User Panel
Originally Posted By HitmanMonkey:
Quick question about oxalic acid (fumigation type) treatment. We've had some really warm days lately. The girls have been out and about. Should I wait until it cools off a little, so they are all home to get treated, or can I do it whenever, since there shouldn't be much brood this time of year, and just accept that I won't get them all? View Quote |
|
|
New page
|
|
|
Originally Posted By cuttingedge:
As far as I know, you can do a treatment as long as the temp is going to be above 37 degrees for a few hours after you treat. Did you treat in the fall? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By cuttingedge:
Originally Posted By HitmanMonkey:
Quick question about oxalic acid (fumigation type) treatment. We've had some really warm days lately. The girls have been out and about. Should I wait until it cools off a little, so they are all home to get treated, or can I do it whenever, since there shouldn't be much brood this time of year, and just accept that I won't get them all? Or just do 2 treatments one week apart. |
|
A Nation of Sheep Breeds a Government of Wolves!!!
|
Originally Posted By cuttingedge:
As far as I know, you can do a treatment as long as the temp is going to be above 37 degrees for a few hours after you treat. Did you treat in the fall? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By cuttingedge:
Originally Posted By HitmanMonkey:
Quick question about oxalic acid (fumigation type) treatment. We've had some really warm days lately. The girls have been out and about. Should I wait until it cools off a little, so they are all home to get treated, or can I do it whenever, since there shouldn't be much brood this time of year, and just accept that I won't get them all? I didn't treat in the fall By the time the strips I ordered came in, there was WAY too much robbing for me to have the hives ventilated sufficiently. And I just recently got my OA kit (finally). I might do the two treatment method. Sounds like a good approach. |
|
What would Agent Franks do?
|
|
Originally Posted By HitmanMonkey:
I didn't treat in the fall By the time the strips I ordered came in, there was WAY too much robbing for me to have the hives ventilated sufficiently. And I just recently got my OA kit (finally). I might do the two treatment method. Sounds like a good approach. View Quote |
|
|
Originally Posted By cuttingedge:
Did you do mite counts? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By cuttingedge:
Originally Posted By HitmanMonkey:
I didn't treat in the fall By the time the strips I ordered came in, there was WAY too much robbing for me to have the hives ventilated sufficiently. And I just recently got my OA kit (finally). I might do the two treatment method. Sounds like a good approach. No I'd like to point out that my first year felt like a train wreck. I did some things right, but mostly I think I just stumbled through, trying to remember too much, and forgetting way too much. Meh. This year will be better. I'm going to have a better plan, and execute the plan instead of trying to figure it out on my own and constantly reinventing the wheel (which can make one forget simple things, like mite counts). On the plus side, I never see any mites on bees, and I was in there a lot. No major indicators of problems. But...I'm not going to be as reactionary next year. |
|
What would Agent Franks do?
|
Veteran of the Third Battle of Tannhauser Gate.
NM, USA
|
I'm reading these reports with a lot of optimism. Thanks for all the info!
My son reports that he sees bees in HobbitWife's cold frame. She still has a perennial Arigula growing there, and they love to balance on the tiny flowers they produce. She gets a kick out of watching them balance there! I must have left some gaps for them to get in because they always seem to be there when the temperature is high enough. So I'm confident that they are adequately protected from the cold weather. |
Dont you know about sergeants?
Well... I'm learning. They dont have mothers. Just ask any trained private. They reproduce by fission... like all bacteria. |
Originally Posted By cuttingedge:
Shouldn't it be three treatments? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By cuttingedge:
Originally Posted By DUX4LIFE:
Or just do 2 treatments one week apart. Shouldn't it be three treatments? When there is little or no brood I think 1 treatment is sufficient as there is no wax cappings for the mites to hide in. I only suggested 2 since there were bees flying out and about that would have missed the single treatment. |
|
A Nation of Sheep Breeds a Government of Wolves!!!
|
Looks like I am down about 4 hives and a nuc so far. This is out of about 63 hives/nucs. Took this picture while I was out adding candy boards and checking the hives. Attached File
|
|
A Nation of Sheep Breeds a Government of Wolves!!!
