Brown bee - User contributions [en]

Main Page

2016-11-28T15:38:57Z

Linn.groeneveld:

<strong>
== '''Welcome to the Brown bee wiki!''' ==
</strong>
This wiki is intended to be a helpful resource for anyone [[keeping brown bees]] (''Apis mellifera mellifera''). The [[brown bee]] is the honeybee subspecies that occurs natively in the Nordic region. In the 20th century, other honeybee subspecies were introduced to this region by beekeepers. Today, the native brown bee is endangered due to displacement and introgression by these other subspecies. The great value of these bees, that appear well-adapted to the Nordic climate, is slowly being recognized and conservation efforts are under way! The best conservation is of course the active use of these bees in beekeeping and honey production. All information in this wiki is tailored to brown bees, unless otherwise stated. We hope that this resource can help brown bee beekeepers with their day-to-day management of their hives. Obviously, exact dates for beekeeping activities will vary greatly by year and location, depending on the weather and flowering times of bee food sources. Please keep this in mind when [[Navigating the wiki|reading this wiki!]] We hope that many of you will contribute to this wiki. Please take a look [[Wiki manual|here]], if you need some guidance on how to get started.

Yours, the [[Brown Bee Network]]

{{#tag:timeline|

ImageSize = height:auto width:1000 barincrement:17
PlotArea = left:25 right:25 top:15 bottom:50

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:mm/yyyy
Colors =
id:canvas value:gray(0.7)
id:grid1 value:gray(0.4)
id:grid2 value:gray(0.2)
BackgroundColors = canvas:canvas
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
AlignBars = justify

Colors=
id:canvas value:rgb(0.97,0.97,0.97)
id:grid1 value:gray(0.7)
id:grid2 value:gray(0.88)
id:black value:rgb(0,0,0)
id:section value:yelloworange
id:mark1 value:rgb(0.7,0,0)
id:years value:gray(0.5)

BackgroundColors = canvas:canvas

Period = from:{{CURRENTYEAR}} till:{{CURRENTYEAR}}
ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:1 start:{{CURRENTYEAR}}
ScaleMinor = unit:month increment:1 start:{{CURRENTYEAR}}
AlignBars = justify

BarData=

bar:title
# bar:periods
bar:dummy0 # empty bar functions as separator
bar:section1
barset:varroa
bar:dummy1
bar:section2
barset:health
bar:dummy2
bar:section3
barset:food
bar:dummy3
bar:section4
barset:swarming
bar:dummy4
bar:section5
barset:expanding
bar:dummy5
bar:section6
barset:queen
bar:dummy6
bar:section7
barset:harvest
bar:dummy7
bar:section8
barset:equipment
bar:dummy9
bar:section9
barset:flowering
bar:dummy9

# explanation: attribute 'barset' instead of 'bar' means consecutive data lines are automatically placed on new bar
# data lines are lines containing at: or from: & till: attributes
# 'barset:break' means 'reset barcounter' = next line will be placed at first bar in barset
# 'barset:skip' means 'increment barcounter' = skip one bar for next data line (to allow extra space
# for text containing line break = ~)

# Please note: In case the links within the picture pointing the wrong way, just edit something like a comment, save, and its getting updated.

PlotData =

mark:(line,black)
width:16
fontsize:S

fontsize:M
width:16
color:section
mark:(line,section)
shift:(5,-6)

bar:title from:start till:end text:"The Brown bee beekeeper's year" fontsize:XL anchor:middle align:center width:25 color:canvas mark:(line,canvas)
bar:section1 from:start till:end text:"[[Varroa|Varroa]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section2 from:start till:end text:"[[Apiary health|Apiary health]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section3 from:start till:end text:"[[Food|Food supply]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section4 from:start till:end text:"[[Swarming|Swarming]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section5 from:start till:end text:"[[Expanding|Expanding]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section6 from:start till:end text:"[[Queen|Queen]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section7 from:start till:end text:"[[Harvest|Harvest]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section8 from:start till:end text:"[[Equipment|Equipment]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section9 from:start till:end text:"[[Flowering timeline|Flowering]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
shift:(5,-5)
fontsize:M
mark:(line,mark1)

# Varroa

width:8
barset:varroa
shift:(5,-5)
at:08/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Spring treatment]]"
at:15/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Drone brood removal]]"
barset:break
at:01/09/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Formic acid or thymol]]"
at:17/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Oxalic acid treatment]]"
# barset:skip

# Apiary health

barset:health
shift:(5,-5)
at:08/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Bottom board cleaning]]"
at: 08/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Spring inspection]]"
at:25/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Weak and queenless colony management]]"
barset:break
at:17/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Summer inspection]]"
barset:break
at:17/09/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Autumn inspection]]"
at:17/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Add winter covers]]"
at:17/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Add mice guards]]"
# Food
fontsize:M
barset:food
shift:(5,-5)
at:08/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Remove surplus sugar frames]]"
barset:break
at:20/08/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Feed]]"
barset:break
at:17/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Remove feeders]]"

# Swarming

fontsize:M
barset:swarming
shift:(5,-5)
at:20/05/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Check for queen cells]]"
at:20/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Catch swarm]]"
at:20/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Controlled swarming]]"

# Expanding

fontsize:M
barset:expanding
shift:(5,-5)
at:15/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[First expansion]]"
barset:break
at:20/05/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Further expansion]]"
at:20/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Further expansion]]"
at:20/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Splitting a colony]]"

# Queen

fontsize:M
barset:queen
shift:(5,-5)
at:15/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Check queen presence and egg laying]]"
at:20/05/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Marking queen]]"
barset:break
at:05/07/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Introducing a queen]]"

at:15/08/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Change queen]]"

# Harvest

fontsize:M
barset:harvest
shift:(5,-5)
at:15/07/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Add queen excluder]]"
at:01/09/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Harvest honey]]"

# Equipment

fontsize:M
barset:equipment
shift:(5,-5)
at:01/02/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Equipment maintenance in Winter-Spring|Prepare equipment]]"
barset:break
at:05/11/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Clean and maintain equipment]]"

# Flowering

fontsize:M
barset:flowering
shift:(5,-5)
at:10/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Hazelnut]]"
at:10/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Willow]]"
barset:break
at:17/05/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Apple trees]]"
at:17/05/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Maple trees]]"
barset:break
at:25/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[White clover]]"
at:25/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Raspberry]]"
at:12/07/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Linden trees]]"
barset:break
at:12/08/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Fireweed]]"
at:18/08/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Heather]]"
barset:break
at:17/09/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Ivy (DK)]]"
at:01/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Birch turns yellow]]"
at:10/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Leaves falling]]"
at:{{CURRENTDAY2}}/{{CURRENTMONTH2}}/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"today" textcolor:red

LineData =
layer:front # all lines in front of bars unless stated otherwise
at:{{CURRENTDAY2}}/{{CURRENTMONTH2}}/{{CURRENTYEAR}} color:red

LineData =
layer:back
at:07/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} color:tan2

LineData =
layer:back
at:01/05/{{CURRENTYEAR}} color:tan2

LineData =
layer:back
at:15/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} color:tan2

