Beekeeping: Hive Issues & What's Happening In The Beekeeping Community
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- Опубліковано 15 кві 2024
- Beekeeping presents so many challenges. Today we'll look into a problem hive and determine the next best course of action. And I'll discuss a problem I'm seeing within the beekeeping community.
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I can sometimes get very concerned, maybe alittle frustrated at what I see in the beekeeping community and it's getting worse every year. It's wonderful to have new beekeepers starting beekeeping each year, but today I have to address a problem that's affecting the beekeeping community at large.
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The world today is based on open knowledge. I started 'hunting' swarms, building hives and frames during the corona. I have never purchased any equipment, book or course. All my knowledge comes from the internet which is the best open university in the world. A hobbyist in any field needs to know one thing today - how to filter all the knowledge found on the net. You provide free and quality knowledge from the best on the net and I thank you for that. What are you complaining about? Are there more enthusiasts? Do most of them fail? So what? People in the western world have time and money to spend on 'hobbies'. This year they tried bees, two years ago they rode bicycles and bought every possible equipment related to that and next year they will decide to buy an antique car and try to renovate it and usually it will sit for years in the parking lot and collect dust and rust. So what?
They will buy equipment, get stung, some swarms will die and they will learn and continue their hobby or move on to the next thing...
That shift started here about 5 years ago. Showing up at meetings with the idea of learning everything they need to in order to start. No studying prior to getting into it. I have done a mentoring lecture and plan to another at a state conference regarding this subject. If you what to know the larger elephant in the room, it’s the internet and forums as well as us, you and I, as UA-cam creators. I watched you when I first started in 2012 with a video you made on the hive components. Nowadays, folks go on UA-cam and watch and try to go that route 100%, and it doesn’t end well in a lot of cases. It is what it is in this day and age. And that’s why I EMPHASIZE, I don’t do ‘How To’ videos. I actually have a lecture that’s about watching UA-cam responsibly when starting out.
@MikeBarryBees I would love to see some of your lectures on your channel, or maybe you and Yappy could do one of those interviews/chats he's been doing lately on a few of those topics? And I hope your destroyed hive pulled through, where I'm at, mesquite trees are bad about falling out of the sky when we get a little wind, I feel your pain. Prayers for all the folks over there recovering from the storms. @beek, love your channel too, but LA is a much closer ecosystem to mine than IL, and thank you for talking about the elephant, our bees do deserve better. 🙂
Hey Mike! I started watching you, Frederick Dunn, and Bob Bennie. I’ve never had a mentor and I’m going into my 6th year of beekeeping. This year, I took on a veteran and his wife with Hives for Heros. I’ve learned a lot from you and others UA-camrs. Don’t sell yourself short in teaching new beekeepers.
Dear David Burns,
I do hear your concerns about this "hype" of bee hives, but what do you expect, all media is saying " The bees are dying, the bees are dying..." and information is so easy and readily available and you also are part of this easy access of information. The market goes according on demand , here in Canada you can now order Bee packages from New Zealand, where the season is ending, I get mine this week. About the quality of the future or newbie beekeepres ( like myself)...It is like driving a car, the abilities of the drivers are as various as the number of cars on the road. The Bee clubs and mentors need to embrace the newbies. I have my dear neighbour Jack , who turns 80 soon and he gave up due to his age. He gave me his hive and equipment and does mentor me, but also he cannot answer all my questions, so also I go to the easy accessible resources of YT and FB. I wish you, Mr Burns and all old and new Bee hosters and keepers all the best for the beginning season. Keep up your videos, I like to learn and watch them all. ;-)
I’m in the research phase right now and my goal is to get bees next spring. I can’t imagine anyone just jumping right into it without any knowledge of bee keeping. Love all your videos and thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge with us!
So -- what did you end up choosing to do to fix the hive?
I am not a beekeeper, but it’s something that I am interested in eventually trying, when I can. I’ve watched so many videos and if I am able to try to keep bees, I want to find out as much information as possible before actually getting my first hive.
For the people asking the basic questions, is this maybe their way of trying to become educated? It may be very basic but if they don’t know it, they don’t know it, and they have to find it out somehow. Either by taking a class, looking it up or by asking a question on a video they watched. With the internet, it’s easier to ask questions directly on videos now vs. having to pull out a book. At least the questions are being asked.
What I wouldn’t want to see is people just getting a hive without having any prior knowledge at all and then asking questions. You need to ask the questions BEFORE you get your first hive.
Practical knowledge is a must as reading alone won’t give you the same experience.
I understand your concern and i have considered it.
Sidenote, in the same year that i started keeping bees, i also becane very interested in sailing. Each sailing vourse ran about $400 and renting a boat for a few hours was similar if not significantly more. I have taken the first 2 classes and Aced both tests including the practical exam. I have done zero sailing since and i still want to.
Cost of entry...
