Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: .30WCF on May 17, 2020, 04:07:21 pm

Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 17, 2020, 04:07:21 pm
This is my first attempt with bees. The girls love working on this with me, and they have become my hive inspection photographers.
I started out with a couple hive kits and we built them and painted.
I made a tool box out of some scraps I had around.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200517/0a0361dcfb180a524721752376ca62d1.jpg)

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200517/b601d9e3bc03f17ba04ea246585900da.jpg)

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200517/a7dea3a87bb4a94b1f8a33a8675665ed.jpg)

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200517/6db11103ece6ca44bd9e9925ae8313df.jpg)


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: van from Arkansas on May 17, 2020, 04:24:09 pm
Welcome, always good to participate with the kids.

Van
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 17, 2020, 04:43:15 pm
I got two nucs and put them in the new boxes and marked the queens so I can pick them out.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200517/21ed16667788c3d9f7d8dd10d9924b34.jpg)

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200517/7696cdb49c93c1b2395adb29012b522f.jpg)


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Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 17, 2020, 04:46:48 pm
Both hives have feeders on them to help get established. After about two weeks I added a new medium to one hive. That queen is booming.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200517/67897fbcdb70440e07b51b3d6f168e79.jpg)

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200517/1debd71321fdf97ecc17d66892ee0448.jpg)

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200517/d37225b2654b4dffc4e7782b19255f88.jpg)

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200517/4ea0e5735b148c80e73c31e1ed4b887d.jpg)


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: Seeb on May 17, 2020, 05:08:53 pm
Beautiful
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: iddee on May 17, 2020, 05:26:10 pm
Beautiful ladies, OH!, and nice bees, too.  :wink:

Lounge chair is too far away. Should be the 6 feet social distance.  :smile:

Welcome, good beginning posts. Hope to see many more.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: van from Arkansas on May 17, 2020, 05:39:11 pm
Entrance reducers, hives different colors, feeding, beautiful marked queen,,,your a newbie????  You did everything correct, very good.

Van
Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 17, 2020, 06:26:05 pm
Thanks all.
I will keep posting my progress and questions here.
Let me know if you see something I need to address.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: BeeMaster2 on May 17, 2020, 06:26:39 pm
Welcome to Beemaster.
Another §¤«£¿æ. 😁
Looks like you are off to a great start.
Jim Altmiller
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: The15thMember on May 17, 2020, 06:35:08 pm
Beautiful hives!  Your girls did such a great job!  :happy:
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: Nock on May 17, 2020, 11:27:38 pm
Welcome. Looking good.
Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 17, 2020, 11:37:32 pm
I made a tool to help get the eyelets in the frames. It is just a wooden drawer pull, roll pin and a nail. 

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200518/9b991ea044f62ed2f34eaaa9aef6801d.jpg)

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200518/e5a605d73b43f542d385ca235ea5fcfd.jpg)


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: dingrr on May 18, 2020, 01:55:56 am
Fantastic!  I'm studying this year and hope to follow in your footsteps next spring.  Keep the photos coming.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: Seeb on May 18, 2020, 10:15:40 am
I made a tool to help get the eyelets in the frames

Looks like we are going to learn a lot from you, welcome
Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 18, 2020, 10:16:31 am
Surely not. Maybe from my mistakes.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: cao on May 18, 2020, 11:24:10 am
welcome  :happy:
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: Seeb on May 18, 2020, 11:29:13 am
Surely not. Maybe from my mistakes.

Ha! better your's than our's . . . mistakes are the best teachers
Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 18, 2020, 04:44:44 pm
 https://youtu.be/afjhDDYz5EI (https://youtu.be/afjhDDYz5EI)
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 18, 2020, 05:06:19 pm
 https://youtu.be/o9noUq5ebAU (https://youtu.be/o9noUq5ebAU)
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 18, 2020, 05:09:39 pm
Sorry, I?m having technical difficulties. I guess I can?t embed videos here.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: iddee on May 18, 2020, 06:34:50 pm
I think you have to have around 30 posts, then it will be turned on for you.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 18, 2020, 06:56:56 pm
Ok. Thanks.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 18, 2020, 06:57:26 pm
I?ll get there.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 18, 2020, 06:57:39 pm
One day.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: FatherMichael on May 18, 2020, 10:00:33 pm
Awesome!
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: The15thMember on May 18, 2020, 11:49:52 pm
The videos are working for me now.  Really neat!
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: CapnChkn on May 19, 2020, 05:30:44 am
Hello!  Welcome aboard.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: Bob Wilson on May 19, 2020, 11:37:38 pm
Love seeing the kids along for the bee ride. I hope they get the bee bug too. Welcome to the forum.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 20, 2020, 12:09:05 am
Thanks to all.


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Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 21, 2020, 08:05:26 pm
I?ve got some beetle traps coming and was planning on getting some formic pro unless there are strong objections. The nucs were fumed the day before I picked them up a few weeks ago now.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: FloridaGardener on May 21, 2020, 11:11:52 pm
How and or whether to treat for mites is a hotly debated topic.

One of the first steps you may want to take before any treatment, is inspecting whether or not you even have a Varroa mite problem. 
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 22, 2020, 08:15:42 am
How and or whether to treat for mites is a hotly debated topic.

One of the first steps you may want to take before any treatment, is inspecting whether or not you even have a Varroa mite problem.
They were fumed a couple weeks ago, so I?m sure they have been knocked back. I?ve only seen one mite out of two hive inspections. I?ve got good frames of worker brood, and very few spots with drone cells right now.
It?s not so much for right now, but to have on hand for later. I?ve got the alcohol shaker, but wasn?t planning to check them yet.
My style is going to lean more towards the natural or wholistic style of doing about anything I do, I assume this will be the same. I haven?t done a ton of reading on the types of treatments, but I want to stay away from things that you can?t have near honey. It starts sounding bad if you have too many restrictions.

Some of the precautions of the formic pro are off putting as well.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: beesonhay465 on May 22, 2020, 09:01:14 am
im a new almost bee 1year as of memorial weekend.i see woods with probable wildlife. if there are skunks about they will eat bees. the prevention is to raise  the hives high enough that the skunk has to stand up in order to reach the entrance.
my one hive swarmed 3 times i managed to catch 2 of them and now they are 3. :happy:
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 22, 2020, 03:25:53 pm
My plans were to go one more block and a 4x4 higher.
We have all the normal critters. Skunks, opossums, coons, foxes and coyotes. 


