1) Do all larvae get fed royal jelly and if so is it the same as the queen? 5:38 2) How long after treating with OA should you wait before testing again for mites? 11:35 3) Should I combine weak colonies or let them die to not spread diseases? 22:42 4) Can a queen take more than 16 days to emerge? 28:10 5) Should I take my swarm traps down now that it is summer? 45:35 6) Have you heard about treating for varroa by using a biofloor? 51:00 7) I noticed a hive had swarm and emergency cell. Do you think something happened to my queen? 58:37 8) How close to the front entrance can you put electric netting? 1:02:02 9) How would you feed fondant in a layens hive 1:06:07 10) I have a hive getting slimed by small hive beetles. At what point is it to gross to give back to a hive to clean it? 1:10:41
Hey Fred, here in NW MN, the Goldenrod is blooming, which I think is the either the Canadian or Tall variety. The humidity here is high. It's been in the 80% for most the past few weeks and temps as high if not higher. Alsike, Sweet Clover, Birds foot trefoil, and Dutch Clover is the main flow. The Milkweed is done and the main Goldenrod bloom yet to come. Thank you for continuing to educate. In addition, Talking with Dr Marla Spivak years ago, most the current Soybean variety used dont need a pollinators, so nectar amounts are small if any.
Absolutely true... the soy plants don't need the bees to produce beans, but I'm told by growers that their fields benefit from the presence of pollinators. Whatever variety they are growing next to my apiary, is only receiving superficial interest from my bees. It makes sense that a plant that doesn't need pollinators, would not use it's resources to privide much nectar. Much to learn as always :)
If you want to render old comb, I scrape it into a paint strainer bag (from Amazon) and stick in a solar wax melter made out of a cheap Walmart cooler. The strainer bag catches the gunk and the wax drips through. There is not much wax after all that so be sure it is worth the 75¢ for the bag
I liked your Master description. I had a guy come at me once saying he was a master gardener and was too proud of it. I blew him off like the blowhard he was, and he eventually caught the hint that I wasn't impressed. Actions and results are where things come to proof. He learned to realize that I wasn't impressed. That extension certificate means nothing.
The first Goldenrod has started to flower here in SE Michigan. Seems that everything is running early this year. Plenty of rain and good temperatures, seems to be an abundance of wild flowering.
Given I live in the north east like you, but the "leave your dead out hive out" is only an option where wax moths and hive beetles aren't an issue like up here in the northeast.
You must clean them out completely, no remaining honey, no remaining pollen, just the hive and comb on the frames. You do have to monitor them. Great points.
Fred, I am to visual. I tried to understand what you recommended for Layens hive with Hive Alive fondant. I understand it isn’t tried, I have 7 Layens hives. Two of which are the new ones without wool. Thank you in advance.
Hi Blake, I'll try to get a Quick-Tip style video out about top-feeding in Layens hives. Dr. Leo does sell frame-feeders for the Layens, and they have a wooden cover that closes that gap. You could attempt to put fondant in that configuration but I'm not sure how they would keep from becoming stuck in that. Lots to learn there... Thanks for watching and taking a moment to comment.
@@FrederickDunn I did try the feeders and didn’t like them very well. I drilled spaces under the follower board and use the yellow feeder you have. That feeding style works better for me.
Hi Fred. . . Another "Live" watched 'off time'. To late to View here in Scotland 🏴 : Maybe you go to 'Air' say 7pm US (Midnight 12pm here. I'm a Zzzz's Beek.🤭 So watch these on my Sat. 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 Happy Beekeeping 2024 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 Took a Vacation to the 'South' of England this last Week. On the Dorset Coast : Able to see the English Channel & the Isle of Wight in the distance ! (Isle of Wight : pronounced 'White') was the place the "Bee Isle of Wight Disease" (was first Reported back in the 20th Centuary.) Nearly killed all the UK Bees and Bee Industry back in the 1900's ! Caused by a Tachael Mite a nasty 'Acarine' Disease: affecting Bees Trachea was first seen killing Bees & Colonies in the IoW and then Spread throught most of the UK. (Very Rural Areas of eg Scotland, were thankfully Isolated) hence we still have 'Native Black Bees.' History : Brother Adam of 'Buckfast Abbey 'Bee' fame. Went to Europe to find Sub Bee Species that he could 'Cross Breed' to make a strain of Bee that could 'not get IoW' Disease. It worked !!! Hence Buckfast Bees being held in high regard, here, as they 'saved the UK Bee Industry.' Four Hundred Miles or so, South : Saw a few Hives in a corner of a Field where I was Staying : enjoying masses of Golden Rod. And the Moorland was covered in deep 'Purple' flowering Heather too. Someone will have some lovely Honey soon. . . 😁 Back Home, my Bees are busy collecting Nectar from our more 'northern climes' of Heather. Not as warm or as Sunny as my Vacation place. Oh well. . . Bees are Happy. 😎
Instavap for OA treatment..... it heats up to 445°F as it's preset and recommended use. Question. WHY? I just read that at 315°F OA turns to.a vapor, at 373°F it converts to formic acid. So, at that high of a preset aren't we blasting our hives with formic which can cause all.sorts of issues if it's outside the temperature ratings when we think we are treating with OA but bc of the high temp setting we are actually blasting the hive with formic..
