Honey Bees

and Beekeeping

H oney bees (Apis mellifera L.) are one of the most well-known,
popular and economically beneficial insects. For thousands
of years, man has plundered honey bee colonies to get honey, bee
Table 1. Development time of honey bee castes.
Days after Laying Egg
Stage Worker Queen Drone
larvae and beeswax. In recent decades, bee plundering has given way
to bee management. Now, honey bees are commonly kept in artificial Hatching 3 3 3
hives throughout the United States, and a large and sophisticated Cell capped 8 8 10
beekeeping industry provides valuable honey, beeswax and Becomes a pupa 11 10 14
pollination services. A large section of the industry, well represented Becomes an adult 20 15 22.5
in Georgia, is devoted to mass-producing queens and bees for sale to
Emerges from cell 21 16 24
other beekeepers. Although many people make a living from bees,
most beekeepers are hobbyists who have only a few hives and who
simply enjoy working with these fascinating insects. Newly emerged workers begin working almost immediately. As
they age, workers do the following tasks, in this sequence: clean
Honey Bee Biology cells, circulate air with their wings, feed larvae, practice flying,
receive pollen and nectar from foragers, guard hive entrance and
Honey bees, like ants, termites and some wasps, are social insects. forage.Unlike colonies of social wasps and bumble bees, honey bee
Unlike ants and wasps, bees are vegetarians; their protein comes colonies live year after year. Therefore, most activity in a bee colony
from pollen and their carbohydrate comes from honey, which they is aimed at surviving the next winter.
make from nectar. Social insects live together in groups, cooperate
During winter, bees cluster in a tight ball. In January, the queen starts
in foraging tasks and the care of young, and have different types,
laying eggs in the center of the nest. Becausestored honey and pollen
or “castes,” of individuals. There are three castes of honey bees
are used to feed these larvae, colony stores may fall dangerously low
(see photos on page 4):
in late winter when brood production has started but plants are not
Workers - Reproductively underdeveloped females that do all the yet producing nectar or pollen. When spring “nectar flows” begin,
work of the colony. A colony may have 2,000 to 60,000 workers. bee populations grow rapidly. By April and May, many colonies are
crowded with bees, and these congested colonies may split and form
Queen - A fully fertile female specialized for producing eggs.
new colonies by a process called “swarming.” A crowded colony
When a queen dies or is lost, workers select a few young worker
rears several daughter queens, then the original mother queen flies
larvae and feed them a special food called “royal jelly.” These
away from the colony, accompanied by up to 60 percent of the
special larvae develop into queens. The only difference between
workers. These bees cluster on some object such as a tree branch
workers and queens is the quality of the larval diet. There is
while scout bees search for a more permanent nest site - usually a
usually only one queen per colony. The queen also affects the
hollow tree or wall void. Within 24 hours the swarm relocates to the
colony by producing chemicals called “pheromones” that regulate
new nest. One of the daughter queens that was left behind inherits
the behavior of other bees.
the original colony.
Drones - Male bees. A colony may have 0 to 500 drones during After the swarming season, bees concentrate on storing honey and
spring and summer. Drones fly from the hive and mate in the air pollen for winter. By late summer, a colony has a core of brood
with queens from other colonies. belowinsulating layers of honey, pollen and a honey-pollen mix. In
The queen lays all her eggs in hexagonal beeswax cells built by autumn, bees concentrate in the lower half of their nest, and during
workers. Developing young honey bees (called “brood”) go through winter they move upward slowly to eat the honey and pollen .
four stages: the egg, the larva (plural “larvae”), the inactive pupa
(plural “pupae”) and the young adult. The castes have different
development times (Table 1).
Races of Honey Bees Beekeeping Equipment
Honey bees are Old World insects that were introduced into North One new hive with bees and basic equipment costs about $150.
and South America by European settlers. The most well-known races Hive parts are cut to standard dimensions that mimic the space
of honey bees in the New World are: bees naturally leave between their combs. Always reproduce these
dimensions exactly if you make your own bee hives. You will need
Italian bees, Apis mellifera ligustica - Originally from Italy, the following equipment.
this is by far the most popular honey bee. Italian bees are yellow
Bee hive (Figure 1), made up of:
in color, relatively gentle, overwinter well and build up quickly
in spring. They are easily provoked to rob weaker neighboring • Bottom board - wooden stand on which the hive rests. Set bottom
colonies and sometimes exhaust honey stores rapidly in winter. board on bricks or concrete blocks to keep it off the ground.
• Frames and foundation - wooden frames that hold sheets
Carniolan bees, Apis mellifera carnica - These bees of beeswax foundation and are imprinted with the shapes of
originated in the Austrian Alps, northern Yugoslavia and the hexagonal cells. Bees use the foundation to build straight combs.
Danube valley. Gray/brown in color, they are extremely gentle, • Hive body or brood chamber - large wooden box (called a
conserve winter food stores well and build up quickly in spring. “super”) that holds 10 frames of comb. This space (the brood nest)
Carniolan bees construct new comb slowly and swarm frequently. is reserved for the bees to rear brood and store honey for their own
use. Either one or two hive bodies can be used for a brood nest.
Caucasian bees, Apis mellifera caucasica - These bees Two hive bodies are common in cold winter regions. Beekeepers
originated in the Caucasus mountains between the Black and in areas with mild winters successfully use only one hive body.
Caspian Seas. They are lead-gray in color, very gentle and swarm • Queen excluder - placed between the brood nest and the honey
infrequently. Caucasian bees overwinter poorly, build up slowly supers. This device keeps the queen in the brood nest, so brood
in spring, are susceptible to Nosema disease and gum up their will not occur in honey supers. An excluder is usually not
hives with propolis (tree resins and beeswax). necessary if two hive bodies are used.
• Honey supers - shallow supers with frames of comb in which bees
German black bees, Apis mellifera mellifera - Originally store surplus honey. This surplus is the honey that is harvested.
from throughout northern Europe, this was the first honey bee
• Inner cover - prevents bees from attaching comb to outer cover
brought to the New World. They are brown/black in color and and provides insulating dead air space.
overwinter well. German black bees are nervous, aggressive and
build up slowly in spring. • Outer cover - provides weather protection.

