10-18-2021 Planning Commission Packet

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Be sure to comply with all local ordinances before bringing your bees to the city. Many cities require permits to keep bees; search out local ordinances and requirements from your city administrator or local Animal Control • office. See the UMN Bee Lab site for a list of ordinances in Minnesota: z.umn.edu/hbordinances Weather and Protection • Air flow is important. Do not place your colonies in a depression, lakeshore, or flood plain where damp air will accumulate. • Hive entrances can face in any direction, but if possible, position the entrance to the south or southeast to receive the most sun. • Avoid placing colonies in highly wooded areas; colonies benefit from direct sun for at least part of the day. • A wind break on the north side will aid in protecting against cold winds during overwintering. • If you locate your apiary where there are bears, put an electric fence around the apiary before placing the hives (see Honey Bee Diseases and Pests manual). WHERE AND HOW TO BUY BEES Packages and Nucs Colonies of bees are sold as packages, small nucleus colonies called "nucs", and, less often, as full-sized • colonies (Table 3, Figure 27). Packages contain 7,000-15,000 bees, and a mated queen. Nucs contain 4-5 frames with used wax combs, at least 10,000 bees, a mated, laying queen, brood of all stages (eggs, larvae, pupae), and some stored pollen and nectar. Nucs will expand more rapidly than package bees, but are usually sold later in spring than packages. Packages are sold in April and early May. They originate in regions where queens can be reared and drones are available for mating by March and April (e.g., northern California, southeastern states). Nucs are generally sold in May or June. The majority of nucs originate in regions, where queens can be reared and drones are available for mating by March and April (e.g., southern states, southeast Texas). These beekeepers often return to northern states in May or June, bringing the nucs with them at that time.A limited supply of nucs is produced by local beekeepers that winter colonies in Minnesota. Local beekeepers cannot produce queens and drones until May and June in our northern climate, so locally produced nucs will have a later start. Bee colonies can also be obtained by catching swarms. However, remember the saying from the section on "Swarms": "....a swarm in July is not worth a fly." If starting with a package of bees, all wooden frames should be new and the bees will construct wax cells on the new foundation. Nucs and established colonies contain used frames and already constructed wax combs, which means there is an increased chance the combs may contain disease spores or pesticide contamination that may affect the development and health of your colony. Be aware of the trade-offs when starting with someone else's wax combs. If you are a new beekeeper and do not have a mentor, it may be wiser to purchase nucs in later years, after gaining experience and the skills to identify brood diseases. Beekeeping in Northern Climates 27