Recent Posts

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DOWN UNDER BEEKEEPING / Re: Varroa detected in Australia

« Last post by max2 on Today at 01:11:32 am »

Hello Queensland beekeeper,

You are invited to attend a free training workshop to enable you to be prepared for when varroa mite (Varroa destructor) arrives in Queensland.

The National Varroa Mite Management Program in Queensland is hosting a series of comprehensive training events scheduled over the coming months.

Whether you have one hive or 1000, the workshops will provide you with the skills to successfully manage varroa mite (Varroa destructor).

We encourage you to attend the workshop being held in your local area:

When: Saturday 2 November 2024 9:00am - 3:00pm
Where: Maroochy RSL, Maroochydore: 105 Memorial Avenue, Maroochydore
Register your attendance here Maroochydore workshop registration
Places are limited. Please register early to secure your spot.

https://ticketing.humanitix.com/tours/varroa-management-training
Each workshop will cover:

understanding varroa mite and its impacts
the importance of monitoring and thresholds
integrated pest management and varroa mite
chemical treatment options including organic options
brood location, frame rotation and management
best practice record keeping.
National contract trainers will facilitate the workshops.

Varroa development officers (VDOs) will also be in attendance. Over the next 2 years, VDOs will provide you with on-the-ground support in managing varroa mite infestations in hives.

If you?re unable to attend your local workshop or would like support (visit, discussion, material, guidance) from a VDO, please email varroa@daf.qld.gov.au

In the meantime, we remind all Queensland beekeepers to:

regularly check your hives for varroa mite and report the results to the Bee 123 form
register as a biosecurity entity if you have one or more hives
subscribe to the bee e-alert to stay up to date
head to daf.qld.gov.au/varroa for more information about Queensland?s approach to managing varroa mite
receive weekly updates from the National Varroa Mite Management Program
follow the National Varroa Mite Management Program events page to keep up to date with new workshops.
For any questions, please call the varroa hotline on 1800 084 881.

Kind regards,
Varroa Mite Innovation and Resilience Initiative (VMIRI)

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WEB VIDEOS / Interesting Cure

« Last post by Ben Framed on Today at 12:06:13 am »

How baby Jesica?s leg was saved.

https://youtube.com/shorts/nMzxb1wydx0?si=T-oNVJtgV2VUD4qm

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

« Last post by The15thMember on September 19, 2024, 08:23:01 pm »

Is there any downside to leaving all of the honey on them?

The downside is that they will have trouble keeping a larger space warm.  The typical advice is to get the bees into the smallest configuration possible that still fits the population and the stores they'll need to overwinter successfully.  I typically overwinter in 2 mediums in my climate, but you'll need a little bit more honey than me, so you may be better off in a deep/medium or even 2 deeps depending on how things shape up with your frames. 

My nuc boxes are deeps so I can pull the five best frames of the deep super for them and put empty frames in in their place. And I do have a box of fondant on the way through my club as well.

Good, the nuc may need that fondant (if it survives long enough).  I wouldn't replace any frames you pull from the swarm hive for the nuc with fully blank foundation.  The bees will never get that drawn at this time of year.  Drawn blanks would be fine though. 

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

« Last post by Terri Yaki on September 19, 2024, 06:28:36 pm »

I'm still figuring out how they'll be configured. Is there any downside to leaving all of the honey on them? Other than the small hive dying and losing any honey that's on them. My nuc boxes are deeps so I can pull the five best frames of the deep super for them and put empty frames in in their place. And I do have a box of fondant on the way through my club as well.

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

« Last post by The15thMember on September 19, 2024, 05:38:59 pm »

Okay, sounds good.  Since you have got that medium too, then what I might be inclined to do is give them the fullest best frames from between the two supers; just pick whichever ones are most drawn/most filled and put them in the deep.  Or, if you'd prefer, you could just see what they get capped and then leave them with the pick of the lot when you condense them down for winter.  How are you planning to overwinter them, 1 deep, 2 deeps, or 1 deep/1 medium?  That will dictate somewhat what frames you leave them, since the deep frames won't fit in the medium box.   

