Excellent exposition on how you deal with the under performing colonies, and why rapid action makes sense, while also showing the brilliance of your nuc program. My initial thoughts were to requeen the hive, but then you have to wait for the queen to mate and get started laying, and so you lose that prime spring buildup time. And then I realized the awesomeness of the nucs! You ALREADY did the requeening last year, when you had perfect conditions and could set it at your time, and that queen is already up to speed and proved and ready to go! She just needs more space and and workers to expand instantly. So you give her the resources and brood and workers from the weak colony, combined with her own royal court and storehouse, and now you have a hive that nearly instantly is on par with the rest. It's like the difference between having to plug a phone in to charge, or just swapping a new fully charged battery into a power tool or camera. Another great video! Thank you.
Nice looking yard of Bees. You have a very good Set Up and Sense of Management of your operation. First large scale bee operation I've seen. It amazes me. Thank You for sharing. Stay Safe and Peace Be With You ☮️
Hey I wanna thank you , because what you are sharing is a highly strategic information that a professional beekeeping should know , because investing in weak hives is going to lead to an absolute failure, on the other hand spotting potential productive hives allows the beekeeper to go straight to a successful season.
Beekeeping for a new starter is all about education. Watching your videos is a massive bonus to anyone wanting to learn a sustainable way (and professional) beyond the one or two hives in the backyard. Although hints the small backyard apiary do still apply. Thank you Ian for taking the time to film, edit, publish and advise on your knowledge of beekeeping. Appreciate your efforts mate. (From Australia)
Hello Ian. I love your style of keeping bees. I have a experiment for you. Try it for a few hives and then you will see the results. Change 5 frames in the brood box in each year with new frames (never used for brood rearing before). You should have healthyear bees and I dear to say bigger honey yeald. I know it's a lot of work but maybe the results are worth it.
You managed not to get stuck proud of you. 😂😂😂😂 I was hoping to see the big red tractor come pull you out. But there's always tomorrow. I'm just picking on you
In Nova Scotia, overwintered nucs make up losses and increases in numbers. The surplus strength is skimmed off of big hives and a southern mated queen is used to make nucs for sale. Some of the overwintered nucs are strong enough to be able to make a nuc for sale by June.
How do you keep your hives from swarming, Dude? I am having an awful time Ian. I only have four hives. I live in PA. Three of my hives have already swarmed. The forth one is about to. It has three capped queen cells. My four colonies are housed in eight frame boxes. When spring arrived, all four survived. The clusters & brood were all in the top box, so I inverted the hive. I never took off any boxes, so they had three, eight frame boxes to abide in. I check them weekly to ten days. I tilt the brood boxes up like you do and check for swarm cells. That's twelve boxes I tip up when I inspect. I can't do splits, because I don't have the room or the $$. I am retired @ 74. I really don't know what to do. You don't have problems with ALL your bees in one box and I can't keep them in Three.
@@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog Well yeah, that is easy to say and understandable. All the brood was in One box, so I moved it to the bottom. Then there was two more brood boxes on that, plus a box above the excluder. I am at a loss. The brood area did Not contain a lot of nectar/pollen. They have plenty of food. Hadn't had to feed. Maybe I am Not understanding this in my advanced years. Feel defeated.
@@johnduvall5 I don't actually have one. I have watched probably a dozen or so TH-cam videos on the subject. I have taken an PSU Extension class and have read various articles on the subject in Bee Culture mag.
Richard Kuhn, that was more for Ian, but thanks for the reply. Having my own issues with swarming so far and I’m only down in Albany ny not too too far from Canada. Space is not really an issue for my bees either.
Nucs are going for an average of $200.00 this year in Ontario, so yours at $250.00 is a bargain simply because we all know how your nucs were raised and cared for, thank you for that.