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 24, 2020, 03:09:47 pm
How and or whether to treat for mites is a hotly debated topic.

One of the first steps you may want to take before any treatment, is inspecting whether or not you even have a Varroa mite problem.

Is there another method without chemicals other than breaking brood cycles? That?s the only one I know of.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: iddee on May 24, 2020, 04:41:31 pm
""Is there another method without chemicals other than breaking brood cycles? That?s the only one I know of.""

Yes, it's called buying bees each year.  Sorry, but that is about the only alternative. Your neighbors won't like that idea too well, either, as  your place becomes a varroa breeding ground and their robber bees take them home when they clean out your deadouts. Brood breaks help, but are not enough to keep the hive alive over the years..


 
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: FloridaGardener on May 24, 2020, 04:57:04 pm
There?s a treatment that uses heat, called mighty mite.  A gentleman in the next town over says it?s great and keeps his hives going.  Costs  +/-  $300.

Concept is, it cooks the mites but the bees live.  Basically like pasturization.  But that level of heat also means good enzymes in the honey are eradicated. 
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 24, 2020, 05:35:33 pm
Does elevation, such as a shed roof or being placed over a concrete slab help beetles or mites,


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: iddee on May 24, 2020, 06:23:45 pm
Full sunlight helps beetles, but not the height.
Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 25, 2020, 11:46:25 pm
Question about entrance reducers and upper entrances.

I have screen bottoms with bottom boards slid in from the back. There is a gap in the back between the bottom board and the screen.

What is the purpose of pulling the entrance reducer or removing a mouse guard if you have ventilation in the back or can trim the bottom board to expose a little more screen? Does the 2 inch entrance ever get too crowded to the point that they can?t deal with it? With the vent in the back and the option to trim the bottom board to expose more screen, why a 3/4 inch entrance when everything says protect your entrance?


If I need top ventilation can I just lay a penny on each corner of the top box and use the telescoping cover? Will they fill that gap?
 


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: iddee on May 26, 2020, 06:50:25 am
First, the slide in board should only be in the hive during a mite check. It will gather droppings and raise wax moths by the hundreds.

Second, entrance reducers are not for ventilation. They are to keep the entrance large enough for the foragers to come and go without bumping each other and small enough for the guards to keep the robbers at bay. If they are crowded going in and out, open to the next size opening.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 26, 2020, 11:47:07 am
I get that the reducer is not for ventilation. I guess I?m just asking, why is the entrance so tall when it only needs to be 3/8? Then just lay a 10, 12, or 14 inch reducer across. The only reason I?ve found for the 3/4 inch tall entrance is for ventilation, but there is plenty of other areas to get ventilation


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: iddee on May 26, 2020, 11:52:42 am
In a 60,000 bee hive, in a full honey flow, how many foragers are trying to get in and out at any given moment? I use solid bottom reversible boards. with 3/8 in winter and 3/4 in summer, with reducer during non-flow times.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: Ben Framed on May 26, 2020, 11:54:46 am
I use 3/4 strips on all my hive bottom rest, not so much for ventilation but for convenience. I have never had any problem with this in any way. I use the left over pieces from Advantech or Legacy Gorilla Glue board that I have cut for my tops and bottoms.
Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 30, 2020, 07:48:52 pm
I was just curious about if the murder wasps ever make it this far, if a mouse guard kept on year round would do the trick.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 30, 2020, 07:51:00 pm
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6hwkXQnLnbU


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 30, 2020, 07:51:28 pm
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EH9ZE_IL5IE


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Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 30, 2020, 07:52:24 pm
I think I?ll go back in the hives late next week and check them out. Probably need to add a box to the right side hive.
Last time I was in them was probably around the 13th?ish.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: JurassicApiary on May 30, 2020, 08:44:56 pm
Everything looks a great and nice to see you getting the kiddos involved. My two girls (11 & almost 8) were helping me paint boxes today and my 11yo loves to do inspections with me. My wife also helps me with inspections too. It?s nice to have a family hobby.  Such a valuable experience that they would never get through school. Keep it up!

Some setups that have a slide-in screen or pollen trap have a filler board (just a bar, really) that plugs the opening when not in use to prevent pest intrusion.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on May 30, 2020, 09:07:00 pm
Everything looks a great and nice to see you getting the kiddos involved. My two girls (11 & almost 8) were helping me paint boxes today and my 11yo loves to do inspections with me. My wife also helps me with inspections too. It?s nice to have a family hobby.  Such a valuable experience that they would never get through school. Keep it up!

Some setups that have a slide-in screen or pollen trap have a filler board (just a bar, really) that plugs the opening when not in use to prevent pest intrusion.


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What school?


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on June 06, 2020, 09:02:46 pm
So, interesting couple days.
I notice a smell, a bad smell. I checked things out and one hive is going strong,and the other stinks. The pattern is spotty, dead larvea, and did I mention stink?

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200607/4202560867b273df6498d3f8356e3ea5.jpg)


(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200607/94c15c1110b9c4e685cedf30a8b72268.jpg)


(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200607/835041a48c1b7735c47f20916fa4e558.jpg)


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on June 06, 2020, 09:03:27 pm
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200607/d5212114c7b9b5423cf05c77a7a10622.jpg)


(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200607/4f23aeafe787fab095a8084f93f8cb3d.jpg)


(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200607/b1a693bac8626a9920a2d295ebf54df1.jpg)


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on June 06, 2020, 09:04:42 pm
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200607/967e4679371645891c8c61ab796fcf65.jpg)

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200607/c615dffe50e8d4c530daf0458089c792.jpg)
 
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200607/7b28e81d131b8f988f4cd2c59b8eef5c.jpg)


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on June 06, 2020, 09:05:23 pm
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200607/e2cbc33b8a957388a944db655680389d.jpg)

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200607/0804ea43542c55f3eda3ad6579d82252.jpg)


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Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on June 06, 2020, 09:07:24 pm
I had the state bee inspector for my area come out.
What say you?


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: Ben Framed on June 07, 2020, 04:11:16 am
I had the state bee inspector for my area come out.
What say you?