LineData =
layer:back
at:10/08/{{CURRENTYEAR}} color:tan2

LineData =
layer:back
at:15/09/{{CURRENTYEAR}} color:tan2

LineData =
layer:back
at:30/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} color:tan2

TextData =
pos:(0,50) textcolor:black fontsize:M
tabs:(75-left,270-center,415-center,525-center,650-center,735-center,880-center)
text:^[[Winter to Spring]]^[[Spring]]^[[Early Summer]]^[[Mid Summer]]^[[Late Summer]]^[[Fall]]^[[Winter to Spring]]

}}

Main Page

2016-11-28T15:36:17Z

Linn.groeneveld:

<strong>
== '''Welcome to the Brown bee wiki!''' ==
</strong>
This wiki is intended to be a helpful resource for anyone [[keeping brown bees]] (''Apis mellifera mellifera''). The [[brown bee]] is the honeybee subspecies that occurs natively in the Nordic region. In the 20th century, other honeybee subspecies were introduced to this region by beekeepers. Today, the native brown bee is endangered due to displacement and introgression by these other subspecies. The great value of these bees, that appear well-adapted to the Nordic climate, is slowly being recognized and conservation efforts are under way! The best conservation is of course the active use of these bees in beekeeping and honey production. All information in this wiki is tailored to brown bees, unless otherwise stated. We hope that this resource can help brown bee beekeepers with their day-to-day management of their hives. Obviously, exact dates for beekeeping activities will vary greatly by year and location, depending on the weather and flowering times of bee food sources. Please keep this in mind when [[Navigating the wiki|reading this wiki!]] We hope that many of you will contribute to this wiki. Please take a look [[Wiki manual|here]], if you need some guidance on how to get started.

Yours, the [[Brown Bee Network]]

{{#tag:timeline|

ImageSize = height:auto width:1000 barincrement:17
PlotArea = left:25 right:25 top:15 bottom:50

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:mm/yyyy
Colors =
id:canvas value:gray(0.7)
id:grid1 value:gray(0.4)
id:grid2 value:gray(0.2)
BackgroundColors = canvas:canvas
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
AlignBars = justify

Colors=
id:canvas value:rgb(0.97,0.97,0.97)
id:grid1 value:gray(0.7)
id:grid2 value:gray(0.88)
id:black value:rgb(0,0,0)
id:section value:yelloworange
id:mark1 value:rgb(0.7,0,0)
id:years value:gray(0.5)

BackgroundColors = canvas:canvas

Period = from:{{CURRENTYEAR}} till:{{CURRENTYEAR}}
ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:1 start:{{CURRENTYEAR}}
ScaleMinor = unit:month increment:1 start:{{CURRENTYEAR}}
AlignBars = justify

BarData=

bar:title
# bar:periods
bar:dummy0 # empty bar functions as separator
bar:section1
barset:varroa
bar:dummy1
bar:section2
barset:health
bar:dummy2
bar:section3
barset:food
bar:dummy3
bar:section4
barset:swarming
bar:dummy4
bar:section5
barset:expanding
bar:dummy5
bar:section6
barset:queen
bar:dummy6
bar:section7
barset:harvest
bar:dummy7
bar:section8
barset:equipment
bar:dummy9
bar:section9
barset:flowering
bar:dummy9

# explanation: attribute 'barset' instead of 'bar' means consecutive data lines are automatically placed on new bar
# data lines are lines containing at: or from: & till: attributes
# 'barset:break' means 'reset barcounter' = next line will be placed at first bar in barset
# 'barset:skip' means 'increment barcounter' = skip one bar for next data line (to allow extra space
# for text containing line break = ~)

# Please note: In case the links within the picture pointing the wrong way, just edit something like a comment, save, and its getting updated.

PlotData =

mark:(line,black)
width:16
fontsize:S

fontsize:M
width:16
color:section
mark:(line,section)
shift:(5,-6)

bar:title from:start till:end text:"The Brown bee beekeeper's year" fontsize:XL anchor:middle align:center width:25 color:canvas mark:(line,canvas)
bar:section1 from:start till:end text:"[[Varroa|Varroa]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section2 from:start till:end text:"[[Apiary health|Apiary health]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section3 from:start till:end text:"[[Food|Food supply]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section4 from:start till:end text:"[[Swarming|Swarming]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section5 from:start till:end text:"[[Expanding|Expanding]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section6 from:start till:end text:"[[Queen|Queen]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section7 from:start till:end text:"[[Harvest|Harvest]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section8 from:start till:end text:"[[Equipment|Equipment]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section9 from:start till:end text:"[[Flowering timeline|Flowering]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
shift:(5,-5)
fontsize:M
mark:(line,mark1)

# Varroa

width:8
barset:varroa
shift:(5,-5)
at:08/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Spring treatment]]"
at:15/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Drone brood removal]]"
barset:break
at:01/09/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Formic acid or thymol]]"
at:17/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Oxalic acid treatment]]"
# barset:skip

# Apiary health

barset:health
shift:(5,-5)
at:08/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Bottom board cleaning]]"
at: 08/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Spring inspection]]"
at:25/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Weak and queenless colony management]]"
barset:break
at:17/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Summer inspection]]"
barset:break
at:17/09/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Autumn inspection]]"
at:17/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Add winter covers]]"
at:17/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Add mice guards]]"
# Food
fontsize:M
barset:food
shift:(5,-5)
at:08/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Remove surplus sugar frames]]"
barset:break
at:20/08/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Feed]]"
barset:break
at:17/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Remove feeders]]"

# Swarming

fontsize:M
barset:swarming
shift:(5,-5)
at:20/05/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Check for queen cells]]"
at:20/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Catch swarm]]"
at:20/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Controlled swarming]]"

# Expanding

fontsize:M
barset:expanding
shift:(5,-5)
at:15/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[First expansion]]"
barset:break
at:20/05/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Further expansion]]"
at:20/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Further expansion]]"
at:20/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Splitting a colony]]"

# Queen

fontsize:M
barset:queen
shift:(5,-5)
at:15/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Check queen presence and egg laying]]"
at:20/05/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Marking queen]]"
barset:break
at:05/07/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Introducing a queen]]"

at:15/08/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Change queen]]"

# Harvest

fontsize:M
barset:harvest
shift:(5,-5)
at:15/07/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Add queen excluder]]"
at:01/09/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Harvest honey]]"

# Equipment

fontsize:M
barset:equipment
shift:(5,-5)
at:01/02/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Equipment maintenance in Winter-Spring|Prepare equipment]]"
barset:break
at:05/11/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Clean and maintain equipment]]"

# Flowering

fontsize:M
barset:flowering
shift:(5,-5)
at:10/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Hazelnut]]"
at:10/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Willow]]"
barset:break
at:17/05/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Apple trees]]"
at:17/05/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Maple trees]]"
barset:break
at:25/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[White clover]]"
at:25/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Raspberry]]"
barset:break
at:12/07/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Linden trees]]"
barset:break
at:12/08/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Fireweed]]"
at:18/08/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Heather]]"
barset:break
at:17/09/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Ivy (DK)]]"
at:01/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Birch turns yellow]]"
at:10/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Leaves falling]]"
at:{{CURRENTDAY2}}/{{CURRENTMONTH2}}/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"today" textcolor:red

