The best thing happened to me today. I visited my father inlaw to pick up my second hive. After packing it into the car we were sitting by his hives just chilling and watching the bees when all of a sudden one of them swarmed. For a few minutes two gardens were covered in flying bees until they collected on a tree in a neighbours garden. So we got the swarm catcher out and caught them. He's bringing them over to me tomorrow for one of my hives. The timing of this couldn't have been better. Having never seen a swarm before I got to see it from the start and finish. I can't express how happy I am. I simply can't find the words. Unbelievable luck :)
Those paradise hives saved my behind 10 days ago when my package of bees showed up in the cold... installed in a lake effect sleet shower and even after more cold days than warm this week the bees seem comfortable in those poly hives...
I use the Poly Hives in Denmark, they are good hives, but not for a commercial use. The Poly is too fragile for transport, for stacking up several hives together (transportation or over wintering in a shade. For Fixed Opperation, for Hobby or for Small Opperation they are good, & weighs a friction of what the wooden cases weighs. BarakBees on UA-cam.
I use 9 frames in my honey supers. I use to run 9 in the brood boxes but went back to 10 frames in the brood boxes. When transferring the wide comb into nucs it's hard to snug them up do too the wide comb. That's the reason I went back to 10 frames but I love running 9 in the honey supers
No top bee space is what I also found (European fashion) and too much bottom bee space with their base. On the bottom box, they will build 2" or more comb off the bottom of the frames and its offset a little, mostly Drone comb. I am constantly scraping it off (Drone trapping for mites too). I use excluders and they fit snug against the frames so you have to smoke the bees down good. So far, our Paradise Bee Box are performing great with this up and down spring weather, exceeding our other colonies by 2 weeks. We are looking forward to the long term performance and are experimenting like you are.
First! Once growing bees is no longer as fun because u can do it in your sleep, you need something new to experience the fun part again,or new technique,I'm going to see how many supers I can fill on a hive.. for FUN, because it's Fun!
I still keep my bees in wooden boxes too but if I can find a Poly hive that is directly compatible with my wooden boxes etc. I would like to try one out for the benefits, supposedly, of better overwintering and early spring start up. The downside to the Poly hives is that they are not as easily repaired or recycled at the end of their life. Here in the UK most wooden hives are made from Ceder because of its fantastic properties in holding up against wet weather, even without any treatment or paint, and many people recycle old hive parts to make things like bird boxes, bug boxes, flower boxes and the likes, and actually sell them as made from recycled bee hives. Those bits that are in so poor condition that they can be used for nothing else can always be used for kindling to get your wood burner going in the winter, so there is literally no waste at all. The Poly hives on the other hand.....well, I don't think they can be used for anything unless you have an actual recycling plant. That means that a Poly hive needs to be more than just good to justify its place in an apiary if you ask me 😄
Kamon as usual good stuff. When you get a chance could you spend a little time talking about Supersedure cells and how to manage them especially in comparison to swarm cells. Thanks in advance.
In one of your previous videos you showed how to transfer the started cells into a queen right colony over an excluder. I tried this and seem to have a problem keeping the queen in the bottom box alive after transferring the started cells. Thank you for your videos .
Thanks Kaymon. It will be interesting to see how the hive works out. This is an unrelated question, but I put a frame with a starter strip my hive and let the bees draw comb. They made beautiful comb but most of it was drone brood. Already had plenty of drones so I took it out and froze it hoping to get rid of some varroa mites. My question is if I put it back into the hive and let the bees cannibalize it and clean it up, will it always be drone brood or will they rework it to use it for worker bee brood?
Will the workers move the bee bread to allow the queen a more traditional laying pattern? If not should one pull the frame or move it above a queen excluder until all the brood emerges?
You are always testing new stuff. Always willing to learn. 👍👍 Are you gonna try the mitey mite thermo heater for varroa control on one of your hives this year? Of course its not for the commercial guy, but I’m interested to see how its gonna work for a coulple of hives? I think you said you had bought one??I bought one last year but never tried it? Will try in a month or two when the weather gets warmer here.
In the UK we don't use vented top covers especially for poly hives, as it negates the idea of bees living in a tree. In wooden hives we have 2 inches of insulation above the crownboard (inner cover). Again this prevents moisture build up as the hot air rises it hits a warm surface, not a cold surface and no condensation hits the winter cluster.
