What's this?

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

9,000 colonies, that is in credible.  I sometimes feel overwhelmed with 20.  I just can?t imagine that many hives.  I can only imagine the queen rearing operations.

I would like to suggest HoneyPump provide us with some basics for queen rearing.  Just the hands on approach, with specifics like queen castles or mating nucs.  I imagine a full time worker for just the queen rearing operation.

I raise my own queens and give most away.  As a hobbyist,I am insured, BUT if I sell one queen then I am a business and not insured.
Blessings

[TheHoneyPump]

It's been a busy week of hauling, final OAV treatments, and stacking.
Closed the door today on one set. Done with them until March 2019
   https://drive.google.com/open?id=1UtVaKKnMoZySJPUzytnj9HgIvI_YAcgA
   https://drive.google.com/open?id=1OYPEhAtyBXjMU4bPD43ucbuE-ZTXAMtH
   https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Kup6ZfoKq3j_JPwjK98o95nzEXpH4aUT

Queen rearing:  Have to have a system of punctual precision. Queens and bees wait for no man. Have a system, be prepared, be disciplined, or do not start.

Black shiny hairless bee:  The basis for difference in opinion is not whether they exist or not. It is whether upon seeing one interprets them as normal and tolerates them in the apiary. The knowledge and experience here varies. Some apparently feel they are OK to have around. I clearly view those bees as anomalies and as symptoms that things are not normal and are not OK within the colony. (CBPV / ABPV).

The beehive is a super-organism, not a grouping of individual bees. How we have helped it or hindered it as beekeepers proves out through the overall health of the colony. On the whole is it vigorous and resilient or does it seem to linger on and do just ok? Normal is a matter of comparative observation and experience. How does the hive compare to the other nearby hives? Normal is also a creep. In one set of norms, an anomaly stands out. In another that has allowed the anomaly, it becomes the new norm and is overlooked. Some diversity in the beehive is desirable. However, be cautious on what is viewed and accepted as diverse versus what is a symptom or is anomalous.

Ultimately, Bee-keep the way that most pleases you in the spirit of what is best for the colony overall.

[BeeMaster2]

Claude,
That is an impressive operation you have there.
What happens if you have a warm day while the bees are sill in the barn? Is it light tight when closed up?
I would not want to bee standing in the doorway. Very messy. 😜
Jim

[blackforest beekeeper]

A concerning black bee.
orry - my keyboard i at fault.

In pine-flo black bee turn up a lot. they die oon after the flo. don`t like eeing them, either. but they diappear gain. too many - problem.

[Ben Framed]

The YouTube video, 

Tips on Working Bees Randy Oliver NY Bee Wellness

Shows a picture of the black bee. Start watching at 1:04:11
The mutant bee, is also discussed but very hard to hear the responders comments.   This would have been a good time for Mr Van to have been in the audience for questioning with a microphone!   😁

Again, I say, we are blessed to have Mr Van and Mr Claude P here!! Thank you both gentlemen!!

Sincerely, Phillip Hall

[blackforest beekeeper]

I preferentially select for and breed the bees in my queen rearing operation. Often the queen and bees I select from are black. So in a sizeable portion my operation the bees are all black. Well almost all black in that they are black bees with dusty grey/black hair.

No healthy bee ever looks like the picture above. The bee in the picture presented above is not a black bee strain. It is a sick bee. It has no hair because it is pecked at by the other bees who know there is something wrong with it and spend extra time trying to clean and groom it, peeling its hair off. When next you are in a hive and spot a black hairless bee, just set back patiently watch and wait. You will soon see the other bees circling it and appear to groom it peck at it and harass it.

For example, here is a fresh queen from one of my mating nucs this summer.  The bee colors are a mixed hodgepodge because they were drawn from shakes and brood from various hives when I put all the nucs together.  Look closely in the picture.  Many of the bees on the right side of the picture are completely black bees. They do not appear black because their hair is dusty grey / charcoal.  If they were hairless they would look like the picture above. 