LineData =
layer:front # all lines in front of bars unless stated otherwise
at:{{CURRENTDAY2}}/{{CURRENTMONTH2}}/{{CURRENTYEAR}} color:red

LineData =
layer:back
at:07/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} color:tan2

LineData =
layer:back
at:01/05/{{CURRENTYEAR}} color:tan2

LineData =
layer:back
at:15/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} color:tan2

LineData =
layer:back
at:10/08/{{CURRENTYEAR}} color:tan2

LineData =
layer:back
at:15/09/{{CURRENTYEAR}} color:tan2

LineData =
layer:back
at:30/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} color:tan2

TextData =
pos:(0,50) textcolor:black fontsize:M
tabs:(75-left,270-center,415-center,525-center,650-center,735-center,880-center)
text:^[[Winter to Spring]]^[[Spring]]^[[Early Summer]]^[[Mid Summer]]^[[Late Summer]]^[[Fall]]^[[Winter to Spring]]

}}

Main Page

2016-11-28T15:35:35Z

Linn.groeneveld:

<strong>
== '''Welcome to the Brown bee wiki!''' ==
</strong>
This wiki is intended to be a helpful resource for anyone [[keeping brown bees]] (''Apis mellifera mellifera''). The [[brown bee]] is the honeybee subspecies that occurs natively in the Nordic region. In the 20th century, other honeybee subspecies were introduced to this region by beekeepers. Today, the native brown bee is endangered due to displacement and introgression by these other subspecies. The great value of these bees, that appear well-adapted to the Nordic climate, is slowly being recognized and conservation efforts are under way! The best conservation is of course the active use of these bees in beekeeping and honey production. All information in this wiki is tailored to brown bees, unless otherwise stated. We hope that this resource can help brown bee beekeepers with their day-to-day management of their hives. Obviously, exact dates for beekeeping activities will vary greatly by year and location, depending on the weather and flowering times of bee food sources. Please keep this in mind when [[Navigating the wiki|reading this wiki!]] We hope that many of you will contribute to this wiki. Please take a look [[Wiki manual|here]], if you need some guidance on how to get started.

Yours, the [[Brown Bee Network]]

{{#tag:timeline|

ImageSize = height:auto width:1000 barincrement:17
PlotArea = left:25 right:25 top:15 bottom:50

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:mm/yyyy
Colors =
id:canvas value:gray(0.7)
id:grid1 value:gray(0.4)
id:grid2 value:gray(0.2)
BackgroundColors = canvas:canvas
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
AlignBars = justify

Colors=
id:canvas value:rgb(0.97,0.97,0.97)
id:grid1 value:gray(0.7)
id:grid2 value:gray(0.88)
id:black value:rgb(0,0,0)
id:section value:yelloworange
id:mark1 value:rgb(0.7,0,0)
id:years value:gray(0.5)

BackgroundColors = canvas:canvas

Period = from:{{CURRENTYEAR}} till:{{CURRENTYEAR}}
ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:1 start:{{CURRENTYEAR}}
ScaleMinor = unit:month increment:1 start:{{CURRENTYEAR}}
AlignBars = justify

BarData=

bar:title
# bar:periods
bar:dummy0 # empty bar functions as separator
bar:section1
barset:varroa
bar:dummy1
bar:section2
barset:health
bar:dummy2
bar:section3
barset:food
bar:dummy3
bar:section4
barset:swarming
bar:dummy4
bar:section5
barset:expanding
bar:dummy5
bar:section6
barset:queen
bar:dummy6
bar:section7
barset:harvest
bar:dummy7
bar:section8
barset:equipment
bar:dummy9
bar:section9
barset:flowering
bar:dummy9

# explanation: attribute 'barset' instead of 'bar' means consecutive data lines are automatically placed on new bar
# data lines are lines containing at: or from: & till: attributes
# 'barset:break' means 'reset barcounter' = next line will be placed at first bar in barset
# 'barset:skip' means 'increment barcounter' = skip one bar for next data line (to allow extra space
# for text containing line break = ~)

# Please note: In case the links within the picture pointing the wrong way, just edit something like a comment, save, and its getting updated.

PlotData =

mark:(line,black)
width:16
fontsize:S

fontsize:M
width:16
color:section
mark:(line,section)
shift:(5,-6)

bar:title from:start till:end text:"The Brown bee beekeeper's year" fontsize:XL anchor:middle align:center width:25 color:canvas mark:(line,canvas)
bar:section1 from:start till:end text:"[[Varroa|Varroa]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section2 from:start till:end text:"[[Apiary health|Apiary health]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section3 from:start till:end text:"[[Food|Food supply]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section4 from:start till:end text:"[[Swarming|Swarming]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section5 from:start till:end text:"[[Expanding|Expanding]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section6 from:start till:end text:"[[Queen|Queen]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section7 from:start till:end text:"[[Harvest|Harvest]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section8 from:start till:end text:"[[Equipment|Equipment]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section9 from:start till:end text:"[[Flowering timeline|Flowering]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
shift:(5,-5)
fontsize:M
mark:(line,mark1)

# Varroa

width:8
barset:varroa
shift:(5,-5)
at:08/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Spring treatment]]"
at:15/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Drone brood removal]]"
barset:break
at:01/09/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Formic acid or thymol]]"
at:17/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Oxalic acid treatment]]"
# barset:skip

# Apiary health

barset:health
shift:(5,-5)
at:08/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Bottom board cleaning]]"
at: 08/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Spring inspection]]"
at:25/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Weak and queenless colony management]]"
barset:break
at:17/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Summer inspection]]"
barset:break
at:17/09/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Autumn inspection]]"
at:17/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Add winter covers]]"
at:17/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Add mice guards]]"
# Food
fontsize:M
barset:food
shift:(5,-5)
at:08/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Remove surplus sugar frames]]"
barset:break
at:20/08/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Feed]]"
barset:break
at:17/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Remove feeders]]"

# Swarming

fontsize:M
barset:swarming
shift:(5,-5)
at:20/05/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Check for queen cells]]"
at:20/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Catch swarm]]"
at:20/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Controlled swarming]]"

# Expanding

fontsize:M
barset:expanding
shift:(5,-5)
at:15/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[First expansion]]"
barset:break
at:20/05/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Further expansion]]"
at:20/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Further expansion]]"
at:20/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Splitting a colony]]"

# Queen

fontsize:M
barset:queen
shift:(5,-5)
at:15/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Check queen presence and egg laying]]"
at:20/05/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Marking queen]]"
barset:break
at:05/07/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Introducing a queen]]"

at:15/08/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Change queen]]"

# Harvest

fontsize:M
barset:harvest
shift:(5,-5)
at:15/07/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Add queen excluder]]"
at:01/09/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Harvest honey]]"

# Equipment

fontsize:M
barset:equipment
shift:(5,-5)
at:01/02/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Equipment maintenance in Winter-Spring|Prepare equipment]]"
barset:break
at:05/11/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Clean and maintain equipment]]"

