1) Can adult bees consume proteins that are not from plants? 1:42 2) Considering seasons in North America, what can we expect here and what should we be doing to help our colonies with health, pests, nutrition, food, harvesting? 8:07 3) If feeding syrup to bees, how many days can it be left on before you need to change it? 17:24 4) How do you feel about chloroplast and foam insulation on the outside of hives for winter? 22:37 5) Can you explain bee-bread, what's its purpose? 28:02 6) A lot of bees are drowning in my rapid round feeders - what do you do about that? 19:31 7) Bee Stings, how to tell if you're allergic to bees? Does venom vary from one bee to another? 32:24
Thanks again Mr Frederick for always doing a wonderful job on everything you do! For those that have drowning bees in the rapid rounds you can cut the top of a white sock and put it around the circle of the feeder and make sure it goes from the top down to the syrup and it will wick up the syrup...the bees don’t even have to go any further than the top and they will line up at the top and suck down the syrup...no drowning!!
THAT is a highly original fix! Thank you for sharing! Hmmm... no that you mention the sock, maybe even a nylon stocking would be even better? Thinner and washable? But I see how the sock would serve as a wick to bring the syrup up. COOL!
hello Frederick,i want to start harvesting honey next year from flow frames.the super box ill make myself will get only flow frames. now before i get them could you please tell me how do you or what is the process to store them after season. (winter time ) how to clean them to make it ready for next year?? can they be washed. i am really interested to start with them.
Very interesting info and educational for everyone, thank you! I have a pressing question that is time sensitive. Please anyone who can give me some advice, I would welcome it. I live in Silicon Valley, CA. Winters are mild here. The coldest it gets is 33F - 34F and the hottest it gets is 97F - 108F. Occasionally there is some frost at dawn. I have a small paper wasp nest under my house eaves in the back yard. Last year it was the size of a palm. This year it is the size of 3 hands. It is swarming with paper wasps. I liked them around all of last year, they flitted around like fairies over the flowers and all was well. Last year, I had one hummingbird feeder in the garden. I decided to add 2 more for a total of 3 feeders. I noticed Golden Orioles wanted to drink but the holes were too small. So I drilled larger holes so that the orioles could stick their beaks in too. Almost overnight, the wasps that had flown around the feeders casually, zeroed in on all 3 feeders swarming them and making it impossible for the birds to drink. The hummers tried to get in for a sip but were chased away by the wasps. The orioles did not even bother to come anymore. The wasps drank up the liquid in 2 days flat! While it would last 4 days, it was all gone. There were dead wasps inside. Gross. I painted them all red, removing any yellow but they still came. The wasp activity was so bad, that the bird seed trays were not being touched by birds either as I saw the wasps buzzing around the finches and doves. I put out a white dish with sugar water and removed all the red feeders. Not a single wasp drank from this dish of sugar water. I added pieces of tile they could sit on but no luck. Not one . Is there any way the birds and wasps can coexist? They have never stung me and I feel such a sense of shame and betrayal if I have to kill the whole nest but what other option do I have? Also, they may make more queens that will then infiltrate the attic and inside walls. It is worrisome. I like them a lot and they have not stung me and coexist peacefully. I feel like a demon for wanting to wipe them out. Please help!!! I need advice. What is a humane way to kill them fast or any other options?
Another great video Mr. Dunn! Thanks for continuing to put out amazing content for us little people. Your knowledge is inspiring and your videography is captivating! Thanks again for all you do to keep us informed.
What are you thoughts on Urban/backyard beekeeping? I live in Los Angeles CA and really want to become a beekeeper. My concern is the closeness of my neighbors some of which have small children (they wouldn't be able to get to my bees but concerned about the bees getting into their yards, children, etc).
Hi Sean, that's a very common question and I've addressed this before, I will talk a little more about that TODAY in FAQ 26 - thank you for watching and asking!
Hi Fred. Graeme from Ireland here. Question perhaps you might be able to answer next week ...... question. How can you stop robbing on newly made splits / nucleus hives? I’ve had one recently that had a large number of bees in the nuc with a reduced entrance and still they were being robbed . The nuc survived but lost a lot of resources. Thank you for that in advance.
Hi Fred, you mentioned sea salts and on one video you also mentioned Don the Fat Beeman . He has a video where he places a salt lick (block) in a concrete block for the bees to use much as we might for livestock.
HI Larry, I have really enjoyed some of Don's videos, but presenting sea salts in solution is a much better method than sitting a "salt block" out for them. Salt-licks are generally for ruminant animals and don't have the mineral content that sea salts or pink Himalayan salts have. And the honeybees need moisture to use it - Don's a good guy for sure! He also said that" Oxalic Acid Vaporization penetrates brood caps and can treat tracheal mites" - I took him at his word and was laughed out of the lab when I brought that up (';')( ';')... I do like a lot of what he shares and we agree on Queen Reducers etc...
@@FrederickDunn , He's certainly entertaining. Has lots of "old style" info. I suppose that with the size of his operation salt blocks are easier but I do like your method especially in that you have more control over it.
Mr. Dunn, new keeper here with 3 Flow 2 hives and harvested 6 gallons this Spring from two hives. Question...right now I have 7/8 frames between the three hives 50% - 75% capped with nectar in the remainder. What to do with this honey, these frames going into the heart of summer? Thank you, Bill
HI Bill, if you have 75% capped, you can harvest that... BUT, I generally leave that on until the late summer nectar flow just in case they need those resources to build up. I have several flow-supers which are almost full, but am leaving them alone until mid to late September before harvesting. I will add this discussion to my FAQ 26 - there is a seasonal dynamic that others may want to know about - What is your hive configuration? Ist here a deep, medium/deep, then a flow-super? How many boxes are on in total? Thanks so much!
now the colony that used to consume a pint per day (about 0.5 liter) how many bees are there in this colony approximately I am not asking you to count them :):):) or you can tell me what is the approximate weight of the bees in this colony if you have purchased them as a package.
@@FrederickDunn The observation Colony you said in the video that they used to consume a pint of sugar syrup per day before and now there is a good flow of resources so they do not consume syrup anymore
@@FrederickDunn The observation Colony you said in the video that they used to consume a pint of sugar syrup per day before and now there is a good flow of resources so they do not consume syrup anymore
It's American Foulbrood, a really nasty bacterial disease. Think of it like the ebola of bees, except more contagious. You can Google for gruesome details now that you have the right keywords, but basically anything it touches has to be burned or irradiated with gamma rays to reliably kill the bacteria and prevent it from spreading.
9 years ago, I was photographing an apiary that is 25 miles from me. The State Inspector found foulbrood indications in the brood of 2 colonies/hives and they were quarantined. There are two types commonly encountered - American and European - the American Foul Brood is the worst - the State of PA allows beekeepers to treat rather than destroy their hives - however, me personally, If I ever get it in one of my hives, that entire thing is going to burn right away. Don't do any open feeding, keep up with your colony health and pay attention to your brood frames for any abnormal appearing capped cells, or open cells with dead brood - it will be obvious that something isn't right - call in an inspector if things look bad.
