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Offline Polish_beekeeper

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Beekeeping in Poland
« on: January 22, 2013, 04:35:36 pm »
If you have any question about beekeeping in Poland you can ask me. I have apiary in Poland about 9 years and i can tell some things about polish bees, apiary and beekeepers.

 

Offline Vance G

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Re: Beekeeping in Poland
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2013, 06:20:25 pm »
Thanks for the invititation to your knowledge.  I have seen eastern europeans uncapping frames at harvest with a heated vee shaped stationary knife that the frames are passed over to cut off the cappings.  Is this a common device?  What do you use?

Offline AllenF

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Re: Beekeeping in Poland
« Reply #2 on: January 22, 2013, 08:19:04 pm »
I would like to hear about the differences between how we keep bees here in the States verses beekeeping methods in Poland. 

Offline Polish_beekeeper

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Re: Beekeeping in Poland
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2013, 05:32:54 am »
I have small apiary (18 hives), so I usually uncapping using "apiaries fork". I can't paste photos.
but in big apiaries (80-500) beekeepers using vee shaped stationary knife.This knife is heated be means of steam.
Of course big apiary using also automatic line to uncapping frames but steam knife is most popular.
« Last Edit: January 23, 2013, 05:42:59 am by Polish_beekeeper »

Offline Polish_beekeeper

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Re: Beekeeping in Poland
« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2013, 05:40:20 am »
I would like to hear about the differences between how we keep bees here in the States verses beekeeping methods in Poland. 

i dont know how you keep bees in USA. I start learning yours methods. Until I dont learn i cant compare yours and ours method, so better ask me about a particular thing. But in Poland we dont have so big apiary like you. The biggest apiary have circa 4000 hives, but the average size of apiary in Poland is 25 hives. Only 2% beekeepers living from beekeeping. 98% apiaries are hobbyist or allow a little extra money like my apiary;) On autumn i wants to have 35 hives ;). I already have equipment. In may i have to make new bee family.
« Last Edit: January 23, 2013, 05:54:02 am by Polish_beekeeper »

Offline edward

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Re: Beekeeping in Poland
« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2013, 05:52:34 am »
but in big apiaries (80-500) beekeepers using vee shaped stationary knife.This knife is heated be means of steam.

Do they build it themselves or can you buy one from a beekeeping store?

Is there a recommended angel of the V ?

mvh edward  :-P

Offline AllenF

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Re: Beekeeping in Poland
« Reply #6 on: January 23, 2013, 05:06:19 pm »
Most apiaries here are hobbyist also.   If fact we on average don't make much to any money with bees.  

Offline edward

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Re: Beekeeping in Poland
« Reply #7 on: January 23, 2013, 06:14:12 pm »
 :-D but its a lot of fun  :-D



mvh edward  :-P

Offline AllenF

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Re: Beekeeping in Poland
« Reply #8 on: January 23, 2013, 07:26:00 pm »
That is why we do it.   

Offline Polish_beekeeper

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Re: Beekeeping in Poland
« Reply #9 on: January 24, 2013, 06:22:14 pm »
but in big apiaries (80-500) beekeepers using vee shaped stationary knife.This knife is heated be means of steam.

Do they build it themselves or can you buy one from a beekeeping store?

Is there a recommended angel of the V ?

mvh edward  :-P

Yes its recommended. We can buy those knife in beekeeping store, but some beekeepers make yourself  this knife. Price in beekeeping store is about 1100 PLN (~350$).

Offline edward

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Re: Beekeeping in Poland
« Reply #10 on: January 24, 2013, 07:41:37 pm »
Yes its recommended. We can buy those knife in beekeeping store,  Price in beekeeping store is about 1100 PLN (~350$).

Do you have any links to any suppliers you can recommend?

mvh edward  :-P

Offline Vance G

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Re: Beekeeping in Poland
« Reply #11 on: January 24, 2013, 08:11:36 pm »
What are the demensions of your bee boxes?  Is there a standard size most beekeepers use?  What are your main honey plants and yield?  How long is your season?  That should be enough to start quite a discussion.