The solution to your bee dilema is to make everything much more expensive, or just accept that people try things and fail. Sometimes this encouraged us to try harder and sometimes it causes us to quit.
I have 3x my colony vount each year after my first and im eager to keep going.
You may not like the approach but thw solution is far worse. Make a package cost $400 and a nuc over $500 and a single deep box $50 and you will get what your asking for.
Five years ago, I started helping my cousin at his apiary with his 14 beeves. I started keeping bees personally only three years ago myself after I learned a ton from him. I also attend Michigan State University once a month for Bee club and I also attend my local club here in Michigan. Every time I go to class I learn something new. Also’ I have learned a huge amount by watching many of your videos which are fantastic and I take my hat off to you, also David I have learned what works for you? Sometimes it doesn’t work for me and I figured that out with some mistakes along the way. But I have had tremendous success and I have gotten my 3 hives through the last 3 years and have not lost a hive yet. I love your knowledge and I learn a lot from you. Thanks for your time.
I’m not sure how to respond. I have been living with bees for three years. I love it! It is now in my blood. Yes, anyone can go buy bees. Why? Because commercialized keepers like the money. UA-cam channels on beekeeping are abound. Why? Because people like the money. Subscribe. How much of this money goes to the local beekeepers association? Very little and we all know it.
I confess, I have underinvested in my local beekeepers association. I commit this summer to changing that. You are either part of the problem or your part of the solution. If you want to be part of the solution, money cannot be your first motivation. I think the greatest impact happens at the local level, not on UA-cam. I don’t have a bitter bone for anyone but that is how I see it. Real mentorship is a face to face proposition.
Really appreciate when you get into your hives and work your colonies, explaining what you’re seeing and ideas about what can be done to help the colony. Thank you David!!
I think the public awareness about saving the bees has finally risen to a point in which can be detected. That’s a good thing in my opinion. What better time to get into beekeeping then now? So many resources a new bee keeper can tap into, all the conferences and associations, Facebook groups, seasoned beekeepers, UA-cam and the social media buffet. like you said anywhere and everywhere sells the gear now. I think the problem really boils down to our society is structured in such a way that is conducive for people to dive in head first and never realize they were in the shallow end.
Most people’s attention span is about 30 seconds or less these days and with a phone in hand why learn anything when you can just ask away on 46 different platforms.
Folks should be encouraged along the way to join a local association so they can really have a helping hand through the life journey of beekeeping.
Thank you David for saying this and I think it is very true. I am interested in becoming a backyard beekeeper and initially thought “even though I am late to the game I can do this…this year!” But after taking a class (I’m in Minnesota so through the U of M) I decided that even though I could do this-I am not prepared to do it, especially because I would be starting so late in the season as a newbie. Taking a class really helped me appreciate that beekeepers should be responsible and that there is so much to learn on the way. I would not want to jeopardize the privilege of being able to keep bees for myself and others in the city I live in by being irresponsible. I was initially so bummed because like a goofball I got all the necessary equipment-thankfully I held off on ordering bees and now I am glad I did. I know I will be so much more prepared next year and in the meantime I can take advantage of seeking mentors and a Bee Club this summer.
LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE AT THE BACK!!! There is no excuse for not doing research before getting bees. There are so many books, videos, and online courses (even FREE ones, like the UoA taught by your buddy Jon Zawislak) to load up on before getting your first package or nuc. It drives me bonkers that people get nucs without knowing a damn thing about what to do next--then pass on the burden to beeks in Facebook groups or Reddit to figure out what to do next!
I see your concern. And its all true. In addition we see the same people year after year coming to buy nucs and packages because every year their bees die. They just think they can throw bees in a box and get honey, makes it very frustrating for mentors like me. In regards to that failing colony you showed, I noticed many bees walking around with wings spread opened instead of closed up, maybe a virus?
I enjoyed this episode regarding beekeeping challenges. I started raising bees in the mid 1980's and had good success with them. Then during the fifth year, I lost all of them to foulbrood. At that time I was not in a position to keep going and had to discontinue. Now, however, I am getting ready to start again, and with all of the information available online and in books, and by watching beekeepers like you, I have decided to once again start raising bees. For me, the information available online has been a huge help, and I feel that I have learned much, and am ready to once again "join the hive".
I have to admit, if you find this problem to be so drastic, you should offer more free resources and not charge people for your classes. That's what I do and will continue to do.
I agree and that’s why I make 2-3 free videos per week, and answer beekeepers questions for free every Thursday night in my livestream.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about beginners. It needs to be addressed.
I agree with you 100%. The bees deserve better. Spend the winter months learning about the bees and beekeeping. There are many great resources available today. You will be much more successful, much more satisfied, and your bees will thank you for it later. 🐝🐝
Thanks, David. You were talking to me. I did take a class four years ago but I did not study as I went. I am in my late 60s and am not strong. Not only that, but I had to work with my husband because of the weight of the hives, we don't work well together. So it was not a joy, and neglect happened. We just inspected for the first time two days ago (we worked well together) and our two hives were very weak (fewer bees, little new future bees, not much pollen...). We have had a horrific spring. When the maple tree were in bloom - rain and cold. Anyway, thanks for the scolding, I needed that. Your approach is so kind.
