Hello Jim! (I guessed that's your name based on comments I've seen). I'm so glad I stopped in to watch this entire video while sipping my cappuccino :) I want to share that you are, and have always been, a very well-reasoned beekeeper. I've learned through the years, that any individual who ventures into the RU-vid world, must often contend with extreme criticism and those who cast stones of judgment. I know some true beekeeping geniuses, well beyond my own knowledge and expertise. What they could not handle, and why they don't make educational videos that we could all benefit from, are the insults that so many are comfortable posting. We are living in different regions, with varying environmental challenges, trial and error are how we learn and advance. We don't have to do everything the same to remain cordial in the fellowship of beekeepers. I have close friends who disagree with my methods and practice bee management in their own way. We are still friends who enjoy sharing and learning. Some individuals learn something and then feel stressed when they encounter another beekeeper practicing a different method. Thumbs down arrive and insults get typed... you are a classic example of someone who will continue to learn and modify your approach in increments until a consistent method is arrived at. 2020/2021 winter, demonstrated that even long-time experts lost as much as 90% (hundreds of colonies) of their hives. They aren't on RU-vid where a wall of judgment can fall on them. You are, and that's valuable to your viewers, no matter what happens, you share and explain your next step. It's helpful, and I always respect your dedication to sharing the good and bad as it occurs. I always respect and appreciate you. I'm glad you're staying with beekeeping and making your experiences known through RU-vid. :) Enjoy your Sunday! Fred
Well stated Sir! Always a pleasure to see you on other channels, building folks up. 😃 Always an inspiration. Thanks for all the great learns over the years. You and Vino were there very first folks I started following prior to getting my own bees and it’s been great learning for me as the new guy.
Your comment and support is very much appreciated. As is your ongoing RU-vid presence. I knew within two or three videos what I was in for, but I pressed on and learned that the positivity and incredible offers of guidance far outweighed the trolls and negativity. 98% of people commenting are wonderfully supportive and wide open to sharing information. I would absolutely not be where I am today and would probably not still be keeping bees if it wasn’t for the helpful people commenting on my videos. That being said, as my videos have gained popularity and reached a larger audience, there’s a new criticism emerging that is very frustrating. A lot of people assume (based on the size of my audience?) that I’m trying to ‘teach’ or espouse expertise on beekeeping and love piling on when things don’t go well... as if to put the ‘expert’ in his place. Or go so far as to claim I’m being irresponsible by sharing “misinformation” to a large audience. Ugh. Not sure how to handle that. I try to ignore it, but after that last big video, the wave of comments came back in and spread across platforms. I just felt it was time to acknowledge it in a video, but don’t plan on making a big thing about it. I HATE RU-vid drama! I just want to be a better beekeeper and make entertaining videos! Thanks again for everything you do, Fred! Let’s make this season a great one. I can’t wait to get started.
Having kept bees for 25 years I can tell you, you can do everything right and still have a winter like you had. Things happen in the "bee world" that we don't know about and they can't tell us. I had wonderful years, and I had horrible years. Raising bees in the north is rough to begin with. All you need is a string of factors to go against you one year and you end up with this. I retired after 25 years. That was over 25 years ago, and I have started back up this year. (Thanks to a friend that got on my case!) All you can do is try again. Best of luck, as the world needs bees and beekeepers to watch after them!
Your spot on mate there’s a massive problem globally with mental health and these people feel good when putting others down. Your a genuine chap I can tell not an actor. All the best from the uk .
Really sorry to hear about terrible comments you received. Unfortunately this is the ugly side of RU-vid and the internet. However I am sure I speak for most people that you always come across as being a bee keeper that actually cares about the bees. The content has always appeared genuine and really like you share failures the same as your successes. I look forward to this year and see you rebuild and have more success! Thank you for sharing your journey
@@pino_de_vogel it's more rampant on the internet. Nothing's more dangerous than terrible people knowing they can type whatever they want and hide behind a screen.
@@Obi1Classic oh yeah the internet is bad but its not like it is limited to youtube at all. heck i see stupid people post on facebook with their full names.
I’m a new bee keeper as of this year, I highly appreciate you sharing what happened. I especially like how you adjusted your plan and have what I think, is a great move forward. It sounds like you live in an area similar to where I live. My best to you as you move forward.
I watched your video when you told us about your loss. I was also heart broken. They are your bees. You were under the impression that everything was set for winter. We can’t do anything more that what we feel is right. Don’t be influenced by haters. Be encouraged by others who have had similar issues to deal with. I love your dedication.