@@beehinde very humid and hot here in Michigan. I have had lots of trouble with mold in the summer months. winter time I close the vents down and use the room in the vented top cover(which is Poly also with Poly plugs for the vent holes) to add dry sugar and pollen patty without the Mylar inner cover. My conditions cause me to make changes compared to your environment. Born in Kent Moved to the U.S.A. my UK friend.
I bought packages and I bought nuc's before and neither one done better than the other. The problem what I seen was the commercial Queens that come with those bought bees. I started to raise my own queens last year thanks to Kamons video and after 3 generations those bees do a lot better now... Yeah, I went through about 10 queens for my three 10 frame hives last year , 'til the craziness was breed out and before my bees stopped killing my queens. I got good bees now and got them over winter, they filled up a deep super already and I added a shallow for now and this may be filled in another 2 weeks....I need to check to make sure.
@@FloryJohann I am foing to try this year (or had intended to) to raise some queens. Last couple years it's been one step forward..two back. I did my research and prep but whatever knocked my reducer off cost me a queen. I had the mind tho a nuc would have a queen already laying tho and the colony already in harmony. I still may get a nuc too. SW Mo and several for sale. Hard to raise queens tho when I don't have the beesources!
@@cherimolina2121 I had the stepping problem for the last 3 years where I tried to keep them alive all year and then they died over winter. I got about 1/2 a tea spoon of honey so far in the last 3 years and about 80 lbs total already this year from 2 hives. The other hives do not produce much yet since they are either a nuc, a caught swarm or splits. The way I started was I build a 4 frame nuc last year and took 2 brood frames with eggs and larvae and capped brood with bees from the mother hive and a food frame. Feed them extra sugar water. That is a split. Be patient since it will take time before the bees raise a queen and the queen is mated and it will take time (Close to 4 weeks from larvae stage) before the queen lays eggs. You can treat your bee for mites before you put a super on. This is almost a must. You need to start treating your bees for mites in the late summer for winter bees to stay alive over winter.
Don't cole blackberry, thet is my last nectar. Thet hive tool, don't know who makes it.. sharp, hard, no russt..best i have. And i agree about the opening of brood and give them a bild freme. When it's a flow people here put an empty, for drones( varroa stuff ). Still no flow over ther ? My it's olmost done
Yes! I really like the 6 Frame Lyson Nucs. I've been putting 3 double deep 6 frame Lysons side by side, then topping with two 10-frame excluders and honey supers (learned this from Ian Steppler). This setup was a great honey producer last year, and the ability for the workers to move across the different boxes seemed to keep them operating as a balanced multi-queen unit. I also think the stable temps in the hives made a difference.
I bought 3 boxes 10 frames each from different suppliers throughout winter. The first one was ok and no burned plastic smell. The second one smelled strongly like burned plastic after I got the plastic foundation with frames. I aired them out for 1 month in the open and they where ok after that. The third box smelled also but not as strong, but it took longer to air out. With some of the foundation, the bees only build crazy combs. I did not see this with wax foundation, so I bought a bunch more wired wax foundation with frames for now 'til I figure the plastic crazy comb building out. Looks like that my bees do better with wax foundation,
The best thing happened to me today. I visited my father inlaw to pick up my second hive. After packing it into the car we were sitting by his hives just chilling and watching the bees when all of a sudden one of them swarmed. For a few minutes two gardens were covered in flying bees until they collected on a tree in a neighbours garden. So we got the swarm catcher out and caught them. He's bringing them over to me tomorrow for one of my hives. The timing of this couldn't have been better. Having never seen a swarm before I got to see it from the start and finish. I can't express how happy I am. I simply can't find the words. Unbelievable luck :)
Those paradise hives saved my behind 10 days ago when my package of bees showed up in the cold... installed in a lake effect sleet shower and even after more cold days than warm this week the bees seem comfortable in those poly hives...
Smart Lad, to keep trying new things. We are never to old to learn and I'm older than dirt.
Maybe older than dirt, but not older than DUST! :)
I use the Poly Hives in Denmark, they are good hives, but not for a commercial use. The Poly is too fragile for transport, for stacking up several hives together (transportation or over wintering in a shade. For Fixed Opperation, for Hobby or for Small Opperation they are good, & weighs a friction of what the wooden cases weighs. BarakBees on UA-cam.