|
Originally Posted By DUX4LIFE:
When there is little or no brood I think 1 treatment is sufficient as there is no wax cappings for the mites to hide in. I only suggested 2 since there were bees flying out and about that would have missed the single treatment. View Quote |
|
|
Originally Posted By DUX4LIFE:
Looks like I am down about 4 hives and a nuc so far. This is out of about 63 hives/nucs. Took this picture while I was out adding candy boards and checking the hives.https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/144881/bees-128407.JPG View Quote |
|
|
Some appeared to CCD, while others had whittled down to a small cluster and appeared to freeze.
|
|
A Nation of Sheep Breeds a Government of Wolves!!!
|
It is 58 f outside today. The bees from the Ohio hive (Alabama bees died) are flying about. Probably bringing water back for the hive.
I contacted an Ohio beekeeper that sells NUCs. I'll replace the dead southern bees with a hardy northern strain in the spring. 50% die off. Oh well. I guess Alabama bees aren't ready to cope with 7f temperatures we had earlier this winter. |
|
|
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit
KY, USA
|
Originally Posted By DUX4LIFE:
Looks like I am down about 4 hives and a nuc so far. This is out of about 63 hives/nucs. Took this picture while I was out adding candy boards and checking the hives.https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/144881/bees-128407.JPG View Quote That's great to see. Sorry about the losses, but that's not bad in comparison to what I saw last winter, around here anyway. |
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe |
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit
KY, USA
|
Originally Posted By DanishM1Garand:
It is 58 f outside today. The bees from the Ohio hive (Alabama bees died) are flying about. Probably bringing water back for the hive. I contacted an Ohio beekeeper that sells NUCs. I'll replace the dead southern bees with a hardy northern strain in the spring. 50% die off. Oh well. I guess Alabama bees aren't ready to cope with 7f temperatures we had earlier this winter. View Quote And overall, I think it's not been that hard a winter. It was cold early, but I've seen way worse, at least down here. I truly believe that local bees are the best choice for ANYONE. |
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe |
|
Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs:
And overall, I think it's not been that hard a winter. It was cold early, but I've seen way worse, at least down here. I truly believe that local bees are the best choice for ANYONE. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs:
Originally Posted By DanishM1Garand:
It is 58 f outside today. The bees from the Ohio hive (Alabama bees died) are flying about. Probably bringing water back for the hive. I contacted an Ohio beekeeper that sells NUCs. I'll replace the dead southern bees with a hardy northern strain in the spring. 50% die off. Oh well. I guess Alabama bees aren't ready to cope with 7f temperatures we had earlier this winter. And overall, I think it's not been that hard a winter. It was cold early, but I've seen way worse, at least down here. I truly believe that local bees are the best choice for ANYONE. I still believe that a lot of this was a result of two major factors. 1. Drought like conditions for many of us last summer made for a very limited nectar flow. This made it necessary to feed more than usual and also contributed to more robbing. 2. Late fall weather was warmer than usual allowing Varroa Mite loads to get very high after treatments. |
|
|
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit
KY, USA
|
Originally Posted By cuttingedge:
I still believe that a lot of this was a result of two major factors. 1. Drought like conditions for many of us last summer made for a very limited nectar flow. This made it necessary to feed more than usual and also contributed to more robbing. 2. Late fall weather was warmer than usual allowing Varroa Mite loads to get very high after treatments. View Quote CE, Dux and anybody else who would like to chime in.. What, in your opinion, would be the *ideal* winter for the good of bees in the climate where you live? I think this discussion might be of value to all of us, and especially to new beekeepers as they consider what the ideal might be for their areas, and weigh that against what is happening in real life, thus forming an educated guess about what struggles the bees might be facing and what actions could be taken at a given time. |
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe |
Just went through all of my hives to check on their candy. All that I did was pop the inner covers and look down without disturbing them too much. It appears that all but one are doing well. I had to add candy to my 5/5/5 Nuc. All of the Nucs look really strong in comparison to the full size hives. I will be ecstatic if I only lose one or two full size colonies
I know better than to "count my chickens" but I am already in way better shape than I was last season. Let's hope the rest survive! |
|
|
Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs:
CE, Dux and anybody else who would like to chime in.. What, in your opinion, would be the *ideal* winter for the good of bees in the climate where you live? I think this discussion might be of value to all of us, and especially to new beekeepers as they consider what the ideal might be for their areas, and weigh that against what is happening in real life, thus forming an educated guess about what struggles the bees might be facing and what actions could be taken at a given time. View Quote I'm not sure that I completely understand the question but I will tell you what I think is most important for survival. 1. A prolific queen 2. A colony that has good numbers 3. A good amount of food stored 4. Low Mite loads going into fall 5. Ventilation 6. Proper insulation Without these things, a colony is doomed up here. There are other things that are important but these are my top 6. |