I have been where you are so many times that I can't believe I still keep bees. Timing is everything and when you talked about what you were going to change it sounded a lot like what I do. I only take honey in the spring. If we have a summer flow I give it all to the bees. Mites are always my biggest problem and I start treating them as soon as I take the honey which is late June or early July. I treat with Apivar, then a second time in October with Apistan and then in February with Oxalic acid. I don't mess around with mites anymore. I also catch swarms and this helps mitigate any winter losses. Good luck in the future. Never give up and remember your honey is always the sweetest.
I feel your pain from NW Iowa. I had 8 "slammin hives" going into winter. Plenty of food, OAV treatments, etc. Three were dead by the end of January. Three more died after the -20 weather for what seemed like forever. That sick really feeling in my gut is probably what you were feeling, too. After doing autopsies, I will be doing things different also. That being said, the 2 remaining hives are related because #2 hive swarmed. Caught the swarm with the original queen(who is going on her 3rd year). The remaining bees in the non-swarm hive made a new queen. So because these bees made it, I'm going to try and propagate more hives/queens from them. Also, getting some Saskratraz bees in May. Supposedly they're more winter hardy. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a science lab. Should be interesting. Blessings.
I just recommended your channel to a new beekeeper because you are the one channel out there that does this. Your ideas are good, solid ones and you aren't afraid to analyze mistakes and rethink things when needed. You are humble and learn from your bees with every year, which is how it should be. Thank you for doing this.
Connecticut beekeeper here! This is my third season, and I just wanted to say that I've watched your videos multiple times, and your content has GREATLY helped my learning curve. Thank you for your candidness and honesty. You have been a great help with my beekeeping journey.
@@thomasbacon I only have two hives, and one survived the winter. My neighbor lost all 11 of his hives. It was a rough year because of the drought, and the fluctuating winter temperatures didn't help either.
So, your last video made me cry because of the loss you suffered. This video made me cry because of the unbelievable stupidity of the people that thought YOU killed the bees for views. I am so sorry you had to deal with those comments. Anyone who has been following you, knows that you would NEVER do that. I can't thank you enough for all the knowledge you have shared with us. Your thinking outside the box is inspirational. Please don't let the haters make you doubt yourself. You are a wonderful person. Thank you for being you!
I don't have bees and 0 knowledge of beeing a beekeeper, but I love your beekeeping videos because you love your bee. Looking forward to the next chapter!
@@vinofarm - "Beekeeper Lazy" is the number one killer of hives! I've mentored dozens (maybe hundreds) of newbie beekeepers in my 50 years of beekeeping and 90% of them quit after their 1st or 2nd year because they were "scared to open their hives", and because of that neglect they lost their hives. Remember "Beekeeper Lazy" = Neglect. Sometimes it takes this kind of loss to make a beekeeper be more vigilant and learn from the mistakes. Good luck with your future beekeeping.
I'd agree with that as well he had a lot going on that year besides all the colonies that he had. I also thought he had a few too many colonies for where he's at. He's just got crazy seasons out there which makes it hard for that many colonies to store enough good resources
@@td4190 - It always bothers me how people insist on blaming something else other than themselves. I see it all the time on these FB groups where people will procure geese, chickens, bees, goats, etc. without doing any or enough initial research and then they post that the animal is dying and they don't know what to do. I've been an apiarist for around 50 years and have seen this over and over and over, same crap - different day!
I have been a beek for 35 years. I keep 5 hives that I use just for pollination. I rarely inspect those hives. I might spend 10 minutes per hive during the season when I am just adding boxes. Now my other hives on my property are inspected more often. Generally, the hives that I don't really attend to do better after winter (Michigan). For example this spring, my hives that I leave alone, 4 out of the 5 survived. The hives on my property that I do attend too were 3 out of 8 survived. I really can't say why this is. Maybe inspections cause more stress? I don't know. I do believe that what we know about bees is very little. Maybe there is a reason. Sorry, didn't mean to get so philosophical.
I have also been watching you ever since you got your flow hive. I live in the city & will probably never be able to keep bees. But I love watching your videos and I know you do so much for your bees. I am sorry for the negative comments you got and hope you don't take them to heart! Don't give up!! All the best from Austria!
Thank you for posting this! I am one who lost my bees too (I'm in CT) and was really looking forward to hearing what you found out about yours. As far as the nasty people go--ugh. That's the internet for you. No matter what some people post, they get horrid attacks. The attackers are to be pitied and need to get a real life. Enough of that. The info you share is always so helpful and interesting, and you are so generous with putting yourself out there the way you do. I'm so glad at least one of your hives survived! I am hoping and praying that we all have a happy, healthy, successful year with and for our bees! God bless.
