The document provides information about bee colony activities and seasonal management. It discusses starting a new colony by selecting an appropriate location with access to water and forage plants. It describes comb structure and functions. It explains swarming behavior and how to catch a swarm to start a new colony. It details seasonal management practices like providing space and feeding during honey flow season and uniting colonies.

1. Course In-Charge
Mr.S.Srinivasnaik
Assistant Professor
Department of Entomology
Lecture No.4
BEE COLONY ACTIVITIES AND SEASONAL MANAGEMENT- STARTING OF
NEW COLONY-LOCATION, SITE, CATCHING A SWARM, TRANSFERRING A
COLONY, REPLACEMENT OF QUEEN, COMBINING COLONIES, SWARM
PREVENTION, COLONY MANAGEMENT IN DIFFERENT SEASONS
ENTO 332 (1+1):Management of Beneficial Insects

3. 2.COMBING
The comb of honey bees comprises of several haxagonal cells on both side of mid-
rib. The combs are built with beeswax which is secreted by 4 pairs of wax glands
located on 4-7 abdominal sterna. The wax secreted is a liquid form collects in the
intersegmental regions, hardens into thin flakes that are picked up by the legs and
passed on to the spatula of mandibles for being kneaded and stuck to the top of
nesting cavity and extended downwards bit by bits. Several bees hang like a sting
to do the job. Usually, the cells meant for honey storage are located uppermost
near the point of attachment below which are pollen cells spread in 5 cm wide
band, further down are worker brood cells which are followed by a drone and
queen cells. The worker cells are the smallest, done cells larger than the worker
cells and queen cells the largest. Worker and drone cells are directed sideways and
queen cells vertically with open ends downwards. Cells of the size of worker and
drone cells are used for storing honey and pollen. Cells containing unripe honey or
developing brood are uncapped; those with fully ripe honey and fully fed grubs
are capped, and pollen cells are generally not capped. Freshly built comb is
generally white, but becomes dark after some time.

4. 2.COMBING
3. Swarming: Swarming is a method of reproduction in which a part of the
colony migrates to a new site to make a new colony. During spring and summer
when conditions are favourbale and food is available in plenty, the bees multiply
greatly with the result the comb becomes crowed and the bees begin to make
preparations for swarming. At this stage, the queen daughter cells are built at
the bottom and when new queen is ready to emerge out, the new queen and a
large number of workers which have previously filled the cells with honey, leave
the nest to start a new colony Swarm settles in a suitable place already
searched out by the workers for building new comb. In a parent colony the first
queen daughter which emerges after swarming, kills the baby queen in the
other cell and establishes herself as a queen mother. After that, they start their
routine work of gathering nectar and pollen

5. 2.ABSCONDING & MIGRATION
4. Absconding and migration:. This may occur due to lack of water,
exhaustion of food store (either due to short supply of nectar or robbery
of honey), unfavourable environment, constant pest attack ((ants, wax
moth, etc.) and even by excessive interference by the beekeeper in which
case he is regarded as an enemy. Prior to absconding, the bees ‘drink’
whatever honey their nest has and them migrate leaving behind empty
combs, brood and sometimes even food, Absconding can be prevented
by providing water or sugar solution near the hive particularly during
summer.

6. 5.AIR CONDITIONING
5. Air conditioning: Among the living creatures, honey bees are the only organisms
which make their comb air conditioned. They keep their comb warm in winter and
cool during summer. The brood temperature is stabilized between 33 and 360 C
averaging about 34.50 C. Clustering begins when the temperature inside the nest dips
below 180 C and they generate heat by sitting on one another and rubbing their legs due
to which the temperature of the comb rises. In summer, when the temperature rises
above 330C, the bees start fanning with their wings at the gate inside as well as
outside with the result water evaporates from the honey and comb remains cool. The
brood nest is usually kept at 40 per cent relative humidity.

7. 5.SEASONAL MANAGEMENT
Spring time (February – March):The activity of bee colony usually starts in
late February and the beginning of March. Temperature is the determining
factor as far as honey bees concerned. As the weather gets warmer and the
days lengthen, and pollen becomes available, the queen starts laying eggs,
and the bees become active gathering nectar and pollen and storing
honey in combs. Then the colony increases brood rearing and its population
increase to peak size. When the hive becomes too crowded, the colony makes
preparation to swarm. when preparing to swarms drone population increases
and several queen cells are built to produce new queens. Swarming generally
occurs in March to June

8. 5.SEASONAL MANAGEMENT
Summer: In tropical regions, in mid to late summer, only small amount of nectar and
pollen is brought into the colony. Often no brood is reared and subsequently the colony
does not grow. In the hot weather, bees collect water to cool the hive, and they fan their
wings at the entrance to reduce the temperature within the hive. Bees don’t like heat.
They are stressed by temperature over 370c. and must keep the temperature inside the
hive around 33–350 C. If the temperature gets to high in the hive, they will crowd
outside the hive on the landing board during day and even in the evening.

