Bee keeping

[roquet]

Anyone done this in Japan? I was thinking of putting a few hives in my garden. I could make them myself but where would I get the initial stock of bees?

Thanks

[Travlrsong]

Hey Roquet,

I built a beehive according to the Abbey-Warre design (30cm squared, fixed top bars, stackable bodies), and put it out on the balcony under a tree that had tons of bees on it this Spring. Nobody moved in, but I think a more welcoming entry might have made a difference. I've read that lemon balm oil is very similar to the queen's pheremone, and it you rub it inside the hive, a swarm is more likely to take to it. Some raw honey and/or melted beeswax rubbed on the inside wood is supposed to help too. I've also read that certain varieties of orchids will produce the same effect on japanese honeybees. The best time to catch/lure a swarm is early Spring, but you can get them through the end of May/middle of June. July's too late for the new hive to have enough stores to last the winter. There are hives and swarms in the forests near agricultural land, and I've even read about a japanese beekeeper who collects swarms in the cemeteries of Osaka. Hope this helps. If you have any luck, I'd love to read about it.

[roquet]

Thanks, Travlrsong. Very interesting. My knowledge of the process is vague, to say the least, at the moment. A quick look at a UK beekeeping forum suggested people get their first bees from a beekeeping shop. I wonder if such a thing exists in Japan and how many you need to get started. I haven't noticed any bees here, just wasps. I'm in the suburbs with lots or rice and wheat fields around. Forests aren't too far. But it sounds like I'll have to wait till next year anyway. I'll look up that hive design.

[jonathanb]

Great idea, I'd like to start too. Please post your results here if you start up.

http://www.kumagayayoho.co.jp/kyh02.html

[roquet]

This is the website of the Japanese Honey Bee Association.
http://www.nihon-bachi.org/english/f2.htm

I emailed them (in English) yesterday, waiting for a reply.

Apparently certain prefectures specialise in making honey. I wonder if it would be possible to send bees through the cold post. They're supposed to go into a state of suspended animation when frozen and come back to life none the worse for it when the temperature rises.

[Travlrsong]

You can buy nuclei of live bees, and have them shipped overnight regular post. As long as they're packaged with some syrup, and the queen in her cage within the cage, they'll be fine. Again though, not until early Spring. There's a famous apiary near Matsusaka, but I don't know the name. They were featured on the TV a couple of years ago, and sell kits. Not sure if they're european or japanese honeybees, but I'd go with japanese here. They have a cool and effective defense against boogey-man hornets that the european bees do not.

[TJrandom]

I keep bees and have hives in 4 different locations. There is a difference in the hives, depending upon the type of bee that yiou keep. The Warre and Langstroth hives are for Western bees, while the AY (Aoki-Yoshida) hive is for Japanese bees. The Japanese bees are a bit smaller, and build comb that is narrower – so the hive box is tall and slender, while the Western hive is wider and shorter.

You can obtain either bee by having them shipped to you, but you would want expert assistance to get started.

If you have a suitable box or even a log – you can melt a bit of beeswax (find a candle, etc.) and coat the inside top surface. That plus a few drops of purchased honey just inside the opening may draw in a swarm. This is the right time for swarms.

I find natural hives in trees, and set my “catch-box” close by, and sometimes am successful in capturing them that way. I have two hives that brought in swarms here in Tokyo this spring, and more in Izu.

The Japanese bees are being affected by tracheal mites these days, while the Western bee is affected by Colony Collapse Disorder – so both are a bit harder to obtain right now.

[TJrandom]

「ニホンミツバチの社会をさぐる

http://www.tamagawa.ac.jp/HSRC/books/book_cerana.htm

The top book on this site (or maybe it was the fourth one down) includes the measurements for the AY hive. You can find it in large book stores or order it.

[TJrandom]

OH sheite! - I see that this was an old thread....................

[myhobbyis]

OH sheite! - I see that this was an old thread....................

Oh don't need to worry about that TJ !

I'm sure a lot here are interested in hearing from someone keeping bees. Great information, much appreciated.

[beesupplies]

If you want to succeed in your beekeeping business then there is a need for you to include some bee stuff in the list of the things that you need to buy. These stuffs are needed because they are the ones that can make your tasks easier and they will also serve as your protection in case the bees will attack you. As we all know, bees can be dangerous once they feel that they are being provoked. You will be safe and you will be able to perform your duties without any hassle if you will have these stuffs.

Harvesting honey can be one of the most enjoyable yet most difficult parts of being a beekeeper because this is the part where you will really get close with the bees. You must be aware that a colony is filled with numerous bees and you might get stung by them if you will just get the honey in their colonies without having anything that could protect you. Aside from the protective stuffs, you must also have these equipments that can help you in harvesting the honey. This article will focus on the stuffs that are truly needed so that you will be safe and your beekeeping business will be a success.

