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Author Topic: How are things going in your bee yards in the Land Down Under?  (Read 4139 times)

Offline Ben Framed

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Hello Australians, New Zealanders, How are things in the beeyards?
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline Bee North

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Re: How are things going in your bee yards in the Land Down Under?
« Reply #1 on: August 04, 2021, 08:05:52 am »
Hi Ben,
You tell me so we both know!

I've been away for 3 weeks and will be home soon. I'm dying to see how the hives are going.

Up in the North here its pretty much Spring. I was grafting on the 10th August last year. There will be a flow on at home. Fingers crossed I'm not too late and the girls still have some room.


Offline Ben Framed

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Re: How are things going in your bee yards in the Land Down Under?
« Reply #2 on: August 04, 2021, 03:04:33 pm »
Hi Ben,
You tell me so we both know!

I've been away for 3 weeks and will be home soon. I'm dying to see how the hives are going.

Up in the North here its pretty much Spring. I was grafting on the 10th August last year. There will be a flow on at home. Fingers crossed I'm not too late and the girls still have some room.



lol:  Being away for a while during this important time you describe, does add a mix for sure. As TheHoneyPump says "queens wait for no one".

I hope this works out ok for you. Let us know..
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline Beelab

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Re: How are things going in your bee yards in the Land Down Under?
« Reply #3 on: September 15, 2021, 05:49:31 am »
It?s swarming season for sure.
I?ve been away as well, left my swarm management a little late. Onto it now.

It?s exciting to see the bees expanding and finding plenty of pollen colors in the frames. Not to mention the honey boxes I needed to harvest. Takes a hobby into the work range. And it?s barely spring yet.

After our fire and drought season 2019, it brings back the joy for expansion to the bees.

Due to COVID, Australia post can?t deal with online deliveries. My son ordered some boxes for his hives, waiting now for 4 weeks. So I gave him some of mine. Which almost leaves me short soon.

Our area is out of lockdown for now, no cases ever here, but you can?t count on deliveries of online orders.

Wonder, if I ordered queens for postal delivery, would they ever arrive?
So, at the moment I?m relying on my splits to make awesome queens. Plenty pollen and nectar around.
 
1 in 20 will produce an angry queen that needs replacing. All in all, we seem to have good bee genetics around. 🤞

Strange to think beekeeping in the northern hemisphere is ready to go into hibernation. Well, here in the subtropics, the bees never stop.

Thanks for asking Ben. Made me ponder.

Just had some amazing honey aroma wafting through my open windows.

Offline Bee North

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Re: How are things going in your bee yards in the Land Down Under?
« Reply #4 on: September 16, 2021, 06:53:15 am »
It's been an odd start to the season up here. The bees are only picking up now and that's across the board.

I attended a bee club meeting over the weekend and everyone said the same.

Bees havnt even started swarming here yet.

I did take a little honey off a few of the strongest hives today for the first time this season.

Finally something's happening!

Offline Skeggley

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Re: How are things going in your bee yards in the Land Down Under?
« Reply #5 on: September 23, 2021, 09:16:13 pm »
Wet winter here and have seen one swarm so far. Warm day yesterday so did some splits as a preemptive swarm measure. The bees weren?t impressed and I?m not sure the dude working outside a few houses down was either. I?m still amazed when I see people working their bees without protection but then, maybe it?s just the bees in this area.
Not much fun cleaning all the max moth off the ?sealed? equipment either.😡

Offline Bee North

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Re: How are things going in your bee yards in the Land Down Under?
« Reply #6 on: September 24, 2021, 05:09:06 pm »
Hi Skeggly,
Good to see your post, there are too few of us here!

I'm sure many of the youtubers only remove their protection for the shot picking the best weather and calmest hives etc.

Let us know when things pick up over there....its been an interesting year, I know NSW and Vic bees are all swarming...probably sick of all the lock downs!

