If I made a list of people that I could set a while with and talk, the name Bob Binnie would be near the top. Keyboard warriors are everywhere and they care not who they target, they always give themselves away by having limited knowledge of what they attack about. Some of us know we lack knowledge, and truly value those who are willing to educate us, and Bob is always generous in sharing his.
@@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog Hey Bob, Hey Ian. Two of you the best sources of practical knowledge about keeping bees on youtube in my opinion! I keep bees in central Europe in Slovakia. We went from 6 colonies to 29 (and we sold 9 more) with a lovely honey crop this year, despite all the beekeepers I know complaining how bad this year was. I think it is mostly thanks to information and strategies I learned from your videos, that we had such a successful year.
Jaro Žigo Hey man that’s great. It’s a good grasp on basics which makes the difference, too many finger pointing going on. We all need to focus on those essential basics and our hives will thrive. When the herd is healthy, we all make the money ! 💰
I am not a commercial beekeeper. Hobbiest at best. I appreciate your videos. I take away and use many of your methods only on a much smaller scale. Thank you so much for what you do.
Bob, I caught my first swarm in 1979 and drove an old motorcycle a mile through the woods with the box strapped onto the back of the seat to get them home. Beekeeping hasn't ever gotten old to me, and neither will your videos. I'll be the one you hear cussing if you stop making them. Good solid bee wisdom is sorta hard to come by, and so I truly appreciate you taking time to share some of yours with us.
Wish we could of had that filmed - motorcycle with a bee hive strapped to it. You were a brave or a foolish young man back 40 years ago. LOL Guess I am not to proud of some of the dumb things I did 40 years ago also.
It ranked right up there with the night I stuck a 3 ft long cottonmouth with a frog gig......didn't get exciting until he shook off the end of the gig and nobody knew where it went. The time I tried out a new 22 cal out on a hornet nest was kinda interesting too......found out that they can fly faster than I could run. So, hauling the bees on the back of the motorcycle was no problem.......the bigger problem was setting at home waiting on me to get back......my dad was a bricklayer, and I had cut up a few of his new mud boards to make my hive box out of.
Well, I got to figure that those grey hairs on top of Bob's head got there much like mine did, we earned them. I can only speak for myself here, but it doesn't bother me too much anymore when somebody stops me to pull one of mine out....I've got plenty more to spare......looks like Bob does too. Just listening to him talk his way through these videos, I can pretty much conclude that he's probably done forgot more about beekeeping than most of us will ever know.
Sorry that someone would attract you. I find you to be a gentleman and a one that loves honey bees. One of the most open minded bee keeper showing respect to all other options. Please keep up sharing your vast knowledge.
Bob you are a very kind man. I thank you for what you do.and the information you share. I am that guy who has no mentor that works 60 to 70 hrs a week on my regular job and keeps 100 + colonies. I do my own queen rearing and build alot of my equipment. I rely on people like you and your experience that you happily share with us. I would love to shake your hand one day. Until then I say thank you very much and please don't stop making videos.
WTH?? Robert ?? How do you do that??? I got 20 +/- colonies and full time job 40 hours, and feeling sorry for my self how busy i am !!!! Maybe you should make some videos for people like me about managing time efficiently. Or maybe i should just stop to be lazy...
Hi Bob, Thank you for your heart and professionalism as you commented on someone so rude and closed minded. Keep the videos coming!! Honeysuckle Hill Bee Farm
There is no excuse for being rude. We here a lot about the easy button . Also the delete button works quite well if they have something to say backed by science fine say it straight. Looking to learn.
Bob you are a wealth of knowledge and I am very thankful for what you share on here!! I live at 6500’ elivation in northern Nevada new to bee keeping and am thankful for all the wisdom you share !!
I' m from Turkey. I watch your nice videos. Thanks a lot all informations given in your videos. As a beekeper in Turkey I think there are too many things and methods we have to learn from you and your applications. You are so polite by the way.
Bob, If you were not doing the right thing with bees then you would not be as profitable and an educator as you are and would not have all the bee yard and bees. I am glad you do what you do so we all can follow you and others like you thanks for what you do.
Watching your videos have re-energize my beekeeping. Please keep making videos as they are priceless and a blessing, thank you so much. Remember anything done to serve our Lord will come under attack.
Thank you for all the videos sharing your knowledge of beekeeping. I'm on year five or six having started with a couple of swarms the first year. This has been a hobby I enjoy but now I'm looking at over 40 hives and will be seeing an accountant to help make my transition from hobby to a business. I have no idea the requirements to make this transition and hopefully a good accountant will.
It seems like every UA-cam creator gets those type of comments. Please don't let those folks get to you! For every one of those, there are thousands that appreciate what you are putting out for all of us to learn from.
Difference between surviving and thriving... Great Info Bob ,coming from a guy that's seen the difference 👍 I Always enjoy your videos, and alot of videos dont impress me, but yours do!
Bob I would really like to thank you for all the information you share. You are a very likeable person and the knowledge you share is priceless. Thanks to you, Kamon Reynolds, and Ian Stepplers videos our operation has flourished. Keep up the great work!
Thanks Bob for all your help. Do not let some mean bee sting you again. Keep your suit on and as I said thanks and keep helping us want to bee keepers. Thanks again from a Canadian bee keeper from Ontario.
Controlling mites is such a humane thing to do. If my dog is covered with some ticks I am going to pull them off. I am not going to say to myself the dog should buildup natural resistance to ticks. Mites are bad enough by sucking out the guts of bees but worse yet is they are bring in multiple diseases with them. Hopefully they will develop a bee that is resistant to mite but until then I'm treating my bees. As far as feeding sucrose, it has been proven that bees overwinter on sucrose honey better than honey that crystalizes, like canola, sunflower, Ivy, goldenrod and many others. Thanks Bob for your quality videos, I am so happy every time I see your post!!
I agree Russell - I have often thought that too....we treat our dogs for fleas and ticks. I'm not going to wait until canines build a resistance to them. Seems the same for bees and mites too -
Thank you for sharing your experience. I´ve learned a lot about handling my stuff more efficient and appreciate how you and your crew are handling and caring for your bees.
As a small beginning beekeeper I do like to see a variety of beekeepers and their techniques. The versatility is see is quite informative and helpful. Yours is another way in a different place and some of your methods do crossover to my region. I can disregard the bear fences here but thank you for taking the time to share. I don't need Ian's snow either.
Hi Bob, just wanted to let you know I appreciate all your videos and the information you so freely provide. Don't let this stop you from creating more videos. The beekeeping world would be poorer for it.
I have to say that I am great full to have found your channel. You are a great teacher and communicator on a subject you are a successful expert in. There will always be some idiot who is having a bad day or off their meds that will fire torpedoes at you and run away. They are sadly not interested in your opinion. The trolls just want to spray paint the graffiti on your wall in unimaginative language. Ignore them and delete/block them. You seem like a decent person, try not to take it personally. I’m sure his rant went out to other beekeepers channels too.. Your response showed grace in the face of bombastity. Thank you for your good channel.