I was a novice or a tyro if you will back in 2004/5 at the beginning of CCD and I had a similar mystery of strong November hive and empty hive with very few dead bees in January. I moved from that land since then and cannot keep bees anymore so I need you keep doing what you are doing and I'll keep watching. Don't suffer the fools because the idiots like me need this. GOOD LUCK BEES
I don't keep bees, and I don't know anything about beekeeping that I haven't learned from you or from other RU-vid videos. But man, you tell a great story. Every great story requires adversity to overcome and to engage the reader/viewer, and this winter was a huge challenge and a huge setback to overcome. And like a great storyteller, you're the protagonist we want to root for and see overcome that adversity. And so are the bees in the survivor colony, who are already acting like heroes in their spring rebound. Love watching your videos and love your story. Will be here for the next, and the next...
I've been watching your videos for a while now. I remember when the wax fell off that frame. Sometimes beekeeping involves starting over. I did with one hive a few years ago. Last spring I caught a swarm that has survived the winter. Here's to a successful 2021 season.
Unfortunately this video just confirms a lot of stuff I already suspected: 1) The mite loads - while not extreme - were too much for the bees to cope with, given all the other challenges of the year 2) The number of colonies probably exceeded the carrying capacity of the local land, especially in a poor year 3) The internet is full of utterly insane @55holes I think you're making all the right moves here, and hopefully next winter will have a very different outcome from this one. One other thing I was thinking about - disease. The mites spread disease, which is often what *really* weakens/kills off the bees. I remember seeing all the robbing happening late last year with your colonies and worrying that was going to spread disease around (directly and via mites). You can't really test for this easily the way you can with a mite wash, but my guess is disease also played a role in losing so many colonies at once. The steps you're taking should help prevent that from happening again as well. I'd recommend keeping your hives physically distanced within the bee yard as well, to help minimize - as much as possible - crossovers from one hive to another. That should be easy to do now since you'll be limiting the overall number of hives. Best of luck in 2021 and thanks again for the engrossing videos! Don't let the a-holes get you down!
@@claytonosborn50 - Just a question... How can a yard “easily” support 40 hives if the area does not have the resources to support 40 hives? Sure you could feed syrup to 40 hives, but what is the advantage to that? Especially as a backyard beekeeper... Sorry, that was two questions... I got carried away.
You're doing great things. I've walked away from your videos and adopted what you are doing to my hives 3,000 miles away. A couple of things you said here: too many hives for your area. We're having the same issue out in my neck. There's just to much forage to go around. And summer mite treatments, or even all year round mite treatments. It's like a boat with too many holes in it and the water is pouring in faster than you can bail. You're smart and observant. I hope it works out this year. Right now we're in the middle of the 3rd or 4th worst drought in record keeping. Trying to anticipate the curve of the wave... exhausting.
Your one of the rare youtubers who actually reads and learns from comments! Be sure to take the compliments to heart! But ignore the hate. The internet is filled with hate. Most of it is false in more than one way so dont take that to heart! Enjoy 2021. My only request is to rename the hive you have “Balboa the second” or to name her first daughter balboa the second either way that name must survive within your bees!
Please don't take the hateful comments to heart. The majority of us watching, really appreciate your videos. So, as I don't say it nearly enough. Thank You!
Hey Vino, Firstly! white Sugar does better then honey does for bees(whoever says otherwise is nuts)..I believe there was a University of Manitoba study that shown bees have a 20-30% longer survival rate on sugar syrup for winter. I think you summarized it up pretty well, bees being hungry means weak malnourished bees, and that's a shorter life span. Going into winter that will end a hive itself, especially with mites. It really sucks you had to deal with all that, as a beekeeper that went through nearly the same thing, lost 13/14 once it is heart breaking. Just remember how fast bees build up, you can grow quickly as well. Good luck this season.
I've followed your channel for several years at this point and what drew me in is the ongoing genuine enthusiasm and care you show toward your bees and your farm and learning and bettering yourself whenever you can. I really appreciate that about you and I think most people who have followed your journey would say the same ✨
Hello, I'm a fellow bee keeper to your left over in Southern Saratoga. I had a very similar situation this year. I lost 7 out of 9 hives. I think you are right on with the robbing and mites being spread.
