Africanized Beekeeping in Utila, Honduras

**captaintat2** · 01-10-2013, 10:49 AM

I just captured my first two hive boxes today.

It was really exciting to go out in the jungle and dig out the hive from the coral rocks that form the island. I took a generator out there with me and used my bee vac that I bought from Honey Bee Habitat, it worked perfectly and I was able to suck up about 20,000 bees to dump in my two boxes. There wasn't much honey in the hive, most of the comb cells were not capped. I'm thinking that since we don't really have any cold weather here that the bees are still foraging on the sunny days and not storing for winter. There's always something in bloom here in the tropics. I wrapped the two hives in transport nets and brought them home for the night due to the hour getting late. Tomorrow I will move them to the apiary and look for the Queen. Not a bad start I would think, huh?
As for the temperament of the Ferrell hive, they were actually quite calm. I had a helper working with me in a bee suit and the kid that was pointing out the hive wasn't wearing any protective gear at all.

Actually the kid was sticking his head right down in to the mouth of the hive entrance and helping us all around and never got stung. Me? I wore my suit, hood and all at all times!

**Charlie B** · 01-10-2013, 12:28 PM

Very nice, post some pics when you get a chance.

**captaintat2** · 01-11-2013, 04:53 PM

I checked the hives today to see how things were going. I wasn't able to find the queen in either of the 2 hives. In hive No. 1 I'm not sure that enough bees stuck around for it to make it, we'll see. In hive No. 2 things were more active, and there were more bees at home. I could see where they had secured one of the brood combs to the frame at the top, so it's nice to see them settling in. I'm sure that 3 days is far too early to expect to see any queen cell activity so I fed them with 2 lbs of Brood Builder paste and 10 lbs. of sugar candy fortified with Honey-B-Healthy in a top feeder.
I'm having problems getting my photos to upload. When/if I get it figured out I'll post them.

**Hector Pinto** · 01-11-2013, 07:53 PM

I live in Honduras too, I'm from Tegucigalpa, I was in Utila last week. Let me know if you need any equipment, I know some places where you can get all the equipment. I would like to visit you next time that I go to Utila. I have some hives around Valle de Angeles and Ocotepeque.

I would also recommend that you get into keeping stingless bees. While I was there I found some hives of stingless bees. Are you sure they are africanized bees?

**captaintat2** · 01-12-2013, 12:17 PM

Hector, I'm pleased to hear from you, I could use your guidance and local knowledge. To start with, I'm not dead certain that they're Africanized bees since I'm a beginner. However, I have heard from the locals that that's all that's around here and many have described how they would be chased for an extra special long time when attacked or how they can't get close to a large feral hive.
What's this about sting-less bees? I've never heard of them and am interested to learn more. I'm going to be off the island for 4-5 weeks,when I get back you would be more than welcome to stop by and say hello.

**Hector Pinto** · 01-13-2013, 09:25 AM

Captaintat2 you can check out a video a made in Utila of some native stingless bees, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daFgS1XxQOc. People keep stingless bees in logs, you can have them anywhere. If you come around Tegucigalpa, let me know, we could go to valle de angeles.

**captaintat2** · 01-13-2013, 10:41 AM

I noticed some specs of pollen under hive No.1 yesterday so I opened it up to find all of the bees gone and ants running wild all over the planted frame of capped brood and it looks like they are opening up the capped pollen.

Dead Frame- 1.jpg

Hive No.2 is looking hopeful though. There is one queen cell being actively developed, no egg or larvae in it yet.

Queen Cell 12 Jan 13.jpg

However, there is a little flying creature that I'm told is a bee robbing the hive for the sugar candy and brood builder I put in there. They're going in through a crack between the deep and the lid. Can someone please tell me what this bugger is and what I can do to keep it out?

Flying Bugger 12 Jan 13.jpg

**Hector Pinto** · 01-13-2013, 04:45 PM

maybe they are the native stingless bees!

**captaintat2** · 01-14-2013, 01:58 PM

For no real reason I stuck my head under my hive to have a look today. I'm glad I did, I found what looked like a swarm clinging to the bottom of the hive.

Swarm 01. - 14 Jan 12.jpg Swarm 02. - 14 Jan 13.jpg

I'm still not sure that it's a swarm, it may just be that my bees got lost. I don't see it being a cluster for warmth, it's 77 degrees Fahrenheit. So, my motto is 'when in doubt, attack' so I captured them and put them in the hive. When I removed them I could see the beginnings of wax work so I'm hoping that it's a swarm and there's a queen in there some where, I didn't see her. Anybody have any ideas on what's going on here?
I'm leaving the island for a few weeks so all I can do at this point is leave them to nature and hope they're still here when I get back.

**captaintat2** · 01-18-2013, 07:41 AM

While watching the bottom of the hive I saw that the bees kept clustering in the same spot so I got out my bee-vac and sucked them up. I had an idea and just for chuckles and giggles I set out some hard candy with Honey-B-Healthy in it for an open feeding. It turned out to be a good idea because it got covered with bees in no time at all. I vacuumed them up all afternoon and put them in the hive and plugged the entrance with grass to keep them in. There must be about 60,000 bees i there now! I left the island, but a friend is going to unplug the entrance on Saturday, I'm sure that they will stay. I wanted to trap them in with the feed and brood builder for a few days to force them to work on drawing out comb and rear a queen if there wasn't one in the swarm I caught.

Open Feeding.jpg

I think this could be a way to increase population from time to time.

**captaintat2** · 02-15-2013, 01:18 AM

[QUOTE=Hector Pinto;884592]I live in Honduras too, I'm from Tegucigalpa, I was in Utila last week. Let me know if you need any equipment, I know some places where you can get all the equipment. I would like to visit you next time that I go to Utila. I have some hives around Valle de Angeles and Ocotepeque.

Hector,

I would like to know more about where to get equipment. I want to get Eight packages of bees and a large smoker. I am in contact with COAPIHL and they have hives with bees available, but I don't know if they can ship them to La Ceiba and get them put on the supply boat to the island.