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300 Non-migratory beekeepers reported, from 57 of 62 counties in New York State
3267- Total number of bee colonies in November 2015; average of 11 hives per beekeeper
2498- Total number of bee colonies in April 2016; average of 8 hives per beekeeper
24%- Average loss of colonies during the winter of 2015-2016 (total 769 hives lost).
The loss for the Winter of 2014-2015 was 28%
The loss for the Winter of 2013-2014 was 48%.
Most notable: almost 1/3 (32.2%) of 2016 respondents had zero winter loss, possible factors: a mild winter, and favorable honey crop in 2015. Some lost hives during the Spring frosts.
-For the winter of 2014-2015, 15.7% of respondents had zero loss.
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Beekeepers overwintering nucleus colonies- (23% of respondents) had 27% Loss of overwintered nucs
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| What SYMPTOMS did you observe in dead hives? |
| Answer Options |
Response Percent |
Response Count |
| small or weak cluster (handful of bees with few on bottom board) |
33.6% |
101 |
| large number of dead bees at floor of hive |
29.2% |
88 |
| Bees with heads in cells |
29.9% |
90 |
| moldy comb |
7.0% |
21 |
| capped brood |
9.0% |
27 |
| capped brood with perforations |
4.3% |
13 |
| deformed wings |
0.7% |
2 |
| "K"wings |
0.7% |
2 |
| queen cells/queen cups |
9.0% |
27 |
| dysentery (excessive fecal material on front of hive and inside hive) |
4.3% |
13 |
| "sawdust" like material |
5.6% |
17 |
| Accident (hive blew over etc) |
3.3% |
10 |
| Nuisance animals (mice, raccoon, bear) |
5.0% |
15 |
| other (comment below) |
28.9% |
87 |
| unknown |
10.6% |
32 |
| Other (please specify) |
122 |
| answered question |
301 |
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| What do you assess to be the MAIN CAUSE of hive death? |
| Answer Options |
Response Percent |
Response Count |
| No loss |
32.2% |
97 |
| 1)Starvation (no honey stores) |
12.3% |
37 |
| 2) small or weak cluster (handful of bees with few on bottom board) |
23.9% |
72 |
| 3) varroa mite (mite guanine deposits) |
12.6% |
38 |
| 4) virus/mites |
9.6% |
29 |
| 5) poor ventilation ( mold and/or soggy bees) |
4.7% |
14 |
| 6) possible queen failure ( lack of brood, queen cells/queen cups) |
18.9% |
57 |
| 7) dysentery (excessive fecal material on front of hive and inside hive) |
2.3% |
7 |
| 8) Cold (adequate number of bees, honey stores) |
13.6% |
41 |
| 9) Accident (hive blew over etc) |
3.0% |
9 |
| 10) Nuisance animals (mice, raccoon, bear) |
3.0% |
9 |
| 11)other (comment below) |
4.3% |
13 |
| 12) unknown |
11.3% |
34 |
| 13) brood disease |
0.3% |
1 |
| Other (please specify) |
20.3% |
61 |
| answered question |
301 |
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| What Fall and Winter treatments, supplemental feeds did you use? |
| Answer Options |
Response Percent |
Response Count |
| Fumagillin |
3.7% |
11 |
| Oxalic- vapor or trickle/dribble |
16.9% |
51 |
| Antibiotics- Tylosin, Terramycin |
2.0% |
6 |
| Formic acid- Mite Away QS |
25.9% |
78 |
| Apistan (fluvalinate) |
2.3% |
7 |
| Amitraz- Apivar |
5.0% |
15 |
| Hopguard |
4.7% |
14 |
| Thymol- Apiguard, Api-Life Var |
4.7% |
14 |
| Sugar Syrup |
31.2% |
94 |
| protein patties |
18.9% |
57 |
| granulated sugar- sugar bricks |
21.9% |
66 |
| candy board or patties |
13.0% |
39 |
| fondant |
13.6% |
41 |
| none |
22.6% |
68 |
| Other (please specify) |
10.6% |
32 |
| answered question |
301 |
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| For the 2016 season how do you intend to obtain new colonies or increase? |
| Answer Options |
Response Percent |
Response Count |
| make splits |
62.8% |
187 |
| raise queens |
18.8% |
56 |
| buy southern packages (Georgia, Florida, S. Carolina, etc) |
18.1% |
54 |
| buy western packages (California) |
4.0% |
12 |
| buy southern nucs (Georgia, Florida, S. Carolina, etc) |
6.0% |
18 |
| buy Northern nucs (New York, Vermont, Ohio, etc) |
26.8% |
80 |
| swarms and cut-outs |
33.2% |
99 |
| Other (please specify) |
9.4% |
28 |
| answered question |
298 |
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Some survey respondent comments:
- "Starvation-one hive during the last week of April. Very cold and rainy - 10 days plus."