When it comes to operating temps, and what happens to the OA when Sublimated, there is a lot going on and it's not as straight forward as you may think. The Instant Vap is very handy in that it can maintain a narrow temp range without the sudden drop and then over-heated recovery that some other units produce. I discussed this with the inventor of the InstantVap in this interview: th-cam.com/video/Bry6rcXpmjQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=a856RPd_wuOlW-Wc
I'm in NW Iowa and noticed yesterday for the first time small bubbles/foam forming in many of the cells with fresh nectar. Is this normal this time of year? I usually do not dig into the hives at this point in the season so that's possibly why I've never noticed this before.
In some cases, fermentation can begin in open cells of unfinished honey. How did it smell? Your nose is also a great indicator if it's encountered too much moisture. The bees may be able to correct that on their own.
I no longer have an extractor because it arrived defective (leak) and I returned it. My goal this year is to store drawn comb super frames for next year. In the past 2 years, I used crush and strain. I don't have a freezer to store the supers in, and most of the honey is uncapped. Can I store these partially filled yet uncapped frames in totes until next spring without the honey drying out too much? It would be nice if I could put them back on the hive next spring so they could continue filling them next year.
Wow, that's bad news about the extractor. I would still try to process the honey as soon as possible and test the water content. Then if you want to, you can feed it back to the original colony in inverted jars when you have a dearth.
I liked your egg test in water description. An uncle of mine who I followed into the Marine Corps told me that in the Philippines I believe it was in the mid to late 70's used to eat eggs that were buried in hot sand and sold out in town while he was on shore leave in the area, can't remember what he called them. There were developing embryos, or chicks inside that were crunchy but pretty tasty. I've always wondered if what he told me was true. Does soy sauce make anything taste good, I've always wondered.🤔
I know exactly what your uncle ate :) We had balut! While balut is a fertilized duck egg incubated for 14-21 days, penoy is incubated for only 9-12 days. This makes it less developed and typically has a taste and texture closer to a regular hard-boiled egg.
@@FrederickDunn Thank you for verifying that for me! For years I thought he might have been full of it! He also mentioned being able to get cooked monkey on the leg or arm bone being sold everywhere like a treat or something.
Do you recommend any type of beeswax foundation press for a backyard to sideliner beek. I don't like plastic foundation. I like Dr. Leo's but it's a bit expensive. I have both langstroth and layens hives. I usually just use a starter strip, not a full frame, so size of press is not a problem, as I just cut strips.
I have actually looked at several wax foundation rollers and found them to be really expensive. If you're just wanting starter strips, maybe consider buying the wax foundation that's sold for Ross Rounds and just cutting them down for starter strips. That could be a happy medium in my opinion. I'm not comfortable endorsing a single roller system over another that could run $1,600.00 or more. That kind of money buys a lot of wax foundation.
@@FrederickDunn I thought I saw some on Google for around 129 dollars. I am a do it yourself kinda guy. Have 14 layens hives and built all but the first one.
It's possible to make a silicone mold-press in inox metal. But you have to be really precise about it. There's a lot of them on internet but not everyone works good. It's not at all easy to make but if you can you're set for many years and you can sell it for a good price...
In Ontario they wont give you an epipen unless you are confirmed allergic. I wish i could get one just in case, this is my 1st year keeping them so it was something i was scared of
Hey Jason. I just explained to my family doctor that I keep bees and I have grandkids over all the time and he wrote me a prescription right away. Still cost me $100 tho. In Ontario as well. Hope this helps.
I don't. But I'm told by others in this area that they perform well in our colder climates. BUT, some have been a tad defensive so I'd recommend trying them if you are somewhat remote. My current favorite "dark" line would be the Carniolans.