Bees are like miniature livestock. you feed them and keep them healthy or the little critters die. most of us wish to have living livestock. Keep up the good work Mr. Binnie!
Just discovered your channel Bob and just wanted to say thank you for all your hard work you must put in, to producing these great videos. I have been keeping bees in the UK for over 10 years and have found your advice and experience to be invaluable.
Bob, thank you for sharing such an open-minded and open-hearted message in a truly respectful manner as a way of addressing the aggression of your opposers. It sets a lovely example for everyone who sees it. You make a great mentor.
I know this is a old video but I tried the all natural way for two years it never worked out now I feed an treat for mites and my bees are a lot healthier
Bob, you do a fine job and your success is evident of that. I watch Ian up in Canada as well. His work ethic is beyond question, in fact I think he needs to ease off a bit, he works too hard. Dedication to what you do, ethics, and honesty will take a person thru this life in good shape...honoring God and a clean conscience will get you thru the next life as well. But...I digress.....point is, you have to winnow the seed from the chaff.....save the good, burn the rest. I enjoy your easy going style, it speaks of wisdom and time honored results. Thanks for sharing.
I am subscribed to Ian's channel. He's a very dedicated bee keeper. You should definitely communicate with him. I'm sure you two doing a collaborative and sharing ideas would be terribly beneficial to the Honey BEE World. Thanks for sharing.
Your honesty is evident and you always say what works for me may not be best for you. However with the years of experience you have, I’m following your advice 👍
I always enjoy your videos you are one of the most knowledgeable bee keepers I have watched. I lost 15 out of 20 hives without treating I started treating with apivar and feeding a lot more sugar syrup last year I only lost 3 hives.
Bob, there's asshats in every crowd. PLEASE don't stop making your videos. In the short amount of time I've watched your channel, I've learned a lot to potentially help me once I'm ready to get some hives of my own.
This my first year bee keeping with my son of 15. Ty for all you do. This is not easy task when your new. In may i had 2 nucs and in 3 weeks one swarmed gee not see that coming. Caught swarm now have 3 hives.
I'm getting into beekeeping late in life although I had a few hives when I was a young man. In fact I'm about the age many people retire from beekeeping and I'm jumping right into being a sideliner. I say this because I've spent the last year and a half two years absorbing and watching UA-cam video and everything I can find on the internet about beekeeping. Bob you are what I aspire to as a Beekeeper. Yes, it is a business but you're clearly a man who is close to nature. The time that you're taking to make the videos that you make and the information you're providing also speaks loudly as to who you are, what you are about. I do not want to ramble on endlessly but I wish you make it very clear what a tremendous job you're doing and thank you. And to the idiots who have negative things to say, and I'm not speaking to people that may have a different opinion I'm talking about the idiots... ignore them because when all said and done they're idiots and never worry about what an idiot thinks. We've all heard that question of if you could pick 10 people to have dinner with, Bob you would be on my short list. Again, Thank you.
I spent six years in the beginning playing the treatment free game and at best I got 50% survival through winter. Now with managing my might load my beers have never been healthier thank you Bob
I have 18 colonies. I have used Apivar with success. This year however was different. I bought new strips and put them in when I pulled supers the end of June and first of July. I removed them 2nd week of August and washed 5 or more mites the next week in over 50% of my hives located in 2 yards 4 miles apart. It is certainly not $20K worth like the guy you know but I was shocked to see that many mites in so many hives. Treated with OAV several times. You make a great point in not assuming the treatment worked. Not sure if it was bad product or mite bombs. Either way I would have dead bees most likely in January. I have learned a lot from your videos. Please keep up the great work!
I’ve benefited greatly from your content, and that of other commercial beekeepers who take the time to share. 15 years ago or so I got 2 packages and starter kits. There was much less information online at that time and what was present was primarily the “lazy beekeeping” approach. I didn’t treat, or feed my all medium unpainted hives and needless to say I failed miserably, wasted a lot of money (which I didn’t have much of) and quit keeping bees. With sound advice and so much information present now I’ve been able to do well. This year I started with 2 overwintered nucs, and six purchased 10 frame singles. Grown to 20 colonies, requeened with locally bred VSH virgins and look pretty good going into winter. I’ve treated With Apivar and fed through the summer dearth. Some hives will likely not survive winter, but I’m confident I will have some bees and a lot more knowledge come spring. To me it makes no sense whatsoever to allow a healthy colony to perish due to untreated mites or starvation. They are not going to “evolve” into something great, they are just going to die. If I have bees, I can easily provide a better queen. If I have none then I am not a beekeeper. (Which would give me much more time to leave UA-cam comments and blame others for my lack of success)
'Some people have to make themselves taller by cutting off the heads of others'. Thank you for that gem Bob. Like many other new beekeepers I entered into my passion with the idea that refined sugar is an aweful thing when overused to the point that it makes us sick ... which often happens. I began my beekeeping resolved that I would be a better beekeeper than that. After 10 years of beekeeping I now know what a blessing it is for the bees to have sugar surup when they are starving. When confronted by passionate beekeepers who have a mission to lobby for sugar free beekeeping I now ask them this question. My devoted friend (a golden/malamut mix) thrives on an expensive diet of raw meat. Surely that doesn't mean that I should eat raw meat too? Thank you for investing your energy into lifting those of us with less experience up so that we might glimpse what beekeeping looks like from your perspective. Ontario
"5 beekeepers and 6 opinions" Can we not agree to disagree anymore? Wow. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience. I appreciate everyone's time who puts their knowledge on UA-cam so passionate people like me can learn to have passion AND knowledge. BTW, I'd no idea who Ian Steppler was until this vidoe-but I watch the Canadian Beekeeper all the time! LOL
Bob I value your channel and think that the time you take to make your videos is an extravagant resource for those of us who watch. I like your style and your reference to scientific facts that are well documented. I like that you don't say things like "I feel like". I find it shocking that anyone would think that any kind of beekeeping was a detriment to society. I think you are responsible to your customers and employees. I have high respect for those in society who provide for themselves and their community. You add tons of value. This is my first year of beekeeping and I have a neighbor who has been a good friend for a long time but he has a nest that chose his new fence to live in and he accused me of that and was particularity rude to me about in spite of the fact that I had given him some honey from my first harvest. I offered to buy a bee vac and come and remove them at my own time and expense free of charge (something I did not particularly want to do). That did not help and he continued to be rude. My take is that he owes me an apology. So what! In respect of those who do not add value to their families and community or for those who want to tear down the fabric of society. I say " the dogs bark but the caravan moves on." Maybe those people owe us an apology but... This community is truly grateful for all the things that you do. That is what really counts.
I recall a similar type of comment telling Richard Noel how he didn't need to feed honeybees. The fellow got really beligerent when asked what his experience level was and how many colonies he had. It was evident he had neither. Maybe the same guy. Thank you for your videos. Even though we are in completely opposite climates, there are still things I learn from you.
