Words from the Hive: Infrared Cameras, Stethoscopes, Almonds & Honeybees
by Christine Hrenya, Ph.D. Engineering
What we, the Gallatin Valley Beekeepers (GVBK), are up to…
Please join us for a special full-day workshop “Beekeeping for Montana Hobbyists & Landowners,” to be held at Museum of the Rockies, Hager Auditorium, on Saturday, March 10th from 8:30am–3pm. The workshop will feature Montana experts Rick Molenda, owner of Western Honeybee Supply; David Baumbauer of Montana State University’s Plant Growth Center; Michelle Flenniken, MSU – Pollinator Health Center; as well as two panel discussions. Topics will include a year in the Montana hive, how to assemble equipment and set up a bee yard, pests and diseases, protecting hives from predators, and bee biology. Registration information can be found at www.eventbrite.com (search Gallatin Valley Beekeepers) or find them on Facebook. Email GallatinValleyBeekeepers@gmail.com with additional questions. A special members Q&A session will follow from 3:15–4:15pm.
Every beekeeping book will tell you the first thing you need to do is find a mentor and talk to other beekeepers and then study, read and learn. That is what happens at our monthly club meetings, which are free and open to all. The next monthly GVBK club meeting is set for Thursday, March 15th from 6–7:30pm at Bozeman Public Library. Doors open at 5:30pm for networking.
What the honeybees are up to…
From the outside, the hive looks fairly quiet during March in Bozeman. But unlike bears which hibernate during the winter months, honeybees remain active all year long. During the winter, the hive is ladies only — just one queen and about 20,000 (female) worker bees.
The sole purpose of the worker bees during the winter is to keep the colony alive, which involves warmth and food. Warmth comes in the form of a “cluster,” a well-defined sphere of bees with the queen residing at the center, or warmest, location. She is the queen, after all. The temperature of the cluster ranges from 85–92°F at its center and then drops to near 57°F at its edge — just warm enough to keep the colony from freezing. Heat is generated by the “shivering” of worker bees — this is their nonstop winter workout. Undoubtedly the most cardio workout is at the outer edge of the cluster since it is coldest. The worker bees continuously move to different parts of the cluster so that they share the workload. Honeybees are extremely cooperative, always putting the good of the colony before the good of the individual. Humans could learn a thing or two from bees!
The energy needed to keep the hive warm in the winter must come from somewhere, and that somewhere is, you guessed it, honey and pollen. The cluster of bees slowly moves around the hive throughout the winter toward the untapped food stores. But if the temperature drops too quickly or if the winter is too long, the bees may lose access to honey or simply run out.
On the upside, March also brings a bit of intermittent warmth. The queen resumes her egg laying and the worker bees literally get some relief. What type of relief, you ask? Bees are known to exhibit excellent personal hygiene, but unfortunately there are no bathrooms in the beehive. Instead, the worker bees hold it in all winter long until a day comes along with the gift of 45–50°F, when it is warm enough for a “cleansing flight.” So if the entrance to a hive seems particularly active on a warm winter day, especially given that flowers are not yet in bloom, now you know why!
What the beekeepers are up to…
Montana is the second largest producer of honey nationwide. Migratory commercial beekeepers make up the vast majority of beekeepers in the state. Instead of overwintering in Montana, honeybees kept by commercial most outfits are used predominantly to pollinate the almond trees in California. Over 90% of Montana honeybees are currently busy in warmer climates, not unlike a good number of their human counterparts.
For the hobbyist beekeeper, March comes with an uptick in activity. For new hives, the period for ordering bees is coming toward an end, so the focus is on ordering the hardware — the hive body, its stand, frames for brood and honey, bee feeders, etc. — and planning for the bee yard. For existing hives, the focus is on survival: checking food stores and supplementing as needed, ensuring adequate temperature and moisture levels, and maintaining proper ventilation.
Gallatin Valley Beekeepers is a nonprofit whose objective is to serve as a resource to local beekeepers, to educate the members and community about the science, art, and benefits of beekeeping, and to foster communication and cooperation between beekeepers and the community at large. •