It's really neat to see the Scouting angle. I entered beekeeping near the tail end of Scouting with my two sons - both Eagle Scouts now. Allow yourself to get swept up in it. I've built a dozen pinewood derby cars, stood on top of Baldy Mountain (twice), canoed the boundary waters into Canada, gone scuba diving (twice), ran sled dogs in northern Minnesota, and served as a Scoutmaster and Assistant SM for some of the finest young men you can imagine. Im still involved but to a lesser degree. You have a lot of character to share, take advantage of the opportunity.
Scouts is awesome. I went to Philmont in New Mexico with them and Sea Base in the FL keys. Things that would have been impossible otherwise. It's one of the best things to do with your kids 👏 👏
The joints don't fit because the moisture of the wood has changed since the joints were cut. The foaming in the wax tank suggests the wood moisture increased since you purchased the hive bodies. Every time I purchased assembled equipment, the quality wasn't comparable to my own. Either wrong staples or not enough glue. Wood stove heats my shop all winter long, winter is equipment season and summer is beekeeping season. I admit I'm tired of the wood stove, so this winter, I am putting in a heat pump. The first 4 years I was always late on equipment preparation, this year I have extra ready, now I have a day off. Beekeeping is 6 days a week all summer, and vacation is the reason they swarmed or the week you should have done mite treatments. If you are maxed out now at your current hive count, then I suggest you focus on time management before you increase your workload with more hives.
I appreciate you showing the names of the plants the bees are harvesting. I am going to need to build a honey house that has controlled temperatures. As you know I over did it this week and passed out in the heat working the bees during harvest. I ended up getting a ride in the ambulance to the hospital. All you beekeepers out there be careful in all this heat. Thanks for the video like always
It's really interesting to see the complexing differences between going from hobby or side liner to commercial and how it all works out. Your saga should be one that is shown to anyone trying to do it! You're a great father to your kids, I remember stretching myself thinner than Siran wrap with 3 girls in scouts then a son in boy scouts. It's a mountain you can climb but, it's tough. It's better to lesson some parts of that mountain, somethings just don't have to be done, in my case it was some girl scout things that where over the top time wise. Thanks for the video, you have reminded me of a struggle I had in my youth that I wish I had did differently.
You are definitely keeping busy. Hope you get a lot of sourwood. Really like your wax tank. I eventually want one. My single deeps out produced my doubles. It does seem compressed bees work better for me. Enjoy your videos as always. Take care Nathan.
Really enjoying the series. I’ve used the Simple Harmony uncapper for 4 years now, and while I love how simple and cost effective it is, I don’t think my hands can take another season using it. I’ll be tuned in to your decision making on an uncapper. Best wishes!
And last little thing to help with the filter issue, put a honey gate on a 55, pour everything into it when coming out of extractor, leave it tall enough to pour off clean 5s at the bottom, wax sits on top while you pour out 1000s of lbs, no more multiple bags of wax sitting around dripping out….
Hey Nathan... While you are tossing supers on I'm pulling the final ones off and adding box(es) of foundation. Even though this is the beginning of our "normal" dearth period here in south central Pennsylvania we have the Spotted Lantern Fly providing honeydew which is a great flow but I think the "honey" has an aftertaste so instead of collecting "dew" honey I'm going to take it in the form of freshly drawn foundation by pulling the drawn or partly drawn frames just before the bees start filling them with nectar. If they do fill with a little nectar dew then I'll set the frames out to be robbed and then freeze and store the newly drawn comb. Tried this last year with great success so have some plans to sell "new drawn comb" come next spring. Hopefully newbees will be interested in fresh drawn comb to add to their new hives. If not then I'll use for honey supers and replacement for culled old comb. Sorry I cannot offer any suggestions with respect to the sugar issue... you've reached a level this old girl just couldn't keep up with and I'm so glad for you. Keep thinking it all through and you will work out systems and processes that work best for you and refine them as you go forward.
