Dr. D's Honey Bees

Dr. D's Honey Bees Local veterinarian and beekeeper.

Happy Mother's Day!
05/08/2022

Happy Mother's Day!

Presenting the first entry for a new step in my beekeeping adventure.Because beekeeping culture doesn't have to be all f...
05/06/2022

Presenting the first entry for a new step in my beekeeping adventure.

Because beekeeping culture doesn't have to be all flowers and sunshine. I wanted to bring a punk rock aesthetic to my passion.

This piece was brought to life by the wonderfully talented and came together better than I could have imagined.

"I'll keep when I'm dead"

The pupal stage of the honey bee - the capped broodAfter hatching from its egg, a honey bee larva is fed by adults and g...
04/18/2022

The pupal stage of the honey bee - the capped brood

After hatching from its egg, a honey bee larva is fed by adults and grows several times its hatching size, molting four times, before spinning a cocoon.

Around the ninth day of life (eleventh for the boys) the bee's open cell will be capped over with wax and the remainder of its development will occur in isolation and without additional nourishment. The worker bee's metamorphosis takes place over the next 12 days before she emerges and starts her life as a member of the hive.
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04/16/2022

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My neighbors are putting up some fencing tomorrow so I took the opportunity to purchase this little contraption made by ...
03/06/2022

My neighbors are putting up some fencing tomorrow so I took the opportunity to purchase this little contraption made by

It's a reversible entrance reducer - allows for a traditional reducer (as shown) or a one-in one-out type. Reverse the plate and glide it closed and it acts as a ventilated closure for moving hives (or to protect fence installers).

Reducers are typically used help the bees better protect the entrance during times when robbing is likely - summer and winter or whenever resources might be scarce. When resources are abundant the general rule is to keep the entrance open to let the foragers come and go freely!
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The queen and her attendants. The honey bee queen is the only reproductive female in the colony (usually, anyway). She ...
02/20/2022

The queen and her attendants.

The honey bee queen is the only reproductive female in the colony (usually, anyway). She spends all of her time consuming resources and laying eggs. So much so that she is constantly surrounded by a group of attendants that feed, groom and pick-up after her (probably the only benefit of being the queen is that you get to p**p inside).

As indicated by this queen's internationally-recognized white marker, she was born in 2021. The average lifespan is usually 6 months to 2 years, so this girl is right on track making her way through her first year.

While she is genetically identical to the other females in the colony (i.e. the workers), the early days of her nursing as a larva unlocks her genetic potential allowing her to grow to almost double in length and to develop her reproductive organs 10-20x more compared to her worker sisters and daughters.

The visual difference is striking as seen in the photo here.

Anything you'd like to know about queen and worker anatomy or behavior differences? Let me know in the comments!
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10/02/2021

"Some will enjoy the honey, others will have to put up with the sting."

Honey bees have adapted to use hexagonal wax cells for every part of their lives - they raise young, they store food, they even give directions in and on them.

Most famously, they collect nectar and render honey in these cells. Unlike many animals, bees will continue to collect and produce in quantities far greater than their need if given the opportunity. From an evolutionary view, this is likely due to the nearly indefinite shelf life of honey; their efforts won't go to waste, regardless of the amount they produce.

Taking advantage of this adaptation, beekeepers can collect this extra product with minimal risk to the animals' livelihood. How many animal product industries can make that claim?

I'm happy to take some stings for my friends and family to taste this honey. Spoiler: it's amazing. I would almost say there's a spicy undertone to it, but the sweetness is overpowering.

This is my very first harvest! It's a modest amount of honey but I can't wait to share it. Stay tuned, there's more to come.

09/29/2021

Smoke - a beekeeper's best friend.

You may be aware of the use of smoke during beekeeping, but do you know why?

Smoke has been used for thousands of years to calm honey bees and allow for the safe working of a hive, with evidence surviving from as early as ancient Egypt (~500 BCE).

While the utility of hive smoking is well established, the mechanism by which it works is poorly understood, at best.

The most likely explanation is that smoke masks the bees' pheromones, specifically the alarm pheromone, making them more peaceful and less reactive. This scent is released by guard bees to alert the colony of invasion and is also released by bees after stinging or squashing.

A second possible explanation is that the smell of smoke causes the bees prepare for destruction of the hive by fire. They rush into the hive to engorge on honey and nectar in preparation for evacuation, making them busy, and slow.

Whatever the reason, smoke is an essential tool for the beekeeper and its use is recommended for every job, no matter how small or quick. It is a vital tool for efficient beekeeping, for beekeeper safety and to ensure you can keep stress-free and happy little bees.

"Bees don't waste their time explaining to flies why honey is better than s**t."So much of our lives is filled with nega...
09/17/2021

"Bees don't waste their time explaining to flies why honey is better than s**t."

So much of our lives is filled with negativity, some natural and unavoidable, some purposeful and malicious. Sometimes it's all we can do to avoid taking the bait and responding, fighting fire with fire.

As we move into the weekend, set an intention to put as much good into the world as you can. There's only so much you can do by responding to bad, but your capacity for good is limitless.

Happy Friday!
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08/21/2021

It's National Honey Bee Day!
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08/21/2021

It's National Honey Bee Day!
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The hive entrance - possibly the most important single component of the hive. A nest with too many openings, or too big ...
08/09/2021

The hive entrance - possibly the most important single component of the hive. A nest with too many openings, or too big an opening, is vulnerable to invasion and to the elements. Too small, and the flow of foraging workers becomes constricted and temperature regulation becomes difficult.

The entrance is so important that scientists can use it to reliably predict which nesting site a swarm will choose out of several options in experimental settings, based on size of the entrance alone.

A benefit of a good entrance is the ability to guard it well. Guard bee is one of the last jobs a bee will have before they graduate to forager. They monitor incoming bees by sight and by scent and attack any potential intruders such as other bees and wasps (and me) that may wish to rob the colony's resources.

If you get the opportunity to visit an apiary, spend some time around the entrance - you might catch some interesting interactions and behaviors.
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Saint Petersburg, FL
33710

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