Thanks for all you do to help support the beekeeping community. As a one-hive-guy it is still very instructive to see how a large-scale operation works by simply ramping up what I have to do to keep my 10,000 BFFs happy and humming. Your views and techniques are very worthwhile to study and use directly or adapt to our local environments and circumstances. Don't let the trolls get you down!
Hey Bob, thank you for the video. Something I think about when I feed and treat my bees is that bees are running out of real-estate and resource throughout the country not to mention the mite and disease issues they face. We breed toward gentle, mite resistance very strong queens. When we loose a swarm there's no doubt we have strengthened the feral bee population. Keep the videos coming. My dream vacation would be sitting down with you, Ian Steppler, Joe May, Don K and a few others. Enjoy the day.
Another educational video from you and we love you for that. Glad you brought ethics into your Chanel even it is kinda sad you have to. I tell new beekeepers not often enough that when you keep bees you are also a mite keeper and it's a must to learn bee and mite biology. If you do not understand this mite treatment is useless in the long run. This also applies to treatment free beekeeping. What works for one might not work for others and that makes this work so interesting. Keep up the good work and thank you for educational videos with a human touch. Greetings from the Columbia River Gorge.
Are you a zen master Bob? Calm, cool and collected. Your information is priceless. Ask natural beekeepers why bees have not adapted resistance to pesticide? Selective breeding is an important part of bee husbandry and I thank everyone that is breeding for better bees. But that does not mean natural beekeeping is the ONLY way to keep bees
Bob - what a great job responding to the person who has no understanding about raising bees. I follow you and other professional beekeepers and I find all the information extremely beneficial in keeping my bees alive. Keep up the outstanding work and ignore any negativity from others. We appreciate you and your efforts! Thanks for sharing your knowledge so others can learn from your experiences!!! I would love to come and see your operation someday!!! From Vermont Moe Turco
Bob, thank you for taking your time to do this videos and sharing your knowlege with others. It's unfortunate that there are people that see themselfs better than others. Don't be discourage by such character that does nothing for others.
Just want to say thanks Bob for your high standards and honesty in your continuing support of our great industry. I can tell you are very proud of your accomplishments and please keep up the great work.
Hi Bob, I am a rookie-Beekeeper here in South Africa, and the amount of logic that you have taught me with regards to bees is precious!! Thanx for your attitude towards the unfriendly gentleman...God loves us all. But keep up the great videos...!!
Bob, so sorry to hear you had to deal with a troll. I remember when having different opinions created Best Practices amongst intelligent people. It's sad to say, that technology sometimes takes us a step backwards.... I have never watched one of your videos and felt like you were telling my how I must do it. You show me how YOU do it, and I truly thank you for this! I am angry that this person caused you to take time away from your life to feel that you needed to make this video. I wish you would have left the comment up so we could have slammed it, but I know you are above that!!! Thank you so much for all you do!!
Thanks for your videos. One thing that has impressed me is your gentle instruction. You never imply that your way is the only way, rather it is what has worked for you. Sorry for the harsh comments you received! Keep up the good work!
Bob you do not need to apologize for anything. Just like it is impossible to kill all the mites, it is impossible to pleased everybody. Me personally a would rather deal with millions of bees then deal with people. Anyway thank you for your videos. I am going to Blue Ridge Mountains for vacation for Christmas. I will definitely visit your store.
This is my first visit to your channel Sir. I have to say, I'm a fan already. Devin Rawn and Ian Steppler were/are two of my favorites and as a new keeper five years ago (Tim Durham Sr as well) theirs were the channels I turned to for knowledge. I've referred folks to them ever since. Common sense approaches even for beginners. I appreciate patience, civility and responsibility in most things. Beekeeping is no different. Thank you for taking the time to even comment on the negatives. That shows more the strength of your character than a negative reaction ever could. I don't have to reinvent the wheel, I just have to put it on my car to make it run right. I'll be watching again and learning, thank you for taking the time to make the vlog.
Well I think you are great. You always come across as reasoned, reasonable and approachable. I'd like to see more on the types of trees and plants you work, living in Ireland u have a different flora to work off than we do. Thanks again. J
Sucrose is better for bees, in the winter time.It doesn't crystalliz, when is cold and doesn't contain yeast gluten.That yeast ,force the bee, to get out of the hive box ,to clean themself.Sometimes the weather is ticki and many bees, never return , because they freez.Sucrose.... is very light and the bees , are doing very well, over winter.Bob I got 2000 hives and I do samething.Bee love that syrup,nobody can force a bee to eat something ,if she doesn't like it.
You do a great job presenting the info and how you came to that opinion. The problem with no treatment is no one kills the bees that can’t handle the mites and invest everyone else
First of all, happy new year! In Norway 99% of the beekeepers take off all the honey in the fall, mostly because we got a lot of nectar from Heather in the fall and that’s not good winter food for the bees. Normally we do the same as in Northern America and Canada and feed the bees 2-1 with sugar syrup. Keep up with you inspiring videos👍🏻😃
Thanks, Bob. You’re wisdom, experience, and patience have been a great encouragement to me. I’m in central Georgia and hope to be able to buy you lunch this fall/winter.
Wisdom right there. Thanks for sharing these two videos, Bob. I truly appreciate that you not only understand but talk about the differences in beekeeping methods between various climate zones. I'm also in Canada, near Ian, and our feeding regime is very different than yours. Your videos have helped me to gain some of the regional understanding that you have obviously already attained.
You've gotten one dislike, I suspect its that gentleman. Thank you for the message. This is the crux of today's world. People need to learn to disagree without anger. The world would be so much better. Thank you sir!
I cant say that I agree with everything you say about bees but I can say that I have learned a lot from you. I agree that having different opinions is healthy and how we all learn and grow. Keep the knowledge coming!
I enjoy learning your techniques and reasons why you do what you do. I am a beginner and finding help and guidance has been difficult with so many different approaches. I live in Colorado and there are so many people keeping bees and everyone has an opinion. I suffered anaphylaxis and had to quit after multiple stings. My hive alway died out in February, twice, and wasps and robbing are a real problem here along with severe temperature fluctuations all winter long. The wild fires in the summertime created some rough going as well. I still dream of starting up again and am taking good notes. Sorry people are such bullies. You are doing a great service for people like me and for the bees. Today I was out cleaning up the gardens and a lone bee flew over to greet me. 60 degrees out today and snow and cold in a few more days. Spring is rough here for the bees. Thanks again for sharing your information. I appreciate you!
Thanks for your information you provide in your videos. The ability to have meaningful civil discussion is definitely needed in our society. Hopefully lessons will be learned. Keep up the good work.