Offline TheHoneyPump

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How are things going in your bee yards in the Land Down Under?
« Reply #7 on: September 28, 2021, 11:44:21 pm »
A great thing about beemaster is the worldwide membership. 
While here I am winding my hives down with feed on to get them up to weight to survive a 6.5 month long Canadian winter of 20 below and blowing snow .. am expecting some first snowfalls any day now.   I can flip over to the down-under group and start Spring (virtually). Fun Fun fun!
They can have lock downs around town.  I dont care and neither do the bees. While I sometimes wear a veil, I do not wear a mask for the beeyard!!!   Unless there is an OAV round on the schedule. 





When the lid goes back on, the bees will spend the next 3 days undoing most of what the beekeeper just did to them.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: How are things going in your bee yards in the Land Down Under?
« Reply #8 on: September 28, 2021, 11:48:43 pm »
Good pictures HoneyPump..
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline Bee North

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Re: How are things going in your bee yards in the Land Down Under?
« Reply #9 on: September 29, 2021, 02:35:08 am »
A great thing about beemaster is the worldwide membership. 
True HP!

I'm just surprised there are so few Aussie's actively posting here that's all.

Snow!!

This season has  come around quickly for me, it feels like you guys over there were just in Spring and now your talking about snow!!

I'll be grafting when I get home from work in a couple of weeks. 32 deg C at my place next week.

Offline TheHoneyPump

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How are things going in your bee yards in the Land Down Under?
« Reply #10 on: September 29, 2021, 03:00:56 am »
Season is short here.  My Spring is late May and early June.  (2 weeks).  Summer is July.  Fall is mid August. And Winter can bee anywhere from Sep 20 to October 10. High of 8 today, frost overnight.  So Yeah, if not prepared, if one hesitates, or if blinks .. a whole season is missed in entirety. That may be reason some of my posts may at times come across as short, curt, perhaps intense. Is because out of necessity my beeman-mode does not allow for dawdling. 
The upside of the intensity is the heavy flow when the colonies are well managed and timed / primed to go get it.   320 lbs ( 145 kg) honey crop off most of them this season.  And .. it has been a unusually dry and hot low yield year.  Started out dismal, but ended up on an OK place.
I hope the Aussie folks do not mind if I poke in from time to time.  Plenty of AU queens brought over and used here.  The odd one actually good enough to keep ;) Ive also got some loose ties to SJA NZ and hope to visit them and Hobbiton at some point before my time on this rock runs out.  Though the window is narrowing.
« Last Edit: September 29, 2021, 03:20:39 am by TheHoneyPump »
When the lid goes back on, the bees will spend the next 3 days undoing most of what the beekeeper just did to them.

Offline max2

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Re: How are things going in your bee yards in the Land Down Under?
« Reply #11 on: September 29, 2021, 04:48:04 am »
HP - about OZ queens.
Have you ever had any of Joe Horners queens?

Have a look at this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPW1tmBjoQ0

I have some of his genetics here and have another 20 queens on order   - queen daughters of his. I can't afford his queens.

It is a busy time here.
I took more honey off  today - it is just starting to rain and by Monday I should be able to make more splits.
I generally post on " What is flowering in Queensland"

max

Offline Bee North

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Re: How are things going in your bee yards in the Land Down Under?
« Reply #12 on: September 29, 2021, 05:31:59 am »
Season is short here.  My Spring is late May and early June.  (2 weeks).  Summer is July.  Fall is mid August. And Winter can bee anywhere from Sep 20 to October 10. High of 8 today, frost overnight.  So Yeah, if not prepared, if one hesitates, or if blinks .. a whole season is missed in entirety. That may be reason some of my posts may at times come across as short, curt, perhaps intense. Is because out of necessity my beeman-mode does not allow for dawdling. 
The upside of the intensity is the heavy flow when the colonies are well managed and timed / primed to go get it.   320 lbs ( 145 kg) honey crop off most of them this season.  And .. it has been a unusually dry and hot low yield year.  Started out dismal, but ended up on an OK place.
I hope the Aussie folks do not mind if I poke in from time to time.  Plenty of AU queens brought over and used here.  The odd one actually good enough to keep ;) Ive also got some loose ties to SJA NZ and hope to visit them and Hobbiton at some point before my time on this rock runs out.  Though the window is narrowing.