So I know there have been a lot of folks having Ant issues... I am not one of those people... Nope, no ants here. I have earwigs! Gross nasty little critters. They don’t seem to be getting into the hives yet. But every time I lift the lids, they scatter in droves from the inner cover... Leaving their little sand like fecal matter all over my inner cover... Suggestions?
HI Larry, if the bees have access to those areas, they will drive them out. As long as there are small spaces for the little flat rascals to hide-out of reach, they will always be there. They are not detrimental, but the bees will happily run them off. Telescoping covers have that space along the sides and they hide in there also... no big deal in my opinion :)
Quick question Fred. What is the thermal camera you use? There is a building close to us that has bees coming and going from its soffit. Asking the locals, they say it’s been there 10 years, however I don’t know if it’s in the attic or down the wall and was interested in what you use? As always look forward to your insight.
Great Series! I have concern for one of four hives that I started in the spring from nucs. It is slower in every respect compared to the other three. Is it possible for capped brood cells (that came with the nuc) not to hatch. What should I expect the workers will do with those cells if they do not develop past capped brood, and what should I do with that frame?
An example of good hygienic behavior is when they uncap and remove unhatched or deficient brood. It's possible to receive a nuc that has brood frames which have been overheated in transit and that can result in poor development or death. If they don't hatch and the bees don't clean out those cells, then the frame should be replaced.
Mr. Dunn, thank you for the videos! I was wondering what differences you have noticed between the saskatraz bees and the weaver bees? Are the weaver bees as docile as the saskatraz bees? Thank you
Both are very docile these days, early on Weaver had some "hot queens" but over the last three years they have been very easy to manage and work with. I consider them to be equal in that regard.
Hi James, If they are "brood-heavy" I personally don't consider July too late. My "no-split" date where I live is mid August. Look at it this way, you get new "fresh" queens and they have the late summer nectar flow to build up for winter with new brood bursting out just in time. :) Do it!
Greetings from the United Kingdom, enjoy your videos very much and a great source of knowledge for myself as a complete novice. My question. Are there sources of bee forage that can make normally docile bees more aggressive ?.
Hi Michael, and welcome to my channel! I don't currently know of any floral sources that would/could alter honey bee disposition. May I ask if you've recently experienced a mood shift with your bees? When forage sources dwindle, there is a change in defensiveness as they try to hold on to what they have stored. Queen-less situations as well as possible varroa or disease challenges can also impact behavior. When there are lots of resources coming in and plenty being stored, that should result in very calm colonies. I need to know a little more about the reasoning behind your question. Thanks again!
@@FrederickDunn Hi Fred than you for your quick reply to my question. I was not speaking from experience as my beekeeping only commenced late May when a swarm landed in my garden. Quickly bought a hive and transferred them. I am very much drawn to the flow hive concept as I live in an urban area and want to minimise the disturbance to those living nearby. Where I live we are surrounded by vast swathes of oilseed rape which I understand granulated very quickly in the comb, which may be a negative for the flow hive . Look forward to your upcoming videos. Thank you Michael
Here in New Jersey the 15# felt paper is the most commonly used in building construction. Obviously the further North you go, the heavier the paper will be. My question is, will a infrared camera such as a Flir model be able to penetrate felt paper if you wrap your hives with it?? Outstanding informative video! Thanks! 👍
The Flir only reads surface temps, so black felt paper in the winter sun will probably masque your ability to see the cluster location. Insulation board defeats thermal information completely.
_Fred your advice is great, but sorry, I'm not convinced of a word you say til I can verify it down here in the comments section by one of these many experts who dwell freely criticizing and informing the world giving thier expertise._
No, though it can technically, the opening in the center of the rapid round is too large to fit into that center hole - you will need to modify the inner cover to accommodate the larger tube ua-cam.com/video/Vy2xllf0rlc/v-deo.html
@@FrederickDunn thanks for the link. I like that modification, and this manner of feeding. Seems like it can give a better understanding of individual colony's needs.
Fred, I got my wife and kids this tool called "the bug bite thing". I'm not affiliated but we live in AZ and my 5yo boy gets stung all the time. It's just a stinger remover and venom sucker. We have only tried it on mosquito bites so far, no stings yet this year. I'm not sure it's been effective pulling some mosquito poison out or we've just built up our annual tolerance but I was more interested in getting it to reduce bee and hornet sting pain and duration. We haven't had a chance to try it yet
Thanks for sharing that - I've never found suction devices to be of much use - many decades ago when I studied Herpetology, I had a snake bite kit that when split in half provided two suction cups - truth is that the injected venom travels into the bloodstream too fast for meaningful extraction at the injection/bite site. I arrived at the Sting Kill applicators after many science-minded researchers swore by it - makes sense to apply a numbing treatment while disinfecting the sting/bite site. Stingers should be removed quickly with a raking action with your fingernail, credit card edge or something similar to limit the amount of venom being injected. Mosquitoes send their materials through tiny capillaries which aren't easy to suck back through - so, in my opinion, disinfectant over suction. BUT - if you use both, let me know which provided the best relief!
Since the topics of essential oils and feeding have come up, let me chime in: have you ever noticed bees having trouble keeping track of sugar syrup without volatile additives (such as essential oils)? After finally getting my bees this year, I was excited to try my maple syrup experiment in an open feeding setup very similar to your salt water ones (with pint feeders instead of quart feeders), but was dismayed to have my experiment derailed because my bees just could not find the syrup when it was any distance from the hive. Here's what I've tried so far, in chronological order: 1. Set up 3 feeders with different quantities of maple syrup dissolved in 1:1 sugar syrup approximately 1 yard from my hive: no bees visited the feeders for over 24 hours. 2. Moved the sugar syrup only feeder immediately adjacent the landing board of the hive: bees stumbled into the syrup on their way out and started slurping it down. 3. Carefully moved the syrup feeder back to its original position with a good number of drinking bees still on it: bees on feeder drank their fill and flew home; one bee returned to hover around the feeders for a while, but did not land or drink. 4. One by one, I rotated the feeders in front of the entrance until the bees drank everything: bees slurped it all down at more than a cup per day. 5. Stopped feeding for 4 days after last feeder was drained: plenty of flight activity in the interim, presumably representing forage from distant sources. 6: Mixed up a single feeder of 1:1 syrup with a drop of peppermint oil for flavor and placed it adjacent the landing board: bees started drinking just as with the other syrups. 7: Carefully moved the feeder to the 1-yard-away spot with the bees still drinking from it: Bees began making round flights and grew in number. As of day's end, more than 1 cup is gone. What do you make of this situation? My hypothesis is that the bees needed the peppermint scent for tracking and recognition once the initial posse returned with full crops. If they simply hadn't needed the syrup because natural sources of nectar were abundant, I don't see why they would turn up their tongues at the pure syrup but chug down the peppermint-flavored stuff. Disclaimer: before anyone pounces on me for open feeding so close to my hive, robbing is not a great concern in my area because: ① local bee populations (other than this hive) are nigh non-existent (I've seen a grand total of 1 honeybee not belonging to my hive this year), ② the only bee-sized entrance to my only hive is a roughly ⅝×1¼-inch opening, and ③ I monitored my hive entrance during feeding, and observed defenders quite handily repelling or dispatching the errant flies, carpenter bees, and the one honey bee that made a go at the entrance.
