1) Hummingbirds get 1:4 syrup, How thin should the syrup be? 15:57 2) I attempted to use the Queen Introduction Cage and ended up with no queen, and lots of small hive beetle larvae. 26:43 3) I have a pool and was provided BTI granular to kill mosquito larvae. What are your thoughts? 32:38 4) How can we guarantee we don't smash bees in the Flow Hive? 35:28 5) I was told that honey frames in freezers can increase moisture content. 44:54 6) I Love the Switch Grass pellets, but how do you light them? What's the procedure? 50:47 7) Do you see a problem with long extension cords not providing enough power for my OAV unit? 54:26 8) I'm looking for a recommendation for an electric extractor. 59:34
Re: flow frames. I’ve had more bee legs and wings and ants using traditional extraction methods than with the flow frames. Someone commented on my flow extraction video saying “that doesn’t look very sanitary”, but I can’t imagine “flow frame straight to jar” is any less sanitary than “traditional frame, pull from hive, cut off caps, spin in an extractor, strain through a strainer into a bucket, dispense into a jar”. In my professional life as a laboratory scientist, I’ve learned the more steps in a process, the more opportunity for contamination. Bottom line, Flow hives work. Period. Sorry to ruin your day, haters…
There is evidence that the honey from Flow-Frames is cleaner and more aromatic than traditionally extracted honey. In "blind tests" it consistently wins awards. There are people just waiting to criticize things they don't personally like, and that's ok. :)
Hi Fred… on same note @41:50 you want to add Flow frames to a nuc… why not combine two nucs and stick an 8 frame flow super on top… May still require modification, you are the innovator 😊😉 Have a gr8 weekend 🍻 Johno
I love my flow hive, I had no bees or anything but honey flow from mine, I’m already planning to get another next year, just need to save up a bit as they are more expensive.🇬🇧
Fred, Thank you for the "shout out" for Beaver Valley Area Beekeepers Association! It was such a pleasure having you host. Everyone had an awesome time and nothing but great comments on your presentation. I didn't have time myself to sit and chat like I hoped, but look forward to having another opportunity soon.
Thank you David! I really like the shirt also :) It was pure fun for me to visit with all of you there. I really appreciate how much work you did to make that happen :)
Thank you! I’m picking up my 2 grandsons from elementary school today and we’re going to feed my bees! Your comments are always inspiring and I loved what you said about kids! They truly are amazing and thrive when we spend quality time with them.
Question for Friday. Why is drone frame placed second to the last frame? I use a drone frame in hopes of reducing drone brood below the brood frames or between boxes … the 1st frame in an 8 frame deep box. To my surprise they still made drone brood below the brood frames in the 8 frame configuration. Thus my question.
Re power station: I pull a garden cart with all my bee stuff in it, and included in that cart is a 600 watt Jackery power station. I charge it on a solar panel in between uses.. great for plug in vaporizers.
Wow Fred you are now up to 41 hives!! I remember when you said 30 was wayyy too many! Lol Only 10 more or so and we are going to label you “Sideliner”! 👍
Very well said about the young folks of tomorrow. My wife & I don’t have children but I met her when she had a 7 year old Nephew. I became Uncle Ted and took him fishing all the time. He’s 40 now and living in SC. Whenever he comes up here or us down there, he wants to go fishing with Uncle Ted. Sorry I have nothing bee related to say.
Hi Teddy! You've made my point very well... it doesn't have to be about bees, it's about giving our time and fortifying our youth as they grow and learn. Way to go, Uncle Ted!
Th goldfish can be put in large tanks indoors and then outside again the following late spring when bad weather has gone. I use hoover bag and put my large frames in them, this removes all air, before putting in the freezer, this means no condensation on the frame when de-thawed. To remove propolis use washing soda in boiling water, it removes all the propolis leaving everything like new. Thank you for your videos, they are simply the best out there. Been keeping bees for 60 years in Ireland and its still good to hear you talk about beekeeping and and ideas.
@@Sue_Anthony G’day Sue, we are just back from a really nice trip to Ireland… took in the usual tourist places… but did enjoy Killarney, (Ring of Kerry), Galway (Cliffs of Moher… wife nearly blown away), Dublin, Guinness, and Irish Whiskey (Red Breast… wife’s favorite)… people were funtastic, maybe an affinity with misplaces Aussies… Bee Healthy… 🍻 Johno
I use an open crockpot of water {no lid on crockpot) on warm setting (95-100 degrees) to warm my crystalized honey. It takes about 10 hours for bigger jars. Small jars liquify much faster than Quarts. Several jars can be warmed at once.
Thought I'd let u know golden rod has started to open in the last couple days in NE ohio, & pollen is rolling in by the masses.. your neck of the woods will be soon if u haven't seen it yet... can't believe we are this far into the season already...I made big headway this year with making bees & equipment, grateful for that! 2nd OA treatment today & hopefully everyone is alive next spring lol...I'm only doing OA & nothing else..
Mike uses both, he has a Maxant uncapping tank, and two extractors one is Maxant and the larger one he has is Hillco. He has a mix of gear as most keepers will. I think his first electric extractor purchase was Maxant. I think everyone will get the best mix of price to quality value they can find.