Mate 145 kg that's huge honey!! I can only imagine how bringing in a yield like that feels.

HP....thanks for dropping in.

Offline Bee North

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Re: How are things going in your bee yards in the Land Down Under?
« Reply #13 on: September 29, 2021, 05:36:01 am »
HP - about OZ queens.
Have you ever had any of Joe Horners queens?

Have a look at this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPW1tmBjoQ0

I have some of his genetics here and have another 20 queens on order   - queen daughters of his. I can't afford his queens.

It is a busy time here.
I took more honey off  today - it is just starting to rain and by Monday I should be able to make more splits.
I generally post on " What is flowering in Queensland"

max

Hi Max

Mate I would love some of those genetics...I was going to buy a few queens this year to mix things up a bit.

Would you mind sharing your breeder with me? Perhaps PM me if you dont want to post it.

Online The15thMember

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Re: How are things going in your bee yards in the Land Down Under?
« Reply #14 on: September 29, 2021, 07:51:37 pm »
Season is short here.  My Spring is late May and early June.  (2 weeks).  Summer is July.  Fall is mid August. And Winter can bee anywhere from Sep 20 to October 10. High of 8 today, frost overnight.  So Yeah, if not prepared, if one hesitates, or if blinks .. a whole season is missed in entirety. That may be reason some of my posts may at times come across as short, curt, perhaps intense. Is because out of necessity my beeman-mode does not allow for dawdling. 
The upside of the intensity is the heavy flow when the colonies are well managed and timed / primed to go get it.   320 lbs ( 145 kg) honey crop off most of them this season.  And .. it has been a unusually dry and hot low yield year.  Started out dismal, but ended up on an OK place.
I hope the Aussie folks do not mind if I poke in from time to time.  Plenty of AU queens brought over and used here.  The odd one actually good enough to keep ;) Ive also got some loose ties to SJA NZ and hope to visit them and Hobbiton at some point before my time on this rock runs out.  Though the window is narrowing.
I am finding this thread an enjoyable read, and I've been curious about your yearly rundown, HP, since your season is so short.  But I am really here to express my full support of visiting Hobbiton.  :cool:

Edit: HP, I just took a closer look at that first picture in your reply #7.  What is going on in that picture?  Do you have feeder pails with hive lids just floating on top of them??  Hobbiton had me all distracted, so I didn't notice before.  :wink: :cheesy:
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Offline max2

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Re: How are things going in your bee yards in the Land Down Under?
« Reply #15 on: September 29, 2021, 09:27:14 pm »
HP - I got my queens form Australian Queen Bee Line - I believe they do export.
Best to check with them

m

Offline TheHoneyPump

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Re: How are things going in your bee yards in the Land Down Under?
« Reply #16 on: September 30, 2021, 11:35:15 am »
The one with the lid on the bucket is a monitored hive.  Scale and temperature electronics. The lid is there to minimize changes in weight from the beeman-works so the data trends stay as true as possible.
There is a public viewable link to the hive data trends which I will add here to this spot when I get to a computer later. 
Link: https://map.beecounted.org/hive/summary/VZ9l/last180days
« Last Edit: September 30, 2021, 11:46:11 am by TheHoneyPump »
When the lid goes back on, the bees will spend the next 3 days undoing most of what the beekeeper just did to them.

Online The15thMember

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Re: How are things going in your bee yards in the Land Down Under?
« Reply #17 on: September 30, 2021, 05:12:12 pm »
The one with the lid on the bucket is a monitored hive.  Scale and temperature electronics. The lid is there to minimize changes in weight from the beeman-works so the data trends stay as true as possible.
There is a public viewable link to the hive data trends which I will add here to this spot when I get to a computer later. 
Link: https://map.beecounted.org/hive/summary/VZ9l/last180days

Oh I get it, that makes sense.  It's cool to see that data.  And yay, the moose avatar is back!  :grin:
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.

Offline Bee North

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Re: How are things going in your bee yards in the Land Down Under?
« Reply #18 on: September 30, 2021, 06:06:35 pm »
Love the moose....would love to see one of them in the wild one day. Now that's on my bucket list and has been for a while!

 

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