Recent Posts

1

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

« Last post by max2 on Today at 04:05:45 am »

I have been cleaning up old boxes, cut some FD back to 1/2's and have plenty of frames ready for nuc's come Spring.
We are at the other end of the season here!
I got some painting in between showers.

More to do

2

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Planning ahead for the coming season

« Last post by max2 on Today at 04:03:32 am »

You are spot on. Les.

We are surrounded by thousands of hectares of forest here.

The list of trees is hard to imagine and yet, like you, we can have relatively poor year.
Our limiting factor can be the lack of rain.
Not this year, It is raining yet again and more is on the way.
This will just about guarantee  a good start with Blue Gun ( e.tereticornis) and Clover.

My second yard is facing a pretty large National park. While the takings are quite poor in winter, there is always something flowering the reats of the year to keep the hives going.

I'm lucky to be next door toabout 70acres of irrigated White Clover. They are just about a certainty to give me comb honey...if the weather is clear.
My third yard  is mostly used for nuc's and I flood this one with drones.
A good yard for early nectar and pollen ( Blue Gum, Clover and Pecan Nuts)

Yes, fun to plan ahaed!

3

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Planning ahead for the coming season

« Last post by Lesgold on Today at 02:56:23 am »

Hi Folks,

I was just out in the bush around my place to do a bit of research for next season. As a non migratory beekeeper, Mother Nature tends to dictate what happens in relation to  supplies for the bees during the spring and summer times. Many of you have predictable flowering periods each year and can plan for them to a certain extent. Cold winters, late springs, hot or wet periods all impact on the flowering of plant species and what value they can provide to the bees but there is, to a certain extent a loose pattern that you look for in your own area. In my neck of the woods, the pattern is not as regular nor is it consistent every year. The major source of honey production around me comes from a variety of Eucalyptus trees. I have about 8 species that provide nectar and/ or pollen but unfortunately only one of those varieties flowers annually. The rest have cycles that vary from about 2 to 10 years. This often means that there are boom or bust years for the bees and of course, the beekeeper. This past season was one of those poor years that pop up every now and then. In my home yard I normally keep 20 or so hives. This year, not a single frame of honey was taken from those bees. The reason was simple. Apart from a brief flowering in the early spring, there was nothing else apart from a few bush and garden plants to keep the bees going through the warm months of the year. As we get close to winter, most of the hives have very little in the way of stores to get them through the cold months. They may be able to scrounge a few bits and pieces from the garden over the cold months but I?m expecting a higher than average number of hives that won?t make it to spring. Looks like I?ll be making quite a bit of foundation over winter and taking a good number of splits in the spring to compensate for the losses. My research for the coming year is simple. A pair of binoculars and a long walk is all that is required. I check all the tree types and look for bud formation and can generally get a reasonable idea of what is going to happen in the near future. From my walk today, I was able to determine that the stringy bark should flower in the last month of winter and the first month of spring. It will provide good quality pollen and give a reasonable nectar flow during the build up period. It should be a good start to the season as the buds are quite thick. Obviously adverse weather conditions could change this dramatically. This coming season should also give a strong flow during the summer period. I will be able to make some comb honey this year due to the quality of the nectar flow from iron bark and mahogany. Red gum should flower in August of 2025 as their buds are just starting to develop. Blackbutt buds will start developing soon for the 2025/26 summer period and in 6 months time buds should start to form on the spotted gum and they should flower through the winter of 2026. The poor season I had this year was planned for. I knew what was coming in 2021 and was actually more than happy to have a relatively easy year. In 2021 and 2022, I had a honey flow that lasted almost 18 months from a variety of trees. They weren?t big flows but they were constant. As a result, there was nothing to flower in 2023. Below is a picture of the types of buds that I expect to see on Eucalypts. Each species will hold buds for different lengths of time. This also helps in the planning process. As an example, the ironbark holds buds for about 6 months before they open whereas the spotted gum buds sit on the tree for 18 months before changing colour slightly prior to flowering.  This beekeeping is so much fun.🥴🥴🥴🥴

4

RAPID BEEYARD GROWTH / Re: I Have Too Many Bees

« Last post by The15thMember on May 08, 2024, 10:35:39 pm »

And I have the same problem this year Member. Every drawn super is on. Every undrawn super is on. I am out of Deep woodenware,Ive been moving the deep frames out and replacing as they were backfilling them,then stacking the deeps topside, the bees are bent on backfilling and not drawing, And the tallow just started coming in yesterday. Marley, her mother and I just got done discussing the situation. The problem is if the bees run out of room and swarm there wont be enough to dry and cap. Go figure. Its been an interesting start to the year to say the least. Who would ever think Id be complaining about an excess necter flow.

That's so weird, especially considering we're not geographically close enough for our flows to be linked.  Some of my hives are backfilling like crazy too. 

5

RAPID BEEYARD GROWTH / Re: I Have Too Many Bees

« Last post by Bill Murray on May 08, 2024, 09:36:05 pm »

I have found that more ventilation is sometimes worse actually.

Ive been saying that for years.

And I have the same problem this year Member. Every drawn super is on. Every undrawn super is on. I am out of Deep woodenware,Ive been moving the deep frames out and replacing as they were backfilling them,then stacking the deeps topside, the bees are bent on backfilling and not drawing, And the tallow just started coming in yesterday. Marley, her mother and I just got done discussing the situation. The problem is if the bees run out of room and swarm there wont be enough to dry and cap. Go figure. Its been an interesting start to the year to say the least. Who would ever think Id be complaining about an excess necter flow.

