Bee Keeping For Beginners FAQ 14 How To Keep Honey Bees 

1) What do you do to wash bee suits and gloves? 2:20 2) How long do Weaver Queen Bees live? 9:20 3) What's the cheapest way to get honey and wax from a beehive? 16:00 4) Deep Brood Box and Medium Supers - if the bees go up during winter, how do you get them to go back down in the spring? 26:09 5) How common is it for a colony to go "queenless" and why does that happen? 37:07 6) Once you remove Flow-Supers for winter, how do you clean them? 39:25

I installed my packages 18 days ago. I checked my hives today - I have TONS of capped brood, stored resources and found the queen. I consider my day a success.

Today June 8th is my second day being a bee keeper and already having killer video footage uploaded on here!!

Thank You so much for these videos! This is brilliant! I've been binging on them for a week straight.

Yes, the uncapping fork video was stellar! works like a charm and gets into those "oddball spots". Per our commentary discussion on that video... spinning is a looooooooooong process.. :) good info on the queen excluder and the potential to leave the queen behind. Thanks for all the testing you do (flow frames etc) and all the info! I know it takes a lot of time to organize these excellent videos!

I do not know you or anything about bees for that matter, but I really enjoy the vids. I work in the oil and gas industry and I listen to your videos all day. You should make an ASMR/story video that I can listen too when I am winding down for the night. Thank you for what you are doing!

Just got my first nuc of saskatraz bee's 5 days ago I live in New Brunswick Canada so far everything seems good they are very calm, going to do my first inspection in a few more days

I use Arm & Hammer Free as I'm allergic to Tide. It gets out everything and is fragrant free.

Thanks for continuing these q&a series. I'm so new and trying to learn but not even knowing enough to ask the right questions. My most often question that comes to mind is why different beekeepers do something particular. Most seem to do it because that's they way they were taught. I pay particular attention to the ones who have tested and researched different methods. I do appreciate your time spent researching the topics covered.

Great video with lots of info. I'm not going to rotate my brood boxes next spring, you just saved me time. Thanks!

Thank you for your fast reply.

Great stuff Mr. Dunn; My first thought with the "uncapping fork/planer" is a person could actually jar honey frame by frame and see/taste the different honey stores (similar to flow hive).

Gr8 as always. Who knows, in my next life I might keep bees 🤔😊😉🍺🍺

I had gone to the refrigerator when I heard my name called out from the TV because this video was playing. A bit weird but I liked it. I'm the guy that asked the question about how common it was for a colony to lose its queen. I've been watching bee videos for a few weeks and I got to wondering what breaks the chain where the workers just create a new queen when the old one dies. Frederick's answer that he posted where I left the question was that one of the problems was that the queen has to be mated and if she goes out at the wrong time of the year she might not find a drone. That answer led to a bunch of new questions about this issue like:: What happens to colonies in the wild that lose a queen and don't succeed in getting a new mated queen? Do the bees just slowly die? Do they ever get a new queen from a different colony? Maybe the workers try to join another colony? Is natural requeening much more likely in a Southern California type climate than in a climate with snow and sub freezing temperatures? Anyway thanks to Frederick for the videos and the answer. As an aside, I went to Frederick's website to see if he might have a link to a bee natural history type book. I didn't see one. Linking to some bee books might be a good idea on his web site.

I ordered my Guardian Bee Jacket last year. I have never worn it as I've had bees that seem to be more preoccupied with the hive than having interest in me. I have worn a veil and hat on a few occasions. I also bought those nice goatskin gloves that sit at the bottom of my be bucket in the original plastic. did buy some 5mil and 8mil gloves from Amazon that have saved my hands when I have worked my bees with not so gentle motion.

Off topic from your OA vaporization video; We chose the "fogger" method with OA and Grain Alcohol on the flow hive 2 (packaged bees) we were able (from the rear vent) to position the nozzle below the screen and above the tray without messing with the front entrance. And shocked on the number of dead mites on the tray a week later (poor bees). I think with the use of a "Slatted Rack", will move the wax and bees away from the heat in either method.

You seem to be a kindred heart....love your philosophy, style and especially your video. I noticed your slow motion video last week so tried out my iphone yesterday, sunny here, St. Louis area and noticed my new nuc bees crashing and bumbling around looking drunk in front of a very active hive time. What could it be? Thanks and keep up the excellent commentary. New beekeeper appreciates you. Ron Adelman

Tide free and gentle is great. It gets everything out. I use it for my paintball gear as well. After a match it gets all the fish oils and paint out from when I get hit, to the mud, to everything. Paintball gear has a delicate mesh inside as well as padding. And it is washed exactly like a bee suit really. You gentle cycle it and then air dry it. My gear has lasted years and it looks good as new. Also you turn the items inside out when washing.

thank you Mr. Dunn

I replace queens in the fall. She is winding down at that point and does not interrupt part of the important colony build up in the spring.