[gomu]

This has a day left to run on Yahoo auctions (http://page6.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/f88317004)... jpy11,500

http://img199.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/users/1/7/1/0/ogunitaka-img600x450-1276334785gop6y511296.jpg

[TJrandom]

This has a day left to run on Yahoo auctions...

A pretty box, but not practical for beekeeping. I wouldn’t pay a nickel for it. It looks to be a non-standard size for Western bees, hence you wouldn’t find frames, queen excluders, bee escapes, bottom screens, etc. to fit. Worse yet – that dark brown might be odiferous, and could be quite a turn-off for bees.

[gomu]

The blurb describes it as for Japanese Honey Bees...

Kind of reminds me of a Warre hive.

[TJrandom]

The blurb describes it as for Japanese Honey Bees...

Kind of reminds me of a Warré hive.

See post 28. J-bees take tall and slender, not short "supers" (layers of boxes). But I do admit that a person could keep J-bees in almost anything. But if I were buying a hive, I wouldn't want to pay good money for something that is less than ideal for the purpose.

In that box, how is a person supposed to remove a layer, when the internal comb stretches from top to bottom? Those side wood strips overlap the box below on the outside, meaning that one needs to pry it up, hence ripping the internal comb. Not good and very messy.

OK for someone who only wants to watch the bees, but not manage them or obtain their excess honey.

[gomu]

Interesting to hear from someone who obviously knows his stuff.
So would Japanese bees not be able to make their home in a Warre hive?

[TJrandom]

Interesting to hear from someone who obviously knows his stuff.
So would Japanese bees not be able to make their home in a Warre hive?

No - I would not say that. I do not know the Warre hive - only having heard reference to it; I have never seen one.

But hive sizes and shapes do matter, and there is a "best of breed" for each bee, depending upon the nature of the bee, the beekeepers goals (honey gathering or not, allowing queens to hatch freely or not, desease management or hands off, etc.), and the hive location (good flowers for long periods, or will it be regularly moved). Beekeepers will have different opinions on what makes a best of breed box - due to management objectives, knowledge, inertia, etc.

When I build hives I sometimes experiment and have made a couple modifications to the standard AY box - and others do the same. Sometimes my modifications work better in specific locations (deep forest, or full sun). Other times my modifications get tried and rejected.

I also keep the J-bee in verticle logs and in "jyu-bako" hives - but I can't manage them except to take honey and comb.

I also keep them in AY boxes (tall/slender) where I can manage them fully (all aspects) and when I harvest I can return the comb to them, and for which the parts are interchangeable. Interchangability is possibly the most important, as it means that I can manage an apiary (a group of hives), and not just one box - moving comb to a weaker hive, replacing a queen with a queen cell from another hive, etc.

If a J-swarm does take up residence in a Western hive, I will transfer them because that box is not suited to my bees and management.

If you haven't guessed yet - this is a passion for me.

[TJrandom]

Well, yesterday was a hive cleaning and maintenance day for me in Izu (Ito) – 18 hives took about 5 hours. Only 7 hives had bees – but all needed to have a good cleaning. One had a hornet’s nest inside, four had comb that had broken free and which had fallen to the floor of the hive and was close to blocking the entrance, many had ant tunnels. Most had some infestation of wax moths, which I was careful to remove.

Two required adding a “super” (which is a second tier box), three hives had full comb frames, and needed additional frames inserted, and one needed to have “natural comb” put onto frames. I moved one frame from a strong colony to a weak (new) colony.

Following all of this activity – all hives miraculously now had bees – which is to say that bees from the 7 colonies with bees were now investigating the newly cleaned but previously uninhabited hives. It is also possible that a couple of new swarms had moved in, finding the aroma of honey and wax that was given off during the cleaning to be irresistible. In a week, I'll know for sure.

Since it was sunny and quite hot – the bees were working – flying in and out, as I worked, and didn’t give me much notice. Not a single sting, which is a bit exceptional. The harvest is scheduled for the end of August.

It was a good day.

[gomu]

Otsukare san! Sounds like a productive day's work! What did you do about the hornets, btw?

[TJrandom]

Otsukare san! Sounds like a productive day's work! What did you do about the hornets, btw?

The hornets were already gone - or they were out foraging. I don't know the proper name for them - but their nest is small and looks like an upside-down sake "tokkuri". I have seen them with 5 to 6 hornets. If I had encountered the yellow hornets, as I have at times in the past - it would have turned into a nightime job - to first seal, and then gas them with CO2.