Jim, love the plan but would suggest you do an early season OA treatment once your new bees are established but still sitting on open brood. Broodless (or at least open brood periods) plus OA are the ultimate 1-2 punch that hits Varroa hard
I don't have a bee hive and probably never will. But this video made me subscribe, because anyone who could have a traumatic experience like that and walk out a better person who was willing to change their methods for the sake of the living animals that rely on them? That's someone I want to support.
Don't listen to the haters. You know that you're genuine and those of us who have watched more than one of your videos know that you're genuine (I've been here since season 3).
Jim, you are such a real person. We love you lots. I had a bad year here in North Texas, losing 12 of 18 hives. Most prior to the weird cold spell which took another 2 hives. I'm back to 23 total (as of today). I'm making changes as well. Looking forward to both of us having a great year in 2021.
Oh I am very sorry about the haters! Don’t worry the people who really watch your channel and your videos know you and know that you are heartbroken about the lost of your hives… Balboa has survived and all is not lost, I am sure they will be there for a very long time with you! I really love your videos :)
Hello Jim! I don't like drama either and negative criticism. Even though you tried your best like I believe you always do, you still lost a fair number of hives. Was it the miserable weather last summer as you described it or was it mites, a combination of multiple factors I guess, either way you were successful by your attitude and I appreciate that and your videos of course! I have bees in Newfoundland, Canada (where lucky for us we are still free of the varroa mites and I am so grateful we don't have to deal with this pest). We have our own challenges though including short summers. Anyway, I want to wish you the best to rebuild your apiary and thank you for your honesty, for sharing your knowledge and experiences, for your integrity and your positivity. (the name of our company is Bee Positive Apiary) . So thank you for beeing positive and stay positive.
I am sorry so many people responded negatively to what was a personal tragedy for you. I love to watch your videos and I hope that the community of beekeepers came together and provided real valuable insight for you to build off of. Thank you for sharing your experiences.
When I started thinking about becoming a beekeeper, I also started to watch your videos and they were in part responsible for me to take the next step. 3 years later I have 80 hives and nucs. You share all your successes and mistakes and that was what it make it interesting to me. It also makes you exposed and vulnerable to cheap attack's from internet frustrated losers. pay no attention to them. Reagarding your loses, I was also suspecting from varroa problems. Meanwhie I was think about your treatment plan and thinking that you should also treat for varroa at the end of winter or early spring, as soon as the queens start laying again, or as they start laying. if you control varroa early in the year it helps control it further down the season. Also you should consider moving south, it's much more easier with shorter winters ;).
Great video Jim, love the fact you have got a plan going forward. Best of luck and I'm looking forward to great results. If there's anything I've learned as a noob bee keeper is that if you ask 10 bee keepers a question your likely to get 10 different answers. Keep up the good work.
After watching, I had to comment. I've kept bees since 1980 in Northern Alberta and been overwintering for about the same number of years and think that nutrition is why your bees died. I did have high mite counts last fall and did oxalic acid treatment late October, only wrap with tar paper and have a small upper bore hole for venting purposes. I do have wind protection, east, west and north with south sun light exposure. I do believe that wind protection is extremely important. Only lost 2 out of 27 and they lost contact with honey stores so starvation was the cause. My commercial days are over but still love the bees and will continue to keep the bees. Good luck!
Jim thanks for your hive autopsy and a few things you said match my issues with my single hive that did not make it, so thanks for that. Keep on keeping on and will continue to follow your journey, as there is always something we can learn from others and things we can share......respect from a Scottish Beekeeper
Man oh man, my wife and I were feeling terrible for you last month . I personally, lost my two of two hives. But, I swear I may have spent more time pondering what misery you might have been experiencing. Its such a shame that there are so many oddballs out there with nothing better to do than pester! I thought perhaps those Vivaldi boards my have went a little overboard with there ventilation. But, I certainly thought your insulation would have more than made up for any purged heat. Well, please keep your head held high. We really appreciate what you are doing. Good luck this Spring. We should be receiving our new hives this weekend and the next. Thanks for struggling through some of us!! 😁😎👍
The internet is a weird and wild place. A very intense and out of control echo chamber. It’s a perfect storm that happened. People can be so mean. Sorry you lost your bees. It was a super sad video and I’m sure you felt sooo guilty and sad already. It’ll be ok and you’ll keep on learning. But also don’t forget you can do everything right and still have bad things happen, on hard northern winters. Nature is brutal.