Agreed with you 100% regarding buying bees without investing in education first! Well said, David!
I started beekeeping because few years ago, after a harsh winter, I didn't see honey bees come to my flowers. I didn't go to any classes and I didn't meet any beekeepers in person. It is a hubby, and I learned everything from the internet. I started with one nuc four years ago and my bees survived every New England winter. I now have 18 out of 19 hives survived the winter. All queens are my own. Everyone has their own ways of learning and has their own ability to figure out things and learn from their own practice. With the beekeeping materials widely available on the internet, classes are no longer necessary.
I agree with you completely about people jumping into beekeeping with no education and experience with bees
I have tought beginning beekeeping for 5 years. I have mentored a number of people who are doing well with their bee's.
I have been keeping bees for the last 17 years. But, I get the same question from the same people every year.
What do you do when you have this happen?
When you first start doing research on getting into bee keeping the first thing that comes up is "Find a local bee keepers association and go ask seasoned beekeepers, or find a mentor", that is probably why you get a lot of inexperienced people asking very basic questions. Maybe better advice would be "Do a lot of homework then find a local bee keepers association". I am actually very surprised by the tone (distain?) for new people asking questions. I would take it as a compliment, they are wanting to start beekeeping and are looking for experienced people for information, they may also be looking for community. Anyway, just my opinion, and judging by the comments, I am in the minority.
I have all the gear. My first colony arrives in May. I have watched hour after hour of u tube videos on bee keeping. I'm a great believer in watch and learn. I know when that nuc arrives will be the moment I really learn. We I believe have hard times ahead and honey is liquid gold. A great bartering tool.
But the information is on line, I started 3 year ago , its a hobby nothing more, I enjoy it, I i find it relaxing. I bough 3 nucs of Bees stating out, now I have 6 hives and 4 nucs, I will sell the nucs and maybe 1 or 2 hives, I don't want it to take over as its just a hobby,
I have taken a couple of very good beekeeping courses and would like to learn from you David cuz I still haven't manage to keep bees over 1 year after trying for 5 years. I won't take another course if I can't solve my ant problems. If it's not addressed and solved, I just won't be able to afford buying more bees next year. In 5 years I have never had beetle or mite problems. I have Ant problems. My bees starve because of it. I have never had sick bees just starving ones that cant eat the sugar water due to ants. I have never harvested my bees honey. I live among orange grove in southern California. I've tried cinnamon, diatomaceous earth, oils in cups, boric acid beetle barn traps which lead to an ants swam on my hive, tangle foot which did stick to my bees. I have 3 bee packages I bought this year, have them out in sun on cement fed with your suggested feeding mix and the bees are covered with ants even with all my remedies in place. I caught my first swarm this year and now I have 4 bee hives all with no food, now because of the ants. I put my bees in different areas every year as well. I love your videos and your talks, I love my bees and care for them, but honestly don't have the right solutions and I have tried. .
David I have a 7 foot fence around my my hives I was thinking of putting a swarm trap on the top of the fence do you think I would catch any of my own hives what would you think of an idea like that Charlie PA great videos by the way David keep them coming learned quite a bit
I 100% agree with you!! I learned for a year before I got bees.
Thank you for all the videos and I know you touched on top bar hives briefly but it would be really cool if you could do like a Q&A with Dr. Leo Sharashkin podcast style. Maybe have a podcast where you mentor us beginners and bring in guests that subscribers have leaned on for information.
Spotty brood could also be a charcaristic called VSH and you are possibly culling the gentics that get us past Varroa.
So does our illinois weather play a part in her spotty brood patterns this early in the year? I'm about an 1 and half hrs from you and I'm seeing some hives doing this.
I spent close to 100 hrs on your channel while I waited for my 1st package. It's been a long frustrating journey but I bought two this year and have managed to catch two feral swarms so I'm hoping that I can get through winter. Last year I had an abscond that kinda caught me off guard. First year they froze with only 3-4 thousand bees but I had 0 brood so I'm guessing my queen fell out of the hive.
I agree with you on people should do there time when getting into bees .. but I also see bee supply companies pushing the hobbit bee stuff as well… it seems like they want to sell the products but don’t care if the bees make it
Very interesting dialogue.
I understand your concern and comments, I have been studying and researching beekeeping for 3 years, but it wasn’t until I got my first nuc this week, did it all become “real” and everything I thought I knew flew out of my head. It is confusing as a new beekeeper when you listen to different beekeepers you have totally different answers. I was being slow and careful with the frames as I pulled them from the nuc to put them into the hive, but my mentor, a 30 year beekeeper, said do it like this and pulled the frame out of the nuc, flipped it over, bees were falling off, I was horrified, everything I have watched or ready said go slow and careful. In this video you say don’t spay with sugar water, but I watched another beekeeper successfully use sugar water to keep the bees calm. As a new beekeeper it is hard to know what to do or who to listen too.