Not sure what line of soyplants they are, but I do know the farmer who planted them is moving more organic with his practices. No signs on the field. Corn often has signs that show what variety it is at the time of planting.
Hi Rick, it's becuase though it will give the bees a real nectar boost, it will shut down far too early for that final influx of resources at the weather turns gold in autumn. We count on the asters and goldenrod for the final honey restoration inside the hive, and for me, making sure there is enough for the entire winter.
I've never planted them, so I go with what's already here in the environment. They all tend to bloom mid to late September and give a great nectar flow.
Do u know what purple loostrife is? It's blooming everywhere like crazy here, I havnt seen it other years but it's a perennial & online it says bees & beekeepers love it..it almost looks like lavender from a distance but the blooms look like milkweed but slightly bigger, is so beautiful, VERY plentiful, spreads like wildfire.. oh & it gets tall like 4 -5 ft ...any thoughts?
Please don't plant or propagate Purple Loosestrife unless you want to make enemies of nature lovers. :) Wetlands: Purple loosestrife can invade undisturbed wetland ecosystems and reduce the size of habitats, which can impact fish spawning and waterfowl. It can also diminish recreational values like boating, fishing, and hunting. Wildlife: Purple loosestrife can displace native plants and animals, eliminating food, nesting, and shelter for wildlife. It can also form single-species stands that other species don't depend on, and it germinates faster than many native wetland species. Agriculture: Purple loosestrife can negatively impact agriculture.
@@FrederickDunn I read that part online too.. that's why I was asking your thoughts...but many other sites say it can provide a good nectar flow this time if year...I only see it in ditches in the country here in my area NE Ohio
1) Do all larvae get fed royal jelly and if so is it the same as the queen? 5:38
2) How long after treating with OA should you wait before testing again for mites? 11:35
3) Should I combine weak colonies or let them die to not spread diseases? 22:42
4) Can a queen take more than 16 days to emerge? 28:10
5) Should I take my swarm traps down now that it is summer? 45:35
6) Have you heard about treating for varroa by using a biofloor? 51:00
7) I noticed a hive had swarm and emergency cell. Do you think something happened to my queen? 58:37
8) How close to the front entrance can you put electric netting? 1:02:02
9) How would you feed fondant in a layens hive 1:06:07
10) I have a hive getting slimed by small hive beetles. At what point is it to gross to give back to a hive to clean it? 1:10:41
Thank you Adam.
Hey Fred, here in NW MN, the Goldenrod is blooming, which I think is the either the Canadian or Tall variety. The humidity here is high. It's been in the 80% for most the past few weeks and temps as high if not higher. Alsike, Sweet Clover, Birds foot trefoil, and Dutch Clover is the main flow. The Milkweed is done and the main Goldenrod bloom yet to come. Thank you for continuing to educate. In addition, Talking with Dr Marla Spivak years ago, most the current Soybean variety used dont need a pollinators, so nectar amounts are small if any.
Absolutely true... the soy plants don't need the bees to produce beans, but I'm told by growers that their fields benefit from the presence of pollinators. Whatever variety they are growing next to my apiary, is only receiving superficial interest from my bees. It makes sense that a plant that doesn't need pollinators, would not use it's resources to privide much nectar. Much to learn as always :)
Thanks once again Fred 😊
If you want to render old comb, I scrape it into a paint strainer bag (from Amazon) and stick in a solar wax melter made out of a cheap Walmart cooler. The strainer bag catches the gunk and the wax drips through. There is not much wax after all that so be sure it is worth the 75¢ for the bag
Thanks for the tip :)
Thank you for beeing a good company while I'm driving. Allways good to lissen to you! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Thanks for bringing me along for the ride :)
Darn, missed it again! I was making a facebook flyer for some "special guest speaker" for a Beek Bash next Saturday 😉
:) Is it coming that quick?! (';')( ';')... I better get my presentation spruced up! :)
I liked your Master description. I had a guy come at me once saying he was a master gardener and was too proud of it. I blew him off like the blowhard he was, and he eventually caught the hint that I wasn't impressed. Actions and results are where things come to proof. He learned to realize that I wasn't impressed. That extension certificate means nothing.
Thanks Fred, have a great weekend!!
Thanks, you too!
The first Goldenrod has started to flower here in SE Michigan. Seems that everything is running early this year. Plenty of rain and good temperatures, seems to be an abundance of wild flowering.
Given I live in the north east like you, but the "leave your dead out hive out" is only an option where wax moths and hive beetles aren't an issue like up here in the northeast.
