Brooklyn Grange Beekeeping Apprenticeship: Week 3

“Tell me what you see.”

The answer is bees.  Always with the bees.  (And butts.)
c2012, Shelly Fank

This week there was a lot I could respond with.

On Friday, a few apprentices returned to the Brooklyn Navy yards to check on our packages. The good news: two packages are going strong. They’re drawing comb, laying brood, and bringing home pollen. It seems they are enjoying the beautiful spring weather just as much as we are. The bad news: three packages aren’t doing so well. In the first hive we opened, the queen was dead, quickly validated by Tim recovering her body (Super bee observation skills at work!). The bees had tentatively drawn out a few frames of comb that glistened with nectar, but there was not an egg to be found. The other two hives had queens, but the brood was spottily laid, with some cells empty and others containing more than one egg. These three hives are going to need new queens, either through their own raising or through our help.

Never hold frames horizontally.  If it's hot, the wax can buckle and break.

Keep them vertically oriented, as they are in the hive, to maintain structural integrity.

Lovely new package brood.

Even dead and desiccated, queens are significantly larger than workers.

On Saturday, we learned just the skills to do that. Back at the Brooklyn Grange’s farm in Long Island City, we returned to the two overwintered hives to prepare a walk-away split. As I mentioned last week, the overwintered hives have been growing so rapidly that they are exhibiting signs of swarm preparation: the comb we’d scrapped off last week was built right back and there were several queen cups, sometimes more than one per frame, now full of royal jelly and supporting a queen larva.

To make the split, we prepped a super with some frames of honey, taken from the dead hive we cleaned last week. We then inspected the functioning hives frame by frame. Tim patiently answered all our questions (topics ranged from the genetics of drones from overwintered hives to the taste of royal jelly) and we spent a lot of time passing around frames, learning to spot queens and read the comb.

One instructor, 9 apprentices, and a camera strap.

After finding four or five frames full of capped brood and queen cups, taken from both of the overwintered hives, we had a full super. Before covering it, we shook a few more frames of bees into the box. These bees, regardless of their former task in their old hives, would now be responsible for managing of the tasks for the new one. Most will be nursing the new queens and brood into adulthood, the most crucial task for the survival of the split. The others will take care of the other chores, like foraging and cleaning. It’s amazing to think that in the course of a half an hour we radically changed their lives, forcing them to adapt quickly to a new reality.

Shaking bees like a Polaroid picture.  Or just once.  Yeah, just do it once.

Kamikaze bee is after the camera.

But that’s exactly what we did. The super was closed up and carried in a long procession of apprentices to the other side of the roof, where it will stay closed for a few weeks as the bees raise their new queen.

Next week: Back to the Navy Yards? A return to the Brooklyn Grange? The answer is a mystery to me as well. But one thing is sure, there’s going to be bees. A lot of bees.

Brooklyn Grange Beekeeping Apprenticeship: Week 2

Saturdays have become my favorite day of the week and not just because of the weather. While others are lazily lounging in the park working on their tans, I can instead be found covered up in white with the apprenticeship program. Certainly, there could be few better places to spend these wonderful weekend afternoons than on the Brooklyn Grange’s rooftop farm in Long Island City. Just above a bustling street, it’s quite a treat to hear long grasses rustle in the wind and the bees buzz.

Brooklyn Grange (in Queens) and a line of beekeeping apprentices.

This week the Brooklyn Grange Bees apprentices learned hive inspection skills at the Long Island City farm. We started off taking apart an abandoned hive whose colony didn’t survive the winter. Prying the supers apart and cleaning off propolis proved a good way to break in our brand-new hive tools and practice proper handling technique. It was also an exciting opportunity to learn about the behavior of bees during the winter. Opening the hive frame by frame felt almost like a criminal investigation—was there evidence of any foul play, perhaps by varroa mites? What about adequate food supplies? Examining the comb closely, we could see dead bees that had crawled into the comb to help with heating. It seems the colony was too small to create enough heat to survive the winter.

On a lighter note, we found several frames of untouched honey, which were quickly turned into a snack for the volunteers at the Grange. Spring and fall varieties were stored right next to each other, allowing us to perform a taste test and basically gorge ourselves on the sweetness of the fresh honey. After breaking for water and to clean our very sticky hands, we headed to the other side of the roof for the first hive inspections!

Brood frame on left, honeycomb on right.

