The only thing that stood out to me was where were the flowers for the bees to feed on? A field of lavenders etc I think might help. But great info on all the trials and tribulations and never knew it would have been so complicated.
There is research ongoing on breeding bees that specifically attack mites and chew their legs off. Might look and see if you can find some for your hives.
Try swarm catching! This is what I do in rural France. I catch every year and I make my boxes to catch them. Cost next to nothing for a swarm that way! 😊
Put sulfur on a square of aluminum foil and slide it into the hive. It will kill the mites but not the eggs. So you have to do it again in 3 days. Also Tracy (man's name) Hunter at Hunter's Farm in Martinsville, Indiana might be able to help you. I noticed that you didn't have flowers growing near the hive.
Bee keeper here in east Texas. You did a lot of things right! Bees do take a lot to get going. The only recommendation I have is try swarm catching or taking on splits from other beeks . Package bees and nuks have a high failure rate with the exception of weaver bees (from my research , not experience) . If you are truly done with bees please consider planting a pollinator pasture . We really need that here in east Texas. Frederick Dunn is a great resource & getting in a new club really is imperative. I am trying to find one close to me . I think there's one in canton but need to find out for sure.
I noticed in your video that your hive was in the shade of the tree. If you try it again, you might try putting them in full sun. I bought 1 hive and caught another back in April. I live in south west Texas, very hot in the summer. I left the hive I bought in full sun and it has thrived. The hive I had caught, I had left in partial shade. They did not make it.
We love you brother, all your content and your efforts. Been here and done this. First, hive beetles are beetles and need a direct flight path of less than four feet to hit your entrance. We put two layers of weak cloth fabric in front of our hives, about 7ft, and solved our beehive beetle problem. Wax moths, which we have suffered from incredibly, seem to be only solved through the strength of the bee population itself. We use Layen’s hives, which we find better to promote big colonies, but the point is build really strong colonies. We don’t like to feed our hives because it makes them welfare dependent, and you can see what that builds. But, we have a big garden and we will grow flower and crop pollinators just to give them an income source, if they choose to use it.
I’d keep my hives 50’ apart-seems to keep down on hive beetles I’d do a couple 2 frame splits to have 2 extra queens - sounds like you had a laying worker- put one of your split queens where your week hive was and shake out your week hive a few feet from your hive, when the bees return to their hive location the hive will then accept the new queen with old hive Splits are good until mid summer and will give you a good back up (buy one hive do one split, have one hive survive winter do 2 splits in spring, maybe more depending on the colony) Splits also minimize mites since they seem to like capped brood Buy a little bee attractant from barn yard bees and spray it in an empty, clean hive with some drawn comb every couple of weeks and you should get at least one free colony of bees per year This is what I learned in the last couple years in central Arkansas after loosing my bees to hive beetles and mites I had a really good year this year with no colony loss to nature only vandals Doing this I was able to turn 2 colonies to 6 between May and September Don’t give up You can do it and do it successfully I would encourage catching local bees or buying queen if you loose one from barnyard bees
Bees? I guessed before you got there. My biggest fail to date as well. I think I spend so much time working on everything else that the bees don't get the attention from me that they need.
I feel the same about 🐔 chicken's. But I was able to let mine go... to friend who has chickens as well. I feel for you, I hope you can learn to like it again or cut the cord. Nothing is worth your sanity. God bless 🙌.
It used to be a lot easier. We seem to have screwed that up as well. I kept bees on a little five acre place I had in Oregon about 50 years ago. Once I got the hive started I was mostly done paying attention to it other than harvesting honey. Now that I'm retired I've tried to keep them four times at my shop in Oregon. Lost them every time. I'm in the middle of lots of nut and fruit tree farms. Beside the mites and beetles the orchards spray a lot, and that probably doesn't help. Folks in my area are keeping solitary bees for pollinators. No honey, but they are actually better pollinators.
Must be in the upper valley, I'm down here near Eugene surrounded by hay and fescue farms. I considered talking my roommates into hosting a hive but I'm iffy on whether or not there's enough for them to pollinate other than the blackberries
I see so many struggles with bees we are going to go for just planting as much to help pollinators instead and hope we contribute to those successful at it in some small way.
