Beekeeping Techniques for the faint-hearted Beekeeper
Part 2
James E. Tew
My bees are ageless. I am not
(Part 2).
After one ages and accumulates ever-increasing instances of life’s events, when a decision-making situation is posed, confusion – not clarity – can commonly result. Consider this for a moment. Hypothetically, a younger individual has, maybe, five of beekeeping life’s experiences or, as a considerably older individual, that same person has had twenty-eight of beekeeping life’s experiences. Which number of life’s experiences will require more consideration to form an opinion when a given situation arises?
Let me give this confusing thread a specific bee theme. “Is it better to keep a bee colony in a single deep or in two deeps – or even more?” As a young beekeeper, many years ago, I was taught classic, traditional beekeeping. I still respect and cling to my concept of traditional beekeeping. My answer to this simple question would be — two deeps for an established colony. Otherwise, expect swarming. It’s an easy question with a clear answer.
But as time passed, and I read, heard, and learned more, I began to understand that – originally – bee hives were much smaller boxes; sometimes smaller that a single deep. The recommendation of two deeps came later as both queens and management techniques improved. But wait! There’s more…
Who decided what the dimensions of a deep was to be? Indeed, why are Langstroth hive measurements what they are? For instance, why is the rim on a standard telescoping cover the depth that it is? (Just so you know, the measurement varies slightly between manufacturers.)
Apparently, (and without a needed literature citation to insert at this point) early equipment manufacturers determined measurements based on lumber-use efficiency. Maybe if the manufacturer took a pine board, that was 1”x12” and ripped it down to 1”x 9⅝”, then the 2⅜” waste pine strip could be used as the telescoping edge of the outer cover1. Keep the wood waste pile as small as possible.
Throughout this entire dimensional evolution of hive sizes – to my knowledge – the bees were never directly consulted. Allow me to reword all of this – hive sizes were primarily determined based on production efficiency more so than bee biology. Okay, if no one conferred with the bees, and I’m conferring now, what size cavity would the bees want? Well, it’s complicated. (Of course, it is. I’m old. Nothing is simple.)
For more of this story, I refer the dedicated reader to Seeley’s work, The Lives of Bees, The Untold Story of the Honey Bee in the Wild2, page 116, Section Cavity Volumes. A summation of some of the findings by Seeley and other researchers is that “…. honey bees of different geographic races have different lower limits for an acceptably sized nest cavity, and that bees of races native to colder regions…. require bigger cavities, probably to hold larger stores of honey.”
Okay, now what? Does this information mean that, all those years ago, when I was keeping bees in South Alabama, that I could have used a hive body even smaller than a standard deep? Alternatively, does that mean that a standard Langstroth deep might not have enough winter honey storage capacity for my bees that I now have in Northeast Ohio?
In retrospect, I suspect that the equipment producer of yore, simply did the best that could be done with the limited information that was available at the time. Plus, I suspect they did not consider the bees’ needs any more than necessary. Wisely, hive boxes were produced in different depths. That way, the beekeeper could choose the size box best suited for their conditions. Seemingly, based on the work cited above, the bees themselves, do not even agree on the dimensions of a perfect hive domicile size.
Over time, our beekeeping decisions and guesses have become standardized – not because of what was best for the bees, but rather because this is what has always worked before. Plus, my beekeeper friends are using it and people like Jim Tew are writing about it.
Do you remember?
Do you even remember why I started this painful discussion? I posed a rhetorical question, “Is it better to keep a bee colony in a single deep or in two deeps – or even more?” I said that as a young beekeeper, classically trained, I would have quickly said that two deeps were required. But as a much older, experienced beekeeper, I would have hesitated – pondered – pontificated, and finally said, “Probably, two”. You see, having much more information, experience, and data, puts pressure on me to make a more educated guess as opposed to my quick, youthful answer. I cannot truthfully say that one decision-making process is better than the other, but I can say that as an older beekeeper, I tend to be sluggish and cautious when making beekeeping decisions. I can’t help it.
So, one deep – maybe two in some instances
So, my wishy-washy plan for my apiary is to keep some colonies in one deep, while I may keep others in two deeps. I do not want any more, big three and four deep brood bodies for bee hives. I’ve already begun to implement the changes. So, my intent next spring/summer is to not allow brood nest space beyond the two deeps. For me, the aged beekeeper, if possible, even smaller would be better.
The reason I have anguished in what is now this second article is that I am moving from the standard beekeeping practices that I have employed all my bee life to a different model. All of the previous years, bigger hives are better hives has been my mantra. Now, at my ever-increasing age, I cannot maintain huge populations of bees in 3-4 deep brood nest boxes with 2-3 supers atop them. For me, smaller more manageable hives seems to be the way to go.
Single-deep beekeepers – can you help me?
For those of you who have kept bees in single or maybe double deeps, can you help me with the following concept? Many years ago, when I was a beekeeper infant, I conducted a research project in which I maintained bee colonies in expanded Styrofoam® hive boxes. This was well before such bee equipment was commercially available, ergo I had to buy bulk foam and cut it to size on my table saw. At this point, it would be very easy to wander from my subject.