Great Q&A , I’ve been spinning honey lol and unless you get them in exactly balanced omg it’s a nightmare not sure Nicola appreciated the sticky mess I was creating either 😂 , the flow super this week will be so much more enjoyable
fred I have several of those hornets nest i have gathered over the years and the best thing I have found to make them last structurally is spray them with flat varathane it hardens the shell without making it look painted and if it has leaves they will still turn brown but will stay on, several coats work best because it absorbs it up
Hi Fred 👋 I put a queen in a queen introduction cage then put the cage in a closed bin bc it looked the the queen could get out from the space at the top sides. When I went to return the queen I didn't see her on the frame in the cage or closed bin. Just hoping she was hiding in the frame somewhere. From now on I'm only using the queen isolation cages that were just delivered. I have the worst luck when it comes to dealing with queens
The only time I have seen bee parts come out is when bees have gotten in the bottom channel and died from previous cycling of the frames. Also Fred, I’ve split two 10-frame deeps into two side-by-side nucs and have my Flow Super on top with a queen excluder. Already drained it 2x this year (I’m in southeastern CT)
I just got a dead out ,brought the boxes home,set them in my apiary...and today a self hiving swarm in the boxes ..😊I think...I havnt opened it up to confirm
Had the same issue with using a queen introduction cage this late in the year, 3 days later when we went back into release her to the hive, the frame was slimed, queen no where to be found. Better to use those before hive beetle season or add more nurse bees.
Two weeks ago I introduced a queen using the queen introduction cage on a brood frame with emerging brood. Thus, at introduction, there was only the queen and bees starting to emerge. 3 days later there were no eggs, no larvae, no queen, just exoskeletons of bees that had emerged and must have died. Many of the exoskeletons were torn apart as the bees were trying to clean the area.
This is an area where Dr. Peck should chime in. His method is different from mine, in that He says no bees at all... I leave nurse bees in the cage with the new queen. I yielded to his advanced degree, and more experience as an entomologist. I think it's worth revisiting. You are not the only one with this experience.
I never remember how long I need to leave my OAV wand energized for (I use a plug-in car battery charger on the "boost" setting) and so I always time a test burn out in the open before I stick it in a hive. If someone's concerned about whether their second extension cord is causing inefficiencies, why not do a test run with the first, one with the second, and see whether there's a difference?
Fred, question for your next Q&A episode. We have tried to set up a watering starion a few times on top of the hive, under the roof of the hive, using the small hole on the lid for access. A circular water feeder that has textured edges for the bees to hang onto as they sip water... yet many bees keep drowning. Please help!
Please do not use water drinkers inside any of your hives. It's far more imporant and useful to the bees if you offer it outside the hive where they can take it in if they need that resource.
This is my first season taking honey through my flow frames. I made a huge mistake of not using a queen excluder. Drone brood was laid in some frames. I moved those to one side, installed the queen excluder, and waited for that to hatch out. Most of the drones flew out at my next inspection but it's hard to get them all out. Meanwhile I was able to harvest honey for the first time from the unaffected frames once they were capped over. Beautiful clean honey flowed out. I suggest using a tall container that can hold around 2 liters. That's about how much honey one flow frame can hold! It was amazing! It took about 20 minutes to drain one frame. I have a refractometer and the moisture content was 17%. ❤ Praise God for the wonders of this world.
Hello Fred, great channel! Question; I have a flow hive also with a medium on top of the deep. I made the medium by ordering a flow deep and cut 3 inches off of it to make it a flow medium. I now have a 3 inch spacer left over. I understand you use the spacer under the deep to provide more room? What are the advantages, why do you use this? Thanks Harold from Schertz Texas
That top spacer provides enough area for a hive top feeder if that's needed, it can house a Rapid-Round feeder, or a place for fondant etc as well as other feeder options. Without the spacer, even rapid round feeders don't have enough space. I also highly recommend insulating that inner cover and outer cover.
Hey Mr Fred it's been a minute since I left a message we had a storm come through pretty rough woke up to all my beehives blowed over over went out and got them all put back up then the next day a lot of water come through pond behind the house gave up and run through the middle of my bee yard so you know what happened next been a real bad week. But still have a house and nobody I know got hurt
Hillco (american made) is a fantastic eatractor. I bought one at the 2024 North American Honey Bee Expo. Much better price than Maxent. Hillco Bottom is sloped to gate and uses a three phase motor that doesn't heat up with long hours of use. Maxent is a good product but your paying for the name and it took three months for my friend to get parts to repair her Maxent motor so she also purchased a Hillco while waiting for Maxent parts.
Yes, I've looked over the Hillco offerings several times. They have a great price. Every beekeeper will make their own assessments. I'm willing to pay more for the quality that Maxant provides. Maxant builds all of their own components. Hillco assembles components "Designed and assembled in USA by HillCo" (that's from Hillco). the key being "Assembled in USA". There are differences, but if you like HIllco and are happy with the results, I'm not here to change your mind. The question was what my personal favorite is, and for now, it's Maxant.
Can they take the same temperature ranges as goldfish? Guppies are considered tropical, while the goldfish can handle colder water :) BUT, if you're in a warm climate I could see them as an option :)
Happy Friday Fred! I bought 20 frames of bettercomb and they have held up to our Carolina heat, I was a bit leary. I will say it is pretty brittle and some broke up in shipping.
Hi Steven, I'm so glad you like them. The good news is that any damage or cracking that occurs will be mended by the bees in record time. I had some completely broken better-comb and wish I'd marked the frame as I couldn't remember which one it was when I inspected later on. Good stuff if you don't have comb late in the season :)
@FrederickDunn They sure do, I think that I had one that way as well. I spread them out between several hives that I needed to add seconds to in the manner that they suggest and the seem to have accepted them. Also ordered some of the pellets, looking forward to trying them out!
You mean North Macedonia now.. back then it was Greece. I remember reading that ancient Egyptians used to buy bees from the Greek beekeepers because their bees were much calmer and better for honey production. It was some shipping cargo document they found with the boat...