I use 9 frames in my honey supers. I use to run 9 in the brood boxes but went back to 10 frames in the brood boxes. When transferring the wide comb into nucs it's hard to snug them up do too the wide comb. That's the reason I went back to 10 frames but I love running 9 in the honey supers
No top bee space is what I also found (European fashion) and too much bottom bee space with their base. On the bottom box, they will build 2" or more comb off the bottom of the frames and its offset a little, mostly Drone comb. I am constantly scraping it off (Drone trapping for mites too). I use excluders and they fit snug against the frames so you have to smoke the bees down good. So far, our Paradise Bee Box are performing great with this up and down spring weather, exceeding our other colonies by 2 weeks. We are looking forward to the long term performance and are experimenting like you are.
First! Once growing bees is no longer as fun because u can do it in your sleep, you need something new to experience the fun part again,or new technique,I'm going to see how many supers I can fill on a hive.. for FUN, because it's Fun!
Can't agree more. I'm doing samthing new evre year. It whos a job all my life. Now it's time to play
I learn more and more with each video of yours I watch
I still keep my bees in wooden boxes too but if I can find a Poly hive that is directly compatible with my wooden boxes etc. I would like to try one out for the benefits, supposedly, of better overwintering and early spring start up. The downside to the Poly hives is that they are not as easily repaired or recycled at the end of their life. Here in the UK most wooden hives are made from Ceder because of its fantastic properties in holding up against wet weather, even without any treatment or paint, and many people recycle old hive parts to make things like bird boxes, bug boxes, flower boxes and the likes, and actually sell them as made from recycled bee hives. Those bits that are in so poor condition that they can be used for nothing else can always be used for kindling to get your wood burner going in the winter, so there is literally no waste at all. The Poly hives on the other hand.....well, I don't think they can be used for anything unless you have an actual recycling plant. That means that a Poly hive needs to be more than just good to justify its place in an apiary if you ask me 😄
Kamon as usual good stuff. When you get a chance could you spend a little time talking about Supersedure cells and how to manage them especially in comparison to swarm cells. Thanks in advance.
Lucky bee @ 10:52 😮😮😮😂😂 just managed to get out from between the boxes. Looking forward to your updates on the poly hive.
In one of your previous videos you showed how to transfer the started cells into a queen right colony over an excluder. I tried this and seem to have a problem keeping the queen in the bottom box alive after transferring the started cells. Thank you for your videos .
Thanks Kaymon. It will be interesting to see how the hive works out.
This is an unrelated question, but I put a frame with a starter strip my hive and let the bees draw comb. They made beautiful comb but most of it was drone brood. Already had plenty of drones so I took it out and froze it hoping to get rid of some varroa mites. My question is if I put it back into the hive and let the bees cannibalize it and clean it up, will it always be drone brood or will they rework it to use it for worker bee brood?
Will the workers move the bee bread to allow the queen a more traditional laying pattern? If not should one pull the frame or move it above a queen excluder until all the brood emerges?
Nothing wrong with trying new things. I love Carniolans. I have a lot of success with them here.
After you put a lid on it, is there any bee space on top of the frames??
Looks like a cool hive box.
You are always testing new stuff. Always willing to learn. 👍👍 Are you gonna try the mitey mite thermo heater for varroa control on one of your hives this year?
Of course its not for the commercial guy, but I’m interested to see how its gonna work for a coulple of hives? I think you said you had bought one??I bought one last year but never tried it? Will try in a month or two when the weather gets warmer here.
I recommend the vented top cover and Mylar inner cover from blue sky.
In the UK we don't use vented top covers especially for poly hives, as it negates the idea of bees living in a tree. In wooden hives we have 2 inches of insulation above the crownboard (inner cover). Again this prevents moisture build up as the hot air rises it hits a warm surface, not a cold surface and no condensation hits the winter cluster.
@@beehinde very humid and hot here in Michigan. I have had lots of trouble with mold in the summer months. winter time I close the vents down and use the room in the vented top cover(which is Poly also with Poly plugs for the vent holes) to add dry sugar and pollen patty without the Mylar inner cover. My conditions cause me to make changes compared to your environment. Born in Kent Moved to the U.S.A. my UK friend.