Offline Polish_beekeeper

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Re: Beekeeping in Poland
« Reply #12 on: January 25, 2013, 05:42:31 pm »
edward I have links but i can't paste, because i'm new user. I dont know how many posts i must write to be able to paste links and photos.
The most popular frame dimension is "Wielkopolska" frame 360mmx260mm (i have it), but in Poland we have also  Dadant and Langstroth frames and several other like 3/4 langstroth, "warszawska" frame 240x435 and "warszawska poszerzana" frame 300x435.
My main honey plants are: maple, dandelion, apple tree, acacia, meadow flowers, fir and leaf honeydew and the best linden. Around my apiary is a lot of small organic farms and mixed forest (mostly beeches, oaks, lindens, firs, spruces). But popular Polish honey are also buckwheat honey, rape honey, heather honey (highest price).
My season start in March (stimulating pollen cake) and last job in my apiary i finished in October (treatment for varroa). But bees gather honey from last week April to second week July in my apiary.
I usually do 3 honey harvest (last week of May, third week of June, and third week of Jule).
I feed them with sugar for winter to mid-September. Average 13 kg sugar per one hive. I make sugar syrop (3 parts sugar and 2 parts water).
The most popular bees in Polans is Apis mellifera Carnica and her races but increasingly popular is Buckfast.
We testing Primorska, Elgon, Macedonian bees (partially varroa resistant).
Becoming more popular is the small cell.

Offline Vance G

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Re: Beekeeping in Poland
« Reply #13 on: January 25, 2013, 10:39:40 pm »
Do you run the EPE boxes (styrofoam) that I see used in videos from Germany and Finland?  I thank you for the look at your world.  I live on what you might know as the steppe.  My bees are at 5000 feet altitude and we get about 12 inches of rain per year.   That water includes what we get in five feet of snow.  My spring bloom starts with dandelions and occaisional fruit trees by peoples homes.  Caragana or russian pea tree is a shrub that has a lot of nectar for colony buildup  along with a small wild cherry shrub.  The main honeyflow comes from Alfalfa, sweet clover and sanfoin, all legumes.  Wildflowers are a minor source for my bees.   I too will start feeding pollen substitute in early March.  The honey first real nectar for the bees won't be until mid April but pollen is available later from some trees.   My latitude is 47-30-11 North.  Summer temperature can reach 110 F but low 90's are considered hot days.  I have seen -48 F but that is rare with most winters not going much below -35 and those cold temperatures do not linger normally.  Day time highs this time of year average around freezing.   Periodically we benefit from downslope heating where hard winds crossing the Rocky Mountain continental dive undergo compression heating and temperatures can and do swing eighty degrees F literally overnight.  This is good as bees get flight days for cleansing fairly often during the cold part of the winter.    I run my bees in Langstroth equipment in full and what you referred to as 3/4 size.  My bees are carniolan/Italian crosses. 

Offline Polish_beekeeper

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Re: Beekeeping in Poland
« Reply #14 on: January 26, 2013, 07:09:45 am »
Thanks for this post Vance G. Yes I use styrofoam in my hives. Wall in hive consist of 1cm wood slat - 3 cm styrofoam - 1cm wood slat inside. I have also hives made only from hard styrofoam, but in those hives you must hibernate bees in winter another way. Because styrofoam don't pass moisture. In poland almost all have "warm" (wood+styrofoam) hives. I heard about one board hives like yours, but i never testing in my apiary, but i know big beekeeper in Poland who have hives like yours. I have concerns that the bees can't withstand winter. But in your area in winter temperature somedays is colder like for me. In Poland in winter temperature is maintange in the range  -4 to 23 F from December to and of February. Maybe few days are colder -31F to -13 F, and warmer 32F to 40 F, but bees cant fly in this time. Last flying day is late November and first late February or beginning March. From March to start April half days are below 50 F and bees cant fly. In Summer temperature is maintange in the range 70-90 F. But somedays can increase to 100 F. Temperature fluctuate are max 30 degrees but when are warm mountains wind (in poland we have Tatry mountain) can increase 50 degrees.
Are you warming somehow hives in the spring, so to speed up the growth? How bottoms you use (full or with grid)? And what you have over frames? (foil or wooden plate i can't name this otherwise in English ;).
How you do new bee families? In Poland we don't use packet like you, but we make new families taking 3 frames with bees and larvae and 2 with honey and bees. And put beequeen in cage. This small family we are making in the and of May and June. 