Aaron, they love water that has minerals in it. Have you put any sea-salt water out for them? If you'd care to try it out, put one teaspoon of Mortan Sea Salt into a quart of fresh water and see if they go for it. :)
Hi Fred Got a tip from my new bee club. Ontario fingerlakes beekeeper associatipn When you feed empty frames back to a hive, sandwich the box with comb between two bottom boards and put it atop the hive upside down. An ahh haa moment for bc bees wont store nectar in upside down comb. What do you think? Oh BTW you made the list of 5 youtube groups to watch during my club meeting! I clapped for you! Just got Lorob battery operated vape love it! Since my hives are 18inch above ground, I had to make a t-stand out of wood so I don't have to hold the gun. The teeth didn't hold onto the box...Also had to get a new 3m resperator bc vape is so strong cant walk upwind. Also wear safely glasses bc of you said it could mess up the eyes. I ordered the sawgrass pellets not gonna last one season. My smoker must run to hot? Im in a dearth for the first time this year...waiting for goldenrod to full bloom. Even then dont think they get much nectar from golden rod. I want to take supers off so the bees store honey in deep and med but just too early. I'm getting one of two supers off. Oh also learned put a metal queen excluder on stored boxes so mice can't get in! Carolanne
Hey Fred, Hope you are well. I'd like your POV. I'm in Yardley, PA. I created a resource NUC in the Spring and it has served me well. It grew nicely and I added a second 5 frame deep on top; so now its a 5 over 5 deep frame NUC. I'm considering over Wintering it this way/. I will provide supplemental feeding with Hive Alive Fondant. Do you think this is a good idea or should I move it to a 10 frame deep for over wintering?
Yes, there are lots of other options. Dadant, Hillco, and others... I'm just personally drawn to Maxant for my own equipment. Hillco assembles the components in the U.S. and employs many of my beekeeping friends :) Probably a good value overall.
Hi Fred, thank you for discussing freezer storage in this Q&A. My freezer lost power while I was out of town, likely for several days, with 12 frames of precious spring honey that I’ve been waiting to extract. When I got home, opened the freezer, I was hit with smell of fermentation. Some of my honey frames have some uncapped nectar. Is it safe to assume only the uncapped nectar may have spoiled, but that my capped honey is still safe to extract? if so, how would you recommend I clean out the uncapped cells before extraction? Or are all my frames a total loss? Additional information: I quickly closed the freezer door. We got the power restarted later that day. This freezer is only used for beekeeping. Most, but not all of my frames are stored in zip lock style plastic bags Thank you in advance for any advice you have. I greatly appreciate your show!
I would still use the frames that were completely capped. Those that are partially capped with uncapped cells in them I'd process for home use only. I would definitely test the honey for water content just to be safe.
Queen Intro Cage fail #2 Move a Queen from a 3 frame Nuc to a hive that lost its queen and failed to re-Queen itself. Placed frame of capped brood, nurse bees and marked Queen into hive. Checked 2 days later and 90% of nurse bees are dead on bottom of cage. Queen was still alive. This is my second attempt this year to use this cage and first time same result except the queen was gone and many of the dead nurse bees were torn to pieces.
I hope you share your observations and experiences with BetterBee... if it's a trend, they really need to know as well as the manufacturer. The dead nurse bees are also a puzzle for me, they are the most frequently accepted additions to hives that need fortification. Something isn't adding up, so I hope you can get some answers. What are your thoughts regarding how the queen ended up missing? I can't imagine them pulling her apart through the bars for removal. Please keep us posted, and thanks for sharing.
Tip : Adding a Queen to a Hopelessly Queenless Colony. 1st : Make sure the Colony is truely HLQL ! (You could have a a Supercedure Queen (Virgin Queen) in that Colony. Sometimes 'two' Queens living in there. It happens. 🙃 2nd : Add the 'moved Queen' into a Queen Cage, with some attendant Bees. Nurse Bees are the ones you want. They are the 'attentive' Fuzzy Bees mainly over the 'Brood Area.' They have no loyalty / Fighting or Rejecting 'tendencies' to nobble (kill) that 'Queen' ! 3rd : I would take all the Frames from a 'failing Nuc' and add them to a 'New / another Nuc Box, to what they had ! 4th : Place this 'Nuc' in a position where another stronger 'Nuc Hive' has been. There returning 'Field Force' will boost that Newer Box ! 5th : Add the original Frames of most Bees and Resources. Also 'add Frames from another Colony or two. Those 'lesser' Nuc Frames (low Nectar, Brood, etc : use these Frames to 'fill' the Stronger Frames you have taken (stolen !) from these Donor Hives. 🤭 6th : Also shake some Frame of Bees from several Colonies into a eg Washing up Bowl, gently Tap its Corner, so all the 'Nurse' Bees (non loyal, non flying Bees will stay in that Tub.) And give all these Bees a light 'Spritz' of Water with a "Dot" of Lemon Grass Oil in a Carrier Oil in it : its a "Masking Scent" not a lure Scent. Tip : add say x1 Drop of LGO into say a mini Jar of Oilve Oil. And "add" say x3 Drops with a little bit of Sugar Solution into a Plant Spritz Bottle, even a well cleaned out (Fabreeze) Bottle ! Make this up 'Fresh' when doing Bee Harvesting ! 7th : Spritz all these Donor Frames and collected Bees with this 'Masking Mist.' All this "will ensure all Bees lose their "loyalty Phremones" they got from each and other Bee, of that Colony. 