[CapnHarrysFan]

Otsukare sama de-shitt-a.

[myhobbyis]

Well, yesterday was a hive cleaning and maintenance day for me in Izu (Ito) – 18 hives took about 5 hours. Only 7 hives had bees – but all needed to have a good cleaning. One had a hornet’s nest inside, four had comb that had broken free and which had fallen to the floor of the hive and was close to blocking the entrance, many had ant tunnels. Most had some infestation of wax moths, which I was careful to remove.....



Hi TJ,
Thanks for this insight into the work involved in beekeeping. I , along with some others here, have had notions of doing a bit of casual beekeeping with just 1 or 2 hives but after reading your post I wonder if that is realistic?
I mean you have so many hives but less than half initially had colonies in.

Further to that is there anything we can do to encourage the small honey bees we want into those hives rather than those nasty long legged big bees ?
Actually honey bees are frequent visitors around the run off from where I keep my dog, presumeably because the water there is sweet as it is mixed with some of the dogs discarded feed. Haven' t been able to find where they drop in from though.

Last year a swarm of the big non honey bees made a nest on the eaves of my outbuilding and haven't returned this year so I could remove the nest easily now but I would leave it if there is a chance that honey bees may reuse the nest.
Is this a possibility ?

[TJrandom]

Hi TJ,
Thanks for this insight into the work involved in beekeeping. I , along with some others here, have had notions of doing a bit of casual beekeeping with just 1 or 2 hives but after reading your post I wonder if that is realistic?
I mean you have so many hives but less than half initially had colonies in.

Further to that is there anything we can do to encourage the small honey bees we want into those hives rather than those nasty long legged big bees ?
Actually honey bees are frequent visitors around the run off from where I keep my dog, presumeably because the water there is sweet as it is mixed with some of the dogs discarded feed. Haven' t been able to find where they drop in from though.

Last year a swarm of the big non honey bees made a nest on the eaves of my outbuilding and haven't returned this year so I could remove the nest easily now but I would leave it if there is a chance that honey bees may reuse the nest.
Is this a possibility ?

Whoa - where to start....

Do you live in a honey-bee friendly area? Or are you surrounded by rice fields and plenty of agricultural spraying and farmers who mow everything they did not plant? The nest that you described is probably a hornet's nest - and they are not on good terms with honey bees. Honey bees will not use a hornet's nest.

If you are in a natural (overgrown) environment - you are probably in a good place for honey bees. Bees fly 3 to 5 kilos - so look around you for that distance. If all is mowed/sprayed with less than 50 overgrown/natural, then probability of success goes down a bit.

One or two hives is plenty to start with, but you should assume a 50% or lower occupancy rate for natural (squatting) bee uptake of Japanese honey bees (Apis Cerana Japonica). If you have an external source of bees you can increase that occupancy rate, as you can with micro-management. The apiary that I visited is a 2-hour drive each way for me, so I cannot micro-manage and must live with low occupancy.

You encourage honey bee squatting by having a properly built hive, and by having it smell right. See post 8 above for a link to a book on hives and which covers the size, etc. The smell can come from introducing old comb, and/or a bit of honey. You can also catch a swarm of bees in the Spring and put them into your hive.

All of this will work a lot better for you if you have help and guidance from a nearby beekeeper.

[tomatonion]

You mentioned the 'vertical logs' commonly used as hives - are they made from a particular wood? Also,the entry notches usually seem to have been carved on the bottom rim of the log,but I once saw the notches on the top rim - is there a preference? Also,the logs are usually placed with their backs against a rockface or a very steep slope,or under an overhang.................?

[TJrandom]

You mentioned the 'vertical logs' commonly used as hives - are they made from a particular wood? Also,the entry notches usually seem to have been carved on the bottom rim of the log,but I once saw the notches on the top rim - is there a preference? Also,the logs are usually placed with their backs against a rockface or a very steep slope,or under an overhang.................?

I think that you can use any log, but I may be wrong about that. There may be some wood that stinks a bit too much for them. I have used new (green) Sugi - a soft wood, as well as new Hinoki - a hardwood, both with success - after one year in place (drying and airing out). Sugi is easiest to hollow-out, as once you have created a tunnel end-to-end (with a chain-saw), you can then use a long chisel to split the wood to the center along the annual growth rings. One log - maybe an hour to turn into a hive. A hinoki log took me over a day.

I have never seen a top entrance hive - log or box, so would suggest a bottom entrance. Bottom will be easier during harvest, since honey is at the top of the hive. This will let the bees keep working - in and out from the bottom, as you rob from the top. I have seen, and have added – screened top hot/moist air escapes, so that a hive does not overheat. Finally, bees clean their hives - and if the entrance is only at the top, they need to carry the debris up and out instead of letting gravity get it down so that they just drag it out.