Ian, I am a beginner, I love in the Gatineau Hills in Quebec and I was looking for bees that would easily adapt to this climat. I have been watching your Chanel for a while now and learned so much, for which I thank you. I especially appreciate your openness and honest and real approach to things. I have just learned about Saskatraz bees which originate from Saskatchewan. Yet I never heard you make any reference to them even if your province is next door. Could you share with us, what your experience has been with them, if any and any comment or réflexion you would have on them. Thank you.
a Canadian Beekeeper’s Blog Went to your video on Saskatraz. Now I have more questions than answers. 1) you bought them from Olivera in the U S? Or you got them from that distributor? Is he not in the States and is there not a ban on importing bees from the USA? 2) are you saying that it is not possible to by Saskatraz directly from Saskatchewan, somewhere?
Ian do you keep track of the honey production in lb in each yard? A scale on the top of the lift would let you know the weight of each lift when you pull the honey. I got that idea when you mentioned that your control yard wasn't looking so good. Are hive impressions now going to effect the honey crop?
a Canadian Beekeeper’s Blog Ian , these load cells are available. Search low capacity tension link crane scale or check this link, I not trying to sell you anything, This is kind of in my wheel house I’m a crane technician. www.800loadcel.com/scales/crane-scale-tension-links/10at-crane-scale.html
Great video! Question: On the paper combine at the end, had you already eliminated the 4yr old queen or was she still in the box? Apologies if you said and I just missed it.
I'm assuming when you shake off the inferior colony and restock with the nuc the weaker bees die off and the stronger ones rejoin the hive. Is that correct?
How do you do AFB checks? Just throughout the season and keeping an eye out for symptoms while you are doing hive inspections/manipulations or do you do specific AFB checks? Cheers Liam
About your stock, I know that you have some NorCal Sas, but what about the rest? Do you just rely on the drones around you or do you buy other stock every couple of years?
Hi, l m Uruguay south América🇺🇾🇺🇾🇺🇾 It would be very good for us to be able yo read your videos un spanish (subtitled) since It has téchniques and operations. That seem interesting to me , but only with images l can y decipher some important details . ITS production with nucs Is very interesting.cheers. 🙏 for traduction.
I only have 4 hives right now, I can’t imagine all the hives you have to think about. Seems like an easy and cost effective way to rejuvenate your hives that are taking up your real estate space.
Nuke maybe worth 250.00 but the Rejuve will make you many times that in the long run. so that 250.00 will now make you 1500.00 lets say so that makes them priceless. Also how you keep a tight hive i have found doing so keeps the Little BASTARDS :Mites: as you say at lower numbers as the BEES patroll the nest better for them and other pests
zongshun liang .....he was trying to use the Saturday edition of the Globe & Mail, but like he says it’s all printed on gloss paper!....could have bought & used a weekly printed locally...but that would be more money spent!.....
Excellent exposition on how you deal with the under performing colonies, and why rapid action makes sense, while also showing the brilliance of your nuc program.
My initial thoughts were to requeen the hive, but then you have to wait for the queen to mate and get started laying, and so you lose that prime spring buildup time.
And then I realized the awesomeness of the nucs!
You ALREADY did the requeening last year, when you had perfect conditions and could set it at your time, and that queen is already up to speed and proved and ready to go! She just needs more space and and workers to expand instantly.
So you give her the resources and brood and workers from the weak colony, combined with her own royal court and storehouse, and now you have a hive that nearly instantly is on par with the rest.
It's like the difference between having to plug a phone in to charge, or just swapping a new fully charged battery into a power tool or camera.
Another great video! Thank you.
AMAZING , Kerrie was involved in the video , talking and advising , good to see .
Hive Manipulation and helping the bees when needed equals great bee yards. Animal husbandry at its finest. You guys are very inspiring. Thank you.
Nice looking yard of Bees. You have a very good Set Up and Sense of Management of your operation. First large scale bee operation I've seen. It amazes me. Thank You for sharing. Stay Safe and Peace Be With You ☮️
Hey I wanna thank you , because what you are sharing is a highly strategic information that a professional beekeeping should know , because investing in weak hives is going to lead to an absolute failure, on the other hand spotting potential productive hives allows the beekeeper to go straight to a successful season.
Beekeeping for a new starter is all about education. Watching your videos is a massive bonus to anyone wanting to learn a sustainable way (and professional) beyond the one or two hives in the backyard.
