Are there honey bees in hawaii

Significant resources are dedicated to stopping the spread of foulbrood, varroa mites and other pests, including a ban on importing bees and laws limiting the transportation of bees and beekeeping equipment between the islands. Pesticides are also a topic of debate. In Hawaii banned the use of a certain insecticide largely due to concerns about honey bee death.

Hawaii has 63 species of native bees, known as yellow-faced bees. Mogren recommends that beekeepers move hives away from areas with native bee populations, but honey bees swarm when they outgrow their homes. While she said responsible beekeepers have extra hives nearby to attract swarms, increasing the honey bee population in Hawaii increases the risk of swarms settling in areas populated by native bees. Seven species of yellow-faced bee are on the endangered species list.

The sphinx moth was once a busy pollinator throughout the islands, relying on Aiea trees as hosts. But now both the moth and its host tree are at risk of extinction. Certain pests kill both honey bees and native bees. Improper use or overuse of pesticides in residential and agricultural areas can poison any species of bees, and both honey bees and native pollinators will starve without ample access to flowering plants. Black and Mogren both focus on interventions that could help native pollinators and honey bees because it might be too late to rely solely on native species to pollinate native plants.

To help both honey bee populations and native plants, Mogren researched native plants that can be pollinated by honey bees and created a guide for each island. For centuries native pollinators could focus on non-edible flowers without impacting food supply.

Trespass, or use of public lands without a permit, could result in a penalty [, ]. Contact the County Planning Department with further questions Table 1. This definition of agriculture reasonably includes beekeeping, though this is not expressly stated. Similarly, bees could be kept in Resort zones with a Use Permit [ The code does not detail restrictions with regard to the number of colonies that may be maintained nor their distances from property lines, nor does it put restrictions on the selling of products.

Beekeepers are therefore encouraged to exercise their best judgement. Beekeeping is an allowed use in areas zoned for Agriculture, with no specific restrictions within the County code for apiaries. For information on obtaining Use Permits, see Sec. This section outlines a reasonable interpretation of the County of Maui Code of Ordinances for keeping honey bee colonies on private property.

Generally, if a particular use is not expressly defined as permitted, then that activity is not allowed [ For beekeeping, jurisdiction over allowed use falls to the Zoning Administration and Enforcement Division, who should be contacted with questions Table 1. In Maui County, beekeeping is qualified as an agricultural practice, with the breeding and raising of honey bees falling under the definition for Animal and Livestock Raising [ Within a particular district, Agriculture must be listed as a Permitted Property Use in order for honey bees to be kept at the property.

Colonies may therefore be kept at properties in districts zoned as Rural [ Owners of Agricultural properties may also lease their lands to individuals needing a place to house their colonies [ Properties in Interim Zones may house beehives, regardless of lot size, but a Special Use Permit is required see However, Conditional Permits see The Maui County Department of Planning recommends contacting them directly to assess your individual situation prior to applying for a Conditional Permit.

For areas where beekeeping is allowed, Maui County does not offer additional guidance with regard to colony proximity to property lines or stocking rates per acre. See descriptions from other Hawaiian counties for general guidance. For most beekeepers, those costs usually end up being more than the first thought. Costs involved with beekeeping generally involve the Hive, the bees themselves and other related equipment such as bee suit, smoker, beekeeping tools and depending on how you raise your bees, an extractor to get the honey out of the frames.

However, most beekeepers recommend starting off with two hives. It is best to have another hive to compare too so you can tell whether or not a hive is healthy. If you are looking to save money, you can build your own hive, catch your own swarm and use minimal equipment to the point where you do not use a bee suit smoker, or various extras that most beekeepers say are required. One last cost to consider is the cost in your time. How much time does it take to actually raise bees?

It is safe to estimate that it takes hours a week, but some people spend a lot more because of their fascination with the bee world.

Traditionally, bees would find caves, logs or other cracks to form their hives. The Langstroth Hive is the most popular hive around the world and the easiest to manage for the beginner. However, lots can be said about other hive styles such as Topbar Hives and Warre Hives.

We will dive into each one to help you make your decision. Because bees are allowed to make their own comb inside of a topbar hive, they can form the foundation cells at the proper size, eliminating the chance for the varroa mite to make a foothold.

The only way commercial beekeepers are able to do it is through chemical intervention. Bees need 4 things in order to be happy. First off, in the hottest parts of the tropics, they require morning sun with some late morning and afternoon shade. The cooler uplands can get away with bees in the full sun. Preferably the hives are placed facing south so the bees can feel the welcoming warmth of the morning sun as it rises in the sky.

Second, the bees will need access to water. A shallow bird bath or simply a plate with a thin layer of water would be perfect. This would provide easy access for the bees to get water, but will also keep them safe from drowning. Lastly, bees need privacy.

Put them in an out of the way spot in the garden away from any foot traffic, pools, play areas or other hotspots on your property. Try to keep their flight path out of your path. Because bees are illegal to import, it can be a little harder tracking down a source of bees in some parts of the islands. Thankfully, there are a lot of backyard beekeepers and even a few companies that are selling bees.

Imagine this. The day before your wedding and someone calls you about a swarm that is in their backyard and asks if you can come get it. Do you do it? Well, my wife and I did it. No worries.

We got this. Fortunately for us, when bees are swarming, they are not aggressive. There is very little chance of getting stung. So if I remember correctly, we suited up in pants and long sleeves and brought some gloves and a beekeeper veil. We also brought a box primed with a little beeswax as an attractant to catch the bees into. So, together by me standing on a chair and her on my shoulders, she carefully clipped the swarm off the branch and they fell into the box without us falling onto the ground.

We closed up the box and were on our way. The owners of the house thought we were crazy. You can try and ask around for any local beekeeper that may have some for sale or reach out to this list below.

Depending on which island you are on, you can have bees shipped to you. Queen bees raised here are some of the best in the world. Access to abundant food sources is very important for the health of the hive.

Without flowering plants rich in pollen your bees will struggle. As a general rule of thumb, bees go as far as two miles from the hive, searching for food. We can help the bees by planting a variety of plants that will flower and provide food for the bees in your own backyard. Depending on which hive you choose, there will be different methods for initial setup and inspections. Before you bring your bees home, your hive should be fully set up and ready to go.

All hives should be assembled and painted and placed on a solid foundation such as concrete blocks or pallets. First off, when you get your bees, inspect your package. Some dead bees are normal, but more than an inch of dead bees on the bottom and you have a problem. Be sure to keep the package in the shade and wait till the late afternoon to introduce them to their new home.

In the meantime you can feed them with a solution of sugar water inside of a spray bottle that you spray the sides of the bee package with so they can eat. Carefully take out the queen cage and remove the cork keeping her from getting out. Add a couple of handfuls of bees on to the queen cage so she gets plenty of help from the other bees. Then carefully place the remainder of the bees into the rest of the hive and close it up.

Hopefully they like their new home. You can help there transition by including a feeder mixed with a ratio of sugar to water. Slowly wean them off the sugar water in a week or so. That way they can begin to find their own food.