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41
DOWN UNDER BEEKEEPING / Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Last post by max2 on March 25, 2024, 09:52:24 pm »

Flowering.

There is not much to report.
The weather has been against us - too wet. Bees can't fly and pollen and nectar would be washed out.
I can see that the Blue Gum ( E. tereticornis) is budding heavily.
It is a reliable producer at the end of winter into spring.
We do get some surplus honey most years and occasionally a good flow.
The timing, just before a strong buildup of brood can be magic magic.

With plenty of soil moisture Clover often performs well too.
A great time to make early splits and some queens. We shall see.

I can see the Golden Rain Trees are  flowering (Koelreuteria elegans subsp. formosana)
It is considered a weed around here but bees love it.
I suspect that the honey is rather dark.

No luck this year . They are a lovely tree to watch bees at work - when the sun shines.

During our wet season we generally find that Cobbler's pegs ( Bidens pilosa) keep our bees happy if we get short bursts of sunshine. Even they could not provide some sustenance for our bees.

42
DOWN UNDER BEEKEEPING / Re: News from Down Under
« Last post by max2 on March 25, 2024, 09:51:27 pm »
It has been a trying couple of months here related to beekeeping.
Since the start of the year it has been extremely hot  ( the second hottest year on record) and humid and then rain came , and came...and it still has not stopped.

We had some flooding rain but of late it has been just steady, light rain.
Enough to stop you from getting out and about.
There is no chance to open any hives.
It will be interesting to see how the hives stand up to constant moisture. A real test on the paints we use.
The Varroa mites in NSW are spreading slowly.
A new intrusion just 120km from here  has been discovered.
I read that just one mite has been found in an Asian swarm at the Brisbane wharf.

Broula Flies have been found in Northern NSW https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=broula+fly.

These will be of little consequence to the average beekeeper but a real pain to those of us who sell comb honey.

The SHB would have a field day in this warm/humid/wet weather.
I have lost a couple of hives.
One was a slimeout, two, well they are a mystery. There is no smell ( not AFB), a few queen cells ( maybe they lost a queen and the new queen could not mate due to the weather)
You never stop learning with bees!
I'm cleaning up the frames and will have the gear ( frames and supers) heat treated. Just in case.
I will be able to use them all in Spring.

Honey sales have been good and getting better towards the cooler time of the year.
Some sellers have increased their prices but there are a number of beekeepers willing to undercut market prices.
I have been made aware that the use of Fipronil ( against SHB) is quite common - illegal and a risk to consumers and the bees.

There are plenty of hives for sale.
It appears that a lot of beekeepers are taking the opportunity to get out before varroa hits them.

I have plenty of stock and have been selling some honey in bulk. Good for the cash flow.
43
FARMING & COUNTRY LIFE / Re: Register Your Chickens?
« Last post by Ben Framed on March 25, 2024, 09:20:32 pm »
USDA wants to chip all your chickens.  Then  you would have to report when you eat one and when one just dies...

And don't be surprised if they eventually pass a bill demanding you to save the dead chicken for inspection by a government agent, to prove the chicken died;  :shocked: :wink: then charge you a dead chicken disposal fee as they leave your property with the dead chicken.....  :shocked: :cheesy: :cool:
44
GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Beekeeping Class Has Begun
« Last post by Terri Yaki on March 25, 2024, 08:52:57 pm »
Today I went to my mentor's apiary and we worked through about ten hives, including the nuc that has my name on it. We went all through most of them but only fed a couple. He was surprised to find drones and drone brood this early and he rotated about four of them top to bottom for reasons that you folks probably already know. We found some queens but not all. Eggs, larvae and capped brood in all hives plus capped honey. He uses about a 3" spacer up top for feeding with about 1/4" mesh on top of the frames. I took a sting on my hand because I flinched and went for it when it landed. It left the stinger and right now I'm a little sore there but nothing big, we'll see what tomorrow brings. After that one, I just let them check me out and leave. His bees pooped all over my prized 1991 S-15 Jimmy.  :angry:
45
GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Follow the Bloom - 2024
« Last post by The15thMember on March 25, 2024, 02:42:52 pm »
The spicebushes and silverberries are getting going around here.
46
GREETINGS/TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF / Re: Hello from Ohio!
« Last post by Michael Bush on March 25, 2024, 09:39:57 am »
The bees will glue it all together, so it has to take them all or none once they are glued together.
47
GREETINGS/TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF / Re: Hello from Ohio!
« Last post by Terri Yaki on March 25, 2024, 09:15:22 am »
That configuration would work fine here except that the taller the boxes go the more likely they will blow over.
My neighbor had one unit blow over once but I think it survived and was recouped. That is definitely a concern of mine as I ponder where and how I'll set mine up. They just look so vulnerable.
48
GREETINGS/TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF / Re: Hello from Ohio!
« Last post by Michael Bush on March 25, 2024, 06:04:44 am »
That configuration would work fine here except that the taller the boxes go the more likely they will blow over.
49
HUMOR IS A FUNNY THING / Re: 30 years
« Last post by Michael Bush on March 25, 2024, 06:02:07 am »
Yea, well you didn't start until the second year...
50
FARMING & COUNTRY LIFE / Re: Register Your Chickens?
« Last post by Michael Bush on March 25, 2024, 05:50:22 am »
USDA wants to chip all your chickens.  Then  you would have to report when you eat one and when one just dies...
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