I'm going to address this in FAQ 25 - I have found the bees to be capable of finding odorless nectar sources well away from the apiary - foraging bees inspect everything at some point and will find it. I have found them to be deterred from water/nectar by unusual scents, including essential oils. They prefer their nectar sources to be odor free. If they aren't returning to a source, then that material has been rejected inside the hive. It's fun to test and don't worry about those who unload on your for conducting open feed tests. In Australia, that activity is actually illegal, but here in the U.S., we are at liberty to conduct our own experiments in this way. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!
@@FrederickDunn I had recalled what you had said before about your bees preferring syrup/nectar without essential oils in it, and that's what's got me stumped! I intentionally proffered the feeders at the hive entrance to pick up some bees before moving them away in order to eliminate the element of chance involved in their discovery, yet the bees were only willing (or able?) to return to the peppermint-flavored one. Unless there's some micronutrient in the peppermint oil that I'm not accounting for, I don't see why the hive would accept peppermint-syrup but not plain syrup. I suppose my maple syrup experiment will have to wait; I'll keep alternating between peppermint and no peppermint to make sure this wasn't some strange fluke, but I'm now wondering about the criteria necessary to attract foragers' attention. One of them must be scent, or flowers wouldn't produce them, but maybe there are others that differ between our feeders; perhaps my feeders are so unassuming in those respects that the bees won't so much as investigate them without the element of scent to draw them in? I remember yours being yellow with black pads, whereas mine are translucent with yellow pads, but that could mean just about anything given bees' different sight spectrum. Another potential factor is that I placed some particle board on top of my feeders to shelter them from the sun and rain. Were your feeders always exposed to the sun (and therefore presumably evaporating some small quantity of their contents)? I wonder if bees can smell sugar in the air...
@@hadrast What is your water source? Is it tap water, well, filtered, distilled... the bees also have water preferences. Then the syrup is added. Honey bees find puddles of water (no odor) far afield without any scent and they explore it. I've done teste with test tubes with 50/50 sugar water syrup, collected the bees at the hive and walked them a hundred yards or more away (draped in a towel) - then released them - they located their hive and returned to the tube in under 10 minutes... it's fun to do these tests - they are very detailed foragers, particularly in periods of dearth. They are less capable or interested when there is a nectar flow on full bore.
@@FrederickDunn I use tap water that has gone through a filter (the under-sink type, not the nozzle types like a Pur, but it should filter just the same), so it should be up to the standards of your water test at least. I have a salted water feeder at the entrance (½tsp per pint), and I do occasionally see bees sipping from it, so I know the water quality is at least 'satisfactory' to them. The diligence aspect sounds plausible, since I'm tracking plenty of air traffic when the feeders aren't there; maybe the peppermint makes it just easy enough for them that they're willing to track it down, while they see the unscented stuff as too much trouble given alternative (and superior) nectar sources.
@@hadrast Given options, the bees will avoid water sources that have been through treatment systems associated with city/urban tap water. Just to be thorough, please repeat your testing with distilled water. Peppermint and other oils have the ability to somewhat masque water treatment chemicals which can fool the bees into accepting it as a superior source.
I made protein pattyes from powdered milk and also from yeast( the yeast needs to be boiled well first).They were too sticky and i quit using them but its still widely used here so they do eat animal proteins. The number one bee food aditive thats praised here its onion juice mixed in the sugar syrup and protein pattyes.I tryed it a while ago but i didnt checked the bees to see if its working so i dont have an opinion about it iet.Its said it stimulates the queen to lay more eggs.
You say that "they do eat animal proteins" what was the animal protein, the yeast? Single-celled organisms like yeast are, in my opinion, a different category from bee eggs. But you're right, technically, yeast is animal protein.
@@FrederickDunn The powder milk is animal protein( contains the soo called essential aminoacids that plant proteins dont have).Yeast and algae also contain the essential aminoacids but the bees are fed directly animal protein here.
Could you please discuss backfilling vs what a normal frame with brood and adjacent food stores look like? What are the bees trying to do with backfilling? Is it to reduce layable area for the queen because the population cannot manage caring for more larvae and brood? Population management perhaps also. Many thanks again for your weekly videos, I never miss one.
Great Information AGAIN! When treating OA vaporization, how long should the barrier between brood box and honey super be in place (or honey super be removed)? Thanks
There are times of year when there is pollen and the nectar is scarce, lots of early tree pollen for example, comes well before a nectar flow. This time of year, the nectar is outperforming the pollen load. BUT, sunflowers will open and bloom soon and they will provide a huge pollen load. Then goldenrod and asters will provide substantial nectar... You'll know you have a dearth when the honey stores decline and brood production drops off substantially. Hives begin to lose weight. It's profoundly variable based on region.
I also had a problem with bees drowning in the rapid round feeder. Stopped using it for a bit after I fished out 38 dead ones after a week. I am now trying placing small pieces (0.25 in thick, 0.75 in wide, 0.5-1 in long) of Styrofoam in the syrup inside the clear plastic inside cover. If the bees fall in they can crawl back out onto the Styrofoam (in theory). I will give it a week and then check to see if it actually works.
Keep us posted Matthew! Keeping the bees from migrating past the clear cover is key - is your bottom opening too large? There are lots of companies making them, the originator is in the link in this video description, did you get yours from them or someone else?
@@FrederickDunn I have never had one get past the clear cover. I was finding them drowned in the space where they are supposed to be drinking. My drowning rates seemed to go up after I started adding a commercial essential oil additive to the sugar syrup. I am wondering if the essential oils decreases the surface tension of the water making it harder for bees to escape once they fall in?? Another experiment for you to conduct! Would make an interesting video
@@FrederickDunn Update. It has been about two weeks since I tried adding pieces of styrofoam to my round hive top feeder. Not a single drowned bee since that time despite the clear cap being full of drinking bees each time I have checked on them. It appears to be a simple solution to the drowning solution for those folks who have had issues like I have. I think the key is making the pieces small enough that they can easily change their position as the syrup level changes without getting stuck in the small space on the inside of the inner clear cover. I put enough pieces in to essentially cover the surface of the exposed syrup inside the clear cover. The bees just drink from the cracks between the pieces.
The bees probably already have access to sea salts around tide pools and other areas where salts build up on the rocks. You are well ahead by providing a clean water source with purchased sea salts added so you'll have some control over the mineral content - the oceans of the world are tainted by much more than minerals.
A while ago you mentioned that you might do a video on your solar wax melter, are you still planning on doing his? Thank you for sharing so much information and your observations.
It's still on my list to do, and I'm saving up my burr comb and other was remnants so the video would be somewhat interesting. I just keep having to move it back on my schedule. Other issues seem more pressing this time of year.
Thanks again for another great video. I have a question regarding essential oils and bee digestive health. I have joined an online beekeeping forum at beesource.com, and have been told by several members that I should discontinue the use of Honey B Healthy in my hive top feeders due to it being both rough on the bees' digestive health, and also attracting robbing behavior during a dearth. I feel I have adequately addressed robbing concerns in my garden by both having reduced entrances, and having an open feeding station constantly stocked with plain water, mineral salt water, 1:1 sugar syrup, and 1:1 sugar syrup with Honey B Healthy added, as well as dry pollen substitute. Have you ever had the digestive health concern brought to your attention? If so, you obviously feel the benefits outweigh the negative impact, but would you mind going into detail regarding these concerns? Also, I picked up a package of Pro DFM to try out in my colonies...do you have any thoughts or experiences you can share with us regarding this product? Pretty much, I am willing to purchase any products that will possibly benefit my bees FYI, they're as spoiled as my chickens!
