[PDF]Beekeeping: Bee Keepers Handbook

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The Beekeeper's Handbook

by: Diana Sammataro and Alphonse Avitabile

Published by:

Charles Scribner's Sons

597 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10017 USA

Paper copies are $ 7.95.

Available from:

Charles Scribner's Sons

597 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10017 USA

Reproduced by permission of Charles Scribner's
Sons.



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The Beekeepers
Handbook

by Diana Sammataro and Alphonse Avitabile
Foreword by E. C. Martin
Illustrations by Diana Sammataro and Jan Propst




Peach Mountain Press, Ltd.
Dexter, Michigan



Acknowledgments



So many people,, students, teachers, and relatives alike contributed so much to make
this book possible that we could not possibly list them all. However, the following
people are acknowledged for their physical, spiritual, intellectual, and financial support
in trie creation and production of this effort. We love you all for what you gave and
are humbled when all we can say is thank you.

Special thanks to Linda Stafford for her skillful editing of the manuscript, to Jan
Propst for her fine drawings, and Carol Conkey for preparing an excellent index.



Ruth Avitabile
Josephine Bologna
Ron Conkey
William Howison
John Kasinskas
Bob and Dorothy Kennedy
Paul and Lois La Rue
Dolly Ann Martin
John and Gwen Nystuen
Anthon Pedersen



Paul Propst
Jan Raad

n ick and Jinny Ryan
Joe and Nelva Sammataro
Margaret Santaro
Milton Savos
Kathryn Sedo
Dick and Chip Spear
Doug and Grace Truax



© 1978 by Diana Sammataro and
Alphonse Avitabile



All rights reserved



Published by Peach Mountain Press, ltd.,
Dexter, Michigan




Manufactured in the United States
of America



Foreword



A steadily growing interest in bee-
keeping has been evident during the
1970s. This has been partly stimulated
by increases in the price of honey during
the 1970s and some people have started
beekeeping with the idea that they could
make a profit from it. But more have
been caught up in what I think is a very
commendable trend. They want to work
in a garden to produce their own vege-
tables, to raise goats to produce their
own milk, or keep bees to produce their
very own delicious honey. This is part
of a yearning to do something that
brings us closer to nature, to get away
from the machines and computers and
ti.e synthetic quality of much of mod-
ern life, to experience the thrill of pro-
ducing something from the earth. Along
with this has come an interest in pre-
serving the many wild, beautiful, natural
aspects of our environment, a feeling
that these things are important if we are
to maintain our world as a place worth
living in.

Beginning beekeepers usually have to
rely on literature to guide their progress
in mastering the art and science of api-
culture. Those who can get help from
knowledgeable beekeepers are fortunate.
There are hundreds of beekeeping books.



but there is an almost universal complaint
that beginners' books are not sufficiently
explicit. This book is designed basically
for beginners. It will not only give you
a good understanding of the life history
and behavior of bees, but it also tells
you how to manage bees, how to control
their diseases, how to remove and pro-
cess honey, and many other "how-to-do-
it" aspects. It also discusses reasons, ad-
vantages, and disadvantages of carrying out
major hive manipulations. This is good.
It will cause you to think and ponder
and more fully understand what beekeep-
ing is all about. There is a good section
on iife history and behavior of bees, and
don't underestimate the need to under-
stand bees and their natural behavior if
you are to learn how to manage them.
Honey bees are still wild creatures, in
spite of their long association with man.
Much of beekeeping consists of modify-
ing the natural behavior of bees to ac-
complish our purposes.

Beginners, naturally, want to be
told precisely what to do at different
times of the year, and this book at-
tempts to provide this information in a
concise and accurate way. Keep in
mind, however, that you do not become
an accomplished beekeeper until you can



open a hive, examine a few combs, diag-
nose the needs of the colony, and perform
the appropriate manipulations needed to
keep the colony progressing towards
maximum production. When that day
arrives, you will be a beekeeper. Bee-
keeping isn't simple, but if it intrigues
you, stay with it. It will take three or
four seasons before you feel that you
are definitely mastering the art. Even
the most experienced beekeepers con-
tinue to learn new ways each season.

If this book starts you securely on
your way, it will be one of the impor-
tant investments of your life. As you
progress, join a beekeepers association,
subscribe to one or two bee journals,
continue to build your beekeeping library,
and become part of a great fraternity.

