UPDATE: On March 1 I checked the small "Mom's house" hive again - and this time I found brood! Maybe the uninsulated hive is a factor for them lagging behind. I also opened the two hives mentioned at the end of this video and, based on the brood patterns, those hives look more like what I'd expect on May 1st than March 1st! This could be a busy and exciting spring - I just hope Mother Nature doesn't give us an unwelcome surprise.
My hope is that you're right. I've been too quick to declare hives "queenless" in the past so I'm willing to give them more time. One case doesn't provide proof but I'm wondering if the uninsulated hive is a factor.
I’m going to try a layens hive this year. Figured it would be fun to play around with. Haven’t decided if I should introduce bees, or bait it and hope I get a swarm
@@poeridley5942 I didn’t catch anything in it this year, or should I say last year. I’ll probably just bait it again this year as well, but who knows, I might throw a split in there. Basically all my bees are local bees. At least in the way you’re referring to. I’ve never purchased any bees and most came from removals. Either way, I’ll try to document the results on my channel
As far as I know it's unlikely to be water; to my knowledge bees don't store water in the cells. Some is likely opened honey cells, but based on how readily some of the nectar dripped out in the first hive, when I held the frame horizontally, it seems to be high moisture content nectar. So possibly some old and some new - although for the life of me I don't know where they're getting new nectar this early. It's been a weird winter/spring, though.
One question I have about those larger frames, can you spin them or is it only crush and strain? I had to crush and strain my first honey frame last year and I didn't like destroying all the comb.
I use a SAF Regata extractor which can hold 3 Layens frames tangentially but can also be used for Langstroth frames. The extractor is the same as SAF's 9-frame radial extractor, just with a different (interchangeable) basket.
It's not too often we get to see evidence of bees feeding on their own actual honey, with all the sugar bricks, mountain camp, pollen patties, and fondant we see in other videos.
I saw a honey competition where nearly a quarter of the samples were disqualified due to the presence of sugar after a test. I was atonished at the sugar contamination until I started watching what people were doing.
Why do bees in a hive fight other bees from another hive when they’re getting robbed but on the other hand you can take a weak hive and combine it with a strong hive? Why wouldn’t they fight?
They do, if it's not done carefully. Much has to do with scent - so when I combined colonies in the Langstroth I used the newspaper method. By the time the bees chewed through the newspaper between boxes, their scents had inter-mingled enough that they generally accepted each other. Bees bearing pollen or nectar can also be accepted into a hive other than their own. I've combined colonies by shaking bees out in front of a hive, but that can be tricky and better if the weaker (queenless) colony is added first, the queen introduced to the hive, and then the stronger shaken out to go through the entrance. There may be some fighting but less than if another colony is just shaken directly into the hive. Your mileage may vary with that method.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #30 ДВА В ОДНОМ [Один человек]• Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nrXy15orKhY/mqdefault.jpg)
UPDATE: On March 1 I checked the small "Mom's house" hive again - and this time I found brood! Maybe the uninsulated hive is a factor for them lagging behind. I also opened the two hives mentioned at the end of this video and, based on the brood patterns, those hives look more like what I'd expect on May 1st than March 1st! This could be a busy and exciting spring - I just hope Mother Nature doesn't give us an unwelcome surprise.
I like your hat.🤠I see bees.🥳
"Let them be......" LOL!!! So exciting to see them all over winter successfully.
I got a veil that looks just like yours. LOL
Thx for the video, really like and appreciate the first look of the season!
The bees are looking great! I think the first queen was just playing hide and seek with you. You'll find a big patch of brood in there in March.
My hope is that you're right. I've been too quick to declare hives "queenless" in the past so I'm willing to give them more time. One case doesn't provide proof but I'm wondering if the uninsulated hive is a factor.
Well, today is March 1 and I took another look inside of that hive. I'll bet you can guess what I found!
@@SuburbanSodbuster hopefully some brood. 🤞
Ding! Ding! Ding! Your initial suspicion was correct.
I’m going to try a layens hive this year. Figured it would be fun to play around with. Haven’t decided if I should introduce bees, or bait it and hope I get a swarm
I would bait it! Local bees are best bees!
@@poeridley5942 I didn’t catch anything in it this year, or should I say last year. I’ll probably just bait it again this year as well, but who knows, I might throw a split in there.
Basically all my bees are local bees. At least in the way you’re referring to. I’ve never purchased any bees and most came from removals.
Either way, I’ll try to document the results on my channel
I have seen lots of "nectar" as well. I'm not sure if it's actually nectar, water, or relocated honey.
As far as I know it's unlikely to be water; to my knowledge bees don't store water in the cells. Some is likely opened honey cells, but based on how readily some of the nectar dripped out in the first hive, when I held the frame horizontally, it seems to be high moisture content nectar. So possibly some old and some new - although for the life of me I don't know where they're getting new nectar this early. It's been a weird winter/spring, though.
@@SuburbanSodbuster I would also love to know where the nectar is coming this early as well. Maybe someone who knows will chime in.
One question I have about those larger frames, can you spin them or is it only crush and strain? I had to crush and strain my first honey frame last year and I didn't like destroying all the comb.
I use a SAF Regata extractor which can hold 3 Layens frames tangentially but can also be used for Langstroth frames. The extractor is the same as SAF's 9-frame radial extractor, just with a different (interchangeable) basket.
@@SuburbanSodbuster Cool, I had wondered. Have a wonderful day...
It's not too often we get to see evidence of bees feeding on their own actual honey, with all the sugar bricks, mountain camp, pollen patties, and fondant we see in other videos.
I saw a honey competition where nearly a quarter of the samples were disqualified due to the presence of sugar after a test.
I was atonished at the sugar contamination until I started watching what people were doing.
Where did you purchase queens? I thought you were all in on local feral genetics.
They were from a local beekeeper who raised queens from his own survivor stock.
Why do bees in a hive fight other bees from another hive when they’re getting robbed but on the other hand you can take a weak hive and combine it with a strong hive? Why wouldn’t they fight?
They do, if it's not done carefully. Much has to do with scent - so when I combined colonies in the Langstroth I used the newspaper method. By the time the bees chewed through the newspaper between boxes, their scents had inter-mingled enough that they generally accepted each other. Bees bearing pollen or nectar can also be accepted into a hive other than their own. I've combined colonies by shaking bees out in front of a hive, but that can be tricky and better if the weaker (queenless) colony is added first, the queen introduced to the hive, and then the stronger shaken out to go through the entrance. There may be some fighting but less than if another colony is just shaken directly into the hive. Your mileage may vary with that method.