I'm west or Ft Worth, close enough to be similar. On my property I decided that it wasn't worth the learning curve to figure out bee hives in my area. Instead I've concentrated on solitary bees. Honey bees aren't native and solitary bees were here doing all the pollinating before honey bees got here. I've been buying mason and leaf cutter bee cocoons and I also put up places where they like to nest (a block with 6 and 8 mm holes). I noticed that there are way more than mason and leafcutter bees using the nesting, looks like 7 to 10 different kinds of bee cocoons. And that's West Texas. I'm sure you'd be surprised how many there are in your area, you just need to encourage them to hang around with bee nest homes. Most solitary bees, collect pollen to feed their larva; collect pollen, build a cocoon, lay an egg, close cocoon, repeat. I just harvest the cocoon to keep them safe and then put them out to hatch in my bee homes. There are also some ground dwellers like those big black bumble bees (not solitary) and polyester bees (solitary). You just have to grow lots of flowers to keep them interested. In my opinion, considering the long homestead view, honey bees aren't reliable enough but solitary bees will be reliable is you encourage them.
I'm just north of Houston. After watching Doug & Stacy's series on bees featuring Dr. Leo I was inspired to catch and keep bees. It makes sense that the bees you catch in your area are more adapted and thrive better there. The one swarm I caught is doing very well. I did have to battle a bunch of hive beatles. You obviously have wild bees in your area (hense the robber bees). Catch local swarms and stop buying problems from bee farms.
I've got one hive northeast of Huntsville. Bee Weaver Farms out of Navasota have mite resistant Bees-they let the varroa do their thing, devastate their stock with no treatments then restarted with the survivors. I don't treat or even bother checking for mites because my bees are bred from varroa resistant genetics. As for beetles: Full sun all day if you can on the hives. I also have Flow hives and the best thing about them is the pest management tray at the bottom and ant traps on the legs. You fill the tray with oil and the bees chase the pests down and they drown. You fill the leg traps with oil and ants cant crawl up. It makes the entire system very simple. I just do hive checks to make sure they have enough resources now every other monthish.
I have struggled with bees 🐝 as well in Michigan. We have mites galore, hive beetles as well. I am experimenting with Leaf Cutter Bees. I can let you know how that works next spring.
There is not giving up, and then there is facing a hard reality that some situations are no win. Better IMO to cut one's losses than persist in a futile effort. Focus on what you can succeed at and trade for what is impractical to DIY.
Hey Eric! Wow had no idea keeping bees was so difficult! Thought you just dumped a bunch of bees into a box/hive with a queen and Wala! What the heck do I know? 😆 had no idea there were bee enemies!! Crazy. Happy late Thanksgiving!! Pohan
I have been a beekeeper for nearly 12 years and I have 25 hives. I would love to share some tips with you. Also I have found ways to make it self sustainable and even profitable.
I've never had any success raising bees. I tried several times and tried everything just like you. Even caught a swarm. They did well for a while but eventually died from wax moths. This was when I lived in The Dominican Republic. Using top bar hives I'm going to try them one more time now that I live in Northern Florida. For now , I switched to growing sugar cane. Not as easy but a source of sugar if it hits the fan. Good Luck
My advice to you is to ask your beemonger what she is lacking on her farm and try to produce that. Then y'all can barter for some mutually beneficial tradesies.
I am in Lampasas, seeking an AG exemption, and 2 yrs into attempting to have 12-15 hives. I bought 4 nucs from beekeeper in Lake Jackson (down on coast close to Houston) and so far they are going but not thriving. Living on 22 acres of juniper cedar not so food worthy. So lots of sugarwater. Fixing to add sugar bricks and 1 1/2 foam to insulate. I fear failure and hope i can keep my bugs healthy and happy. So far i have only lost a package i tried to start with. Not such a good idea for beginner. Bee Supply 1205 Round Rock Ave Suite 119 Round Rock, TX 78681 good folks.