9. 5.SEASONAL MANAGEMENT
Autumn: (Oct. – Nov.): The bees seal up cracks, openings in the
hive with sticky propolis in preparation for winter Bees forage becomes
scarce, reduces brood rearing and the queen cease laying eggs during
October – November. Drones are driven out the hive by the worker bees
and left to die from cold and starvation.

10. 5.SEASONAL MANAGEMENT
Winter: In the temperate regions, the winter temperature is so low
that the bees can’t fly out of the hive. The queen stops laying eggs and no
brooding. They stop flying when the temperature falls below 100C and
remain in the hive, eat stored honey to generate heat and cluster together
tightly in the middle of the hive to keep themselves warm. The cooler the
temperature the more tight the cluster becomes.
In warmer areas where temperature do not drop so low, the
activity of the colony is reduced, only few bees fly out of the hive, hence
very little nectar is collected.

11. 5.SEASONAL MANAGEMENT
•Management during honey flow season:
•Providing enough space for honey storage.
•Use queen excluder to stop queen bee movement into super frame.
•Provide empty frames with comb foundation sheets to make new
combs.
•Check the super and remove the super frames when they are fully
sealed for honey extraction.

12. 5.SEASONAL MANAGEMENT
•Management during dearth period:
•Remove empty combs in the brood chamber.
•Use dummy division board and confine bees is a smaller area.
•Give artificial feeding with sugar syrup.
•Provide natural pollen or pollen substitute or pollen supplement.
•Store empty combs properly.
•If the colonies are too weak unite them.

13. 5.SEASONAL MANAGEMENT
•Special Management techniques:
•Provide sugar syrup during windy and rainy days.
•During summer increase hive ventilation by providing a splinter between brood and
super chambers.
•Confine the bees in the hive for a day by closing the entrance to protect against
pesticide poisoning.
•Replace the queen if the colony is highly aggressive.
•Pack and transport the colonies during night to migratory bee keeping sites.

14. 5.SEASONAL MANAGEMENT
•Sugar syrup preparation and feeding:
•Dissolve sugar in boiling water (1:1 dilution)
•Stir totally to dissolve the sugar.
•Cool the syrup.
•Pour the syrup into the feeder during evening hours.
•Put twigs or floats inside feeder to prevent drowning of bees.
Avoid spilling of syrup to prevent ants

15. 5.STARTING A NEW COLONY
•Knowledge of bee plants – One should know the bee plants in the
area and their flowering periods.
•Duration of flowering plants:
•There should be abundant flowers to attract the bees.
•Knowledge on the period between budding and actual flowering.
•Plants selected should produce high quality honey.
•Select best bee keeping vegetation areas such as forest wood lands,
grass lands with dense covers of herbs/shrubs, agricultural crops
yielding nectar in abundance such as sunflower, coffee, legumes,
bananas, etc.

16. 5.STARTING A NEW COLONY
•Source of water:
•Bees require water for various uses; cooling, feeding larvae and own use.
•In Apiary can be close to the source of water.
•If there is no permanent source, water can be supplied in containers with floating sticks
to avoid drowning of bees.
•Human conflicts:
•Apiary should be away from public places, away from intensive agricultural areas
where large no. of people work every day.
•Schools, high ways and estates should be avoided so that bees should not gets
disturbance and should not become nuisance to people.
•The recommended distance from these utilities should be >300 mts.

17. 5.STARTING A NEW COLONY
•Fence/Hedge:
•Trees and bushes should surround the apiary. This makes bees to fly high, thus
reducing risk of becoming a nuisance.
•The area should be fenced to exclude live stock and other animals that might disturb
bees.
•Shelter:
•Colonies should be sheltered from the scourging sun, frost, wind and floods.
•Wind causes drifting of bees and poor communication. An artificial or natural shade is
necessary.
•Drainage:
•A well drained place is selected to avoid absconding of bees due to high humidity.
Water logged soils damages hives

18. 5.STARTING A NEW COLONY
•Pests:Free from frequent attacks by pests and diseases.
•Fire hazard: Avoid locations with frequent bush fires.
•Distance between apiaries:
•Apiaries should be atleast 2-3 km apart.
•Each apiary should not hold > 50 colonies.
•Carrying capacity of site:In one acre of good forest land an average of 50
hives can be comfortably established, but in sparse vegetation it can be less
than 50.
Pesticides:
Apiary should be far from the agricultural crops which are frequently sprayed
with pesticides to avoid poisoning and honey contamination.
Avoid spraying when forage plants are on flower or during peak foraging
periods.
Use bee – friendly pesticides.
* The entrance of the hiveideally should face somewhere between South and
East. The advantage to an East facing entrance is earlier foraging flights and
south facing promotes longer foraging periods in the cooler months.