Hi Wendy, I have shared several times that my bees don't show a liking for the essential oil mixes and that I only use it as a spritz to calm the bees when I'm working them on a hot day. There is no lab-based evidence that the essential oils truly benefit the honey bees. What I do share is that essential oils can extend the life of sugar syrup, not that the bees benefit. There were many essential oil tests done years ago where some were claiming that it could help with varroa and even trachea mites - that was summarily dismissed as the percentage required to impact mites at all, was also detrimental to the bees and that's why it's been abandoned as a therapy for bees. There are many people who want to do as much as they can for their bees and it's my opinion that those efforts are best focused on providing strong enviornmental resources. I haven't noticed using feeders inside the hive under cover in the top portion of the hive causing robbing behavior, however it could cause that behavior is the feeders are set at the enrance of the hive - I do not use landing board/entry feeders for that reason. Given the option, honeybees will actively choose plain sugar syrup over sugar syrup with essential oils added, so if we are taking their lead, essential oils aren't going to create a great health advantage as a dietary supplement. At best, your syrup won't spoil as fast. If something new comes along, I'll certainly share about it, but I get condescending looks from entomologists wheneve I ask about the health benefits of essential oils and if there are to be any meaningful studies. Soooo... there's that. I'm also not going to look into Pro DFM for much the same reason, we can't improve on a healthy nutrient rich environment.
@@FrederickDunn Here in europe we have Apiguard and Apilifevar that are efective treatments against varroa made from thyme oil.They are expensive compared to otther treatments, but subsidised and actually free for somme that gets subvention. Apiguard its good but the bees dont like it much and they start to cover it with propolis.
I mean The observation Colony you said in the video that they used to consume a pint of sugar syrup per day before and now there is a good flow of resources so they do not consume syrup anymore
@@FrederickDunn I know you did not weight them I want an estimation if you can it is a very important info if we can now and estimation for the number or the weight that consumes 0.5 liter sugar syrup on daily basis
@@mohammadsalah3319 They are not consuming any at this time since they are bringing in nectar from plants. I would estimate the hive population to be at or near 30,000 bees.
@@FrederickDunn This is exactly what I was asking for ( a couple of months ago they used to take a pint of syrup so how many are they approximately) they are about 30000 bees Thank you very much my friend that was very helpful
I'm not a fan of the current thermal varroa control methods as there are just too many variables in practical application - you have to increase the temperature throughout the hive "evenly" without stratification of heat - the bees will go into overheating overdrive as they try to cool down while temperatures rise - you are pushing the honey bees to their heat-stress limits in hopes of killing mites before causing damage or even death to the bees - you need an electrical source at the hive - the application takes up a lot of time - bees die and I watched a demonstration where someone said "yes, but under every dead bee there is a varroa" - it makes no sense to me, that because a varroa mite "detached and died" that the hose worker would also die? I looked at that invention with great interest initially and have dismissed it in its current form. I will mention this in FAQ 25 - I don't like to step on anyone's invention, and I believe this method has "potential" but some of the claims aren't holding up in my opinion.
Fred, you look very good ~ aging in the opposite direction? ^_^ Thanks I would also buy swap milk weed. Fred which software do you use to make youtube stream just like this FAQ?
Thanks for keeping this series going. What causes bees to "beard" outside the hive? I noticed mine doing this right before a big thunderstorm... was that due to heat....or just a traffic jam trying to beat the storm?
I've been to several of Randy's presentations and he says a lot of stuff in passing I wonder how he figured that out and if he can expand on it? he's a rude dude sometimes! he also said neonics were "safe" in one of his seminars! like mr dunn always ssays share the link!
Frederick Dunn Here is a cut and paste from Randy. Pollen dearth Pollen foraging by those foragers is stimulated not only by brood pheremones, but also by the inventory of pollen stores, and the amount of jelly in the shared food fed by nurse bees to the foragers. The quality of the jelly is dependent upon the vitellogenin levels of those nurses. Even just a few days of rain results in an almost total loss of pollen stores, forcing the nurse bees to dig into their vitellogenin reserves. When protein levels drop, nurse bees neglect young larvae, and preferentially feed those close to being capped. When protein levels drop lower, nurses cannibalize eggs and middle aged larvae. The protein in this cannibalized brood is recycled back into jelly. Nurses will also perform early capping of larvae-resulting in low body weight bees emerging later.
@@edfrhes Thank you for the cut and paste from Randy's work. AS I read it, he states that they cannibalize eggs and middle-aged larvae and is recycled back into jelly - that may be a chew-crush-mix behavior that doesn't directly involve egg/larvae ingestion by the nurse bees. Does he actually state somewhere that they ingest/digest eggs and or larvae? It's a fine line, but in the interest of truly understanding the process, it would be great to have clarification on that. Thank you for taking the time to look that up.
hahahahahashaha You will drive me crazy :):):):):) with all of these American units Quart, Pint, ..... Say it in metric as will please it is very confusing to me although I have a degree in Chemistry and a degree in Physics and I have unit transformation software in my PC and it is still confusing you can say liter and half liter see how easy it is ;)
1) Can adult bees consume proteins that are not from plants?
1:42
2) Considering seasons in North America, what can we expect here and what should we be doing to help our colonies with health, pests, nutrition, food, harvesting? 8:07
3) If feeding syrup to bees, how many days can it be left on before you need to change it? 17:24
4) How do you feel about chloroplast and foam insulation on the outside of hives for winter? 22:37
5) Can you explain bee-bread, what's its purpose? 28:02
6) A lot of bees are drowning in my rapid round feeders - what do you do about that? 19:31
7) Bee Stings, how to tell if you're allergic to bees? Does venom vary from one bee to another? 32:24
Thanks again Mr Frederick for always doing a wonderful job on everything you do! For those that have drowning bees in the rapid rounds you can cut the top of a white sock and put it around the circle of the feeder and make sure it goes from the top down to the syrup and it will wick up the syrup...the bees don’t even have to go any further than the top and they will line up at the top and suck down the syrup...no drowning!!
THAT is a highly original fix! Thank you for sharing! Hmmm... no that you mention the sock, maybe even a nylon stocking would be even better? Thinner and washable? But I see how the sock would serve as a wick to bring the syrup up. COOL!
hello Frederick,i want to start harvesting honey next year from flow frames.the super box ill make myself will get only flow frames. now before i get them could you please tell me how do you or what is the process to store them after season. (winter time ) how to clean them to make it ready for next year?? can they be washed. i am really interested to start with them.
I explain all of that in this video :) ua-cam.com/video/CZsGV1F8xbQ/v-deo.html
@@FrederickDunn thank you
Very interesting info and educational for everyone, thank you! I have a pressing question that is time sensitive. Please anyone who can give me some advice, I would welcome it.