I would like to say that I enjoy your videos and have learned a lot. I have started using some of your techniques for splitting nucs in my operation. I am a sideliner with about 100 hives in North Carolina we do feed sugar syrup as you said for a tool. We have not treated for the varroa mite in the last 14 years Our complete apiary is made up of 100% VSH bees and have been super happy with them. Thank you again for your videos Jamie
Greetings from S. OR, having been harassed in a very public way from a self-proclaimed TF guru, I understand your situation and congratulate you on your gracious though firm response. Keep up the very informative videos along with emphasizing all beekeeping is local. Shared your video with our local club on the need to rotate out old combs. Great info and Thank You!
I love your videos and solid straight forward information. If someone has livestock they need to take care of it to best of their knowledge and in ways that works and treatments and feeding is just part of it. Sometimes farmers give their stock different kind of foods that does not seem right to feed them, like instead of giving hay to cows farmers may choose to give them corn or pellets. Before my bees would starve and die you bet that I would feed them sugar and yes I will treat for mites for the same reason. Why would it be different with bees ?
Hi Bob, don’t listen to the haters. You can’t please everyone and its folly to try. I really appreciate how well your videos are thought out. Always educational and never dry.
Thanks for creating all these videos. I REALLY enjoy and appreciate them. The old guy that started me out in beekeeping told me, " ..after one year of beekeeping you'll believe you know almost all there is to beekeeping, after five years you'll figure out there's a lot of holes in your knowledge of beekeeping and after 45 years of beekeeping you'll probably conclude you know very little about beekeeping'. I've found beekeepers kind and keen to offer their advice and knowledge and I wholeheartedly agree you need a rounded view as provided by as many beekeepers as possible. I'm in Scotland and in 2020 we had a good spring and an awful July. We had one sunny day the whole month, the rest was rain and wind. We even had our wood burning stove on for a few nights to ward off the cold. I admire the US Constitution and the first amendment in particular the right to free speech, it's how we grow as humans. I treat for mites and I feed sugar syrup too, but I like to hear of those 'natural' beekeepers. Almost all have lost their hives, but I hope they develop a strain that is resistant and/or preens the varroa off their sisters bodies. Time will tell. Keep the great videos coming.
Hats off to you Bob for addressing this situation in a very calm manner and also for deleting severely negative comments. As another post stated I too feel you and Ian Steppler are doing great and both have educational videos. I just wish you posted more videos, but I know that takes time. I also feel some of our beekeeping video personnel focus on quantity of videos versus quality. This is not the case for you or Ian. Please keep educating us. Thanks!
Thanks for continuing to upload content. I love to hear how other guys keep their bees. Take what you like and leave the rest. Your response was above reproach!
After reading most of the comments Bob has a lot of fans. What is great about Bob is that he read the comment and thought about it. What a great idea, consider if there is merit in the opposing view. None of us know it all or ever will. But there are times when you know the other idea is wrong. Many ideas are different and there is nothing all right or all wrong with the idea - kind of like the old saying there is more than one way to skin a cat. But try to be respectful to the other persons feelings. Hurting other people isn't cool.
As a fellow Southeastern USA beekeeper, your videos are the best for sound regional advice. I love watching the Canadian beekeepers' videos, but their climate/timeline for beekeeping is so different from beekeeping in North Carolina. My honeybees are foraging on red maple by late January while many of those Canadian bees are either surviving in a cold storage facility or in wrapped hives in snowy fields. When you say, for example, queens will probably be laying a lot less in two weeks time, I know I can expect to see similar laying patterns in my hives in 2-3 weeks as well. I mentor a group of new beekeepers from our local county beekeeping association and I have steered them all to your videos. This latest on winter preparation is great! Thank you and bah humbug to the negative commenter on the Winter Prep video.
Thanks for putting your videos up Bob. You obviously have huge knowledge and experience which you are willingly share with people who want to learn, ignore the people who think they know everything. Keep the videos coming 👍
Hi Bob. Please ignore the naysayers. After college I completed four years of graduate school and then another five years of post-graduate school in a science/animal related field. I work at a top ten university as a faculty member and listen to world-renowned experts weekly. I watch your channel regularly; you fit right in with the experts that are invited speakers at my university. You educate me and I appreciate that. I will continue to watch your channel. Keep up the great work.
Bob I know that comment didn't set well in your head as you made this second small video to go into it. Please never fall pray to "those" people. You said it best in one of your videos at a seminar you were giving "a cow farmer or a chicken farmer would treat and feed their animals and do the best by those animals; why would a bee keeper ever make their bees fend for themselves?" those are the people killing the planet and starving the bees. You are right let others who are schooled and trained to improve the genetics. That isn't a bee keepers job. It is our job to do the best for our girls at all times. Great video thanks for sharing the experience with the rest of us.
Making a contribution to our environment, means keeping healthy well fed bees. When I loose a swarm, I feel they will survive and prolong the existence of our wonderful and vital friends.
I learned a long time ago bees eat in hard times. I just recently started keeping bees and mostly because I enjoy feeding them and watching them lick each other off. It keeps them off my humming bird feeder too
As a new Bee keeper starting in my Later years of life, Part1 and 2 was full of useful Information. I'm on my last week of Treatment with Formic Pro, after a sugar roll showed a strong mite population and only having this one Hive ( I now have 2) I did not want to chance losing a Hive doing my Bee's a Injustice and starting out as a Failure in my first year. Thank you for Sharing your knowledge, I'm on a quest to learn all I can.
Great videos Bob- don’t let the negative comments get to you. Hello from New York! Learning from your experience is very helpful to me and my wife. We’ve been keeping bees for about five years now. Still enjoying the learning experience.
If I made a list of people that I could set a while with and talk, the name Bob Binnie would be near the top. Keyboard warriors are everywhere and they care not who they target, they always give themselves away by having limited knowledge of what they attack about. Some of us know we lack knowledge, and truly value those who are willing to educate us, and Bob is always generous in sharing his.
Missing my bumblebee nest. And I'm allergic.
Love to hear you drive the message in that direction 🥂
Thanks, I hope you don't mind my sharing your name.
No worries at all! Keep up the great work👍
@@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog Hey Bob, Hey Ian. Two of you the best sources of practical knowledge about keeping bees on youtube in my opinion! I keep bees in central Europe in Slovakia. We went from 6 colonies to 29 (and we sold 9 more) with a lovely honey crop this year, despite all the beekeepers I know complaining how bad this year was. I think it is mostly thanks to information and strategies I learned from your videos, that we had such a successful year.
Jaro Žigo
Hey man that’s great. It’s a good grasp on basics which makes the difference, too many finger pointing going on. We all need to focus on those essential basics and our hives will thrive. When the herd is healthy, we all make the money ! 💰
@@jariZet I'm glad hear of your success, thanks for the comment.
Thank you for being a gentleman and a great teacher ! Some people are always talking when they should be listening !
I am not a commercial beekeeper. Hobbiest at best. I appreciate your videos. I take away and use many of your methods only on a much smaller scale. Thank you so much for what you do.
