Warm Winter Breeds Early Honeybee Swarm Season in Greater Victoria

The unusually mild winter in Greater Victoria has led to an early start to the honeybee swarming season, with beekeepers like Bill Cavers, president of the Capital Region Beekeepers Association (CRBA), receiving calls as early as mid-April. Typically, bees go dormant by mid-November, but this winter, they remained active, leading to an early swarming season.

The Dual Impact of an Early Swarm Season

An early swarming season has both positive and negative effects. On the positive side, it indicates a healthy honeybee population and bodes well for the honey production season. Swarming is a natural reproductive process for hives, where half the bees leave with the queen to form a new colony, leaving behind queen pupae to continue the original hive.

However, the continuous activity of bees throughout the winter poses challenges for beekeepers, particularly in treating hives for mites. Normally, beekeepers rely on the bees' dormancy to treat mites without harming other hive inhabitants. This year, due to the lack of a "brood break," there was less opportunity to kill mites, which are parasitic infestations spreading across North America. Mites latch onto bees, infecting hives and causing additional diseases.

Handling Honeybee Swarms

While honeybee swarms are generally docile, they can be inconvenient when they land in public or private spaces. The CRBA operates a swarm hotline, receiving six to eight calls a week. Beekeepers like Cavers respond to these calls, collecting and relocating swarms. This ensures the bees' survival, as they have a higher chance of thriving in a managed hive than in the wild.

Local authorities, like VicPD, also play a role in swarm management. Recently, they responded to a swarm near a busy intersection in Victoria, calling in a beekeeper to handle the situation.

The Importance of Professional Swarm Collection

Beekeepers emphasize the importance of professional swarm collection to protect both the bees and the public. The CRBA has a dozen members ready to assist with swarm relocation. When a call is received, they first determine if the swarm consists of honeybees, bumblebees, or wasps (they do not collect wasps). They then gather details about the swarm's location and accessibility before dispatching a beekeeper.

Collecting swarms benefits everyone involved: it resolves the inconvenience for residents, provides beekeepers with new broods, and ensures the bees' survival in a controlled environment.

Conclusion

The early start to the honeybee swarming season in Greater Victoria highlights the impact of mild winters on bee activity. While it brings challenges in mite treatment, it also signifies healthy bee populations. Local beekeepers and authorities work together to manage swarms, ensuring safety and environmental benefits. Residents encountering swarms are encouraged to contact the CRBA for safe and effective swarm collection.

A mild winter has led to an early start to honeybee swarming season in Greater Victoria, starting in mid-April instead of the usual May. This early activity has both positive and negative consequences. While it indicates healthy honeybee populations and promises a good honey season, it also complicates mite treatment processes for beekeepers. Beekeepers rely on a dormant period to treat hives for mites, which wasn't available this year. However, swarms, which are usually docile, are essential for hive reproduction and are relocated by local beekeepers to ensure their survival and environmental contribution.

FAQs

Why did the honeybee swarm season start early in Greater Victoria?
- The swarm season started early due to a mild winter that kept bees active through December, unlike their usual dormancy starting mid-November.
What are the positive effects of an early swarm season?
- An early swarm season indicates healthy honeybee populations and suggests a promising honey production season.
What challenges do beekeepers face with early swarm seasons?
- Beekeepers struggle to treat hives for mites without harming bees because they rely on a dormant period, which was unavailable due to the bees' continuous activity.
What should residents do if they encounter a honeybee swarm?
- Residents should contact local beekeepers, such as those from the Capital Region Beekeepers Association, who can safely and gently collect and relocate the swarm.
How do beekeepers handle swarms?
- Beekeepers first identify whether the swarm consists of honeybees, bumblebees, or wasps (only collecting honeybees), and then collect and relocate the swarm, ensuring a higher survival rate for the bees.