My mentor went to a local grocery store, which is locally owned, but part of a regional chain. He talked to the manager who ordered him a whole pallet. Didn't really beat Walmart price, but close. But it did save time and hassle. I didn't do it, but saw the proof on his carport.
Oh and you gotta trust the person you buy frames from. I only buy comb and use it if it’s crazy clean and I trust the beek… and remember I have a sawmill I only build on rare desperate situations, but I run deeps and just but joint lol
That bug was a female cockroach laying her egg case. I noticed our bees really shut down comb building after the solstice unless there is a good flow. Your yards seem to have good areas to forage. It's great that you are balancing the family life with your work and that you are making plans going into the future for it. Thanks for sharing Nathan!
Walmart can’t order bulk quantities. I guess since Covid, grocery manager said home office wouldn’t let her. A local grocery store can, but at 70 cents per lb.
Hello Mrs. Duck River Honey, welcome to youtube! Nathan, I am quite jealous, I am somewhere in the neighborhood of 190 miles east-northeast of you and I have yet to find the first sourwood tree anywhere near Bee Lick, Ky. Anyways with that being said, I know your familiar with my neck of the woods, we have two food wholesalers here in the Somerset, Ky area, Performance Foods (used to be Somerset Frozen Foods) and Moden Distributors, I would think surely there are similar companies around the Nashville area.
There should be some sourwood around there, but if you head east I know there would be a lot past Corbin and into the Pineville area, probably better than my neighborhood.
A lot to unpack on this VLOG. You’ve got a few years of beekeeping under your belt, and you have some good business sense under your belt as well. This year they came crashing together and seems the curve is steep. But then came the end of the video and I see you have decided to take the first business year of chaos and think it thru and see where you want to go. You’re a thinker for sure, so you’ll get that business model figured out now that you’ve had a season of running 100mph and then some. I am forced this season to pull a lot of uncapped honey since the flow was so weak and they just didn’t finish filling frames. On the hive the uncapped honey was at 17%. After 24 hours under the fan at 35% humidity, I’m reading 14% to 16%. Keep on keeping on Nathan!!
Sugar, pallets you can have Walmart order them in for you. Last year I was able to get floor sweepings of sugar 1900lbs in 6 drums for $0.25lb from my local shipping yard.
I also get floor sweepings sugar, but not direct from the yard, but from another beekeeper who gets it direct and then sells to other beekeepers. The quality is good enough to feed bees, but I wouldn't eat it myself or eat the honey if I suspected that they put the feed from it into a super. One time I found a washer in the sugar and it smells like it was swept from a floor, but no visible debris is in it (other than that one washer!).
Enjoying the continuing series - keep up the excellent work. I'm a new beekeeper looking to expand and have a couple of questions: 1) Will you post the design for your wax dipper? 2) I see you use some plastic frames (Acorn?), and I wonder why you don't use more? They seem much cheaper than wooden frames with plastic foundations, not to mention, you don't have to take the time and energy to assemble them. Curious to hear your thoughts.
I don't know whether You had a slight delay with the video or I was just too eager to see it. Many thanks for sharing Your experience! Amongst the beekeeping videos I enjoy watching both You and Your experienced menthor from Georgia ;) At one end I can have a taste of what it's like beeing on Your own while further devloping of the business, asking myself "do I really want to expand from where I am at now, as there are more sweat and tears involved"? You are the "road". On the second end, watching experienced person who carried bees for decades, paying attention to every details he uses or says just pays off. That is because he already passed the years of journey and found what works best for him. He brings the "right direction". You two are both complementary! If You manage to visit him, please pass my greeting and greatest appreciacion. Tell him that he is one of the greatest menthors for someone living in a far away Poland. Hang on for just some more weeks. With every morning You wake, You are one day closer to overwintering and Your well-deserved rest. Brgds Mike
I have honey this season at 14.5 percent moisture directly off the colonies. It makes for slow processing but it tastes great! We had a drought this spring in NJ. I am guessing that was the reason. Lots of honey though because the bees had no down time. Thanks for sharing.
