1) The rapid round feeders are not in stock on amazon, any other suggestions? 6:21 2) We're having a dearth, what are your thoughts on my mite treatment plan? 12:56 3) Made a walk away split 3 weeks ago. Should I wait, or do something? 16:20 4) I want to change my setup from 2-deeps and a Flow-Super to One Deep and a Medium while making a split. Is there enough time left? 17:40 5) Where can I find the tags you use on your hives? What do I need to attach them? 24:14 6) A farmer will plant anything I want. What are your thoughts? 28:57 7) Trying to salvage colonies by introducing swarm cells, but they didn't take. Would it be better to just buy queens? 36:40 8) Have a deep brood box with four medium supers on, there is brood in every box. Not really sure what to do with this hive. 42:55 9) How do you prepare your apiary when you go on vacation? 48:44 10) I have a queen with spotty brood. What's the best way to requeen this hive? 51:19 11) I put a swarm into a nucleus hive and it all got smashed up. No idea if I killed the queen. 58:40 12) Queen flew off to greener pastures during queen isolation cage installation... UPDATE 1:02:15 13) 3 weeks ago, I had pollen coming in at more than 10 loads per minute. Now only 1 or 2 loads a minute. Do bees bring pollen in when there are laying workers producing drones? 1:03:40
Hi Fred. . . Doing another Catch Up on a Sunday ! 😏 Another awesome Q&A. (Fri.) Re the Isolation or Introduction Cages (Frames with intergrated Bars / different from a Queen Excluder type. . .) I would think, it would be useful if the Selling 'Proprietors' either called them 'IS' Cages : for 'Isolation', and, 'IT' Cages for 'Introduction'. Just a thought. . . 🙃 Another Question : you talked about Double Boxes etc. I have found, like you 'Nuc Hive' Boxes / Double, even Tripled are very handy 'Spare / Go to' Hives, to have in the Apiary. Here in Scotland 🏴 we are just entering a Dearth : but any Hive Inspection, "needs the Beek to be a 'Weight' Lifter." 😵💫 So either, sliding a very 'Upper' Box slightly over onto (its Sister, Neighbouring Hive Roof.) Or Carefully having a 'Spare Deep' and carefully Inspecting each Frame, as you go, is way 'Easier' and I guess 'Safer' for the Bees and the Beekeeper. That Honey taken from recent OSR (Canola) is sure heavy, and Crystalising as we speak. Next will be Soft Fruits, other Trees in flower & Catoneaster Hedging all around my Garden, then the Heathers Moors near by ! (Ling, then Bell) that most Beeks Truck in their Hives too ! Mine turn Left, & fly the Mile, up hill. . .😁 Our Bee season is fairly Short but Sweet, all the days can go on quite late ! We have long 'Days' until next week. : Light around 4am, not dark, until nearly to 12pm ! 🥱🤭😁 Wow : It's Summer Solitice next week. Summers has hardly really got started ! Then its Autumn, (Fall) fairly quickly after that ! (Even the School Kids go back to Class in mid August !) Anyhow, perfect long Days: and finally some decent Weather 🌞 to do some Splits & associated OA Treatment, as the Honey is taken off, V/Queens get made, Colonies are on 'Brood Breaks. I have made my own OA Vapes : using Plumber piping and End Caps. All welded joints, except the one Cap on the 'shorter T' junction. This 'Cap' is pushed into OA Powder, levelled off, put aside (x1 Cap per Dose re my Hive sizes : Work out the 'Grams' needed per Colony Box use.) Then, the Main T-Junction gets 'inserted into the Hive' entrance, the lower armed Cap gets "Heated with a Gas (Creme Brulee) Torch until its 'well hot' re OA need / Powder to Gas threshold and, then that loose 'Dosing Cap' is put on. Added tightly. Where the Vaping Process starts & lasts for a good few minutes. . . It Works ! Copper Pipe : small parts, easily sourced off 'Scrap' Cuttings from a Heating or Plumer Guy. End caps come in different Sizes, via Amazon, or a Plumbing store. Easy ! (I've made x25 as a 'Funding Source' for our Bee Club.) 