Bob, I caught my first swarm in 1979 and drove an old motorcycle a mile through the woods with the box strapped onto the back of the seat to get them home. Beekeeping hasn't ever gotten old to me, and neither will your videos. I'll be the one you hear cussing if you stop making them. Good solid bee wisdom is sorta hard to come by, and so I truly appreciate you taking time to share some of yours with us.
Wish we could of had that filmed - motorcycle with a bee hive strapped to it. You were a brave or a foolish young man back 40 years ago. LOL Guess I am not to proud of some of the dumb things I did 40 years ago also.
It ranked right up there with the night I stuck a 3 ft long cottonmouth with a frog gig......didn't get exciting until he shook off the end of the gig and nobody knew where it went. The time I tried out a new 22 cal out on a hornet nest was kinda interesting too......found out that they can fly faster than I could run.
So, hauling the bees on the back of the motorcycle was no problem.......the bigger problem was setting at home waiting on me to get back......my dad was a bricklayer, and I had cut up a few of his new mud boards to make my hive box out of.
@@kelitagedifarm4893 Yes, the good old days. We had a lot more fun than this new generation - so many rules and cameras around now days.
Well, I got to figure that those grey hairs on top of Bob's head got there much like mine did, we earned them. I can only speak for myself here, but it doesn't bother me too much anymore when somebody stops me to pull one of mine out....I've got plenty more to spare......looks like Bob does too. Just listening to him talk his way through these videos, I can pretty much conclude that he's probably done forgot more about beekeeping than most of us will ever know.
Sorry that someone would attract you. I find you to be a gentleman and a one that loves honey bees. One of the most open minded bee keeper showing respect to all other options. Please keep up sharing your vast knowledge.
Thanks.
@@bobbinnie9872 Bob this is Glenn Tyler in South Carolina. What is the price of the hives you have for sale this fall?
@@glenn6xxm1tyler39 Single story deeps, $200.00 each.
Bob you are a very kind man. I thank you for what you do.and the information you share. I am that guy who has no mentor that works 60 to 70 hrs a week on my regular job and keeps 100 + colonies. I do my own queen rearing and build alot of my equipment. I rely on people like you and your experience that you happily share with us. I would love to shake your hand one day. Until then I say thank you very much and please don't stop making videos.
Thank you, you are a busy man.
WTH?? Robert ?? How do you do that??? I got 20 +/- colonies and full time job 40 hours, and feeling sorry for my self how busy i am !!!! Maybe you should make some videos for people like me about managing time efficiently. Or maybe i should just stop to be lazy...
Hi Bob, Thank you for your heart and professionalism as you commented on someone so rude and closed minded.
Keep the videos coming!!
Honeysuckle Hill Bee Farm
There is no excuse for being rude. We here a lot about the easy button . Also the delete button works quite well if they have something to say backed by science fine say it straight. Looking to learn.
Bob you are a wealth of knowledge and I am very thankful for what you share on here!! I live at 6500’ elivation in northern Nevada new to bee keeping and am thankful for all the wisdom you share !!
Thanks.
I' m from Turkey. I watch your nice videos. Thanks a lot all informations given in your videos. As a beekeper in Turkey I think there are too many things and methods we have to learn from you and your applications. You are so polite by the way.
Bob, If you were not doing the right thing with bees then you would not be as profitable and an educator as you are and would not have all the bee yard and bees. I am glad you do what you do so we all can follow you and others like you thanks for what you do.
Watching your videos have re-energize my beekeeping. Please keep making videos as they are priceless and a blessing, thank you so much. Remember anything done to serve our Lord will come under attack.
Thanks for that.
Thank you for all the videos sharing your knowledge of beekeeping. I'm on year five or six having started with a couple of swarms the first year. This has been a hobby I enjoy but now I'm looking at over 40 hives and will be seeing an accountant to help make my transition from hobby to a business. I have no idea the requirements to make this transition and hopefully a good accountant will.
Hi Mike. He'll probably tell you that you can make a small fortune beekeeping and that all you need is to start with a big fortune. Good luck.
It seems like every UA-cam creator gets those type of comments. Please don't let those folks get to you! For every one of those, there are thousands that appreciate what you are putting out for all of us to learn from.
Thank You Bob, thank You Ian...You are my teachers !
Wish You both the best !
👍
Difference between surviving and thriving... Great Info Bob ,coming from a guy that's seen the difference 👍 I Always enjoy your videos, and alot of videos dont impress me, but yours do!
Thanks 👍
Bob I would really like to thank you for all the information you share. You are a very likeable person and the knowledge you share is priceless. Thanks to you, Kamon Reynolds, and Ian Stepplers videos our operation has flourished. Keep up the great work!
Thanks Bob for all your help. Do not let some mean bee sting you again. Keep your suit on and as I said thanks and keep helping us want to bee keepers. Thanks again from a Canadian bee keeper from Ontario.
Thanks.
There's always one person. I really value your information and just want to Thank you for sharing with us 😊
Controlling mites is such a humane thing to do. If my dog is covered with some ticks I am going to pull them off. I am not going to say to myself the dog should buildup natural resistance to ticks. Mites are bad enough by sucking out the guts of bees but worse yet is they are bring in multiple diseases with them. Hopefully they will develop a bee that is resistant to mite but until then I'm treating my bees.
As far as feeding sucrose, it has been proven that bees overwinter on sucrose honey better than honey that crystalizes, like canola, sunflower, Ivy, goldenrod and many others. Thanks Bob for your quality videos, I am so happy every time I see your post!!
I agree Russell - I have often thought that too....we treat our dogs for fleas and ticks. I'm not going to wait until canines build a resistance to them. Seems the same for bees and mites too -
When you raise livestock, whether cattle, sheep, or bees, you have an ethical responsibility to keep them parasite free and healthy.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I´ve learned a lot about handling my stuff more efficient and appreciate how you and your crew are handling and caring for your bees.
As a small beginning beekeeper I do like to see a variety of beekeepers and their techniques. The versatility is see is quite informative and helpful. Yours is another way in a different place and some of your methods do crossover to my region. I can disregard the bear fences here but thank you for taking the time to share. I don't need Ian's snow either.
Thanks Bob . Always enjoy your videos. Other people do things differently and we all can learn something from them .
Hi Bob, just wanted to let you know I appreciate all your videos and the information you so freely provide. Don't let this stop you from creating more videos. The beekeeping world would be poorer for it.
I appreciate that
We love you too Bob! Thanks for sharing this video!
I have to say that I am great full to have found your channel. You are a great teacher and communicator on a subject you are a successful expert in. There will always be some idiot who is having a bad day or off their meds that will fire torpedoes at you and run away. They are sadly not interested in your opinion. The trolls just want to spray paint the graffiti on your wall in unimaginative language. Ignore them and delete/block them. You seem like a decent person, try not to take it personally. I’m sure his rant went out to other beekeepers channels too.. Your response showed grace in the face of bombastity. Thank you for your good channel.
Bees are like miniature livestock. you feed them and keep them healthy or the little critters die. most of us wish to have living livestock. Keep up the good work Mr. Binnie!