Offline Polish_beekeeper

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Re: Beekeeping in Poland
« Reply #15 on: January 26, 2013, 07:35:47 am »
« Last Edit: January 26, 2013, 07:48:36 am by Polish_beekeeper »

Offline tefer2

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Re: Beekeeping in Poland
« Reply #16 on: January 26, 2013, 10:10:16 am »
Great job on the pictures and the video.  :th_thumbsupup:
I like your web. page too. Thanks for sharing.

Offline Polish_beekeeper

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Re: Beekeeping in Poland
« Reply #17 on: January 26, 2013, 10:41:25 am »
thx tefer2. If you have any question about me or polish beekeeping you can ask me  :-D

Offline Vance G

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Re: Beekeeping in Poland
« Reply #18 on: January 26, 2013, 01:57:26 pm »
Well Sir, it seems our climate has much in common!  I have often wished I had the styrofoam boxes to try.  For most of the year my bees must devote a lot of energy to maintaining temperature, not cooling the hive.  For My location I do not believe in the screened bottoms in hives.  They are encouraged so vorroa mites that fall off bees don't easily find a new host to climb on.  That may be an advantage, but the bees need to be able to keep the temperature in their home warm enough to raise brood.

I wrap my wooden hives with a wrap of a flexible styrofoam cloth covered with a black plastic.   Before I wrap, I place a 3" deep shallow box on top of the upper hive body.  It will be used for spring feeding.   I place a cover of a pressed wood fiber material that is porous as an inner cover and place a 2" styrofoam cover on top.  I seal the wrapping to that cover to help hold in the rising heat.  I drill a hole in the front center of the top hive body for ventilation of excess moisture and an entrance in much the same position as shown in the picture of your styrofoam boxes.  This all sound so very primative compared to your system!

 Of course, your system would only be neccessary for a small number of the beekeepers here in America.  Most of our country is warm enough in the winter that these measures are not neccessary.  The bees indeed stay toasty warm in my methold and brood up early in the spring, especially when I start putting feed in the shallow box I put on in the fall.  The wrapping is secured to it and on still days, one can quickly add feed or check the bees without chilling them.

 I have queens ordered and in the last half of April I will take frames of brood and honey and pollen stores and add a caged queen to form what we call a nucleus colony or 'nuc'.  I use one of my hive bodies with a screened bottom divided into three compartments with the entrances on three sides of the box to provide for each nuc and entrance.  I place these three nucs on top of a strong overwintered colony so they share its heat.  I feed protein suppliment patties I buy and soft candy made by heating sugar and water.

 When the nucs outgrow the three frames of room, I move them to a similiar box with two compartments and five frames.  When they have filled that, I move them to full sized box and they can be expected to produce at least a small surplus over the two deep hive bodies they will need to winter themselves.

 That is how it is supposed to go.  As a beekeeper, you know that does not always work out, but enough do to make up winter losses and you have a few to sell if you want.  Thanks for posting the links they were very interesting.  The uncapping system is what I was talking about except much more elaborate than I would need.  I think I will just have the knife with a steam line attached fabricated at a metalworker make a wooden frame for it myself.   I have used a capping scratcher like yours to extract honey and found two long knives in a pail of heated water more to my liking.  How do you deal with all the small particles of wax in the honey that your scratcher causes?    Vance
« Last Edit: January 26, 2013, 03:09:07 pm by Vance G »

Offline tefer2

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Re: Beekeeping in Poland
« Reply #19 on: January 26, 2013, 02:27:21 pm »
Paragraphs please Vance, I get lost so easy!   :-D