IMHO - If they are hairless, they are sick, and they get pinch+tossed from the hive if I see them.

I just reread this thread.
The bees in this picture (right side) look like Carnica I would say. This mixture i have in my colonies, too.
The black bee in the first post is def. sick.
Black queens like the one pictured I get often, too. Most of them are not so good. I have the impression, when they raise a queen from worker larvae late, they often turn out black.

[Ben Framed]

From BlackForest
"he bees in this picture (right side) look like Carnica I would say. This mixture i have in my colonies, too.
The black bee in the first post is def. sick.
Black queens like the one pictured I get often, too. Most of them are not so good. I have the impression, when they raise a queen from worker larvae late, they often turn out black"


Myself
I'm not saying the first picture is sick or not sick. I will say, These two men are very wise and very educated. Both make excellent points. No two people always see everything eye to eye. Even men with the best intentions. Just look at Paul and Peter in the Bible and that pretty well clears that up. I think they are both right in there from their point of view.  As I said before Mr Van being the kind soul that he is, would not want to kill even one bee unless he was absoulty 100 percent certain that there was a problem sick bee and not a mutant.  Mr Claude's family can't afford to take the chance. Nither man told me this, these are  my own words as per the impression I have come to as far as these good men are concerned.
It would be good to watch the video that I had titled in my previous post. I for one would like to see these two become the best of friends for the benefit of themselves as well as us here.
I sincerely mean that!  Phillip Hall

[Dallasbeek]

Ben Framed ---  Phillip, here's a quote from your post #19, I think.....

I have mentioned to each at one time or another, as a new beekeeper, its can sometimes be diffucult to distinguish what information that is posted  on a forum is accurate and what is not. That would be true for any forum or any other discussion on any subjesct I feel sure. I feel that we all here are blessed to have each of these men.  Now, Mr Claude I hope you dont mind me telling of your backgroud but Dallasbeek did ask me directly in another post and I figured this was the right time.
Thank each of you for being here and God Bless each of you!!


Remind me, please, what I asked of a personal nature.  I simply don't recall it.  I have few secrets on this forum or elsewhere and assume people will tell here whatever they are comfortable with, but don't recall asking.

[Ben Framed]

Sure Dallas, give me a few minutes to look it up.

[TheHoneyPump]

Ben, I am not aware of any lingering personal/friendship issues and even if there were from my perspective I consider the matter closed and have long since moved on. I am not here to get into conflicts nor driven to have to convince anyone of anything. The only reason I spend time here is where possible to provide a gateway to a broader experience, knowledge, and relaying of information that I hope can be helpful at enabling everyone to be better beekeepers and ultimately to have happier healthier populous colonies.

It is an open online forum after all. Folks will take away what they see as value, will discount that which they see is not, or may simply overlook what is not understood.  It is all free.  Free to take or free to leave.

Dallas - the question may be reference to a PM I had with Ben awhile ago.

All - I clearly stated the fact and the direct supportive reference in the first three sentences of my very first reply post on this thread to help guide the OP towards learning more about what likely is pictured and asked in -what's this- . Anyone who took initiative to review and research that guidance and reference given will have discovered plenty information to figure it out in short order. Perhaps it was too concise/succinct as somewhere along and somehow a very specific known viral symptom and how it occurs was labelled to be fiction versus a plausible mutant anomaly.  Admittedly I initially took some offence but certainly did not dwell on it for long. If deemed necessary, please just reread each of my posts on this for the consistency of facts and references as there really is nothing more I could add to help with this topic and will not spend any more cycles on it.

[Ben Framed]

Ben Framed ---  Phillip, here's a quote from your post #19, I think.....