|
|
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit
KY, USA
|
Originally Posted By cuttingedge:
I'm not sure that I completely understand the question but I will tell you what I think is most important for survival. 1. A prolific queen 2. A colony that has good numbers 3. A good amount of food stored 4. Low Mite loads going into fall 5. Ventilation 6. Proper insulation Without these things, a colony is doomed up here. There are other things that are important but these are my top 6. View Quote I'm actually asking about the weather. What would be the ideal winter for bees in your area? Down here, the yo-yo weather is actually harder on the bees (I think) than if it got cold and stayed cold most of the time. It's been nearly 70 here for almost two weeks. Honeybees are out looking for food. I figure they've got egg laying on their little borg-like minds, and that's bad. It's too early (here.) I'm interested in what you *wish* the weather would do up there for the good of your bees. What weather pattern through the winter would cause you the LEAST concern....what's ideal? |
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe |
Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs:
I'm actually asking about the weather. What would be the ideal winter for bees in your area? Down here, the yo-yo weather is actually harder on the bees (I think) than if it got cold and stayed cold most of the time. It's been nearly 70 here for almost two weeks. Honeybees are out looking for food. I figure they've got egg laying on their little borg-like minds, and that's bad. It's too early (here.) I'm interested in what you *wish* the weather would do up there for the good of your bees. What weather pattern through the winter would cause you the LEAST concern....what's ideal? View Quote Ideally, I would like either a mild winter or a typical cold Maine winter with lots of snow. The temperature swings hurt the bees. A few days in the middle of winter are good for cleansing flights. We have had weird weather for the last two years. It gets really cold for a few days and then it warms up enough that bees are flying. I watch them come out of the hive in some of these warm days and they get lost. If there is snow on the ground which reflects the sun, I think a lot of them get confused and end up flying into the snow. This ultimately ends up killing them as they can't make it back. I also think that these conditions produce more humidity in the hive which makes it much harder on them when temps fall. One of my friends up here has a Nuc that had queen cells in it today with no drones around, it's kind of a waste of resources.i am glad that I took the time to properly insulate as the temps in the hive are more constant. |
|
|
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit
KY, USA
|
Originally Posted By cuttingedge:
Ideally, I would like either a mild winter or a typical cold Maine winter with lots of snow. The temperature swings hurt the bees. A few days in the middle of winter are good for cleansing flights. We have had weird weather for the last two years. It gets really cold for a few days and then it warms up enough that bees are flying. I watch them come out of the hive in some of these warm days and they get lost. If there is snow on the ground which reflects the sun, I think a lot of them get confused and end up flying into the snow. This ultimately ends up killing them as they can't make it back. I also think that these conditions produce more humidity in the hive which makes it much harder on them when temps fall. One of my friends up here has a Nuc that had queen cells in it today with no drones around, it's kind of a waste of resources.i am glad that I took the time to properly insulate as the temps in the hive are more constant. View Quote So by mild, you mean warm enough for them to fly, knowing you may have to give supplemental feed about this time of year? I agree that the yo-yo weather is hard on them, which *should* make my area one of the most difficult for overwintering bees--(following my line of thinking for this discussion only.) But I'm not seeing that be the case necessarily. Since honeybees have survived for a long time as far north as Canada, it makes sense to me that they are adapted for long cold spells. Since they can survive with no real "winter" at all (not true, but a Florida winter is not winter as I think of it) they should do fine being able to fly year-round. I understand that in the desert southwest, winter is actually their most productive time, and that this varies from region to region. I've heard Arizona beekeepers say that winter is summer and summer is winter for beekeeping. But the ones in the mountains ( like Frank-Symptoms apparently is) get quite cold and have to treat winter as actual winter. In my supposition, your bees *should* survive a winter that mine would not. My bees should survive a winter that deep south bees would not. But my bees also have to work in 105 degree heat at least a few times a year. I hear northern beekeepers say their bees are out for cleansing flights at 40 degrees. When I first heard that, I was surprised, because anything below 50 sees mine huddled up in the hive. With all this discussion about local bees, I'm interested in what those local bees would "look" like as far as temperature spread adaptability, length of time they will stay in their ball, temperatures required to get them out flying, etc. Because I bet with the different genetics, there also come differences in these areas as well. Just thinking out loud as I sometimes do. ETA: As I think about it, with all the different climates, honeybees