Recent Posts

41

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

« Last post by Terri Yaki on May 20, 2024, 12:06:28 pm »

OK, that makes me feel a little better. I was afraid they'd be bothered by them and leave already. They're out there taking orientation classes. I think I'll leave them there for about ten days. Maybe even longer. They're not in the way where there are, they're just too high to work.

42

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Community Feeding

« Last post by FatherMichael on May 20, 2024, 11:32:30 am »

But if we feed only during dearth?

I suppose if you are precise in your timing and remove the feeder only when the flow is back on, it would keep the robbing risk down.

Has anyone actually seen the robbing of individual hives while community feeding is going on?

43

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Community Feeding

« Last post by gww on May 20, 2024, 10:41:55 am »

ian feeds because he runs single deep hives and stores them inside over winter.  He is a honey producer and takes everything above a single deep and when the bees have brood there is not enough storage in a single deep for food as well.  Every decision has to be made with specific goals and does not translate to every other way of keeping bees.  He also has a much shorter season to work with then a lot of bee keepers being so far north.  It does not make sense for a bee keeper like me to just will nilly open feed due to possible impact on those around me.   

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

« Last post by gww on May 20, 2024, 10:33:36 am »

I never worry about ants.  Most hives defend themselves just fine and it they don't, they probably have other problems.

45

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

« Last post by Terri Yaki on May 20, 2024, 08:45:28 am »

OK, I checked on them this morning to find the porch loaded with ants so I moved them back to the trapped location before they started flying. They don't seem to have liked being bothered though and they're kind of testy right now so I'm just going to leave them settle in and try to figure out where the ants came from. I also don't want them to pack up and leave me. A yellow jacket paid them a visit and got backed right back out the way she went in so they are defending their turf against invaders. I believe that the yellow jacket is a queen looking for a nesting place but I might be wrong on that. I have killed about six yellow jacket queens already this year, including one in my garden this morning. I have never seen so many yellow jacket queens before and my neighbors are reporting the same. I'm thinking that the winter was too easy on them and none of them died in harsh conditions. There are bees raising their tails in the air on the porch in what I believe is spreading a pheromone to tell others that this is their new home.

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GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Community Feeding

« Last post by Ben Framed on May 20, 2024, 08:23:02 am »

Sometimes! lol   

47

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Community Feeding

« Last post by Terri Yaki on May 20, 2024, 06:45:48 am »

I once read that if you ask four different beeks a question, you?ll get five different opinions. Is that true? 

48

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

« Last post by Terri Yaki on May 20, 2024, 06:29:46 am »

Thanks, Ben.  Now I?m hoping that they don?t get mad that I moved them and vacate. Then I?ll reset and maybe I can help my buddy across the street get back online.

49

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

« Last post by Ben Framed on May 20, 2024, 02:07:50 am »

Good job Pilgrim. 

50

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Community Feeding

« Last post by Ben Framed on May 20, 2024, 01:58:26 am »

Did a quick search and it has been 10 years since the subject of community feeding was discussed in this forum and it is an idea that seems to be shot down rather quickly then and now.

Joe May open feeds, as does David at Barnyard Bees, both community feed, {at least at certain times of the year}. So does Ian Steppler as well as other pros. Timing is the key for those whose livelihoods depend upon it, at least to certain extents.