The Mann Lake Feeders with cap & ladder also harbor small hive beetles. Wait a few seconds to a minute after you fill the feeder. Sometimes you'll see a small hive beetle come out of the hole. I've also seen the larva floating on the syrup and also on the bottom of the empty feeders.
On those open top feeders I have had the same problem I ended up using hardware cloth goes same width and depth of the feeder They seem to crawl out with little drowning
For sugar, you might want to check into grocery store warehouses. We have a Hy-Vee warehouse near here and if a sugar pallet gets damaged, they toss the whole thing. They call a beekeeper who comes and scoops the sugar into buckets.....super cheap. Also, I got some 4lb bags that were bundled in 4's that got hard on them. Never hurts to check it out.
One thing I have noticed about comb is that new comb is very soft, where comb that is a year old or more is a little stiffer. The older comb is easier to uncap without damaging it.
Great video! I'm interested in seeing what you do to replace your uncapper. I was just about to ask how you liked that style when I quickly got the answer from your video. I'm going a little slower than you and can't quite justify the Silver Queen at the moment, but have been looking at the Lyson manual and automatic uncappers. I also need to use this years bee income to get a new extractor as well or else I'm going to be in for a painful season next year. Keep 'em coming!
I buy my pallets of sugar from Costco. I do give them notice and they order extra for me. Im also lucky enough to have a mann lake 30 miles away and can order 50 lb bags from them. But sure would be nice to buy it wholesale. On a side note I buy the pallet with a small group of other beekeepers.
Contact a major wholesaler for broken bags . This is what I do. So my experience is good doing this!!! Stay focussed. Keep stepping forwards. Don’t look left nor look right. The light at the end of the tunnel is there.
It seems like Bob Bennie would be a good source to ask when is it time to add an or several employees to help putting together boxes and frames to allow you to do other things.
I just extracted some honey last night, and was getting blow outs and some of the honey not spinning out. I too have the Simple Harmony uncapper, and was thinking it was not that great... but now seeing the beginning of this video, it makes since. I had some uncapped and so left drying for 2 days- I took 2 readings, one was 18.5 and the other was 15. @12:00- that was a wood roach. I get them and earwigs in the tops of my hives. I had bees build wax in my cap and ladder in hive feeders, and SHB larvae. I really like the top bucket feeders- as long as they dont leak! I lost a hive once because it leaked. Cant you order a pallet of sugar from the store manager?
I had to quit doing unassembled equipment this year. I just ran out of time and to be honest where I get my equipment it's only 6$ more per box assembled with frames and foundation. So it just doesn't make sense for me. Good luck on the remainder of the year.
I know your not close to Charlotte N.C. but they have a Domino's sugar there that sells sucrose syrup for 10 bucks for 5 gal. Buckets or they will fill totes. Its kinda like a 2 to 1 ratio and does not ferment till you add water to it. Bob Walker put me on to this I'm sure you heard of Walkers Bee Ranch out of Hopkins S.C
I know your pain. Within season I have to spend the money and buy ready-to-use stuff. In winter I build the stuff myself :-). Employees don't help in season also for this kind of stuff, you would take them out to the field ;-)
Not real sure who all the suppliers are around your area. However, how I got it here is by getting in touch with the local schools concession stand. These are generally run by booster clubs around here. As such you find they order in bulk for "small business" aka Ben E. Keith, Gordon's, etc that not only sale in bulk, but in most cases deliver it as well.
Additionally, on your question last week, someone had suggested vinegar. As such I figured I would test this. I added 1/4 cup per gallon on a 5 gallon bucket, added a gallon to 5 of the hives. I have to say the bees took it down pretty quick, and the cap and ladders were clean as could be. Not sure how much I can dial it back and still be effective. I see many recipes for half a cup per gallon, I just need it to keep it clean without me having to put a ton of vinegar. As such, the 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup does work per gallon. I will start using it on all my hives.
Great video, Nathan. Are you going to feed pollen supplement along with sugar solution to keep them brooding up? I did last year and feel it helped me the next Spring. Im also trying the Apis products.