E. C. Martin

Agricultural Research Service
Beltsville, Maryland



Contents



Introduction

What You Should Know First

Understanding Bees

Equipment and Beekeeping Supplies

Before the Bees Arrive

Obtaining Bees

Working with Bees

Starting Bees from Packages

Feeding Bees

General Seasonal Management
Special Management Problems
Products of the Hive
Bee Pests and Diseases
Bee Plants

Appendices

A Bee Sting Reaction Physiology
B Anatomy of the Honey Bee
C Observation Hives
D Basic Hive Parts

References
Index



1

2

3
18
24
28
30
38
44
53
68
93
99
109

112
114
118
119

120
129



Introduction



Beekeeping is an interesting and reward-
ing activity for those with a love of nature,
the fascination with the unique social
organization of bees, or a taste for honey.

This handbook is designed to help
people who intend to keep honey bees, as
well as those who already have them and
are in need of a ready guide on various
beekeeping techniques. It is designed to
help both the new or experienced bee-
keeper in setting up or reorganizing an
apiary, or bee yard, and in improving their
style of working with bees/ This book can
also serve as a quick outline on colony
management operations. The text presents
the key elements in beekeeping-outlining
all of the major options available to the
beekeeper. It lists advantages and dis-
advantages of each important technique.
It is extensively cross-referenced to point
the reader to more detailed information
when that is necessary.

Numerous diagrams and illustrations
illuminate the descriptions given in the text
and help to aquaint the reader with various
equipment, beekeeping operations, and the
like. Space has been provided so that readers
can keep notes on their own successes and
failures.



An extensive reference section lists not
only the basic beekeeping books but the
pamphlets, supply houses, organizations,
and such which can be of immense value
to all who keep bees.

While considered by some to be the
"gentle art," beekeeping in reality can be
physically demanding and strenuous. The
typical picture of a veiled beekeeper,
standing beside the hive with smoker in
hand, does not depict the aching back,
sweating brow, smoke-filled eyes, or
painful stings. This handbook is intended
to maximize the more interesting and
enjoyable aspects of the art.



What You Should Know First



LEGAL REQUIREMENTS

All states have some laws that pertain
to keeping honey bees and registering hives
containing bees. Some city and state laws
limit the number of hives (the wooden
boxes that colonies of bees live in) in
urban areas. Since bees can be declared a
nuisance in some cities, local laws must be
studied before an apiary is established.
Most states have an Apiary Inspection Law
developed to aid the beekeeper by provid-
ing statutory means for controlling and
eradicating American foulbrood, once the
most destructive of bee diseases. The
law's general requirements are:

—All beekeepers must register hives
containing honey bees with their
state's department of agriculture.
—The director of agriculture and
appointed deputies have the right
to inspect, treat, quarantine, dis-
infect, and/or destroy any diseased
hives.

—Transportation of bees and equip-
ment must be certified by the bee
inspector or other designated
state official.

—All beekeepers shall have bee colo-
nies in hives containing moveable
frames.



—Exposing combs and equipment
infected with American foulbrood
is illegal.

—Penalties are provided for viola-
tions of these apiary inspection
laws.

For specific legal requirements, check your
state department of agriculture's Apiary
Inspection Law (see REFERENCES: Man-
agement of Bee Colonies).

BEE STING REACTIONS

An important question that beekeepers
must consider is their individual response
to bee stings. Although most beekeepers
become immune to bee stings after a few
years, some individuals may develop an
allergy to bee venom.

Reaction patterns vary among individ-
uals, but there are two types of reactions
—the local reaction and the systemic reac-
tion, both of which are accompanied by
some pain at the sting site.

In the first, a localized swelling
occurs, like a mosquito bite, which is red
and itchy and which usually lasts a few
days. The systemic or general reaction,
on the other hand, means that the entire
body is reacting to the venom proteins.



Signs that indicate this more dangerous
reaction are itching all over the body
(hives), breathing difficulty, sneezing, or
loss of consciousness. This type of reac-
tion occurs when the body is allergic to
the bee venom and, if not treated, could
be fatal.

People generally develop either an
immunity or an allergy to bee venom over
time and repeated exposure to the poison.
The individual's unique body chemistry
will react in its characteristic way. If there
is ever any question about whether one is
developing an allergy, a physician or local
allergy clinic should be consulted imme-
diately!

Detailed information on the treat-
ment of bee stings is included in the sec-
tion on HANDLING BEES; the physiology
of bee sting reactions is shown in APPEN-
DIX A.



Understanding Bees



BEE ANCESTORS

The probable ancestors of the Order Hymenoptera, to which honey bees belong,
evolved some 200 million years ago. Fossil insects preserved in Permian rock, dating
from the close of the Paleozoic era, display Hymenopteran-like structures, including
the membranous wings and the ant-like waists. Approximately 50 million years later,
in the middle of the Mesozoic era, the Hymenopterans were firmly established in the
fossil records. By late Mesozoic, there was also abundant plant life, including some
flower-bearing species. It wasn't until 60 million years ago, the Tertiary period, that
the stinging Hymenoptera became common; the land by this time was dominated by
the flowering plants or angiosperms.

