I guess in 2018 there are very few if any trade secrets. As it was once said " if we don't hang together, surely we will hang separately." Thanks for the effort. Nice job.
Great work! Thank*s for sharing the video. In my operation I have noticed that after 24 hours in the start colony it*s nice to place the cell bar into another strong colony above the queen excluder. For instance, if you have 100 queen cups in the start colony you should have at least six colonies to finish. Also I have noticed that double grafting work*s really well ( replacing the larvae after 12 hours being in the start colony by the new ones).
Other than hygiene and varroa resistance, what is also needed is breeding strains for making it through harsh winters in Northern climates. I know Sunberg is a Minnesota company...but they move operations to MS in the winter....so their bees don't have to winter like they do up in Northern climates.....I completely understand in order to maximize profits, beekeepers need to keep producing queens, but it doesn't help the Northern beekeeper...we are really at a disadvantage here for those of us that don't or can't move their hives south in the fall...there is enough time to do your own breeding program to produce your own queens even for the hobbyist, but not enough spring/summer to make it a worthwhile business model. Putting together programs to share queen stock with other local hobby queen breeders might be a way to produce hardy queens here in the North.
Hi Kevin, the issue with a queens in northern climates is more a matter of base genetics and varrosis than where the queens are produced. If you want a breed that is robust for the northern climate you may want to consider Russians. The originated in Primorsky Krai (eastern Siberia). They are the only commercial breed that has true genetic mite resistance and they tolerate the northern climates quite well. Just make sure you purchase Russians that come from a certified breeder. If not, you will not get the desired results.
@@ccapiariesllc1297 we've discussed Russians here at my local bee club. No one has had much luck with them. While they may winter a bit better, their honey production was not very good ....not to mention their disposition...and for the hobby beekeper, honey and nice bees go hand in hand. Breeding for Northern mutts can produce some nice winter hardy queens, but hard to duplicate results by hobbyists with limited resources.
@@KevinsNorthernExposure Hi Kevin, as I said, if you did not purchase Russians from a certified breeder you purchased a hybrid. Russian hybrids do not have good mite resistance, can be defensive, are not good honey produces, and will not over winter well. I have used Russians for 4 years and we are well pleased with the honey production as well as not having to treat for mites. When you breed mutts you are rolling the dice with the genetics.
My best producers and toughest to ward off al predators be it SHB, Varroa or robbers are defensive. Naturally bees are defensive if you are messing with their only food supplies and brood.
If you had been using certified Russian stock you would not be having the problems you just described. I have been using Russians in MN for the past five years and our production is twice the state average. There are two many people who are not part of the Russian association (certified breeders) who are selling hybrids (mutts). I also overwinter in MN and our in our worst year we only lost 15%.
The big thing us operators are dealing with is the scum out of California that pulls their queens TOO EARLY and the spermatheca isn't fully fertilized. So we get drone layers occurring after 20-38 days. I came here looking for Northern breeders and It looks like you have a good operation going here!
Two questions please: 1. why do you put the deep underneath to begin with? 2. Why do you think seeing bees running under the frames is a sign of a good colony? Thanks.
To answer your first question, you put the deep on the bottom with the cells so that the house will get packed out. A packed cell builder gets better cells. So, all the forager bees will end up there. The ones who leave the top box will fly home to the bottom. Perhaps on the 2nd point it has to do with the amount of bees…..strong colony equals good colony
So a beekeeper only has to transfer eggs/brood into a "queen cup", as well as remove the queen from the box, in order for the worker bees to automatically to know to make those particular eggs into queens? Or how do the workers know to turn those particular eggs into queens?
Hi, The size of the cell is an indicator to the nurse bees that this is a queen cell. However, the colony has to be manipulated so the brood pheromone is high and the queen mandibular pheromone is absent. In this condition, the nurse bees will respond by drawing out all of the queen cells to produce a "replacement" for the missing queen. It is an application of honeybee ethology to stimulate the nurse bees to produce queens on demand.
Guten Tag, the breed shown in the video is MN Hygienic. However, the only breeding programming the US that maintains genetic purity is the Russian Breeding program.
It depends on the type of mating NUC. Some have feeders build in, some you can use a bucket, others you have to make a feeder using phenolic panels. Many beekeepers use standard supers that have been partitioned into mating sections (3-frames per section) so they simply put in a frame of honey for feed.
Mark, after watching that amazing video, I have a strange question for you. Where did you purchase that bee suit? I've not seen a hat and veil like that.
In the Russian association spring/fall mite counts are used as a measurement. Mark evaluates for mites but the hygienic test is recommended buy the UMN.
I guess in 2018 there are very few if any trade secrets. As it was once said " if we don't hang together, surely we will hang separately." Thanks for the effort. Nice job.
Excellent video and great overview!! Appreciate the knowledge.
Thank you
Great work! Thank*s for sharing the video. In my operation I have noticed that after 24 hours in the start colony it*s nice to place the cell bar into another strong colony above the queen excluder. For instance, if you have 100 queen cups in the start colony you should have at least six colonies to finish. Also I have noticed that double grafting work*s really well ( replacing the larvae after 12 hours being in the start colony by the new ones).
Double grafting is not efficient for this scale of an operation.
Very good explanation
Great video, thanks!
Other than hygiene and varroa resistance, what is also needed is breeding strains for making it through harsh winters in Northern climates. I know Sunberg is a Minnesota company...but they move operations to MS in the winter....so their bees don't have to winter like they do up in Northern climates.....I completely understand in order to maximize profits, beekeepers need to keep producing queens, but it doesn't help the Northern beekeeper...we are really at a disadvantage here for those of us that don't or can't move their hives south in the fall...there is enough time to do your own breeding program to produce your own queens even for the hobbyist, but not enough spring/summer to make it a worthwhile business model.