Nathan, do you have any local small brewery companies around? I know they order in a pallet or two at a time and maybe you could make their order of sugar a little bigger to get them a break?? They may want to make some mead with your honey??
Last year I cut mine put them together and everything Italy built from bottom and don't get real cold here but we do have real cold I was nailing boxes my nail gun froze so I know the glue was not sticking.llol
@@DuckRiverHoney With the chains spinning 500MPH you get some splattering kick out. The guards do a good job but some gets by after 40 boxes or so. I can see bits of wax and honey all over the top of the unit on the wall directly behind and on my self.
Hi Nathan! We love your videos! One question… when you sell your honey in local markets, what price structure do you use? Do you sell it to them at a reduced price? Thanks!
All my boxes now are sixes they just work the best in my area they build pretty good and I can get honey off them I know 10 frames don't work in my area 8s will but not as good as sixes
Only.problem I have had with th ML cap and ladder is that they tend to propolize the ladder holes. It's kind of pain to clean them out, and I don't have time to pull them when not feeding. I do have heavy propolizers.
They propolize the top inch of 2 of the ladders and the girls can't get to the syrup. It comes off pretty easy if you can get the ladders out. I need to find a tool that I can scrape the inside of the ladder.
What I do is I google the latin name of the plant. For basswood it's Tilia americana. For linden tree it's Tilia. So yes, the same species, americana is a subspecie. Hope that helps.
Working towards bees resistance virus from the mit don't try to go in that too fast you got to have to run your business it only takes one infecting Mit .
![Building a Bee Business [Vlog #10]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZvasuZmEVq4/mqdefault.jpg)
It's really neat to see the Scouting angle. I entered beekeeping near the tail end of Scouting with my two sons - both Eagle Scouts now. Allow yourself to get swept up in it. I've built a dozen pinewood derby cars, stood on top of Baldy Mountain (twice), canoed the boundary waters into Canada, gone scuba diving (twice), ran sled dogs in northern Minnesota, and served as a Scoutmaster and Assistant SM for some of the finest young men you can imagine. Im still involved but to a lesser degree. You have a lot of character to share, take advantage of the opportunity.
Thanks, I appreciate that.
Scouts is awesome. I went to Philmont in New Mexico with them and Sea Base in the FL keys. Things that would have been impossible otherwise. It's one of the best things to do with your kids 👏 👏
Thanks Peter!
The joints don't fit because the moisture of the wood has changed since the joints were cut. The foaming in the wax tank suggests the wood moisture increased since you purchased the hive bodies. Every time I purchased assembled equipment, the quality wasn't comparable to my own. Either wrong staples or not enough glue. Wood stove heats my shop all winter long, winter is equipment season and summer is beekeeping season. I admit I'm tired of the wood stove, so this winter, I am putting in a heat pump. The first 4 years I was always late on equipment preparation, this year I have extra ready, now I have a day off. Beekeeping is 6 days a week all summer, and vacation is the reason they swarmed or the week you should have done mite treatments. If you are maxed out now at your current hive count, then I suggest you focus on time management before you increase your workload with more hives.
Thanks!
Love the pic with your son. They grow up quickly.
Thanks!
I appreciate you showing the names of the plants the bees are harvesting. I am going to need to build a honey house that has controlled temperatures.
As you know I over did it this week and passed out in the heat working the bees during harvest. I ended up getting a ride in the ambulance to the hospital. All you beekeepers out there be careful in all this heat.
Thanks for the video like always
Be careful Dave, and/or listen to your wife! 🤣
It's really interesting to see the complexing differences between going from hobby or side liner to commercial and how it all works out. Your saga should be one that is shown to anyone trying to do it! You're a great father to your kids, I remember stretching myself thinner than Siran wrap with 3 girls in scouts then a son in boy scouts. It's a mountain you can climb but, it's tough. It's better to lesson some parts of that mountain, somethings just don't have to be done, in my case it was some girl scout things that where over the top time wise. Thanks for the video, you have reminded me of a struggle I had in my youth that I wish I had did differently.
