Recent Posts

91

FARMING & COUNTRY LIFE / Re: Time to Plant Cukes!?

« Last post by BeeMaster2 on May 01, 2024, 09:14:11 am »

Here in N FL we have to plant them by April 1. Much later than this and it will be too hot before they are ready for harvest and the bug population gets too large.
Jim Altmiller

92

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

« Last post by BeeMaster2 on May 01, 2024, 09:09:56 am »

An extra entrance is not a problem. It may be a plus.
Na

93

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

« Last post by Terri Yaki on May 01, 2024, 08:36:53 am »

And the swarm trap is getting hit hot and heavy already this morning. It seems like at least a couple of bees stayed the night and I have found them wandering around the frames in the upper box where the frames have foundation smeared with slum-gum. There is about a 10" long 1/16" or so wide gap between the two boxes in the front and quite a few of them are looking at that. I expect that they could seal it up easy enough but might it make them want to find a different home? Should I heat up some wax and fill it in? In the future, I'll check for that and fill it first.

94

FARMING & COUNTRY LIFE / Re: Time to Plant Cukes!?

« Last post by Salvo on May 01, 2024, 08:23:47 am »

For lack of pollination.

Sal
See. This is all bee related.

95

FARMING & COUNTRY LIFE / Re: Time to Plant Cukes!?

« Last post by Terri Yaki on May 01, 2024, 06:27:39 am »

Last frost for my area is Mother?s Day or May 15th, fielder?s choice.

96

FARMING & COUNTRY LIFE / Re: Time to Plant Cukes!?

« Last post by animal on April 30, 2024, 11:58:44 pm »

AWW C'MON !

it's fine for old men to get naked and plant seed too ! We just don't go as fast, and sometimes that's a good thing.

97

MOVIES / Unsung Hero

« Last post by Kathyp on April 30, 2024, 08:44:59 pm »

Hubby and I took a break and saw this today.  It was good.  Kind of sniffly in a couple of places, but a worthwhile 2 hours spent if anyone is thinking about it.

98

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

« Last post by The15thMember on April 30, 2024, 08:02:34 pm »

I'm going to try to look hard for mites and beetles this time around.

At your stage of the game, I wouldn't expect to see any mites, if you are just going to be looking with your naked eye at bees' backs.  Seeing mites riding on bees is usually a sign of an advanced infestation.  You may have a few mites in there, but as they can also hide on the underside of bees, and during much of their life cycle they are in the capped brood, you shouldn't see any, just based on the probabilities.  A sugar roll or alcohol wash could turn up one or two, but I would be concerned if I saw more than 1 mite if I was you.

99

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

« Last post by The15thMember on April 30, 2024, 07:53:35 pm »

Hm, that's funny.  I honestly don't think I would have pegged that behavior as anything specific.  It may just be workers antennating each other.   

100

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

« Last post by Terri Yaki on April 30, 2024, 07:22:48 pm »

My hives have that side door that I can open and look in at the outer frame. My nuc was five frames in the middle with three empty frames to one side and two empty frames on the other side. The side with two empty frames is the side that the port is on. I have looked in there every couple of days and there was nothing going on but today it was pretty full of workers. I didn't have my bee jacket on so I didn't spend much time looking in there. That being their first day in there, there wasn't anything to see anyway.

Then around 1630, the hive got real quiet out front for some reason and it seemed odd to me. I opened the port on the top box where they syrup is being served and everything looked normal in there. Then...suddenly...an orientation class beegan and bees came pouring out the entrance like water over Niagara Falls. I saw a couple of them on the grass trying their best to get back in the air but based on what I saw, it's not happening. I looked at their wings and they did not look deformed. Given the number of students in the class, I figure two or three that can't fly is probably not excessive.

I caught what I suspect was an SHB crawling on the outside of the hive. It was a flat black beetle about 1/8", maybe 3/16" in diameter. My ant trap isn't catching a lot of ants but it got a few. I moved it to another spot that was seeing more activity so I'll see what tomorrow brings. And tomorrow, I make my second inspection. I'm going to try to look hard for mites and beetles this time around.