tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012-10-31:/beesquad/myblog//16213 2013-04-05T18:56:32Z Stories from inside and outside the hive. Movable Type Enterprise 4.31-en tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2013:/beesquad/myblog//16213.391101 2013-04-05T18:52:00Z 2013-04-05T18:56:32Z

April Activity (New Activities suggested Monthly) Natural History Journal: Buds, Leaves and Pollen The days are getting longer and everyone notices. Canada geese are visiting the newly opened water on our lakes and wet lands, sugaring buckets are attached to...

Bee Squad www.beesquad.umn.edu acebook page. Please include the date, location, and subject of your photos. Your participation will help us document seasonal changes in the Twin Cities. Links http://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/page/whats-blooming/april-native-plants ]]> tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2013:/beesquad/myblog//16213.389478 2013-03-21T18:13:20Z 2013-03-21T18:28:03Z

Importance of a Protein Supplement (Pollen Patty) Bees are vegetarians obtaining their protein needs from pollen, the male reproductive part of a flower. In addition to protein, pollen provides lipids, vitamins, minerals, and sterols (cholesterol is an example) that are...

Bee Squad www.beesquad.umn.edu The protein and sugar mixture is sandwiched between two layers of paper. You can help the bees access the food by scoring the paper on each side with your hive tool (bottom). Photo by Jody Gerdts A pollen patty split in half placed just at the edge of the cluster under the inner cover. Bees can access the protein and aren't squished when you replace the inner cover. photo by Jody Gerdts Reference Mattila, H. R., and G. W. Otis. 2006. "Influence of Pollen Diet in Spring on Development of Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Colonies." Journal of Economic Entomology 99 (3) (June 1): 604-613. doi:10.1603/0022-0493-99.3.604. ]]> tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2013:/beesquad/myblog//16213.389475 2013-03-21T17:44:22Z 2013-03-21T18:13:16Z

Announcing Bee Squad Participant colony design and photo contest. We look forward to seeing how you design and paint your hives. Keep in mind that your apiary setting, including location and surrounding landscaping, will have an impact on your...

Bee Squad www.beesquad.umn.edu click here for contest details. ]]> tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2013:/beesquad/myblog//16213.388504 2013-03-12T16:29:42Z 2013-03-12T16:37:22Z

Thermoregulation of the Honey Bee Colony Individual bees are ectothermic animals, meaning their internal temperature varies with the ambient environmental temperature. A colony of bees acts more like an endothermic animal because it can tightly regulate the temperature inside...

Bee Squad www.beesquad.umn.edu Thermoregulation of the Honey Bee Colony Individual bees are ectothermic animals, meaning their internal temperature varies with the ambient environmental temperature. A colony of bees acts more like an endothermic animal because it can tightly regulate the temperature inside the cluster. When brood is present, bees are able to keep the internal part of the cluster around 94°F, regardless of the outside temperature! Honey bees regulate the temperature the colony through physiological and behavioral adaptations. We will focus on how bees they keep themselves warm in winter. In a summer update we will describe how bees cool the colony during hot and humid days. During these cold winter months, bees cluster together to share heat. The cluster expands and contracts in response to the air temperature. On warmer days or when solar radiation warms the colony, the cluster relaxes, allowing air exchange. When the air temperatures cool to around 20°F, the cluster tightens as much as it can. It is only during warmer times that the cluster can move to different frames to find food. During prolonged cold snaps, when temperatures are around or below zero for many days, the cluster may not be able to move, especially if the cluster is small. In this case, the bees may starve to death even though they are within inches of stored honey. Bee fuzz helps insulate each bee while creating air space between bees that traps heat in the cluster. While in the cluster, some bees uncouple their flight muscles from their wings and shiver these muscles to generate heat. Only a portion of the bees in the nest shiver at one time, creating hot spots in the nest. Bees on the outside of the cluster remain at around 48°F, or just below chill coma temperature for them. Eventually bees on the inside of the cluster make their way to the outside of the cluster and the ones outside migrate to the center. During late winter (February to March in Minnesota) bees on the inside of a healthy cluster will maintain a temperature sufficiently warm to rear brood. Most colonies will have pollen stored in the nest from the previous fall, which they consume to help feed new brood in spring. As a precaution, we feed pollen substitute in early spring to provide supplemental protein for the bees while they rear brood. Colonies that went into winter with too few bees to form a productive cluster or with too little honey to fuel the metabolic needs of the colony will likely perish. A. A picture taken with an infrared camera during the broodless winter. The bright yellow spots shows a bee shivering and the arrow points to the queen. Temperature range is 41°F to 104° F Reference Stabentheiner, Anton, Helga Pressl, Thomas Papst, Norbert Hrassnigg, and Karl Crailsheim. 2003. "Endothermic Heat Production in Honeybee Winter Clusters." The Journal of Experimental Biology 206 (Pt 2) (January): 353-358. ]]> tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2013:/beesquad/myblog//16213.387797 2013-03-07T14:48:23Z 2013-03-07T18:07:01Z