8th : Add all these Frames and Bees into your 'Nuc' and "Watch them for a few Minutes . . . In their Hopelessly Queenless State ! After say x5 or x10 Mins, you can 'Lay the Queen in here mini Plastic Mesh Travel Cage' on "Top of the Frames" and Watch ! (the Cages : where Fondant is added at one end, with a Tab to break off.) 9th : By "Watching" the Bees interacting with each other : any Fighting, Balling the Queen can be seen before disaster happens. If Bees are calmly moving about, sticking their tongues through the Cage Mesh (are not all Curved Bent Abdomens : trying to Sting that Caged Queen !) You have acceptance : if all are just "Doing their Thing in Hive Duties.) 10th : Add that Queen in here Cage with Attendants, in between two Frames of central placed Brood. I like to add it with a 'Cocktail Stick' in that tiny top Hole over each Side by Side Frame. Do "Remember to Break that Tab" OR Carefully Slide* that Clear Cover a tiny amount at the Fondant Cavity End ! No more than say x1 Bees width of a Gap ! And LEAVE all these Bees in the Colony for at least x2 Weeks. By then : you should have a Queen that has been "Slowly" Introduced / her Phremones are now dominent in that Colony ! She has been slowly Released by that Fondant being eaten away. And She 'should also have Started to Lay Eggs in Cells' by that two Week timescale ! 👀 Finally : have heard of Beeks using Food Grade Vanilla Essence, or even a 'Glade' Air Spray Can (Air Freshner !) to be the 'Masking Agent.' Mmm. 😵💫 I think LGO is 'safe' is more alike to Queen Phremone, than other Essential Oils, to Faux Fragrance ! So think before just doing what 'another' Beek did. Just saying. . . Hope this helps. 😎 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 Happy Beekeeping 2024 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 The whole above process "Works" without buying those Expensive 'Introduction and Isolation Metal Frame Cages ! Fred and US Beeks have these, those like us in Scotland 🏴 don't !!! Shipping would break the Bank. So use what you have to hand ! 👍 You can Buy Queen Cages for about 40 Pence / $1 off eg Amazon, or from a Bee Supplier. * If you slide that Lid, they can be used time and time again ! If the Tab is Broken, a tiny bit of Paper based Tape can 'cover' that opened Tab, to ensure slow release is utilised, done. . . 🤞
Fred. Another Great Q&A. . . Watching it at 4AM ! Still dark ! Here in Scotland 🏴 with a very early Cuppa. Blame my early Rooster 🐓 doing is Dawn Chorus. Usually sleep thru his Crowing, not tonight. . . 🤭 Enjoying the discussion, maybe Sleep will kick in again before the night ends. And it turns into Sat AM Breakfast time ! Of Toast and this Years Honey. 🍯 Yum. . . 😎
I featured it last year and was dressed down for "promoting" an invasive species. Bees to work it :) This is what they said: "Rapid Growth and Spread: Knapweed is a prolific seed producer, and its seeds can remain viable in the soil for many years. This allows it to rapidly colonize new areas. Chemical Warfare: Knapweed produces chemicals that inhibit the growth of other plants, creating a competitive advantage. This process is known as allelopathy. Habitat Destruction: By outcompeting native plants, knapweed alters the ecosystem, reducing biodiversity and disrupting food chains. Economic Impact: Knapweed infestation can significantly reduce the value of agricultural land and rangeland."
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1) Hummingbirds get 1:4 syrup, How thin should the syrup be? 15:57
2) I attempted to use the Queen Introduction Cage and ended up with no queen, and lots of small hive beetle larvae. 26:43
3) I have a pool and was provided BTI granular to kill mosquito larvae. What are your thoughts? 32:38
4) How can we guarantee we don't smash bees in the Flow Hive? 35:28
5) I was told that honey frames in freezers can increase moisture content. 44:54
6) I Love the Switch Grass pellets, but how do you light them? What's the procedure? 50:47
7) Do you see a problem with long extension cords not providing enough power for my OAV unit? 54:26
8) I'm looking for a recommendation for an electric extractor. 59:34
Thank you Adam!
Re: flow frames. I’ve had more bee legs and wings and ants using traditional extraction methods than with the flow frames. Someone commented on my flow extraction video saying “that doesn’t look very sanitary”, but I can’t imagine “flow frame straight to jar” is any less sanitary than “traditional frame, pull from hive, cut off caps, spin in an extractor, strain through a strainer into a bucket, dispense into a jar”. In my professional life as a laboratory scientist, I’ve learned the more steps in a process, the more opportunity for contamination. Bottom line, Flow hives work. Period. Sorry to ruin your day, haters…
There is evidence that the honey from Flow-Frames is cleaner and more aromatic than traditionally extracted honey. In "blind tests" it consistently wins awards. There are people just waiting to criticize things they don't personally like, and that's ok. :)
Hi Fred… on same note @41:50 you want to add Flow frames to a nuc… why not combine two nucs and stick an 8 frame flow super on top… May still require modification, you are the innovator 😊😉
Have a gr8 weekend
🍻 Johno
I love my flow hive, I had no bees or anything but honey flow from mine, I’m already planning to get another next year, just need to save up a bit as they are more expensive.🇬🇧
Fred, Thank you for the "shout out" for Beaver Valley Area Beekeepers Association! It was such a pleasure having you host. Everyone had an awesome time and nothing but great comments on your presentation. I didn't have time myself to sit and chat like I hoped, but look forward to having another opportunity soon.
Thank you David! I really like the shirt also :) It was pure fun for me to visit with all of you there. I really appreciate how much work you did to make that happen :)
Dear Frederick. We are grateful for your message in the video. 😘
You're very welcome :)
Thank you! I’m picking up my 2 grandsons from elementary school today and we’re going to feed my bees! Your comments are always inspiring and I loved what you said about kids! They truly are amazing and thrive when we spend quality time with them.