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Says I;  What did you bee inspector say?
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: BeeMaster2 on June 07, 2020, 07:19:11 am
It looks like it could be European Foul Brood. You definitely want to have your inspector to look at it. Don?t panic. It is not as bad as AFB and it is treatable.
Let us know what he says.
Jim Altmiller
Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on June 07, 2020, 08:41:20 am
The inspector came out yesterday and checked things out. Pretty quickly he dismissed AFB and EFB.
He tested for EFB anyway since he said it looks similar to a few things.
Mite check showed 2 mites.
One beetle was found.
He said as a catch all, we could call it parasitic mite syndrome/virus. We reduced the hive size down by removing the medium super. Thin syrup given to both hives to help the sick one and keep the others from robbing. I pulled the four worst frames and gave them four good frames with some brood on them. They came from a donor hive that the guy I got the bees from dropped off. He came to the inspection too since he was curious to see why the bees were sick after only a month, and wanted to know if his bees needed to be checked out.

Crossing my fingers that syrup, a boost in brood, a lighter work load by not having to clean all the cells out and a reduced hive will help them pull through.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: Ben Framed on June 07, 2020, 05:11:33 pm
It is good he came to help you. It would have been better if he would have taken samples for testing;  pinpointing the exact syndrome/virus that is the culprit, if that is the culprit. Knowing exactly for sure the problem along with the possibility of what to do about it, how to deal with it,  if anything can be done to escape it or treat iti n the future? 
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: van from Arkansas on June 07, 2020, 05:43:44 pm
Beekeeping and kids go together like lemon aide and a hot day: a good combination.  I especially adore the beekeeper when he/she involves the kids with the honeybees.  Bees are one hobby that kids can be included.

Good pics, Mr. 30.

Take note of what Jim said: awful smell, dead young larva equates to EFB, contagious to other bees, non-spore former bacteria.

Van
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: van from Arkansas on June 07, 2020, 06:04:27 pm
Man, those pics have EFB written all over it.  Go to YouTube EUROPEAN FOUL BROOD.

A virus does not cause an awful smell.  However a virus can kill and subsequently bacteria after the fact can cause an awful Odor also???
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: Ben Framed on June 07, 2020, 06:15:11 pm
Man, those pics have EFB written all over it.  Go to YouTube EUROPEAN FOUL BROOD.

A virus does not cause an awful smell.  However a virus can kill and subsequently bacteria after the fact can cause an awful Odor also???

>. Take note of what Jim said: awful smell, dead young larva equates to EFB, contagious to other bees, non-spore former bacteria.

X-2  Good advice Mr Van. 
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on June 07, 2020, 07:52:53 pm
I looked at comparisons for days. That?s why I called the inspector and said, ? I think I have foul brood, can you come take a look?? Almost immediately he dismissed Foulbroods and was just looking at stressed bees.
This hive has been weak from the start.
The main reason I gathered that the Foulbrood was dismissed was because it covered all age ranges of death. There are dead young and old larvae, just capped and almost emerged was also dying. He kept saying mite syndrome even though there are not many mites and sacbrood.

I don?t really know what else to do but wait and see what happens. What would a rookie do if the state inspector came out and said cross your fingers and try this.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: iddee on June 07, 2020, 08:07:15 pm
EFB turns larva yellow. Those larva are too white to be EFB. I don't know if 30 had Don or Who out to look, but I will place my money on Don anytime. I will give 2 to 1 odds on what he says. It would be a lot easier, tho, if 30 would be a bit more specific on location. Central NC is a large place, and could be any of about 4 inspectors.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on June 07, 2020, 08:19:53 pm
Guilford co
Don came out.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: Seeb on June 07, 2020, 08:25:25 pm
Agree with Iddee - Don knows his stuff
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: van from Arkansas on June 07, 2020, 08:37:40 pm
Did, Don do a rope test?  Although I feel a lot better, a whole lot better knowing ID vouchers for the inspector, Don.

ID, I would not put very much faith in the yellow color as constant indicator, characteristic symptom of EFB as bacteria are so dynamic.  Bacteria are very good about altering conditions to fool us.  Just look at the ongoing viral disease: some, maybe most folks asymptomatic, some die.  The lil critters will fool ya, keeps us on our toes.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: Ben Framed on June 07, 2020, 08:38:34 pm
It is good to hear your inspector is of top quality and you are in good hands. I hope your colony recovers quickly with the work y'all did to help them out.


I was posting as you was Mr Van, good question.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on June 07, 2020, 08:44:01 pm
Yes. He did a rope test and Vita Honeybee Foulbrood test kit for EFB.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: Ben Framed on June 07, 2020, 08:47:17 pm
Well that settles that!  Good job. It still would have been good to know exactly what line of virus did this to your colony?  No harm meant toward your inspector. For curiosity sake and knowledge for future references, treatments if applicable etc. 
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on June 07, 2020, 08:48:28 pm
I have all new equipment and the only ?used? stuff was a few frames that came in the nucs.
I?ve only had the bees about 5-6 weeks or so. The guy I got the bees from came over too when Don was there. Don didn?t seem overly concerned with going to check my seller out. If it was EFB, it would only make sense that it came with the nuc frames.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on June 07, 2020, 08:51:06 pm
Well that settles that!  Good job. It still would have been good to know exactly what line of virus did this to your colony?  No harm meant toward your inspector. For curiosity sake and knowledge for future references, treatments if applicable etc.
I?m not saying anyone is right. I sure don?t know. I just know my cheeks are puckered up while I wait. About a month into a new hobby and I might have to have $1000 bonfire out back.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: van from Arkansas on June 07, 2020, 09:02:02 pm
Yes. He did a rope test and Vita Honeybee Foulbrood test kit for EFB.


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Like BenFramed texted, THAT SETTLES IT.  I?m going with what the inspector said, that is highly rated by ID.

Mr. 30, being new, you may not know how long ID has been dealing with honeybees, so I will tell ya.  ID was selling bees to a couple of fellas wondering in the wilderness with a whole bunch of followers.  One of the fellas name was Moses, the other name was Aaron.  So, I got a lot of respect for the fella, Iddee.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: iddee on June 07, 2020, 10:02:40 pm
Thanks for the accolades, Van.

I agree about the virus mutating, but I have seen several cases of EFB in his county and surrounding area this year and last, and this strain is very yellow.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: van from Arkansas on June 07, 2020, 10:27:41 pm
Understood
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on June 07, 2020, 11:08:57 pm
Iddee,
If it comes back on the new frames, and your willing to take a look, Im in Julian. We could be as close as 15 minutes away from each other.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: iddee on June 08, 2020, 06:53:17 am
Check your PM's.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on June 08, 2020, 05:13:40 pm
In the mean time I cleaned out the feeders today. I tried some smoker pellets from the BBQ section. A small hand full of pellets with just enough pine straw to get it started.