should be active SOMEWHERE almost all the time. (assuming there are honeybees in that area at all). So it seems to me that by getting all of our bees from the south for so many years, we've all done ourselves a real disservice, and we've diluted the genetics that ensure survivability. Further, I think that it took a decade or three of doing this--buying bees from the south--to fully dilute those genetics. I know a lot of beekeepers around here who tried their hand at queen rearing, but gave up after just a few years. Now I'm beginning to think they gave up too soon. Perhaps their wallets forced that, but it didnt' take two or three years to dilute all those genetics and lose the adaptability. I think it may take more than a few years to get that adaptability back--breeding and holding only the survivors, taking our queens from THOSE bees, etc. I have watched one guy successfully do this as a completely organic method of varroa control. It's taken him a long time. I don't think we're going to get that back quickly, but I believe it is vital that we DO get it back. Just pondering all of this. |
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe |
Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs:
So by mild, you mean warm enough for them to fly, knowing you may have to give supplemental feed about this time of year? I agree that the yo-yo weather is hard on them, which *should* make my area one of the most difficult for overwintering bees--(following my line of thinking for this discussion only.) But I'm not seeing that be the case necessarily. Since honeybees have survived for a long time as far north as Canada, it makes sense to me that they are adapted for long cold spells. Since they can survive with no real "winter" at all (not true, but a Florida winter is not winter as I think of it) they should do fine being able to fly year-round. I understand that in the desert southwest, winter is actually their most productive time, and that this varies from region to region. I've heard Arizona beekeepers say that winter is summer and summer is winter for beekeeping. But the ones in the mountains ( like Frank-Symptoms apparently is) get quite cold and have to treat winter as actual winter. In my supposition, your bees *should* survive a winter that mine would not. My bees should survive a winter that deep south bees would not. But my bees also have to work in 105 degree heat at least a few times a year. I hear northern beekeepers say their bees are out for cleansing flights at 40 degrees. When I first heard that, I was surprised, because anything below 50 sees mine huddled up in the hive. With all this discussion about local bees, I'm interested in what those local bees would "look" like as far as temperature spread adaptability, length of time they will stay in their ball, temperatures required to get them out flying, etc. Because I bet with the different genetics, there also come differences in these areas as well. Just thinking out loud as I sometimes do. ETA: As I think about it, with all the different climates, honeybees should be active SOMEWHERE almost all the time. (assuming there are honeybees in that area at all). So it seems to me that by getting all of our bees from the south for so many years, we've all done ourselves a real disservice, and we've diluted the genetics that ensure survivability. Further, I think that it took a decade or three of doing this--buying bees from the south--to fully dilute those genetics. I know a lot of beekeepers around here who tried their hand at queen rearing, but gave up after just a few years. Now I'm beginning to think they gave up too soon. Perhaps their wallets forced that, but it didnt' take two or three years to dilute all those genetics and lose the adaptability. I think it may take more than a few years to get that adaptability back--breeding and holding only the survivors, taking our queens from THOSE bees, etc. I have watched one guy successfully do this as a completely organic method of varroa control. It's taken him a long time. I don't think we're going to get that back quickly, but I believe it is vital that we DO get it back. Just pondering all of this. View Quote I agree that the bees adapt to certain climates. Taking southern bees and sending them north has as you stated done a real disservice. Those bees are adapted to a different climate. I know that taking bees from warmer climates and trying to get them to acclimate to our climate has proven to be very difficult. I wonder though if taking bees from a northern climate and sending them south would have the same or different effects. The guy that I talked to up here that has many thousands of hives (Swans Honey) used to ship a lot of his bees south for the winter. I can see the advantage of this from a business standpoint when you do pollination as you are getting a longer season. He did state that having bees in the south presented itself with its own set of issues. (Foul brood, AHB, etc.). That is not something that I will ever venture into but I would love to see how a colony with "Northern Genetics" performs in a southern area. If any member here that lives in one of the more southern states (including yourself) would like to do the work to keep good records and document successes and failures, I would be willing to send a few mated queens for the cost of shipping to get some feedback. I suspect that they would do well and become very prolific in that environment. |
|
|
While I was out putting candy boards on some hives this morning I thought I lost this one. If you look at the front of the hive you see all the dead bees I scraped out of it. After about 2 minutes of that the live ones started to pour out. They were very unhappy with me. I guess you can say this Hive is very alive yet. Attached File
|
|
A Nation of Sheep Breeds a Government of Wolves!!!