I've been a beekeeper for about 5 years now. I've taken 3 beekeeping courses but the vast majority of what I've learned has been on channels such as yours. I think the old saying of "You don't know what you don't know" is very true here. Until you stumble across a professional beekeeper or a channel such as yours, you wont know if beekeeping is your thing until you try it. UA-cam has made beekeeping more accessible to the masses which has the great affect of getting many more people curious about beekeeping. Which in turn will make more people want to try it out. Which has a negative affect of people realizing how difficult and expensive beekeeping can be within the first couple of seasons which has a filtering affect on all these newcomers. However, this also has the added benefit for the ones who power through these challenges which in turn can create even more beekeeping experts such as yourself who will vastly improve beekeeping in ways we can only speculate. So please keep teaching and sharing your expertise because you never know when you'll inspire the next David Burns.
We've done a ton of research since last year and planned ahead and ordered our package in November because this is our first year. But we still sometimes ask basic questions because what someone in a UA-cam video in GA has to say may not be as relevant to us in Michigan vs a local expert might say or even you in IL. There's the classic "ask three beekeepers and you'll get five different answers".
David,
Thank you for addressing this. I’ve had similar concerns.
As a society, we’ve pushed the importance of pollinators and the concerns regarding honey bees and their importance.
That increase in awareness and those genuinely wanting to help combined with ease of availability have caused the unfortunate situation you address.
Beekeeping shouldn’t be done on a whim, but approached in a sensible manner.
Beekeeping should be entered responsibly like bringing in any other type of commitment needed for a cat, dog , etc.
There is responsibility on our part as beekeepers to do justice to the bees we keep.
(Pardon the example) Treating it like buying a goldfish for a 5 year old is ridiculous. Oh your goldfish died, let’s just flush it and go get another. This doesn’t work.
Beekeeping isn’t cheap to get started and do yourself a favor and at least set the foundation for success beforehand.
Everyone entering beekeeping will be inexperienced, but that doesn’t mean you have to be clueless.
As readily available as bees and equipment has become, so to has the access to knowledge and resources.
Be responsible, be educated, be prepared. Don’t be a be haver, be a beekeeper. Don’t be “that beekeeper” the makes the community look bad or gets a bad reputation.
Being prepared first will lead to a much more successful and enjoyable experience.
I think there are a lot of problems with the beek community. Overall, I feel like the biggest issue is that many experienced beeks are more interested in being "gatekeepers" than what they are helping people. I attended club meetings in 2 different states and the meetings seemed to have "seasoned" people that didnt act like they wanted to be bothered with basic questions and the rest were noobs (like me) that didnt try to answer questions.
The guys that were my mentors were super nice, but they were also insanely busy people and just really didnt have time for me. I caught swarms and kept beekeeping for dummies with me until I'd really read it several times. I also spent more time watching your content (and maybe 2 others) quite a bit to get some more knowledge that you just cant pick up from a book.
For me, I experienced a lot of know-it-alls that were more than willing to cowboy their opinions and bad advice and the know-it-alls that wanted everyone following them around like a lost puppy.
It doesnt help with many people are into bees for a wide array of reasons. Most of it's just because of money though.
Sadly, I dont think righting things will come from anyone having the answer to fix things but more from people vocalizing what NOT to do with people getting interested in bees.
Basics. All have to start somewhere.
My 1st year I bought 1 package for 1 hive, got up to 3 hives then they started dying lost em all, I restarted with 3 packages got up to 7 hives lost all but one , lost quite a few swarms, I got frustrated left the boxes out insects took over and suddenly I caught 2 swarms so I guess I’m back in business
David, I'm a new person who plans on having bees sometime soon. I've bought a couple books I've been reading and I watch UA-cam videos like yours and others . I also have joined a local bee association.
Finding a mentor is not that easy around me (Alma, Arkansas).
I don't believe there is such a thing as a stupid question, but I would agree that a little reading does help.
Something I noticed you did not mention was how a lot of people that are selling packages really aren't taking very good care of these packages they are sending out. I've seen multiple posts of people getting their bees half dead and queens in poor shape as well. This is causing newbies like myself to panic, causing people to afraid of the risk like you said. These same packages that are rough are being turned into nucs that are already on the down hill when received at a seemingly high price. How are we supposed to learn when some beekeepers take advantage of the new people wanting to have bees ? Notice I never call myself a beekeeper, because I am not until I've successfully kept bees.
Maybe a swarm is a better idea than trusting others who , from what you say, already expect us newbies to fail.
Thanks
Sometimes it's not the people selling the packages but the shipping companies mishandle bees. But good point.