Africanized honey bee, Apis mellifera scutellata and its

hybrids - These honey bees originated throughout east Africa. In
the 1950s, this race was imported to Brazil and began migrating
northward. Compared to European races, this bee and its hybrids
are extremely defensive, have smaller nests and swarm more
frequently. Africanized honey bees colonized certain regions of
the United States in the 1990s.

Preparing to Keep Bees

Honey bees can be kept almost anywhere there are flowering plants
that produce nectar and pollen. Choose a site for bee hives that is
discrete, sheltered from winds and partially shaded. Avoid low spots
in a yard where cold, damp air accumulates in winter. Your county
Extension agent can give you names of local beekeepers and bee
Figure 1. Plans and dimensions for a standard honey bee hive.
organizations that are sources of help and information.
Be considerate of non-beekeeping neighbors. Place hives so that bee Smoker - the most valuable tool for working bees. A smoker
flight paths do not cross calms bees and reduces stinging. Pine straw, grass and burlap
sidewalks, playgrounds make good smoker fuel.
or other public areas. In Hive tool - ideally shaped for prying apart supers and frames.
dry weather, bees may
Veil and gloves - protect head and arms from stings. After they
collect water at neighbors’
gain experience, most beekeepers prefer to work without gloves.
swimming pools or water
spigots. Avoid this by Feeders - hold sugar syrup that is fed to bees in early spring and
giving your bees a water in fall.
source in your yard such Consult the list of addresses of bee equipment suppliers. Exterior
as a container with floating wooden parts should at least be coated with good oil-based paint.
wood or styrofoam chips. To maximize the life of exterior parts, first dip them in copper
The floating objects prevent naphthenate wood preservative, then paint them. Assemble interior
bees from drowning. frames with wood glue and nails.