Thank you.
Just discovered your channel Bob and just wanted to say thank you for all your hard work you must put in, to producing these great videos. I have been keeping bees in the UK for over 10 years and have found your advice and experience to be invaluable.
Really appreciate your sharing of knowledge and advice. Thank you for making my bees happier and more productive.
Bob, thank you for sharing such an open-minded and open-hearted message in a truly respectful manner as a way of addressing the aggression of your opposers. It sets a lovely example for everyone who sees it. You make a great mentor.
I know this is a old video but I tried the all natural way for two years it never worked out now I feed an treat for mites and my bees are a lot healthier
Bob, you do a fine job and your success is evident of that. I watch Ian up in Canada as well. His work ethic is beyond question, in fact I think he needs to ease off a bit, he works too hard. Dedication to what you do, ethics, and honesty will take a person thru this life in good shape...honoring God and a clean conscience will get you thru the next life as well. But...I digress.....point is, you have to winnow the seed from the chaff.....save the good, burn the rest. I enjoy your easy going style, it speaks of wisdom and time honored results. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, I'm not entirely sure Ian sleeps.
I am subscribed to Ian's channel. He's a very dedicated bee keeper. You should definitely communicate with him. I'm sure you two doing a collaborative and sharing ideas would be terribly beneficial to the Honey BEE World. Thanks for sharing.
Will do, thanks.
Your honesty is evident and you always say what works for me may not be best for you. However with the years of experience you have, I’m following your advice 👍
I always enjoy your videos you are one of the most knowledgeable bee keepers I have watched. I lost 15 out of 20 hives without treating I started treating with apivar and feeding a lot more sugar syrup last year I only lost 3 hives.
Bob, there's asshats in every crowd. PLEASE don't stop making your videos.
In the short amount of time I've watched your channel, I've learned a lot to potentially help me once I'm ready to get some hives of my own.
Thanks.
This my first year bee keeping with my son of 15. Ty for all you do. This is not easy task when your new. In may i had 2 nucs and in 3 weeks one swarmed gee not see that coming. Caught swarm now have 3 hives.
Healthy colonies are like rabbits.
I'm getting into beekeeping late in life although I had a few hives when I was a young man. In fact I'm about the age many people retire from beekeeping and I'm jumping right into being a sideliner. I say this because I've spent the last year and a half two years absorbing and watching UA-cam video and everything I can find on the internet about beekeeping. Bob you are what I aspire to as a Beekeeper. Yes, it is a business but you're clearly a man who is close to nature. The time that you're taking to make the videos that you make and the information you're providing also speaks loudly as to who you are, what you are about. I do not want to ramble on endlessly but I wish you make it very clear what a tremendous job you're doing and thank you. And to the idiots who have negative things to say, and I'm not speaking to people that may have a different opinion I'm talking about the idiots... ignore them because when all said and done they're idiots and never worry about what an idiot thinks. We've all heard that question of if you could pick 10 people to have dinner with, Bob you would be on my short list. Again, Thank you.
Thanks Charley.
I spent six years in the beginning playing the treatment free game and at best I got 50% survival through winter. Now with managing my might load my beers have never been healthier thank you Bob
I have 18 colonies. I have used Apivar with success. This year however was different. I bought new strips and put them in when I pulled supers the end of June and first of July. I removed them 2nd week of August and washed 5 or more mites the next week in over 50% of my hives located in 2 yards 4 miles apart. It is certainly not $20K worth like the guy you know but I was shocked to see that many mites in so many hives. Treated with OAV several times. You make a great point in not assuming the treatment worked. Not sure if it was bad product or mite bombs. Either way I would have dead bees most likely in January.
I have learned a lot from your videos. Please keep up the great work!
I’ve benefited greatly from your content, and that of other commercial beekeepers who take the time to share. 15 years ago or so I got 2 packages and starter kits. There was much less information online at that time and what was present was primarily the “lazy beekeeping” approach. I didn’t treat, or feed my all medium unpainted hives and needless to say I failed miserably, wasted a lot of money (which I didn’t have much of) and quit keeping bees. With sound advice and so much information present now I’ve been able to do well. This year I started with 2 overwintered nucs, and six purchased 10 frame singles. Grown to 20 colonies, requeened with locally bred VSH virgins and look pretty good going into winter. I’ve treated With Apivar and fed through the summer dearth. Some hives will likely not survive winter, but I’m confident I will have some bees and a lot more knowledge come spring.
To me it makes no sense whatsoever to allow a healthy colony to perish due to untreated mites or starvation. They are not going to “evolve” into something great, they are just going to die. If I have bees, I can easily provide a better queen. If I have none then I am not a beekeeper. (Which would give me much more time to leave UA-cam comments and blame others for my lack of success)
'Some people have to make themselves taller by cutting off the heads of others'. Thank you for that gem Bob. Like many other new beekeepers I entered into my passion with the idea that refined sugar is an aweful thing when overused to the point that it makes us sick ... which often happens. I began my beekeeping resolved that I would be a better beekeeper than that. After 10 years of beekeeping I now know what a blessing it is for the bees to have sugar surup when they are starving. When confronted by passionate beekeepers who have a mission to lobby for sugar free beekeeping I now ask them this question. My devoted friend (a golden/malamut mix) thrives on an expensive diet of raw meat. Surely that doesn't mean that I should eat raw meat too? Thank you for investing your energy into lifting those of us with less experience up so that we might glimpse what beekeeping looks like from your perspective. Ontario
Bob thanks for another great video, you are one of my favorites, keep up the good work.
Thanks 👍
Keep the positive Attitude Dude; and don't let them bring them down to their level, Love your teaching of bee keeping, Thanks Bob
"5 beekeepers and 6 opinions" Can we not agree to disagree anymore? Wow. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience. I appreciate everyone's time who puts their knowledge on UA-cam so passionate people like me can learn to have passion AND knowledge. BTW, I'd no idea who Ian Steppler was until this vidoe-but I watch the Canadian Beekeeper all the time! LOL
i like what your doing and looking to talk to you at the hive life con. so thanks for the videos.
Thanks, see you there.
Bob I value your channel and think that the time you take to make your videos is an extravagant resource for those of us who watch. I like your style and your reference to scientific facts that are well documented. I like that you don't say things like "I feel like". I find it shocking that anyone would think that any kind of beekeeping was a detriment to society. I think you are responsible to your customers and employees. I have high respect for those in society who provide for themselves and their community. You add tons of value.
This is my first year of beekeeping and I have a neighbor who has been a good friend for a long time but he has a nest that chose his new fence to live in and he accused me of that and was particularity rude to me about in spite of the fact that I had given him some honey from my first harvest. I offered to buy a bee vac and come and remove them at my own time and expense free of charge (something I did not particularly want to do). That did not help and he continued to be rude. My take is that he owes me an apology. So what!
In respect of those who do not add value to their families and community or for those who want to tear down the fabric of society. I say " the dogs bark but the caravan moves on." Maybe those people owe us an apology but...