#Honeybees
#SwarmingSeason
#Beekeeping
#GreaterVictoria
#EnvironmentalImpact

이 블로그의 인기 게시물

Non-contact exposure to dinotefuran disrupts honey bee homing by altering MagR and Cry2 gene expression

Non-contact exposure to dinotefuran disrupts honey bee homing by altering MagR and Cry2 gene expression Dinotefuran is known to negatively affect honeybee ( Apis mellifera ) behavior, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The magnetoreceptor ( MagR , which responds to magnetic fields) and cryptochrome ( Cry2 , which is sensitive to light) genes are considered to play important roles in honey bees’ homing and localization behaviors. Our study found that dinotefuran, even without direct contact, can act like a magnet, significantly altering MagR expression in honeybees. This non-contact exposure reduced the bees’ homing rate. In further experiments, we exposed foragers to light and magnetic fields, the MagR gene responded to magnetic fields only in the presence of light, with Cry 2 playing a key switching role in the magnetic field receptor mechanism ( MagR–Cry2 ). Yeast two-hybrid and BiFc assays confirmed an interactio...

“Global honey crisis”: Testing technology and local sourcing soars amid fraud and tampering concerns

“Global honey crisis”: Testing technology and local sourcing soars amid fraud and tampering concerns The World Beekeeping Awards will not grant a prize for honey next year due to the “inability” to thoroughly test honey for adulteration. The announcement comes amid the rise of honey fraud in the EU, where a 2023 investigation found that 46% of 147 honey samples tested were likely contaminated with low-cost plant syrups. Apimondia, the International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations, organizes the event at its Congress, whose 49th edition will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in September 2025. The conference brings together beekeepers, scientists and other stakeholders. “We will celebrate honey in many ways at the Congress, but honey will no longer be a category, and thus, there will be no honey judging in the World Beekeeping Awards. The lessons learned from Canada 2019 and Chile 2023 were that adequate testing was impossible if we are to award winning honey at the Con...

Unveiling the Canopy's Secrets: New Bee Species Discovered in the Pacific

Unveiling the Canopy's Secrets: New Bee Species Discovered in the Pacific In an exciting development for environmentalists and beekeeping experts, researchers have discovered eight new species of masked bees in the Pacific Islands, shining a light on the rich biodiversity hidden within the forest canopy. This discovery underscores the critical role bees play in our ecosystems and the pressing need for conservation efforts to protect these vital pollinators. A New Frontier in Bee Research By exploring the forest canopy, scientists have opened a new frontier in bee research, revealing species that have adapted to life high above the ground. These discoveries are crucial for understanding the complex relationships between bees, flora, and the broader ecosystem. The new species of masked bees, characterized by their striking black bodies with yellow or white highlights, particularly on their faces, rely exclusively on the forest canopy for survival. The Importance of Bee Conservation...

New Report – Interlocked: Midwives and the Climate Crisis

New Report – Interlocked: Midwives and the Climate Crisis Earlier this year, midwives from 41 countries shared their experiences of working in communities affected by climate change through our survey, Midwives’ Experiences and Perspectives on Climate Change. Their voices shaped our new report, Interlocked: Midwives and the Climate Crisis , which highlights how midwives are already responding to the health impacts of climate disasters like floods, wildfires, and extreme heat—and why they must be included in climate action plans. What did we learn?Climate change is damaging community health: 75% of midwives reported that climate change is harming the communities they serve, with rising rates of preterm births, food insecurity, and restricted access to care during disasters like floods. Midwives are critical first responders: Midwives are often the first and only healthcare providers on the ground in crises, delivering care during wildfires, floods, and extreme heat. Midwives face signi...

Bee attack claims life of newspaper distributor

Bee attack claims life of newspaper distributor Newspaper distributor Pushparaja Shetty (45), who sustained severe injuries in a bee attack, succumbed to his injuries on Thursday at a hospital in Mangaluru. Pushparaja was attacked by a swarm of bees on Wednesday morning while walking at Kenjaru Taangadi under Bajpe town panchayat limits. He was immediately admitted to a hospital for treatment but could not survive the ordeal. Fondly known as ‘Boggu’ in the Porkodi area, Pushparaja was well-known for his dedication to delivering newspapers on foot to every household. He was admired for his generosity, as he often distributed sweets to schoolchildren on Independence Day using his own earnings and contributed part of his income to the betterment of society. Pushparaja was unmarried and is survived by three brothers and one sister.