👍 In regards to Heat : your right on ! Keep Hydrated, and take regular Breaks. Maybe it takes you a whole Day to do some Hives, but Health and 'safety' is a good thing. Do ideally earler in morning or later in, evening. Hottest place : in my former life : I worked in Health here in the UK, Won a Scholarship and went to OZ (Australia) in the '80's. Got to do 'Flying Doctor Clinics', in places like Alice Springs, (even Oodnadatta ! : A place like 'Red earthed 'Mars.') There is easily got to upper '40'sC /12OsF easily. Thats Hot. . . Didnt see Hives there, 🤭 but South Australia, had plenty of Apiaries, so did Tasmania. No Internet in those Days. . . Just Airmail letters. 👀 Came to have Bees back in my Life now. Wished I hadn't 'missed out on them' for so many Decades. But 'patience is a virtue' as they say. The Bees waited for me to . . . A Swarm found me in 'Lockdown,' so, Hives owership: as an "early Teen Beek", 'Skills' had to be dusted down again ! Have them once more. . . Are for keeps now ! 😎 So really I 'associate' with the Bee 'Inspector' for sure. 👍 (Say Hi. . .Good on him for 'marking Drones,' mixing Feeds, maybe allowed to do an odd 'Hive with Grandpa'.) A Skill of 'life,' that lasts literally a 'Lifetime'. . . 😁 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 Happy Beekeeping 2024 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 I'm waiting for x2 'Black Bee' Breeder 'Queen' [Orders], to be coming / for 'Delivery soon. . . So the management of 'Boxes, Brood' and associated Feeding of these 'Breeding Colonies' is relevant to me, here too. . . 🙃
It's Fred-day, yeah! I just took semi hardwood cuttings of basswood, 100. I will give them away at my bee club and to a friend that had some logging on his property if I am successful. I may never see the benefits, but I am planting for the future. Also, I got some sourwood seeds from Bob Binnie and they are coming up. Not a sourwood area here in NH, but as a landscaping shrub it may work...also, I am hedging my bets on a warming climate. Call me a fool, but as a 63-year-old gardener and an environmentally educated college grad, I like to experiment.
Every man with a new idea is a fool... Until that new idea succeeds... Mark Twain :) This year I planted a bunch of serviceberry trees for that amazing spring bloom, and berries for wildlife... grandkids ate them before I could try one this year. :)
@@FrederickDunnall 10 of my serviceberries died from water standing on them over a month. I also lost a lot of Tupelo black gum, black cherry and chestnuts. I’ve lived on my property since 1986 and only one other time have I seen it rain this much and I think this year was the worst. My pond overflowed and flooded the neighbors swimming pool. Last year ranked as the hottest and driest since I’ve lived on my property. We went from one extreme to the other. I’ll take too much water over no water. Barnyard Bees did have Rapid Round feeders. That’s where I purchased mine.
Sad to hear about the Bee Buffett folks. I had already purchased some as well as the bucket float… but they don’t last forever, so am sorry they are on hard times.
Another great episode. I was wondering if you would like to coordinate some experiments since we are in different climates. My bees completely ignore salt water btw. Keep up the good work Fred.
I'm a big fan of the Bee Buffet. I wish them well and hope someone picks up their design. I don't like bucket feeders, but these are wonderful. I would like to see them offered with a clear cover over the bees.
The third-year drama. For me it was having one hive sprayed with insecticide by somebody, a die out, and two hives absconding. I applied oxalic acid at appropriate times, had water and food available and always left generous amounts of honey for the bees. My whole apiary was wiped out. I had to start over with new bees the next year and actually had a swarm move into some old equipment for me. It's a learning experience.
I may have messed up or did something good. I came up with like a VIN number that tells me where I got the bees, county, part of county, year and a few more things. I then generate a QR code for that info and laser engrave the hive...not gonna work to well when that hive goes elsewhere.
www.dadant.com/catalog/bee-buffet-feeder?srsltid=AfmBOorhhVWiAIZb65Ouwsypbwek_bdGnbEOtxIahOR22iLv3zwQxl5P598 Please tell them I sent you :) it won't change the price :)
Re. Q 8. Are there any gaps between the boxes? I make my own boxes using old pallets and dodgy equipment, no matter how hard I try, there is always gaps between boxes.