I have 11 Hives as of right now. Not sure where about you are but I think I'm close to you since I also am in east tx. Everything you did was right, I can only guess its the the type of bees your getting. I have a mix of ones Ive extracted from places locally and some that Ive got that have been stored in the winter here. I will agree mites are bad in texas, since our winters are not always cold it leaves no time for brood breaks so mites can get out of hand fast. Again not sure how close you are to me but I could get you some bees for half what your paying.( Im north Houston, Near Huntsville)
Purchasing colonies is a problem. Capturing a local swarm is the way to go. Local swarms are hardy and acclimated to your area. They'll thrive when purchased bees won't. You mentioned you used sugar. That will also set you up for failure. Also, clear the organic material away from under and around the hives (grass and weeds). A bed of crushed stone helps to eliminate the mite issue.
I'm not a bee keeper, but maybe seek help from another successful local bee keeper in your area to get help. They would know what is happening in your area.
The beekeeping supply Look them up It used to be Texas beekeeping supply They have a store and many TH-cam videos that are excellent and may be able to help you It’s hard to only do two colonies, especially when you have the challenges of dirth and mites. The average loss of hives in the United States is 40% per year In some places be keeping is easy, but unfortunately, your situation is common I run 10 to 15 hives in Oregon I split them to make extra queens and colonies, knowing that I’m gonna lose about 10 to 20%
There will be no shortage of advice from beekeepers (or wanna be beekeepers) - including me. I initially tried your approaches (buy nucs, artificial feeding, mite treatment, constantly inspecting, etc etc etc) with poor success. This is a waste of time and money and only causes frustration (as you know). We (humans) are getting in the middle of a process that has existed since the beginning of time, and we are messing it up! My advice (and the way I’ve been most happy and successful) is to set up several swarm traps in Feb/March using deep frames that match your brood box, making it easier to transfer a swarm when you catch them. Bait the traps in the spring and leave them alone. I continually have 15 swarm traps around my property. My traps are set up all year. During swarm season, I spray lemongrass oil once a month or so and call it a day. Every spring I will check them for wasp nests or other issues, rebait them, and leave them alone. I catch lots of swarms. Free, strong, area specific bees. If you catch a local swarm, it will be far more likely to survive your environment than anything you buy. When you catch a swarm, let them establish for a couple of weeks in the trap. People move them too quickly. Patience is key. Let them commit to the comb/frames in that trap before moving them. Then, move the swarm to its permanent hive location using appropriate techniques. Place the frames from the trap into ONE deep brood box and fill the rest with new/used frames. Close it and leave it alone. DO NOT supplement feeding whatsoever. They were finding food before you caught them, they will find it now. Maybe feeding nucs is helpful but wild swarms don't need your feedings. The bees are already committed to the comb they’ve been working on so they are less likely to abscond. Let them continue drawing out the 10 frames. LEAVE IT ALONE. After 2 months or so, pop the lid and just eyeball the frames. If less than 7 are drawn, close it up and walk away. Recheck in another few weeks. Repeat the process until they have drawn out 7 frames. Don't bother looking for the queen. It’s fun but it disturbs the colony. She's there. She's working. Leave her alone. You can inspect the box in 15 seconds without pulling a frame. Once there are 7 frames drawn out, add a second deep on top. No queen excluder. Close it up and walk away. Do not touch it for the REST OF THE YEAR. The only time I won’t add a second deep in year one is if it’s a late swarm and we are going into the winter. Two deeps are too much for a new colony to heat/defend in the winter so if its late season I will only keep one deep in place. Early next spring (year 2), find a nice day and pull off the top deep, place a queen excluder screen (metal not plastic) above the original deep and below the top deep, put the top deep back on, and then inspect the top deep frames for the queen. If you find her in the top box, pick her up and put her at the main entrance and watch her go inside the hive lower deep (which is now your brood box). Close the lid and walk away. Now, you have a two deep hive that is strong with native bees. Your bottom box is your brood box with the queen and the top deep is now your super. Any eggs in the top box from when the queen was in there will hatch and the bees will replace those spots with honey. Don’t feed them. Don’t treat them. I rarely ever go into my brood box. I know the queen is there because the colony grows. If she leaves or it swarms, I hope they go to one of my traps but if they don’t, oh well. I harvest frames from the top box when it’s right to do so. I leave drawn frames in the top super when they need the food going into winter. I’ve done this for years and it works very well. Natural bees. They are strong. No chemical treatments. Life is easier. IMHO. Texas may have mite issues, but Texas also has bees that can resist those mites. Catch those bees, give them a nice home, and leave them alone. They will reward you.
