by Dewey M. Caron, Communications and Content Specialist for the Oregon Master Beekeeper Program
Drones in early spring
While only up to 14% of workers found in a colony originate from other colonies, up to 89% of drones in a colony drift. Drones have been shown to carry mites with them on mating flights and when drifting. Female Varroa mites have been shown to choose a drone cell 8.3 times more than worker brood. Siting colonies at lower densities reduces varroa transmission. Reducing mite buildup by reducing drone brood amounts in the spring buildup and reducing drone drift helps provides a simple, cost-effective Best Management (BMP) strategy and promotes healthier bees.
Reading Your Sticky Boards in the Winter
Sticky boards (mite trays) are one way to monitor Varroa mite levels in your hive and size of the bee cluster. They are easy for you and easy on the bees since you do not have to open the hive. The mite tray is inserted below a screened bottom board and examined after 1-3 days. This gives an accurate count of how many mites naturally dropped during the monitoring period. The debris fields shows colony size. To capture mites, coat the board with any kind of cooking oil, baby oil, or spray-on oil (like Pam).
If your bees are snug on top of a solid bottom board, wait until later in the year to switch to a screened bottom board. You can install one on top of a solid bottom board but the bottom will need be cleaned of comb and propolis and that will be disruptive. If you have help you can switch the current solid bottom for a new bottom if you have a spare one. Protect the sticky surface with screening so bees don’t walk on the sticky surface.
Use a sticky board for some winter-time detective work to check on your bees. Betterbee Newsletter January has information on what else to read from a winter sticky board. https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzQZSsBqDczZtGcjqRvvwJdJSJWP
Citizen science
At the recent Reno, Nevada American Beekeeping Federation (ABF), Dr Ramesh Sagili presented a conference talk on Citizen Science and the Or MB program. Dewey was scheduled to give the talk but was unable to attend from Bolivia. Ramesh also gave a keynote talk to the American Bee Research Conference (ABRC) at their concurrent meeting at the conference.
Examples of citizen science participation offered from the OR MB program included the unique mentor training offered to Apprentice students, the Mentor training program, the result of Zip Kimmel’s Masters project, the ongoing review of the Guided studies of the Journey program and how Master students are assisting projects such as varroa sampling, studies of amitraz ineffectiveness in mite control and the recently started blueberry pollination/EFB project. A power point is available if you would like to view the Citizen Science presentation.
Photo at left: Ramesh center, Hieke Williams left with Citizen scientists (Amitraz ineffectiveness study)
Pollination values are down
Tim Hiatt, Washington State Beekeepers Association board member and their legislative chair shared information from the USDA, NASS National Agricultural Statistics Service with the Capital Press (January 6) regarding national and PNW decreases in farmer use of bees for pollination. He stated that “growers are cutting back on pollination as they face increased costs”.
Pollination value declines were 3.3% lower nationwide compared to 2023. Declines were steeper in the west; paid pollination value in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska was $18.3 million in 2024, down 26% from the previous year. PNW/Alaska paid pollinated acres dropped 16% to 240,550 and the price per acre declined 14% to $70.90. The tree fruit industry, and Washington apples in particular, drives pollination figures in the region. But the total value of the major tree fruits — apples, cherries and pears — totaled only $11.1 million in 2024, down 25% from the previous year. The total pollination value of blueberries, cranberries and raspberries in the region was $3.12 million, down 31% from 2023.
Both Hiatt and Joe Maresh, Oregon Beekeepers Association past president, were concerned as they were hearing of heavy colony die-offs entering the fall. Joe is quoted in the Capital Press article: “About half the beekeepers I know are looking at 50% losses. It’s not just in Oregon and Washington. It’s across the United States.” Both suggest growers contact beekeepers early to line up pollination rentals.