Protection from too much sun, rain, and wind are important - so an overhang can be good - but you can compensate by adding an oversized top-board covering for a field environment.

[tomatonion]

TJ - thankyou for sharing your (obviously extensive) knowledge.I hope your patience can bear a few more queries from an apiaran ignoramus...........................
You mentioned some sort of 'catch box' to catch wild swarms in the Spring - the issue of how to attract/catch/buy one's first swarm is perhaps crucial to those of us who are novices in this field,and it is an issue still quite unclear to me...........?
I once watched honey and comb being taken from a log hive,and the log was turned on its side and the contents removed from the bottom - but you mention taking it from the top.Is this preferable?
Also,you state that J-bees are not afflicted by the colony collapse being seen in other parts of the world;but that they are suffering from their own disease at the moment.Is this disease endemic - is it likely to devastate the bee population in this country,do you think? I have read that bees only account for (I think the figure was 30%) of total pollination;but I can't help feeling that bees and their kindred insects are central to a balanced ecosystem in general,and an individual homesteading effort in particular.
Your comments on the unsuitability of Western hive boxes to J-bees and the local situation,is a potent reminder that we cannot always transplant things/ideas/techniques from our original countries - we often have to learn to adapt/integrate from the (Japanese) ground up.
Of course there are many friendly beekeepers in Japan,but the opportunity to question a local beekeeper in fluent English is unusual and most appreciated,as my Japanese is still very basic,and detailed communication of this kind is recurrently problematic.

[tomatonion]

Also,in regards to the notches at the top of the log - I did have a feeling at the time that the log was disused,and I see now that it had probably been turned upside down and the cover been put back in place,probably just to keep it dry.Thankyou for clarifying that - your description of the 'top to bottom' activity within the log was very illuminating.

[TJrandom]

My apologies for taking so long to get back on this – I was on sslvpn over the weekend and had a network failure.

I do enjoy answering questions and sharing my opinions, but certainly do understand that I do not know everything and can be wrong – so please obtain additional opinions and make your own judgements.

That "catch box" is designed such that it has an inspection panel at the front bottom, so that one can look inside to see the comb configuration, and thus which way the box should be held. Hold it wrong, and the comb bends over onto the adjacent comb and possibly breaks/rips off. It is just wax, after all - and it is heavy with brood, etc. Hold it such that the comb doesn't bend and all is OK. Second - it is smaller - meaning that it is easier to carry to a mountain, etc.

Used comb will attract a swarm naturally (squatting), or if you see a swarm - generally tear-drop shaped on a branch, etc. - you can take it to populate a hive box. At that stage - honey bees will generally not sting. Two approaches, depending upon where they are and how easy it is to get to them. If low and without surrounding blockage - put your hive box under them, and knock them off - or sweep them off and into the box. If high - you may need a net. Either way, once the majority has been put into the hive, close the top and allow the queen to use her pheromones to call in the rest. Not all will come - and those that are left will now be getting more aggressive with time. By the time I start to get 4 or 5 stings in a subsequent netting operation, I give up. Immediately after getting your swarm into the box, you can gently move it to the permanent location - but if you wait a few hours, it will be too late as they will have started to orient to that location. More on moving a hive in a later post.


I have seen bottom harvest - but the brood is at the bottom, so it must be cut away to get to the upper honey stores, and then re-attached toward the top when done. My method is to use skewers (BBQ type) and drill thru one side of the log, and insert them to give comb support as I extract honey comb from the top. This way I do not need to move the log at all, and have less bee disruption. I may still want to move the remaining comb upward in a separate process, or I may allow them to find the now available space, and fill it in at their leisure - maybe skipping a year. Or, I may come along later and move the comb onto frames and then into a box type of hive, leaving the log vacant to take in another swarm the next year.

Not sure of the longer term impact of the new mite problem, or if it has occurred in the past - but loss of 50% or more is currently reported. So far I am lucky, but also this year I have fewer swarms, so may be affected as well.

[tomatonion]

Thanks for the comprehensive replies,TJ.

[myhobbyis]

Do you live in a honey-bee friendly area? Or are you surrounded by rice fields and plenty of agricultural spraying and farmers who mow everything they did not plant?

Oh I'm in very honey-bee friendly zone I think. We have a lot of rice fields in the plain but there is nothing but forests and shrub other than that.
Closer to home, I have a small olive grove planted with white clover next to the house and I'm growing a long 20m border of roses, hollyhocks and so on around the vegetable field so if they can get here they'll have a ball :)



Thanks for your informative reply as always.