|
Originally Posted By DUX4LIFE:
While I was out putting candy boards on some hives this morning I thought I lost this one. If you look at the front of the hive you see all the dead bees I scraped out of it. After about 2 minutes of that the live ones started to pour out. They were very unhappy with me. I guess you can say this Hive is very alive yet.https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/144881/20170123-142714-132189.JPG View Quote |
|
|
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit
KY, USA
|
|
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe |
|
Veteran of the Third Battle of Tannhauser Gate.
NM, USA
|
Originally Posted By DUX4LIFE:
While I was out putting candy boards on some hives this morning I thought I lost this one. If you look at the front of the hive you see all the dead bees I scraped out of it. After about 2 minutes of that the live ones started to pour out. They were very unhappy with me. I guess you can say this Hive is very alive yet.https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/144881/20170123-142714-132189.JPG View Quote I had a similar situation with my hive. Maybe 2 dozen or more bees, NOT drones, littered the front of the yard where their exit door is. Yet the hive is strong inside. HobbitWife was heartbroken; she loves her bees! And they are still finding their way to the arigula planted in her cold frame. |
Dont you know about sergeants?
Well... I'm learning. They dont have mothers. Just ask any trained private. They reproduce by fission... like all bacteria. |
Veteran of the Third Battle of Tannhauser Gate.
NM, USA
|
HobbitWife told me today that the bees have closed up their entrance with propolis. It's getting pretty cold here-- 20 F as I write this! It may get up to 40 or so in the daytime.
Question: If they close things up so tight, how do they regulate the humidity? |
Dont you know about sergeants?
Well... I'm learning. They dont have mothers. Just ask any trained private. They reproduce by fission... like all bacteria. |
We had our club meeting last night and I gathered some very good info regarding the over-wintering of colonies in our climate.
There was a little difference of opinion about some of the methods but all in all it was good info. The head of the club gave a good presentation about what he does and what his successes and failures have been. His system incorporates painting hives a darker color, using a winter rim and a homosote board on top of the inner cover. He suggests that the homosote captures moisture and keeps it from raining back down on the cluster which he feels is very important. He stated moisture is the number one killer of hives during winter. He also went through how important feeding was and getting them up to "winter weight" as well as treating for mites as he feels that mites are also a major reason why colonies don't make it through winter. He then asked my friend and Queen Breeder what he does as he has probably over wintered more colonies than anyone else in our area. You could tell that he did not want to contradict our President but he does things a lot differently. He said that moisture is not the main concern, the cold is. If they have adequate ventilation, moisture is not an issue. He thinks the most important thing is insulation especially at the top. He also uses a winter rim but places 1" of foam insulation directly on top of that in place of the inner cover followed by the outer cover. He also wraps with "homemade" wraps that are very similar to Bee Cozy's. He stated that doing this keeps the internal temp of the hive more constant. Having top insulation keeps in more heat and prevents any moisture from gathering above the cluster. He does not use homosote and said why would you want to collect moisture? If the warmest spot in the hive is the top, condensation will collect on the coldest surface which will be on the sides away from where the bees are. He also uses "Coffins" which are three or four full sized hives stacked together with 2" of foam insulation encapsulating them as one unit. He and I had a good conversation about some questions that I had and he asked if I followed his advice this fall about setting up my hives for winter. The only thing that I did differently was I have my insulation on top of the inner cover and I used 2" instead of 1". He asked how they looked as of yesterday and I told him that I think they are all alive. He said to monitor them in late February early March as that is when most will die from starvation. We also talked about some of my ideas regarding wintering mating Nucs which I posted a few pages back. He has never overwintered "Queen castles" but has good success with mating Nucs with mini frames and said that he will go over his process with me this season. Moral of this story is that having someone that is very knowledgable and willing to share ideas and their time with you is absolutely invaluable. I am very glad that I have him as a friend and mentor. |
|
|
Originally Posted By FrankSymptoms:
HobbitWife told me today that the bees have closed up their entrance with propolis. It's getting pretty cold here-- 20 F as I write this! It may get up to 40 or so in the daytime. Question: If they close things up so tight, how do they regulate the humidity? View Quote What size entrance do you have? Is there an upper entrance? I have seen bees in trees and other structures do this. They will sometimes almost completely close off their entrance. I would guess that they know what's best for them in their current environment. |
|
|
Veteran of the Third Battle of Tannhauser Gate.