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

« Last post by Terri Yaki on September 19, 2024, 05:28:22 pm »

Thanks, I was scared that my swarm hive was short on numbers. Swarm hive has top and bottom entrance and they seem to like it. Yellow jackets haven't come near the top one, only eye up the bottom one...for now. Up until now, I was feeding above the inner cover so closing that upper entrance with the lid wasn't possible but I've pulled that box off and can do it now. The nuc only has the bottom entrance with my robbing tunnel on the front of it. I forgot about it until I was done filming but I put the medium super on top of the swarm hive for them to finish capping. Things are getting capped pretty well right now.

Oh, and all of the brood and larvae looked good.

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

« Last post by The15thMember on September 19, 2024, 05:20:23 pm »

I think that swarm hive is looking pretty good.  It's not abnormal to see nectar in the bottom box as the brood nest condenses.  If you are wanting to get them to fill that second box, then I'd keep feeding them.  I agree the nuc is looking pretty small.  If they hadn't had that bout of EFB, I'd just combine them with the big hive.  How did their little bit of brood look?  Did it seem healthy?   

I couldn't really see on the video, but does your nuc inner cover have a notch in it?  Do you have that closed?  Because that top entrance right there at your feed is a recipe for robbing if that notch is open.  Same thing on the big hive, be sure your telescoping top is pulled back so that notch isn't open, because you have those stickies up there. 

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

« Last post by Terri Yaki on September 19, 2024, 12:59:36 pm »

I went through my hives today and have the videos up. The nuc has so few bees in it that I don't see how they can make it through the winter. I expected to see more in the swarm hive too but I don't know what to expect. I'll take any help I can get on what to do with them. For some reason, my camera shut down on me while I was filming Part I so that's what happened there.

Thanks

Nuc HIve

https://rumble.com/v5fk31p-september-19-2024-nuc-hive-inspection.html

Swarm Hive Part I

https://rumble.com/v5fjtsl-september-19-2020-swarm-hive-inspection-part-i.html?e9s=src_v1_ucp

Part II

https://rumble.com/v5fjydf-september-19-2024-swarm-hive-inspection-part-ii.html?e9s=src_v1_ucp

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OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES FORUM / Re: Biking, kayaking, canoeing,hiking, running

« Last post by The15thMember on September 19, 2024, 11:29:34 am »

Just recreational swimming, but like you say, we're doing a lot of it.  The kids mostly stay in the shallow water since they are playing, and one of the younger girls isn't a very strong swimmer, but I have always loved swimming in as deep of water as I can find.  When there are no boats on the lake, I'll swim out pretty far and stay there for quite a while, so even when I'm not swimming I'm treading water.  My adult sister doesn't swim much, since she has this condition where when she gets cold, especially if it's a shock of cold, all the blood leaves her fingers and then her hands, and leaves them feeling numb and freezing for like hours afterward.  I think it's called Reynaud's syndrome.  So she typically just sits on the shore and reads while we swim.                         

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DOWN UNDER BEEKEEPING / Re: What's flowering: Queensland

« Last post by max2 on September 19, 2024, 01:15:51 am »

This is getting close to our peak time for flowering and thus honey production and a good time for splits.
Of course it all depends on the weather: too dry and some of the plants will produce less or not at all.
In our catchment Eucalypts are generally fairly reliable after good rain has replenished groundwater.
Very few eucalypts are reliable producers year after year, indeed some can have a long spell of little flowering for many years.
We always live in hope!
Right now we have the following plants flowering or budding in the SE of our state:
- Blue Gum
- some of the ironbarks
- Hairy Bush Pea
- Mugga
- Grey Iron bark
- Red Bottle Brush
- Scribbly Gum
- Swamp Mahogany
- White Clover
- White Mahogany
- Wild May
- Tallow wood
- Deep Yellow Wood