Thread: Beekeeping

Time for their weekly checkup. I was hoping that they would need another super and had new ones ready to go but decided to wait until next week.

I got my first sting. One crawled between my fingers and didn't like getting squished.

My wife came along and took a few pictures. She is a lergic to them and so didn't get very close.

Checked on the bees again today. Not much change from last week and it was cold here today so I didn't look much. I added the second super because of a fishing trip and a razor meet the next 2 weekends. I don't know when I can get the chance to check them and figure I am better adding them now. One of my feeders plugged up on me and that hive didn't get the syrup as much as the others. I noticed some mold looking stuff on some of the remaining pollen patty pieces.... Does this happen normally or are they too wet? I tossed what little was left out and replaced them. I will have to look into this.

I checked the bees again today. One hive is doing great and the others are good. I am glad I didn't wait any longer because the one would have ran out of feed in a few days. The other 3 I probably did to soon. They all have brood in the upper box but the 3 have not filled the lower yet...

As I read about the mold it isn't that big of a deal in a hive. They are wet and the bees will take care of it.

Maybe I will figure this out before I die.....

When they run out of feed, why can't they just go do a fly-by on a garden or flower patch?

Originally Posted by Hirlau

When they run out of feed, why can't they just go do a fly-by on a garden or flower patch?

Minnesota

Stuff is just starting to bloom

Originally Posted by Hirlau

When they run out of feed, why can't they just go do a fly-by on a garden or flower patch?

When i first got the bees it was relatively cold here. They were born in california and shipped accross country and put in a box with a little foundation. When they get fed they think that the nectar is flowing so we should lay some eggs. They don't know or care that it is coming from a feeder not a flower. Then where do we lay these eggs or store our nectar/pollen? We better draw some comb. Boy that takes a lot of work and energy to make wax. If it is cold I won't fly and get some but if it is in house I will continue to work.

If I had established hives from last year or had been able to give them comb already made I would be ending my feeding. As of now I will fill them one more time.

At the other end of the season feeding them with syrup is cheaper than feeding them with honey. I may steal to much honey from them to last the winter and then feed them the cheaper syrup.....

I am certainly not ask the expert material here as I am learning myself but am glad to try to answer any questions you think of!

wireless bees

Beekeeping goes wireless

I went out with a friend after work and checked some of his hives. Watching someone else gave a few interesting tips and tricks.

After seeing what he has going on I feel much better about how mine are doing. He lost 1 queen and tried to requeen that hive but the workers didn't accept the new one. Close to $200 down the drain and no production. The hive that he thought was doing the best had swarmed. We didn't see the new queen but there were eggs. The hive will survive but he lost a lot of the workers. Less honey this fall....

And people wonder about the price of honey!

Originally Posted by 32t

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, He lost 1 queen and tried to requeen that hive but the workers didn't accept the new one. Close to $200 down the drain and no production. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,!

Sounds like there's a Union Rep. in there causing problems,,,,,,

Originally Posted by Hirlau

Sounds like there's a Union Rep. in there causing problems,,,,,,

I work in a female dominated workplace similar to bees.... I am not a nurse but back them.

Nurses announce one-week strike plans at five Allina hospitals - StarTribune.com