I totally understand where you are coming from, but i am new to bee keeping this year and i emailed, messaged, called every apiary in my area asking them to mentor me and I would volunteer my time just for the experience. NONE would even answer a message with a sorry can not do that or anything. so I spent hours on youtube and the internet doing research. The last thing i want to do is lose my bees due to my ignorance, some of the people asking the basic questions may be because they have none else to ask.
I’m sorry to hear about your experience. Have you taken a beekeeping class? A thorough class would go along ways to answer most questions. I answer questions every Thursday night on my livestream. This will be a big help. Here’s the link: www.honeybeesonline.com/live
@@beek I watch you and others. I have learned a lot from the videos. I am subscribed to you so I get to see them. But as you know nothing is like hands on.
EXACTLY DAVID....people need to take classes. You're not helping the bees buying a package and killing it months later.
You've been doing it a whole lot longer than I have I had one do that and I put a pallen Patty on it and it corrected
The internet can be good and it can certainly be bad. I've been in bee school for 12 years now, I've mentored a handfull of guys along the way and only one I'd call a fellow bee keeper. It's pretty easy to see right off the bat if they did thier homework or not, oh you're not going to wear a veil? Ya I saw it on Y tube, Well Okey dokey then lets get er opened up.
Just getting into bees. Whats the best suit to hav?,i am 6'5" & 285#s
Most companies have sizing charts that will help you figure which one will fit you.
I would get a big suit
Ever watch Iron Man? 😂
Money is the root of all evil. If you won't say it, I will, it is Bad and Wrong. Start by reading a book like. The New Starting Right with Bees book .Then read more good books. Then find a Mentor if you can . Sometimes you have to hurt peoples feeling or how are they going to learn.Thats the problem with America today don't hurt my feelings. Sometimes tough LOVE is needed
David, how long has the queen been locked in the bottom box?
This is a great question to be asked on the livestream tonight, 7pm Central Time: Here's the link: ua-cam.com/users/livefI_qVqcF0BI
Great comment at the end im 5 years in started with 2 packages and never looked back as i run two yards and plan to expand but i spent over a year reading and listening to everything possible to do right by the bees.
Shouldn't the bees supercede a failling queen?
Still a bit too early and cold
thanks for your thoughts on this but I do disagree
since the people I know who had bees (also on my land) have either quit or lost allot of hyves and their answer is medicating them.
I have watched some old video about skeps in the 1940s and they were much more principled about destroying hyves that preform below average, and not keeping populations that failed to fend of pests. So I believe that brave new beekeepers should self educate and ask or write about what problems they run into. I have the books of my father written when square boxes with frames were new.
but the videos of the skep makers are far more educational.
I made my own horizontal hyve while all bee guys told me just to buy conventional material.
I will find my way and let my bees tel me what is good for them. and let my heart tel me what bee information resonates with me. And I will not give up because bees bring so much beauty and wonder into my life. I'm not in it for the honey. I just want to learn from the bees.
We all need to do our own thing and find our own way👍
My son started with one purchased nuc and one double deep box two years ago. He built his own swarm traps and started catching bees. Got in with the city water department and does their cut-outs. (Bees love water meters) he's constantly making splits and is quickly closing in on 100 hives. The kid is a natural. He's definitely a UA-cam student. He recently installed his first Ag. Exemption yard. $1300 bucks a year and he keeps everything. Homeowners don't care anything about the bees, honey or the equipment. I'm a proud daddy so I'm kinda bragging a little. He's got me and his Mom involved and we're doing the class route. I'm trying to get to the point... I guess I'm a little "miffed" listening to your??? rant, maybe? When you tell someone "I'm not saying you're stupid" 27 times, sounds like you're saying I'm stupid. Just my opinion.
Hey Jay, I'm proud of your son too! Tell him I said he's doing a great job!
Mite treatment will cause queens to stop laying temporarily.
It's Jason Statham's fault for the beekeper movie 😂😂
lol. Both gatekeeping and beekeeping.
I’m that guy😂1000.00 in so far and I don’t even have bees yet so some beekeepers making money off me that’s gotta be helping the industry.
NO GMO BEES!
BEES deserve better?
All those mistakes made by newbies helps to supplement the wild stock.
When I started 5 years ago I went to Bee School at our local club over the winter, then I bought 3 college level books and studied - attended work shops and have had up to 12 hives at one time now. AND...... it's till easy to lose hives over the winter. Every time someone says "Oh, I want to start beekeeping.." I say it's really rewarding - however, it's VERY expensive to be a beekeeper. Don't agree? You are lying. I have thousands of dollars of equipment and spend hundreds every year - and only once have I made money doing this. My neighbors fruit trees love me :>
Hilarious David, you can say these things - albeit couched (camoflaged?) within "visual learning" - as you are one of the Enablers! Beekeepers put the same message out *directly* and what happens next is why those who really know their stuff no longer offer.