Worked like a champ.

No joke, I went out to put the smoker back in the building over an hour later and it was still smoking.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200608/96e2bba58347165c5d2afe2363688199.jpg)


(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200608/1f090e9de864d0836ff81b853f0e960a.jpg)


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: van from Arkansas on June 08, 2020, 05:30:29 pm
Mr. 30, Agreed, I use sweet wood pellets, apple, cherry for years now.  Once started my smoker, 3/4 full, will last for 6 hours.

Pine straw can?t be beat, but there is not a pine tree on my place, all hard wood, Ozarks.  Oak leaves to hot, so the sweet wood pellets do the job.
Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on June 10, 2020, 01:58:44 pm
Just made my next move.

Both of my hives? brood chambers were completely drawn out. The outside frames were nectar, then they transitioned into brood as they went in.

The stronger hive has had a medium on it for about 4 weeks now. The medium was mostly drawn out and nectar/honey on the outside and four good frames of brood in the middle.  The brood chamber was packed with brood. I would have normally thought to add another medium at this point.

The weaker hive looked much better than it did Saturday. Lots of brood of all stages from the second frames and in. It was still spotty, but I think that?s just how that queen rolls. I don?t know if they are still riding the fresh frames and brood boost, or if they will decline and get sick again. Everything looked and smelled healthy at this point. Since everything was drawn out and the frames were pretty full, I added a medium under the feeder. I took the four capped brood frames from the stronger hive?s medium and shook them off and put them in the middle of the new medium. I pushed all the remaining frames from the stronger hive to the middle and added two frames of new foundation to each outside edge of the super and placed it back on the stronger one. The weaker one ended up with some more capped brood and a few new frames to draw out and move things around, but not so much empty real estate that they can?t keep it up.   

Essentially I gave the stronger hive more room without adding a super yet, and gave the other hive a bit more room along with a boost to avoid giving them a completely empty box to guard. Hopefully everyone has something to do. The stronger hives brood box is loaded with capped brood.

If any hitchhikers made it into the weak hive on the new frames and kill the queen, there are plenty of eggs and it wouldn?t hurt my feelings to have a new queen in there.

We will know more next week.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on June 10, 2020, 02:59:14 pm
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200610/e1fe1de7e1ad1b9a73e82aa464fc3c03.jpg)


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on June 18, 2020, 12:20:46 pm
So, I was halfway joking when I suggested that my queen might die, but I think she is a goner. I went in yesterday to look around and didn?t see the queen. I didn?t see any eggs. I had small and medium larva, and capped brood. There was quite a bit of clean comb in the brood chamber with no eggs to be found.
Although I didn?t think I would actually lose the queen to the few bees that made it into the box with the brood frames, I would be happy to have a new queen.
I found 7 queen cups with larva in them. One had been capped and then had the side chewed out.
My fear would be developing a laying worker.
I have 8 of 10 brood frames in the bottom deep and two honey. There are 4-5 brood frames in the medium. Of these, 1/3 is empty and clean, 1/3 larva, 1/3 capped brood.
With 6-7 queen cells, I should think I?ll have a new queen before the brood is depleted and a LW develops.
I plan to check back next week to see if the queen cells are making it. I could add another brood frame then, but I don?t want to keep punishing my stronger hive for being strong. I could see me killing them by taking too much brood.
I may let this run it?s course and if they want to die this bad, so be it. The next hive shouldn?t be so difficult.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: JurassicApiary on June 19, 2020, 03:21:44 am
So, I was halfway joking when I suggested that my queen might die, but I think she is a goner. I went in yesterday to look around and didn?t see the queen. I didn?t see any eggs. I had small and medium larva, and capped brood. There was quite a bit of clean comb in the brood chamber with no eggs to be found.
Although I didn?t think I would actually lose the queen to the few bees that made it into the box with the brood frames, I would be happy to have a new queen.
I found 7 queen cups with larva in them. One had been capped and then had the side chewed out.
My fear would be developing a laying worker.
I have 8 of 10 brood frames in the bottom deep and two honey. There are 4-5 brood frames in the medium. Of these, 1/3 is empty and clean, 1/3 larva, 1/3 capped brood.
With 6-7 queen cells, I should think I?ll have a new queen before the brood is depleted and a LW develops.
I plan to check back next week to see if the queen cells are making it. I could add another brood frame then, but I don?t want to keep punishing my stronger hive for being strong. I could see me killing them by taking too much brood.
I may let this run it?s course and if they want to die this bad, so be it. The next hive shouldn?t be so difficult.

With 7 queen cells in the pipeline, I don't think you need to worry about LW.  Even if it did start, I would think there will be a new queen so soon thereafter that it would suppress the LW without intervention.  Hopefully someone with more than 6th months experience will chime in soon, but that's my opinion.  ;).
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on June 21, 2020, 09:23:57 pm
I?m not sure if the lack of comments is an unspoken, ?this guy is on the right track?, or ?this guy is so far off the rails I?m not talking to him?. 

This week I plan to split the weak hive if the queen cells are still going. I?m gonna leave some cells in the deep and pull the medium. The medium had 3-4 queen cells in it. I?m gonna take the medium and add brood from the stronger hives medium to fill it out to full medium brood chamber and set it on a bottom board and add a top feeder. 

That?s 100% more likely to raise a queen than just one.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on June 23, 2020, 07:55:46 pm
I went in today and T?ed the bees off. I got hit twice on the left hand.

First hive, the weaker/queenless.
I went in looking for all those queen cells. I Found that I am down to a couple good frames of capped brood. Plenty of bees though. Almost everything that was empty of brood has sugar water and pollen in it. The queen cells were gone I thought. Near the end I did find two queen cells that were capped. The rest were just the bases of the torn down cells.
My assessment was that they must have chosen these cells as the best, or they are just going around and tearing them all down. Otherwise they are overstuffing the brood chamber with sugar water.
I dumped the feeder out and leaned it against the hive.