# Flowering

fontsize:M
barset:flowering
shift:(5,-5)
at:10/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Hazelnut]]"
at:10/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Willow]]"
barset:break
at:17/05/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Apple trees]]"
at:17/05/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Maple trees]]"
barset:break
at:25/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[White clover]]"
at:25/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Raspberry]]"
barset:break
at:12/07/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Linden trees]]"
at:12/08/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Fireweed]]"
at:18/08/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Heather]]"
barset:break
at:17/09/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Ivy (DK)]]"
at:01/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Birch turns yellow]]"
at:10/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Leaves falling]]"
at:{{CURRENTDAY2}}/{{CURRENTMONTH2}}/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"today" textcolor:red

LineData =
layer:front # all lines in front of bars unless stated otherwise
at:{{CURRENTDAY2}}/{{CURRENTMONTH2}}/{{CURRENTYEAR}} color:red

LineData =
layer:back
at:07/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} color:tan2

LineData =
layer:back
at:01/05/{{CURRENTYEAR}} color:tan2

LineData =
layer:back
at:15/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} color:tan2

LineData =
layer:back
at:10/08/{{CURRENTYEAR}} color:tan2

LineData =
layer:back
at:15/09/{{CURRENTYEAR}} color:tan2

LineData =
layer:back
at:30/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} color:tan2

TextData =
pos:(0,50) textcolor:black fontsize:M
tabs:(75-left,270-center,415-center,525-center,650-center,735-center,880-center)
text:^[[Winter to Spring]]^[[Spring]]^[[Early Summer]]^[[Mid Summer]]^[[Late Summer]]^[[Fall]]^[[Winter to Spring]]

}}

File:File graph GraphVizExtensionDummy dot.jpeg

2016-11-28T15:35:34Z

Linn.groeneveld: generated by the GraphViz extension from the File page

File:File graph GraphVizExtensionDummy dot.jpg

2016-11-28T15:35:32Z

Linn.groeneveld: generated by the GraphViz extension from the File page

File:File graph GraphVizExtensionDummy dot.gif

2016-11-28T15:35:31Z

Linn.groeneveld: generated by the GraphViz extension from the File page

Marking queen

2016-11-07T09:43:58Z

Linn.groeneveld:

Honeybee [[queen|queens]] are usually marked by the beekeeper, both to make it easier to find them in the hive and to be able to tell how old the queen is. Each year the new queens are marked with a specific color indicating that the queen hatched in the respective year. This color-coding is international practice:
Queens hatched in a year ending with:
* 1 or 6 are marked with white. For example bees that hatched in 2011 and 2016 will be marked with white.
* 2 or 7 yellow
* 3 or 8 red
* 4 or 9 green
* 5 or 0 blue

A simple way to remember it is "Will You Rear Good Bees" (White, Yellow, Red, Green, Blue)
To mark the queen special pens or paint is used. This can be bought in beekeeping equipment stores.

<div style="float:left;">
<gallery mode="packed-hover">
File:Mark_queen.jpg|Marking a queen
</gallery>
</div>
<br />
<embedvideo service="youtube">https://youtu.be/XrHWLgfhXEA</embedvideo>

[[Category:Queen]]
[[Category:Early summer]]

Queen

2016-11-07T09:26:24Z

Linn.groeneveld:

Honeybees are eusocial insects, meaning that they live in a highly organized society with a division of labor, overlapping generations in one hive and cooperative brood care. Moreover, not all adult individuals can reproduce and in the case of honeybees there is one queen per colony that lays eggs.

'''Winter to Spring:'''
Bee colonies should not be left without a queen. If the queen is lost during winter or early spring, the colony has to be turned into a queenright colony as soon as possible. This can be done easily by [[Introducing a queen|turning] the queenless colony into a queenright colony. At the beginning the two colonies should be separated by newspaper for example, so that they slowly become accustomed to one another. The newspaper should have a couple slits cut into it to help the bees remove the paper within a few days. Or if you have extra queens in a small nucleus in indoor wintering, you can unite one of them with the queenless colony.

'''Early Summer:'''
When the hive is managed without [[queen excluder]], the queen lays eggs into a wide area. If there is no nectar flow, the eggs can be found everywhere and there will be no brood in the lowest hive body. The queen should be kept in the lower boxes, as the Nordic brown bee is not suited for “queen in upper box” management where the queen is closed into the uppermost hive body with a queen excluder.

After the number of worker bees increases rapidly in June, the queen will be even harder to find. That's why it’s best to complete the procedures that will help in finding the queen (for instance, [[Marking queen|marking the queen]]) in spring, early summer, or late summer.

With ''A. m. mellifera'' bees, it can be difficult to establish two-queen bee hives with a separating queen excluder. Usually, the other queen is killed and only one queen is accepted per colony. Then again, this behavior can also be an advantage when the old queens are changed to new ones.

'''[[Check queen presence and egg laying|Searching for the queen]]:'''
* Work with care and keep in mind that some of the queens can hide outstandingly well.
* The queen usually goes to the empty built frames, which have been recently given to the hive and are also occupied by worker bees.
* The queen can be tempted to go to a brood frame that has been taken from a neighboring bee hive and temporarily placed in the middle of the brood area without bees. Usually, the queen can be found on this visitor frame within five or ten minutes.
* The queen can leave the hive when the hive is being searched.
* When handled, the queen is strong and eager to bend herself in any way she wants.
* When new queens hatch in the incubator, they can easily be marked or tagged.

'''Mid Summer:'''
New queens can be produced either spontaneously in swarming colonies or in a controlled environment in queen rearing operations. New bee colonies get their queen in one of these ways. Because the queen mates freely in the air several kilometres away from its origin, it is possible for the queen to pair with other subspecies besides ''A. m. mellifera''. This kind of [[cross-breeding]] is destructive for conservation activities, which is why queen producers are looking for isolated areas where only ''A. m. mellifera'' colonies, queens, and drones exist in the flight area. This can be arranged either in island environments or on the mainland without any other bees around in a ten-kilometer radius from the mating station.

[[Category:Queen]]

File:Wax foundation.JPG

2016-11-07T09:17:11Z

Linn.groeneveld: /* Summary */

== Summary ==
Preparing a wax foundation frame. Photo taken by Lauri Ruottinen.

== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-nc-sa-4.0}}

File:Wax foundation.JPG

2016-11-07T09:16:23Z

Linn.groeneveld: Preparing a wax foundation frame.