Enjoy this past episode of The Splendid Table hosted by Lynne Rossetto Kasper where she visits Dr. Marla Spivak in the U of MN Saint Paul Campus Apiary. Dr. Spivak talks about both the biology of the honey bee...

Bee Squad www.beesquad.umn.edu Enjoy this past episode of The Splendid Table hosted by Lynne Rossetto Kasper where she visits Dr. Marla Spivak in the U of MN Saint Paul Campus Apiary. Dr. Spivak talks about both the biology of the honey bee colony and the challenges that are facing the bees today. Enjoy the entire episode or fast forward to 15:22 - 26:44 and join Dr. Spivak and Lynne in the apiary. ]]> tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2013:/beesquad/myblog//16213.387131 2013-03-01T14:36:08Z 2013-03-01T14:56:18Z

Read or listen here how Dr. Marla Spivak, head of the U of MN Bee Lab and Bee Squad founder, comments on the relationship between honey and wild bee pollination and the importance of keeping all bee populations healthy....

Bee Squad www.beesquad.umn.edu here how Dr. Marla Spivak, head of the U of MN Bee Lab and Bee Squad founder, comments on the relationship between honey and wild bee pollination and the importance of keeping all bee populations healthy. ]]> tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2013:/beesquad/myblog//16213.385579 2013-02-15T23:47:44Z 2013-02-15T23:56:46Z

The news from California about the availability of honey bee colonies for pollination is not good. There is a honey bee colony shortage and it is poised to impact the almond growers. Click here to learn more from Capital Public...

Bee Squad www.beesquad.umn.edu here to learn more from Capital Public Radio.]]> tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2013:/beesquad/myblog//16213.384894 2013-02-10T22:35:39Z 2013-02-10T22:42:33Z

Pick your favorite U of MN Bee Squad logo here! Just sign in with Facebook to vote....

Bee Squad www.beesquad.umn.edu here! Just sign in with Facebook to vote.]]> tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2013:/beesquad/myblog//16213.384385 2013-02-06T15:51:11Z 2013-02-06T15:56:48Z

Need a reason to join the Friends of University of Minnesota Librairies? Dr. Marla Spivak will be speaking at a member exclusive event at the U of MN Campus Club on February 24th, 2013. Click here for more information!...

Bee Squad www.beesquad.umn.edu here for more information!]]> tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2013:/beesquad/myblog//16213.382294 2013-01-15T17:32:41Z 2013-01-15T19:27:26Z

The American Beekeeper Federation National Conference was held in conjunction with the American Bee Research Conference this January in Hershey Pennsylvania. These two events brought beekeepers and bee researchers from all over the world under one roof to share...