Start the New Year Humming Like a Bee

Start the New Year Humming Like a Bee There are lots of opportunities to be as busy as a bee during these winter holidays. As we hustle toward the dawn of the New Year, it can be hard to notice that the natural world is actually suggesting something different for us right now. We’re past the solstice, but the winter still stretches ahead, the days are still short and the nights long. We’re being invited into a quieter, more inner-focused time. The ancient yogis were all about this inner focus. In India, for example, the Upanishads, the Sanskrit writings that accompanied the development of Hinduism — and alongside it, yoga — beginning around 800 B.C.E., went deeper than earlier texts had into philosophy and questions of being. With the goals of increased inner awareness and higher consciousness, yoga was at that time not yet as focused on the body or on asanas, as it now can tend to be. But the yogis did develop many practices to try to open the way to those goals. They discovered...

The largest “killer hornets” in the world were exterminated in the US

The largest “killer hornets” in the world were exterminated in the US The US informed that it had exterminated the worldʼs largest hornets, nicknamed "killer hornets" — they are capable of occupying a hive of honey bees in just 90 minutes, decapitating all its inhabitants and feeding their offspring to their own. This was reported by the Department of Agriculture in Washington. The hornets, which can reach five centimeters in length, were previously called Asian giant hornets, but in 2019 they were also spotted in Washington state near the Canadian border. In China, these insects killed 42 people and seriously injured 1,675. A dead northern giant hornet (below) next to a native bald hornet. According to experts, the hornets could have entered North America in plant pots or shipping containers. The hornet can sting through most beekeeper suits because it produces nearly seven times more venom than a honeybee and stings multiple times. Thatʼs why the Washington Departme...

From Classroom to Hive: Jeff Tech students experience sweet journey of honey making

From Classroom to Hive: Jeff Tech students experience sweet journey of honey making The Courier Express has partnered with digital media arts students at Jeff Tech to highlight accomplishments and updates from the school. q q q REYNOLDSVILLE — The new “Intro to Agriculture” class, taught by advanced manufacturing instructor Perry Neal, has recently been buzzing throughout the halls of Jeff Tech. The course has been receiving positive feedback from both students and teachers. “It’s a great class. I love it,” said Jeff Tech student Jacob DeFoor. Student Kyle Lasher said, “I’m really considering getting bees of my own.” Intro to Agriculture is an 18-week course that starts with students learning anything and everything bees. They gather together to learn the process and safety procedures of making honey from scratch with locally-sourced honey bees. In class, students research pollination, foods that contain honey, where to purchase hive equipment, types of bees, etc., according to N...

The Unexpected Surge: America's Honeybees Buzz Back to Record Numbers

The Unexpected Surge: America's Honeybees Buzz Back to Record Numbers In an age where environmental narratives often lean towards loss and decline, the story of the American honeybee offers a glimmer of hope and a puzzle to solve. Recent data from the Census of Agriculture reveals an astonishing rebound in the honeybee population, now soaring to an all-time high of 3.8 million colonies. This revelation comes as a surprise against the backdrop of two decades marked by fears of colony collapse and the potential ramifications for ecosystems and agriculture. The surge in bee populations brings to light a series of questions and insights into the intertwined worlds of agriculture, conservation, and legislation. Central to this narrative is the state of Texas, where legislative changes have catalyzed a beekeeping boom by offering agricultural tax breaks to landowners cultivating honeybees. This policy shift, coupled with the entrepreneurial spirit of Texans and the essential role of bees...

Researchers use advanced robotics to study honeybee behaviour

Researchers use advanced robotics to study honeybee behaviour Researchers from our top-rated Computer Science department have made significant advances in understanding honeybee behaviour through the use of innovative robotic technology. The study, published in the cover page of prestigious journal - Science Robotics, offers unprecedented insights into the daily activities of honeybee colonies, particularly focusing on the queen bee and her interactions with worker bees. Robotic system provides continuous monitoring The research team, led by Professor Farshad Arvin, developed a sophisticated robotic system capable of continuous, long-term observation of bee hives. This system employs two high-resolution cameras that work autonomously, tracking the queen bee's movements and mapping the contents of the honeycomb. This technology allows the researchers to collect data on bee behaviour 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Researchers say this level of continuous monitoring was previous...

Small actions make a big difference engilsh dkbee.com

이 블로그 검색