== Summary ==
Preparing a wax foundation frame.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-nc-sa-4.0}}

File:Half built comb.jpg

2016-11-07T09:01:01Z

Linn.groeneveld: /* Licensing */

== Summary ==
An example of a newly half built comb. Picture taken by Joachim Tscherpel.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-nc-sa-4.0}}

File:Swarm in tree.jpg

2016-11-07T09:00:09Z

Linn.groeneveld: /* Licensing */

== Summary ==
A swarm of ''Apis mellifera mellifera'' bees in a tree. Picture by Joachim Tscherpel.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-nc-sa-4.0}}

File:Felled tree with swarm.jpg

2016-11-07T08:59:29Z

Linn.groeneveld: /* Licensing */

== Summary ==
The tree with the ''Apis mellifera mellifera'' swarm has been felled. Picture by Joachim Tscherpel.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-nc-sa-4.0}}

File:Swarm with skep.JPG

2016-11-07T08:58:53Z

Linn.groeneveld: /* Licensing */

== Summary ==
The ''Apis mellifera mellifera'' swarm entering a skep. Picture by Joachim Tscherpel.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-nc-sa-4.0}}

File:Ladder swarm.jpg

2016-11-07T08:58:13Z

Linn.groeneveld: /* Licensing */

== Summary ==
Ingvar Arvidsson is setting up a ladder to get to a swarm. Photo taken by Joachim Tscherpel.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-nc-sa-4.0}}

File:Swarm on branch.jpg

2016-11-07T08:46:17Z

Linn.groeneveld: /* Licensing */

== Summary ==
An ''Apis melilfera mellifera'' swarm on a branch. Photo taken by Joachim Tscherpel.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-nc-sa-4.0}}

File:Sawing off branch.jpg

2016-11-07T08:45:35Z

Linn.groeneveld: /* Licensing */

== Summary ==
Ingvar Arvidsson is sawing off the branch with the bee swarm. Photo taken by Joachim Tscherpel.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-nc-sa-4.0}}

File:Swarm box.jpg

2016-11-07T08:44:53Z

Linn.groeneveld: /* Licensing */

== Summary ==
The swarm from the brach has been moved into a swarm box. Photo taken by Joachim Tscherpel.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-nc-sa-4.0}}

File:Queen excluder.jpg

2016-11-07T08:44:06Z

Linn.groeneveld: /* Licensing */

== Summary ==
Queen excluder. Photo taken by Joachim Tscherpel.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-nc-sa-4.0}}

File:Cleaning bottom board.jpg

2016-11-07T08:43:24Z

Linn.groeneveld: /* Licensing */

== Summary ==
The bottom board being scraped with a hive tool. Note that it might be better to collect the downfall and dispose of it properly, since it might contain infectious material. Photo by Lauri Ruottinen.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-nc-sa-4.0}}

File:Miceguard.jpg

2016-11-07T08:42:33Z

Linn.groeneveld: /* Licensing */

== Summary ==
Mice guard set over the flight entrance to keep out small rodents during the winter. Note the tracks of small rodents in the snow. Photo by Lauri Ruottinen.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-nc-sa-4.0}}

File:Mark queen.jpg

2016-11-07T08:41:44Z

Linn.groeneveld: /* Licensing */

== Summary ==
Marking a new queen. Photo by Joachim Tscherpel.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-nc-sa-4.0}}

File:Wintercluster.jpg

2016-11-07T08:41:05Z

Linn.groeneveld: /* Licensing */

== Summary ==
Apis mellifera mellifera bees forming a winter cluster. There is ice on the inside edges of the hive. Photo by Lauri Ruottinen.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-nc-sa-4.0}}

File:Remove queen cup.jpg

2016-11-07T08:40:01Z

Linn.groeneveld: /* Licensing */

== Summary ==
Removing a queen cup. Photo taken by Joachim Tscherpel.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-nc-sa-4.0}}

File:Queen cell.jpg

2016-11-07T08:38:31Z

Linn.groeneveld: /* Licensing */

== Summary ==
Sealed queen cell. Photo taken by Joachim Tscherpel.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-nc-sa-4.0}}

File:Queen pupa.JPG

2016-11-07T08:37:53Z

Linn.groeneveld: /* Licensing */

== Summary ==
A queen cell that has been cut open, contains a queen pupa in the red eye stadium. Photo taken by Joachim Tscherpel.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-nc-sa-4.0}}

File:Queen cup hybrids.jpg

2016-11-07T08:37:22Z

Linn.groeneveld: /* Licensing */

== Summary ==
A queen cup with hybrid bees. Photo taken by Joachim Tscherpel.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-nc-sa-4.0}}

File:Bottomboard chalkbrood.jpg

2016-11-07T08:34:25Z

Linn.groeneveld: /* Licensing */

== Summary ==
A bottom board with dead pupae from a hive that has chalkbrood. Photo taken by Joachim Tscherpel.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-nc-sa-4.0}}

File:Drone frame.jpg

2016-11-07T08:33:44Z

Linn.groeneveld: /* Licensing */

== Summary ==
A drone frame with capped drone brood from a lågnormal hive. Photo taken by Joachim Tscherpel.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-nc-sa-4.0}}

File:Bottomboard.jpg

2016-11-07T08:33:09Z

Linn.groeneveld: /* Licensing */

== Summary ==
Taking out the bottom board to count varroa mite downfall. Photo taken by Joachim Tscherpel.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-nc-sa-4.0}}

File:Count varroa.jpg

2016-11-07T08:32:25Z

Linn.groeneveld: /* Licensing */

== Summary ==
Counting varroa mite downfall on the bottom board. Photo taken by Joachim Tscherpel.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-nc-sa-4.0}}

Varroa

2016-11-07T08:31:18Z

Linn.groeneveld:

The Varroa mite, ''Varroa destructor'', is an external parasite that lives on honey bees (both ''Apis mellifera'' and ''Apis cerana''). The adult mites feed on the hemolymph of adult honey bees and lay their eggs in brood cells in the honey bee hive. This parasite is one of the main threats to honey bee hive health and is thought to play a role in [[colony collapse disorder]]. The concurrent transmission of viruses, such as deformed wing virus, causes the main mortality in the honey bees.

<div style="float:left;">
<gallery mode="packed-hover">
File:Varroa.jpg|A varroa mite
</gallery>
</div>
'''Early summer'''<br />
This is the time when you should begin to remove the sealed drone brood that harbor a proportionally higher number of Varroa mites than worker brood. You can diminish the mite population considerably by continuously having the bees rear drone brood and then [[Drone brood removal|removing]] them regularly. The drones are usually reared until mid-July, after which the drone removal can be stopped.

'''Mid Summer'''<br />
You can continue removing drone brood for as long as the colony is willing to rear them. The swarms and nucleus can be treated for Varroa with treatments like evaporating [[Formic acid or thymol |thymol]] or trickling [[Oxalic acid in broodless colonies|oxalic acid]] in as early as midsummer, if no honey is harvested from these colonies during the same season.

'''Late summer'''<br />
The winter bees develop during August and September and Varroa mites might injure the developing bees. It is for this reason that the [[Formic acid or thymol |Varroa control]] in August is essential. The details of the techniques and protocols for Varroa treatment vary slightly between the Nordic countries, but the basic principles are the same in beekeeping regardless of bees or area.

'''Fall'''<br />
Nordic brown bees have a shorter brood rearing period compared to other subspecies. Brood rearing begins later in the spring and stops earlier in the fall. The broodless period also begins earlier in the fall and gives a good chance for Varroa control with [[Oxalic acid in broodless colonies|oxalic acid]] on adult bees.

[[Category:Varroa]]

Varroa

2016-11-07T08:30:54Z

Linn.groeneveld:

The Varroa mite, ''Varroa destructor'', is an external parasite that lives on honey bees (both ''Apis mellifera'' and ''Apis cerana''). The adult mites feed on the hemolymph of adult honey bees and lay their eggs in brood cells in the honey bee hive. This parasite is one of the main threats to honey bee hive health and is thought to play a role in [[colony collapse disorder]]. The concurrent transmission of viruses, such as deformed wing virus, causes the main mortality in the honey bees.