Thanks Tommy, I appreciate it!
You are definitely keeping busy. Hope you get a lot of sourwood. Really like your wax tank. I eventually want one. My single deeps out produced my doubles. It does seem compressed bees work better for me. Enjoy your videos as always. Take care Nathan.
Thanks Garry, good to hear from you as always.
get a used wood stover pipe an vent in your shop, easy peasy, heated shop now.. it's the go to up here in New England heating up our garages or shops
I’ve considered it…would take some doing.
Really enjoying the series. I’ve used the Simple Harmony uncapper for 4 years now, and while I love how simple and cost effective it is, I don’t think my hands can take another season using it. I’ll be tuned in to your decision making on an uncapper. Best wishes!
Thanks! I think I’ll have to do something.
And last little thing to help with the filter issue, put a honey gate on a 55, pour everything into it when coming out of extractor, leave it tall enough to pour off clean 5s at the bottom, wax sits on top while you pour out 1000s of lbs, no more multiple bags of wax sitting around dripping out….
👍
Hey Nathan... While you are tossing supers on I'm pulling the final ones off and adding box(es) of foundation. Even though this is the beginning of our "normal" dearth period here in south central Pennsylvania we have the Spotted Lantern Fly providing honeydew which is a great flow but I think the "honey" has an aftertaste so instead of collecting "dew" honey I'm going to take it in the form of freshly drawn foundation by pulling the drawn or partly drawn frames just before the bees start filling them with nectar. If they do fill with a little nectar dew then I'll set the frames out to be robbed and then freeze and store the newly drawn comb. Tried this last year with great success so have some plans to sell "new drawn comb" come next spring. Hopefully newbees will be interested in fresh drawn comb to add to their new hives. If not then I'll use for honey supers and replacement for culled old comb. Sorry I cannot offer any suggestions with respect to the sugar issue... you've reached a level this old girl just couldn't keep up with and I'm so glad for you. Keep thinking it all through and you will work out systems and processes that work best for you and refine them as you go forward.
Thanks Nancy! I know the SLF is a double edged sword. I’d take this boxes of drawn comb off your hands if we were closer 😃.
My mentor went to a local grocery store, which is locally owned, but part of a regional chain. He talked to the manager who ordered him a whole pallet. Didn't really beat Walmart price, but close. But it did save time and hassle. I didn't do it, but saw the proof on his carport.
Awesome, thanks!
Oh and you gotta trust the person you buy frames from. I only buy comb and use it if it’s crazy clean and I trust the beek… and remember I have a sawmill I only build on rare desperate situations, but I run deeps and just but joint lol
👍
I really look forward to your updates. Thanks for taking time to make them!
Thanks Angie!
That bug was a female cockroach laying her egg case. I noticed our bees really shut down comb building after the solstice unless there is a good flow. Your yards seem to have good areas to forage. It's great that you are balancing the family life with your work and that you are making plans going into the future for it. Thanks for sharing Nathan!
Thanks Brian!
I'd love to figure that out also about the sugar. I work for Cargill and I can't even get them to sell it to me by the pallet, only semi load.
Walmart can’t order bulk quantities. I guess since Covid, grocery manager said home office wouldn’t let her. A local grocery store can, but at 70 cents per lb.
Hello Mrs. Duck River Honey, welcome to youtube! Nathan, I am quite jealous, I am somewhere in the neighborhood of 190 miles east-northeast of you and I have yet to find the first sourwood tree anywhere near Bee Lick, Ky. Anyways with that being said, I know your familiar with my neck of the woods, we have two food wholesalers here in the Somerset, Ky area, Performance Foods (used to be Somerset Frozen Foods) and Moden Distributors, I would think surely there are similar companies around the Nashville area.
There should be some sourwood around there, but if you head east I know there would be a lot past Corbin and into the Pineville area, probably better than my neighborhood.