I now know what to do with the unused winter supplies of honey. BTW, I have ordered 2 of those uncappers (one of my nieces posted a FaceBook link to get them). Thanks to you, I can put the stainless steel spoon away! :)

Thanks for going the extra mile to find out how to wash my suit. I’ll be looking forward to the video on how to wash and condition the leather gloves. After my final fall inspection and pack down, I washed the suits with the free and clear Tide. The wash took out the dirt and smoke stains, but propolis stains remain. Getting sparkling white was not the most important part. I wanted to make sure that I was eliminating any disease and smelly sweat while not compromising the integrity of the suit. I’ll have to wait until spring to field test, but the suit seems still intact. Thanks again! I washed about a month ago so sorry for the slow follow up.

New to your channel and like it allot. And i shoot allot of photography myself. I one day would like to own a Flow Hive. So your VLOGs is just great. Thank you..

this is an absolutely amazing series I hope it lasts forever. I liked the new fork tool but you know what it is still a great miss :) :) :) the flow hive looks much more neat

My bee gloves turned into great weed pullers. I do not even use them for bee keeping anymore.

Fred that outro says how thrilled you are with that weather. After a week in the 70's here we will have some rain and cooler temperatures too. Spring this year seems to want to take one step forward and two steps back, but it won't be long before we are complaining of summers heat. Thanks for another Educational Friday!

Am Late,,But Thank You Mr Dunn,,for the info,,🇱🇨👍

In Western Australia here, just started beekeeping, placed a wild hive that was formed in a small shrub like tree into a brood box with no frames in it. The hive had branches through it, so I cut the hive out of the shrub, branches included and just placed it into the base brood box and then placed an 8 frame super on top with 8 deep foundation frames. I have placed a top feeder on( the exact blue one in your background) and fed them bee syrup, they have now moved up into the frames and she is laying and making brood in a 6 inch circle. We have 6 weeks till winter, I hope they make it. I will probably need some advice come spring about how to remove the mess in the bottom box and get the frames from the super down into the base brood box again. I have done a one day introduction course to beekeeping. I have just started my journey but I will be travelling along with you from here.😀👍🐝

I was recently given Hoya cuttings. When i get extra i will send you some. It is a relative to asclepias tuberosa but Hoya is a vining plant. It produces both NectarAND pollen for the bees as wellas the MONARCH butterfly. Thank you for the time you have spent conversing with me from time to time. Plant, cuttings and or rooted plants i have are available to you AT NO COST. They are free to me so are free to you. If you have a po box i will send you rooted bee friendly plants from time to time. Thank you for the awesome advice. Your years of keeping have benefitted me and my family. from this day forward you get a link in the description of my video in addition to a shout out not because i do not want anything from you but due to your knowledge of bees. it helps me tremendously and in appreciation you get the link in video creation. My unique position grants me access to hard to find plants that may be difficult for you to find without paying expensive shipping fees. i am in southern Al so my growing season is long. The enemy of my enemy is not my friend but a diversion for my enemy, so i can conquer them both. The bell tolls for thee. It sounds as nectar and pollen. Please tell, what is the temp at which the bees migrate to the top? Most of my questions were designed to test you. You have more than earned my trust. i believe you to be a Man of your Word. a man is only worth that and your value is proven to be of highest character. i have zero concern about having bees and a viable queen. At the foot of my fathers gravesite is a wild hive in a tree. my fathers grave reads; Hope Springs Eternal. Take from that what you will. This wild hive has been there for many, many years. Even after swarm the population of this hive is above 25,000. I have watched itand know it to be true.Hope Sir, Does Spring Eternal.it is Designed this way.

Hi Fred! I was wondering why when the first honey super is full we put the second on top insted of under to be closer from them and less distance? Thank and it is always a pleasure to listent your video!

A guy (commercial beekeep) I took my beginner beekeeper class from replaces his queens every July. He said since doing that, he only experiences 15% losses.

I have a feeding solids question: What are the advantages/disadvantages of fondant vs. Pure Cane Sugar for winter feeding in the shim? P.S. I got you on your rankings, Mr. Dunn. I work alone so I get to have your playlist on all day Monday-Friday, and every time I re-watch something else sinks in & sticks in the ol' noggin!

Thank you, Mr. Dunn! Great info as always! I know some people will put 1 or even 2 fewer frames in a honey super making honey harvest easier. I’ve also heard people removing one frame from a brood box after they are all drawn out, making it easier to work and maybe to prevent rolling the queen. What is your opinion on this? Also, I also have a slatted bottom, so would this work with a slatted bottom since the fewer number frames would not line up with the slats? Thanks again

Hey Fred, love your videos! It's been almost a year since you posted this and I was wondering if you ever got around to uploading that video of you power washing your flow frames. I couldn't find it in your library of informative videos.