Yes, the State of PA has several programs through the Dept. of Ag Extension Office. The primary support is in the way of education. extension.psu.edu/beekeeping-honey-bees
You really ran through that robbing situation on the apimaye hive. Will the robbers trapped inside assimilate to that hive will the become one with that colony or will they continue to rob once they are released?
Those are great questions... I opened it back up just before sunset and some robbers flew out in a hurry. The following morning, the opening was reduced to just 2 arches, about 1" in width total. Robbers attempted to revisit the hive and were stopped by the resident colony. So I don't think the robbing bees became a part of the colony, but resident bees were able to reorganize and defend a smaller opening. It's rare to have a robbing event like that this time of year, so the entrance was larger than it should have been for a newly installed swarm.
One of those guys . It’s three of them I might be remembering that one of them was from Utah or he had hives in Utah. Together they collaborate together. Can’t remember their names
First!! Happy Friday Fred, went out to the yard yesterday and found some swarms cells in a hive, I splitted them right away. Still swarming season here I guess. Have a great weekend Fred
Your videos are top notch! Question. Can I strengthen a weaker hive by shaking nurse bees from a stronger hive-shaking them in front of the weaker hive on an angled board and let them walk in?
Hi Fred, Do you have a problem with deer eating your sunflowers and other plants. We live in Cleveland and the deer are eating our sunflowers and other plants that are supposed to be deer resistant. We don't have any voles so our hyssop is safe. The deer don't bother it.
Yes, deer cleaned out 2 acres of sunflowers last year, one doe and two fawns moved in until there was nothing left. This year, I use Deer Repellent... stinky spray. It's working for deer so far. Voles are apparently unstoppable.
We have had luck with yellow ( or any color) tape used around construction sites or police investigation sites. Comes in a big roll, usually says “ caution”on it. We use metal fence posts.We have experimented with much easier rod type posts, but they are too flimsy to hold the tape tight, which actually keeps the tape from getting wind whipped and breaking. Set the post every 45 ft (approximately) put anything you would like in the center hole of the tape,walk the tape to each pole, wrap it around post, making sure to keep it tight. The movement in the wind seems to keep them out,it may also be a certain frequency or sound that is produced. Place tape about chest high. There have been times when the tape breaks or the deer bust thru, if this happens then replace that section as soon as possible!!!
There are several, Dr. Leo is the interview about inspections just twice a year. The statistical reports on Natural, VS Organic, VS Treatment was published by Dr. Robyn Underwood from Penn State. The treatment free group was the poorest performing of the three. This is the Dr Leo Interview: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CJ3off6uzG0.htmlsi=Z19whIK6mtz5tasc This is the interview with Robyn: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RGgNaE_lKGI.htmlsi=dfYM1KLJxCEbvyZj
Yes, that link is on their website and it's a great way to check in right away. Thanks for sharing that information. It's right here if people click on the link I've provided.
So glad I invested in mediums and deep frame feeders ,,for feed and as you say place holders, sure coming in handy,I havnt got the ones for nucs,hope betterbee pics those up,and your right about feeders that are hard to pick up to inspect under,spilling syrup😮,im mixing in buckets then transfer to flower pot watering jugs,I made a rolled up aluminum flashing sheet into a funnel, to pour sugar,and then syrup in watering jugs,mixed at apiary to reduce spilling in my truck because 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 ,bees attract to the truck in the garage 😅,liked the suggestion on brass tags on the bottom board,for keeping track of things by hive number,I have plastic versions,I need to attatch...thank you for another great QNA
91° and muggy ,feeding light syrup,I did about half and always more to do geez sugar is expensive,thinking this wont be the biggest honey crop😊but thats life
Question 7: If the colony the swarm cells came from was queenless, it could have been made from a laying worker and had a drone in it. Question 8: If there are enough honey frames, they could be moved to create a honey ceiling to keep the queen down. If the queen is not easily found, you can shake the bees off from above the excluder/ceiling in front of the hive.
@@FrederickDunnI have seen it multiple times. Last week, I had a laying worker colony with a nice looking queen cell that was close to hatching. I doubted that it was a queen, so I opened it and a new drone came out. He was facing down, so I know he didn't go in the cell and get sealed in.
@@eddierhodes9173 When you say face down, are you saying its abdomen was toward the exit end? That's suggestive that the drone went into the cell and was not developed there.