👋🏻 😊
A lot to unpack on this VLOG. You’ve got a few years of beekeeping under your belt, and you have some good business sense under your belt as well. This year they came crashing together and seems the curve is steep. But then came the end of the video and I see you have decided to take the first business year of chaos and think it thru and see where you want to go. You’re a thinker for sure, so you’ll get that business model figured out now that you’ve had a season of running 100mph and then some. I am forced this season to pull a lot of uncapped honey since the flow was so weak and they just didn’t finish filling frames. On the hive the uncapped honey was at 17%. After 24 hours under the fan at 35% humidity, I’m reading 14% to 16%. Keep on keeping on Nathan!!
Thanks Mike!
Sugar, pallets you can have Walmart order them in for you.
Last year I was able to get floor sweepings of sugar 1900lbs in 6 drums for $0.25lb from my local shipping yard.
How did that work out? Was quality ok?
I also get floor sweepings sugar, but not direct from the yard, but from another beekeeper who gets it direct and then sells to other beekeepers. The quality is good enough to feed bees, but I wouldn't eat it myself or eat the honey if I suspected that they put the feed from it into a super. One time I found a washer in the sugar and it smells like it was swept from a floor, but no visible debris is in it (other than that one washer!).
Nuts and bolts would be an issue for a pump.
Enjoying the continuing series - keep up the excellent work. I'm a new beekeeper looking to expand and have a couple of questions: 1) Will you post the design for your wax dipper? 2) I see you use some plastic frames (Acorn?), and I wonder why you don't use more? They seem much cheaper than wooden frames with plastic foundations, not to mention, you don't have to take the time and energy to assemble them. Curious to hear your thoughts.
Good questions, thanks! Save for QA
Thanks!
👍
I appreciate you and Craig Branch doing these series y'all have going. Gives me somewhere to send people who are asking me for this type of content.
Thanks Randy!
Good to meet you!
Good to meet you too Walter!
I don't know whether You had a slight delay with the video or I was just too eager to see it. Many thanks for sharing Your experience!
Amongst the beekeeping videos I enjoy watching both You and Your experienced menthor from Georgia ;)
At one end I can have a taste of what it's like beeing on Your own while further devloping of the business, asking myself "do I really want to expand from where I am at now, as there are more sweat and tears involved"? You are the "road".
On the second end, watching experienced person who carried bees for decades, paying attention to every details he uses or says just pays off. That is because he already passed the years of journey and found what works best for him. He brings the "right direction".
You two are both complementary! If You manage to visit him, please pass my greeting and greatest appreciacion. Tell him that he is one of the greatest menthors for someone living in a far away Poland.
Hang on for just some more weeks. With every morning You wake, You are one day closer to overwintering and Your well-deserved rest.
Brgds Mike
I appreciate it Mike! I was able to visit for a while yesterday. I value that time immensely.
I have honey this season at 14.5 percent moisture directly off the colonies. It makes for slow processing but it tastes great! We had a drought this spring in NJ. I am guessing that was the reason. Lots of honey though because the bees had no down time. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks! That’s thick honey.
Costco, mainland if there's candy factories can call and look for floor sweepings or discarded candies.
Thanks!
The Mann Lake Feeders with cap & ladder also harbor small hive beetles. Wait a few seconds to a minute after you fill the feeder. Sometimes you'll see a small hive beetle come out of the hole. I've also seen the larva floating on the syrup and also on the bottom of the empty feeders.
They do, but not as bad.
On those open top feeders I have had the same problem I ended up using hardware cloth goes same width and depth of the feeder
They seem to crawl out with little drowning
👍 thanks
If/when you find out about the sugar could let us know. I am in the same boat as you.
Will do.
For sugar, you might want to check into grocery store warehouses. We have a Hy-Vee warehouse near here and if a sugar pallet gets damaged, they toss the whole thing. They call a beekeeper who comes and scoops the sugar into buckets.....super cheap. Also, I got some 4lb bags that were bundled in 4's that got hard on them. Never hurts to check it out.
Thanks!
One thing I have noticed about comb is that new comb is very soft, where comb that is a year old or more is a little stiffer. The older comb is easier to uncap without damaging it.