NM, USA
|
Originally Posted By cuttingedge:
What size entrance do you have? Is there an upper entrance? I have seen bees in trees and other structures do this. They will sometimes almost completely close off their entrance. I would guess that they know what's best for them in their current environment. View Quote Here's my hive: Here's the easternmost entrance, at the left end. I have 4 such "entrances," one on each corner of the hive. The other 3 are blocked off completely. I blocked the east entrance about 1/3 of the way when I was concerned about robbing earlier this year. There's a 1" x 2" oval slot just under the cover at each end; these are covered with plastic garden mesh, about 1/8 diameter holes. These were closed with propolis earlier this year, just as the cold weather set in. I have never seen any provision for an upper entrance on a top bar hive. The top board is a loosely-fitting cap, sitting atop the frames. The frames seem to be well-sealed all the time when I inspect, so I don't think there's much air flow there. Only the first 8-9 frames have been used by the bees. Frame position #10 has been taken by a hive limiter board, a frame top with a V shape under it to mimic the inside of the frame. I'd bet a box of donuts that they've sealed that too. |
Dont you know about sergeants?
Well... I'm learning. They dont have mothers. Just ask any trained private. They reproduce by fission... like all bacteria. |
A few pages back, I dicusssed my thoughts on over wintering queen castles. HERE is an article about someone who has done it in Canada.
|
|
|
Veteran of the Third Battle of Tannhauser Gate.
NM, USA
|
|
Dont you know about sergeants?
Well... I'm learning. They dont have mothers. Just ask any trained private. They reproduce by fission... like all bacteria. |
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit
KY, USA
|
Frank, that's good. That means they are getting out when they want. So they can't be entirely closed off.
Did she see their exit point? They can always close it up and open it at will, but I thought maybe there was a crack or hole somewhere you might not even be aware of. |
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe |
Veteran of the Third Battle of Tannhauser Gate.
NM, USA
|
Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs:
Frank, that's good. That means they are getting out when they want. So they can't be entirely closed off. Did she see their exit point? They can always close it up and open it at will, but I thought maybe there was a crack or hole somewhere you might not even be aware of. View Quote No, they're using the front door. It's a very, very small hole they're using though, just big enough for one or two bees to squeeze through. I wonder: do they open & close it every night? |
Dont you know about sergeants?
Well... I'm learning. They dont have mothers. Just ask any trained private. They reproduce by fission... like all bacteria. |
Finally got all of the details worked out and I have multiple Queens coming from Michael Palmer in Vermont as well as Buckfast Queens coming from Canada. Importing Queens from Canada is pretty expensive. I hope they are worth the extra expense.
