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Beekeeping
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Domesticating
an insect -
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Summary:
Beekeepers manage honey bees and use these
insects to pollinate
agricultural crops, as well as
produce honey
and beeswax.
While beekeeping can be a hobby or business,
fewer new businesses are starting nowadays
because of problems with invasive species,
mysterious disorders, parasites, and
diseases.
Jack
DeAngelis, PhD
OSU Ext.
Entomologist (ret.)
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Beekeeping can be a business or a
hobby. Commercial beekeepers employ honey bees to
pollinate agricultural crops, for which beekeepers
are paid a fee, often transporting hives long
distances between fields or orchards. Honey is
also harvested and sold at the end of the season.
Hobby beekeepers, on the other hand, generally are
interested mainly in honey production.
Besides pollination and honey, a third
valuable product of all this bee labor is beeswax.
Beeswax is a complex wax secreted by bees and is
used to build the structure of the hive. Beeswax
is used by humans to make high quality candles,
cosmetics and polish. Beeswax candles burn
very cleanly and won't drip or smoke as much
as paraffin candles.
Until recently beekeeping was seen as a
potentially lucrative business or enjoyable,
"back-to-nature" hobby. However, in recent years
several severe pests and a hive disorder make
profitable beekeeping a challenge and have
discouraged many hobby beekeepers.
common misspelling: bee keeping
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Beekeepers now face a number of
serious new pests. A new, invasive bee
species, the highly aggressive Africanized
honey bee ("killer bees"),
can take over a colony and make it
practically unmanageable (see What
are Killer Bees?). And, a parasitic
mite called varroa mite which can
weaken and kill colonies, has become
widespread. Currently, however, the most
important threat to beekeeping is something
called Colony Collapse Disorder (see
below). Anyone considering starting
beekeeping as a hobby or profession should
check with their local county Agricultural
Extension office, or equivalent, about the
status of these honey bee pests in their
area.
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Varroa mite parasites
Varroa mites (see photo below) are
external honey bee parasites. These mites feed on
the blood of both adult and larval bees but most
of the injury is done to larvae or brood (bee
larvae are called brood by beekeepers). Compared to other mites, full-size
varroa mites are fairly large at 1-1.5 mm. These
reddish brown mites are easy to see on white bee
larvae. Untreated infestations can weaken and kill
colonies and may go unnoticed unless the colony is
specifically inspected for the mite. Control of
varroa mite can be tricky. Early detection is
important so all beekeepers should develop a regular
scouting program. New pesticides are under
development including miticides like Apistan
(fluvalenate) and essential oils like thymol are
useful so check with your local beekeepers
association.
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varroa
mites - photo by USDA/ARS
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Colony Collapse Disorder
Colony Collapse Disorder is a condition
in which honey bees abruptly and mysteriously
disappear from a hive, leaving it empty. The
reasons for the "colony collapse" are not yet
understood but researchers are focusing on
diseases and environmental factors such as
pesticides. (see What
is Colony Collapse Disorder?). Whatever the cause the widespread nature
of the disorder should serve as a caution to
anyone thinking about getting into beekeeping as a
business, at least until some solutions are found.
The European Honey Bee
The Threat of
Africanized Honey Bees
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