Online nearly seven years now I can say your timeline is waaaaay out of whack as the Entitled were at this when I first stepped up to help out - absolute edjuts just rained [pun] solid in many a forum... clicks in numbers, membership recruiters, all got the fast lane n0t so for the "brains trust"!
Sooo way late as you are it remains appreciated yourself at least own the caj0nes to say so on your channel. No subscription in it, however of all the USAinian "influencers" yours is the one I link my tutorials to, sometimes.
Compliments.
Shad
Wonderful video David, great timing for deep hive inspection tips. 3rd day in a row of 60 degrees and no snow. Bees are flying happy!
Great video David
I totally understand where you’re coming from as a person who re-entered myself to be keeping after 10 year hiatus (my business took over)
I became a student all over again to try do things right for the bees
I’ve been so blessed by your videos thank you thank you
I have learned so much from Mr. Burns. You Sir are exactly right and as you stated, you were one of those people and I confess, I was too after 5 swarmed hives. That's what it took for me to get educated! Feeling so much more confident when opening my hives thanks to you and some other knowledgeable guys. On the bright side, the newcomers are at least helping bee populations through their trial and error. Got to take some solace in that...
I admit I just jumped in. I started watching your videos and reading books about 8 months before I started. My first year I had one hive. It did wonderfully but I lost it in early spring going into my second year. Winters are tricky here in Central Wisconsin. My second year I switched from Italians to carniolans and got two hives going. I had two very strong hives going into winter and lost one hive in late winter this year but still have one very strong hive right now which is a victory for me. As such I'm going to take what you have taught me in these videos and your queen rearing course and make my first walk away split. I'm also going to learn the art of queen rearing this year and start expanding my bee yard quite a bit. I'm nervous but confident. I've made a lot of mistake but I've learned from them all and after 2 full seasons I'm still trying to learn everything I can. I have and continue to spend a lot of money. Mistakes are costly. The one thing you have given me through your courses and videos is the understanding that beekeeping requires passion. It's passion that helps us stay the course. It helps us to overcome adversity and to constantly grow and become better beekeepers. Knowledge is power and success comes from learning to apply that knowledge to our hives. Thank you for sharing not only your knowledge but your passion.
Thank you for breaking the ice on this subject . People really don't know how hard and how much patience it takes to start . Also the financial part can get out of controll if you don't know what your doing . So the new people need to be careful starting. And good luck
I am a brand new beek and I can’t imagine starting this adventure without the classes and research I’ve done. I have a local mentor too. I’ve only had my bees for 17 days (!) and I’ve learned so much! I know I’ve enjoyed them so much more by understanding their behavior and a little of what they need. I have SO MUCH more to learn and I’m grateful for resources like you David Burns!!
Amen to this.. i always recommend a book when I see a basic question.
Well said David. Jumping into it is great, but you need to get as smart as possible (or have a dedicated mentor) before you pull the trigger and take the step to get bees. When I started, I spent all winter researching and took a class in Feb/March from a great experienced teacher before I shook my first package into a hive. Even after all that the learning curve is incredibly steep! 15 years later and I still feel like I learn a lot every year. You have to have a foundation though before you get your bees.
David - spot on with your concern for the beekeeping community. We have people with hives that can't distinguish between workers, drones and queens! As a community I think the local associations can do a much better job to encourage a bit of patience so new beekeepers learn some knowledge and skills before getting bees.
My fav is they dont even know what capped over honey looks like
I totally agree. I am very fortunate to have two beekeeping mentors at my church and one some distance away. But I have totally immersed myself in bees and did a ton of studying.
We love your videos! Knowledge is the key to success with the bees! Could you tell me how to deal with aggressive hive? We think because they are queenless.
First determine that it is queen less. Make or purchase a new mated queen.
Once you have the newly mated queen , pinch the old queen, wait a day and introduce the new queen.
I'm a newbee, but I agree! I watched zillions of youtube videos and took the UF Apprentice Beekeeper course before getting our first bees in February. I see questions asked in the facebook group for our local bee club that are SO basic, even for me.
David, I agree with you 100%. I also feel that platforms have helped and hurt beekeeping. A person will watch a couple of videos, and they think they're ready to start beekeeping. Study beekeeping, volunteer at your local bee club to work in their apiary before getting your own bees.
I agree with what you’ve said about the community.
I am picking up my first nuc here in 2 weeks. But that’s after 5-6 years of interest and active research and study and 3 years of knowing a couple farmer friends that keep.
And yes in the social media groups there are so many post of: “just got my first nuc. Just ordered a hive, what should I feed them???”
And it feels like they are the kinds of people who used to buy V-day puppies and bunnies….