Agreed
Great video!
I'm interested in seeing what you do to replace your uncapper. I was just about to ask how you liked that style when I quickly got the answer from your video.
I'm going a little slower than you and can't quite justify the Silver Queen at the moment, but have been looking at the Lyson manual and automatic uncappers. I also need to use this years bee income to get a new extractor as well or else I'm going to be in for a painful season next year.
Keep 'em coming!
Thanks! I think the SHF is great for what it is and what it costs.
I buy my pallets of sugar from Costco. I do give them notice and they order extra for me. Im also lucky enough to have a mann lake 30 miles away and can order 50 lb bags from them. But sure would be nice to buy it wholesale. On a side note I buy the pallet with a small group of other beekeepers.
Good deal, thanks. Closest Mann Lake to me is up in KY.
Contact a major wholesaler for broken bags . This is what I do. So my experience is good doing this!!!
Stay focussed. Keep stepping forwards. Don’t look left nor look right. The light at the end of the tunnel is there.
Thanks!
Sweet family ❤
Thanks!
It seems like Bob Bennie would be a good source to ask when is it time to add an or several employees to help putting together boxes and frames to allow you to do other things.
👍
One of my commercial buddies gets pallets of sugar at Aldis if you have those around.
We do have Aldi, I had no idea they’d deal in pallet quantities.
I'm going to have to start wearing a headband like you. I was trying to pull honey in 95-degree temps and was getting blinded by my sweat.
It helps, but isn’t perfect.
I just extracted some honey last night, and was getting blow outs and some of the honey not spinning out. I too have the Simple Harmony uncapper, and was thinking it was not that great... but now seeing the beginning of this video, it makes since. I had some uncapped and so left drying for 2 days- I took 2 readings, one was 18.5 and the other was 15.
@12:00- that was a wood roach. I get them and earwigs in the tops of my hives.
I had bees build wax in my cap and ladder in hive feeders, and SHB larvae. I really like the top bucket feeders- as long as they dont leak! I lost a hive once because it leaked.
Cant you order a pallet of sugar from the store manager?
Thanks!
I had to quit doing unassembled equipment this year. I just ran out of time and to be honest where I get my equipment it's only 6$ more per box assembled with frames and foundation. So it just doesn't make sense for me. Good luck on the remainder of the year.
Thanks!
Not sure where they get it but a couple guys around here in eastern Ky get 55 gallon barrels of sugar.I’ll see what I can find out
Thanks!
I know your not close to Charlotte N.C. but they have a Domino's sugar there that sells sucrose syrup for 10 bucks for 5 gal. Buckets or they will fill totes. Its kinda like a 2 to 1 ratio and does not ferment till you add water to it. Bob Walker put me on to this I'm sure you heard of Walkers Bee Ranch out of Hopkins S.C
Do you think they would ship im in south west ohio and try to feed 100 hives sucks with just Kroger and Walmart sugar around
There’s a Domino sugar depot in Nashville, but I don’t know if they deal with the public or not.
I'm over here in Central NC and my girls capped Honey was capped at 16%. I guess it is just a thick honey year.
Must be!
I know your pain. Within season I have to spend the money and buy ready-to-use stuff. In winter I build the stuff myself :-). Employees don't help in season also for this kind of stuff, you would take them out to the field ;-)
Exactly
What are your thoughts on connecting the two trailers? Make one long linear processing setup for more room.
I may get another one or two. Storage and a separate hot room would be nice.
Not real sure who all the suppliers are around your area. However, how I got it here is by getting in touch with the local schools concession stand. These are generally run by booster clubs around here. As such you find they order in bulk for "small business" aka Ben E. Keith, Gordon's, etc that not only sale in bulk, but in most cases deliver it as well.
Additionally, on your question last week, someone had suggested vinegar. As such I figured I would test this. I added 1/4 cup per gallon on a 5 gallon bucket, added a gallon to 5 of the hives. I have to say the bees took it down pretty quick, and the cap and ladders were clean as could be. Not sure how much I can dial it back and still be effective. I see many recipes for half a cup per gallon, I just need it to keep it clean without me having to put a ton of vinegar. As such, the 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup does work per gallon. I will start using it on all my hives.
