I am a new beekeeper, started 3 March 2019. I don't have old frames. Did catch 2 swarms. The 1 was a big 4.5 to 5 pounds of bees and the other was about 2 pounds. The big swarm has 2 queens in it! Have split those bees, now I have 3 hives full of bees. I made my own lure for my catch box, which is a big 10 frame 14/12 box. The lure is beeswax, olive oil, drops of lemongrass and mint oil. The problem is I have catch those bees just before winter... I did put out a bucket full of sugar water and I have a little bit of bee pollen feed. When our season start in August I will buy 10 Nucs /packages to start of my bee hobby with a bang. On my farm are lots of Gum tree and Acasia trees. Will plant sunflower, and some fruit trees, like apple, cherry, peach. So I think when our season start I will be ok with food for the bees. Would like to have 100 hives, but Rome is not build in 1 day!!! Thank you for all your great videos!!
Our swarm season is just starting here in Massachusetts. But it looks like that’s warm that you have filled those frames out really quick. And I am looking forward to your queen rearing videos. Thanks for sharing.
Had been doing my best to stay on top of my biggest hive (six boxes) but today it swarmed on me anyway. Saw the start of it and rushed over with queen clip in hand only to see her (with her red dot) come flying out of the hive and up, up and away. Swarm then settled on a poplar branch about 5 feet off the ground. While getting everything set up for the "shake in", I noticed a small golf-ball sized pile of bees... gave them a poke and saw a red dot! Recaptured the queen with a queen clip and then re-hived the huge swarm in three medium 8-frame boxes that contained mostly frames of wired wax foundation, one of young larva, and a few frames of nectar/pollen and I'm still not sure there is enough space! Also relocated the hive. Later I checked the original hive and it has capped swarm cells on several frames along with 4 boxes of comb containing nectar and partly capped honey. Nectar flow of locust this year has been unbelievable!
I got 2 swarms. Got 8 traps last yr I got none.this yr I put drawn cone in .I thing it made.abig difference. I was happy. Big nice queens. Thanks for videos. Cant wait till queen videos
You've made me feel guilty Kamon - I have gotten busy with my work (landscaping) and have two traps that now require 'cut out'. The advice you've given is 100% correct! Jim 🇦🇺
Well Jim I don't always practice what I preach! Life happens! But yeah, I hate hate hate doing "cut outs" I like to leave that to the fellas who enjoy them
Swarms also draw comb really well cuz they usually have a stomach honey full of honey which helps them have the resources all ready to do it, plus most storms are in a massive hurry to start building, I have one caught three weeks ago and even right now that thing acts like it is running out of time any second they're working 10 times harder than anything else and they have honey and brood and all drawn comb already, but they are in a massive rush for some reason I think they're just really really good bees
I meant to say the brood looked it was 6 days old after the egg was laid, which would make sense. 6 days after egg hatch would be 9.5 days old which is impossible since they were hived 7 days ago.
@@gordonhogg4675 Yes what George is reading. A very good book on the subject. Perhaps even the best. However, I don't do everything he recommends and I still get great results. Bees don't have alot of ideal locations to go for anyways. A very good read though.
I'm new to beekeeper installed 2 nucs on April 15th one is filling up 2nd box with nectar and pollen the other is only got about 7 frames in the bottom box took a frame of brood moved up top am I rushing my Russian
I put a box on a building that the owner had sprayed and poisoned last year, dead bees are stacking up this year. I plugged the hole in the wall and bated my box. I think the bees he is still seeing were robing the old contaminated honey. Should I continue or just give up on this one?