I live in Silicon Valley, CA. Winters are mild here. The coldest it gets is 33F - 34F and the hottest it gets is 97F - 108F. Occasionally there is some frost at dawn.
I have a small paper wasp nest under my house eaves in the back yard. Last year it was the size of a palm. This year it is the size of 3 hands. It is swarming with paper wasps. I liked them around all of last year, they flitted around like fairies over the flowers and all was well. Last year, I had one hummingbird feeder in the garden. I decided to add 2 more for a total of 3 feeders. I noticed Golden Orioles wanted to drink but the holes were too small. So I drilled larger holes so that the orioles could stick their beaks in too. Almost overnight, the wasps that had flown around the feeders casually, zeroed in on all 3 feeders swarming them and making it impossible for the birds to drink. The hummers tried to get in for a sip but were chased away by the wasps. The orioles did not even bother to come anymore. The wasps drank up the liquid in 2 days flat! While it would last 4 days, it was all gone. There were dead wasps inside. Gross. I painted them all red, removing any yellow but they still came.
The wasp activity was so bad, that the bird seed trays were not being touched by birds either as I saw the wasps buzzing around the finches and doves. I put out a white dish with sugar water and removed all the red feeders. Not a single wasp drank from this dish of sugar water. I added pieces of tile they could sit on but no luck. Not one .
Is there any way the birds and wasps can coexist? They have never stung me and I feel such a sense of shame and betrayal if I have to kill the whole nest but what other option do I have? Also, they may make more queens that will then infiltrate the attic and inside walls. It is worrisome. I like them a lot and they have not stung me and coexist peacefully. I feel like a demon for wanting to wipe them out. Please help!!! I need advice. What is a humane way to kill them fast or any other options?
ua-cam.com/video/HVZWf63HmtY/v-deo.htmlsi=YX5RKxnKxzAJJFtS
Do you have any video on how the bees get the pollen out of their pollen sacks?
ua-cam.com/video/-Blqi5qcGlE/v-deo.html
Another great video Mr. Dunn! Thanks for continuing to put out amazing content for us little people. Your knowledge is inspiring and your videography is captivating! Thanks again for all you do to keep us informed.
Also, I was late getting this out. Hope you like it. Clearest honey I’ve ever had.
ua-cam.com/video/YzIxlIo4KQ0/v-deo.html
That's some awesome looking honey Larry!
Thank you Sir!
What are you thoughts on Urban/backyard beekeeping?
I live in Los Angeles CA and really want to become a beekeeper. My concern is the closeness of my neighbors some of which have small children (they wouldn't be able to get to my bees but concerned about the bees getting into their yards, children, etc).
Hi Sean, that's a very common question and I've addressed this before, I will talk a little more about that TODAY in FAQ 26 - thank you for watching and asking!
I am finally catching back up! Thanks Fred! Another excellent informative video!
Thank you very much these videos are a wealth of knowledge. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Fred. Graeme from Ireland here. Question perhaps you might be able to answer next week ...... question. How can you stop robbing on newly made splits / nucleus hives? I’ve had one recently that had a large number of bees in the nuc with a reduced entrance and still they were being robbed . The nuc survived but lost a lot of resources. Thank you for that in advance.
Yes, I'll happily talk about this on Friday! Please help me with the pronunciation of your first name?
Haha Graeme as in Graham , Scottish way of spelling it. Thanks Fred can’t wait now. 😀👍🍀🇮🇪
Does clipping a queen’s wings prevent swarming
Not really, it just keeps the Queen nearby when they do.
Hi Fred, you mentioned sea salts and on one video you also mentioned Don the Fat Beeman . He has a video where he places a salt lick (block) in a concrete block for the bees to use much as we might for livestock.
HI Larry, I have really enjoyed some of Don's videos, but presenting sea salts in solution is a much better method than sitting a "salt block" out for them. Salt-licks are generally for ruminant animals and don't have the mineral content that sea salts or pink Himalayan salts have. And the honeybees need moisture to use it - Don's a good guy for sure! He also said that" Oxalic Acid Vaporization penetrates brood caps and can treat tracheal mites" - I took him at his word and was laughed out of the lab when I brought that up (';')( ';')... I do like a lot of what he shares and we agree on Queen Reducers etc...
@@FrederickDunn , He's certainly entertaining. Has lots of "old style" info. I suppose that with the size of his operation salt blocks are easier but I do like your method especially in that you have more control over it.
Mr. Dunn, new keeper here with 3 Flow 2 hives and harvested 6 gallons this Spring from two hives. Question...right now I have 7/8 frames between the three hives 50% - 75% capped with nectar in the remainder. What to do with this honey, these frames going into the heart of summer? Thank you, Bill
HI Bill, if you have 75% capped, you can harvest that... BUT, I generally leave that on until the late summer nectar flow just in case they need those resources to build up. I have several flow-supers which are almost full, but am leaving them alone until mid to late September before harvesting. I will add this discussion to my FAQ 26 - there is a seasonal dynamic that others may want to know about - What is your hive configuration? Ist here a deep, medium/deep, then a flow-super? How many boxes are on in total? Thanks so much!
now the colony that used to consume a pint per day (about 0.5 liter) how many bees are there in this colony approximately I am not asking you to count them :):):) or you can tell me what is the approximate weight of the bees in this colony if you have purchased them as a package.
Which colony are you asking about?
@@FrederickDunn The observation Colony you said in the video that they used to consume a pint of sugar syrup per day before and now there is a good flow of resources so they do not consume syrup anymore
@@FrederickDunn The observation Colony you said in the video that they used to consume a pint of sugar syrup per day before and now there is a good flow of resources so they do not consume syrup anymore
Hi Mr. Dunn, we just got a notice that America fowl brood is in Tennessee. What is fowl brood? And why does the hive need to be destroyed?
It's American Foulbrood, a really nasty bacterial disease. Think of it like the ebola of bees, except more contagious. You can Google for gruesome details now that you have the right keywords, but basically anything it touches has to be burned or irradiated with gamma rays to reliably kill the bacteria and prevent it from spreading.
9 years ago, I was photographing an apiary that is 25 miles from me. The State Inspector found foulbrood indications in the brood of 2 colonies/hives and they were quarantined. There are two types commonly encountered - American and European - the American Foul Brood is the worst - the State of PA allows beekeepers to treat rather than destroy their hives - however, me personally, If I ever get it in one of my hives, that entire thing is going to burn right away. Don't do any open feeding, keep up with your colony health and pay attention to your brood frames for any abnormal appearing capped cells, or open cells with dead brood - it will be obvious that something isn't right - call in an inspector if things look bad.
So I know there have been a lot of folks having Ant issues... I am not one of those people... Nope, no ants here. I have earwigs! Gross nasty little critters. They don’t seem to be getting into the hives yet. But every time I lift the lids, they scatter in droves from the inner cover... Leaving their little sand like fecal matter all over my inner cover... Suggestions?
HI Larry, if the bees have access to those areas, they will drive them out. As long as there are small spaces for the little flat rascals to hide-out of reach, they will always be there. They are not detrimental, but the bees will happily run them off. Telescoping covers have that space along the sides and they hide in there also... no big deal in my opinion :)
Awesome! Thank you sir. Appreciate the feedback as always.
