Recent Posts

51

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

« Last post by AustinB on May 20, 2024, 02:47:24 pm »

Took a picture of a beautiful fuzzy queen who made a safe return after her mating flight, enophallus attached and all. Too bad posting pictures is such a pain here, otherwise I'd post the picture 

52

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

« Last post by AustinB on May 20, 2024, 02:45:48 pm »

Personally I don't open feed. But I always use boardman entrance feeders. Which is another technique that gets routinely "shot down." What I have found through my experience is #1 most people who advocate against it, have never actually done it. #2 the ones who have tried it, did so improperly and had issues. There are a lot of people who open fee with little to no adverse effects. Similarly, I use entrance feeders all the time, in fact it's all I use except for a couple of hive top feeders that I happen to own. I have never once had an issue with robbing, or inciting robbing, or really anything negative. The only downside I see is that when ambient air temps start to drop in the fall, the syrup doesn't stay as warm as it would with an internal / top feeder.

53

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

« Last post by Ben Framed on May 20, 2024, 01:34:48 pm »

gww, so far I have not lost a hive to ants either, and the general agreement seems to be that carpenter ants can affect a colony. I do not know from first hand experience only what the accepted general consensus is and I did not take the chance.... but...... this leads to a question.


Has anyone here 'personally' lost a hive to carpenter ants? 

Phillip

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

« Last post by gww on May 20, 2024, 01:13:09 pm »

I don't know the difference between ants.  I just know I have plenty and it has never bothered me.  I did read that if your hives are on stands, you can put the legs in cans of oil.

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

« Last post by Ben Framed on May 20, 2024, 01:08:46 pm »

I never worry about ants.  Most hives defend themselves just fine and it they don't, they probably have other problems.

gww I dont worry to much about ants either. Except the time I was worried about Carpenter ants as I have heard they will do a colony in. I used the stuff Jim and others suggested and it worked. Wish I could remember the brand or name...

Jim?

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

« Last post by Terri Yaki on May 20, 2024, 12:50:18 pm »

It has been suggested to bait ants with a bucket over top to keep the bees out. I have potato salad containers with small holes drilled in and sugar and borax and one with grape jelly in it but it's not doing much to draw the ants in for some reason. I'll have to think about moving them back then. I am concerned that it will screw them up.

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

« Last post by BeeMaster2 on May 20, 2024, 12:46:23 pm »

Terri,
Sugar Ants and fire ants are not a problem. Carpenter ants and Bull ants are a real problem for bees. They can destroy a hive. I use Terra Ant Bait to kill them. Make sure the bees cannot get to the bait. I had a friend who made homemade ant bait and killed all but one hive of a trailer of 13 hives. She just put it in a jar on the ground with a large opening. It is just water sugar and boric acid.
Jim Altmiller

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

« Last post by Terri Yaki on May 20, 2024, 12:46:13 pm »

Bottom box is a medium with empty frames and starter sticks, top box is medium with 3 frames of comb and seven of empty plastic foundation. After they settle down, I can look in the side port and see what they're up to. I can see all the way through the bottom box but the top box, all I can see is the outer frame.

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

« Last post by gww on May 20, 2024, 12:44:08 pm »

I personally believe you are going to cause yourself more issues.  It is in my opinion going to be harder to move them 80 feet after they have foraged from the trap site for ten days.  It will probably work out but you risk a higher portion of lost bees or hard headed bees due to the three mile rule.   They would have been taking orientation flights in the right place if you left them.  They are learning where home is.

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

« Last post by Ben Framed on May 20, 2024, 12:40:24 pm »

Thats true too gww. And can you imagine how long it would take to individually feed hundreds of hives! Open feeding for the pros is much more feasible at certain times of the year.. Even still, Ian bucket top feeds when he is getting ready to top them off, shut 'em' down, and put them up, for Winter. Again timing and Seasons dictate the need and method...