Although hints the small backyard apiary do still apply. Thank you Ian for taking the time to film, edit, publish and advise on your knowledge of beekeeping. Appreciate your efforts mate.
(From Australia)
Hello Ian. I love your style of keeping bees. I have a experiment for you. Try it for a few hives and then you will see the results. Change 5 frames in the brood box in each year with new frames (never used for brood rearing before). You should have healthyear bees and I dear to say bigger honey yeald. I know it's a lot of work but maybe the results are worth it.
You managed not to get stuck proud of you. 😂😂😂😂 I was hoping to see the big red tractor come pull you out. But there's always tomorrow. I'm just picking on you
4 yrs in your heavy culling is quite exceptional!!!!!
Good morning from Greece....very much video and very good work...i am beekeeper from Greece
In Nova Scotia, overwintered nucs make up losses and increases in numbers. The surplus strength is skimmed off of big hives and a southern mated queen is used to make nucs for sale. Some of the overwintered nucs are strong enough to be able to make a nuc for sale by June.
You must be getting some good mating for a queen to last 4 years. *ExcellentBees* thanks for sharing 👍
Outstanding, I hope to get my apiary operations inline with your concepts.
What a brilliant system!
How do you keep your hives from swarming, Dude? I am having an awful time Ian. I only have four hives. I live in PA. Three of my hives have already swarmed. The forth one is about to. It has three capped queen cells. My four colonies are housed in eight frame boxes. When spring arrived, all four survived. The clusters & brood were all in the top box, so I inverted the hive. I never took off any boxes, so they had three, eight frame boxes to abide in. I check them weekly to ten days. I tilt the brood boxes up like you do and check for swarm cells. That's twelve boxes I tip up when I inspect. I can't do splits, because I don't have the room or the $$. I am retired @ 74. I really don't know what to do. You don't have problems with ALL your bees in one box and I can't keep them in Three.
Richard Kuhn
I manage population according to the season
@@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog Well yeah, that is easy to say and understandable. All the brood was in One box, so I moved it to the bottom. Then there was two more brood boxes on that, plus a box above the excluder. I am at a loss. The brood area did Not contain a lot of nectar/pollen. They have plenty of food. Hadn't had to feed. Maybe I am Not understanding this in my advanced years. Feel defeated.
Do you have a video on swarm management or prevention?
@@johnduvall5 I don't actually have one. I have watched probably a dozen or so TH-cam videos on the subject. I have taken an PSU Extension class and have read various articles on the subject in Bee Culture mag.
Richard Kuhn, that was more for Ian, but thanks for the reply. Having my own issues with swarming so far and I’m only down in Albany ny not too too far from Canada. Space is not really an issue for my bees either.
Nucs are going for an average of $200.00 this year in Ontario, so yours at $250.00 is a bargain simply because we all know how your nucs were raised and cared for, thank you for that.
i am amazed at how packed so many hives are but yet they do not swarm on you
No drones yet, so they know better lol
i in Facebook see a lot swarm picture haha, i see Ian last year swarm , some bees hive swarm
Beautiful. Finally, BeeKeepers on yt that work for honey.. the nunbers are good. So how long it will take to the flow. 2 more patys?
varroa love
Yes
Ian, I am a beginner, I love in the Gatineau Hills in Quebec and I was looking for bees that would easily adapt to this climat. I have been watching your Chanel for a while now and learned so much, for which I thank you. I especially appreciate your openness and honest and real approach to things. I have just learned about Saskatraz bees which originate from Saskatchewan. Yet I never heard you make any reference to them even if your province is next door. Could you share with us, what your experience has been with them, if any and any comment or réflexion you would have on them. Thank you.
suzanne guiho
th-cam.com/video/z18wAOGplNg/w-d-xo.html
a Canadian Beekeeper’s Blog Went to your video on Saskatraz. Now I have more questions than answers.
1) you bought them from Olivera in the U S? Or you got them from that distributor? Is he not in the States and is there not a ban on importing bees from the USA?
2) are you saying that it is not possible to by Saskatraz directly from Saskatchewan, somewhere?