Next hive, the stronger one.
They too were packing sugar water everywhere. There were frames full of capped and uncapped honey. Everything that was drawn had something in it. Lot of eggs, lots of brood, capped and uncapped. Anywhere else they could squeeze in some sugar water, they were stashing it away, even in the brood frames. I also found about four capped queen cells and a fair amount of drone cells capped.
My assessment was these fools are getting ready to skip town. Every cell has something in it.
I dumped the feeder, put the queen in a clip and pulled a full frame of each, capped and uncapped brood. I shook the bees off, and set them aside. I replaced those two frames with new foundation in the second position from each side. I release the queen, closed it up and leaned the feeder against the hive.

Back to the first hive. I pop it open again. I have to go back through it again to find my queen cups, and keep them safe. Then I find a couple frames of mostly sugar water. Shake them off and replace with the two brood frames, that I forgot to mention, also both had capped queen cells from the good hive.

What I think I did was by removing the feeders, is stop them from packing sugar water in the brood frames. I hope as they draw new comb, they move their stores to more appropriate places. Removing the queen cells from the good hive and adding in the foundation hopefully discourages a swarm and gives them some chores.
The brood boost in the weak hive should keep the LWs at bay until a new queen emerges. Who knows, she might come from good stock.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on June 27, 2020, 07:55:42 pm
Looks like disaster averted on the swarming behavior. The rainbow painted hive is building comb like crazy in on the new foundation I gave them and moving the stores to the outsides and medium, and eggs are appearing back in the brood frames. As of now, there are no signs of any queen cells in that hive.

The seafoam hive which I keep calling the weaker hive, although, now with all the brood boosts I?ve been giving it is rivaling the ?strong? hive, had a couple queen cells left. One cell in particular was already capped When I saw it last Tuesday, so it should emerge within the next four days.

For giggles, I pulled one frame that had a capped queen cell and put in a nuc with some stores, brood, eggs and bees. I don?t know when they were capped, but I know they were uncapped on Tuesday. They should have a new queen emerging in 4-8 days.
Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 03, 2020, 10:14:29 pm
I need a little help here.
I have a new queen in the nuc I split out of the other two hives. She?s not laying yet but she emerged from what I think was my strong queen?s eggs.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200704/8adb5ee2802a8bc5189462077359d78d.jpg)

I want to leave them alone, but need to go back in tomorrow to inventory stores. I think the small nuc was not well balanced when I built it, and they probably need a frame of honey/nectar.

I have queen cells getting ready to hatch in the hive that was sick. The teal or seafoam green hive. 

I have uncapped, capped brood in the rainbow painted hive. No eggs anywhere. There are 6 queen cells on one frame alone. She was a good laying queen. Tomorrow I need to either pinch cells or split the hive.  She is still alive and well, just not laying.

Summer solstice has come and gone, and I?m afraid if I split them I?ll be feeding sugar all winter to all my hives.
Right now I have:

a deep with two mediums that are pretty heavy

A deep with one medium that?s pretty heavy

A five frame nuc that I need to transfer another frame of stores into with a new queen.

I can double nuc that purple box, but I don?t have another bottom board on hand to do a full split in a new box.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: JojoBeeBoy on July 04, 2020, 12:03:21 pm
Preface: I've lost most of my hives over the past few winters. This year will be the first year I've actually real-deal treated for mites.

We are an hour north of Chattanooga in the mountains so I'm going to assume our climates are similar.

My next move is to try and equalize rather than splitting. I have several deeps that I will be taking out resource frames and replacing with new frames (equally on outside of brood). I will take the resource frames and give them to small 5-frame nucs which now have a few blank frames in them.

Our sourwood flow starts now and I'm thinking this will give the bigger hives (mostly 1 deep w/1 medium currently on bottom) something to do, and help the little guys build up. Hope this helps.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 04, 2020, 04:02:59 pm
Thanks for the reply Jojo.
I did try to equalize a couple weeks ago when all the cells got filled up with sugar syrup, and they started to builds swarm cells. I just may not have been aggressive enough. I pulled a couple frames to build the new nuc, and put some brood into the queenless hive. A week later the syrup had been moved and eggs were laid. Then a week later, no eggs. Lots of empty cells, and queen cells around again.


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Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 04, 2020, 04:05:06 pm
Today I built some bottom boards and entrance reducers so I could split the hive that seems like it wants to swarm. I forgot to cut strips for the underside of the front of the bottom board. I?ll get around to it, but needed one in a hurry to do my split.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200704/410bd1ba5900db201e577ea6717be32b.jpg)


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 04, 2020, 04:24:04 pm
The new hive got moved and has the old queen in it. They are now bearding out. I haven?t seen this from any of mine yet. Hope they aren?t still tying to swarm.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200704/acfd956ae91e9cb3472a53290079b325.jpg)


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Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 04, 2020, 05:12:56 pm
Dumb me forgot to make a new top to go with the new bottom board. Guess they?ll have to make due with a slab of slate for now. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200704/a429c4e84cea90f50797ab36e30f3bc9.jpg)


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: JojoBeeBoy on July 04, 2020, 08:36:19 pm
The new hive got moved and has the old queen in it. They are now bearding out. I haven?t seen this from any of mine yet. Hope they aren?t still tying to swarm.

If they are still out there at dark, and not a lot of of bees in the hive (enough to warrant bearding) then I would scoop that beard carefully and put it back in the top. Years ago I installed a package and came back the next morning to maybe 30 bees huddled over the queen in my Dad's driveway. I don't know if I dropped her or she tried to fly but it far too cold to be on the gravels. She made it and laid like crazy for a time. i.e. your queen may have walked out the front door and be weighing options.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 04, 2020, 09:19:50 pm
The new hive got moved and has the old queen in it. They are now bearding out. I haven?t seen this from any of mine yet. Hope they aren?t still tying to swarm.

