Sustainable Beekeeping in Indiana - Challenging the Old Paradigm of Buying Bees in the Early Spring

Project Overview

FNC12-856
Project Type: Farmer/Rancher
Funds awarded in 2012: $14,824.80
Projected End Date: 12/31/2013
Grant Recipient: Indiana Beekeepers Association
Region: North Central
State: Indiana
Project Coordinator:
James Steven Doty
Email
ECIBA

Annual Reports

Commodities

  • Animals: bees

Practices

  • Animal Production: general animal production
  • Sustainable Communities: sustainability measures

    Summary:

    Improving the sustainability of beekeeping in Indiana by providing Indiana-grown nucleus hives in July with Indiana grown queens and brood, to reduce winter losses and increase profitability and pollination.

     

     

    Introduction:

    We worked with one Amish beekeeper and three different big beekeepers to obtain the nucs (nucleus), and with one hundred different beekeepers [to provide them with Indiana-grown nucleus hives].




     

    Project objectives:

    One objective was to get one hundred two-story nucs built and stocked with honey bees with Indiana bred queens.  The second objective was to distribute them with proven laying queens individually across the state by early July 2012.  The third objective was to improve the normal survival rate through the winter of 2012.

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.