Welcome to

BEEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS

Brother Adam
Karl Kehrle OBE
Honeybee
Honeybee

Apis mellifera
Bumblebee
Bumblebee

Bombus
Wasp
Wasp

Vespula vulgaris
Asian Hornet
Asian Hornet

Vespa mandirinia
 Anatomy of a Honeybee
Thorax Wings
Compound Eyes Spiracle
Head
Abdomen
Antenna
Nasonov Glands

Mandibles Sting

Tongue Wax Glands

Pollen Basket
 Egg

Laid in worker cell Laid in drone cell

Laid in queen cell
Fertilisation Unfertilised

FEMALE LARVA MALE LARVA

Brood food for 3 Extra brood food

days, then pollen Royal Jelly for 3 days, then
and honey extra pollen and
honey

Worker Queen Drone

 Queen Bee
• Female
• Lives 3-5 Years
• Mates Early In Life
• Anatomically Different
• Characterises The Colony
• Only Leaves Colony After
Mating / When Swarming
Queen Bee
Egg Laid In Cup: 3 Days To Hatch
Fed For 5 Days Royal Jelly Only
Gets 1,600 Visit From Worker Bees
Cell Hangs Down
Proteins Activate Different Genes
8 Days As Pupa
Total 16 Days
 Queen Bee
Accepted Into Colony
4 Days To Mature
Fed By Workers
Mating Flights In First 3 Weeks
When Mated Stays In Hive
Up To 2,000 Eggs Per Day
Egg Laying Controlled By Food Intake
Drones
Egg Laid In Large Cell
3 Days To Hatch
Fed Brood For 7 Days
Pupates After 2 Weeks
Adult Matures In 10 Days
Feeds Itself
Lives ~ 3 Months
Fed By Workers
Dies After Mating
Desirable Colony Characteristics
Gentle But Robust
Healthy:
Disease Resistant
Hygienic Behaviour
Hard Working:
Cold Weather Opportunists
Large Colony
Slow To Swarm
Economic In Winter
 The Life of a Honeybee
0 - 6 Days Cell Cleaning, General Hive Cleaning
3 - 9 Days Feeding The Brood
3 - 15 Days Attending The Queen
6 - 18 Days Honey Processing
12 - 20 Days Wax Production And Comb Building
15 - 25 Days Hive Ventilation
18 - 35 Days Guard Duty

20 Days Until Death Nectar Collection

20 Days Until Death Pollen Collection
25 Days Until Death Water And Propolis Collection
The Waggle Dance
 Different Nests
Wasp Nest
Different Nests
 Hives As Nests
Cavity Of Right Size
Waterproof
Easily Protected Entrance
Space To Expand Into
Entrance Allowing Ventilation
At Height Away From Predators
Insulation Is Key
Eggs and larvae tended by workers
Larvae kept warm (35°C)
Nest temperature between 34°C - 36°C
Nest workers maintain temperature and humidity
Rev. Lorenz Langstroth

American Congregational Minister

Identified bee space
In 1851 designed first modern
moveable framed hive
The Anatomy of a Beehive
Roof
Crown Board
Super
Super
Queen Excluder
Brood Box
Brood Box
Floor
Stand
Swarms
Natural Means Of Colony Reproduction
Colony Too Crowded
Unbalanced Colony
Queen Getting Old
Swarms - what to look for
Week Before Swarming
Eggs In Queen Cells
Queen Cells Sealed
Old Queen
Swarm Prevention
Weekly Inspections
Young Queens <2 Years Old
Room In Brood Box For Laying
Room In Super For Nectar Stores
Pests & Diseases
Pests & Diseases
Pests & Diseases
Pests & Diseases
Pests & Diseases
Pests & Diseases
Good Practice
Good Hygiene:
Clean Apiary
Clean Equipment
Clean Bee Suit
Secure Hive
Minimise Robbing
Minimise Draughts
Gentle Handling
Reduce Stress
Apiary Site
Good Forage
 Pests & Diseases
AFB - Notifiable: Pepper Pot, Dead Larvae, Ropey Deposit
EFB - Notifiable: Dead Larvae In Open Cells, Uneven Brood Pattern
Chalk Brood: White Mummies In Cells, On Floor And Entrance
Chill Brood: Dead Larvae Near Edge Of Brood
Nosema: Lethargic, Diarrhoea, Slow Build Up
Varroa And Nosema: Paralysis, Deformed Wings, Black Queen Cell
P lants For Bees
Cherry, Pear, Oil Seed Rape, Apple, Hawthorn,
Dandelion, Blackberry, Raspberry, Borage, Crocus,
Hazel, Box, Bluebell, Broom, Ceanothus, Catmint,
Birdsfoot Trefoil, Mint, Helenium, Lavender,
Red Clover, Marjoram, Sunflower, Thistles, Scabious
Questions?