Edit: I forgot to put in the free UofA course… 😅
Dave, your comments of beginning beekeeping is spot on. I read books and prepared two years before I bought bees. I have a niece that stated the way you said. I told her I'll help, so far Everytime I go out there she has excuse not to be out there. Then she says "I need you to show me not come out and do it"
I can't see them be neglected, so I check and make changes if I need to.
Good job
I agree with you. The same thing has happened with backyard chicken keeping. People all of a sudden buy chickens and have no idea how to properly care for them. I am new to beekeeping. I took a 9 week course, I have read and studied and I am currently working with a mentor. Animal husbandry isn’t to be taken lightly. It’s a commitment.
Thank you for bringing up this issue about the Beekeeping community. I'm only in my third year but went through the process of research a year before I even connected with a mentor to get hands on experience. I got absolutely roasted on a certain forum/website when I recommended books and Beekeeping clubs. The person posted a picture of a queen cage and asked "Is this the queen?" I left that sub and never went back.
Truth is, now that the Internet is far and wide, there will always be a huge community that is an echo chamber of ignorance and naiveness. Also, kids with the family iPad are probably commenting. 😂
I took a weekend class and quickly realized I needed more education... Took a year mentorship class and was so happy I did.. I also belong to a beekeeping club...
I’m in total agreement. I don’t think people realize the knowledge and skill it takes and Continuing Education in beekeeping. Facebook groups show how little people research before jumping in.
What would you think is the most likely cause if you have a queen that lays an entire frame up on both side hardly missing a cell. a week later, the frame has spotty brood? I had hive like that last season.
David, I’ve seen this coming and you are exactly right. We live in a commercialized disposable society. Today, attention spans are short. New beekeepers should read, read, and read some more. Add in the mentorship, and classes and then start beekeeping.
Exactly !! Read, watch and learn. The bees are under our guardianship as we take them on as living beings. Do the right thing by them. Well done.
Keep in mind that younger folks consume information differently. I see them crowd-sourcing information, watching videos, and reading websites. I hate crowdsourcing info, dint like being forced to watch a video without a transcript to read, and like a book in my hands.
I am early Gen X, my kids are GenZ and just consume information differently. I see them as being connected constantly to others even though they are doing it via electronic means.
The world IS changing. The rate of information is exponentially higher than when I was a kid. But the new beekeepers are coming to it to slow themselves down. It has really gotten me outside every single day to check the bees. People are touching grass, grounding, engaging with the natural world. Those are good things to happen in this age.
@@kdc3440agreed. 5 yrs ago UA-cam wasn’t the preferred method of learning but the information also isn’t vetted. I haven’t seen much misinformation on beekeeping but it’s likely out there…consider the source (and no, UA-cam ISN’T the source-it’s the beekeeper). Another issue is that beekeeping is EXPENSIVE! It’s like a luxury car that people buy and then sell when they find out the oil changes are $500. Educate people on the time and expense of beekeeping and it will have a higher rate of retained beekeepers.
Just how I see it
And David, no need to sweet talk it and trying to avoid stepping on peoples feelings. Offended will feel offended
I started 4 years ago, and studied 3 month before my first hive daily, and still in my 4th year I am leaning, new things every week sourcing information.
A beehive is „disposable“ and the attention span is short
BUT MAINLY, „PEOPLE WANT IT HANDED TO THEM WITHOUT ANY EFFORT ON THEIR OWN“
Thanks for the video David it was very informative. You are number one!
Join or visit your local Bee Keeping Association/Club. You can get an idea if beekeeping is even for you. Most Clubs welcome people even if you do not have bees. There are several people who are willing to help out new bee keepers.
I agree cause I was one of those. I spent the winter studying,etc.7 yrs ago Decided to go with a diy top bar hive(mistake) because I thought the langstroth would be too heavy. Decided to give it a year. They didn't survive the winter. Another package that next spring and built another top bar hive as the first swarmed, but didn't know why. That's when I joined a bee club. 2nd winter, 1 colony survived, transitioned to Langstroth hives. I'm a 73 yr old stubborn, persistent grandma and I love this hobby. I've learned so much. I think another reason people quit is they find out it's a LOT of work.
A lot of work is an understatement! But that’s the answer. We should stop promoting beekeeping as a hobby and instead say that it is a lot of work that’s enjoyable. When they hear the words a lot of work, that will turn away a majority of wannabe beekeepers.
My first hive was back in 1972 and I took a class in beekeeping just a kid back then. When I got back to beekeeping when I retired I was shocked at what people were doing.
I'm on my second year of bee keeping and I just split my first hive!! Im up to 3 hives now. I love it! I researched it a ton for over a year after I bought the hives before I bought bees but I think the hands on experience is way better than any training or classes I've done. Just my opinion. I love my bees 🐝
Could you kill the queen and give them a frame with eggs from another hive for them to raise their own queen
No because its still not the correct time his queens to mate
Depends on @deansova8802 location. It may be possible.
On my 5th year. Lost my first 3 colonies 2020 not dealing with mites. After researching and investing in treatment I haven't had total losses again. Colonies grew from 5 to 30 plus.