Sounds like a solid plan for 2021. The challenge here in Mass is the short season, the nectar flows, and figuring out when you're able to treat. I've resorted to pulling all supers regardless of completion by the 3rd week of August. This allows me to immediately start treating with Apivar which carries them through the brood cycles to create strong winter bees. I feed the partials back to the bees I'll then do an Oxalic acid treatment or two once is cold out - say Late October/November. I've also begun treating with Apivar in the spring as soon as the queens start laying and to get ahead of the flows and supers going on. This is what works for me in Eastern Mass and my losses have been minimal doing this.
I think what makes you interesting to watch is that you're trying to be innovative and creative, and your passion does show. In the end I think everyone here wants you to succeed.
I think you are on the right track. I take Kamon Reynolds simple mantra very seriously. ‘Low mite count, good queens and good nutrition. We don’t have varroa in Australia yet but I think it is only a matter of time. I have a small property and our first year has been a steep learning curve. The climate is a little different and we have found that this year our bees needed a little pollen supplement and syrup. Probably realised about 3 weeks late and now catching up to ensure they get through our much milder winter than yours. I have 18 hives on my property and think that it might be a few too many. Next season I will relocate half my hives elsewhere to see if this makes a difference. I am also going to attempt to breed my own queens mainly to be self sufficient but also to see if the queens I can locally produce are better than bought ones. Mate, thanks for sharing your bee journey. I am a year behind you (started 2017) and was hooked on your channel after watching the comb incident. Will be interested in how you go this season, sincerely hope it goes exactly as you plan. Regards Karl.....Narooma, Australia.
I just want to say I have been watching you for years and I really have enjoyed your videos. Ignore the haters and you do you! Now I am going back to your video!
I commented in the last video that you waited too long to deal with mites. I hope that wasn't misconstrued as mean, because it was meant to be constructive. Either way, I like the plan you've come up with this year. It's well thought out, and now it's just all about execution. I also like your idea to keep less hives on that property. For me personally I wouldn't want more than 20 hives for fear of starving my bees due to overcompetition of limited resources. A lot of beekeepers judge other beekeepers by how many hives they have, but I'm more inclined to judge based on how many hives they can keep alive each year. So again, I like your plan and wish you the best of luck.
No worries. I doubt it was you that I was talking about. 99% of my comments are fine. I was mostly mentioning things I saw on other platforms since the video went so far. Lots changing this year. Thanks for your support.
I hope you have a fantastic season with your girls and they are stronger for next Winter. I can’t wait to see what you do with your hives and keep doing such a great job. Anything we do in life brings new knowledge and keeping bees certainly does. Happy Spring!!
Keep doing you Jim. It is greatly appreciated. Every positive experience and negative provides you and your viewers with knowledge. It’s the journey and I’m so happy to see you’re still doing it. I helped my friend install 10 nucs last weekend. When I found out they were Italians, I couldn’t help but think about the Balboa line and your experiences. Thank you for being an inspiration to me.
Colony numbers appropriate to one's site is a good goal for every beekeeper. It's not always easy to ascertain that number, but it is worth striving for. We all read about beekeepers who say they keep 50 colonies on their sites. Good for them, but that means noting regarding one's own site. Reality is more suitable than wishful thinking! I once put around six hives on a place in central-west Maryland. When I came back in the fall, the hives were packed with white sweet clover honey. I thought I had solved all my bee problems. So next year I doubled the hives on that site. When I came back in the fall, every colony was devoid of any honey! I couldn't believe it. The landowner walked by, and in response to the two years' difference in honey production, he said that all the area beekeepers had said that previous year's bounty had been the "50 year flow". Since I couldn't wait around for 49 more years, I abandoned that location. I just wish I could plant a honey flow!
Jim - thanks for sharing, I lost all 9 of my hives outside of North Conway and I consider you my mentor so looking forward to learning from you on an on-going basis. Keep posting buddy!!
What a hard year 2020 was. Your videos made a bleak year better, and I think all of your "followers" mourned with you when you opened the hives this year. Getting back up and moving forward is a good and brave act. Looking forward to watching more of your videos!
Jim, excellent analysis! i've been keeping bees now for 9 years and i'm still learning. and the environment and weather is always changing. so like you, i just check and adjust. for me, anything i do is about the process, not so much the goal. it's in the process of performing a task that you learn. and you learn whether or not you reach that goal. cheers Jim!
I love it that you show all sides of beekeeping, not just the beautiful moments, and I respect you for showing the fails and downsides of being a beekeeper (I am not one myself but I dream that one day I am). About the mean comments, well, haters are going to hate anyway, no matter what you do, so the best is just to ignore them or maybe smile at them and just let it go. Also I like the way you talk about your bees so fondly and smile with your eyes when doing that, it's not something you see in every RU-vidr. Keep doing what you are doing and you are awesome. I wish that this year will be better for you and your bees.