That sounds fantastic :)
Love the fact that you are teaching the next generation of beekeepers
😊
I really appreciate that :) thank you!
Question for Friday. Why is drone frame placed second to the last frame? I use a drone frame in hopes of reducing drone brood below the brood frames or between boxes … the 1st frame in an 8 frame deep box. To my surprise they still made drone brood below the brood frames in the 8 frame configuration. Thus my question.
Re power station: I pull a garden cart with all my bee stuff in it, and included in that cart is a 600 watt Jackery power station. I charge it on a solar panel in between uses.. great for plug in vaporizers.
There you go :)
Wow Fred you are now up to 41 hives!! I remember when you said 30 was wayyy too many! Lol Only 10 more or so and we are going to label you “Sideliner”! 👍
I've learned that if you try to keep them limited, they expand in spite of your efforts :) I do plan to reduce my apiary again.
Lol when I started watching 👀 Fred he had 13
Mike Berry bought new extractor from HillCo.
Thanks for sharing :)
Happy today. Mite count down after 5 OA treatments from 15 to 1 in a half cup. Still battling hive beetles.
I wondered why Maxant hasn't made a 9 frame extractor. A 9 frame would be far more helpful in extracting a full super at a time.
Very well said about the young folks of tomorrow.
My wife & I don’t have children but I met her when she had a 7 year old Nephew.
I became Uncle Ted and took him fishing all the time.
He’s 40 now and living in SC. Whenever he comes up here or us down there, he wants to go fishing with Uncle Ted. Sorry I have nothing bee related to say.
Hi Teddy! You've made my point very well... it doesn't have to be about bees, it's about giving our time and fortifying our youth as they grow and learn. Way to go, Uncle Ted!
Thank you Fred
Th goldfish can be put in large tanks indoors and then outside again the following late spring when bad weather has gone. I use hoover bag and put my large frames in them, this removes all air, before putting in the freezer, this means no condensation on the frame when de-thawed. To remove propolis use washing soda in boiling water, it removes all the propolis leaving everything like new. Thank you for your videos, they are simply the best out there. Been keeping bees for 60 years in Ireland and its still good to hear you talk about beekeeping and and ideas.
@@Sue_Anthony G’day Sue, we are just back from a really nice trip to Ireland… took in the usual tourist places… but did enjoy Killarney, (Ring of Kerry), Galway (Cliffs of Moher… wife nearly blown away), Dublin, Guinness, and Irish Whiskey (Red Breast… wife’s favorite)… people were funtastic, maybe an affinity with misplaces Aussies… Bee Healthy…
🍻 Johno
I here you are going to come visit us in Texas in November
Can’t wait to meet you
Yes! I've been invited to serve as a presenter, I'm excited to meet everyone. I just hope expectations are low... (';')( ';').... :)
I use an open crockpot of water {no lid on crockpot) on warm setting (95-100 degrees) to warm my crystalized honey. It takes about 10 hours for bigger jars. Small jars liquify much faster than Quarts. Several jars can be warmed at once.
Thought I'd let u know golden rod has started to open in the last couple days in NE ohio, & pollen is rolling in by the masses.. your neck of the woods will be soon if u haven't seen it yet... can't believe we are this far into the season already...I made big headway this year with making bees & equipment, grateful for that! 2nd OA treatment today & hopefully everyone is alive next spring lol...I'm only doing OA & nothing else..
Mike Berry - HillCo replaced Maxant
Mike uses both, he has a Maxant uncapping tank, and two extractors one is Maxant and the larger one he has is Hillco. He has a mix of gear as most keepers will. I think his first electric extractor purchase was Maxant. I think everyone will get the best mix of price to quality value they can find.
Great Q&A , I’ve been spinning honey lol and unless you get them in exactly balanced omg it’s a nightmare not sure Nicola appreciated the sticky mess I was creating either 😂 , the flow super this week will be so much more enjoyable
fred I have several of those hornets nest i have gathered over the years and the best thing I have found to make them last structurally is spray them with flat varathane it hardens the shell without making it look painted and if it has leaves they will still turn brown but will stay on, several coats work best because it absorbs it up
Thanks for sharing :)
I use the B.t.i. Discs and they work like a charm on mosquitoes, and haven’t affected my colonies.
That's good to know, I could find no suggestion that they would impact anything other than the targeted mosquito larvae.
Thank You! I always appreciate the time and effort you take to share your wealth of knowledge of all things honeybee.
Thank you so much :)
Very cool message. These cages in Europe are highly regarded by beekeepers
I've been doing this for years 😀
Hi Fred 👋 I put a queen in a queen introduction cage then put the cage in a closed bin bc it looked the the queen could get out from the space at the top sides. When I went to return the queen I didn't see her on the frame in the cage or closed bin. Just hoping she was hiding in the frame somewhere. From now on I'm only using the queen isolation cages that were just delivered. I have the worst luck when it comes to dealing with queens
The only time I have seen bee parts come out is when bees have gotten in the bottom channel and died from previous cycling of the frames.
Also Fred, I’ve split two 10-frame deeps into two side-by-side nucs and have my Flow Super on top with a queen excluder. Already drained it 2x this year (I’m in southeastern CT)
I definitely will be looking into that double-queen system in partnership with the flow-super or flow-frames. Thanks for sharing :)
I’m trying it with a Ross Round and for some reason they are chewing through the foundation instead of using it
Great video again_ love the reminder to teach our young future leaders about nature and how everything g fits in the big picture😄
If I was drinking coffee I would have spit it out on the comment on resisting the temptation....timeless. My mother resisted that I'm sure!