[Yukkuri Kame]

friend of mine just had a near death experience from working with his hive without a proper suit. He was too weak to get the epi pen in time. Lucky, his daughter just arrived home and he lives 2 blocks from hospital. Wear the suit.

[TJrandom]

friend of mine just had a near death experience from working with his hive without a proper suit. He was too weak to get the epi pen in time. Lucky, his daughter just arrived home and he lives 2 blocks from hospital. Wear the suit.

It sounds like your friend must have been stung too many times, and probably should give up on bee keeping.

I generally do wear a netted helmet - but sometimes do work without it.

[TJrandom]

Just a note to give a status update on my Japanese honey bees.

So far this year – at one apiary in Izu, we went from one hive that over-wintered, to 6 hives, all in good strength.

And in Chiba – we had a swarm move into a log hive that had been empty for over a year. These may be western bees – and I will have to take a closer look this weekend. UPDATE: Indeed, this swarm was Western - larger girls, a bit more golden in color. Not my favorite, as I know for sure they will die out before the end of the year, but they will give me some honey before they do.

I have two more apiaries in Machida, and one at Mt. Takao – and I will be checking on them this coming Monday. But I don’t think they will have bees this year.

Update on 21 June - Just got a call from the landowner in Izu - who reports that two more swarms have entered empty hive boxes there. That makes 8 hives with bees at that location. This is a good start to the season.

[stache]

I am not a bee keeper just a guy who needs bee's wax for my stache to keep it up. I make my own mustache wax using bee's wax, so if you have some you would like to sell or just have extra to get rid of I could use it. Thanks for the information.

Stache

[TJrandom]

I am not a bee keeper just a guy who needs bee's wax for my stache to keep it up. I make my own mustache wax using bee's wax, so if you have some you would like to sell or just have extra to get rid of I could use it. Thanks for the information.

Stache

If you check any of the local agricultural association stores (JA), or maybe even the roadside rest stops - and find Honey for sale, you may find wax - but you can ask, or find a phone number off of a jar.

I don't process the little wax I get - but instead use it to coat the inside of new log hives to give them that "used home" fragrance to pick up wild swarms, so really have none to spare. My bees are the smaller Apis Cerana - and don't produce any excess for me. In fact – I generally need to buy wax myself to have enough for my needs.

[BlackKnight]

Brilliant idea...although I'm sure your neighbours will be happy. :-）

[TJrandom]

Brilliant idea...although I'm sure your neighbours will be happy. :-）

Honey bees fly out from the hive and then up to elevation - 3 to 5 meters, and the neighbor would have to be standing pretty close to be affected.

This said - when bees first fly in the spring, they p_ss/defecate on that first flight and have a nasty habit of spewing things white (hanging laundry, cars, houses, etc.) with yellow and very hard to remove gunk. Anything within 10 meters or so will be pokka dot yellow.

[TJrandom]

Well - today I received a call at work from my wife, informing me that a swarm of bees just took residence in one of my Tokyo hives that had been sitting empty for a year or more.

No doubt they were forced to flee from their old residence due to giant hornets, or their hive was infested with wax moth larva. Either way - it is now too late in the season for them to store enough honey to make it thru the winter - so what to do? I'll take a look in on them next Monday - and if they look to be strong in number I may decide to feed them sugar syrup and see if they make it. Probably a wasted effort…

[stache]

I enjoyed the stories about the bee's, I still haven't found any bee's wax yet. With the cold weather in here in Yamagata Prefecture I may have to wait until Spring to contact anyone. I have not seen any bee hives during my rides, but have seen plenty of bee's. Thanks for the writings I may have to try bee keeping this Spring as a new hobby.

[TJrandom]

I enjoyed the stories about the bee's, I still haven't found any bee's wax yet. With the cold weather in here in Yamagata Prefecture I may have to wait until Spring to contact anyone. I have not seen any bee hives during my rides, but have seen plenty of bee's. Thanks for the writings I may have to try bee keeping this Spring as a new hobby.

Actually - now is the time to find your wax - since the harvest is over, and the wax from cappings is being processed. Spring will see the beekeepers too busy with startup activities. Ask at your local JA - as they should have contact numbers for their honey suppliers.

[TJrandom]

Neonicotinoids – will spell the end of mass food production as we know it. No more perfect strawberries, drops in nuts (almonds, walnuts), pumpkin, squash, tomatoes, etc. etc. – and yet the chemical agribusiness industry persists in marketing this class of insecticides.