You must clean them out completely, no remaining honey, no remaining pollen, just the hive and comb on the frames. You do have to monitor them. Great points.
Fred, I am to visual. I tried to understand what you recommended for Layens hive with Hive Alive fondant. I understand it isn’t tried, I have 7 Layens hives. Two of which are the new ones without wool. Thank you in advance.
Hi Blake, I'll try to get a Quick-Tip style video out about top-feeding in Layens hives. Dr. Leo does sell frame-feeders for the Layens, and they have a wooden cover that closes that gap. You could attempt to put fondant in that configuration but I'm not sure how they would keep from becoming stuck in that. Lots to learn there... Thanks for watching and taking a moment to comment.
@@FrederickDunn I did try the feeders and didn’t like them very well. I drilled spaces under the follower board and use the yellow feeder you have. That feeding style works better for me.
Will you be attending EAS? If so, are you planning to do any type of meet and greet?
I'm not a member of EAS, but I'm sure it will be a good time for all :)
Hi Fred. . .
Another "Live" watched 'off time'. To late to View here in Scotland 🏴 : Maybe you go to 'Air' say 7pm US (Midnight 12pm here. I'm a Zzzz's Beek.🤭 So watch these on my Sat.
🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
Happy Beekeeping 2024
🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
Took a Vacation to the 'South'
of England this last Week.
On the Dorset Coast : Able to see the English Channel & the Isle of Wight in the distance ! (Isle of Wight : pronounced 'White') was the place the
"Bee Isle of Wight Disease" (was first Reported back in the 20th Centuary.) Nearly killed all the UK Bees and Bee Industry back in the 1900's ! Caused by a Tachael Mite a nasty 'Acarine' Disease: affecting Bees Trachea was first seen killing Bees & Colonies in the IoW and then Spread throught most of the UK. (Very Rural Areas of eg Scotland, were thankfully Isolated) hence we still have 'Native Black Bees.'
History :
Brother Adam of 'Buckfast Abbey 'Bee' fame. Went to Europe to find Sub Bee Species that he could 'Cross Breed' to make a strain of Bee that could 'not get IoW' Disease. It worked !!!
Hence Buckfast Bees being held in high regard, here, as they 'saved the UK Bee Industry.'
Four Hundred Miles or so, South : Saw a few Hives in a corner of a Field where I was Staying : enjoying masses of Golden Rod. And the Moorland was covered in deep 'Purple' flowering Heather too. Someone will have some lovely Honey soon. . . 😁
Back Home, my Bees are busy collecting Nectar from our more 'northern climes' of Heather. Not as warm or as Sunny as my Vacation place. Oh well. . . Bees are Happy. 😎
Instavap for OA treatment..... it heats up to 445°F as it's preset and recommended use.
Question. WHY? I just read that at 315°F OA turns to.a vapor, at 373°F it converts to formic acid. So, at that high of a preset aren't we blasting our hives with formic which can cause all.sorts of issues if it's outside the temperature ratings when we think we are treating with OA but bc of the high temp setting we are actually blasting the hive with formic..
When it comes to operating temps, and what happens to the OA when Sublimated, there is a lot going on and it's not as straight forward as you may think. The Instant Vap is very handy in that it can maintain a narrow temp range without the sudden drop and then over-heated recovery that some other units produce. I discussed this with the inventor of the InstantVap in this interview: th-cam.com/video/Bry6rcXpmjQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=a856RPd_wuOlW-Wc
👍
I'm in NW Iowa and noticed yesterday for the first time small bubbles/foam forming in many of the cells with fresh nectar. Is this normal this time of year? I usually do not dig into the hives at this point in the season so that's possibly why I've never noticed this before.
In some cases, fermentation can begin in open cells of unfinished honey. How did it smell? Your nose is also a great indicator if it's encountered too much moisture. The bees may be able to correct that on their own.
I no longer have an extractor because it arrived defective (leak) and I returned it. My goal this year is to store drawn comb super frames for next year. In the past 2 years, I used crush and strain. I don't have a freezer to store the supers in, and most of the honey is uncapped. Can I store these partially filled yet uncapped frames in totes until next spring without the honey drying out too much? It would be nice if I could put them back on the hive next spring so they could continue filling them next year.
Wow, that's bad news about the extractor. I would still try to process the honey as soon as possible and test the water content. Then if you want to, you can feed it back to the original colony in inverted jars when you have a dearth.
