Dear Beekeepers,

I arrived back in Oakland this week and saw all the privet trees blooming (& lindens). The privets produce lots of nectar but not pollen. Your hive may be experiencing a pollen shortage - read on for more about that and what to do!
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Here are two classes to give you a basic foundation on varroa mite management and inspecting - the two most important skills in beekeeping in the Bay Area. Do pass on to new-ish beekeepers!

Year Round Varroa Mite Management: Keep Your Hive Alive
​Online Live in 2 Parts on Zoom!​
Part 1: Sunday, July 13th, 6:30-8pm
Part 2: Sunday, July 27th, 6:30-8pm
Cost: $45
​Click here to register!​
​Learn how to keep your hive alive for multiple years by keeping your varroa mite levels low. I'll cover the sugar roll test, drone comb removal, robbing screens, and organic acid treatments. If you can't make it live, you will get the recording (& bonus how-to videos) to watch when its convenient.

Hive Inspection Master Class - IN-PERSON​
​Sunday, July 20th, 9am-10:30am, $25​
​Location: Urban Farm Oasis, 1441 Ashby Ave., Berkeley
​Click here to register!
Learn how to use the hive tools to remove frames and boxes seamlessly, so the bees barely notice your presence. You’ll also learn how to light your smoker, keep it lit, and how to smoke. This class is in-person. We’ll be practicing with the tools, but not with the bees. This way we can focus on our technique, learning about tool handling, and movements.

POLLEN & SHRINKING BROODNESTS
​July - October is a time of uneven food supply. If your bees are located near open space, there will likely be less foods at times. In an urban location with lots of backyards, your bees will have more food, but will likely experience lower food at some point. That point could be now, especially if you are in central Berkeley (see below about my Berkeley hives).

What kind of food?​
​The bees eat honey and pollen. For this email, I'm going to focus on pollen, but make sure a hive has about 2 frames of honey for every box on the hive.

The bees need pollen to turn into highly nutritious food (jelly) to raise the larvae (or baby bees). If they can't collect pollen or less than before, the bees raise less larvae/brood in the hive. You will see less brood in the hive (& subsequently less bee population) as a result of less incoming pollen.

Which hives should I feed pollen?​
​For small 1-2 box hives, I highly recommend feeding pollen through October every week. They are living close to the edge and having regular pollen will keep them away from the edge and more healthy. If you are near a lot of open space, I would recommend checking on brood & possibly feeding pollen patties. Don't feed big hives in urban areas, as you want big hives to shrink brood and their population. They are more resilient than small hives to weather the pollen issues.

How do I feed pollen?​
Cut a pollen patty into 1 inch squares and store in closed container or ziplock so they don't dry out. You can also roll out the pollen patty FIRST so its thinner and fits in hive better. Then, cut into pieces. I start with 6 pieces. If they eat it in 1 week, then feed them a little more. If they don't eat it, feed them less. If they aren't eating it after 2 weeks, take off and refresh. A hive should eat pollen patties if they are fresh. Place bits of pollen patties on frames directly above brood. For pollen patties, I prefer the Global brand, which Urban Farm Oasis sells. It has real pollen in it.

My Berkeley Hives - Pollen Shortage​
​Yesterday I inspected my two Berkeley hives located near Dwight & Sacramento. Both are 2 box hives. Even though they had been fed pollen a week ago, the pollen was almost all gone and the larvae were short on jelly (the white milky liquid that's their food). I plan on giving them upping the pollen I feed to 8 or 10 1 inch squares and seeing if their jelly looks better. If the baby bees aren't fed enough jelly, they are more susceptible to viruses and won't be as strong and healthy because they've been malnourished.

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​MORE BEEKEEPING RESOURCES & SUPPORT

• ​My BEE CIRCLE, $25/month
  The bee circle gathers on Zoom once/month (usually the 1st Tuesday of the month). I lecture on a timely topic & then answer questions about your hives. .
  ​Next Bee Circle: Tuesday, August 5th, 6pm
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• BAY AREA BEEKEEPING GUIDE FOR URBAN BACKYARD BEEKEEPERS​
  My 80+ page online guide gives you clear guidance each month about what's important to do in the hive.
  ​Click here to read more about it & buy!
  Use coupon code for 25% off: SUMMER25
  ​If you've bought my guide in the past, go here & click login in the upper right corner. You can click Forgot Password to reset your password & gain access. I've updated the guide a lot this year, so do read!​

May you and your bees thrive! -Jennifer

Jennifer Radtke, Learn from the Bees​
​Mentorships, Education, & Advice for Urban Beekeeping in the Unique SF Bay Area Climate

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