At my recent bee-keeper hobbyist meeting – no beekeeper reported less than a 90% die-off – with most reporting a full 100% loss (including me).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neonicotinoid

A two year peer reviewed study published in 2012 showed the presence of two neonicotinoid insecticides, clothianidin and thiamethoxam, in bees found dead in and around hives situated near agricultural fields. Other bees at the hives exhibited tremors, uncoordinated movement and convulsions, all signs of insecticide poisoning. The insecticides were also consistently found at low levels in soil -- up to two years after treated seed was planted -- on nearby dandelion flowers and in corn pollen gathered by the bees. Insecticide-treated seeds are covered with a sticky substance to control its release into the environment, however they are then coated with talc to facilitate machine planting, which is released into the environment in large amounts. The study found that the exhausted talc showed extremely high levels of the insecticides -- up to about 700,000 times the lethal contact dose for a bee. According to the research, "Whatever was on the seed was being exhausted into the environment. This material is so concentrated that even small amounts landing on flowering plants around a field can kill foragers or be transported to the hive in contaminated pollen. This might be why we found these insecticides in pollen that the bees had collected and brought back to their hives." Tests also showed that the corn pollen that bees were bringing back to hives tested positive for neonicotinoids at levels roughly below 100 parts per billion, an amount not acutely toxic, but enough to kill bees if sufficient amounts are consumed.

[Pinkerton]

this is just a warning to those you think of keeping bees or honey here in Japan...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1GadTfGFvU

[TJrandom]

The evidence builds…. Now if Japan would just go back and repeat their studies that resulted in approval of these pesticides in Japan… What I understood is that approval was granted based upon just one study out of six – that showed no impact (the other 5 studies showed negative impact).

http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/29/studies-link-pesticides-to-plunging-bee-populations/

Studies link pesticides to plunging bee populations

A widely used family of pesticides may cause bees to lose their homing instincts and hinder the survival of their colonies, European researchers reported Thursday, suggesting that governments should re-examine their use.

A French study used tiny radiotransmitters to track honeybees as they left and returned to their hives and found that many of them failed to return after being exposed to non-lethal amounts of one pesticide.

British researchers, meanwhile, found that bumblebee colonies exposed to common levels of another pesticide from the same family grew more slowly and produced nearly 85% fewer queens than non-exposed colonies, "which clearly could have very strong implications for bumblebee populations in the wild," co-author Dave Goulson said Thursday in Paris.

"I would suggest that there is a need to urgently re-evaluate the use of these pesticides on flowering crops," said Goulson, a biology professor at the University of Stirling in Scotland.

The studies released Thursday are the latest to point to neonicotinoid insecticides, which are often used to treat seeds for cereals and some flowering crops like corn, as a factor in plunging bee populations. The chemicals mimic the effect of the tobacco ingredient nicotine, which is used as a natural insecticide, and pose less risk to humans and other mammals.

Both papers are being published in this week's edition of the peer-reviewed journal Science.

The research is an attempt to understand the phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder, in which beehives fail to survive. Bees pollinate about a third of U.S. food crops, so the sharp die-offs that beekeepers began to report in 2006 pose a high risk to farmers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Mikael Henry, a researcher at France's National Institute for Agricultural Research, said honeybees exposed to a non-lethal amount of the pesticide thiamethoxam "had a probability to disappear away from their nests in much greater proportions than non-intoxicated honeybees."
"Honeybees intoxicated with small doses will just get lost and are not able to find their way back home," Henry said. When he and his colleagues used a mathematical model to project the loss rates, they found that colonies would undergo "a marked decline within several weeks," he said.
That leaves the hives vulnerable to collapsing "if there are other stresses in the environment, such as parasites or climate changes or a loss of natural food resources," Henry said.

Thursday’s papers mark the third time research has tied bee deaths to neonicotinoids in the past month. An Italian study published in the American Chemical Society’s journal Environmental Science and Technology suggested that particles thrown off by seed drilling machines can expose bees to high levels of neonicotinoids, while a study led by Indiana’s Purdue University found the insecticides in pollen collected by bees from corn and other plants.

Regulators in France, Germany, Italy and Slovenia have imposed tighter rules on the neonicotinoids in recent years. The USDA and the Environmental Protection Agency say chemical pesticides are one of several possible suspects behind colony collapse disorder, but the EPA says it is in the process of re-evaluating all neonicotinoids.

“We believe that developing revised risk assessment methods will improve our understanding and strengthen the scientific and regulatory process to protect honeybees and other pollinators,” the agency said in a statement to CNN. “EPA is also engaged in national and international efforts to address the potential impact of pesticides on pollinators.”

Thursday’s studies will be part of that review, the EPA said.