I just got a dead out ,brought the boxes home,set them in my apiary...and today a self hiving swarm in the boxes ..😊I think...I havnt opened it up to confirm
You're living a charmed life :) that's great!
Had the same issue with using a queen introduction cage this late in the year, 3 days later when we went back into release her to the hive, the frame was slimed, queen no where to be found. Better to use those before hive beetle season or add more nurse bees.
Wow, very interesting! Thanks for sharing what you observed.
I’m lucky since I don’t have any friends, I got Better Comb and it works like a charm. Pricey, but cheaper than managing a Christmas gift list…
Preaching to the Choir :)
Sweep their feet and make them eat grass 😂, Thanks Fred, have a fantastic weekend!
Sorry... that was off-sides (';')( ';')... :)
@@FrederickDunn … loved it! Put a few more in your presentations… I think the Aussie equivalents would go 10’ over most…
Two weeks ago I introduced a queen using the queen introduction cage on a brood frame with emerging brood. Thus, at introduction, there was only the queen and bees starting to emerge. 3 days later there were no eggs, no larvae, no queen, just exoskeletons of bees that had emerged and must have died. Many of the exoskeletons were torn apart as the bees were trying to clean the area.
This is an area where Dr. Peck should chime in. His method is different from mine, in that He says no bees at all... I leave nurse bees in the cage with the new queen. I yielded to his advanced degree, and more experience as an entomologist. I think it's worth revisiting. You are not the only one with this experience.
I never remember how long I need to leave my OAV wand energized for (I use a plug-in car battery charger on the "boost" setting) and so I always time a test burn out in the open before I stick it in a hive. If someone's concerned about whether their second extension cord is causing inefficiencies, why not do a test run with the first, one with the second, and see whether there's a difference?
Great point, always test the connections, and burn time for the dose you're using. It's important not to melt those aluminum wand pans.
Oops, I saw that maxant makes a 9 frame now...
Fred, question for your next Q&A episode. We have tried to set up a watering starion a few times on top of the hive, under the roof of the hive, using the small hole on the lid for access. A circular water feeder that has textured edges for the bees to hang onto as they sip water... yet many bees keep drowning. Please help!
Please do not use water drinkers inside any of your hives. It's far more imporant and useful to the bees if you offer it outside the hive where they can take it in if they need that resource.
@@FrederickDunn thank you. Any recommended brands or styles that you like?
This is my first season taking honey through my flow frames. I made a huge mistake of not using a queen excluder. Drone brood was laid in some frames. I moved those to one side, installed the queen excluder, and waited for that to hatch out. Most of the drones flew out at my next inspection but it's hard to get them all out. Meanwhile I was able to harvest honey for the first time from the unaffected frames once they were capped over. Beautiful clean honey flowed out. I suggest using a tall container that can hold around 2 liters. That's about how much honey one flow frame can hold! It was amazing! It took about 20 minutes to drain one frame. I have a refractometer and the moisture content was 17%. ❤ Praise God for the wonders of this world.
Hello Fred, great channel! Question; I have a flow hive also with a medium on top of the deep. I made the medium by ordering a flow deep and cut 3 inches off of it to make it a flow medium. I now have a 3 inch spacer left over. I understand you use the spacer under the deep to provide more room? What are the advantages, why do you use this? Thanks Harold from Schertz Texas
That top spacer provides enough area for a hive top feeder if that's needed, it can house a Rapid-Round feeder, or a place for fondant etc as well as other feeder options. Without the spacer, even rapid round feeders don't have enough space. I also highly recommend insulating that inner cover and outer cover.
I leave my goldfish in my big horsetanks year round . They do just fine
That's fantastic! Thanks for sharing :) They are very durable.
Piping means l'm gonna get you ! You just wait there. You'll get yours ! Just give me a moment to emerge from this cell and I'll deal with you...
Hey Mr Fred it's been a minute since I left a message we had a storm come through pretty rough woke up to all my beehives blowed over over went out and got them all put back up then the next day a lot of water come through pond behind the house gave up and run through the middle of my bee yard so you know what happened next been a real bad week. But still have a house and nobody I know got hurt
wow, Wade, I'm glad no one was hurt! Did any of the bee colonies survive? Or, was it a total loss for them?
@@FrederickDunn got two that stayed together. Found two hanging in a tree like a swarm and pick up boxes up from the house to the creek
@@FrederickDunn from the bee yard to the creek is about 300 yd
I wrap my honey frames with Saran wrap when I put them in the freezer so when I take them out the water condenses on the plastic, not on the honeycomb
Nice tip. Thanks for sharing.
Hillco (american made) is a fantastic eatractor. I bought one at the 2024 North American Honey Bee Expo. Much better price than Maxent. Hillco Bottom is sloped to gate and uses a three phase motor that doesn't heat up with long hours of use. Maxent is a good product but your paying for the name and it took three months for my friend to get parts to repair her Maxent motor so she also purchased a Hillco while waiting for Maxent parts.
Yes, I've looked over the Hillco offerings several times. They have a great price. Every beekeeper will make their own assessments. I'm willing to pay more for the quality that Maxant provides. Maxant builds all of their own components. Hillco assembles components "Designed and assembled in USA by HillCo" (that's from Hillco). the key being "Assembled in USA". There are differences, but if you like HIllco and are happy with the results, I'm not here to change your mind. The question was what my personal favorite is, and for now, it's Maxant.
Guppy work real well for eating mosquito larva as well
Can they take the same temperature ranges as goldfish? Guppies are considered tropical, while the goldfish can handle colder water :) BUT, if you're in a warm climate I could see them as an option :)
Thanks much
You're very welcome :)
Happy Friday Fred! I bought 20 frames of bettercomb and they have held up to our Carolina heat, I was a bit leary. I will say it is pretty brittle and some broke up in shipping.