Beekeeping conditions in the early 1980s were much different than today. So, I kept bees in expanded polystyrene boxes, about the volume of a Langstroth deep, that I stick-built. Yep, they were odd-looking contraptions filled with bees.
These lightweight single-deep polystyrene boxes were only intended for a single season use. The thing that I quickly encountered was that the insulated sides of the JTew-made box was insulated enough that the bees would readily put brood on the outside frames – right up against the outside wall. This rarely, rarely happens with bees in standard wooden Langstroth boxes. Subsequently, larger than anticipated populations of bees developed in these insulated boxes. That’s good – right? Yes, it is if large pollinating forager populations was the goal, but you must know that swarming was an immediate issue when using these novel hive boxes.
A remarkable selection of plastic foam boxes is presently readily available from beekeeping equipment purveyors. With my long experience using polystyrene boxes, I am inclined to use them as my single deep units in my changing apiary design. It would appear that I can certainly expect swarming to be an issue with this size hive box. Does anyone reading here have experience in keeping a colony in a single plastic foam hive body?
Swarming and queen biology – a bonded relationship
Swarming biology cannot be successful without successful queen biology. However, queen production biology can be implemented within the colony without swarming having to occur. One of the routine ways to keep swarming reduced in managed colonies is to never allow the brood nest to become crowded. So historically, I kept adding brood space, which helped reduce swarming, but that added space allowed the colony to grow to large populations not commonly seen in nature. If I plan to keep the colony brood nest smaller by cutting the brood nest space back, I can expect swarming rates to increase.
Question – If swarming is to be expected, why would I invest in high-dollar queens? Answer – Essentially because there are no readily available low-dollar queens. I sense that beekeepers who keep bees in smaller colonies will need to modify traditional swarming and queen management procedures. Managing smaller colonies will require me to tolerate more lost swarms and become more intimate with the queens heading the colonies. (Truthfully, as I try to compose these written thoughts, I am forced to accept the reality that beekeepers do not have conclusive ways to restrict swarming, and queen management has always been a convoluted process that is tiresome to routinely implement.)
So, just let them swarm?
In previous conversations with other beekeepers who are also on this smaller colony management path, the comment has been frequently made, “Just let them swarm!” Even more support for swarm tolerance is that swarming will impede varroa populations and will result in frequent queen replacement. If one is eager about this Laissez-faire approach to beekeeping, it can also be said that our escaped swarms repopulate the feral honey bee population.
Well, I suppose all those reasons are valid, but who among us, while sipping our hot morning coffee, can watch a swarm issue without becoming ballistic? I can tell you, for sure, that I will not be able to do it. At this point, my preliminary plan is to worry about this issue when it is truly an issue. I think I already know what I will do.
My neighbors…
As is so often the case, in my close neighborhood, I cannot have swarms willy-nilly issuing that I simply ignore. There is nothing else that I can write at this point. If I allow my colonies to crowd their brood nest, they will swarm and, in many cases, those swarms will not be on my property. I must ask you to let me get back to you on this point later next spring. I’m still pondering this aspect of smaller colony beekeeping.
Small colony queens
I must immediately write that there is no such animal as a small colony queen. If all goes as planned, in nature, the small colony builds up and swarms. It’s an endless process. The colony population stays small because frequent swarming truncates it. Enter, the enterprising beekeeper who (ideally) manages the brood nest area – even to the extent of destroying developing queen cells. Queens in these colonies are allowed to become Large Colony Queens – but by beekeeper intervention.
Honestly…
As I try to write my thoughts, my mind races and some of the “Life’s Experiences” I alluded to in my opening comments come to my mind very clearly. While I was still a graduate student at the University of Maryland, and with responsibility for teaching a class, I had a young beekeeper come to the lab asking for instructions on “absolutely” controlling swarming from his single colony. He had unagreeable neighbors who had minced few words when discussing his neighboring bee project. He simply could not have a swarm on their property. I have revisited this life’s episode many times. A solid recommendation is still unavailable.
I suggested that he periodically give about half of the colony’s brood nest to another beekeeper. I suggested that he periodically cage the queen to restrict her brood nest area. I suggested that he find another location for his single colony. I don’t know what management pathway he took, but here I am asking the same swarm control questions of myself. I will not be implementing any of the suggestions that I made to that beekeeper over forty years ago. Too much work.
Challenging before I even begin…
Deciding to downsize my typical colony size has already been entertaining and challenging – and I only just started. I sense that this transitional learning curve is not going to be a passing phase. While I may be better able to manage colony size and mite populations, I will clearly have a smaller honey crop and, most likely, much more swarming. I’m already asking myself if this is all worth it. Sure, it is. It’s beekeeping.
Dr. James E. Tew
Emeritus Faculty, Entomology
The Ohio State University and
One Tew Bee, LLC
tewbee2@gmail.com
http://www.onetew.com
1A note to my woodworking friends, I realize that the nominal dimensions of undressed lumber would not have these clear measurements such as the ones I used. I used whole numbers for clarity in my example.
2Seeley, Thomas D. 2019. The Lives of Bees – The Untold Story of the Honey Bee in the Wild. 353 pp. Princeton University Press (See pp 116-119)