During the vast periods of time that followed, the flowering plants became more
specialized and more dependent on motile pollinators. Insect pollinators like the bees
(Apidae) were very important; the bees and the plants they pollinated each evolved
structures to their mutual benefit as a result of their interdependence. The plants be-
came more attractive to the bees in shape, color, and odor. In their turn, the bees de-
veloped hairy bodies to trap the pollen of flowers, inflatable sacs to carry away floral
nectars, and a highly structured social order. Such an evolved social organization, along
with a defense and communication system, has permitted these insects to efficiently ex-
ploit the most rewarding of floral sources. Among the members of the Apidae Family,
one of the most valuable to man is the honey bee.

The placement of the honey bee in the Animal Kingdom is:
Phylum: Arthropoda (many-jointed, segmented, chitinous invertebrates)
Class: Insecta

Order: Hymenoptera (membranous wings)
Superfamily: Apoidea

Family: Apidae (nine members of this family are native to the U.S.)
Tribe: Apini

Genus: Apis (bee, native of the old world)
Species: mellifera (honey-bearing)



EVOLUTION OF SOCIAL STRUCTURE



Most insects are solitary creatures—
they neither live together in communities
nor share the labors of raising their young.
Among the insects that do live in commun-
ities, the most noted are the ants, termites,
wasps, and bees. The social structure de-
fines the degree of community living, and
the true social insects— those which are
highly specialized— are ants, termites, and
honey bees.

The sophistication of the social struc-
tures of honey bees is indicated by a
number of characteristics, for example:

—longevity of the female parent
(queen) co-existing with her off-
spring

—progressive feeding of food to the

young, instead of mass-feeding
—division of labor; queen lays eggs,
sterile female workers perform other
functions
—nest and shelter construction,

storage of food
—swarming as a reproductive process
—perennial nature of colony
-communication among members of

the colony
Honey bees can be described as a
eusocial community, consisting of a mother
(queen), and daughters (sterile workers),
overlapping at least two generations. Since
hornet and wasp colonies, for example, do
not overwinter as do honey bees they are
termed semi-social insects.



4



RACES OF BEES

General

The races of honey bees (Apis melli-
fera) can be divided into three groups:
the European, Oriental, and African races.
The European race can be further divided
into four groups: Dark, Italian, Carniolan,
and Caucasian bees.

The Dark bees were first brought
across the Atlantic by the early American
colonists (about 1630). Over two centuries
later (1859) the first Italian queens were
imported to America. This variety was
quickly recognized as superior to the Ger-
man Dark bee, and today the Italian honey
bee is the most widely distributed bee in
the Western Hemisphere.

The other two European races have
also been brought to the United States and,
with the Italian bee, are crossbred, inter-
bred, and inbred for disease resistance,
hardiness, and gentleness.

Importation of honey bees into the
United States was halted in 1922 because
of the danger of introducing bee diseases
which did not already exist here.

South America had no such restric-
tions when the African honey bee (Apis
mellifera adansonii) was introduced there.
The volatile hybrid— known as the African-
ized Kerr Strain or Brazilian bee (and
labeled the Killer Bee by the press)— may
eventually be bred down and become
gentler. So far, there is little scientific
correlation between temper and honey
production.

While the most common honey bee



in America is the Italian, the researcher or
the hobbyist beekeeper may be interested
in experimenting with some other bee
races. Since uncontrolled crossbreeding of
races could result in inferior queens, it is
prudent to maintain only one race of bees
in any one apiary.

A general breakdown of the races of
honey bees now used in the United States
(capsulized from the chapter on "Races of
Bees," by F. Ruttner in the Hive and the
Honey Bee, ed. by Dadant and Sons,
Hamilton, Illinois, 1975), is shown in this
section:

Italian Honey Bee (Apis mellifera ligustica
Spin):

The Italians are yellow with dark
brown bands on the abdomen; "goldens"
have five bands, the "leathers" have three
bands.
Advantages:

—good brood rearing habits

—hardy

—lighter color makes queen easy to
locate

—moderate tendency to swarm
—moderate propolizers
—generally productive and gentle
—common and easy to obtain
Disadvantages:

—poor orientation
—not as gentle as other races
—tendency to rob weaker hives
—can be susceptible to many diseases

Caucasian Honey Bee (Apis mellifera
caucasica Gorb):

Caucasian bees are black with gray
bands; they were introduced from Russia.
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