19. 5.TRANSFERING A COLONY
Transferring a colony: When moving a bee hive from one place to another ia few
things need to be taken into consideration, reducing stress on the bees and avoiding
unpleasant surprises.
General Tips:
•Avoid transferring/moving bees during the middle of the day. Before sunrise or after
sunset are the best options because bees are less active during this time and all of
the bees are in the hive. A cool, windy or rainy day i.e. when the bees don’t fly out
allows transfer during the day as well.
•Avoid transferring bees on warm/hot day. Bees have to find water at their new location
(up to one litre day).
•When the hives are placed at new location, spray a mist of water around the entrance
before opening it.
•Before moving the hives, make sure that none of the bees will get out during transport
– use duct tape to close off the entrance if the hive is ventilated, if not, use fly wire
screens.
•When installing a hive in new location, always use a hive stand to preserve the wood
and also to improve the air circulation.

20. REPLACEMENT OF QUEEN
Replacement of queen:
Since there is only a single queen in a bee colony, there is a special procedure to
replace her when it becomes necessary to do so. Replacement of a queen by another
queen is a process termed as supersedure. Replacement of the queen and production of
another colony is another behaviour which is called swarming. A third means of
replacing a queen, emergency queen rearing, is necessary if the queen dies suddenly,
is removed by a bee keeper or some how injured or lost from her colony.

21. Supersedure: A failing queen who is unable to lay as many eggs as the
colony requires or who begins to run out spermatozoa and so lays a high
proportion of unfertilised eggs will need to be superseded (replaced) by
supersedure queen. When the workers feel shortage of queen substance
they start constructing large numbers as in case of swarming. In
supersedure queen cells are constructed in the middle of the comb,
whereas in case of swarming at the edges. As usual all young virgins
except one are killed. The young queen starts laying eggs before the old
queen disappears.

22. Emergency queen: In the event of death of queen and because
of a complete absence of the queen substance, the workers are
stimulated to get set for producing an emergency queen. The
eggs in worker cell or larvae less than 2 ½ days old, which are
still being fed on an abundance of brood-food, are selected. Their
cells are enlarged and extended down wards and the larvae fed in
the same way as in normal queen cells to develop into
emergency queen. As usual, any one of them is allowed to
survive, mate and take over the egg-laying function of the old
(Dead) queen

23. 5.COMBINING COLONIES
Combining colonies:
Combining two colonies, into one is done when one of them is weak or queen
less or for other reason like bad traits, etc. There are two methods of doing this.
•Direct uniting: The two hives to be united are brought near gradually and kept
side by side. The queen with the undesirable traits in one of the hives is
removed. Next morning, when the bees are busy, the frames of two hives are
gently put in one. The success of this method depends upon the skill with which
it is done.
•News paper method:
•Move the colonies to be united 30 cm/day.
•Bring the colonies side by side.
•Remove the queen from weak colony.
•Keep a news paper on the top of the brood chamber of the queen right colony.
•Make several holes on the paper using small nail.
•Place the queen less colony on to the top of the queen right colony.
•Close the hive entrance.

24. SWARM PREVENTION
Swarm prevention &Catching a swarm:
Swarm control/prevention: The strength of the colony gets depleted as a result
of swarming. Swarming can be prevented by clipping off special queen cells as they are
constructed, since a colony does not send out a swarm unless a new queen is ready to
take the place of the reigning queen.
There are few other methods of swarm control in which the natural instincts of the bees
for dispersal and perpetuation of species are not curbed but aim at relieving the spatial
congestion and re-adjustment of population.
•Primary swarm is allowed to take place but trapped in a swarm trap and hived as a
separate colony. The after swarms are prevented by destroying the remaining queen
brood cells.
•One or two brood combs in the strong colonies which are inclined to issue swarms are
removed and given to weak colonies.
•A brood comb with the reigning queen and few workers taken out and put in a separate
hive and thus the colony is divided.
•Interchange of positions between a strong and weak colony.