Quick question Fred. What is the thermal camera you use? There is a building close to us that has bees coming and going from its soffit. Asking the locals, they say it’s been there 10 years, however I don’t know if it’s in the attic or down the wall and was interested in what you use? As always look forward to your insight.
I use the Flir C2 It will definitely show the location of those bees!
Another fine video Fred, thank you.
Thanks Dan!
Great Series! I have concern for one of four hives that I started in the spring from nucs. It is slower in every respect compared to the other three. Is it possible for capped brood cells (that came with the nuc) not to hatch. What should I expect the workers will do with those cells if they do not develop past capped brood, and what should I do with that frame?
An example of good hygienic behavior is when they uncap and remove unhatched or deficient brood. It's possible to receive a nuc that has brood frames which have been overheated in transit and that can result in poor development or death. If they don't hatch and the bees don't clean out those cells, then the frame should be replaced.
Thanks for the reply. I will check again the next time I open the hive and will replace if there is no change.
Mr. Dunn, thank you for the videos! I was wondering what differences you have noticed between the saskatraz bees and the weaver bees? Are the weaver bees as docile as the saskatraz bees? Thank you
Both are very docile these days, early on Weaver had some "hot queens" but over the last three years they have been very easy to manage and work with. I consider them to be equal in that regard.
I live in north eastern Michigan , is it to late to split a double brood 8 frame hive doing a walk away split ?
Hi James, If they are "brood-heavy" I personally don't consider July too late. My "no-split" date where I live is mid August. Look at it this way, you get new "fresh" queens and they have the late summer nectar flow to build up for winter with new brood bursting out just in time. :) Do it!
Greetings from the United Kingdom, enjoy your videos very much and a great source of knowledge for myself as a complete novice.
My question.
Are there sources of bee forage that can make normally docile bees more aggressive ?.
Hi Michael, and welcome to my channel! I don't currently know of any floral sources that would/could alter honey bee disposition. May I ask if you've recently experienced a mood shift with your bees? When forage sources dwindle, there is a change in defensiveness as they try to hold on to what they have stored. Queen-less situations as well as possible varroa or disease challenges can also impact behavior. When there are lots of resources coming in and plenty being stored, that should result in very calm colonies. I need to know a little more about the reasoning behind your question. Thanks again!
@@FrederickDunn Hi Fred than you for your quick reply to my question.
I was not speaking from experience as my beekeeping only commenced late May when a swarm landed in my garden.
Quickly bought a hive and transferred them.
I am very much drawn to the flow hive concept as I live in an urban area and want to minimise the disturbance to those living nearby.
Where I live we are surrounded by vast swathes of oilseed rape which I understand granulated very quickly in the comb, which may be a negative for the flow hive .
Look forward to your upcoming videos.
Thank you
Michael
Here in New Jersey the 15# felt paper is the most commonly used in building construction. Obviously the further North you go, the heavier the paper will be.
My question is, will a infrared camera such as a Flir model be able to penetrate felt paper if you wrap your hives with it??
Outstanding informative video! Thanks! 👍
The Flir only reads surface temps, so black felt paper in the winter sun will probably masque your ability to see the cluster location. Insulation board defeats thermal information completely.
Thanks Fred. Just beginning to wrap my head around winterization of beehives?? 🤦♂️
_Fred your advice is great, but sorry, I'm not convinced of a word you say til I can verify it down here in the comments section by one of these many experts who dwell freely criticizing and informing the world giving thier expertise._
Thanks for the info Mr.Dunn..Am Very late today for FAQ..but I watched till the end..🇱🇨🙏❤
Does the rapid round feeder just sit on the regular inner cover with the oblong hole?
No, though it can technically, the opening in the center of the rapid round is too large to fit into that center hole - you will need to modify the inner cover to accommodate the larger tube
ua-cam.com/video/Vy2xllf0rlc/v-deo.html
@@FrederickDunn thanks for the link. I like that modification, and this manner of feeding. Seems like it can give a better understanding of individual colony's needs.
Here's another video you should check out. ua-cam.com/video/ZOi8wF882qE/v-deo.html
Another GREAT video and thanks for doing this during the holiday weekend! always appreciate YOU!!!
Fred, I got my wife and kids this tool called "the bug bite thing". I'm not affiliated but we live in AZ and my 5yo boy gets stung all the time. It's just a stinger remover and venom sucker. We have only tried it on mosquito bites so far, no stings yet this year. I'm not sure it's been effective pulling some mosquito poison out or we've just built up our annual tolerance but I was more interested in getting it to reduce bee and hornet sting pain and duration. We haven't had a chance to try it yet
Thanks for sharing that - I've never found suction devices to be of much use - many decades ago when I studied Herpetology, I had a snake bite kit that when split in half provided two suction cups - truth is that the injected venom travels into the bloodstream too fast for meaningful extraction at the injection/bite site. I arrived at the Sting Kill applicators after many science-minded researchers swore by it - makes sense to apply a numbing treatment while disinfecting the sting/bite site. Stingers should be removed quickly with a raking action with your fingernail, credit card edge or something similar to limit the amount of venom being injected. Mosquitoes send their materials through tiny capillaries which aren't easy to suck back through - so, in my opinion, disinfectant over suction. BUT - if you use both, let me know which provided the best relief!
Since the topics of essential oils and feeding have come up, let me chime in: have you ever noticed bees having trouble keeping track of sugar syrup without volatile additives (such as essential oils)?
After finally getting my bees this year, I was excited to try my maple syrup experiment in an open feeding setup very similar to your salt water ones (with pint feeders instead of quart feeders), but was dismayed to have my experiment derailed because my bees just could not find the syrup when it was any distance from the hive. Here's what I've tried so far, in chronological order:
1. Set up 3 feeders with different quantities of maple syrup dissolved in 1:1 sugar syrup approximately 1 yard from my hive: no bees visited the feeders for over 24 hours.
2. Moved the sugar syrup only feeder immediately adjacent the landing board of the hive: bees stumbled into the syrup on their way out and started slurping it down.
3. Carefully moved the syrup feeder back to its original position with a good number of drinking bees still on it: bees on feeder drank their fill and flew home; one bee returned to hover around the feeders for a while, but did not land or drink.
4. One by one, I rotated the feeders in front of the entrance until the bees drank everything: bees slurped it all down at more than a cup per day.
5. Stopped feeding for 4 days after last feeder was drained: plenty of flight activity in the interim, presumably representing forage from distant sources.
6: Mixed up a single feeder of 1:1 syrup with a drop of peppermint oil for flavor and placed it adjacent the landing board: bees started drinking just as with the other syrups.
7: Carefully moved the feeder to the 1-yard-away spot with the bees still drinking from it: Bees began making round flights and grew in number. As of day's end, more than 1 cup is gone.
What do you make of this situation? My hypothesis is that the bees needed the peppermint scent for tracking and recognition once the initial posse returned with full crops. If they simply hadn't needed the syrup because natural sources of nectar were abundant, I don't see why they would turn up their tongues at the pure syrup but chug down the peppermint-flavored stuff.