I’m so glad you figured out a plan. Figuring out what happened to your bees is hard, like CSI hard. I like the idea of planting summer plants, that’s wonderful. Good luck, we will be watching, hoping and praying for you. ☮️🐝-Kirsten
In Denmark, where I keep bees (8 hives), we have a research unit that analyzes a lot on why the bee population becomes small in the autumn. They have found that it is a sequelae when one has many varroamides. Following the disease is called apv "acute paralysis virus", it is transmitted from bee to bee by varroa mites. When bees have apv they can not find home. The steps you want to take are ok, but remember the mite number is crucial.
I love your videos! I’ve learned so much from watching them. I have shaped my way of doing things off of your videos. I was heart broken to see your last video. But I know you will come back strong and I can’t wait to see what you do this year!
Excellent video, thank you. Mites are our biggest problem, we have to treat 4-5 times per year. I think your assessment was spot on. I would like to suggest Formic Pro for the August treatment (depending on your temperature range). That way the honey supers aren't an issue, no residue in the wax and it's fine for the honey, and all the capped brood is treated as well. As a side note, your insulation/ feeding has worked beautifully for years, clearly not the problem. You are a very thoughtful beekeeper and are an inspiration for all that watch your videos. Can't wait for you to get your new bees!
Great video as always. Ive been watching since your second youtube season. I think its crazy how far you have come since then. Glad the balboa lineage will continue on! Thanks for making great content.
I'm so sorry about your bee losses. I know these are tough lessons to learn but I hope you'll have better luck with the colony you have now and the ones you're getting in May. I look forward to your next videos.
If anyone of these folks who thought you were doing your bees in for views had been watching your posts with any consistency over the last three years, they would know how much you care and how much energy you use to make sure your bees are ready for winter. I’m glad to hear you aren’t deterred by stupidity and will keep on doing what you do so very well!
You are one of my heros. I love your honesty and love your barn!!! I agree that you are totally real. I lost both my hives last year, one absconded and one died off like yours. I totally agree with your analysis. I missed the importance of mite treatments and the recent nuc purchase I did came with some advice. The gentleman told me he treats three times a year in Pennsylvania. I am going to start with the Apivar before the season starts and conclude with Oxalic acid in the end like you. Good luck this year, I will be watching.
Huge respect for you as a fellow beekeeper. You always show us the failures and successes, a lot of people would be too prideful to share when stuff goes wrong. I know your colony will be back and healthier than ever. Good luck bud.
Interesting watching your analysis. I'm just starting this year after reading about it off and on for a long time. One week in and I'm already considering very carefully modifications to my hives. Your little teaser reflects something like I have in mind. If you are "beefing them up," I'm sure you already considered this, but I would add the most insulation at the top. The closer that top board is to internal temperature the less likely water will condense on it and drip on your cluster, which is one thing I assumed when seeing your bees dead with boxes full of honey stacked up. Langstroth talks about that kind of thing in poorly insulated "thin boxes" as he puts it. Myself I'm going to be starting with the bottom board, then the top, and the sides last, ensuring that they are the least insulated part so that any condensation will occur there, where it can then drain from the hive without hitting the bees.
People are crazy man you did an excellent job I remember watching the videos and my only response was so sorry for you man it's been a bad year for everybody
There will always be haters, you have over 70k veiwers we wouldnt be watching and subscribing if you were a lazy and neglectful beekeeper. Im in my second year beekeeping and youve been a huge part of my journey
Don't pay attention to the haters, don't even acknowledge them. I recommend your channel to all new beekeepers as you are one of the few that shows failures not just successes and how to deal with them. Good plan for this year, in case you haven't heard EPA now approves using OA with supers on, so treat on. Thank you for your awesome content!
I did the exact same mite protocol as you last year and had the same results. I thought I had my mites under control with multiple treatments in October. Lost both my hives. One was broodless at the time of treatment and lasted much longer but ended up starving during a prolonged February cold snap here in Illinois. Sorry for your losses. I love how you analyze and come to conclusions. Keep making videos! I learn from every one. I have 4 packages coming next week and I'm excited to apply the hard lessons I've learned
Came across your channel by accident and am sorry for your loss . Great to see someone that goes the extra mile to find the answer rather than give up. I showed your 2 videos to my grandson and used you as a model for what to do when failures happen . Tough to impress a 17 yr old but just to let you know he was impressed.