Hi Steven, I'm so glad you like them. The good news is that any damage or cracking that occurs will be mended by the bees in record time. I had some completely broken better-comb and wish I'd marked the frame as I couldn't remember which one it was when I inspected later on. Good stuff if you don't have comb late in the season :)
@FrederickDunn They sure do, I think that I had one that way as well. I spread them out between several hives that I needed to add seconds to in the manner that they suggest and the seem to have accepted them.
Also ordered some of the pellets, looking forward to trying them out!
You mean North Macedonia now.. back then it was Greece. I remember reading that ancient Egyptians used to buy bees from the Greek beekeepers because their bees were much calmer and better for honey production. It was some shipping cargo document they found with the boat...
Thanks for the additional information :)
Did I just miss the switchgrass pellets link?
It's in the video description... maybe I need to label it stronger :)
@@FrederickDunnfound it, thanks. I was looking for pellets in all the wrong places. 😊
First day to open the hives for me today. Winter is coming to a close.
Sounds like you are in the Southern Hemisphere
Exsplain this one I have water dishes in my yards but my bees come over to my house and gets water from bottom holes of my flowers pots
Aaron, they love water that has minerals in it. Have you put any sea-salt water out for them? If you'd care to try it out, put one teaspoon of Mortan Sea Salt into a quart of fresh water and see if they go for it. :)
@@FrederickDunn ok so it’s the minerals in the soil they are getting i will try that tmw thats man 👍🏾
“Resist the urge to sweep their feet and make them kiss grass.” 🤣🤣🤣🤣
:)
Hi Fred Got a tip from my new bee club. Ontario fingerlakes beekeeper associatipn When you feed empty frames back to a hive, sandwich the box with comb between two bottom boards and put it atop the hive upside down. An ahh haa moment for bc bees wont store nectar in upside down comb. What do you think? Oh BTW you made the list of 5 youtube groups to watch during my club meeting! I clapped for you! Just got Lorob battery operated vape love it! Since my hives are 18inch above ground, I had to make a t-stand out of wood so I don't have to hold the gun. The teeth didn't hold onto the box...Also had to get a new 3m resperator bc vape is so strong cant walk upwind. Also wear safely glasses bc of you said it could mess up the eyes. I ordered the sawgrass pellets not gonna last one season. My smoker must run to hot? Im in a dearth for the first time this year...waiting for goldenrod to full bloom. Even then dont think they get much nectar from golden rod. I want to take supers off so the bees store honey in deep and med but just too early. I'm getting one of two supers off. Oh also learned put a metal queen excluder on stored boxes so mice can't get in! Carolanne
Hey Fred, Hope you are well. I'd like your POV. I'm in Yardley, PA. I created a resource NUC in the Spring and it has served me well. It grew nicely and I added a second 5 frame deep on top; so now its a 5 over 5 deep frame NUC. I'm considering over Wintering it this way/. I will provide supplemental feeding with Hive Alive Fondant. Do you think this is a good idea or should I move it to a 10 frame deep for over wintering?
I've added this topic to the Friday Q&A list. There may be others in the same situation. :)
Dziękujemy.
Thank you so much for your generosity :) It's very much appreciated!
Thank you Fred.
You're welcome, Kennith :)
Hi Fred. Goldfish are fine to leave in over winter. I've actually seen goldfish frozen solid in ice come out just fine... Was really surprised.
Then there's another vote for fish as mosquito control :) Thanks for sharing!
I use a dadant extractor it is made in the USA it is a motorized radial extractor 6 frame works well
Many options out there :)
WORKER BEES LAY 2 OR 3 EGGS HOW IS DETERMINED WHICH EGG IS USED IN A CELL
That's a great question, they eat all but one. In some cases, the remaining workers eat all of them and leave none to hatch.
Hillco is a good value company to consider as well.
Yes, there are lots of other options. Dadant, Hillco, and others... I'm just personally drawn to Maxant for my own equipment. Hillco assembles the components in the U.S. and employs many of my beekeeping friends :) Probably a good value overall.
@@FrederickDunn great response.
1st yay happy friday
Hi Fred, thank you for discussing freezer storage in this Q&A. My freezer lost power while I was out of town, likely for several days, with 12 frames of precious spring honey that I’ve been waiting to extract. When I got home, opened the freezer, I was hit with smell of fermentation. Some of my honey frames have some uncapped nectar. Is it safe to assume only the uncapped nectar may have spoiled, but that my capped honey is still safe to extract? if so, how would you recommend I clean out the uncapped cells before extraction? Or are all my frames a total loss?
Additional information: I quickly closed the freezer door. We got the power restarted later that day. This freezer is only used for beekeeping. Most, but not all of my frames are stored in zip lock style plastic bags
Thank you in advance for any advice you have. I greatly appreciate your show!
I would still use the frames that were completely capped. Those that are partially capped with uncapped cells in them I'd process for home use only. I would definitely test the honey for water content just to be safe.
Queen Intro Cage fail #2
Move a Queen from a 3 frame Nuc to a hive that lost its queen and failed to re-Queen itself. Placed frame of capped brood, nurse bees and marked Queen into hive. Checked 2 days later and 90% of nurse bees are dead on bottom of cage. Queen was still alive. This is my second attempt this year to use this cage and first time same result except the queen was gone and many of the dead nurse bees were torn to pieces.
I hope you share your observations and experiences with BetterBee... if it's a trend, they really need to know as well as the manufacturer. The dead nurse bees are also a puzzle for me, they are the most frequently accepted additions to hives that need fortification. Something isn't adding up, so I hope you can get some answers. What are your thoughts regarding how the queen ended up missing? I can't imagine them pulling her apart through the bars for removal. Please keep us posted, and thanks for sharing.