2 UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1045 • Honey Bees and Beekeeping

Buying and Moving Colonies Catching Swarms
The easiest, and sometimes the best, way to start keeping bees is Another way to get started is by finding and installing swarms.
to buy two established colonies from a reputable local beekeeper. Sometimes swarms cluster on accessible places such as low tree
Buying two colonies instead of one lets you interchange frames of branches, and property owners are usually eager for a beekeeper to
brood and honey if one colony becomes weaker than the other and remove them. If you find a safely accessible swarm, get a five-gallon
needs a boost. Before buying, arrange to inspect the colonies. Ask plastic bucket with some kind of perforated cover such as window
the seller to provide a recent certificate of inspection from the state screening. Spray the swarm heavily with sugar syrup, place the
Department of Agriculture. Buy bees in standard equipment only. bucket underneath it, then give the branch a sharp shake to dislodge
Competent beekeepers usually have one or two hive bodies on the bees into the bucket. Cover the bucket and install the swarm in a
bottom board with shallower honey supers above. Question the seller hive as you would packaged bees (except for the steps on installing a
if supers are arranged differently. The condition of the equipment caged queen). Your county Extension agent will be glad to take your
may reflect the care the bees have received, so be suspicious of name as a referral for swarm calls.
colonies in rotten, unpainted wood. Once the colony is opened, the
bees should be calm and numerous enough that they fill most of the
spaces between combs.
Honey Bee Management
Management is scheduled around natural nectar flows. Beekeepers
Be sure each super has at least nine frames of comb. Inspect combs
want their colonies to reach maximum strength before the nectar
in the deep supers for brood quality. Capped brood is tan/brown in
flows begin. This way, bees store the honey as surplus that the
color. A good queen will have at least five or six combs of brood,
beekeeper can harvest instead of using the honey to complete their
and she will lay eggs in a solid pattern so that there are few skipped
spring build-up. Nectar flows are very different between north and
cells. Look for symptoms of brood disease and wax moth larvae (see
south Georgia (Table 2, page 6) so plan your beekeeping tasks
“Honey Bee Diseases and Pests”).
according to the nectar flows in your area.
Bee hives are easiest to move during winter when they are lighter
Feeding and medicating should be done from January through
and populations are low. Moving hives is a two-man job. Close
February. Queens resume laying eggs in January, after which brood
the hive entrance with a piece of folded window screen, seal other
production accelerates rapidly to provide the spring work force. Some
cracks with duct tape, fasten supers to each other and to the bottom
colonies will need supplemental feeding. If colonies are light when
board with hive staples and then lift the hive into a truck bed or a
you hoist them from the rear, they need sugar syrup. Mix syrup (one
trailer. Tie the hives down tightly. Remember to open hive entrances
part sugar:one part water) and feed the bees heavily. Commercially
after the hives are relocated.
available pollen supplements provide extra protein for population
growth. Feed all medications (see the section on “Honey Bee
Installing Packaged Bees Diseases and Pests”) early enough to allow for labeled withdrawal
Another way to start keeping bees is to buy packaged bees and queens periods before nectar flows begin.
and transfer the bees into new equipment. Bees are routinely shipped By mid-February, the hives are ready for detailed inspection. On
in 2- to 5-pound packages of about 9,000 to 22,000 bees. Once your warm days (at least 45 degrees F), check the colonies for population
packages arrive, keep the packages cool and shaded. Set up a bottom growth, the arrangement of the brood nest and disease symptoms.
board with one hive body and remove half its frames. Make some Colonies with less brood than average can be strengthened by giving
sugar syrup (one part sugar:one part water) and spray the bees heavily them frames of sealed brood from stronger neighbors. If you use two
through the screen; bees gorge themselves with syrup and become hive bodies, most of the bees and brood may be in the upper body
sticky, making them easy to pour. Pry off the package lid, remove with little activity in the bottom one. If so, reverse the hive bodies,
the can of syrup provided for transit, find and remove the queen putting the top one on the bottom. This relieves congestion and
suspended in her cage and re-close the package. The queen cage has discourages swarming. If you use one hive body, relieve congestion
holes at both ends plugged with cork, and one end is visibly filled with by providing honey supers above a queen excluder. Swarming should
white “queen candy.” Remove the cork from this end and suspend the be avoided because it severely reduces colony strength.
queen cage between two center frames in your hive. Workers will eat Mail-order queens are usually available by the last week in March.
through the candy and gradually release the queen. Next, bounce the Annual requeening, whether in early spring or in fall, is one of the
package lightly to shake all bees into a clump on the bottom, quickly best investments a beekeeper can make. Compared to older queens,
take off the lid and shake the bees into the hive on top of the queen. young queens lay eggs more prolifically and secrete higher levels of
As the bees slowly spread throughout the hive, gently return the pheromones which, in turn, stimulate workers to forage, suppress
frames you removed earlier. Carefully place the inner and outer covers swarming and suppress disease outbreak. To requeen a colony, find,
on your new colony and feed your bees sugar syrup continuously until kill and discard the old queen. Let the colony remain queenless for
natural nectar flows begin. After two days, check to see if the bees 24 hours and then introduce the new queen in her cage as described
have released the queen from her cage. If she was released, you will in the section “Installing Packaged Bees.” With a new queen, you can
probably find her slowly walking on one of the center combs. If bees also make a new colony by taking frames of brood, honey and bees
have not yet released her, return the queen cage to the hive until she is from a strong colony (leaving behind the old queen), placing them in
released. A week after the queen’s release, check the colony again. By a new hive body with a new queen and then moving the new hive to a
this time, you should find white wax combs under construction with new location. This controlled “splitting” of a colony lets a beekeeper
cells containing syrup, eggs or young larvae. If you do not find eggs, manage the swarming process; congestion and the swarming urge are
the queen may be dead and she must be replaced immediately. Order relieved in the strong colony, and the removed bees are housed in a
another queen and introduce her as before. managed hive instead of lost.

UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1045 • Honey Bees and Beekeeping 3

If you feed your colonies, medicate them, requeen them and control Uncapping knife - A heated knife for slicing off the cappings from
swarming, they should be strong enough to collect surplus nectar by combs of honey.
mid-April. This is the time to add honey supers above the hive bodies. Uncapping tank - A container for receiving the cappings. Wet
Add plenty of supers to accommodate incoming nectar and the large cappings fall onto a screen, and honey drips through to the bottom
bee populations; this stimulates foraging and limits late-season of the tank and out a spigot.
swarming. As nectar comes in, bees place it in cells and evaporate Extractor - A drum containing a rotating wire basket. Uncapped
it to about 18 percent water content. When bees cap the honey, it combs are placed in the basket and the basket is turned by hand or
is considered ripe. At harvest time, use commercially available bee by motor. Honey is flung out of the combs onto the sides of the tank
repellents to drive bees from the supers. and drains through a spigot.
Not all honeys are alike. Usually, lighter honeys command higher Strainer - A mesh of coarse screen or cloth directly under the extractor
prices, and most beekeepers try to keep darker honeys from mixing spigot. This filters out large debris such as wax and dead bees.
with lighter ones. For example, beekeepers in north Georgia remove
supers with dark tulip poplar honey before it can mix with incoming Storage tank - A large tank with a spigot, or “honey gate,” at the
sourwood honey, which is lighter. Consult Table 2 and local bottom. As honey settles in the tank, air bubbles and small debris
beekeepers to determine the proper time to remove your honey. rise to the top and can be skimmed off, allowing honey that is
bottled from the honey gate to be clear and attractive.
During late summer and early autumn, brood production and honey
production drop. Unlike in spring, you should now crowd the bees by Sometimes extracted honey granulates. This is a natural process, and
giving them only one or two honey supers. This forces bees to store the honey is still perfectly edible. If bottled honey granulates, loosen
honey in the brood nest. Colonies are usually overwintered in two the lid and place the jar in a pan of water on a stove. Heat and stir the
hive bodies or in one hive body and at least one honey super. If you honey until it re-liquifies.
overwinter in one hive body and a honey super, remove the queen Comb honey requires little specialized equipment, so it is a good way
excluder so the queen can move up into the honey during winter. for a new beekeeper to get started. Supply companies offer special
Colonies should weigh at least 100 pounds in late fall. If they are light comb honey supers for producing comb honey in round or square
on stores, feed them a heavy syrup (two parts sugar:one part water). 1-pound sections. “Cut-comb” honey is the easiest and least expensive
honey to produce. With cut-comb, the entire comb is cut away from
Table 2. Major Pollen & Nectar Sources of Georgia. the frame then further cut into smaller sections and packaged in
Months Plant Provides special plastic boxes. Regardless of these variations, all comb honey
North & Central Georgia requires a special extra-thin foundation. Freeze comb honey overnight
February maple pollen, nectar before it is sold to kill any wax moth eggs and larvae.
March dandelion pollen Chunk honey is made by placing a piece of cut comb honey in a jar
April black locust nectar and filling up the rest of the jar with extracted honey. Remember to
April - June clovers* nectar freeze the comb honey first.
mid April - mid May tulip poplar nectar Wax cappings are a valuable by-product of extracting. After cappings
late June - July sourwood * (in mountains) nectar have dripped dry, wash them in water to remove all honey. Melt the
late September goldenrod pollen, nectar cappings, strain the wax through cheesecloth and pour it into bread
South Georgia
pans or a similar mold. Supply companies can render your beeswax
bricks into new foundation at considerable savings.
January - February maple pollen, nectar
February - March spring titi nectar
early April black gum tupelo * nectar Pollination
April tulip poplar nectar Many valuable crops benefit from insect pollination (the transfer of
late April high bush gallberry* nectar pollen from one flower to another flower). This process increases
May low bush gallberry* nectar fruit yield and, often, the size of the fruit. Honey bees are important
pollinators because they can be managed and easily moved to crop
late May palmetto nectar
sites. In the United States, the added value to agriculture from honey
late July pepper bush, soybean nectar
bee pollination is more than $9 billion annually, and many beekeepers
September-October goldenrod pollen, nectar earn extra income from renting colonies for pollination. In Georgia,
*
Premium honeys bee hives are rented to pollinate apples, blueberries, cucumbers and
watermelons. Professional recommendations vary for the number of
Processing Honey hives needed for good pollination, but for these crops one colony per
acre is commonly used.
Honey is sold as “extracted” honey - bottled, liquid honey that
has been extracted from the combs; “comb” honey - honey still in
its natural comb; and “chunk” honey - a bottled combination of
extracted and comb.
Honey extracting equipment for the hobbyist is specialized and
represents a one-time investment of about $500 for new equipment.
Used equipment is often available at significant savings. These are
the basic tools and procedures for extracting honey:

4 UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1045 • Honey Bees and Beekeeping

Stings up very slowly or not at all. Bees appear weak and may crawl around
the front of the hive. Discourage nosema by selecting hive sites with
Anyone who keeps bees will inevitably get stung. Consider this before good air flow. Damp, cold conditions seem to encourage this disease.
you invest in a beekeeping hobby. You can greatly reduce stinging if Treat nosema by feeding the drug Fumidil® B in sugar syrup in spring
you use gentle, commercially reared queens, wear a veil, use a smoker and fall. Do not feed the medication immediately before or during a
and handle bees gently. Experienced beekeepers can handle thousands nectar flow.
or even millions of bees daily and receive very few stings.
Small hive beetles (SHB) were first found in Georgia in 1998. These
A bee sting will cause intense local pain, reddening and swelling. This beetles are native to southern Africa where they cause only minimal
is a normal reaction and does not, in itself, indicate a serious allergic damage to honey bees. In the Southeastern United States, however,
response. With time, many beekeepers no longer redden or swell when they can be a serious stress on weakened colonies or on colonies
they are stung (however, it still hurts!). An extremely small fraction that are managed in an unnaturally small state such as queen mating
of the human population is genuinely allergic to bee stings. These nuclei or observation hives. The adult beetles are about 1/4-inch long,
individuals experience breathing difficulty, unconsciousness or even black, very active, and heavily armored so that they are hard to kill
death if they are stung and should carry with them an emergency kit of (see page 5). The larvae superficially resemble wax moth larvae, but
injectable epinephrine, available by prescription from a physician. SHB larvae are smaller, more robust, and do not display repellency
When a bee stings, the stinger and poison sack remain in the skin toward sunlight (see page 5). The best prevention is to keep bee
of the victim. Always scrape the stinger and poison sack out of the colonies strong and free from other stressors. Adult beetles can be
skin with your fingernail or a hive tool; never pull it out because this trapped with any number of beetle traps available in beekeeping
squeezes the remaining venom into the skin. catalogs, even though the efficacy of traps is not good. Larvae pupate
in the soil in front of hives, and research has shown that predatory soil
Honey Bee Diseases and Pests nematodes Steinernema riobrave and Heterorhabditis indica, available
from organic farm suppliers, provide good control of SHB larvae and
Honey bee brood and adults are attacked by bacteria, viruses, probably help reduce local SHB populations.
protozoans, fungi and exotic parasitic mites. Additionally, bee
Tracheal mites were first detected in Georgia in 1986 and have since
equipment is attacked by other insects. Disease and pest control
caused high colony death rates throughout the state. The microscopic
requires constant vigilance by the beekeeper. By law, all colonies
mites enter the tracheae (breathing tubes) of young bees. Inside the
in Georgia must be registered with the Georgia Department of
tracheae, mites block air exchange and pierce the walls of the tubes
Agriculture. Every beekeeper is responsible for contacting the
to suck blood. Symptoms resemble those of nosema. Bees become
Department for an inspection at least once every 18 months (every
weak, crawl at the hive entrance and sometimes uncouple their wings
12 months for queen and package bee producers). See your county