That looks handy for up north ..
I’m in south central KY. Freeze did a number to out poplars. I’m afraid we will miss that flow.
It works well.. the bees eat a lot less in winter due to the high iso.
Hey kamon, I notice your type of lids. How do you vent them in the winter time to keep moisture down.
Thanks !!
Until you try it you’ll never know 👌🏾💯
Hey Kamon, do you have to deal with ants? If you do, what suggestions do you have? (everytime i feed syrup, they invade!)
Is your hive on a stand with legs? If so put them into a can or tray with some vegetable oil in.
@@trevor311264
This is what I done.
Kamon, Can you over winter in this style hive or would this only be for a warm climate? Liked and subscribed!
I have good success over wintering in NW Missouri with this polystyrene hive.
@@Splawnridgerunner Hi Owen, I am in CT How cold is your winter's in Missouri?
Very interested in the new hives too. Hope they work out well .🐝🐝🐝❤👍
I learnt my lesson! Wont buy pkg again. I need a stronger "colony" to start out with.
I bought packages and I bought nuc's before and neither one done better than the other. The problem what I seen was the commercial Queens that come with those bought bees.
I started to raise my own queens last year thanks to Kamons video and after 3 generations those bees do a lot better now...
Yeah, I went through about 10 queens for my three 10 frame hives last year , 'til the craziness was breed out and before my bees stopped killing my queens.
I got good bees now and got them over winter, they filled up a deep super already and I added a shallow for now and this may be filled in another 2 weeks....I need to check to make sure.
@@FloryJohann I concur, it is usually poorly mated queens/queens that have been in the post that are the problem.
@@FloryJohann I am foing to try this year (or had intended to) to raise some queens. Last couple years it's been one step forward..two back. I did my research and prep but whatever knocked my reducer off cost me a queen. I had the mind tho a nuc would have a queen already laying tho and the colony already in harmony. I still may get a nuc too. SW Mo and several for sale. Hard to raise queens tho when I don't have the beesources!
@@cherimolina2121
I had the stepping problem for the last 3 years where I tried to keep them alive all year and then they died over winter. I got about 1/2 a tea spoon of honey so far in the last 3 years and about 80 lbs total already this year from 2 hives. The other hives do not produce much yet since they are either a nuc, a caught swarm or splits.
The way I started was I build a 4 frame nuc last year and took 2 brood frames with eggs and larvae and capped brood with bees from the mother hive and a food frame. Feed them extra sugar water. That is a split. Be patient since it will take time before the bees raise a queen and the queen is mated and it will take time (Close to 4 weeks from larvae stage) before the queen lays eggs. You can treat your bee for mites before you put a super on. This is almost a must. You need to start treating your bees for mites in the late summer for winter bees to stay alive over winter.
Where did you get these plastic hives
Did you do a video on moving queen cells into mating nucs?
Don't cole blackberry, thet is my last nectar. Thet hive tool, don't know who makes it.. sharp, hard, no russt..best i have. And i agree about the opening of brood and give them a bild freme. When it's a flow people here put an empty, for drones( varroa stuff ).
Still no flow over ther ? My it's olmost done
Do you sale a bees ? If yes kindly send me a link to buy pleas
I just started playing with 6 frames Lydon Nucs for splits and so far i love em. Fragile tho.
Yes! I really like the 6 Frame Lyson Nucs. I've been putting 3 double deep 6 frame Lysons side by side, then topping with two 10-frame excluders and honey supers (learned this from Ian Steppler). This setup was a great honey producer last year, and the ability for the workers to move across the different boxes seemed to keep them operating as a balanced multi-queen unit. I also think the stable temps in the hives made a difference.
Just a little question: does your plastic foundation smell nasty? (like a cheap plastic toy)
Mine does not. Smells like beeswax
I bought 3 boxes 10 frames each from different suppliers throughout winter. The first one was ok and no burned plastic smell.
The second one smelled strongly like burned plastic after I got the plastic foundation with frames. I aired them out for 1 month in the open and they where ok after that. The third box smelled also but not as strong, but it took longer to air out.
With some of the foundation, the bees only build crazy combs. I did not see this with wax foundation, so I bought a bunch more wired wax foundation with frames for now 'til I figure the plastic crazy comb building out. Looks like that my bees do better with wax foundation,