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