What are the pros and cons of upper/additional entrances? How can you tell if your hive is ventilated enough or too much?

Built your ARK yet?

Hey there's no link to the uncapping fork you're using. Would you mind adding it? Thanks!

Should I be ordering a new queen every 2 years? What about the hive replacing or producing a new queen on their own? Do you buy a new queen for each one of your hives every 2 years?

Sorry if this has been asked before, but how do you strain/filter honey?

Fred have you heard of any difference between yellow or black coated plastic frames ? What color will you use ?

Fred why don't u use latches on your boxes to hold them together

☕☕

Since you use the round plastic feeders, I'm guessing you have experienced mold inside the feeders. Using 1:1 syrup, I have this problem, regardless of which type of plastic feeder I use. I add an essential oil mix as well as a little bit of bleach to my syrup and still have trouble. Have you found any solutions? Thanks!

How about a frame of better comb in a swarm trap? Along with 2 or 3 acorn heavy waxed frame and foundations and one foundation-less frame in a swarm trap? That was how I was going to set up mine but I’ve never done this better this is my first season with honey bees so any ideas would be greatly appreciated thanks 🙏

You mentioned that you looked for the best bee presentation for children. Do you have a presentation file you would be willing to share? I'm going to an elementary school next week. Thank you.

Ha another great video I use the same type of gloves u do I get mine from Harbor freight they are 7 mil I don't get stung on the hands they are great. can u tell me the sea salt per quart of water for the bees I forgot and my bees are out, the videos are great. Thanks for the infro on when to re queen as well my bee weaver queens come next month I am looking forward in getting them. Thanks again for the videos hope u have a wonderful day

Terry gave me a great deal my size XXL. The bee 🐝 I would like the get a hive . bee have been there the at least 2 years Ferrell hive . How is there a new queen introduced if you say 2 years get a new queen? What tools is needed for a 1st hive . I have learned a few things still know nothing . I have just to many things to ask ..

Is it true plastic disposal gloves can’t prevent bees from stinging your hands? I heard people say this, but I don’t know. I have stung through leather gloves. Haven’t found a glove, that bee couldn’t sting though, especially when you make a fist or pick up the smoker and they you on the back of the hand

2 quick questions if you have a minute. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Vm2bgzJw8C8-.html this link is to a video that claims burning your wooden swarm boxes, and by extension your regular hive boxes, attracts bees for swarm traps and makes it easier for bee swarms to settle into boxes after being trapped/vacuumed since it is more like home. The claim is that trees struck by lighting or burnt in fires are ore attractive to bees. What are your thoughts? Secondly would it make sense to burn the inside of even older boxes to sterilize them? Look forward to your insight.

Hi Fred Do you have any information or experience with the knock offs of the flow hive? I am old and on a fixed income and see knock offs a lot cheaper on Amazon. Any information in this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thanks From NC

Hello Mr. Dunn, I wanted to ask you about scouting bee behavior. I just set up a swarm trap in front of my place. I don’t have any of my bees where I live. But I see a few 10-20 bees checking out my swarm box. Some bees just walk around the entrance and others just go straight in and out, some I even saw fighting and tumbled to the ground, I even had a couple bees buzzing around my head, trying to scare me off. I don’t believe they moved in yet. But at the same time, I don’t understand why they seem to be fighting over an empty box. I was wondering if you might have any ideas of what is going on with these bees?

I was going to make a spit there were several queens sells That started hatching out while I was looking at the frames. I placed them in queen cadges, I had no idea what to do with them or how long I could keep them they all died overnight seven queens do newly hatched queens have enough pheromone to put into alcohol to make a lure

Have you seen this Flow Hive knock off on Amazon. Retails for $299. Curious what you think of it.

Hello Mr. Fred i am from Georgia but in Germany with the military, i am about to get bees for the first time because i found someone who has too many hives and wants to get rid of one or 2, everything i know about bees is just from youtube, do you know anything about Zander hives, its a different kind of bee box other than langstroth. Thats what the Germans use. Do you think I should stay with the zander hive boxes and frames or try to move the bees into langstroth boxes? The bees will be carnica bees.

Your heavy duty gloves would benefit from an oil rub

Hi Fred, I have a question that is not related FAQ 13. Why people use medium super or shallow? Why not use deep? Any advantage using multiple medium super over single deep super? Some people don't understand using shallow or medium super because it is time & labor -consuming due to "uncapping processes" need to be done more frequently to get honey? Thanks in advance ~ always grateful, Fred ~