<div style="float:left;">
<gallery caption="Catching a swarm by felling a tree" mode="packed-hover">
File:Varroa.jpg|A varroa mite
</gallery>
</div>
'''Early summer'''<br />
This is the time when you should begin to remove the sealed drone brood that harbor a proportionally higher number of Varroa mites than worker brood. You can diminish the mite population considerably by continuously having the bees rear drone brood and then [[Drone brood removal|removing]] them regularly. The drones are usually reared until mid-July, after which the drone removal can be stopped.

'''Mid Summer'''<br />
You can continue removing drone brood for as long as the colony is willing to rear them. The swarms and nucleus can be treated for Varroa with treatments like evaporating [[Formic acid or thymol |thymol]] or trickling [[Oxalic acid in broodless colonies|oxalic acid]] in as early as midsummer, if no honey is harvested from these colonies during the same season.

'''Late summer'''<br />
The winter bees develop during August and September and Varroa mites might injure the developing bees. It is for this reason that the [[Formic acid or thymol |Varroa control]] in August is essential. The details of the techniques and protocols for Varroa treatment vary slightly between the Nordic countries, but the basic principles are the same in beekeeping regardless of bees or area.

'''Fall'''<br />
Nordic brown bees have a shorter brood rearing period compared to other subspecies. Brood rearing begins later in the spring and stops earlier in the fall. The broodless period also begins earlier in the fall and gives a good chance for Varroa control with [[Oxalic acid in broodless colonies|oxalic acid]] on adult bees.

[[Category:Varroa]]

File:Varroa.jpg

2016-11-07T08:29:20Z

Linn.groeneveld: /* Licensing */

== Summary ==
A varroa mite. Photo taken by Joachim Tscherpel.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-nc-sa-4.0}}

Template:Cc-by-nc-sa-4.0

2016-11-07T08:28:19Z

Linn.groeneveld:

[[File:by-nc-sa.png|left|100px|caption]]This work is licensed under [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License]

Template:Cc-by-nc-sa-4.0

2016-11-07T08:27:25Z

Linn.groeneveld: Created page with "captionThis work is licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike..."

[[File:by-nc-sa.png|left|100px|caption]]This work is licensed under [[https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License]]

Template:Cc-by-sa-4.0

2016-11-07T08:24:55Z

Linn.groeneveld:

[[File:By-sa.png|left|100px|caption]] This work is licensed under [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License].

File:By-nc-sa.png

2016-11-07T08:19:00Z

Linn.groeneveld: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

MediaWiki:Licenses

2016-11-07T08:13:48Z

Linn.groeneveld:

* cc-by-sa-4.0|Attribution ShareAlike 4.0
* cc-by-nc-sa-4.0|Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International

Wiki manual

2016-11-04T15:34:11Z

Linn.groeneveld:

This wiki will only be a useful resource for Brown bee beekeepers, if it contains up to date information and different perspectives. We hope that you are interested in contributing to this wiki. To get started on adding or editing existing text, you will need to create a login for yourself. To do this, please click on the "Create Login" link in the upper right corner of the wiki. Then fill out the form that appears. You can freely chose your login name and password. You now have a login name and a password to log in to the wiki.

<gallery mode="packed-hover" caption="The process of creating a login">
File:Wiki create login.jpg|Create login
File:login_form.png|Login form
File:Welcome.png|Welcome message
File:Confirmation_email.png|Confirmation email
</gallery>

To edit pages, you have to click on the edit tab. You can then edit and add to the text. You will notice that there are some odd characters here and there, which are used to format the text. For example, if you want the text to appear italic you need to type two single apostrophes <nowiki>'</nowiki> <nowiki>'</nowiki> before and after the text you want to appear italic.

<gallery mode="packed-hover" caption="The editing tab">
File:Edit.jpg|the edit tab
File:Editing.png|The edit window
</gallery>

Here is a small selection of how to format:

{| class="wikitable"
! Description
! You type
! Displays as
|-
| Italic text
| <nowiki>'</nowiki> <nowiki>'</nowiki> italic <nowiki>'</nowiki> <nowiki>'</nowiki>
| ''italic''
|-
| Bold text
| <nowiki>'</nowiki> <nowiki>'</nowiki> <nowiki>'</nowiki> bold <nowiki>'</nowiki> <nowiki>'</nowiki> <nowiki>'</nowiki>
| '''bold'''
|-
| Link to wiki page
| <nowiki>[</nowiki><nowiki>[</nowiki>Catch swarm<nowiki>]</nowiki><nowiki>]</nowiki>
| [[catch swarm]]
|-
| Link to wiki page with different text displayed
| <nowiki>[</nowiki><nowiki>[</nowiki>Catch swarm<nowiki> | </nowiki>here<nowiki>]</nowiki><nowiki>]</nowiki>
| [[catch swarm | here]]
|-
| Link to an external webpage with different text
| <nowiki>[</nowiki><nowiki>https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting here</nowiki><nowiki>]</nowiki>
| [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting here]
|}

If you put an asterisk <nowiki>*</nowiki> at the beginning of a line, it is turned into a bullet point.
<nowiki>*</nowiki> bullet point
appears as
* bullet point

And a <nowiki>#</nowiki> at the beginning of a line displays as a numbered list
<nowiki>#</nowiki> numbered list
<nowiki>#</nowiki> numbered list
displays as
# numbered list
# numbered list

If you want to create a new page, you can type the name of the new page into the search box at the top right. The search will yield all pages, which contain the text you searched for and in addition there will be a red link to create the page that you searched for and didn't find, since it doesn't exist yet.

<gallery mode="packed-hover">
File:Search.png|Result of search

</gallery>

Remember that you can always just copy from an example - at least that is what I usually do. There are useful help pages for [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting formatting], [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Images adding pictures] and [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Links adding links].

If you find all of this too daunting, you can also just send your requested changes to linn.groeneveld@nordgen.org and I can add the text, pictures or videos to the wiki for you.

Wiki manual

2016-11-04T15:19:45Z

Linn.groeneveld:

This wiki will only be a useful resource for Brown bee beekeepers, if it contains up to date information and different perspectives. We hope that you are interested in contributing to this wiki. To get started on adding or editing existing text, you will need to create a login for yourself. To do this, please click on the "Create Login" link in the upper right corner of the wiki. Then fill out the form that appears. You can freely chose your login name and password. You now have a login name and a password to log in to the wiki.

<gallery mode="packed-hover" caption="The process of creating a login">
File:Wiki create login.jpg|Create login
File:login_form.png|Login form
File:Welcome.png|Welcome message
File:Confirmation_email.png|Confirmation email
</gallery>

To edit pages, you have to click on the edit tab. You can then edit and add to the text. You will notice that there are some odd characters here and there, which are used to format the text. For example, if you want the text to appear italic you need to type two single apostrophes <nowiki>'</nowiki> <nowiki>'</nowiki> before and after the text you want to appear italic.