This community is truly grateful for all the things that you do. That is what really counts.
Thank you.
I recall a similar type of comment telling Richard Noel how he didn't need to feed honeybees. The fellow got really beligerent when asked what his experience level was and how many colonies he had. It was evident he had neither. Maybe the same guy.
Thank you for your videos. Even though we are in completely opposite climates, there are still things I learn from you.
Thank you.
Thanks for all you do to help support the beekeeping community. As a one-hive-guy it is still very instructive to see how a large-scale operation works by simply ramping up what I have to do to keep my 10,000 BFFs happy and humming. Your views and techniques are very worthwhile to study and use directly or adapt to our local environments and circumstances. Don't let the trolls get you down!
Thank you.
Hey Bob, thank you for the video. Something I think about when I feed and treat my bees is that bees are running out of real-estate and resource throughout the country not to mention the mite and disease issues they face. We breed toward gentle, mite resistance very strong queens. When we loose a swarm there's no doubt we have strengthened the feral bee population. Keep the videos coming. My dream vacation would be sitting down with you, Ian Steppler, Joe May, Don K and a few others. Enjoy the day.
Thank you Bob for that... most respect for you and your message
Another educational video from you and we love you for that. Glad you brought ethics into your Chanel even it is kinda sad you have to. I tell new beekeepers not often enough that when you keep bees you are also a mite keeper and it's a must to learn bee and mite biology. If you do not understand this mite treatment is useless in the long run. This also applies to treatment free beekeeping. What works for one might not work for others and that makes this work so interesting. Keep up the good work and thank you for educational videos with a human touch. Greetings from the Columbia River Gorge.
Love the gorge, thanks.
Are you a zen master Bob? Calm, cool and collected. Your information is priceless. Ask natural beekeepers why bees have not adapted resistance to pesticide? Selective breeding is an important part of bee husbandry and I thank everyone that is breeding for better bees. But that does not mean natural beekeeping is the ONLY way to keep bees
Bob - what a great job responding to the person who has no understanding about raising bees. I follow you and other professional beekeepers and I find all the information extremely beneficial in keeping my bees alive. Keep up the outstanding work and ignore any negativity from others. We appreciate you and your efforts!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge so others can learn from your experiences!!!
I would love to come and see your operation someday!!! From Vermont
Moe Turco
Thanks.
Bob, thank you for taking your time to do this videos and sharing your knowlege with others. It's unfortunate that there are people that see themselfs better than others. Don't be discourage by such character that does nothing for others.
No worries, Thanks.
Just want to say thanks Bob for your high standards and honesty in your continuing support of our great industry. I can tell you are very proud of your accomplishments and please keep up the great work.
Hi Bob, I am a rookie-Beekeeper here in South Africa, and the amount of logic that you have taught me with regards to bees is precious!! Thanx for your attitude towards the unfriendly gentleman...God loves us all. But keep up the great videos...!!
Thanks.
Bob, so sorry to hear you had to deal with a troll.
I remember when having different opinions created Best Practices amongst intelligent people.
It's sad to say, that technology sometimes takes us a step backwards....
I have never watched one of your videos and felt like you were telling my how I must do it.
You show me how YOU do it, and I truly thank you for this!
I am angry that this person caused you to take time away from your life to feel that you needed to make this video.
I wish you would have left the comment up so we could have slammed it, but I know you are above that!!!
Thank you so much for all you do!!
Thanks for your videos. One thing that has impressed me is your gentle instruction. You never imply that your way is the only way, rather it is what has worked for you.
Sorry for the harsh comments you received! Keep up the good work!
Bob you do not need to apologize for anything. Just like it is impossible to kill all the mites, it is impossible to pleased everybody. Me personally a would rather deal with millions of bees then deal with people. Anyway thank you for your videos. I am going to Blue Ridge Mountains for vacation for Christmas. I will definitely visit your store.
Thanks
This is my first visit to your channel Sir. I have to say, I'm a fan already. Devin Rawn and Ian Steppler were/are two of my favorites and as a new keeper five years ago (Tim Durham Sr as well) theirs were the channels I turned to for knowledge. I've referred folks to them ever since. Common sense approaches even for beginners. I appreciate patience, civility and responsibility in most things. Beekeeping is no different. Thank you for taking the time to even comment on the negatives. That shows more the strength of your character than a negative reaction ever could.
I don't have to reinvent the wheel, I just have to put it on my car to make it run right.
I'll be watching again and learning, thank you for taking the time to make the vlog.
Well I think you are great. You always come across as reasoned, reasonable and approachable. I'd like to see more on the types of trees and plants you work, living in Ireland u have a different flora to work off than we do. Thanks again. J
Sucrose is better for bees, in the winter time.It doesn't crystalliz, when is cold and doesn't contain yeast gluten.That yeast ,force the bee, to get out of the hive box ,to clean themself.Sometimes the weather is ticki and many bees, never return , because they freez.Sucrose.... is very light and the bees , are doing very well, over winter.Bob I got 2000 hives and I do samething.Bee love that syrup,nobody can force a bee to eat something ,if she doesn't like it.
You do a great job presenting the info and how you came to that opinion. The problem with no treatment is no one kills the bees that can’t handle the mites and invest everyone else
I'm glad you kept the high road, explained your methods to everyone, and didn't allow a post of someone that was so foul.
First of all, happy new year! In Norway 99% of the beekeepers take off all the honey in the fall, mostly because we got a lot of nectar from Heather in the fall and that’s not good winter food for the bees. Normally we do the same as in Northern America and Canada and feed the bees 2-1 with sugar syrup. Keep up with you inspiring videos👍🏻😃
Thanks, Bob. You’re wisdom, experience, and patience have been a great encouragement to me. I’m in central Georgia and hope to be able to buy you lunch this fall/winter.
Wisdom right there. Thanks for sharing these two videos, Bob. I truly appreciate that you not only understand but talk about the differences in beekeeping methods between various climate zones. I'm also in Canada, near Ian, and our feeding regime is very different than yours. Your videos have helped me to gain some of the regional understanding that you have obviously already attained.
And, happy to have found your channel today. I've been binge-watching.
You've gotten one dislike, I suspect its that gentleman. Thank you for the message. This is the crux of today's world. People need to learn to disagree without anger. The world would be so much better. Thank you sir!
I cant say that I agree with everything you say about bees but I can say that I have learned a lot from you. I agree that having different opinions is healthy and how we all learn and grow. Keep the knowledge coming!
Bob, love you positivity and your honesty and your gentlemanly approach to all.
I enjoy learning your techniques and reasons why you do what you do. I am a beginner and finding help and guidance has been difficult with so many different approaches. I live in Colorado and there are so many people keeping bees and everyone has an opinion. I suffered anaphylaxis and had to quit after multiple stings. My hive alway died out in February, twice, and wasps and robbing are a real problem here along with severe temperature fluctuations all winter long. The wild fires in the summertime created some rough going as well. I still dream of starting up again and am taking good notes. Sorry people are such bullies. You are doing a great service for people like me and for the bees. Today I was out cleaning up the gardens and a lone bee flew over to greet me. 60 degrees out today and snow and cold in a few more days. Spring is rough here for the bees. Thanks again for sharing your information. I appreciate you!