Working on overwintered hives was a drastic change from working with the packages a week before. These were bees with an established home that they were willing and able to protect. Keeping the smoker burning and distracting the bees was essential. The bees were right to be wary of us coming in as opening the first hive caused the comb the bees had built between the super and the inner cover to rip off and tear apart rows of drone brood. While sad, it was an incredible opportunity to take a look at the different phases of larval development. Thankfully there was also plenty more brood inside the supers. Passing around the frames, we could see the larvae chewing their way out of the comb, emerging, and descending right back in to clean our their cells. It might sound bizarre, but it was actually a beautiful sight. I’m continually amazed by the efficiency of the bees, of their ability to function from the moment of their birth to their last flight out of the hive as a cohesive and prosperous unit.

Cleaned out drone brood.  Purple-eyed pupae on top, late stage and cocooning larvae on the bottom.

Prosperous might be a bit of an overstatement actually. These bees are booming. Opening the second hive we found several supersedure cells. As we located the queen in another frame, very much alive and laying eggs, this could only mean the hive had outgrown its frames and is getting ready to swarm. Thankfully we had available frames from the abandoned hive (expertly cleaned by our very hands earlier that day) that were swapped in. Hopefully, we were in time to avoid the swarm, but only future checks will tell.

Capped brood in the middle, larvae and eggs around it, surrounded by pollen and corners of honey.
Practically perfect in every way.

I’m not sure whether we’ll be back to see these hives as next week we return to the Brooklyn Navy Yards to continue building the apiary, which I’m happy to report is now completely funded! (Many thanks to everyone who contributed!) But the visit was impactful for more than the hours logged. It’s easy to forget the life cycle of the bee when the population turns over so quickly and a frame of brood is replaced with another and then another and then another. The chance to see the various hives, both dead and alive, was a wonderful gift and reminder of the mortality of the bee.

Weekly 101 (8/16/11)

I HAVEN'T DONE ONE OF THESE IN AGES OH GOD SO MUCH TO DO THIS WEEK!

The time has arrived! The first meeting of the NYC chapter of the Backwards Beekeepers is here!

Brooklyn Grange will be hosting on their vast rooftop farm, Sam Comfort will be there waxing philosophical about treatment-free beekeeping...growing strong bees, resisting the urge to rely on chemical crutches to keep your bees alve, catching wild bees, swarming, all of the things that make a beekeeper "backwards".

We hope that many of you can make it. We encourage folks to bring a small jar of the honey they harvested this season so that we can all . We'll have some fresh baked bread from Roberta's on hand to serve along side of it while we marvel at the genius of bees and the hazy Manhattan skyline.

While you are at it, we hope you will "like" our Facebook fan page too! We'll post updates frequently and share pictures of our beekeeping adventures as well as dates for upcoming classes and workshops led by some of our members, like Tim O'Neal, Sam and myself!

Hope to see many of you urban beeks there!

p.s. Big, big, BIG UPS to Renee Garner for designing our logo. It's freaking awesome and we're so lucky to have such talented people willing to help us out! You're amazing, Renee!

The first meeting is being held at the Brooklyn Grange on Thursday, August the 18th from 6:30-9PM. It's right by the 36th st E/M/R Station in Queens! I'm a founding member, so the only reason not to show up is because you don't love me OR the bees!

It will also be followed by a drinking session at a local watering hole hosted by the Honeysuckle Rosies (I'm never not going to find that name ridiculous, Meg.)


Tomorrow (Wednesday the 17th) there is a FREE beekeeping round table and honey tasting at the Union Square Greenmarket:

Greenmarket's Beekeeping Roundtable
Wednesday, August 17th
6:30-8pm FREE
Bee-friend local beekeepers at a honey tasting and informational on keeping bees and harvesting honey at the Union Square Pavilion. Hear from experienced beekeepers, Greenmarket's own David Graves and Meg Paska a Brooklyn-based "Backyard Homesteader" and blogger, and taste an array of honey from light to dark varieties that result from a number of local flowers and processing techniques.

I am going to be there after I get a haircut! I'll try not to shed on you!


EXCITINGLY, now that I am back from vacation (still pale), I'll be hosting one of my FREE Public Hive Inspections at the Red Hook Community Farm, across the street from IKEA and starting at 11AM on August 20th. Come for the flatpacks, stay for the bees!

Starting at 11, I will go through a basic inspection for each hive, starting with a lesson on lighting a smoker, moving on to visual inspections of the comb and a short talk on what to keep your eye out for (with examples!), and finishing up with another short talk on what we should expect to see in the next inspection.