25. CATCHING A SWARM
Catching a swarm: Swam is a term used to describe a grouping of honey bees that
recently split off from a strong “mother colony” to start a new hive. Catching and
transferring swarm is a preferred method of populating hives. Swarming is the natural
method honey bee colonies use for reproduction. The original colony replaces the old
queen, who leaves the hive with about half of the workers bees and as much honey as
they can carry. Swarms land on a structure near their original hive location, cluster
themselves, while scout bees leaves in search of new hive location. It’s in this stage
that swarms can be captured and used to populate any empty hive. Swarms are
immediately ready to start building comb within their new home.
Swarm catching tool kit should include:
•Breathable box made of wood or card board.
•Light colored bed sheet.
•Bees brush
•Pruning shears.
•Lemon grass oil.
•Protective gear (Hat and bee veil)

26. 5.COMBINING COLONIES
Steps in catching swarm:
•Determine whether it’s safe to get the bees. If the cluster is within the arms reach from ground
level or positioned high up.
•Put on protective gear (hat-veil and gloves)
•Lay a light coloured sheet out under the swarm and place box on top of it.
•Move as much swarm cluster into the box as you can if the queen did not make it into the box,
you will within minutes, as the workers will move out of the box and back on the branch. If that
is the case, try again until workers stay in the box.
•If the bee cluster is on a branch, shake the bees into the box.
•If the cluster is hanging from a small branch or vegetation, we can use pruning shears to cut the
vegetation and place it with the bees in the box.
•If the cluster is on a fence, wall or other similar structures, mist them with a simple solution of
sugar water or plain water from a spray bottle. This causes lower likeli -hood of flight. Then use
bee brush to brush them into the box with a quick downward motion.
•If the cluster is on the ground, place lemon grass oil in the box as a lure, and tilt the box
sideways to encourage them to move there on their own.
•Close the box, leaving a small gap for returning scout bees to enter through.
•Leave the box in this position until sundown.
•After nightfall close the box entirely and secure with the tape entirely or put whole box in a
mesh swarm bags.
•Transport the swarm as gently as possible, and place them in a safe location over night.
•Install the swarm into new hive early the follow morning.

27. CAT
Catching a swarm in nucleus box (NUC box): Allows bee
keeper more time before they are installed in permanent hive. A
NUC is essentially a mini-hive with frames or top bars that can be
transferred into a full sized hive. Swarms are able to start building
and utilizing combs in NUC box.
Catching a swam with swam trap: The simplest swarm trap is
merely a box with a lid, swarm lure (Lemon grass oil) placed
inside and an entrance hole.If the swarm trap is good to the scout
bees, the swam can be easily trapped. The swarm trap box is at
least 9” tall, 20” long and 10” wide. The swarm trap should be
placed 10’ off the ground.

33. REFERENCES:
•Abrol, D.P.2010. Bees and Bee keeping in India. Kalyani Publishers, Ludhiana. Pp450
•David, B.V and Kumara Swami, T. 2016. Elements of Economic Entomology, Popular Book
Depot, Madras. Pp536
•Ganga, G and Sulochana Chetty, J. 2008. An introduction to sericulture. Oxford and IBH
Publishing Co.Pvt.Ltd., New Delhi. Pp160
•Gautam, R.D.2008. Biological Pest Suppression
•Ghorai, N. 1995. Lac culture in India. International Books & Periodicals Supply Service.
•Jolly, M.S. 1987. Appropriate sericulture techniques . International center for training and
research in tropical sericulture, Mysore. Pp209
•Krishnaswami, S., Narasimma, M.N., Suryanarayan, S.K and Kumararaj,S. 1995. Silkworm
Rearing. Sericulture Manual 2. Oxford and IBH Publishing Co.Pvt.Ltd., New Delhi. Pp150
•Mishra, R.C.1995. Honeybees and their management in India. ICAR, New Delhi.
•Patnaik, R.K.2008. Mulberry Cultivation
•Rangaswami, G., Narasimhanna, M.N., Kasiviswanatham, K., Sastry, C.R and Jolly, M.S. 1995.
Mulberry Cultivation. Sericulture Manual 2. Oxford and IBH Publishing Co.Pvt.Ltd.,New Delhi.
Pp150
•Sailesh Chattopadhyay. 2011. Introduction to lac and lac culture. Tech. Bulletin.FBTI:01/2011
•Abrol, D.P.2010. Bees and Bee keeping in India. Kalyani Publishers, Ludhiana. Pp450
•David, B.V and Kumara Swami, T. 2016. Elements of Economic Entomology, Popular Book
Depot, Madras. Pp536
•Ganga, G and Sulochana Chetty, J. 2008. An introduction to sericulture. Oxford and IBH
Publishing Co.Pvt.Ltd., New Delhi. Pp160
•Gautam, R.D.2008. Biological Pest Suppression

34. MARKS ALLOTMENT
1. Mid semester Examination : 50M
2. Final Practical Examination : 25M
3. Class Work : 25M
Record: 10M
Observation Notes: 5M
Attendance: 3M
Discipline and attentive and answering: 2M
Internal Tests: 5M
4. Assignment : 25M
Power Point Presentation:10M
Model preparation:5M
Photo frame/Laminations :5M
Internal Write ups:5M

35. “Strive hard to make farming profitable and sustainable for the prosperous Nation”