2021 Spring Farm

2021 Logan County Farm Outlook LINCOLN DAILY NEWS March 18, 2021 Page 25 climate, along with pests and hazards usually results in an average 40 percent survival rate, so says Nathan Sasse of Sasse’s Apiary. In season, early spring to late fall, consistent attention can mean the difference between success or total loss, start all over. Each bee colony must be managed, with beekeeper inspections occurring about once every two weeks at a minimum. Costs correlate to size of operation, the bigger your operation, the bigger the costs. Automation and handling equipment needs to grow as your production and number of colonies increase. Honey bees are not domesticated: humans adapted themselves to the honeybee, not the other way around. There is no genetic difference between feral bees and hive-kept bees. Some colonies are docile, and others are aggressive. Honeybee aggression is measured in 1) what percentage of the colony is comprised of guard bees, 2) how far will they chase you from the hive, and 3) what does it take to trigger their aggressive response. Most bee aggression is prompted by honeybees being killed. When they are Honeybees providing pollination service in a pumpkin patch. [The Valley Hive https://www. thevalleyhive.com/blog/tag/pumpkin-patch/ ] killed, they give off an alarm pheromone that prompts a response. A docile colony can also become aggressive when conditions are stressful, their queen is dead, or their environment is out of order. Only female bees sting, and if they sting a mammal or a human with thick skin, the bee loses its stinger and its life. Most beekeepers wear appropriate protective suits, gloves and veils, and getting stung is just part of the experience. The sting is accompanied by bee venom, and people who are stung suffer a variety of physical responses including pain, itching, swelling and sometimes even anaphylactic Continue 4