Disclaimer: before anyone pounces on me for open feeding so close to my hive, robbing is not a great concern in my area because:
① local bee populations (other than this hive) are nigh non-existent (I've seen a grand total of 1 honeybee not belonging to my hive this year),
② the only bee-sized entrance to my only hive is a roughly ⅝×1¼-inch opening, and
③ I monitored my hive entrance during feeding, and observed defenders quite handily repelling or dispatching the errant flies, carpenter bees, and the one honey bee that made a go at the entrance.
I'm going to address this in FAQ 25 - I have found the bees to be capable of finding odorless nectar sources well away from the apiary - foraging bees inspect everything at some point and will find it. I have found them to be deterred from water/nectar by unusual scents, including essential oils. They prefer their nectar sources to be odor free. If they aren't returning to a source, then that material has been rejected inside the hive. It's fun to test and don't worry about those who unload on your for conducting open feed tests. In Australia, that activity is actually illegal, but here in the U.S., we are at liberty to conduct our own experiments in this way. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!
@@FrederickDunn I had recalled what you had said before about your bees preferring syrup/nectar without essential oils in it, and that's what's got me stumped! I intentionally proffered the feeders at the hive entrance to pick up some bees before moving them away in order to eliminate the element of chance involved in their discovery, yet the bees were only willing (or able?) to return to the peppermint-flavored one. Unless there's some micronutrient in the peppermint oil that I'm not accounting for, I don't see why the hive would accept peppermint-syrup but not plain syrup.
I suppose my maple syrup experiment will have to wait; I'll keep alternating between peppermint and no peppermint to make sure this wasn't some strange fluke, but I'm now wondering about the criteria necessary to attract foragers' attention. One of them must be scent, or flowers wouldn't produce them, but maybe there are others that differ between our feeders; perhaps my feeders are so unassuming in those respects that the bees won't so much as investigate them without the element of scent to draw them in?
I remember yours being yellow with black pads, whereas mine are translucent with yellow pads, but that could mean just about anything given bees' different sight spectrum. Another potential factor is that I placed some particle board on top of my feeders to shelter them from the sun and rain. Were your feeders always exposed to the sun (and therefore presumably evaporating some small quantity of their contents)? I wonder if bees can smell sugar in the air...
@@hadrast What is your water source? Is it tap water, well, filtered, distilled... the bees also have water preferences. Then the syrup is added. Honey bees find puddles of water (no odor) far afield without any scent and they explore it. I've done teste with test tubes with 50/50 sugar water syrup, collected the bees at the hive and walked them a hundred yards or more away (draped in a towel) - then released them - they located their hive and returned to the tube in under 10 minutes... it's fun to do these tests - they are very detailed foragers, particularly in periods of dearth. They are less capable or interested when there is a nectar flow on full bore.
@@FrederickDunn I use tap water that has gone through a filter (the under-sink type, not the nozzle types like a Pur, but it should filter just the same), so it should be up to the standards of your water test at least. I have a salted water feeder at the entrance (½tsp per pint), and I do occasionally see bees sipping from it, so I know the water quality is at least 'satisfactory' to them. The diligence aspect sounds plausible, since I'm tracking plenty of air traffic when the feeders aren't there; maybe the peppermint makes it just easy enough for them that they're willing to track it down, while they see the unscented stuff as too much trouble given alternative (and superior) nectar sources.
@@hadrast Given options, the bees will avoid water sources that have been through treatment systems associated with city/urban tap water. Just to be thorough, please repeat your testing with distilled water. Peppermint and other oils have the ability to somewhat masque water treatment chemicals which can fool the bees into accepting it as a superior source.
I made protein pattyes from powdered milk and also from yeast( the yeast needs to be boiled well first).They were too sticky and i quit using them but its still widely used here so they do eat animal proteins.
The number one bee food aditive thats praised here its onion juice mixed in the sugar syrup and protein pattyes.I tryed it a while ago but i didnt checked the bees to see if its working so i dont have an opinion about it iet.Its said it stimulates the queen to lay more eggs.
You say that "they do eat animal proteins" what was the animal protein, the yeast? Single-celled organisms like yeast are, in my opinion, a different category from bee eggs. But you're right, technically, yeast is animal protein.
@@FrederickDunn The powder milk is animal protein( contains the soo called essential aminoacids that plant proteins dont have).Yeast and algae also contain the essential aminoacids but the bees are fed directly animal protein here.
Could you please discuss backfilling vs what a normal frame with brood and adjacent food stores look like? What are the bees trying to do with backfilling? Is it to reduce layable area for the queen because the population cannot manage caring for more larvae and brood? Population management perhaps also. Many thanks again for your weekly videos, I never miss one.
Great Information AGAIN! When treating OA vaporization, how long should the barrier between brood box and honey super be in place (or honey super be removed)? Thanks
Thanks Ken! Ten minutes and your can restore normal movement throughout the honey supers :)
If bees are bringing in pollen is the nectar flow on also? How do you know when you are in a derth?
There are times of year when there is pollen and the nectar is scarce, lots of early tree pollen for example, comes well before a nectar flow. This time of year, the nectar is outperforming the pollen load. BUT, sunflowers will open and bloom soon and they will provide a huge pollen load. Then goldenrod and asters will provide substantial nectar... You'll know you have a dearth when the honey stores decline and brood production drops off substantially. Hives begin to lose weight. It's profoundly variable based on region.
I also had a problem with bees drowning in the rapid round feeder. Stopped using it for a bit after I fished out 38 dead ones after a week. I am now trying placing small pieces (0.25 in thick, 0.75 in wide, 0.5-1 in long) of Styrofoam in the syrup inside the clear plastic inside cover. If the bees fall in they can crawl back out onto the Styrofoam (in theory). I will give it a week and then check to see if it actually works.
Keep us posted Matthew! Keeping the bees from migrating past the clear cover is key - is your bottom opening too large? There are lots of companies making them, the originator is in the link in this video description, did you get yours from them or someone else?
@@FrederickDunn I have never had one get past the clear cover. I was finding them drowned in the space where they are supposed to be drinking. My drowning rates seemed to go up after I started adding a commercial essential oil additive to the sugar syrup. I am wondering if the essential oils decreases the surface tension of the water making it harder for bees to escape once they fall in?? Another experiment for you to conduct! Would make an interesting video
@@matthewaardsma200 Oh, now I get it! Thanks.
@@FrederickDunn Update. It has been about two weeks since I tried adding pieces of styrofoam to my round hive top feeder. Not a single drowned bee since that time despite the clear cap being full of drinking bees each time I have checked on them. It appears to be a simple solution to the drowning solution for those folks who have had issues like I have. I think the key is making the pieces small enough that they can easily change their position as the syrup level changes without getting stuck in the small space on the inside of the inner clear cover. I put enough pieces in to essentially cover the surface of the exposed syrup inside the clear cover. The bees just drink from the cracks between the pieces.
I live near the ocean in WA, would the sea salt I can make myself from the ocean contain enough minerals for the bees to benefit from?
The bees probably already have access to sea salts around tide pools and other areas where salts build up on the rocks. You are well ahead by providing a clean water source with purchased sea salts added so you'll have some control over the mineral content - the oceans of the world are tainted by much more than minerals.
A while ago you mentioned that you might do a video on your solar wax melter, are you still planning on doing his? Thank you for sharing so much information and your observations.