Oh my gosh! As a new beekeeper, I so appreciate this! I am new to your channel. I feel your pain and am so sorry to hear of your losses! But let me tell you. . .your honesty, your integrity, your willingness to share has me changing my sub to "see first"! I cannot tell you how much I have learned and will continue to learn as I follow your journey. I started with the 'new box' reveal and worked backwards to this video. I am no carpenter, and I'm old and have I strength to speak of, so I am going to be converting to Dr. Leo's horizontal hives to help me. However, I live in California and have the luxury of weather for that style. Should you ever decide to build and market your new box, I'm there! 🤗 Please, ignore the crazies and keep on posting for us normals that desperately need the info and input! 🙏🧡🙏
Some beekeepers are rude to other beekeepers and are adamant that their methods are the only way. I try to help others as they help me. It is about saving the bees.
Hey, just wanted to say your videos have helped me immensely and I’m sad to hear idiots online would attack you. I’m glad you’re gonna get back up and try again, I’ll be watching and taking in all your tips. Sincerely, thanks for your videos.
Last winter was though for quite a lot of beekeepers, I have a lot of friends that lost all or close to all hives, I lost myself a bunch but because I have so many, a great nr survived; All over the world, last winter was really bad so don't feel bad by what happened to you, the only setback will be that you will have to buy new nucs, that's all. Have fun beekeeping this year, because I sure will, lol. Dan
I'm in northern Wisconsin and I treat in the spring with Apivar and fall OA x 4 starting in August then after the first good frost feed up to 120 lbs for each full and 60lbs for the nucs. I wintered 11 out of 12, 5 double nucs and 6 full size doubles. The nucs were wrapped with insulated roof and no moisture protection. The full doubles, half had full insulation and moisture protection while the rest were wrapped with insulated roofs. This year I'm going to add a box rotation after I pull the supers to put the nectar over the nest again going into any fall flow or feeding. This puts the queen in the bottom for winter configuration. Just some food for thought. I enjoy you videos, well done and good editing.
To go from "best ever" to "near extinction" is an emotional and i imagine profession shock. I'm not a beekeeper although I know one and to me knowing nothing I think bees need their space. Being so close together and why question would be "why not steal from each other" whereas if you throw out a "spread" that would focus the bees on building the best colonies rather than *bee* lazy and take from each other. Just a totally uniformed take but never be afraid of a total collapse in the least as questioning the most basic assumptions and acting on that means you know enough that you really don't know but are still curious enough to try out a totally clean sheet approach. I wouldn't recommend trying the same system but most importantly you want these colonies to be able to "think on their own" and not need such work effort for care and feeding *just for your own sanity!* Best of luck and look forward to seeing this set back ... and this is a set back ... as something that really makes you motivated open up on the creative side as clearly you're one of the best out there doing this and have succeeded tremendously in the past as a consequence and all know this no matter what the future portends. Best of luck and hope we the viewers are lucky enough to in fact see The Totally Awesome Comeback Tour!
@@georgedoolittle7574 HA! I know which group your comments were in. 1. He is not a professional beekeeper. He's a backyard beekeeper. With a large yard. 2. If you know "next to nothing" about something I suggest you not talk about it, because what you said definitely shows how little you know. 3. For your second paragraph, I suspect there is an insult in there but I have not yet learned that language. Try sentences. 4. Exactly what do you think the IQ of the common honey bee to be? 5. Punctuate please. Now I have a headache.
@@georgedoolittle7574 - I must agree with Julie here for sure... Commercial beekeepers keep 4 hives to a pallet and hundreds if not thousands of hives in a single location. Jim knows his area and stated it beautifully, his spot just may not support more than 5-10 colonies... 6 is a great number to go into this year. It takes roughly a half to full acre of land with pollen and nectar producing plants per hive. That’s a lot of flowers, trees, canola, sunflowers... etc. Thank you Julie for always being positive on channels that I see your comments. Always a pleasure to see your posts. Jim, thank you for always keeping it real and giving us the ups and downs of the bees. And the farm in general. ❤️ 🐝😎
Hello. I'm a long time beekeeper still trying to figure out how to keep my bees alive. Two Spring times ago I came out of Winter with 13 out of 15 hives alive. However, this past Fall I had some hives weakening and after combining some of them I went into Winter with 15-20 hives and lost everything. Your loss and assessment of what happened is helping me out a lot. I did some open feeding in Fall which was likely a big mistake as it may have put my bees in robbing mode making them more prone to getting mite bombs . Also, I needed to do one last mite treatment. Thank you for your honest posting and assessment of what happened. A lot of people don't like to admit there beekeeping mistakes.