so that all four wings are visible. Colony death rates are highest during
Extension agent for help in registering and inspecting your hives.
winter and early spring. If you suspect tracheal mites, see your county
American foulbrood (AFB) is a bacterial disease of larvae and Extension agent for help in diagnosing the disease. Infested colonies
pupae. The bacteria form highly persistent spores that can be spread are treated with Miticur® or special formulations of menthol.
by adult bees and contaminated equipment. Infected larvae change
Varroa mites were first found in Georgia in 1989. These mites are
color from a healthy pearly white to dark brown and die after they are
about the size of a pin head and are copper in color. Female mites
capped. Cappings of dead brood sink inward and often are perforated.
cling to adult bees and suck their blood. Females then enter a bee
Check for AFB by thrusting a small stick or toothpick into the dead
brood cell and produce several offspring which, in turn, suck the
brood, mixing it, then withdrawing the mass. Brood killed by AFB
blood of the developing bee. Infested colonies almost always die
will be stringy and rope out about 1 inch. Colonies with AFB must be
within three to four years unless they are treated. Colony mite levels
burned by a state bee inspector. The State of Georgia pays beekeepers
can be minimized by keeping apiary densities (hive numbers per site)
a monetary compensation to help replace the loss. To prevent
as low as practically possible, using genetically mite-resistant queens,
AFB, feed colonies the antibiotic Terramycin® according to label
and using screen hive floors. Colonies historically respond well to
instructions in early spring and fall. Allow at least four weeks from the
Varroa miticide applications in late July and again in periods of low
last Terramycin® treatment until the first nectar flow.
brood production, usually November - December. Miticides currently
European foulbrood (EFB) is a bacterial disease of larvae. Unlike efficacious against Varroa in Georgia include amitraz (Apivar®), oxalic
with AFB, larvae infected with EFB die before they are capped. acid, formic acid (MiteAway Quick Strips®), or thymol (Apiguard®
Infected larvae are twisted in the bottoms of their cells, change to a and Api-Life VAR®).
creamy color and have a smooth “melted” appearance. Because EFB
Wax moths are a notorious pest of beekeeping equipment. Adult
bacteria do not form persistent spores, this disease is not as dangerous
moths lay eggs near wax combs, then their larvae hatch and begin
as AFB. Colonies with EFB will sometimes recover on their own
burrowing through the combs to eat debris in the cells. Moth larvae
after a good nectar flow begins. To prevent EFB, treat colonies with
ruin combs and plaster them with webbing and feces. Honey bees
Terramycin® as described above.
are usually very good at protecting their colonies from moth larvae.
Chalkbrood is a fungal disease of larvae. Infected larvae turn a If moth damage is found in a colony, there was some other problem
chalky white color, become hard, then turn black. Chalkbrood is most (usually queen loss) that weakened the colony first. Moth damage
frequent during damp conditions in early spring. Colonies usually is most common in stored supers of comb. Protect stored supers by
recover on their own. stacking them no higher than five hive bodies. Tape shut all cracks,
put paradichlorobenzene crystals at the top of the stack and cover the
Nosema is a widespread protozoan disease of adult bees and is
stack with a lid. Replenish the crystals as they evaporate.
especially common in north Georgia. In spring, infected colonies build

UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1045 • Honey Bees and Beekeeping 5

Honey Bee Biology

Worker Queen Drone

Four Stages of Development

Egg Young Larva (plural “larvae”) Mature Larvae Pupa

Honey Bee Diseases and Pests

American foulbrood: “Larvae that die from AFB European foulbrood: Black, grey, Chalkbrood
dry to a brittle scale that adheres tightly to the cell twisted larvae.
floor. In this image, the comb is held upside down
to allow sunlight to shine on the cell floors and
reveal that many of them have scales.”

Nosema: Nosema spores can be detected by regular Small Hive Beetles Larvae Small Hive Beetles
light microscopy when a slurry made of ground (Photo by: J. D. Ellis, (Photo by: J. D. Ellis,
bee abdomens is examined at 400X magnification. University of Florida) University of Florida)
(Photo by: T. C. Webster, Kentucky State
University)

6 UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1045 • Honey Bees and Beekeeping

Varroa mites Wax moths

Tracheal mites: The main thoracic tracheal trunks are exposed in

these two bees. The tracheal system at left is clear and unscarred. The
system at right is blackened with scar tissue resulting from tracheal
mite damage.

Unwanted Honey Bee Colonies

When honey bees swarm and establish new colonies, they often
move into hollow trees or voids inside walls of houses. Non-
beekeepers are not accustomed to the sight of natural bee colonies,
and they may react toward them with fear and hostility. Beekeepers
are frequently asked to rid someone of unwanted bee colonies.
Someone with a natural bee colony should first decide if a problem
truly exists. Honey bees, even those in walls of houses, do not cause
any structural damage. Bees high in a tree or in the walls of an upper
story are usually so far removed from people that there is virtually
no chance of stinging. Unless people directly encounter the bees, the
property owner should consider them an interesting opportunity to
study nature.
If you decide to eradicate honey bees from a wall void, be prepared
to pay for the services of an experienced beekeeper and a carpenter.
To permanently solve the problem, the entire nest and the bees must
be removed and the entrance resealed. It is not enough to simply
spray inside the nest entrance with an insecticide because after the
insecticide degrades, the cavity and combs are attractive to future
swarms of bees. Moreover, if bees in a wall are killed but the nest is
not removed, the combs are no longer ventilated and wax and honey
may melt and stain interior walls. An experienced beekeeper can
expose the nest and remove the bees and comb. The property owner
is responsible for hiring a carpenter to reseal the void.

UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1045 • Honey Bees and Beekeeping 7

 Sources of Bee Supplies
Brushy Mountain Bee Farm, Inc., 610 Bethany Church Rd., Moravian Falls, NC 28654, (800) 233-7929
www.brushymountainbeefarm.com
Dadant & Sons, Inc. www.dadant.com
Rossman Apiaries, Inc., P.O. Box 909, Moultrie, GA 31776,
(800) 333-7677 www.gabees.com
The Walter T. Kelley Co., P.O. Box 240, Clarkson, KY 42726,
(800) 233-2899 www.kelleybees.com

Reference Books
The A.I. Root Co., 1990, ABC & XYZ of bee culture, 40th Edition, Medina, Ohio.
Delaplane, K.S., 1993, Honey bees & beekeeping: A year in the life of an apiary, The University of Georgia, Georgia Center
for Continuing Education, Athens, Georgia.
Dadant & Sons, Inc., 1992, The hive and the honey bee, Hamilton, Illinois.
Morse, R.A. & T. Hooper (eds.), 1985, The illustrated encyclopedia of beekeeping, E. P. Dutton, Inc., New York, New York.
Seeley, T.D., 1985, Honeybee ecology, Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
Winston, M.L., 1987, The biology of the honey bee, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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Bulletin 1045 Revised April 2017
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