Tip :
Adding a Queen to a Hopelessly Queenless Colony.
1st : Make sure the Colony is truely HLQL ! (You could have a a Supercedure Queen (Virgin Queen) in that Colony. Sometimes 'two' Queens living in there. It happens. 🙃
2nd : Add the 'moved Queen' into a Queen Cage, with some attendant Bees. Nurse Bees are the ones you want. They are the 'attentive' Fuzzy Bees mainly over the 'Brood Area.' They have no loyalty / Fighting or Rejecting 'tendencies' to nobble (kill) that 'Queen' !
3rd : I would take all the Frames from a 'failing Nuc' and add them to a 'New / another Nuc Box, to what they had !
4th : Place this 'Nuc' in a position where another stronger 'Nuc Hive' has been.
There returning 'Field Force' will boost that Newer Box !
5th : Add the original Frames of most Bees and Resources. Also 'add Frames from another Colony or two. Those 'lesser' Nuc Frames (low Nectar, Brood, etc : use these Frames to 'fill' the Stronger Frames you have taken (stolen !) from these Donor Hives. 🤭
6th : Also shake some Frame of Bees from several Colonies into a eg Washing up Bowl, gently Tap its Corner, so all the 'Nurse' Bees (non loyal, non flying Bees will stay in that Tub.) And give all these Bees a light 'Spritz' of Water with a "Dot" of Lemon Grass Oil in a Carrier Oil in it : its a "Masking Scent" not a lure Scent. Tip : add say x1 Drop of LGO into say a mini Jar of Oilve Oil. And "add" say x3 Drops with a little bit of Sugar Solution into a Plant Spritz Bottle, even a well cleaned out (Fabreeze) Bottle ! Make this up 'Fresh' when doing Bee Harvesting !
7th : Spritz all these Donor Frames and collected Bees with this 'Masking Mist.' All this "will ensure all Bees lose their "loyalty Phremones" they got from each and other Bee, of that Colony.
8th : Add all these Frames and Bees into your 'Nuc' and "Watch them for a few Minutes . . . In their Hopelessly Queenless State ! After say x5 or x10 Mins, you can 'Lay the Queen in here mini Plastic Mesh Travel Cage' on "Top of the Frames" and Watch ! (the Cages : where Fondant is added at one end, with a Tab to break off.)
9th : By "Watching" the Bees interacting with each other : any Fighting, Balling the Queen can be seen before disaster happens. If Bees are calmly moving about, sticking their tongues through the Cage Mesh (are not all Curved Bent Abdomens : trying to Sting that Caged Queen !) You have acceptance : if all are just "Doing their Thing in Hive Duties.)
10th : Add that Queen in here Cage with Attendants, in between two Frames of central placed Brood. I like to add it with a 'Cocktail Stick' in that tiny top Hole over each Side by Side Frame. Do "Remember to Break that Tab" OR Carefully Slide* that Clear Cover a tiny amount at the Fondant Cavity End ! No more than say x1 Bees width of a Gap ! And LEAVE all these Bees in the Colony for at least x2 Weeks.
By then : you should have a Queen that has been "Slowly" Introduced / her Phremones are now dominent in that Colony ! She has been slowly Released by that Fondant being eaten away. And She 'should also have Started to Lay Eggs in Cells' by that two Week timescale ! 👀
Finally : have heard of Beeks using Food Grade Vanilla Essence, or even a 'Glade' Air Spray Can (Air Freshner !) to be the 'Masking Agent.' Mmm. 😵💫
I think LGO is 'safe' is more alike to Queen Phremone, than other Essential Oils, to Faux Fragrance ! So think before just doing what 'another' Beek did.
Just saying. . .
Hope this helps. 😎
🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
Happy Beekeeping 2024
🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
The whole above process "Works" without buying those Expensive 'Introduction and Isolation Metal Frame Cages !
Fred and US Beeks have these, those like us in Scotland 🏴 don't !!! Shipping would break the Bank. So use what you have to hand ! 👍
You can Buy Queen Cages for about 40 Pence / $1 off eg Amazon, or from a Bee Supplier.
* If you slide that Lid, they can be used time and time again !
If the Tab is Broken, a tiny bit of Paper based Tape can 'cover' that opened Tab, to ensure slow release is utilised, done. . . 🤞
Fred. Another Great Q&A. . .
Watching it at 4AM ! Still dark !
Here in Scotland 🏴 with a very early Cuppa. Blame my early Rooster 🐓 doing is Dawn Chorus. Usually sleep thru his Crowing, not tonight. . . 🤭
Enjoying the discussion, maybe Sleep will kick in again before the night ends. And it turns into Sat AM Breakfast time ! Of Toast and this Years Honey. 🍯 Yum. . . 😎
Knap weed is great my man I have so much I let 2
Fields I own grow I get lost of honey just from that only people that hate it are farmers
I featured it last year and was dressed down for "promoting" an invasive species. Bees to work it :) This is what they said:
"Rapid Growth and Spread: Knapweed is a prolific seed producer, and its seeds can remain viable in the soil for many years.
This allows it to rapidly colonize new areas.
Chemical Warfare: Knapweed produces chemicals that inhibit the growth of other plants, creating a competitive advantage. This process is known as allelopathy.
Habitat Destruction: By outcompeting native plants, knapweed alters the ecosystem, reducing biodiversity and disrupting food chains.
Economic Impact: Knapweed infestation can significantly reduce the value of agricultural land and rangeland."