Beekeeping it’s the bee’s knees

@Noelie84 ,@not_nick
Feel bad for you guys hope the snow melts soon for ya moved some hives last night had to change there orientation

 

Yeah, the company I work for has warehouses in Jersey and they've been closed at least 1 day a week due to snow for the past month. And almost all of the storms that have dumped on them have given us small accumulations or just gone straight out to sea. The biggest storm we've had all winter dropped like 10 inches, but a couple of weeks later (Christmas day) we got 2 inches of rain and 50 degree weather.

Shrug. I'd have preferred more snow this winter, to be honest. Very cold, warming up for rain/ice and then back to very cold is harder to deal with than just getting a lot of snow.


But, at this point I'm looking forward to sap season and spring.

 

Rutt ro Raggy had to make neither split, this was a production hive that is starting to boom , have added 10 hives in 2 weeks.

 

No worries, it's pa

Very much agree, snow beats cold rain anytime. Even for the bees at least it keeps the wind above the hives, a little warmth in, and easier CO2 management for bees; only thing it's got me worried about is starvation now they've been cooped up a while. A few flying today so that's hopeful

 

You could add dry sugar to the top on a piece of paper. Mountain camp feeding

 

I want to run something by you all. "Bee Day" aka - when I pick up my two packages from local dealer is on 5/21/2021. I was planning installing the package the same day.

From what I read, you wait 3-5days to go back to confirm the queen as moved out and into the hive. And then from there, you check periodically to ensure they have 1:1 ratio of sugar water.

My issue is, I have to leave town (potentially) on 5/25/2021. So I was just going to have my father-in-law check on the feed in my absence, and also get a bigger feeding jar to begin with.

Thoughts?

 

Anybody's hives ever develop a 'leak' during the winter? I was checking on mine yesterday after work and the bottom board had a small trickle of frozen honey working its way out through the door.
Did a little research and apparently it's fairly common during a winter temperature swing but I'd never seen it before.

 

When your doing the packages the queen will be caged expose the candy plug and place it between the frames, just make sure the sugar isn’t above the queen cage if it drips. They will take down some sugar water, on my first 2 hives I used pickle jars 1 gallon and put it on the inner cover put a deep body over and then the top, put 3 16 penny nail holes in it.
Also can use new gallon paint can and do the same

 

https://youtu.be/xY4ZjldQiRs
Here is a guy that gave me the paint can idea

 

Can’t help ya but interesting

 

Did splits on 2-4-21 pulled 2 frames with queen and 3 new frames, did checks today all 3 frames built out, 5 good frames of brood and decided to split again, 2 capped frames and a shake with queen, 3 frames in the other, did Ots on them,queen cells found on one that was bursting at the seams .

 

Raw honey question. So i am wanting to take honey for my sinus allergies. I know I am supposed to buy local honey but does it have to be raw honey?

 

From my understanding (my interest in it is abstract; as somebody who doesn't have allergies I've got no input on the effectiveness of honey as an anti allergen), it depends on which school of allergy control thought you're subscribing to.
The 'ingesting local pollen' theory would require raw honey, since processing it can remove a lot of the pollen you're supposed to be building up an immunity to
The 'honey as an anti inflammatory' theory isn't dependent on pollen content, but from what I've read the 'conventional wisdom' still holds that less processing is better.

YMMV

 

It happens. On days like these with temperature swings it's common for them the break their cluster, remove the capping on honey in various sections of the hive to eat some or move it. Then if the temperature drops again they may be forced to cluster again in another part of the hive before they can cap the honey or finish their business with it. Common to see on the bottom board in springtime, but not so common to have it coming out the door

 

I see you are a beekeeper as well. I lost mine a couple years ago but still have all my hardware. I have been avoiding this thread because I knew it would make me want to get back into it.

 

We've had so much wind and rain this winter that I shimmed the hive & raised the back about an inch to keep water from getting blown in during a storm and freezing when the temps dropped. So the extra pitch is probably why

 

That's a bit early to go back into the hive imo. Taking the lid off to feed, sure. Opening the hive to pull frames out and check on them that quickly would be a bit much. I like to give them a couple weeks so they can adjust to their new home because the move is stressful enough on the bees, no need to add to it. Important to be prompt about that first check if you do it that way because it gives them a bit of time to make supercedure cells and burr comb. I've learned you can tell a lot about the bees without even opening the hive. Just by external signs if you watch them often and pay close attention. In this case you'll know if the queen doesn't take by the sound of the hive (queenless hive 'roar'), if they're flying in typical patterns or very frantic like, and how aggressive they are (hard to go near a queenless hive without a few good headbutts or a sting). If they're getting watery diarrhea shits all over the bottom board and your yard that tends to be a sign of high stress too lol

 

Kinda Sorta. I've had them two seasons but I'm still figuring it out.

 

Yes raw and local is important, raw is not pasteurized and not micro filtered. You have to ask. And a lot of of farmers market have honey re sellers. If they don’t have bees and want to talk about them run

 

Actually my local shop suggested a pickle jar, and they also have something that is the equivalent size of a paint can. Probably will go with the largest one I can get my hands on for my trip. Thanks for the tip and sharing the YouTube video.

Understood, so once I install package to hive wait a couple of weeks to check on queen? Just check feed that would be on inner cover? Sorry for so many questions I'm pretty new to this!