I liked your egg test in water description. An uncle of mine who I followed into the Marine Corps told me that in the Philippines I believe it was in the mid to late 70's used to eat eggs that were buried in hot sand and sold out in town while he was on shore leave in the area, can't remember what he called them. There were developing embryos, or chicks inside that were crunchy but pretty tasty. I've always wondered if what he told me was true. Does soy sauce make anything taste good, I've always wondered.🤔
I know exactly what your uncle ate :) We had balut! While balut is a fertilized duck egg incubated for 14-21 days, penoy is incubated for only 9-12 days. This makes it less developed and typically has a taste and texture closer to a regular hard-boiled egg.
@@FrederickDunn Thank you for verifying that for me! For years I thought he might have been full of it! He also mentioned being able to get cooked monkey on the leg or arm bone being sold everywhere like a treat or something.
Do you recommend any type of beeswax foundation press for a backyard to sideliner beek. I don't like plastic foundation. I like Dr. Leo's but it's a bit expensive. I have both langstroth and layens hives. I usually just use a starter strip, not a full frame, so size of press is not a problem, as I just cut strips.
I have actually looked at several wax foundation rollers and found them to be really expensive. If you're just wanting starter strips, maybe consider buying the wax foundation that's sold for Ross Rounds and just cutting them down for starter strips. That could be a happy medium in my opinion. I'm not comfortable endorsing a single roller system over another that could run $1,600.00 or more. That kind of money buys a lot of wax foundation.
@@FrederickDunn I thought I saw some on Google for around 129 dollars. I am a do it yourself kinda guy. Have 14 layens hives and built all but the first one.
It's possible to make a silicone mold-press in inox metal. But you have to be really precise about it. There's a lot of them on internet but not everyone works good. It's not at all easy to make but if you can you're set for many years and you can sell it for a good price...
In Ontario they wont give you an epipen unless you are confirmed allergic. I wish i could get one just in case, this is my 1st year keeping them so it was something i was scared of
Hey Jason. I just explained to my family doctor that I keep bees and I have grandkids over all the time and he wrote me a prescription right away. Still cost me $100 tho. In Ontario as well. Hope this helps.
Our golden rob has start to bloom early
Too but I think we have two kinds one early
One late
True :) there are over 60 species of goldenrod in the northeastern United States alone. Some are not even beginning to bud yet.
@@FrederickDunn I’m Canadian lol
Do you have any Russian hives ? If so what are your thoughts on them ? I grabs 2 queens to see how the are
I don't. But I'm told by others in this area that they perform well in our colder climates. BUT, some have been a tad defensive so I'd recommend trying them if you are somewhat remote. My current favorite "dark" line would be the Carniolans.
@@FrederickDunn that’s what I have all carnies I got 2 queens and I did put them in a diff area 👍🏾
GMO soy flowers, how "good"can it be? 😱
Not sure what line of soyplants they are, but I do know the farmer who planted them is moving more organic with his practices. No signs on the field. Corn often has signs that show what variety it is at the time of planting.
I missed why you were not happy that goldenrod is early?
Hi Rick, it's becuase though it will give the bees a real nectar boost, it will shut down far too early for that final influx of resources at the weather turns gold in autumn. We count on the asters and goldenrod for the final honey restoration inside the hive, and for me, making sure there is enough for the entire winter.
Do you have a preferred variety of aster?
I've never planted them, so I go with what's already here in the environment. They all tend to bloom mid to late September and give a great nectar flow.
Do u know what purple loostrife is? It's blooming everywhere like crazy here, I havnt seen it other years but it's a perennial & online it says bees & beekeepers love it..it almost looks like lavender from a distance but the blooms look like milkweed but slightly bigger, is so beautiful, VERY plentiful, spreads like wildfire.. oh & it gets tall like 4 -5 ft ...any thoughts?
Please don't plant or propagate Purple Loosestrife unless you want to make enemies of nature lovers. :)
Wetlands: Purple loosestrife can invade undisturbed wetland ecosystems and reduce the size of habitats, which can impact fish spawning and waterfowl. It can also diminish recreational values like boating, fishing, and hunting.
Wildlife: Purple loosestrife can displace native plants and animals, eliminating food, nesting, and shelter for wildlife. It can also form single-species stands that other species don't depend on, and it germinates faster than many native wetland species.
Agriculture: Purple loosestrife can negatively impact agriculture.
@@FrederickDunn I read that part online too.. that's why I was asking your thoughts...but many other sites say it can provide a good nectar flow this time if year...I only see it in ditches in the country here in my area NE Ohio
It grows right along side of the golden rod from what i see.