Treatments plus feeding = pesticides and pesticides, not good for bees. If your mite count was so low, why treat? Unless you find dead bees full of mites, you don't need to spend more money on treatments.
@ I think mites can be a boogie man, which is pushed by channels that are sponsored. If mites are the issue, you will find dead bees that are covered with them... every bee, right? For that boogie man to be legit. Otherwise you are preemptively overdosing them with pesticides and perhaps they are suffering. It reminds me of recent events with humans... follow the money, and I fully expect pushback on that POV, which tracks to my theory.
The only thing that stood out to me was where were the flowers for the bees to feed on? A field of lavenders etc I think might help. But great info on all the trials and tribulations and never knew it would have been so complicated.
There is research ongoing on breeding bees that specifically attack mites and chew their legs off. Might look and see if you can find some for your hives.
Interesting. I’ll check it out. Thanks
Try swarm catching! This is what I do in rural France. I catch every year and I make my boxes to catch them. Cost next to nothing for a swarm that way! 😊
Put sulfur on a square of aluminum foil and slide it into the hive. It will kill the mites but not the eggs. So you have to do it again in 3 days. Also Tracy (man's name) Hunter at Hunter's Farm in Martinsville, Indiana might be able to help you. I noticed that you didn't have flowers growing near the hive.
… side note,
apparently chiggers hate sulfur as well.
So I found some talk where people used sulfur to kill bees and chiggers, help me have faith to try this, please.
Bee keeper here in east Texas. You did a lot of things right! Bees do take a lot to get going. The only recommendation I have is try swarm catching or taking on splits from other beeks . Package bees and nuks have a high failure rate with the exception of weaver bees (from my research , not experience) . If you are truly done with bees please consider planting a pollinator pasture . We really need that here in east Texas. Frederick Dunn is a great resource & getting in a new club really is imperative. I am trying to find one close to me . I think there's one in canton but need to find out for sure.
I noticed in your video that your hive was in the shade of the tree. If you try it again, you might try putting them in full sun. I bought 1 hive and caught another back in April. I live in south west Texas, very hot in the summer. I left the hive I bought in full sun and it has thrived. The hive I had caught, I had left in partial shade. They did not make it.
We love you brother, all your content and your efforts. Been here and done this. First, hive beetles are beetles and need a direct flight path of less than four feet to hit your entrance. We put two layers of weak cloth fabric in front of our hives, about 7ft, and solved our beehive beetle problem. Wax moths, which we have suffered from incredibly, seem to be only solved through the strength of the bee population itself. We use Layen’s hives, which we find better to promote big colonies, but the point is build really strong colonies. We don’t like to feed our hives because it makes them welfare dependent, and you can see what that builds. But, we have a big garden and we will grow flower and crop pollinators just to give them an income source, if they choose to use it.
I’d keep my hives 50’ apart-seems to keep down on hive beetles
I’d do a couple 2 frame splits to have 2 extra queens - sounds like you had a laying worker- put one of your split queens where your week hive was and shake out your week hive a few feet from your hive, when the bees return to their hive location the hive will then accept the new queen with old hive
Splits are good until mid summer and will give you a good back up (buy one hive do one split, have one hive survive winter do 2 splits in spring, maybe more
depending on the colony)
Splits also minimize mites since they seem to like capped brood
Buy a little bee attractant from barn yard bees and spray it in an empty, clean hive with some drawn comb every couple of weeks and you should get at least one free colony of bees per year
This is what I learned in the last couple years in central Arkansas after loosing my bees to hive beetles and mites
I had a really good year this year with no colony loss to nature only vandals
Doing this I was able to turn 2 colonies to 6 between May and September
Don’t give up
You can do it and do it successfully
I would encourage catching local bees or buying queen if you loose one from barnyard bees
A lot of good advice 👍
Thanks for the good list.