I think you are a spectacular and invaluable resource of information for anyone that is interested in keeping bees.
Thanks for your information you provide in your videos. The ability to have meaningful civil discussion is definitely needed in our society. Hopefully lessons will be learned. Keep up the good work.
I would like to say that I enjoy your videos and have learned a lot. I have started using some of your techniques for splitting nucs in my operation. I am a sideliner with about 100 hives in North Carolina we do feed sugar syrup as you said for a tool. We have not treated for the varroa mite in the last 14 years Our complete apiary is made up of 100% VSH bees and have been super happy with them. Thank you again for your videos
Jamie
Greetings from S. OR, having been harassed in a very public way from a self-proclaimed TF guru, I understand your situation and congratulate you on your gracious though firm response. Keep up the very informative videos along with emphasizing all beekeeping is local. Shared your video with our local club on the need to rotate out old combs. Great info and Thank You!
I love your videos and solid straight forward information.
If someone has livestock they need to take care of it to best of their knowledge and in ways that works and treatments and feeding is just part of it. Sometimes farmers give their stock different kind of foods that does not seem right to feed them, like instead of giving hay to cows farmers may choose to give them corn or pellets.
Before my bees would starve and die you bet that I would feed them sugar and yes I will treat for mites for the same reason. Why would it be different with bees ?
Your the best Mate,I’m from Australia
Hi Bob, don’t listen to the haters. You can’t please everyone and its folly to try.
I really appreciate how well your videos are thought out. Always educational and never dry.
Thanks for creating all these videos. I REALLY enjoy and appreciate them. The old guy that started me out in beekeeping told me, " ..after one year of beekeeping you'll believe you know almost all there is to beekeeping, after five years you'll figure out there's a lot of holes in your knowledge of beekeeping and after 45 years of beekeeping you'll probably conclude you know very little about beekeeping'. I've found beekeepers kind and keen to offer their advice and knowledge and I wholeheartedly agree you need a rounded view as provided by as many beekeepers as possible. I'm in Scotland and in 2020 we had a good spring and an awful July. We had one sunny day the whole month, the rest was rain and wind. We even had our wood burning stove on for a few nights to ward off the cold. I admire the US Constitution and the first amendment in particular the right to free speech, it's how we grow as humans. I treat for mites and I feed sugar syrup too, but I like to hear of those 'natural' beekeepers. Almost all have lost their hives, but I hope they develop a strain that is resistant and/or preens the varroa off their sisters bodies. Time will tell. Keep the great videos coming.
Thank you.
Hats off to you Bob for addressing this situation in a very calm manner and also for deleting severely negative comments.
As another post stated I too feel you and Ian Steppler are doing great and both have educational videos. I just wish you posted more videos, but I know that takes time. I also feel some of our beekeeping video personnel focus on quantity of videos versus quality. This is not the case for you or Ian.
Please keep educating us. Thanks!
Thanks.
Thanks for continuing to upload content. I love to hear how other guys keep their bees. Take what you like and leave the rest.
Your response was above reproach!
After reading most of the comments Bob has a lot of fans. What is great about Bob is that he read the comment and thought about it. What a great idea, consider if there is merit in the opposing view. None of us know it all or ever will. But there are times when you know the other idea is wrong. Many ideas are different and there is nothing all right or all wrong with the idea - kind of like the old saying there is more than one way to skin a cat. But try to be respectful to the other persons feelings. Hurting other people isn't cool.
You did then right thing - thanks for taking the time to explain why.🐝🐝🐝
As a fellow Southeastern USA beekeeper, your videos are the best for sound regional advice. I love watching the Canadian beekeepers' videos, but their climate/timeline for beekeeping is so different from beekeeping in North Carolina. My honeybees are foraging on red maple by late January while many of those Canadian bees are either surviving in a cold storage facility or in wrapped hives in snowy fields.
When you say, for example, queens will probably be laying a lot less in two weeks time, I know I can expect to see similar laying patterns in my hives in 2-3 weeks as well. I mentor a group of new beekeepers from our local county beekeeping association and I have steered them all to your videos. This latest on winter preparation is great! Thank you and bah humbug to the negative commenter on the Winter Prep video.
Thanks.
I really enjoy your videos and the wisdom you provide. I would suggest just ignoring the "crazies" and hit delete. They aren't worth your energy.
Thanks for putting your videos up Bob. You obviously have huge knowledge and experience which you are willingly share with people who want to learn, ignore the people who think they know everything. Keep the videos coming 👍
Thanks for doing these videos. I appreciate the help and your emphasis on civility.
Hi Bob. Please ignore the naysayers. After college I completed four years of graduate school and then another five years of post-graduate school in a science/animal related field. I work at a top ten university as a faculty member and listen to world-renowned experts weekly. I watch your channel regularly; you fit right in with the experts that are invited speakers at my university. You educate me and I appreciate that. I will continue to watch your channel. Keep up the great work.
Thank you.
Bob I know that comment didn't set well in your head as you made this second small video to go into it. Please never fall pray to "those" people. You said it best in one of your videos at a seminar you were giving "a cow farmer or a chicken farmer would treat and feed their animals and do the best by those animals; why would a bee keeper ever make their bees fend for themselves?" those are the people killing the planet and starving the bees. You are right let others who are schooled and trained to improve the genetics. That isn't a bee keepers job. It is our job to do the best for our girls at all times. Great video thanks for sharing the experience with the rest of us.
Making a contribution to our environment, means keeping healthy well fed bees. When I loose a swarm, I feel they will survive and prolong the existence of our wonderful and vital friends.
Bob you are doing a great job, the information for beekeepers we need with a few hives
Thank you for making so many videos! You have taught me a lot! This year is my best year yet in keeping bees.
Thank you again for your great videos. I have learned so much from them and do so appreciate the time you have put into making them.
I learned a long time ago bees eat in hard times. I just recently started keeping bees and mostly because I enjoy feeding them and watching them lick each other off. It keeps them off my humming bird feeder too
As a new Bee keeper starting in my Later years of life, Part1 and 2 was full of useful Information. I'm on my last week of Treatment with Formic Pro, after a sugar roll showed a strong mite population and only having this one Hive ( I now have 2) I did not want to chance losing a Hive doing my Bee's a Injustice and starting out as a Failure in my first year. Thank you for Sharing your knowledge, I'm on a quest to learn all I can.
Great videos Bob- don’t let the negative comments get to you.
Hello from New York! Learning from your experience is very helpful to me and my wife. We’ve been keeping bees for about five years now. Still enjoying the learning experience.
Thanks.
I lord your teaching it is so great Roy Knight Sherman TX