If they are still out there at dark, and not a lot of of bees in the hive (enough to warrant bearding) then I would scoop that beard carefully and put it back in the top. Years ago I installed a package and came back the next morning to maybe 30 bees huddled over the queen in my Dad's driveway. I don't know if I dropped her or she tried to fly but it far too cold to be on the gravels. She made it and laid like crazy for a time. i.e. your queen may have walked out the front door and be weighing options.
I?ll give them a look tonight. They are still hanging out now. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200705/7f354c781585441ff1edecce83c95736.jpg)


(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200705/ae843de26e46f6cfbb2f06002020b5c9.jpg)


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 05, 2020, 03:33:34 pm
They went back in overnight then started to beard out again about 10:00 this morning as it started to warm up.
I assume that black slate heat sink is radiating some heat inside that box, in addition to this being my first solid bottom board rather than a screened bottom board. I put some insulation under the slate. (2) 3/4? pieces.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200705/801d0a139a55f07567c55097ce16a29b.jpg)
 


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 05, 2020, 05:00:35 pm
There were a couple other queen cells that got torn down in the nuc once the one queen emerged. Today as I walked buy, an undertaker brought out a dead bee and tossed it on the ground. I wonder if this is a queen that didn?t make the cut. Looks chewed on. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200705/c3869cebd7b2478ba64e6d92da8a5153.jpg)


(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200705/4b72d9c3d385b03745f82b9ed67f3e00.jpg)


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 05, 2020, 05:00:56 pm
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200705/fa4976662d92e4b6cf5c1077f4484b31.jpg)


(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200705/71f5c06ad57d37686590b7ad1c709fd4.jpg)


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: van from Arkansas on July 05, 2020, 06:03:52 pm
That is drone larva.  I can see the Huge eyes.  Looks like deformed wing virus, DWV, shriveled wings, but can?t be certain in the early development.  Any way good your nurse bees dragged out the defective drone.  If the drone is in fact DWV, don?t be alarmed: most hives have Varroa and most Varroa have DWV.  You will need to address the mites, Varroa,  which is another topic.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 06, 2020, 12:07:05 am
That is drone larva.  I can see the Huge eyes.  Looks like deformed wing virus, DWV, shriveled wings, but can?t be certain in the early development.  Any way good your nurse bees dragged out the defective drone.  If the drone is in fact DWV, don?t be alarmed: most hives have Varroa and most Varroa have DWV.  You will need to address the mites, Varroa,  which is another topic.
Yes, I believe you are correct. Drone didn?t even cross my mind. I?m so concerned with queens right now, I went straight to it being an extra queen cell even though I thought it was too short and fat to be a queen when I was holding it. I?m just anxious to get a queen going again. I have four hives,and not a single egg in any of them.

One recent split with the old queen-no eggs

Other half of that split with queen cells, but no eggs

The original sick queenless hive. Had capped queen cells last weekend. I didn?t check it this weekend.

Little nuc has a new queen that tore down the other queen cells but haven?t started laying.


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Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 06, 2020, 12:12:21 am
As for the mites, all the hives are having a major brood break and I was planning on a treatment soon once I get some eggs going again.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 12, 2020, 02:09:22 pm
I?ve been leaving them alone to let the new queens, if there are any, get established. I?ll take a look next week to see what?s up.
In the mean time, I have some leftover plywood off the job site. Poor mans Dado cut with a circular saw for the frame rests.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200712/9a57187b8f29b7224251f14854fb8478.jpg)

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200712/77a41ed68ddfd1b09553ca68efe89fdb.jpg)


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 12, 2020, 02:09:58 pm
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200712/51a734d218d65eb9a1008efad7a7e0ae.jpg)

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200712/9bc0276fd3a3409af4419e35af3ca733.jpg)


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: beesnweeds on July 12, 2020, 04:07:42 pm
Nice Job !!!  Reflective bubble wrap or grain bags make a good sealing inner cover.  I overwinter 5 over 5, they're great to help keep your apiary sustainable.
Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 12, 2020, 10:29:11 pm
Nice Job !!!  Reflective bubble wrap or grain bags make a good sealing inner cover.  I overwinter 5 over 5, they're great to help keep your apiary sustainable.
I?ve seen similar things used when a wooden inner cover and migratory cover are not used. What I don?t know is why. It?s not creating elevation like a wooden inner cover does on a regular body, and the bees will glue it down just the same as they will the lid. So, why?


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: FloridaGardener on July 13, 2020, 12:18:07 am
In Florida, that plywood nuc box will be full of mildew, and the plywood buckling off the side in about 3 months. 
Yes, even with exterior paint, and bees inside.  It has to be pine with a screened bottom. Your climate must be much drier in NC.

It's a very nice work box for pulling frames of honey or brood, or an excellent bee-happy frame rest during inspections.  And a nice job with the carpentry.




Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 13, 2020, 08:23:08 am
In Florida, that plywood nuc box will be full of mildew, and the plywood buckling off the side in about 3 months. 
Yes, even with exterior paint, and bees inside.  It has to be pine with a screened bottom. Your climate must be much drier in NC.

It's a very nice work box for pulling frames of honey or brood, or an excellent bee-happy frame rest during inspections.  And a nice job with the carpentry.
Haha. It?s about 180% humidity for 87.662% of the year here. I?ve seen plywood boxes used here, but can?t speak to longevity. I don?t know the answer.
I?ve seen them around and am acquiring a fair amount of 3/4? ply.

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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: FloridaGardener on July 13, 2020, 12:20:35 pm
Not sure where you are, but seems like plywood is used as mating nucs for 2 months in spring, and then is a take-away box. 

I've seen some nucs 20 years old and still working when they are corner jointed.


The pine plank ones don't last as long - they tend to warp a bit.  But def. better than ply.


I'm no decades-long beekeeper.  But I have worked bees with some, and I sure appreciate when they have good quality gear.
Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 13, 2020, 09:15:09 pm
I?ll give them a try and see how they hold up. Built two more this evening. It was dumpster fodder when I got it and it will be when it leaves here too.
I do appreciate the input and will look for signs of failure. I don?t have another used for a lot of 3/4? plywood at the moment.  We are using 50inches of a 96inch sheet of plywood for concrete forms. The 48x46 cut off is trash. 11 sheets worth.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 13, 2020, 09:16:18 pm
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200714/f2412d11cdbbd673d599723f332ebf75.jpg)


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: cao on July 13, 2020, 10:04:44 pm
The 48x46 cut off is trash. 11 sheets worth.

trash?  that's gold to me.   I use scrap wood whenever I get the chance.  Granted, they won't last forever but they serve their purpose.  I think you did a good job.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 13, 2020, 10:09:34 pm
The 48x46 cut off is trash. 11 sheets worth.

trash?  that's gold to me.   I use scrap wood whenever I get the chance.  Granted, they won't last forever but they serve their purpose.  I think you did a good job.
Thanks. 
I?m  gonna do some medium nucs next I think unless someone has a good idea for it.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: Ben Framed on July 14, 2020, 12:59:21 am
Mr 30. I like your enthusiasm. Keep it up!  I have a question. I have not heard of medium nucs. What are the benefits of medium nucs?
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 14, 2020, 07:27:04 am
So, I?m just talking out of my head right now with no real information, but some people only use medium brood and honey supers. I?m thinking of trying that on the next hive I start.
I have four deep single broods going now, but a medium super might give me more options on having all the same gear and more spots to pull a frame from if I have two or three mediums stacked on a deep with no queen excluder.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: CoolBees on July 14, 2020, 04:32:25 pm
... I have a question. I have not heard of medium nucs. What are the benefits of medium nucs?

