Monitor and maintain a honey bee hive
Overview
This standard covers the monitoring and maintenance of a honey bee hive. The aim is to ensure the maintenance of the hive to produce a strong healthy colony of bees for the production of honey. This standard is suitable for those involved in monitoring and maintaining a honey bee hive.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
assess the risks associated with the activity to be carried out
wear suitable clothing and personal protective equipment (PPE)
identify whether the conditions are appropriate for the honey bee
hive to be opened
use beekeeping equipment to open the hive safely
identify the normal appearance of brood comb
identify different types of adult bees within the colony
identify the contents of the cell within a comb
identify the brood
check for the presence of pests, diseases and disorders and
take appropriate action if they are detected
- perform maintenance activities at the correct times and in
accordance with relevant legislation and codes of practice
reassemble the hive according to specifications
maintain communication with colleagues and others involved in,
or affected by, the activity
maintain good hygiene practices and bio-security
carry out all work in accordance with relevant environmental and
health and safety legislation, beekeeping legislation, risk
assessment requirements and codes of practice
- maintain records of beekeeping activities
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
how to identify hazards and assess risks
- the type of clothing and personal protective equipment (PPE)
suitable for beekeeping activities
- the beekeeping equipment required and how to use it safely and
correctly for beekeeping activities
- the different components of a honey bee hive and how they are
assembled and used
- how to manage changes in seasons, geographic locations,
weather conditions, the timing of the flowering of forage plants
and sources of undesirable nectar
- how to manipulate bees to enable the opening of the hive for
maintenance
the process involved in breeding honey bees
how bees respond to perfume and other scents
the benefits of using supers when required
the different adult bees within the colony and their specific job
the stages in the life cycle of a honey bee
the elementary anatomy and biology of a honey bee
how the bees' behaviour can help to regulate the environment
within the colony
how plants and bees are mutually beneficial to each other
how bees collect pollen, nectar and water and their uses in the
hive
how honey is made and why you get different types of honey
the communication methods used by bees
the nutritional value of honey to the honey bee colony
the correct time to remove honey from the colony
the importance of preventing robbing and how it affects the colony
the conditions leading to a swarm and the danger it presents
how a swarm and a nucleus can be turned into a productive
colony
the reasons for comb renewal
the importance of reviewing the age of the existing queen and
planning for a replacement
the advantages of marking and clipping queens
the potential impact of pests, diseases and disorders on bee
health, the management of the colony and the economic effects
- where to find information on pests, diseases and disorders
affecting honey bee colonies, including which are notifiable, and
the action to take if they are detected
the correct procedures to take in the event of an emergency
the importance of maintaining communication with those involved
in, or affected by, the activity
the importance of maintaining good hygiene practices and biosecurity and the methods for achieving this
your responsibilities under relevant environmental and health and
safety legislation, beekeeping legislation and codes of practice
the need for relevant insurance
the role of professional organisations and associations
the records that need to be kept and the importance of completing
them
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Scope Knowledge
Values
Behaviours
Skills
Glossary
Adult bees:
• worker
• drone
• queen
Beekeeping activities:
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use of a smoker
assembly of a hive
removal of hive parts (roof, crown board, suppers, brood combs)
collection of honey
packaging
food labelling
cleaning hive components
Beekeeping equipment:
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hive
smoker
fuel
personal protective equipment
hive tool
queen excluder
feeder
Brood:
• eggs
• larva
• sealed brood in combs
Cell: hexagonal section of a honey comb, storing pollen, nectar and
honey
Communication methods used by bees:
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e.g. food sharing
dancing
scenting
vibration
Emergency:
• unhealthy brood
• sting
• swarm
Hygiene practices:
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protective clothing
hand washing
personal illness
cuts and wounds
Pests, diseases and disorders:
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small hive beetle
tropilaelaps
varroa mite
wax moth
tracheal mites
Asian hornet
nosema
varroosis
American foul brood
European foul brood
sac brood
bald brood
drone brood
chalk brood
amoeba
starved colony
chilled or overheated colony
plant poisoning
pesticide poisoning