10 Chapter 7: Bee removal, Harvest and Storage
- Remove Bees from the Field
- Wait until nesting has slowed
- Good to remove bees from the field before post-bloom sprays but this is not necessary- progent are safe from chemical exposure inside their tunnels.
- Let the boxes sit for a while if you can since young larvae are sometimes very delicately balanced on their provision and physical disturbance at this vulnerable stage can result in mortality.
- Harvest, sanitize cocoons and nesting materials
- Timing – mid – late fall depending on location and intended use
- Cocoons – harvesting will look different depending on the substrate you use (wood, cardboard/paper, reeds, stacking laminate blocks, etc)
- Sanitizing in a mild bleach solution will remove spores, mites, frass from the outside of the cocoon.
- Sanitize nesting materials by replacing altogether, wiping down/submerging in bleach solution, flaming wooden equipment, scraping scum out of laminates.
- If using bamboo or other materials that disallow cocoon harvesting, set aside and store those separately. Fully replace that equipment after two years of use.
- Store bees over the dormant season/diapause
- Bees need time to pupate and develop to the adult stage
- Hold at 4-6 degress over the winter in controlled conditions
- Can store outdoors at ambient temperatures – however you will lose control over emergence timing, so this practice is not recommended for orchard pollination applications.