6

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

« Last post by Terri Yaki on May 08, 2024, 08:58:15 pm »

The swarm finally had BIAS and a mated queen today!  Another Snow White daughter, christened Queen Ariel.  The flow has hit, and I can't believe how tall some of my hives are already.  I gave three hives two new boxes at once today, something I rarely do.  Having drawn comb laying around has made all the difference this spring, even with the early flow not coming in.   

That does sound great, congratulations.

I have a question...tomorrow, or Monday? Last Wednesday, I checked my hive and shared my video. Consensus was to go back, rearrange frames and add a brood box, which I did on Friday. Weather here will be suitable for hive inspection tomorrow (Thursday) or next Monday. I'm leaning towards a tomorrow inspection but don't know for sure. What do yous recommend? Yeah, I'm asking several beeks for opinions.   

7

DOWN UNDER BEEKEEPING / Re: How insects move - not just bees

« Last post by The15thMember on May 08, 2024, 07:26:57 pm »

I read an article in an issue of 2 Million Blossoms about a historically documented hoverfly migration around New York City.  It hasn't been observed in recent years, but neither has any study be conducted to see if it still persists.  Everyone talks so much about the monarch migration, but monarchs certainly aren't the only insects that migrate.  It's interesting to see this understudied area of insect life history get some attention, and from the ornithological quarter.  If the entomologists won't do it, someone has to!     

8

RAPID BEEYARD GROWTH / Re: I Have Too Many Bees

« Last post by The15thMember on May 08, 2024, 07:20:51 pm »

Do you use a means of ventilating your hives to aid the bees with this humidity problem?

I have found that more ventilation is sometimes worse actually.  I'm still in the process of figuring out exactly how much is best for my situation, but I used screened bottoms and tops for several years, and I'm moving toward more solid bottoms and tops now, which seems to be helping with mold at least.  When it's extremely humid, it seems better to keep that ambient moisture out with less ventilation.

All pressure treated wood is not the same.. Yellawood?, pressure treated wood company was started by Jimmy Rains and brother using only the best in chemicals and techniques for this purpose...

Guaranteed Protection
YellaWood? brand products carry a Lifetime Residential and Agricultural Limited Warranty against structural damage caused by fungal decay and termites for above ground, ground contact and fresh water contact applications.https://penlumber.com/brands/yellow-wood-treated-lumber/#:~:text=Guaranteed%20Protection,and%20fresh%20water%20contact%20applications.

 
The question would be the price.  Cinder blocks are pretty cheap and wood has gotten so expensive. 

9

DOWN UNDER BEEKEEPING / A future with more pollen - pollen facts

« Last post by max2 on May 08, 2024, 06:47:30 pm »

The reason for the wheezin?
Birds do it; bees do it; even educated beetles do it. They all watch for the first real mark of spring, and with it, the great pollening. As flowers return and unfurl, they?ll reveal a familiar yellow-green powder that streaks its way across our fields, forests, and windshields.
But for those who sneeze, wheeze, and water as the world begins to bloom, pollen is a less-than-welcome companion to spring. And scientists predict our future doesn?t hold much relief: With climate change, many pollen proliferators will have longer growing seasons, increasing levels of CO2 to feed on, and a profusion of pollen to produce.
So grab your Flonase and pack your tissues: We?re venturing to the flower field. As the old adage goes, the dander you know is better than the one you don?t.
Let?s take a sniff around.
By the digits
1 million: Number of pollen grains a single ragweed plant can produce per day
40%: How much the amount of pollen produced during flowering season in the U.S. could rise by 2100
1 in 2: People expected to suffer from allergies by 2050, according to the World Health Organization
$40.4 billion: Expected value of the allergy treatment industry by 2025
9.7-12.0: A high pollen count, or how many pollen grains per cubic meter of air are collected over a 24-hour period, according to Pollen.com, which tracks results from Burkard and Rotorod measuring systems
40 pounds: Amount of pollen a single honey bee colony can gather in one year
>$15 billion: Estimated value that bee pollination contributes to U.S. crops each year
~20,000: Known bee species in the world

10

DOWN UNDER BEEKEEPING / How insects move - not just bees

« Last post by max2 on May 08, 2024, 06:44:17 pm »

A study led by the Swiss Ornithological Institute in canton Lucerne has shown that, throughout Europe, insects tend to prefer moving around midday or dusk.
This content was published on May 8, 2024 - 11:54
3 minutes
Keystone-SDA

Understanding such migratory movements is of great importance both for the protection of insects as well as their management, study author Birgen Haest told the Keystone-SDA news agency on Tuesday. For example, the findings, published in the ?Philosophical Transactions? scientific journal, make it possible to determine the optimal time for the use of insecticides.

+ Swiss farming trend: pesticide-free, but not organic

At certain times of the year, trillions of insects travel, at altitudes of up to several hundred metres, to other locations, Haest explained. Some insects migrate hundreds to thousands of kilometres.

?An insanely large biomass is moved in this way,? said Haest. Many of the insects provide vital ecosystem services such as pollinating plants. Others are pests which threaten biodiversity, cause considerable economic damage or pose a threat to human health.
Studying small insects is difficult

Against the backdrop of insect extinction and the suspected effects further up the food chain, a better understanding of the movement patterns of migratory insects is urgently needed, the researchers say in the study.

?Little is known about these migratory movements,? said Haest. This is because studying insect migration is not an easy endeavour. ?The insects fly high in the air and are very small,? the researcher said. Traditional methods would quickly become too costly and impractical for long-term, time-specific and geographically-distributed data collection.

For their study, the researchers recorded insects with radar devices between March and October 2021. The radar network was placed in 17 locations, from south-west France to Helsinki.

?To our surprise, we found that the migration peaks were the same across Europe,? said Haest. This shows that the insects probably use daylight as their means of orientation.