Bee Squad www.beesquad.umn.edu The American Beekeeper Federation National Conference was held in conjunction with the American Bee Research Conference this January in Hershey Pennsylvania. These two events brought beekeepers and bee researchers from all over the world under one roof to share the latest findings in honey bee health, the state of pollinators, and progress toward projects aimed at helping pollinators. Varroa mites and the viruses vectored by the mites remain the number one threat to honey bee health, followed by nutrition and pesticides in the environment. Jody Gerdts introduced beekeepers and researchers to the Bee Squad as a new approach to extension work that is proving quite successful. Funding is short everywhere demanding that new programs be self supporting and modeled after a traditional business philosophy. The idea of bringing research and sound mentorship to beekeepers in a timely fashion and gaining insight into trends in small scale operations drew much attention. Be on the lookout for other Bee Squad programs popping up around the country in the next few years. Pictured here from left to right Dr. Yves Le Conte-Directeur de la recherche Domaine St Paul Avignon, France Elizabeth Frost- Bee Informed Partnership Chico California Dr. Keith Delaplaine-Professor and Program Director University of Georgia Jody Gerdts-Bee Squad Coordinator and technician University of Minnesota]]> tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2013:/beesquad/myblog//16213.382265 2013-01-14T23:14:00Z 2013-01-14T23:49:06Z

Beekeeper Bob (Bob Sitko of Stillwater, MN) shared his recent publication in the St. Paul Pioneer Press with us. Bob describes a very different world without the pollination that honey bees provide. Thanks to Bob for supporting bees by...

Bee Squad www.beesquad.umn.edu Beekeeper Bob (Bob Sitko of Stillwater, MN) shared his recent publication in the St. Paul Pioneer Press with us. Bob describes a very different world without the pollination that honey bees provide. Thanks to Bob for supporting bees by sharing how important they are to our food supply (and underwear)!]]> tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2013:/beesquad/myblog//16213.382178 2013-01-13T01:47:55Z 2013-01-13T01:52:19Z

Dr. Marla Spivak presenting a talk at the American Beekeeping Federation Conference (January 8th-12th, 2013) in Hershey, PA....

Bee Squad www.beesquad.umn.edu Dr. Marla Spivak presenting a talk at the American Beekeeping Federation Conference (January 8th-12th, 2013) in Hershey, PA.]]> tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2013:/beesquad/myblog//16213.381831 2013-01-08T03:12:50Z 2013-01-08T03:29:19Z

These warm sunny January days are a blessing for both us and the bees. The high temperature today in St. Paul was 36 when the sun was shining. The winter wraps around our northern colonies trap this much needed heat...

Bee Squad www.beesquad.umn.edu Two colonies at Marla's house. This photo is the colony on the left. Notice that the cluster is in the third deep box and looks quite populated. These bees do not have any room to move up and may be working through their honey stores faster than their neighbor. This photo is of the colony on the right. Notice that the third deep is tilted up and the bees are clustering between the second and third deep. This third box was quite heavy (according to Gary) indicating that the bees still have plenty of food left. Here in Minnesota, we leave the bees over 100 lbs of honey to feed them through the winter. In the fall, bees usually cluster in the middle box and as the winter progresses, the cluster slowly moves up to access the honey above. By the spring, the main activities of the colony will be in the third box with the lower two mainly empty. Good beekeepers will reverse the boxes in the spring, moving the brood nest back to the bottom to continue their upward growth. by Jody Gerdts]]> tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/beesquad/myblog//16213.381434 2012-12-27T16:49:26Z 2013-01-08T02:41:01Z

A wintery view of our Teaching Apiary! Bees all huddled inside their colonies, keeping the queen warm, feasting on the golden honey of summer, and waiting for warmer days to come....

Bee Squad www.beesquad.umn.edu ]]> tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/beesquad/myblog//16213.377976 2012-11-29T20:26:28Z 2012-11-29T20:31:25Z

March 2 - 3, 2013 This course is for beginning beekeepers. If you have kept bees before, please enroll in the April course. We have had to turn a number of people away in recent years due to over-enrollment. Please,...

Bee Squad www.beesquad.umn.edu Learn more or sign up!]]>