Attempts to contact the manufacturers of the two pesticides used in Thursday’s studies - Bayer’s imidacloprid in the British research and Syngenta’s thiamethoxam in the French paper - were unsuccessful Thursday.

[tsuchi1]

Just put my 4 hives, 3 Japanese tier box and 1 log style out to catch swarms.
Will post pics when I'm on my pc but would like to know other keeper success
or failures. I'm in Hyogo so if you are interested please pm me or post here.
cheers!
Tsuchi1

[Pinkerton]

Just put my 4 hives, 3 Japanese tier box and 1 log style out to catch swarms.
Will post pics when I'm on my pc but would like to know other keeper success
or failures. I'm in Hyogo so if you are interested please pm me or post here.
cheers!
Tsuchi1

you obviously didn't heed my warning...

[Pinkerton]

you will be the first to die, hewei (http://forum.gaijinpot.com/member.php?102048-hewei)

[TJrandom]

So far this year Japanese Honeybee (Apis cerana japonica) swarms have taken up residence in my hives as follows.

28 April – Izu Ito – 2 swarms
5 May – Tokyo Machida
7 May – Chiba Kamogawa (to be confirmed)

Whohooooo

[oxymoron]

I know nothing about bee keeping, other than what my honey supplier told me when I had a Deli.
I'm planning on moving back to Japan, as soon as my farm in Australia is sold. In the meantime, I wouldn't mind having a few hives and learnng the ropes.

In your post you said that swarms had taken over some of your hives, which I assume were empty. Congratulations!

My question is, do you leave empty hives just waiting for a chance swarm to find them or do you buy queens to put in the hives to attract swarms, as they do in Aust.?

[TJrandom]

I know nothing about bee keeping, other than what my honey supplier told me when I had a Deli.
I'm planning on moving back to Japan, as soon as my farm in Australia is sold. In the meantime, I wouldn't mind having a few hives and learnng the ropes.

In your post you said that swarms had taken over some of your hives, which I assume were empty. Congratulations!

My question is, do you leave empty hives just waiting for a chance swarm to find them or do you buy queens to put in the hives to attract swarms, as they do in Aust.?

I put out empty hives - well prepped for them (well aged wooden box of the correct dimensions for the bee I keep, some wax foundation, a bit of honey added) - and wait for a swarm to arrive. This is the only way to obtain the Japanese Honeybee (Apis cerana japonica) other to buy a complete swarm for which there are only a few sellers. Apis cerana cannot be artificially inseminated - unlike the Western Honeybee (Apis mellifera), which is the production bee that is used throughout the world by commercial beekeepers. It is this difference that permits artificial splits, creation of new queens, large scale sales of starter kits, and thus commercial scale beekeeping. Lots of differences in management techniques too.

I do sometimes have a wild Mellifera swarm take over a hive – and that is OK too, but is not my preference.

I have confirmed two hives in Chiba - one which was suspected last week, and another one at a new site a few kilos away. One more in Izu too. Tomorrow I'll visit another site in Tokyo so have my hopes up. Today is prep day - equipment, securing foundation to frames, etc.

[oxymoron]

I put out empty hives - well prepped for them (well aged wooden box of the correct dimensions for the bee I keep, some wax foundation, a bit of honey added) - and wait for a swarm to arrive. This is the only way to obtain the Japanese Honeybee (Apis cerana japonica) other to buy a complete swarm for which there are only a few sellers. Apis cerana cannot be artificially inseminated - unlike the Western Honeybee (Apis mellifera), which is the production bee that is used throughout the world by commercial beekeepers. It is this difference that permits artificial splits, creation of new queens, large scale sales of starter kits, and thus commercial scale beekeeping. Lots of differences in management techniques too.

I do sometimes have a wild Mellifera swarm take over a hive – and that is OK too, but is not my preference.

I have confirmed two hives in Chiba - one which was suspected last week, and another one at a new site a few kilos away. One more in Izu too. Tomorrow I'll visit another site in Tokyo so have my hopes up. Today is prep day - equipment, securing foundation to frames, etc.

Thanks for that. I guess I'll have to do some research on Apis cerana japonica before I arrive.

[tsuchi1]

So far this year Japanese Honeybee (Apis cerana japonica) swarms have taken up residence in my hives as follows.

28 April – Izu Ito – 2 swarms
5 May – Tokyo Machida
7 May – Chiba Kamogawa (to be confirmed)

Whohooooo
Checked my 4hives no luck yet! Do you think there might still be a chance this year? Will go back this week end
To put some more honey in them and remove the mesh covers I made to stop frogs and hornets
Do you think the mesh covers are a help or hinderace. There's a 7mm gap at the top and bottom over the entrance?
Good to here you are having a good season! Enjoy!!