Bees? I guessed before you got there. My biggest fail to date as well. I think I spend so much time working on everything else that the bees don't get the attention from me that they need.
And I live in NE Texas.
I've had bees for about ten years now and have grown to hate them but still can't seem to let them go.
I feel the same about 🐔 chicken's. But I was able to let mine go... to friend who has chickens as well. I feel for you, I hope you can learn to like it again or cut the cord. Nothing is worth your sanity.
God bless 🙌.
It used to be a lot easier. We seem to have screwed that up as well. I kept bees on a little five acre place I had in Oregon about 50 years ago. Once I got the hive started I was mostly done paying attention to it other than harvesting honey. Now that I'm retired I've tried to keep them four times at my shop in Oregon. Lost them every time. I'm in the middle of lots of nut and fruit tree farms. Beside the mites and beetles the orchards spray a lot, and that probably doesn't help. Folks in my area are keeping solitary bees for pollinators. No honey, but they are actually better pollinators.
Must be in the upper valley, I'm down here near Eugene surrounded by hay and fescue farms. I considered talking my roommates into hosting a hive but I'm iffy on whether or not there's enough for them to pollinate other than the blackberries
I see so many struggles with bees we are going to go for just planting as much to help pollinators instead and hope we contribute to those successful at it in some small way.
We try to plant a lot for pollinators and let some areas grow wild for natural flowers and plants to thrive.
I'm west or Ft Worth, close enough to be similar. On my property I decided that it wasn't worth the learning curve to figure out bee hives in my area. Instead I've concentrated on solitary bees. Honey bees aren't native and solitary bees were here doing all the pollinating before honey bees got here. I've been buying mason and leaf cutter bee cocoons and I also put up places where they like to nest (a block with 6 and 8 mm holes). I noticed that there are way more than mason and leafcutter bees using the nesting, looks like 7 to 10 different kinds of bee cocoons. And that's West Texas. I'm sure you'd be surprised how many there are in your area, you just need to encourage them to hang around with bee nest homes. Most solitary bees, collect pollen to feed their larva; collect pollen, build a cocoon, lay an egg, close cocoon, repeat. I just harvest the cocoon to keep them safe and then put them out to hatch in my bee homes. There are also some ground dwellers like those big black bumble bees (not solitary) and polyester bees (solitary). You just have to grow lots of flowers to keep them interested. In my opinion, considering the long homestead view, honey bees aren't reliable enough but solitary bees will be reliable is you encourage them.
I'm just north of Houston. After watching Doug & Stacy's series on bees featuring Dr. Leo I was inspired to catch and keep bees. It makes sense that the bees you catch in your area are more adapted and thrive better there. The one swarm I caught is doing very well. I did have to battle a bunch of hive beatles. You obviously have wild bees in your area (hense the robber bees). Catch local swarms and stop buying problems from bee farms.
I saw those videos. Interesting
I've got one hive northeast of Huntsville. Bee Weaver Farms out of Navasota have mite resistant Bees-they let the varroa do their thing, devastate their stock with no treatments then restarted with the survivors. I don't treat or even bother checking for mites because my bees are bred from varroa resistant genetics.
As for beetles: Full sun all day if you can on the hives. I also have Flow hives and the best thing about them is the pest management tray at the bottom and ant traps on the legs. You fill the tray with oil and the bees chase the pests down and they drown. You fill the leg traps with oil and ants cant crawl up. It makes the entire system very simple. I just do hive checks to make sure they have enough resources now every other monthish.
Very interesting. Thanks for the info and your experience. That gives me a bit of hope.
Thanks 🎉
I have struggled with bees 🐝 as well in Michigan. We have mites galore, hive beetles as well. I am experimenting with Leaf Cutter Bees. I can let you know how that works next spring.
There is not giving up, and then there is facing a hard reality that some situations are no win. Better IMO to cut one's losses than persist in a futile effort. Focus on what you can succeed at and trade for what is impractical to DIY.
Hey Eric!
Wow had no idea keeping bees was so difficult! Thought you just dumped a bunch of bees into a box/hive with a queen and Wala! What the heck do I know? 😆 had no idea there were bee enemies!! Crazy. Happy late Thanksgiving!! Pohan
Thanks Po and happy Thanksgiving!