I have mentioned to each at one time or another, as a new beekeeper, its can sometimes be diffucult to distinguish what information that is posted  on a forum is accurate and what is not. That would be true for any forum or any other discussion on any subjesct I feel sure. I feel that we all here are blessed to have each of these men.  Now, Mr Claude I hope you dont mind me telling of your backgroud but Dallasbeek did ask me directly in another post and I figured this was the right time.
Thank each of you for being here and God Bless each of you!!


Remind me, please, what I asked of a personal nature.  I simply don't recall it.  I have few secrets on this forum or elsewhere and assume people will tell here whatever they are comfortable with, but don't recall asking.

My reply #37
Re: Feeding Pollen Substitute in Late Season

Quote from: Dallasbeek on October 25, 2018, 03:55:06 pm

I think a reading (or re-reading) of Randy Oliver's articles on fat bees at his website Scientific Beekeeping might shed some light (or heat) on this topic. 

I tend to agree that we don't want too many winter bees (fat bees) because they will consume an inordinate amount of the food stores.  We need enough to cover the first generation of brood resulting from the queen's resumption of laying in late winter.  Any more than that are a drain on the hive.  Does the queen lay all the eggs she can and trust that there are nurse bees there to care for the brood?  Or does the queen lay only enough eggs to be covered by the number of fat winter bees that she has available?  In the latter case, maybe a large population of winter bees would be desirable, but if there are more than necessary, then the surplus are a waste, and the excess number of bees could cause the bees in cluster in cold weather to consume all the stores available and kill the hive.  Seems to me a delicate balance perhaps left to the bees to determine.  Our best intentions may have unwanted results.  I'd prefer a gradual buildup in the spring to an explosion of numbers, I think, but it's difficult to know what to do in this hobby sometimes.

My reply to you Dallas
IF its difficult for you as a hobbyist, then what do you think about a first year beginner such as myself Haha. Wouldn't it be mice if we had someone on this forum who had a background of 7 generations of commercial beekeeping focused on high honey yields and R&D with current family operations of roughly 9,000 colonies.  And also an Engineering degree, a person who's family makes his or her living with bees can't afford to be blown in the wind, or take assuming guesses. They must know what he or she is talking about, wouldn't you agree?  If I had someone giving me advice such as that, I would listen very closely. Now if this person was a really nice person that joined this forum simply to help the hobbyist beekeeper as well as anyone else, and with all this experience, wouldn't that be nice of this selfless person. Especially if that person is humble. He, She  probably would not be interested in debating issues once he she has gave his advice. We are blessed here!
Thanks, Phillip Hall "Ben Framed"

Your reply #38
? Reply #38 on: October 25, 2018, 06:38:51 pm ?

*       Quote
Do you have anyone in mind, Phillip?

[Ben Framed]

This is a great forum. Lets all continue to learn and discuss no matter our level of  beekeeping experience.
Thanks Phillip  Hall

[Dallasbeek]

Thanks, Phillip.  I just didn't recall specifically avsking about any member's bachground. I think I was referring to how specific you were as to 7 generations and 9,000 hives and wondered if you were referring to someone I could not place.

I have great respect for all the members of this forum, who share their knowledge and experience freely and agree with The Honey Pump (I take it he's Claude) that everyone is free to take it or not.  Personally, I feel like I benefit from reading everybody's stories, since the geographic range represented is so broad.  I have relatives all over the U.S. that are trying beekeeping, so when we discuss bees I have some idea about the kind of problems peculiar to their locations, as well as what seem to be some universal facts about beekeeping.

[Ben Framed]

I have great respect for all the members of this forum, who share their knowledge and experience freely and agree with The Honey Pump (I take it he's Claude) that everyone is free to take it or not.  Personally, I feel like I benefit from reading everybody's stories, since the geographic range represented is so broad.  .

Thanks Dallasbeek, I Appreciate you Sir.

[JVarner]

March 2019 update:
Hive appears to have overwintered well. No sign of hairless bee. Will continue to monitor & update as season progresses. Thanks again all.