Recent Posts

21

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Swarm Trap deadout/abscond

« Last post by Ben Framed on April 22, 2024, 11:35:15 am »

They built no comb. Just that tiny bit?
Usually, if there is any real, decent sized swarm, they build comb immediately. They completely fill up my swarm traps with comb in less than two weeks.

And why I ask for more information and pictures. Wondering if The Wax Moths might have eaten up the new comb as well, and this pictured is all of the new comb that was left?

I can only speak from my own personal experience. I have never collected a swarm which was not 'fast to build comb, no matter the size of the swarm, even a late season swarm. Even an occasional odd swarm, collected in a time of summer with little natural resources available, that did not build comb and fast. I always suposed they filled up on enough honey for a quick and needed comb building supply before leaving inorder to begin 'setting up housekeeping' ASAP

Those described which I have personally collected during such a time built comb fast. But: to aid them I also fed ASAP, since the Spring Flow had passed. Each swarm survived just fine. But in fairness, without my aid of feed, they might have very well starved (maybe 100 percent of them?), without the needed natural resources coming in... A late season swarm also needs pollen or a pollen substitute in the development of bees...

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GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Swarm Trap deadout/abscond

« Last post by beesnweeds on April 22, 2024, 11:14:24 am »

That was something that shocked me as well, they're comb building machines at that stage. That part doesn't make sense since they're been around for over a week.

The ideal age for comb production workers is 12 to 18 days.  Most of those perfect age bees probably left with the primary swarm.  Smaller secondary swarms don't always have enough right age bees and resources.  Less than 10% of swarms survive, not all swarms are comb building machines.

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WEB VIDEOS / Sergeant First Class Ronald E. Rosser, U.S. Army

« Last post by Ben Framed on April 22, 2024, 12:34:20 am »

Sergeant First Class Ronald E. Rosser, U.S. Army, was awarded the Medal of Honor for leading an assault on a fortified hill near Ponggilli during the Korean War.  Rosser had served in the Army at the end of World War II and prior to Korea.  He re-enlisted upon the death of his brother in Korea, requesting front-line duty.  An American original, Ron Rosser passed away on August 26, 2020, one of the great heroes of the Korean War.


https://youtu.be/FvqjI00BeY4?si=dk2f9AJAdQO_Wk1H

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GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Swarm Trap deadout/abscond

« Last post by Occam on April 22, 2024, 12:08:19 am »

They built no comb. Just that tiny bit?
Usually, if there is any real, decent sized swarm, they build comb immediately. They completely fill up my swarm traps with comb in less than two weeks.

That was something that shocked me as well, they're comb building machines at that stage. That part doesn't make sense since they're been around for over a week. The only thing I can think is that flow wasn't super strong yet though there's definitely nectar coming in now. Maybe they built up too early and the nectar wasn't there for building yet. Idk

25

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

« Last post by Bob Wilson on April 21, 2024, 11:14:05 pm »

This afternoon, i built more Layens frames. Build, build, build.
Yesterday, a fellow beek had a nice sized, wild swarm move into a spare nuc box behind his shed. I quickly dumped them into a Layens swarm trap with a bit of old comb on one frame and moved it the 4 miles to my house. It looks like they are staying in the box. Whoo-hoo! Free bees!

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GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Swarm Trap deadout/abscond

« Last post by Bob Wilson on April 21, 2024, 11:08:57 pm »

They built no comb. Just that tiny bit?
Usually, if there is any real, decent sized swarm, they build comb immediately. They completely fill up my swarm traps with comb in less than two weeks.

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

« Last post by beesnweeds on April 21, 2024, 11:03:47 pm »

                                                                  Matt's uncle got a queen cell from our club to install

If the colony has gone laying worker the cell will be torn down quickly unfortunately.  Some of the laying worker drone brood can take on an odd appearance and be mistaken for a queen cell.  If there's multiple eggs in the cells (and on the cell walls) just remove the best brood comb before they do more damage to it with drone brood. Personally, I would shake the bees out into a bucket of soapy water.  They're not worth saving. 

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GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Follow the Bloom - 2024

« Last post by Bob Wilson on April 21, 2024, 10:57:18 pm »

on photo is of a Compacta Holly, a landscape shrub used for foundation planting. I think it makes a nice 8-10 foot small tree form if limbed up. The bees are all over it today, with its little, almost unnoticeable flowers.
The large flower is from a Tulip Poplar tree in my neighborhood, a very tall, straight woodland tree, and one of the major nectar flow sources in Georgia.

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TOP BAR HIVES - WARRE HIVES - LONG HIVES / Re: Nectar management in a long hive

« Last post by Bob Wilson on April 21, 2024, 10:38:18 pm »

Tigger.
Sorry for the late reply.
It is true that I had difficulty with the deep long langs.
It seemed to me that the queen tended to stretch out her brood nest through 2/3 of the hive body, leaving only 10 frames or so of nectar, which never seemed to cure. The deep frames are only 9 or so inches deep.
Since then, I have been steadily moving towards Layens hives. I like the depth a lot better. They seem to give me all the best parts of a deep long langstroth, but without the problems. The colonies in them are building up nice, big populations, without the cramped quarters and resulting swarming, and yet they still have a lot of room for nectar. I will know more about Layens honey production at the end of this season.

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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 21, 2024, 09:57:44 pm »

I?ve had a queen from a split or something. I forget the details, but she was a drone layer. Could have been too early and cold, too much rain, late summer/fall.


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