I use Medium Nucs. I cut all my deep Nucs down to mediums when I switched away from deep frames. ... Medium Nucs are required - otherwise I can't move a growing hive over to medium brood boxes when they grow big enough.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 14, 2020, 04:51:53 pm
I cut all my pieces for 6 medium nucs a while ago.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200714/500a7e1687b6a075a625f187a227ebbe.jpg)


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: FloridaGardener on July 14, 2020, 08:07:41 pm
How many bees are you planning for...? :wink:
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 14, 2020, 09:06:49 pm
How many bees are you planning for...? :wink:
I thought you were buying some from me.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: Ben Framed on July 14, 2020, 09:33:19 pm
Since you are using medium boxes medium nucs make perfect sense. All frames are interchangeable.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: Bob Wilson on July 15, 2020, 12:17:53 am
30WCF.
Love the green bottle of titebond in the photo. I've got one just like it.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: Ben Framed on July 15, 2020, 01:51:06 am
30WCF.
Love the green bottle of titebond in the photo. I've got one just like it.

I do too Bob, I refill it with a gallon supply bottle when needed.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: beesonhay465 on July 15, 2020, 07:03:22 pm
welcome to the obsession. i noticed in your pic of eyelet tool an end frame that apears to have tacks in the end. are these spacers?  :smile:
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: FatherMichael on July 15, 2020, 08:38:05 pm
Welcome!

That is all so awesome!
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 15, 2020, 10:13:57 pm
welcome to the obsession. i noticed in your pic of eyelet tool an end frame that apears to have tacks in the end. are these spacers?  :smile:
For a fast way to tie the wire.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200716/718a14391abfe809e8dbe4345b1fb05d.jpg)


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Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 15, 2020, 10:15:14 pm
BTW, I?m not even really sure that?s a queen, but I marked her to keep an eye on her. That was a couple days after a queen cell was found open.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 16, 2020, 12:58:24 am
I?ll try to make a video of the wire tying next time I get a chance.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 17, 2020, 10:11:59 pm
Got a few underway 
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200718/d85778b8143ae225a5f15895e18daf2f.jpg)


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 18, 2020, 10:18:32 pm
Looks
Like that was a young queen after all in that little nuc split. Still no eggs. I first found and marked her on 7/3. She is at least 15 days old.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200719/dc2b7f4a5d6425e757a669fefbff253c.jpg)


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 18, 2020, 10:20:06 pm
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200719/69cb42f77b5ceb7edecb8639c9693b6f.jpg)


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 19, 2020, 05:57:14 pm
Scratch that. Looks like the queen from the spilt I did a couple weeks ago ended up in the nuc somehow. The split I had the put that queen in has been robbed out and only a few sparse frames of bees were in there. She is laying. I found some eggs in there today. I dumped the bees out of the robbed out box and put all that equipment away.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 19, 2020, 06:04:11 pm
I did find a new queen in the hive that had been queenless so long. She has started to lay and there are some young larvae. I marked her once I found her. The first pic has her as an unmarked queen.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200719/0231aad937db22ce5bb149ea9bc1fc40.jpg)


(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200719/53a4c5e396932d52af60cc639763c591.jpg)


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 19, 2020, 09:56:55 pm
Was that smaller one I marked a queen and the other queen from the robber hive absconded and moved into the nuc and killed her? The other marked bee is not present.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 20, 2020, 11:40:56 pm
I now have moved the frames from the nuc that I had on the post style hive stand into a nuc I made last week. So to recap. I screwed up. I was leaving for two weeks and put a hive top feeder on blocks near the new split with the queen that came out of one of the original hives, and the weak split in the nuc. I didn?t have enough feeders to go around, so I figured I would offer free choice feeding, you know, like they are cows or something. I imagine a feeding frenzy ensued. And that probably turned into a robbing situation between the four hives.
Looks like the split with the slate top got robbed out. Nothing but some scant bees and dry comb. They absconded and took over the weak nuc next to it. The queen started laying some and seems at home. I dumped the robbed out hive and put everything away. The bees bearded on the nuc and were all inside it by nightfall. This morning a got up early and trapped them in the nuc, added the dry drawn comb from the robbed hive and took them for a drive to give them a change of scenery. Several miles separated and Mason Jar top feeders should give them something to put in those empty frames since the stores had almost been depleted also. I?ll let them get some brood going and sugar water honey before I retrieve them back to my house.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200721/c931d2afd3d64c8a5bd1168ad5d7b279.jpg)


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Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 23, 2020, 08:52:10 pm
Neglected to bring my smoker to the remote nuc for inspection. 20minutes later with some scrap out of the truck and Shazam!!  Who said you cant fix anything with duct tape?

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200723/9045ac6264e1333443c1a51d5dfaa4f9.jpg)


(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200723/16a59528d321f3745b4dad2fa72290f2.jpg)

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200723/31a757ce806c169aacbffbfe1219971f.jpg)


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: Ben Framed on July 23, 2020, 09:44:19 pm
How many bees are you planning for...? :wink:
I thought you were buying some from me.


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30 If you are intending to eventually selling nucs you might be on to something being there are now many folks who beekeep in Medium Langstroth Bee Hives these days. You might 🐝 busting into a wide open market!
Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 23, 2020, 10:19:11 pm
How many bees are you planning for...? :wink:
I thought you were buying some from me.


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30 If you are intending to eventually selling nucs you might be on to something being there are now many folks who beekeep in Medium Langstroth Bee Hives these days. You might busting into a wide open market!
Well, I was just joking. I have to stop killing all my bees if I want to raise some for other people.

