Recent Posts

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

« Last post by .30WCF on April 14, 2024, 11:48:19 pm »

Added some supers and did some box reversal when I found an empty brood box.


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

« Last post by Bob Wilson on April 14, 2024, 11:45:35 pm »

1. Created two more nucs.
2. Built another 15 frames from scrap lumber.
3. Jammed a pine needle underneath my finger nail while lighting the smoker.

73

CRAFTING CORNER / Wax contamination question

« Last post by Lesgold on April 14, 2024, 10:50:46 pm »

Hi folks,

Just returned from a varroa course that provided a lot of interesting information. One topic that was covered in the course was obviously wax contamination by chemicals used within the hive. It?s going to mean a lot of rethinking as to management practices etc to avoid contamination of wax in honey supers. As the brood box is the area of concern, we have been told that frames that have been in the brood box can not be moved up into supers (which is the current method employed by many beekeepers) Any frames cycled out of the brood box need to be destroyed. We have been told that the wax from these frames is not suitable for any purpose including candle making. Would be interested in what you guys do as this is going to require some dramatic rethinking as I?ve always recycled brood frames to recover the wax. Frames from supers can be moved down if required.

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

« Last post by Lesgold on April 14, 2024, 10:36:06 pm »

Beetles are generally only an issue if their numbers are large and the hive is a bit weak. Seeing one beetle in a hive would be a great result. Seeing 100 could get you a little concerned. If you have a hive and live in a SHB area, you will have beetles flying into the hive within hours of setting it up.

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

« Last post by Terri Yaki on April 14, 2024, 10:28:08 pm »

SHBs are an issue here and a few weeks ago when I was at my mentor's going through the hives, we saw one and he jabbed at it with his hive tool. I don't know if he got it or not and he didn't seem too obsessed about it. What, are their eggs in the pollen and hatch after they warm up? Is there no way to put them out of commission? What I have been told is that the skunks rap on the hive to disturb the bees and they come out and get eaten. Putting the hive up makes the skunk stand up, revealing his hairless belly, which is vulnerable to stings. My hive sits high enough to accomplish that. A couple of months ago, he cropdusted us for a week or more straight. I don't have much against skunks but that one alone is reason enough to move him out of here.

76

MOVIES / Re: The Trail Beyond 1934 John Wayne

« Last post by Ben Framed on April 14, 2024, 10:10:05 pm »

It?s hard to believe it?s been 90 years since John Wayne made this movie! In my opinion his stuff never goes out of style. 😊

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

« Last post by Ben Framed on April 14, 2024, 09:39:22 pm »

I have not experienced polecats or skunks because there are no skunks in my area. I have heard different ones here at beemaster say they can cause problems with bees.

Being the flow is ready to start I doubt you will need to feed if there was plenty of stores your nuc.  Also in my area I have to be extra careful with feeding pollen patties because of Small Hive Beetles. In your part of the country they may not be such a problem? Here, back when I use to feed pollen substitute, I open fed.

Congratulations on the bees Terri!

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

« Last post by Terri Yaki on April 14, 2024, 09:22:50 pm »

I picked up my nuc and had them in place and opened up at about 1500. They slowly peeked out then started their orientation flights. Those continued until they called it a day at around 1945. Given how many bees there were vs how many were out getting oriented, I'm guessing that they take turns getting their bearings straight. The queen was in the process of laying eggs when we transferred her over and it seems like she was undeterred by the disturbance. I did not give them any syrup yet, as I wanted them to settle in before I bothered them any more. I got a couple of pollen patties off of the couple that I got the nuc from but I didn't add any of that yet either. So...should I feed them pollen and/or syrup? Should I do so now or wait until they settle in a little more? And I went outside about 2000 and smelt a polecat out there. Is it going to bother my hive?

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GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Bottom Board Question

« Last post by Bill Murray on April 14, 2024, 09:00:47 pm »

I also run reducers on all my production hives all year, But I also run the 3/8" space bottom board.

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EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS / Re: Today I Made

« Last post by Bill Murray on April 14, 2024, 08:55:59 pm »

Les I think you got me hooked on the laser engraver.