It's still on my list to do, and I'm saving up my burr comb and other was remnants so the video would be somewhat interesting. I just keep having to move it back on my schedule. Other issues seem more pressing this time of year.
Thanks again for another great video. I have a question regarding essential oils and bee digestive health. I have joined an online beekeeping forum at beesource.com, and have been told by several members that I should discontinue the use of Honey B Healthy in my hive top feeders due to it being both rough on the bees' digestive health, and also attracting robbing behavior during a dearth. I feel I have adequately addressed robbing concerns in my garden by both having reduced entrances, and having an open feeding station constantly stocked with plain water, mineral salt water, 1:1 sugar syrup, and 1:1 sugar syrup with Honey B Healthy added, as well as dry pollen substitute. Have you ever had the digestive health concern brought to your attention? If so, you obviously feel the benefits outweigh the negative impact, but would you mind going into detail regarding these concerns? Also, I picked up a package of Pro DFM to try out in my colonies...do you have any thoughts or experiences you can share with us regarding this product? Pretty much, I am willing to purchase any products that will possibly benefit my bees FYI, they're as spoiled as my chickens!
Hi Wendy, I have shared several times that my bees don't show a liking for the essential oil mixes and that I only use it as a spritz to calm the bees when I'm working them on a hot day. There is no lab-based evidence that the essential oils truly benefit the honey bees. What I do share is that essential oils can extend the life of sugar syrup, not that the bees benefit. There were many essential oil tests done years ago where some were claiming that it could help with varroa and even trachea mites - that was summarily dismissed as the percentage required to impact mites at all, was also detrimental to the bees and that's why it's been abandoned as a therapy for bees. There are many people who want to do as much as they can for their bees and it's my opinion that those efforts are best focused on providing strong enviornmental resources. I haven't noticed using feeders inside the hive under cover in the top portion of the hive causing robbing behavior, however it could cause that behavior is the feeders are set at the enrance of the hive - I do not use landing board/entry feeders for that reason. Given the option, honeybees will actively choose plain sugar syrup over sugar syrup with essential oils added, so if we are taking their lead, essential oils aren't going to create a great health advantage as a dietary supplement. At best, your syrup won't spoil as fast. If something new comes along, I'll certainly share about it, but I get condescending looks from entomologists wheneve I ask about the health benefits of essential oils and if there are to be any meaningful studies. Soooo... there's that. I'm also not going to look into Pro DFM for much the same reason, we can't improve on a healthy nutrient rich environment.
@@FrederickDunn Here in europe we have Apiguard and Apilifevar that are efective treatments against varroa made from thyme oil.They are expensive compared to otther treatments, but subsidised and actually free for somme that gets subvention.
Apiguard its good but the bees dont like it much and they start to cover it with propolis.
If bees dont digest solids why are solid forms of sugar used in the winter?
They lick it and liquify it before ingestion, they aren't eating sugar crystals.
I mean The observation Colony you said in the video that they used to consume a pint of sugar syrup per day before and now there is a good flow of resources so they do not consume syrup anymore
Ok!
That was a split from one of my Weaver Colonies, I didn't weigh the bees.
@@FrederickDunn I know you did not weight them I want an estimation if you can it is a very important info if we can now and estimation for the number or the weight that consumes 0.5 liter sugar syrup on daily basis
@@mohammadsalah3319 They are not consuming any at this time since they are bringing in nectar from plants. I would estimate the hive population to be at or near 30,000 bees.
@@FrederickDunn This is exactly what I was asking for ( a couple of months ago they used to take a pint of syrup so how many are they approximately) they are about 30000 bees
Thank you very much my friend that was very helpful
What is best treatment for trachea mites I know formic acid is best for varroa Thank you Dan Devaul
Are thermal treatment methods for Varroa mites effective?
I'm not a fan of the current thermal varroa control methods as there are just too many variables in practical application - you have to increase the temperature throughout the hive "evenly" without stratification of heat - the bees will go into overheating overdrive as they try to cool down while temperatures rise - you are pushing the honey bees to their heat-stress limits in hopes of killing mites before causing damage or even death to the bees - you need an electrical source at the hive - the application takes up a lot of time - bees die and I watched a demonstration where someone said "yes, but under every dead bee there is a varroa" - it makes no sense to me, that because a varroa mite "detached and died" that the hose worker would also die? I looked at that invention with great interest initially and have dismissed it in its current form. I will mention this in FAQ 25 - I don't like to step on anyone's invention, and I believe this method has "potential" but some of the claims aren't holding up in my opinion.
@@FrederickDunn Thanks for the detailed analysis. I look forward to the FAQ. Also, I really appreciate the effort you put into your channel.
Great info and well presented.
Thanks Fred, always a pleasure to watch & learn.
🇦🇺 🍺🍺 🐝 🐝
Fred, you look very good ~ aging in the opposite direction? ^_^ Thanks I would also buy swap milk weed. Fred which software do you use to make youtube stream just like this FAQ?
All of my video editing is done on Premiere Pro CC. : ) younger? (';')... hmmmmm maybe I was just in a good mood! :)
Thanks for keeping this series going. What causes bees to "beard" outside the hive? I noticed mine doing this right before a big thunderstorm... was that due to heat....or just a traffic jam trying to beat the storm?
Randy Oliver from scientific beekeeping says they eat eggs. A protein bank to use in emergency.
I love Randy and would like to know how he determined that they were ingesting the eggs? Thanks!
@@FrederickDunn
Yes I agree
I've been to several of Randy's presentations and he says a lot of stuff in passing I wonder how he figured that out and if he can expand on it? he's a rude dude sometimes! he also said neonics were "safe" in one of his seminars! like mr dunn always ssays share the link!
Frederick Dunn Here is a cut and paste from Randy. Pollen dearth
Pollen foraging by those foragers is stimulated not only by brood pheremones, but also by the inventory of pollen stores, and the amount of jelly in the shared food fed by nurse bees to the foragers. The quality of the jelly is dependent upon the vitellogenin levels of those nurses. Even just a few days of rain results in an almost total loss of pollen stores, forcing the nurse bees to dig into their vitellogenin reserves. When protein levels drop, nurse bees neglect young larvae, and preferentially feed those close to being capped. When protein levels drop lower, nurses cannibalize eggs and middle aged larvae. The protein in this cannibalized brood is recycled back into jelly. Nurses will also perform early capping of larvae-resulting in low body weight bees emerging later.
@@edfrhes Thank you for the cut and paste from Randy's work. AS I read it, he states that they cannibalize eggs and middle-aged larvae and is recycled back into jelly - that may be a chew-crush-mix behavior that doesn't directly involve egg/larvae ingestion by the nurse bees. Does he actually state somewhere that they ingest/digest eggs and or larvae? It's a fine line, but in the interest of truly understanding the process, it would be great to have clarification on that. Thank you for taking the time to look that up.
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hahahahahashaha
You will drive me crazy :):):):):) with all of these American units Quart, Pint, ..... Say it in metric as will please it is very confusing to me although I have a degree in Chemistry and a degree in Physics and I have unit transformation software in my PC and it is still confusing you can say liter and half liter see how easy it is ;)