It sounds like you have a solid plan for this coming season. I know I looked at everything I did last year and I'm definitely rethinking how I will go about things this season. The hives that made it through the season are bounding back stronger than ever and I have already had to put a second box on just to give them space. It was a wonderful sight when I opened my hives and seen 4 frames of brood in hives that barely made it through the winter. It definitely seems like you have the right attitude in how you're dealing with all the different comments ranging from constructive, sympathy, and all the haters. Just keep doing what you doing my friend. Thanks for sharing.
Like I have said in the past. Your channel and you living in MA pushed me to keep bees. Thank you for sticking with and continuing to tell the story regardless of the outcome. Shared failures allow all of us to learn and grow.
dude, please don't sweat the haters. I'm a sort of green ohio dude and I went into winter 18 hives with 15 of them what I would call strong. Treated 12, left six untreated an lost all but four of the treated hives an that was with me doing everything I could- weekly oav till winter on the treated hives and "hivewraps" on all of them just keep plugging and please keep making vids
This is such a great instructional video. Every new-bee needs to watch this. Beekeeping isnt about harvesting honey, it is about fostering and caring for living things. I think the plan you came up with to address your catastrophic loss is spot on. When I first started out, my mentor told me, "forget about harvesting after July. August is when you need to start formic acid treatments." I have since then lived by that rule. Having said that, I have lost bees after rough winters and poor mite management, so it still happens, but the goal is to continue to learn and to continue to grow. DONT EVER STOP MAKING THESE VIDEOS, you are doing a fantastic job. Forget the haters, there are plenty of others here who support you. Good luck and best wishes from Germany.
Jim, for what it's worth, you were the first beekeeper I ever watched, and what has lead to my backyard beekeeper journey (No bees yet, but I do have a swarm trap up, fingers crosses). I follow some great Beekeepers, both backyard and commercial, and while all offer me the knowledge I need to start my adventure, none are more fun to watch. Your genuine attitude and entertaining sprit just add something I'm not able to explain. I just say 'bee' you, 'do you, and keep going my friend!! God Bless!!
Thank you for sharing your experiences, despite terrible humans making terrible comments, in order to help educate new beekeepers and to share information amongst the beekeeping world. As a Veterinary Technician, one of our Codes of Ethics is "Veterinary technicians shall collaborate with other members of the veterinary medical profession in efforts to ensure quality health care services for all animals." Thank you for continuing to collaborate in order for us all to provide excellent care for our bees.
Hi vino sorry to hear that people were being negative and really stupid, I find you very entertaining and caring you probably make the negatives feel guilty and inadequate, I’m from Australia and love the program I’m also in my 5th year of bee keeping and you have helped me enormously, Thanks heaps Ray
I dont comment much because I'm no expert. I have been learning from and with you from before you got your flow hive. THANK YOU for all the wonderful knowledge you have shared with us. Your journey has and is something I look forward to watching. Blessing to you and your family.
I didn’t see your original video. But I thank you for sharing your experience. We have been beekeepers for just under a decade. This winter all our hives died. We treated for mites before winter just like what you discussed. But I think you might be onto something about not treating in the summer like we should have in the summer. We have not done that before either. I appreciate your sharing and I am sorry for your loss this winter, but you weren’t alone on that.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, your emotions, your experiences and your ideas. I'm not able to keep bees, but I have learned much for you. BTW, my grandfather kept bees in the 1940s-1950s. Recently my dad and I donated some of that old equipment to a bee supply store. Because of your videos, I was able to converse knowledgably about what equipment we had to donate with the store owner. I joked that I had all my knowledge from "A Massachusetts beekeeper on RU-vid," and the owner stated, "RU-vid's a great place to start."
Hey, good morning! I have been following your channel for several years now. . . I'll say again what I said in the beginning: I'm not a beekeeper - never will be. I don't much like bees. I am allergic to bee stings. I don't like the taste of honey, never eat it. And yet. . . I find your videos informative, entertaining - and, now, inspirational. Don't let anyone put you off your game. In the "bee world", just like anywhere else - "stuff" happens. It *always* does. What matters is when a person gets knocked down, they get up again, dust themselves off, and go forward. Just like you are doing here. Please keep up the good work. I look forward to your videos - whether bee-related or not. Never give up. Never give in. I applaud you.