- "There were a few bees with their heads in the cells, but not a huge amount. The bees just kept getting smaller and smaller in number. Then they just weren't there."
- "I participated in a USDA test for colonies last summer (July) that tested for a number of things (mites, viruses, Nosema) Baffling to me was that my colonies had no nosema among the 1038 bees sampled in alcohol. The bees in that yard had high levels of a newly discovered virus (LSV-2) in the same family as CPBV. However, in that yard, a formic acid treatment followed by Apivar resulted in 11 of 12 colonies surviving. Most losses were in November/December of 2015, and I suspect viruses, but possibly also pesticide. No bees were found in most of the hives. 2 died of starvation, and 3 were queenless, which I counted as losses"
- "Several of our overwintered hives are showing signs of having weak queens...spotty brood and irregular random scattered drone cells. These will need to be requeened asap. The process of accessing queen vitality and replacing faltering queens is requiring an ever increasing commitment of time and energy with our hives."
- "I feel extremely lucky. I did not feel my hives were in great shape going into the fall. 2 were larger than I like, 3 were smaller. I wrapped, provided wind blocks, insulating/moisture controlling hay in a super over the inner cover. I added food twice without looking below the inner cover."
- "Attempting treatment free beekeeping, entering 4th year. Only use local survivors from swarms and cut-outs"
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Some of the reviews for NY Bee Wellness, Thank you!
* " Thank you so much - your work is so important to us!! "
* " Thank you for all you hard work on behalf of honey bees and beekeepers. Great photos for reference "
* Thanks for all of the work NY Bee Wellness does "
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Continue this beneficial program,
Please consider donating to continue more surveys,educational programs and outreach. Your donation supports our work. Please consider making a donation to NY Bee Wellness or mail your donation to NY Bee Wellness, Inc POB 25291 Rochester NY 14625.
THANK YOU!
Sincerely,
- Pat Bono, Project Director, NY Bee Wellness
NYBeeWellness@gmail.com
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NY Bee Wellness is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
. Donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.
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Please click on links below for regional survey data.
Western Region: Erie, Niagara, Cattaragus, Chautauqua, Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, Allegheny Counties. (Albany, Jamestown)
North Central Region: Monroe, Livingston, Ontario, Yates, Wayne, Seneca, Yates Counties. (Rochester, Canandaigua)
South Central Region: Schuyler, Cayuga, Tompkins, Chemung, Steuben, Tioga, Cortland Counties. (Ithaca)
East Central Region: Oneida, Onondaga, Madison, Chenango, Broome, Delaware, Otsego, Herkimer Counties. (Syracuse, Utica, Binghamton)
Northern Region: Jefferson, Oswego, Lewis, St Lawrence, Franklin, Clinton, Essex, Hamilton, Warren Counties. (Watertown)
Eastern Region: Fulton, Montgomery, Saratoga, Schenectady, Washington, Schoharie, Albany, Rensselaer Counties. (Albany)
South East Region: Greene, Columbia, Ulster, Dutchess, Sullivan, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Westchester Counties. (Poughkepsie, Kingston)
NYC Metro Region: Bronx, Richmond, Kings, Queens, Nassau, Suffolk
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