|
|
|
Originally Posted By cuttingedge:
Finally got all of the details worked out and I have multiple Queens coming from Michael Palmer in Vermont as well as Buckfast Queens coming from Canada. Importing Queens from Canada is pretty expensive. I hope they are worth the extra expense. View Quote I have 4 packages of Carniolan bees due on or around April 8th. Here we go again |
|
Know Guns, Know Peace, Know Safety...No Guns, No Peace, No Safety
|
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit
KY, USA
|
Originally Posted By FrankSymptoms:
No, they're using the front door. It's a very, very small hole they're using though, just big enough for one or two bees to squeeze through. I wonder: do they open & close it every night? View Quote They might, but more than likely they just post guards, and with your hive being small and the season NOT in a strong honey flow (I'm assuming it's not from what you've said) the bees know that they are vulnerable and have pulled up the gate and filled the moat. they are not lowering the drawbridge for anything. Not nobody, not nohow. Bees can come and go through the small door, but no army can get across the threshold. Smart bees. |
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe |
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit
KY, USA
|
Originally Posted By cuttingedge:
Finally got all of the details worked out and I have multiple Queens coming from Michael Palmer in Vermont as well as Buckfast Queens coming from Canada. Importing Queens from Canada is pretty expensive. I hope they are worth the extra expense. View Quote I will look forward to hearing what you think of the Buckfast queens, and how your bees do with those genetics. |
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe |
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit
KY, USA
|
Originally Posted By Hanz:
Best of luck with them. I have 4 packages of Carniolan bees due on or around April 8th. Here we go again View Quote That's an interesting variety. I almost tried those when people were trying to talk me into Russians. Will also be interested in your observations about these bees in comparison with your recent experience. |
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe |
Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs:
That's an interesting variety. I almost tried those when people were trying to talk me into Russians. Will also be interested in your observations about these bees in comparison with your recent experience. View Quote |
|
Know Guns, Know Peace, Know Safety...No Guns, No Peace, No Safety
|
Originally Posted By Hanz:
Best of luck with them. I have 4 packages of Carniolan bees due on or around April 8th. Here we go again View Quote |
|
|
Veteran of the Third Battle of Tannhauser Gate.
NM, USA
|
Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs:
They might, but more than likely they just post guards, and with your hive being small and the season NOT in a strong honey flow (I'm assuming it's not from what you've said) the bees know that they are vulnerable and have pulled up the gate and filled the moat. they are not lowering the drawbridge for anything. Not nobody, not nohow. Bees can come and go through the small door, but no army can get across the threshold. Smart bees. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By Kitties-with-Sigs:
Originally Posted By FrankSymptoms:
No, they're using the front door. It's a very, very small hole they're using though, just big enough for one or two bees to squeeze through. I wonder: do they open & close it every night? They might, but more than likely they just post guards, and with your hive being small and the season NOT in a strong honey flow (I'm assuming it's not from what you've said) the bees know that they are vulnerable and have pulled up the gate and filled the moat. they are not lowering the drawbridge for anything. Not nobody, not nohow. Bees can come and go through the small door, but no army can get across the threshold. Smart bees. Oh yeah, they have enough intelligence to get by. I was wondering if they close the door against the cold night air. It's been getting into the low 20s every night. HobbitWife says "They made a little door. It was brown like the propolis." How long would it take them to seal a hole about 1/2 inch in diameter? |
Dont you know about sergeants?
Well... I'm learning. They dont have mothers. Just ask any trained private. They reproduce by fission... like all bacteria. |
Originally Posted By FrankSymptoms:
Oh yeah, they have enough intelligence to get by. I was wondering if they close the door against the cold night air. It's been getting into the low 20s every night. HobbitWife says "They made a little door. It was brown like the propolis." How long would it take them to seal a hole about 1/2 inch in diameter? View Quote |
|
|
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit
KY, USA
|
Originally Posted By cuttingedge:
That would depend on the colonies strength. For some reason, I can't imagine them closing off the entrance and opening it up so often. They should be able to settle on a size that accommodates their traffic as well as facilitates enough airflow for effective ventilation. View Quote That's probably more likely. If they're opening and closing, it's not likely every night. And because they also need airflow, I doubt they are closing it completely. |
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe |
Veteran of the Third Battle of Tannhauser Gate.
NM, USA
|
They ARE pretty well crowded, aren't they? I can't imagine how it'd be..."Dammit, Shaniqua, git yer corn rows outta mah bran flakes!"
|
Dont you know about sergeants?
Well... I'm learning. They dont have mothers. Just ask any trained private. They reproduce by fission... like all bacteria. |
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit
KY, USA
|
|
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei
Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe |
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.