<gallery mode="packed-hover" caption="The editing tab">
File:Edit.jpg|the edit tab
File:Editing.png|The edit window
</gallery>

Here is a small selection of how to format:

{| class="wikitable"
! Description
! You type
! Displays as
|-
| Italic text
| <nowiki>'</nowiki> <nowiki>'</nowiki> italic <nowiki>'</nowiki> <nowiki>'</nowiki>
| ''italic''
|-
| Bold text
| <nowiki>'</nowiki> <nowiki>'</nowiki> <nowiki>'</nowiki> bold <nowiki>'</nowiki> <nowiki>'</nowiki> <nowiki>'</nowiki>
| '''bold'''
|-
| Link to wiki page
| <nowiki>[</nowiki><nowiki>[</nowiki>Catch swarm<nowiki>]</nowiki><nowiki>]</nowiki>
| [[catch swarm]]
|-
| Link to wiki page with different text displayed
| <nowiki>[</nowiki><nowiki>[</nowiki>Catch swarm<nowiki> | </nowiki>here<nowiki>]</nowiki><nowiki>]</nowiki>
| [[catch swarm | here]]
|-
| Link to an external webpage with different text
| <nowiki>[</nowiki><nowiki>https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting here</nowiki><nowiki>]</nowiki>
| [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting here]
|}

If you put an asterisk <nowiki>*</nowiki> at the beginning of a line, it is turned into a bullet point.
<nowiki>*</nowiki> bullet point
appears as
* bullet point

And a <nowiki>#</nowiki> at the beginning of a line displays as a numbered list
<nowiki>#</nowiki> numbered list
displays as
# numbered list

If you want to create a new page, you can type the name of the new page into the search box at the top right. The search will yield all pages, which contain the text you searched for and in addition there will be a red link to create the page that you searched for and didn't find, since it doesn't exist yet.

<gallery mode="packed-hover">
File:Search.png|Result of search

</gallery>

Remember that you can always just copy from an example - at least that is what I usually do. There are useful help pages for [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting formatting], [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Images adding pictures] and [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Links adding links].

If you find all of this too daunting, you can also just send your requested changes to linn.groeneveld@nordgen.org and I can add the text, pictures or videos to the wiki for you.

Wiki manual

2016-11-04T15:19:08Z

Linn.groeneveld:

This wiki will only be a useful resource for Brown bee beekeepers, if it contains up to date information and different perspectives. We hope that you are interested in contributing to this wiki. To get started on adding or editing existing text, you will need to create a login for yourself. To do this, please click on the "Create Login" link in the upper right corner of the wiki. Then fill out the form that appears. You can freely chose your login name and password. You now have a login name and a password to log in to the wiki.

<gallery mode="packed-hover" caption="The process of creating a login">
File:Wiki create login.jpg|Create login
File:login_form.png|Login form
File:Welcome.png|Welcome message
File:Confirmation_email.png|Confirmation email
</gallery>

To edit pages, you have to click on the edit tab. You can then edit and add to the text. You will notice that there are some odd characters here and there, which are used to format the text. For example, if you want the text to appear italic you need to type two single apostrophes <nowiki>'</nowiki> <nowiki>'</nowiki> before and after the text you want to appear italic.

<gallery mode="packed-hover" caption="The editing tab">
File:Edit.jpg|the edit tab
File:Editing.png|The edit window
</gallery>

Here is a small selection of how to format:

{| class="wikitable"
! Description
! You type
! Displays as
|-
| Italic text
| <nowiki>'</nowiki> <nowiki>'</nowiki> italic <nowiki>'</nowiki> <nowiki>'</nowiki>
| ''italic''
|-
| Bold text
| <nowiki>'</nowiki> <nowiki>'</nowiki> <nowiki>'</nowiki> bold <nowiki>'</nowiki> <nowiki>'</nowiki> <nowiki>'</nowiki>
| '''bold'''
|-
| Link to wiki page
| <nowiki>[</nowiki><nowiki>[</nowiki>Catch swarm<nowiki>]</nowiki><nowiki>]</nowiki>
| [[catch swarm]]
|-
| Link to wiki page with different text displayed
| <nowiki>[</nowiki><nowiki>[</nowiki>Catch swarm<nowiki> | </nowiki>here<nowiki>]</nowiki><nowiki>]</nowiki>
| [[catch swarm | here]]
|-
| Link to an external webpage with different text
| <nowiki>[</nowiki><nowiki>https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting here</nowiki><nowiki>]</nowiki>
| [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting here]
|}

If you put an asterisk <nowiki>*</nowiki> at the beginning of a line, it is turned into a bullet point.
<nowiki>*</nowiki> bullet point
appears as
* bullet point

And a <nowiki>#</nowiki> at the beginning of a line displays as a numbered list
<nowiki>#</nowiki> numbered list
displays as
# numbered list

If you want to create a new page, you can type the name of the new page into the search box at the top right. The search will yield all pages, which contain the text you searched for and in addition there will be a red link to create the page that you searched for and didn't find, since it doesn't exist yet.

<div style="float:left;">
<gallery caption="Catching a swarm by felling a tree" mode="packed-hover">
File:Search.png|Result of search

</gallery>
</div>

Remember that you can always just copy from an example - at least that is what I usually do. There are useful help pages for [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting formatting], [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Images adding pictures] and [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Links adding links].

If you find all of this too daunting, you can also just send your requested changes to linn.groeneveld@nordgen.org and I can add the text, pictures or videos to the wiki for you.

File:Search.png

2016-11-04T15:18:05Z

Linn.groeneveld: Search for a page in order to create a new page by clicking the red link.

== Summary ==
Search for a page in order to create a new page by clicking the red link.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-sa-4.0}}

Main Page

2016-11-04T15:11:40Z

Linn.groeneveld:

<strong>
== '''Welcome to the Brown bee wiki!''' ==
</strong>
This wiki is intended to be a helpful resource for anyone [[keeping brown bees]] (''Apis mellifera mellifera''). The [[brown bee]] is the honeybee subspecies that occurs natively in the Nordic region. In the 20th century, other honeybee subspecies were introduced to this region by beekeepers. Today, the native brown bee is endangered due to displacement and introgression by these other subspecies. The great value of these bees, that appear well-adapted to the Nordic climate, is slowly being recognized and conservation efforts are under way! The best conservation is of course the active use of these bees in beekeeping and honey production. All information in this wiki is tailored to brown bees, unless otherwise stated. We hope that this resource can help brown bee beekeepers with their day-to-day management of their hives. Obviously, exact dates for beekeeping activities will vary greatly by year and location, depending on the weather and flowering times of bee food sources. Please keep this in mind when [[Navigating the wiki|reading this wiki!]] We hope that many of you will contribute to this wiki. Please take a look [[Wiki manual|here]], if you need some guidance on how to get started.

Yours, the [[Brown Bee Network]]

{{#tag:timeline|

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# data lines are lines containing at: or from: & till: attributes
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# Please note: In case the links within the picture pointing the wrong way, just edit something like a comment, save, and its getting updated.