In an exciting turn of events, one of the hives may have been robbed out and destroyed by its neighbor while I was gone! Come and see the aftermath of the CARNAGE!

DID I MENTION THAT IT'S FREE!?

It's all going down at the Added Value Red Hook Community Farm, located at 3-49 Halleck St, Brooklyn, 11231.

To get there by Subway:

A/C/F train to Jay Street/Borough Hall. Exit the station and walk west to Boerum Place and Joralemon Street. Take the B61 bus going towards Red Hook. Exit the bus at the IKEA store, and the farm is across the street.
F/G to Smith and 9th Street. Exit the station to the rear of the train (there is only one exit in this station). Transfer to the B77 (right in front of the station) Take the B77 to Van Dyke and Dwight street. You'll find yourself in front of the Liberty Heights Taproom. Take a left crossing Dwight Street and proceed up Van Dyke to Red Hook Community Farm (one block walk, from the bus stop you can actually see the farm at the end of the street).

This event is taking place during the Farm's open volunteer hours, so anyone who comes out should consider sticking around for a while after the inspection to help out! I'll be sticking around for a while to answer any lingering questions and hang!

If you ARE feeling brave and want to help out, consider wearing light colored long pants and a collared shirt. I've got an extra veil I can lend out to particularly courageous volunteers!

Special thanks to Added Value for hosting this, and future, FREE PUBLIC HIVE INSPECTIONS! They're doing great work, and are always looking for volunteers. If you'd like to help them out, check out their website!


FINALLY, in a late breaking update, the NYC Beekeeping group is hosting a Sunday Morning Hive inspection in Manhattan:

Start time is 10.30am, but may shift so please check back toward the weekend. There will be an opportunity to help harvest after inspection, so bring a hat (or you'll have to wear a funny-looking shower cap in the kitchen.)

ID is required to enter this location. Directions will go out to all participants - Parking may be something of a challenge even on Sunday so please allow extra time if you are driving.

Please bring your veil/jacket & hive tool if you have. Standard attire is long pants and closed shoes with socks so you can tuck in your pants.

As always, those remaining on the wait list from last time have priority for this event. If you get wait listed for this one, you'll have priority next time.

It's happening Sunday, August 21, 2011 at 10:00 AM! If you want to find out where, you have to sign up at their website, or email them at nycbeekeeping@gmail.com!

Pesticide Sprays: Keep Your Hive Alive

*UPDATE*  Due to the rain, spraying has been delayed until tonight (August 4th) in Brooklyn and Queens, and August 8th in Rockaway!

"Tonight's spraying in Queens and Brooklyn has been postponed until tomorrow night due to weather. Tomorrow night's originally scheduled spraying in Queens is now scheduled for August 8, weather permitting."

A helpful local beekeeper (Thanks, Dennis) sent me this notice from the NYC Department of Health:

The Health Department Will Spray Pesticide to Reduce Adult Mosquito Populations

Spraying scheduled for parts of Brooklyn and Queens to help prevent West Nile Virus

August 1, 2011 - To reduce mosquito activity and the risk of West Nile Virus, the Health Department will spray pesticide from trucks in parts of Pomonok and Holliswood in Queens, and parts of Greenwood Heights, Park Slope and Windsor Terrace in Brooklyn, on Wednesday, August 3, 2011 between the hours of 8:15 p.m. and 6 a.m. the following morning, weather permitting. In case of bad weather, application will be delayed until Thursday, August 4, during the same hours.

Ground-based spraying will occur in Far Rockaway on Thursday, August 4 between the hours of 8:15 p.m. and 6 a.m. the following morning, weather permitting. In case of bad weather, application will be delayed until Monday, August 8, during the same hours. Recently, the Health Department received several mosquito nuisance complaints from the neighborhoods of Arverne, Somerville, Edgemere, Bayswater; Edgemere Park and Dubos Point Wildlife Sanctuary. Some mosquito breeding sites in these areas are inaccessible. The Health Department believes that the proposed nuisance ground application of adulticide will reduce the population of nuisance mosquitoes.

For these sprayings, the Health Department will use a very low concentration of Anvil 10 + 10, a synthetic pesticide. The use of pesticides in New York City is conducted in accordance with guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). A complete Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is available at www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/wnv/feis.shtml.

