Recent Posts

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GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: spring brood nest problem

« Last post by iddee on Today at 07:06:57 am »

I would remove the lid and take a quick look anytime it is above 55 F., sunny, and calm. I would pull frames for 30 seconds each any time it is 60 F. and same conditions if it will remain that warm for 2 hours or more. They will reseal the propolis in 2 hours if it is not intentionally removed during inspection.

2

DISEASE & PEST CONTROL / Re: Mason jar external beetle trap

« Last post by Bob Wilson on August 02, 2020, 11:24:42 pm »

Mason jar beetle trap update.
They do a good job of beetle control. The bees chase the SHB to the corners, the beetle flee through the hardware cloth cover and drop into the mineral oil in the jar screwed from below.
HOWEVER... A PROBLEM.
One of my hives leaked water in a bad rainstorm. The water filled two of the jars, the oil floated on top of the water, and oil and water got into the hive body. It killed a lot of bees, even though the queen and the brood were all above the mess.

3

GREETINGS/TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF / Re: Hello from northernCENTRAL Kentucky

« Last post by Bob Wilson on August 02, 2020, 11:16:22 pm »

Glad to meet you.
Hope the season goes great for you.

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GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Hoping to ask a Fraser Valley British Columbia beekeeper

« Last post by Bob Wilson on August 02, 2020, 11:14:38 pm »

Bobbee.
Is there a local bee association you can join for a small yearly membership fee?
I would think one of those beeks would be glad to help you out with a quick inspection.
Meanwhile, take some close up pictures with your phone. Use an app to crop/resize the photo to 200kb, and post the photo and questions here.

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GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Do you ever feel you're doing more harm than good?

« Last post by Bob Wilson on August 02, 2020, 11:01:48 pm »

This is why I chose to make long langstroths instead of a top bar.

They both are cheap to make.
They both allow the beek to only lift one frame at a time.
They both uncover only a part of the hive at a time.
They both lay out the comb like folders in a long filing cabinet.
They both have similar management practices.

However...
Long langstroths use standard langstroth frames (I use the standard deep frame)
Standard frame comb don't break as easily as top bar frames. It is attached on 4 sides, not just 1.
Standard frame don't get attached to the hive wall.
Standard frames can be put into an extractor.
Standard frames can be switched between any of my hives.
standard frames can be received from or given to another beek, which I did recently.

It seems to me that long langs have all the strengths and none of the drawbacks of top bar hives.
(I probably just started an argument)

6

EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS / Extractor: Hubbard Apiaries Model 2401

« Last post by James M. Wagner on August 02, 2020, 10:46:34 pm »

Bought one of these this afternoon (used, obviously). Seems in great shape though I plan to completely disassemble, clean, and re-lube. Serial number CH01xx. Does anyone here know where I may find an owner's manual/parts drawing? Thanks. -James

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GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / spring brood nest problem

« Last post by Bob Wilson on August 02, 2020, 10:38:50 pm »

This past spring I read a lot of forum comments about the danger of cracking the winter propolis seal too early, resulting in chilled brood and cluster.
Red Maples were blooming January 18,
However, we still have temperatures of 29-36 degrees at night in February.
So I waited to March 1 for my first inspection and found sealed QC. March 8 they swarmed.
I estimate that the queen layed the QC egg by February 21. (HoneyPump, I lost the link to the brood rearing chart you shared.)
I estimate they were already thinking of swarming two weeks before that? (February 7)
So...
Do I crack open the hive at the end of January this year?
Knowing that night time temps will drop to near freezing, and day time temps only 45-57 degrees, do I still begin inserting empty frames into/around the brood nest of my long langstroth hives?

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GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Unattended Hive Packed with Honey

« Last post by Acebird on August 02, 2020, 09:13:51 am »

Put a brood box of empty drawn combs UNDER, put it on the bottom board.

If the deep is full of honey it is not going to be fun fooling around with a box underneath especially if you are 71 years old.

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GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Unattended Hive Packed with Honey

« Last post by iddee on August 02, 2020, 06:11:12 am »

I don't know about Ohio, but the honey flow is over here. They will not fill another deep before winter here.

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GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Unattended Hive Packed with Honey

« Last post by TheHoneyPump on August 01, 2020, 10:25:57 pm »

Put a brood box of empty drawn combs UNDER, put it on the bottom board.  The brood nest will naturally move down.  Once queenie is down below laying out her patches, which you verify one week later by seeing her .... then add a second empty box on that bottom one AND place a queen excluder on the second box.  Put the super you just added today/yesterday above the QE as the third, next take that heavy packed box and put up on top as the fourth.  Then they will be good for awhile, until your fall/winter preps start wherever you are and you get on with reducing them back down for winter.  At that time adjust their winter reserves level and take you honey for extracting.

Hope that helps!