Tons of bee enemies for sure. I think I am going to buy a few 5 gallon buckets of honey and call it a day.
I have been a beekeeper for nearly 12 years and I have 25 hives. I would love to share some tips with you. Also I have found ways to make it self sustainable and even profitable.
Thank you so much! I appreciate it. Send me an email to the channel email address.
I've never had any success raising bees. I tried several times and tried everything just like you. Even caught a swarm. They did well for a while but eventually died from wax moths. This was when I lived in The Dominican Republic. Using top bar hives I'm going to try them one more time now that I live in Northern Florida. For now , I switched to growing sugar cane. Not as easy but a source of sugar if it hits the fan. Good Luck
My advice to you is to ask your beemonger what she is lacking on her farm and try to produce that. Then y'all can barter for some mutually beneficial tradesies.
Don't give up. But also pray to God. ❤
🤔David Byrne ?
I love the Talking Heads…😁
I’ve always wanted to bees, but sadly I already have too much on my plate.
lol
Same. I have other things to concentrate on.
Get a local honey supplier and buy a couple 5 gallon buckets of honey... that'll last you.
I am in Lampasas, seeking an AG exemption, and 2 yrs into attempting to have 12-15 hives. I bought 4 nucs from beekeeper in Lake Jackson (down on coast close to Houston) and so far they are going but not thriving. Living on 22 acres of juniper cedar not so food worthy. So lots of sugarwater. Fixing to add sugar bricks and 1 1/2 foam to insulate. I fear failure and hope i can keep my bugs healthy and happy. So far i have only lost a package i tried to start with. Not such a good idea for beginner. Bee Supply 1205 Round Rock Ave Suite 119 Round Rock, TX 78681 good folks.
put legs on the bottom and put the bottom of the legs in a box or 4 small bowls full of water to stop ants and other things
I have 11 Hives as of right now. Not sure where about you are but I think I'm close to you since I also am in east tx. Everything you did was right, I can only guess its the the type of bees your getting. I have a mix of ones Ive extracted from places locally and some that Ive got that have been stored in the winter here. I will agree mites are bad in texas, since our winters are not always cold it leaves no time for brood breaks so mites can get out of hand fast. Again not sure how close you are to me but I could get you some bees for half what your paying.( Im north Houston, Near Huntsville)
Thanks. We should keep in touch over email.
The bees I keep buying are Italians. I heard they were the most docile.
@@CountryLivingExperience Ok Ill email you.
Purchasing colonies is a problem. Capturing a local swarm is the way to go. Local swarms are hardy and acclimated to your area. They'll thrive when purchased bees won't. You mentioned you used sugar. That will also set you up for failure. Also, clear the organic material away from under and around the hives (grass and weeds). A bed of crushed stone helps to eliminate the mite issue.
I will try (in the future). What is wrong with the sugar?......that helped them survive longer this year over last year.
@@CountryLivingExperience. There’s nothing wrong with sugar. Pick and choose who you listen to, not everyone knows what they are talking about.
Hey those are the brakes. Let go and maybe try some other time.
That's what I am thinking.
I'm not a bee keeper, but maybe seek help from another successful local bee keeper in your area to get help. They would know what is happening in your area.
I did.
Ok...I'm convinced never to have bees. I thought just set up a beehive box and bam honey. Cheaper to buy it.
Way cheaper to buy it for sure.
@CountryLivingExperience thanks....im like you I got plenty on my to do list with out adding more headache. 😂
The beekeeping supply
Look them up
It used to be Texas beekeeping supply
They have a store and many TH-cam videos that are excellent and may be able to help you
It’s hard to only do two colonies, especially when you have the challenges of dirth and mites.
The average loss of hives in the United States is 40% per year
In some places be keeping is easy, but unfortunately, your situation is common
I run 10 to 15 hives in Oregon
I split them to make extra queens and colonies, knowing that I’m gonna lose about 10 to 20%
40% is insane. I think that if I ever try this again, I will have to go big....min 15.
