26; so I bought an extra 200 lbs]

The Reasons for the increase: The major sugar produces have suffered from weather. India had drought, Brazil was water logged, and Florida had a 2 week cold snap. Beekeeping this year will be expensive and citrus will be paltry because of the same freeze. Add to it, increased demand for sugar to replace HFCS in foods. I applaud our food processors for making the change.

Another Feed Reference, it's a wiki

Preserving Equipment

I'd like to apologize to my minor reading public regarding the neglect and delinquency, but I'm getting ready for spring.

Do you know how much I hate painting?
This is where I'll begin to present two angles in discussing the most common beekeepers, small operations (hobbyists/sideliners who aren't spending a thousand, or more, dollars on one order), and commercial operations (the guys buying stuff in the 100's of units). There are some options when it comes to preserving your investments in beekeeping; the hive bodies, bottom boards, and tops/lids. Before I go into the ways that woodenware can be preserved, let's discuss the options of wood itself.

Wood density is the best determination for applications and the denser it is, the stronger it is. When it comes to wood types used in beekeeping, there is a lot of debate because every region has different weather conditions and the quality of products varies as well. I'm going to stick to discussing the most common options.

Your Investment
Weather hearty woods:
PROS: Cedar and cypress naturally resist the effects of being outdoors. I'm not an expert in the details but I know anecdotally that both can be effectively used for woodenware without preservation, though cedar is much softer than cypress. I should caution that preserving these woods is still advised as it will prolong their service life.
CONS: Upfront costs could be greater (with volumes less than 10), availability, and the potential that preservation techniques may still need to be used for prolong service life. Cedar likes to split.

Pine
PROS: Availability, bulk pricing is better, and relatively hard wood
CONS: No natural resistance to the elements

Preservation Techniques
1. Painting is the most common and cheapest means to preserve woodenware. One of cheapest sources of paint is to check out the "mistakes" and returns in the paint department of hardware stores. I've also heard that partially used paint cans can be found in thrift stores but I've never tried looking for thrift store paint. If you don't care about the color you can get away with a lot but avoid any dark colors especially black, red, and dark blue, as they will increase the heat absorption.

2. Dipping in preservatives such as copper naphthenate is an option to consider because it will preserve the inside and outside of the woodenware. During the cooler months, moisture will condense on the inside of the hive unless there is a vent near the lid. SEE More information on preservatives and applications here.

3. Hot wax dipping is an old technique which involves boiling a wax/pine gum rosin mixture and submerging the woodenware. This method causes the wax/rosin to be wicked into the wood and creates a barrier to moisture. The wax is typically paraffin or beeswax, one is a petroleum product and the other is a byproduct of extraction. Hot wax dipping has also been shown to sterilize equipment, which is valuable when buying used equipment.

With the last two options, you can still paint the boxes and painting is recommended, by me and others, with the second option.

Let's run through the drawbacks
Painting: requires 3-4 coats of paint and repeated drying periods and does nothing to prevent moisture damage from the inside. While bees will eventually propilize the inside, it's not immediate or complete. Most paint jobs need to be redone within 3-7 years.

Dipping in preservatives: the compounds found in wood preservatives will make their way into the wax and not all are food safe. Copper-8-quinolinolate, aka Oxine Copper, is listed as food safe for incidental contact, but not prolonged contact. Copper naphthenate is recommended to be kept away from food. Once the wood has been dipped, painting is recommended.

Hot wax dipping: this is the most dangerous and costly of the three. The hazard is apparent when you are standing next to a tank, or pot, full of boiling wax and rosin. With an open flame, combustion is more likely. Once the wood is dipped, there is no long term concerns regarding chemical leaching or weather issues. The common approach to hot wax dipping is to have a tank (typically custom made), a mixture of wax to rosin of either 3:1, 2:1, or 1:1, and a heat source (electric is preferred for better temperature control and reduced flame risk). Some have gotten away with using an oven and a roasting pan, which in my mind is risky and tedious. When using a heated tank/pot it's advantageous to do a large volume because there is a warm up period counted in the hours.

Example: Assuming we need 50 medium (6 5/8 inch) boxes (the only regional supplier of cypress hive bodies in the Southeast is Rossman Apiaries) and we are willing to use commercial grade.

Rossman Cypress
$8.84 per body X 15 = $132.60 (~$63 for shipping to Tampa Bay via UPS)
$8.40 per body X 50 = $420 (~$200)
$7.98 per body X 100 = $798 (~$400)
$7.98 per body X 250 = $1995 (~$1000)

Compared to Dadant Pine (shipping is roughly the same; UPS)
$9.60 per body X 15 = $144
$7.80 per body X 50 = $390
$7.80 per body X 100 = $780
$7.65 per body X 250 = $1912.50

Compared to Mann Lake Pine (can't buy commercial in volumes less than 50)
$6.85 per body X 50 = $342.50 (~$350 shipping)
$6.85 per body X 100 = $685 (~$700 shipping)
$5.50 per body X 250 = $1375 (~$1755 shipping)

When you get into 250+ boxes, shipping would be better organized via a trucking company.

Painting (~ 170 sq ft) will require about one gallon of primer for 2 coats and one gallon of exterior grade paint: $40 + lots of time

Dipping in preservatives: $190+ for 5 gallons and $40 paint

Wax Dipping: $2-$3 per pound of wax (buy from your local beekeepers), $1.90 per pound rosin (220 pounds for roughly $1.87 per pound shipped from J.H. Calo); $280 tank with legs and spigot, and $90 propane burner and propane tank: roughly $800

Did I mention how much I hate painting?
When I decided to wax dip, the points that made the decision easy were these:
No petroleum based chemicals or compounds using -cide as a suffix
Speed at which the equipment would be treated
Ability to sterilize used equipment
And most importantly, I hate painting