You can get Saskatraz shipped through the mail from Meadow Ridge Enterprises, Saskatchewan.
Hi suzanne you are woman?
I’ve bought from both, Ray and Albert
Ian do you keep track of the honey production in lb in each yard? A scale on the top of the lift would let you know the weight of each lift when you pull the honey. I got that idea when you mentioned that your control yard wasn't looking so good. Are hive impressions now going to effect the honey crop?
Marty Jackson
That would be slick
a Canadian Beekeeper’s Blog Ian , these load cells are available. Search low capacity tension link crane scale or check this link, I not trying to sell you anything, This is kind of in my wheel house I’m a crane technician. www.800loadcel.com/scales/crane-scale-tension-links/10at-crane-scale.html
Wow, those hives are slamming, the yard that you don't supplement and that is lagging, will you give them patties or is it too late?
Stephane Robichaud
No, I’m using it as my neg control
Ian when you merge the hives do you cull the failing queen??
Dirty 130 Adventures
Killed old queen
Great video! Question: On the paper combine at the end, had you already eliminated the 4yr old queen or was she still in the box? Apologies if you said and I just missed it.
David Stewart
Old queen dead
Thanks for the reply!
Ian.
Why does the wind not blow the feeder pails off the hive when empty ??
I'm assuming when you shake off the inferior colony and restock with the nuc the weaker bees die off and the stronger ones rejoin the hive. Is that correct?
How do you do AFB checks? Just throughout the season and keeping an eye out for symptoms while you are doing hive inspections/manipulations or do you do specific AFB checks?
Cheers Liam
Liam Presswood
Continual AFB inspection
Good information.
One question. When you requeen do you kill the old queen and leave her in the hive and put new caged queen with candy plug?
I looked at your play list and didn’t see a video listed as requeening just queen rearing.
I don’t but queens
About your stock, I know that you have some NorCal Sas, but what about the rest? Do you just rely on the drones around you or do you buy other stock every couple of years?
Todd P
Internal breeding efforts
good weather, i feel so hot here lol, 30℃, feeling 30℃+
Хорошие видио позновательно
Hi, l m Uruguay south América🇺🇾🇺🇾🇺🇾 It would be very good for us to be able yo read your videos un spanish (subtitled) since It has téchniques and operations. That seem interesting to me , but only with images l can y decipher some important details .
ITS production with nucs Is very interesting.cheers. 🙏 for traduction.
I like your jokes
It’s so hard to let the bad hives go. But if you don’t you’ll spend money on nothing. I have a difficult time doing that
Hi good work can i go to canada and work with you😊
Who do you get your frames from? assembled or not?
Ray Johnson
www.lewisandsons.ca
Boss gentle with the girlz , they love you.
I only have 4 hives right now, I can’t imagine all the hives you have to think about. Seems like an easy and cost effective way to rejuvenate your hives that are taking up your real estate space.
9:30 Why did you move the frame to the other side?
Adam Millerchip
I like a centred cluster
Q. How did you know to inspect a box of bees?
A North Carolinians Beekeeping Blog & farm life.
The hive looked at me sideways;)
Just a sense something was off
Nuke maybe worth 250.00 but the Rejuve will make you many times that in the long run. so that 250.00 will now make you 1500.00 lets say so that makes them priceless. Also how you keep a tight hive i have found doing so keeps the Little BASTARDS :Mites: as you say at lower numbers as the BEES patroll the nest better for them and other pests
Hi bro
I like to buy 2 honey bee colony for my in door green house. Can you send to me.? I will pay all cost. Let me know..
this year no news paper use?
zongshun liang
I don’t have any that works anymore, all o can get is gloss paper. Bees don’t chew it
@@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog lol
zongshun liang .....he was trying to use the Saturday edition of the Globe & Mail, but like he says it’s all printed on gloss paper!....could have bought & used a weekly printed locally...but that would be more money spent!.....
@@RobertSmith-nm5vj school have a lot used paper , old paper they not use , here i don't know you here can buy . lol
Ian you sell nukes ? money lol