Recent Posts

41

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Community Feeding

« Last post by Kathyp on May 18, 2024, 05:12:31 pm »

Generally not a good idea especially when there is nothing blooming for all the reasons 15th pointed out.  I used to do it occasionally in spring when robbing is less of a problem.  Things like cappings can be put out if you have a good place away from your hives, but again, it can cause robbing.

Nothing will really cut down on the robbing of weak hives.  There are some tricks to making weak hives stronger.  Swapping its place with a stronger hive so that workers return to the weak one and increase numbers.  Taking a frame or two of brood and workers from a strong hive and move it to a weaker one. 
If you can ID the reason a hive is weak it helps fix things, but often that's hard to do. 

You sure can give it a try and it might work for you, but in general, it's not the best or most economical way to feed.

42

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Community Feeding

« Last post by The15thMember on May 18, 2024, 05:03:06 pm »

I see several major issues with open feeding.  Firstly, you are not feeding only your bees, but all the bees within 3 miles of you, which just seems like a waste to me.  Secondly, by drawing in all the bees within three miles you greatly increase the possibility of disease and parasite transmission to your hives, which is the main reason I stopped open feeding.  I used to set out my sticky wax from crushing and straining, and I noticed such a big jump in mite counts when I did that, that I now give hives sticky wax in a modified top feeder instead.  Thirdly, by drawing in all those other bees, you can increase the possibility of robbing, because when you remove the feeder, all those bees are now looking for food at your location and will often target your weak hives.  Lastly, and the one that worries me the most, the timing of your feeding must be precise so that your honey and the honey of all the beekeeper's around you isn't laced with syrup.  And honestly, unless you are very connected to the other beekeepers in your community, how would they even know that what their bees are bringing home isn't nectar?  There is just too much of a possibility you could be causing trouble for others without them even knowing it for me to condone it personally.  If I was going to open feed, I'd be sure to color the syrup, so that I and other beekeepers would know if it was contaminating the honey.               

43

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: What did you do in your Apiary/Bee yard today?

« Last post by Caashenb on May 18, 2024, 04:45:05 pm »

Built 10 more deeps and frames and 20 more mediums and frames so I will have enough woodenware when I go into the yard Monday.

44

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Community Feeding

« Last post by FatherMichael on May 18, 2024, 04:38:51 pm »

Did a quick search and it has been 10 years since the subject of community feeding was discussed in this forum and it is an idea that seems to be shot down rather quickly then and now.

I put out a community feeder for two hives, one of which was moved to the farm from my back yard because it had become too aggressive.  The other was a newly purchased nuc.

At the time there was not much blooming but the moved hive was top heavy and the nuc had two frames of food.

I built a feeding station for the whole yard, planning to expand to four hives next year.

Community feeding seems like a good idea to me because it cuts down on the robbing of weak hives, which I have witnessed first hand and is not pretty.

45

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: What did you do in your Apiary/Bee yard today?

« Last post by The15thMember on May 18, 2024, 04:28:36 pm »

It was supposed to rain today, but when I checked the weather this morning, it had changed and now isn't supposed to rain until this evening, so I inspected 2 hives before lunch.  Good thing I did too, my favorite hive was CRAMMED full and very much in need of more space.  I gave them two new boxes and also did a sugar roll since I saw my favorite queen Snow White in there.  I also checked a hive that swarmed recently to see if they had a new queen.  No brood and didn't see a queen, but I'm going to give them one more week.                   

46

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Swarm Catching

« Last post by Terri Yaki on May 18, 2024, 03:30:43 pm »

Now that is an interesting thought.

47

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Follow the Bloom - 2024

« Last post by Terri Yaki on May 18, 2024, 03:28:13 pm »

Tulip poplar is all bloomed out. What do they get from that? What color is the pollen that comes off of it?

48

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Swarm Catching

« Last post by beesnweeds on May 18, 2024, 03:27:38 pm »

I opened the bottom box, which has empty frames in it

Thats the attractant.  The plastic foundation is sprayed with rendered wax that has a potpourri of smells.  Bees are like other animals, they can get confused with an overload of stimulants.  If I leave my backyard lights on at night some bees will come up from my bee yard and bounce off the lights confused.  It doesnt mean they are checking out the light as a good place to swarm to.

49

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: AFB in NZ

« Last post by Ben Framed on May 18, 2024, 11:26:53 am »

How terrible.  A beekeeper's worst nightmare. 

So True!

50

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Swarm Catching

« Last post by Terri Yaki on May 18, 2024, 10:55:38 am »

It seems as though this small bunch of bees camped out in the swarm trap last night. At the crack of dawn, they were peeking out the front door and they are flying around the hive a little bit but my nuc hive is not doing much flying at all. We have a cool, rainy day here today.