[TJrandom]

Checked my 4hives no luck yet! Do you think there might still be a chance this year? Will go back this week end
To put some more honey in them and remove the mesh covers I made to stop frogs and hornets
Do you think the mesh covers are a help or hinderace. There's a 7mm gap at the top and bottom over the entrance?
Good to here you are having a good season! Enjoy!!

Yes - this is just the start of the swarm season - at least thru the end of June. Swarms in July and August are unlikely to be able to establish themselves sufficiently to make it thru the winter. I am still adding honey and frames with comb in the hopes of attracting more. Plus my kinryohin orchid is just about to bloom - and that is a sure way of attracting swarms.

I would remove the mesh - and not put it back until you see hornet activity.

Do you see bees on the flowers? If they are in your area - then you have a good chance yet this year.

Your entrance should be closer to 9mm high and at least 50mm wide. I usually use an entrance of 10mm x 60mm. I also add a top (lid) screened opening as a heat vent - or add one near the top on the back side. If you have direct sun - the hive can overheat without vents.

I checked two hives yesterday and one today (all with bees) - and cleaned them and added frames with foundation. I had a call from the landowner at another location where I keep hives - and one swarm came in yesterday. So all in - 4 locations with bees in 7 hives.

[TJrandom]

Well – I cleaned, adjusted, and inspected my hives in Izu yesterday – and have three very strong hives in good shape. This coming weekend I will inspect two more in Tokyo and three in Chiba. The final one which is near Mt. Takao, I’ll need to leave until mid June.

Four locations with nine hives with bees so far this year, so not too bad of a start.

At one site in Chiba – I got lucky and was able to kill a giant hornet queen – which should result in fewer giant hornets attacking my bees come late summer and autumn. The queen would only venture outside of its nest when it is personally catching food to feed its larva – a task that is turned over to he newly hatched hornets just as soon as the first one pupates. So this nest will now die – but of course there will be others out there.

[hml]

At one site in Chiba – I got lucky and was able to kill a giant hornet queen
cool! how did you do it?

[TJrandom]

cool! how did you do it?

The giant hornet queen is massive - between 50 and 60mm, and maybe 8 to 9 mm in diameter. It was flying low to the ground - so all I needed to do is knock it from the air and then squash it. I didn't have much handy - but was in the processes of setting a new hive at that location - so I just grabbed the hive lid and swung. If I had a net handy I would have tried to capture it alive - as I know a researcher who would have appreciated receiving it.

[TJrandom]

The link is to a good story – and good follow-on comments on the NeoNics pesticide that many beekeepers and scientists now believe is responsible for the loss of honey bees.

http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2012/05/catching-my-reading-ahead-pesticide-industry-confab

In my own observations of my several plum trees - I found only a few honey bees this past spring - unlike in the past when their buzz was very audible. (This all before swarms took up residence in my hives.) Also - the mikan (orange) growers in Izu are predicting far fewer mikan this year, as these trees are just now starting to bloom - based upon having observed fewer bees so far this spring. In this regard - I feel truly blessed to have strong and working hives adjacent to my fruit trees.

[tsuchi1]

The link is to a good story – and good follow-on comments on the NeoNics pesticide that many beekeepers and scientists now believe is responsible for the loss of honey bees.

http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2012/05/catching-my-reading-ahead-pesticide-industry-confab

In my own observations of my several plum trees - I found only a few honey bees this past spring - unlike in the past when their buzz was very audible. (This all before swarms took up residence in my hives.) Also - the mikan (orange) growers in Izu are predicting far fewer mikan this year, as these trees are just now starting to bloom - based upon having observed fewer bees so far this spring. In this regard - I feel truly blessed to have strong and working hives adjacent to my fruit trees.
I thought it strange too, in my peach orchard I have 24 trees that were in full bloom lots of bumble bees nbut no honey bees.
I haven't checked my hives for a couple of weeks but will do it this week end.
Sounds like you are going to have a good season.

Do you use Japanese honey or is any honey ok to put in the hive?

[TJrandom]

I thought it strange too, in my peach orchard I have 24 trees that were in full bloom lots of bumble bees nbut no honey bees.
I haven't checked my hives for a couple of weeks but will do it this week end.
Sounds like you are going to have a good season.

Do you use Japanese honey or is any honey ok to put in the hive?

As an attractant – just a few spoonfuls – any honey is OK.

In principle, since honey is expensive – you would not normally use honey to feed bees – but instead would use sugar syrup. You might feed bees in the autumn – if you believe that they do not have enough honey stored to make it thru the winter – or in the early spring, when it is still cold and the flowers are not yet in bloom.