Maps of the affected areas:

August 8 8:15PM - 6:00AM

Spraying in Queens • Neighborhoods: Arverne/Somerville, Edgemere, Bayswater and Edgemere Park and Landfill • Zip codes: 11691 and 11692 • Pesticide to be used: Anvil 10+10

August 8

8:15PM - 6:00AM

Spraying in Queens

• • Neighborhoods: Arverne/Somerville, Edgemere, Bayswater and Edgemere Park and Landfill
• • Zip codes: 11691 and 11692
• • Pesticide to be used: Anvil 10+10 

August 4 8:15PM - 6:00AM

Spraying in Brooklyn • Neighborhoods: Greenwood Heights • Zip codes: 11215, 11218, 11219, 11225, 11226, 11232 and 11238 • Pesticide to be used: Anvil 10+10

August 4

8:15PM - 6:00AM

Spraying in Brooklyn

• • Neighborhoods: Greenwood Heights
• • Zip codes: 11215, 11218, 11219, 11225, 11226, 11232 and 11238
• • Pesticide to be used: Anvil 10+10 

August 4 8:15PM - 6:00AM

Spraying in Queens • Neighborhoods: Parts of Pomonok, Queensboro Hill, Kissena Park, Murray Hill, Fresh Meadows, Flushing Cemetery and St Mary's Cemetery • Zip codes: 11355, 11358, 11364, 11365, 11366, 11423 and 11427 • Pesticide to be used: Anvil 10+10

August 4

8:15PM - 6:00AM

Spraying in Queens

• • Neighborhoods: Parts of Pomonok, Queensboro Hill, Kissena Park, Murray Hill, Fresh Meadows, Flushing Cemetery and St Mary's Cemetery
• • Zip codes: 11355, 11358, 11364, 11365, 11366, 11423 and 11427
• • Pesticide to be used: Anvil 10+10 

So what should you do?

Well, there are a couple things to take in to consideration. Firstly, the spraying is being done by ground level trucks and at night in a relatively small number of neighborhoods, so unless you live in one of the areas highlighted in the maps above and your hives are in the front yard and populated with vampire bees, the little buggers probably will not be sprayed directly. Your bees won’t be flying at night, so your foragers won’t be directly in the line of fire.

HOWEVER, that does not mean you shouldn’t take basic precautions to minimize exposure through overspray or drift. Jim at NYC Beekeeping suggests setting up a tent of sorts to protect the front and sides of the hive from any spray. An explanation of his idea can be found HERE, and a diagram of his suggested set-up is HERE.

Many of you will not have the time or materials to set up a tent on such short notice. Well babies, don't you panic. By the light of the night when it all seems alright, I’ll suggest some other methods to minimize exposure.

The lows for the next two nights are 68 and 70, respectively. Because we are lucky enough to have a break in the heatwave and because the active sprays are being done at night, I suggest simply closing up the entrance to the hive with wire mesh or screen in the evening. You can then loosely drape the front of the hive with a wet, breathable cloth. Burlap would be best, but if you don’t have that, get creative. An old bed sheet would probably do the trick. The screen will prevent any bees from flying, and the damp cloth will both prevent spray from getting in (or on) the hive and help keep it cool.

Make sure you remove both the screen and the cloth in the morning, otherwise your bees won’t be able to keep the hive cool in the heat of the day.

To minimize the exposure of your field force or foraging bees, you should gorge the hive with sugar syrup. You all have hive feeders, and now is the time to use them. By giving the bees an internal supply of food, you will curb the numbers of bees leaving the hive, and accordingly minimize the number of bees exposed to residual pesticides.

The authors of The Beekeepers Handbook, Diana Sammataro and Alphonse Avitable, suggest pouring a quart of sugar syrup directly on top of the frames twice a day for two to three days after a spray to limit foraging. I think that the combination of a hive top feeder and a couple of sprays of sugar water in and on the front of the hive should be sufficiently distracting. If you’ve been seeing a lot of pollen come in, you might consider feeding a pollen supplement as well, to discourage them from bringing in contaminated pollen.

The short version:
1.) In the EVENING BEFORE THE SPRAY: Close up your hives with screen mesh blocking the entrance and a wet, breathable cloth draped over the front of your hive. This will prevent direct exposure of the bees to the pesticide, and help prevent the hive from getting covered with chemicals.
2.) In the MORNING AFTER THE SPRAY: Open the hive back up by removing the cloth and screen. This prevents your hive from overheating.
3.) GORGE YOUR HIVES with artificial feed (sugar syrup and pollen supplement) before and for several days AFTER the spray. This minimizes (but does not eliminate) the number of bees actively foraging and being exposed to residual pesticides.

Good luck, kiddos!