Putting together programs to share queen stock with other local hobby queen breeders might be a way to produce hardy queens here in the North.
Hi Kevin, the issue with a queens in northern climates is more a matter of base genetics and varrosis than where the queens are produced. If you want a breed that is robust for the northern climate you may want to consider Russians. The originated in Primorsky Krai (eastern Siberia). They are the only commercial breed that has true genetic mite resistance and they tolerate the northern climates quite well. Just make sure you purchase Russians that come from a certified breeder. If not, you will not get the desired results.
@@ccapiariesllc1297 we've discussed Russians here at my local bee club. No one has had much luck with them. While they may winter a bit better, their honey production was not very good ....not to mention their disposition...and for the hobby beekeper, honey and nice bees go hand in hand. Breeding for Northern mutts can produce some nice winter hardy queens, but hard to duplicate results by hobbyists with limited resources.
@@KevinsNorthernExposure Hi Kevin, as I said, if you did not purchase Russians from a certified breeder you purchased a hybrid. Russian hybrids do not have good mite resistance, can be defensive, are not good honey produces, and will not over winter well. I have used Russians for 4 years and we are well pleased with the honey production as well as not having to treat for mites. When you breed mutts you are rolling the dice with the genetics.
My best producers and toughest to ward off al predators be it SHB, Varroa or robbers are defensive. Naturally bees are defensive if you are messing with their only food supplies and brood.
If you had been using certified Russian stock you would not be having the problems you just described. I have been using Russians in MN for the past five years and our production is twice the state average. There are two many people who are not part of the Russian association (certified breeders) who are selling hybrids (mutts). I also overwinter in MN and our in our worst year we only lost 15%.
The big thing us operators are dealing with is the scum out of California that pulls their queens TOO EARLY and the spermatheca isn't fully fertilized. So we get drone layers occurring after 20-38 days. I came here looking for Northern breeders and It looks like you have a good operation going here!
Excellent video
Two questions please: 1. why do you put the deep underneath to begin with? 2. Why do you think seeing bees running under the frames is a sign of a good colony? Thanks.
To answer your first question, you put the deep on the bottom with the cells so that the house will get packed out. A packed cell builder gets better cells. So, all the forager bees will end up there. The ones who leave the top box will fly home to the bottom. Perhaps on the 2nd point it has to do with the amount of bees…..strong colony equals good colony
Well put together presentation . thank you from a newbee.
Thank you
What is your cage made from? Where can you buy it or can you buy cages? It looks like the 2 cages in the video are made from 2different materials.
So a beekeeper only has to transfer eggs/brood into a "queen cup", as well as remove the queen from the box, in order for the worker bees to automatically to know to make those particular eggs into queens? Or how do the workers know to turn those particular eggs into queens?
Hi, The size of the cell is an indicator to the nurse bees that this is a queen cell. However, the colony has to be manipulated so the brood pheromone is high and the queen mandibular pheromone is absent. In this condition, the nurse bees will respond by drawing out all of the queen cells to produce a "replacement" for the missing queen. It is an application of honeybee ethology to stimulate the nurse bees to produce queens on demand.
MN hygenics are my favorite!!! Do you sell queens?
Very nice video.thanks
Nice music!
moor film plizzz
Really cool stuff guys
Guten Tag.
Welche Bienenrassen züchten Sie? Ich möchte Vollblutköniginnen kaufen. Wie kontaktiere ich Swami?
Guten Tag, the breed shown in the video is MN Hygienic. However, the only breeding programming the US that maintains genetic purity is the Russian Breeding program.
Do you have a number to buy queen cells. I am located in Alabama.
Google Sundberg Apiaries, in the side of the truck
There was not a good shot of the grafting tool, but it did not look like a usual Chinese one, what is it?
Hi Alastair, the tool is called a Master Grafting Tool. (www.mannlakeltd.com/master-grafting-tool?list=Category%20Listing)
I use one of these also and I find it much better than the Chinese tools. More precise and it does not wear down as fast as the bamboo.
@@ccapiariesllc1297 Much thanks 👍
Where do you get feeder from for mating nucs?
It depends on the type of mating NUC. Some have feeders build in, some you can use a bucket, others you have to make a feeder using phenolic panels. Many beekeepers use standard supers that have been partitioned into mating sections (3-frames per section) so they simply put in a frame of honey for feed.
@@ccapiariesllc1297 where can I get a queen isolation cage like that
When you put grafts in bottom box, do the bees in the top box with the queen, above the double screen, have exit/entrance?
Yes, they have their own entrance.
how much do you guys sell propulus for?
Most commercial beekeepers do not harvest propolis.
Mark, after watching that amazing video, I have a strange question for you. Where did you purchase that bee suit? I've not seen a hat and veil like that.
Hi Jeffrey, Mark's email address is mdsund2000@yahoo.com.
Thank for the info.
Hi can I ask is that a magnet or a gadget you have bought for your hive tool on your hip ? Enjoyed 😊
Wouldn't hygienic determination be done by multiple mite counts more than any other test?
In the Russian association spring/fall mite counts are used as a measurement. Mark evaluates for mites but the hygienic test is recommended buy the UMN.
Mark is no part of the Russian Association. He produces MN Hygienic stock.
Thank you I learned a lot my first year next year
Thank you
Liquid nitrogen is something like - 300 I’m pretty sure you could use 1/10 the amount you used.
This was just for demonstration. The amount he normally uses has been prescribed by the UMN.
Mark is my dad
He's my dad too!! lmao
Wow, no way me too!
He has a great operation and seems like a fine fellow
What's up with the hokie geetar music? Sucks.
It’s been two years now. I’m just checking in to see how you’ve been dealing with it.
🌹🙏