Beekeepers act as stewards of their colonies, often requiring intervention to maintain a healthy population in an artificial hive environment. The term “spraying” is commonly used to describe various methods beekeepers use to introduce substances into the hive. These applications include liquid, vaporized, or powdered treatments necessary for the colony’s well-being and survival. Managing a dense population makes bees vulnerable to disease and parasites, necessitating the precise application of products to ensure the longevity of the colony. These interventions are specifically timed to support growth, combat threats, and avoid contaminating the honey supply.
Nutritional Supplements Applied to Hives
One of the most frequent liquid applications is supplemental feeding, which provides energy during times of nectar scarcity. This is typically a simple sugar syrup, a mixture of granulated white sugar dissolved in water. The syrup concentration changes seasonally: a lighter 1:1 sugar-to-water ratio stimulates brood rearing in the spring, while a thicker 2:1 ratio is provided in the fall for winter stores.
This liquid feed is usually placed in specialized feeders. Beekeepers may also use a “drench” method, pouring the syrup directly onto the tops of the frames to ensure consumption. Protein supplements, often called pollen patties, are given when natural pollen is scarce, particularly in late winter or early spring. These patties are a dough-like mixture of a pollen substitute, sugar, and water that supports the queen’s egg-laying activity.
Treatments for Parasitic Mites
The primary threat requiring chemical intervention is the parasitic mite Varroa destructor, which feeds on adult and developing bees and transmits viruses. Beekeepers utilize several substances, often delivered as a liquid or vapor, to control this pest. Organic acids are a common choice because they are naturally occurring and leave minimal residue in hive products.
Oxalic acid is applied either as a liquid “dribble” or as a vapor. The dribble method involves mixing the acid with a sugar syrup solution and trickling a specific dose directly onto the bees clustered between the frames. This method is most effective when the colony is broodless. Alternatively, the solid acid is sublimated, or vaporized, using a specialized heating device. This process turns the oxalic acid into a gas that quickly re-crystallizes as fine particles throughout the hive, killing the mites on contact.
Another organic acid used is formic acid, unique because its vapor penetrates the capped brood cells where mites reproduce. Formic acid is administered using absorbent pads or specialized strips placed inside the hive, releasing vapor over days or weeks. Synthetic miticides, such as amitraz, are also used via application strips placed between the frames for a set duration.
Control of Bacterial and Fungal Infections
Beekeepers may apply antibiotics to manage bacterial diseases affecting the bee brood, primarily European Foulbrood (EFB). The most common antibiotic for EFB is oxytetracycline, which targets the Melissococcus plutonius bacterium. This medication is frequently administered in a liquid form by mixing it into the sugar syrup feed.
Alternatively, the antibiotic is sometimes mixed with powdered sugar and “dusted” over the top bars and into the brood nest area. This delivery method ensures the nurse bees consume the medicated powder while cleaning the hive, thereby passing the treatment to the developing larvae. American Foulbrood (AFB), caused by Paenibacillus larvae, is typically managed by destroying the infected colony and equipment. Antibiotics only suppress the vegetative form of the bacteria and are ineffective against the highly resilient spores. Fungal diseases like chalkbrood are rarely treated with an applied product, relying instead on management practices like requeening and improving ventilation.
Ensuring Honey Purity and Withdrawal Times
Public concern about treatments often centers on the safety of the honey consumed, which is addressed by strict adherence to regulatory protocols. The concept of a “withdrawal period” is a fundamental safety measure, representing the minimum time that must pass between the final application of a substance and the harvesting of honey for human consumption. This period ensures that any residues of the treatment have dissipated or been processed by the bees before collection.
Beekeepers must follow all label instructions and timing guidelines precisely, as treatments are legally classified as pesticides or veterinary medicines. Interventions are strategically timed, usually in late fall after the honey harvest or early spring before the main nectar flow begins. For example, honey collected from a hive treated with oxytetracycline may require a withdrawal period of eight weeks or more. Segregating the treatment cycle from the honey production cycle is the primary method used to maintain food safety standards.