There will be no shortage of advice from beekeepers (or wanna be beekeepers) - including me. I initially tried your approaches (buy nucs, artificial feeding, mite treatment, constantly inspecting, etc etc etc) with poor success. This is a waste of time and money and only causes frustration (as you know). We (humans) are getting in the middle of a process that has existed since the beginning of time, and we are messing it up!
My advice (and the way I’ve been most happy and successful) is to set up several swarm traps in Feb/March using deep frames that match your brood box, making it easier to transfer a swarm when you catch them. Bait the traps in the spring and leave them alone. I continually have 15 swarm traps around my property. My traps are set up all year. During swarm season, I spray lemongrass oil once a month or so and call it a day. Every spring I will check them for wasp nests or other issues, rebait them, and leave them alone. I catch lots of swarms. Free, strong, area specific bees. If you catch a local swarm, it will be far more likely to survive your environment than anything you buy.
When you catch a swarm, let them establish for a couple of weeks in the trap. People move them too quickly. Patience is key. Let them commit to the comb/frames in that trap before moving them. Then, move the swarm to its permanent hive location using appropriate techniques. Place the frames from the trap into ONE deep brood box and fill the rest with new/used frames. Close it and leave it alone. DO NOT supplement feeding whatsoever. They were finding food before you caught them, they will find it now. Maybe feeding nucs is helpful but wild swarms don't need your feedings. The bees are already committed to the comb they’ve been working on so they are less likely to abscond. Let them continue drawing out the 10 frames. LEAVE IT ALONE. After 2 months or so, pop the lid and just eyeball the frames. If less than 7 are drawn, close it up and walk away. Recheck in another few weeks. Repeat the process until they have drawn out 7 frames. Don't bother looking for the queen. It’s fun but it disturbs the colony. She's there. She's working. Leave her alone. You can inspect the box in 15 seconds without pulling a frame. Once there are 7 frames drawn out, add a second deep on top. No queen excluder. Close it up and walk away. Do not touch it for the REST OF THE YEAR. The only time I won’t add a second deep in year one is if it’s a late swarm and we are going into the winter. Two deeps are too much for a new colony to heat/defend in the winter so if its late season I will only keep one deep in place.
Early next spring (year 2), find a nice day and pull off the top deep, place a queen excluder screen (metal not plastic) above the original deep and below the top deep, put the top deep back on, and then inspect the top deep frames for the queen. If you find her in the top box, pick her up and put her at the main entrance and watch her go inside the hive lower deep (which is now your brood box). Close the lid and walk away.
Now, you have a two deep hive that is strong with native bees. Your bottom box is your brood box with the queen and the top deep is now your super. Any eggs in the top box from when the queen was in there will hatch and the bees will replace those spots with honey.
Don’t feed them. Don’t treat them.
I rarely ever go into my brood box. I know the queen is there because the colony grows. If she leaves or it swarms, I hope they go to one of my traps but if they don’t, oh well.
I harvest frames from the top box when it’s right to do so. I leave drawn frames in the top super when they need the food going into winter.
I’ve done this for years and it works very well. Natural bees. They are strong. No chemical treatments. Life is easier. IMHO.
Texas may have mite issues, but Texas also has bees that can resist those mites. Catch those bees, give them a nice home, and leave them alone. They will reward you.
You are the second person to mention this to me. I appreciate it. It will be something I explore in the future.
I think you are just using common sense. Don't lose any more money. God bless you and your family.
🐝🐝🐝
Brother, you got played like a harmonica. They sold you homing bees! Go to the seller, and that's where you'll find your bees.
Treatments plus feeding = pesticides and pesticides, not good for bees. If your mite count was so low, why treat? Unless you find dead bees full of mites, you don't need to spend more money on treatments.
Because I knew the mites can come in an instant (days). They still swarmed (left).
@ I think mites can be a boogie man, which is pushed by channels that are sponsored. If mites are the issue, you will find dead bees that are covered with them... every bee, right? For that boogie man to be legit. Otherwise you are preemptively overdosing them with pesticides and perhaps they are suffering. It reminds me of recent events with humans... follow the money, and I fully expect pushback on that POV, which tracks to my theory.
If you actually learn something new, it is not a failure.
True. I keep learning what not to do. Although the answers are not clear as to why.