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bar:title from:start till:end text:"The Brown bee beekeeper's year" fontsize:XL anchor:middle align:center width:25 color:canvas mark:(line,canvas)
bar:section1 from:start till:end text:"[[Varroa|Varroa]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section2 from:start till:end text:"[[Apiary health|Apiary health]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section3 from:start till:end text:"[[Food|Food supply]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section4 from:start till:end text:"[[Swarming|Swarming]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section5 from:start till:end text:"[[Expanding|Expanding]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
bar:section6 from:start till:end text:"[[Queen|Queen]]" fontsize:L anchor:from
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# Varroa

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at:15/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Drone brood removal]]"
barset:break
at:01/09/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Formic acid or thymol]]"
at:17/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Oxalic acid treatment]]"
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# Apiary health

barset:health
shift:(5,-5)
at:08/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Bottom board cleaning]]"
at: 08/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Spring inspection]]"
at:25/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Weak and queenless colony management]]"
barset:break
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at:17/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Add mice guards]]"
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barset:break
at:20/05/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Further expansion]]"
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at:20/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Splitting a colony]]"

# Queen

fontsize:M
barset:queen
shift:(5,-5)
at:15/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Check queen presence and egg laying]]"
at:20/05/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Marking queen]]"
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at:05/07/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Introducing a queen]]"

at:15/08/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Change queen]]"

# Harvest

fontsize:M
barset:harvest
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at:15/07/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Add queen excluder]]"
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# Flowering

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at:10/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Hazelnut]]"
at:10/03/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Willow]]"
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at:17/05/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Apple trees]]"
at:17/05/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Chestnut trees]]"
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at:25/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[White clover]]"
at:25/06/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Raspberry]]"
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at:12/08/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Fireweed]]"
at:18/08/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Heather]]"
barset:break
at:17/09/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Ivy (DK)]]"
at:01/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Birch turns yellow]]"
at:10/10/{{CURRENTYEAR}} text:"[[Leaves falling]]"
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}}

Equipment

2016-11-04T15:02:19Z

Linn.groeneveld:

Anticipating what you will need in the near future and having the appropriate equipment ready before you need it, will save you many a headache. Moreover, keeping all of your equipment in good and clean shape will prevent [[Infectious diseases and parasites|diseases]] from spreading from hive to hive through your equipment.

'''Spring'''<br />
You should get the equipment ready for the season. This includes:
* sorting combs in boxes, including prepared [[wax foundation frames]]
* preparing extra bottom boards, hive bodies, and roofs to make nuclei from swarming and non-swarming colonies
* preparing a couple of swarm boxes for [[Catch swarm|catching swarms]].

'''Early Summer'''<br />
For early summer, you should prepare hive boxes with an appropriate number of [[wax foundation frames]]. Additionally, you will need some extra bottom boards, hive roofs, and hive bodies with wax foundation frames for managing swarming colonies.

'''Mid Summer'''<br />
The drone rearing usually stops in mid-July. The next [[varroa]] control, then, is carried out in [[Formic acid or thymol|August]]. You should prepare materials and equipments for:
* harvesting, extracting and storing the honey yield
* feeding the honey bee colonies
* [[Check varroa level|controlling the varroa mites]] after harvesting.

[[Category:Equipment]]

Equipment

2016-11-04T14:58:03Z

Linn.groeneveld:

Anticipating what you will need in the near future and having the appropriate equipment ready before you need it, will save you many a headache. Moreover, keeping all of your equipment in good and clean shape will prevent [[Infectious diseases and parasites|diseases]] from spreading from hive to hive through your equipment.

'''Spring'''<br />
You should get the equipment ready for the season. This includes:
* sorting combs in boxes, including prepared [[wax foundation frames]]
* preparing extra bottom boards, hive bodies, and roofs to make nuclei from swarming and non-swarming colonies
* preparing a couple of swarm boxes for [[Catch swarm|catching swarms]].

'''Early Summer'''<br />
For early summer, you should prepare hive boxes with an appropriate number of wax foundation frames. Additionally, you will need some extra bottom boards, hive roofs, and hive bodies with wax foundation frames for managing swarming colonies.

'''Mid Summer'''<br />
The drone rearing usually stops in mid-July. The next varroa control, then, is carried out in [[Formic acid or thymol|August]]. You should prepare materials and equipments for:
* harvesting, extracting and storing the honey yield
* feeding the honey bee colonies
* controlling the varroa mites after harvesting.

[[Category:Equipment]]

Check varroa level

2016-11-04T14:51:17Z

Linn.groeneveld:

There are some beekeepers that have managed to keep their ''Apis mellifera mellifera'' bees for years without treating them for [[varroa]]. Not all bee populations will manage to survive without treatment though. In order to get an idea of how your colonies are doing, it is advisable to count the natural varroa mite downfall on the bottom board. This information will also enable you to include varroa resistance /tolerance into your breeding activities. This is a rather complicated topic and you can surely find additional information outside of this wiki.

*In Finland the following protocol is used to find out if the colony needs to be treated:
** Count and write down the number of dead mites on the bottom board over 7 to 10 days.
***In the spring: If you find more than an average of 1 mite per day you should consider treating the colony.
*** In the fall: If you find more than 15 mites per day, you should consider treating the colony.

The different treating thresholds are due to the mites' and bees' population dynamics and their life cycles.

<div style="float:left;">
<gallery caption="Counting varroa mite downfall" mode="packed-hover">
File:Varroa.jpg|Varroa mite
File:Bottomboard.jpg|Taking out the bottom board
File:Count varroa.jpg|Counting varroa mite downfall
</gallery>
</div>

[[Category:Varroa]]

Check varroa level

2016-11-04T14:50:33Z

Linn.groeneveld:

There are some beekeepers that have managed to keep their ''Apis mellifera mellifera'' bees for years without treating them for [[varroa]]. Not all bee populations will manage to survive without treatment though. In order to get an idea of how your colonies are doing, it is advisable to count the natural varroa mite downfall on the bottom board. This information will also enable you to include varroa resistance /tolerance into your breeding activities. This is a rather complicated topic and you can surely find additional information outside of this wiki.

*In Finland the following protocol is used to find out if the colony needs to be treated:
* Count and write down the number of dead mites on the bottom board over 7 to 10 days.
* In the spring: If you find more than an average of 1 mite per day you should consider treating the colony.
* In the fall: If you find more than 15 mites per day, you should consider treating the colony.

The different treating thresholds are due to the mites' and bees' population dynamics and their life cycles.

<div style="float:left;">
<gallery caption="Counting varroa mite downfall" mode="packed-hover">
File:Varroa.jpg|Varroa mite
File:Bottomboard.jpg|Taking out the bottom board
File:Count varroa.jpg|Counting varroa mite downfall
</gallery>
</div>

[[Category:Varroa]]

File:Varroa.jpg

2016-11-04T14:50:08Z

Linn.groeneveld: A varroa mite. Photo taken by Joachim Tscherpel.

== Summary ==
A varroa mite. Photo taken by Joachim Tscherpel.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-sa-4.0}}

File:Count varroa.jpg

2016-11-04T14:40:08Z

Linn.groeneveld: Counting varroa mite downfall on the bottom board. Photo taken by Joachim Tscherpel.

== Summary ==
Counting varroa mite downfall on the bottom board. Photo taken by Joachim Tscherpel.
== Licensing ==
{{cc-by-sa-4.0}}