David , if I may call you David, I need help, two of my hives it seems, went queenless for two what will you do in that case , are the hives doomed
If they are queen less, then you will need two new queens.
Do you have other, stronger colonies? If so, take a couple frames of good brood of mixed ages, including new eggs, from a strong colony and put those in the week, queenless one to boost them & give the opportunity to make a replacement queen.
Sorry I didn’t frase my question properly, I have two hives that went queen-less there is no sign of brood in the main box, ( I didn’t see the queen) lots of bees , now the workers bees are laying drone cells, what should I do, are these bees doom. Sorry we can’t view your live program this evening in UA-cam, we live in Wales U.K. and we are a few hours in front, I will catch up tomorrow, thank you very much
I agree the understanding of basic bee keeping one should have before ever geting bees is not there. I belong to groups on face book and the stuff they ask scares me and then the bees are dead or take off in a few months. Its like having a dog you have to know how to care for it before you get one. You dont have tonknow every thing but the basics is a must have. I studied up on bease for a year and a half before jumping in.
I totally agree!!! Beekeeping requires a lot of research, but most beekeepers only go by hearsay. And sad to say, a lot of that hearsay is incorrect. 😢
COULD YOU stick a frame of eggs from another hive in there and remove the queen? Would they make one?
Spot on David ! We were blessed with a beekeeper who mentored us for the initial startup. In October in Denver. It was late in the season and he said the most important thing to learn was mites, mites and mites. He emphasized that as number one. So we followed his lead as we knew nothing about bees.
Next we made sure we had proper housing and location for the bees. ( Knew we needed to move them after the second month as they weren't catching good winter sun and were in a windy spot )
Next we got on UA-cam and found you. We learned fast about making sure about winter feed. We bought your feeding package . Then in November, Black Friday special on your ' Ultimate bee keeping course '. This we purchased and have been successful 2 winters in a row now with 100% survival rate on our colonies. Coming out of winter bursting with bees is an exciting time.
Between your classes, UA-cam videos and live stream on Thursdays we understand.
We still make many mistakes, rookie mistakes, but are learning.
A coworker lost 10 , all of her colonies, this winter. I told them going into winter they needed to feed and check for mites. Being I was a first year bee keeper they didn't want to hear it from me. This spring i showed them photos of our busy bees. I had already suggested your channel and classes but they weren't interested in learning.
Our mentor said there are bee keepers and bee havers. I get it.
Keep teaching us David. You are making a difference. Knowledge is powerful and you sharing yours with us is wonderful.
Thank you. Thank you
good job, dam elephant ..we got them here on the east coast in Connecticut too
David I watched alot of your videos and read alot of books on beekeeping for a year before I got my bees. I'm going into my 4th year and I only lost 2 hives. One was a late swarm and I thought it could have been a queen issue going into winter . I live in Ohio. I really enjoy keeping bees!
I've been interested in all kinds of independent living practices throughout my life, especially keeping various livestock. As my husband was in the military for a decade and we couldn't settle down anywhere, I've only been able to research these things.
I've noticed in a lot of areas the same phenomenon-- basic questions that would be answered in entry level literature or even beginner videos on youtube.
I believe it's the internet culture. People don't seem to persue the knowledge of anything as a whole, they figure any question they might have will be instantly answered on the internet when they need it.
Then they also don't come across different methods or conflicting ideas, which I've seen lead to poor husbandry and failure, time and time again, across the board.
You are exactly right. With AI, it is only going to get worse.
Like me, there are people out there who just don’t know what’s available to them. Yeah, read some books, went to some intro classes and thought I knew enough to raise bees. Boy was I wrong. Thankfully, I found you, your ultimate courses and your mentoring. I probably would have given up but I’m starting year 2, my colony survived and I now have 3 hives and they are all doing beautifully. Thru this process and talking about my new passion I also met my newest and bestest friends. It truly boggles my mind as to how all the planets aligned, told my doctor about my hobby and she hooked me up with another patient of hers. He and his wife are so dear to me that I am certain it’s the best thing that has come out of this all!!!!
Well, I jumped into it last year with a nuc, not really knowing much, and watched lots of videos.
I did a late summer split a bit risky, it worked out and both hives survived the winter here in Utah growing zone 5b. I am now starting to see swarm cells and getting prepared for some more splitting.
But Dave you are correct my neighbor has bought bees two years in a row just to let them die both years. 4 nucs total there is bee keepers then bee havers!
Great insight and challenge, David. You are correct that it is unfair and perhaps even unethical to encourage a new beekeeper to purchase bees before learning basic honey bee biology and fundamental seasonal management principles. Following alongside a mentor could save many dollars and eliminate a lot of frustration for beginner beekeepers. Keep up the solid teaching! Why don’t you offer a review of your top five essential reads for beginner beekeepers?