I ran into the same huge open syrup surface issue with the new Apimaye huge hivetop feeder, and yeah, 2 gallons of syrup as the top of a 10 frame makes me avoid working that hive. I’m going to use that feeder ONLY for new installs or walk away splits or other conditions where I don’t need to inspect for a few weeks.. or to build piles of new comb..
Yes Fred I`m using the api tablets on my 3 hives and so far seen only 2 beetles and no mites so far! Using for 6 weeks all new swarms starting out in new 6 & 12 frame layens hives, one of them is not eating or removing just glued it to the top of the frame. Hammered the tab and split between the 3!
Hi Richard, thanks for sharing what you're doing and observing. Are you saying that they are also repelling small hive beetles? That's a worthy experiment if you have a hive with lots of SHB... see if the addition of an Apitablet drives them out? Please keep us updated.
Hi Fred happy Friday! My girls have requeened every split and swarm thus far! Two swarms and three splits requeened! Have 4 nucs I'm requeening now. All my hives are heavily populated in need of splits, using them for honey. I use hotel tags to mark my hives. They are red plastic from Amazon number 1-50 use a push pin to attach! I found a bee group after 4 yrs! Have a guy coming Sunday to check out my hives! Also was able to sell beez bringing my hives manageable for just me! Of course the $ is going right back to my beezs. I'm also mentoring my customers. First on my list is following the way to bee. In my 4th year no winter losses following your management style
I did notice that can be an issue with the thicker syrups, but didn't have the same problem with 1:1 and thinner. Thanks for sharing that potential issue.
Another informative vid. Looks like an extra helper this time as well as frolicking raccoons. Love the bee footage, thank you again for the opportunity to hear your bee experiences and wealth of knowledge. It's much appreciated. Maybe my next life I can have bee hives😊
I believe Bruce Jenny@ Bruce's Bees has a friend in Utah that he may have mentioned starting a RU-vid channel, your question #1 user can check with him.
I’ve potted up a heap of catnip seedlings that I will be planting along a paddock fence line at my aunts farm. Google says the Roos don’t eat them, so we’ll see.
Hey Fred, I used the tablets on all my hives this past fall and they do keep mites in check also have not seen as many hive beetles. I do not use it when honey supers are on. I will use the tablets again after the fall flow. I purchased the tablets from Walker Be Ranch.
I'm not personally a fan of dry pollen substitute being fed anywhere inside the hive. You can make it available outside the hive in a protected location. Inside the hive, the pollen sub can become damp, sugar syrup inside the hive would be far more valuable to them during a dearth than a pollen substitute. When you place it outside, it's also important to bring it inside overnight and then restore it as a free-choice resource during the day when rain isn't threatening. Just my opinion on this practice.
Hi Fred. For question #4, how far would you move the hive in walkaway split. I'm in similar situation, first year beekeeper, so still learning. Thank you
I do walk-away-splits right in the same bee yard. Some as close as 10 feet apart. Has always worked well for me. it's important to have the smaller colony in the original location and move the stronger brood box to the new spot. They even out nicely :)
I think that the oxalic acid product has to be approved state by state. I heard the makers recently and there are some states (California for one) where they cannot afford to get it approved.
Absolutely, that's why I mentioned that you have to check with your own State to see if it's approved. California is the most expensive State to get that by, and it's an annual fee as well. Thanks for sharing, it's important to know.
Until you start to ignore them all you will always be behind the beekeepers of the world. It's the products of the hive that have to be inspected. There's no point in forbidding that stuff but not controlling the honey you sell. Ofcourse people will do what they want.. and you do.. aren't you? By the amount of time you guys over there spend talking about feeding bees l would love to see a paper sheet with the result of testing US back yard beekeepers honey. I'm scared what would the testing on pesticides say. I'm sorry I had to write this.. and right now you pulled out that giant tablet. Write Pip Tablet in the search.. there's no way l'm putting that in my hives. Drops varroa in an hour. Full bottoms of varroa
@FrederickDunn I just looked at weather. Starting Sunday. 88 and rain for 4 days . Everything is overgrown. May just let it go wild this year. A day or 2 nice. Then days of rain. Amazed bees are doing so well.