This little nuc that had no resources last week, now is full of syrup in the top box, a fair amount of pollen, and lots of larvae and some capped.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200724/1dd575b9c68d0e7e29e3aaf0628ef32c.jpg)

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200724/d2f26ac44d999fcd982db070bd312401.jpg)


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Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 24, 2020, 05:07:12 am
Here is that smoker I made yesterday in action.

https://youtu.be/s8pHthtmrgk

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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: beesonhay465 on July 25, 2020, 09:30:57 am
that new smoker is trick. personally i don't use dont own a smoker, too cheap .i make a small fire throw some wet straw on it and smoke myself . after a couple of min. of that the bees ignore me .  if i want to move some bees i have a brush made from pheasant tail feathers, it is also smoked.its all a lot of fun. however im trying to sell my hives bees and all.  soon to be 85 lifting a full super from the top of a chin high hive is too much.               
 :smile:
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 25, 2020, 11:27:11 am
that new smoker is trick. personally i don't use dont own a smoker, too cheap .i make a small fire throw some wet straw on it and smoke myself . after a couple of min. of that the bees ignore me .  if i want to move some bees i have a brush made from pheasant tail feathers, it is also smoked.its all a lot of fun. however im trying to sell my hives bees and all.  soon to be 85 lifting a full super from the top of a chin high hive is too much.               
 :smile:
You could scale down to just keeping nucs and stack them 2-3 boxes high if you wanted to keep after it a little bit just for the fun of it.


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Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 25, 2020, 12:16:13 pm
Checked the hives at the house today.
The hive I split 21 days ago still has no eggs. There hasn?t been a queen cell in there for two weeks. No brood for two weeks either.
I moved over a frame of eggs and young larvae from the new queen next to it.
Best case is a queen returns from a long mating flight. Next best is I raise a new queen and she starts laying around end of September.
I can combine or dump them out and save the empty comb.
What sounds best this time of year if I don?t see a queen or eggs by next week or the week after?


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: beesonhay465 on July 25, 2020, 03:43:17 pm
im a new beekeeper 1 year . if it was my hive i would take a frame of brood and eggs and shake off all the bees and build a screen cage about 6x10 to cover some brood and honey and eggs. and install this in the troubled hive after one week there should be some new bees bound to the new queen and some brood . this will serve to stop laying workers and cause the new queen to be accepted the cage can then be removed. i was at the point of doing this [ built a cage and priced a local queen]  decided to wait a few more days and finally found some capped brood and realized they were ok.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on July 25, 2020, 05:27:23 pm
im a new beekeeper 1 year . if it was my hive i would take a frame of brood and eggs and shake off all the bees and build a screen cage about 6x10 to cover some brood and honey and eggs. and install this in the troubled hive after one week there should be some new bees bound to the new queen and some brood . this will serve to stop laying workers and cause the new queen to be accepted the cage can then be removed. i was at the point of doing this [ built a cage and priced a local queen]  decided to wait a few more days and finally found some capped brood and realized they were ok.
If I understand what your suggesting, it is to introduce a new queen and add some brood in the mean time to stave off the laying workers?


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Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on August 03, 2020, 09:30:02 am
One hive is pretty darn full. I did a brood frame swap to boost a queenless hive , so the only real empty frames are a couple foundation frames in the brood chamber. It?s August in NC. Do I just manage and pinch queen cells if they pop up or add another honey super? All I have is foundation, so I could checkerboard the frames in the mediums.
I do have a top feeder on even with the honey because the hive next to it has several undrawn frames and no queen. I have a frame with 20 capped queen cells and inserted another brood frame in yesterday. So, both hives have top feeders to protect the queenless hive while they build. However, both hives have one each, full medium super of honey. Maybe both hives need to lose the feeders.
Please help.
There are two questions in there somewhere.

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Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on August 03, 2020, 10:46:41 am
I?ll try to clarify that.

Queen right hive is out of room. It has a feeder on to deter robbing the hive beside it. It?s August. It?s late in the year.
To add a super or not to add a super. That is the question. Is it too late to expect them to draw and fill another medium?

Second question is, with both hives having honey, do I need to feed? Generally I would think no, but it?s August, one hive is weak and needs to draw a few frames. I also don?t want them to deplete the winter stores if they each only have one box of honey.


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Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on August 03, 2020, 05:59:53 pm
welcome to the obsession. i noticed in your pic of eyelet tool an end frame that apears to have tacks in the end. are these spacers?  :smile:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/NSVyV5cQEBs


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: Ben Framed on August 04, 2020, 03:37:10 am
> ?ll try to clarify that.

Queen right hive is out of room. It has a feeder on to deter robbing the hive beside it. It?s August. It?s late in the year.
To add a super or not to add a super. That is the question. Is it too late to expect them to draw and fill another medium? <

I do not really understand your whole situation without going back and reading. But if you are trying to achieve a certain goal with this hive such as converting into a cell starter or finisher, then feeding may be ok but there is still the question of adulterated honey. To produce more honey, then my opinion is no, do not feed. If this hive is full of honey, all you are doing is adding adulterated honey (sugar syrup) to your hive. How will you know the real honey from the sugar syrup honey?  How long has this feeder been on? You may have already collected a certain amount of (sugar syrup) that you are calling honey in your frames?

If you have collected REAL honey, in those full frames, why not extract this honey, leaving empty frames for the use of a fall flow? The empty frames can be stored until needed, perhaps until golden rod kicks in?
Title: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on August 04, 2020, 05:32:13 am
I don?t know what I?m doing. My goal is to survive the winter my first year with bees.  I don?t know what a cell starter or finisher is.
I?m sure it?s mostly sugar syrup honey. I haven?t harvested any this first season, and had no plans to.
It feels like I?ve been fighting with bees that want to die all summer.


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Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: Ben Framed on August 04, 2020, 11:03:37 am
Overcrowding frames with plenty of sources can lead to swarming.
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: The15thMember on August 04, 2020, 01:16:59 pm
I do not really understand your whole situation without going back and reading.
Just a recommendation, .30WCF, you may want to start a new thread if you have a specific question.  I think you will get better help that way because people will not have to go back and read through 8 pages of comments in order to understand your situation. 
Title: Re: New Bees
Post by: .30WCF on August 22, 2020, 11:02:22 am
I found a queen today in the hive I split on 7/4. There are new eggs. I had just added a frame of brood about every two weeks since the split. Once the bees were emerging I would trade the hive next to it an empty frame for a mixed frame.
Today was the first time I went in and didn?t see any queen cells. I looked around and found eggs, and then a new queen.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200822/88e44f44458280eca7a7e7f60283f9f8.jpg)


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