We’ve got a Gordon’s, not sure how much I’d have to buy to get decent pricing. I used apple cider vinegar up till this year, bees take it well.
Check around for some Amish places, I get my equipment from a local one, assembled boxes for $13
I buy a lot of Amish equipment.
Dont know about the U.S. but over here in Ireland we buy our sugar from the manufacturer and it’s called *Bee sugar* and minimum order is one ton.
Pretty cool to hear how it’s done in Ireland, thanks!
Great video, Nathan. Are you going to feed pollen supplement along with sugar solution to keep them brooding up? I did last year and feel it helped me the next Spring. Im also trying the Apis products.
Where are you picking it up from Hope? Global? I’ll probably feed some but carefully. I’m already seeing a lot of beetles.
@DuckRiverHoney I mix my own with Ultra Bee. I get the Apis from Bob Walker @ Walker Bee Ranch. I only give enough that they can eat in a week.
Yup, my issue is getting small nucs to grow without growing beetles in them.
Nathan, do you have any local small brewery companies around? I know they order in a pallet or two at a time and maybe you could make their order of sugar a little bigger to get them a break?? They may want to make some mead with your honey??
No breweries around, but there is a food processing plant.
Last year I cut mine put them together and everything Italy built from bottom and don't get real cold here but we do have real cold I was nailing boxes my nail gun froze so I know the glue was not sticking.llol
Yep, that’s too cold to be glueing 🤣
1st year/new comb Is always softer/weaker then older comb. I'm in a 10x22 garage and a maxant chain uncapper fits nice can be messy.
How is it messy? I’m looking hard at one of these.
@@DuckRiverHoney With the chains spinning 500MPH you get some splattering kick out. The guards do a good job but some gets by after 40 boxes or so. I can see bits of wax and honey all over the top of the unit on the wall directly behind and on my self.
Thanks
Hi Nathan! We love your videos! One question… when you sell your honey in local markets, what price structure do you use? Do you sell it to them at a reduced price? Thanks!
I suggest a MSRP and discount 35% off of that retail price. This gives about a 5-55% markup over cost.
All my boxes now are sixes they just work the best in my area they build pretty good and I can get honey off them I know 10 frames don't work in my area 8s will but not as good as sixes
Interesting Wade, are you running double sixes or keeping them nuc size?
I’ve tried to buy sugar buy the pallet thought it would be cheaper nope only a nickel. So I found Sam’s club has 50 lb bags and lots of it
I know I won’t save a lot on price, but the convenience!
Yes a pallet of sugar in the shop would be better than running out to get some time is money
👍
Only.problem I have had with th ML cap and ladder is that they tend to propolize the ladder holes. It's kind of pain to clean them out, and I don't have time to pull them when not feeding. I do have heavy propolizers.
I’ve had a few issues with that too. Makes it hard to refill the feeders.
They propolize the top inch of 2 of the ladders and the girls can't get to the syrup. It comes off pretty easy if you can get the ladders out. I need to find a tool that I can scrape the inside of the ladder.
A nylon brush on a cordless drill might work without taking the ladder out.
Both ways I would shake it I try to get rid of some of the laying workers
Yep I normally shake them out.
Boxes. High school kids and 10$ a hour
👍😃
Where did these boxes come from? Look a little different.
Which boxes?
Nathan, what micron are your bucket strainers? Is that your final filter, or do you run it through a bucket 200 micron seive?
They’re probably around 600-800 micron, and that is the final straining. After that I settle it before bottling.
@@DuckRiverHoney . Thank you for your response.
No worries. If I used a different uncapper I’d probably change things. Everything has to work together to put out good quality honey.
19:30 why don't assemble in the winter?
Open air shop. Titebond needs 47° F
One question - is basswood what we in germany would call linden tree?
Similar, same family probably. Three varietals in the US all in same family.
Basswood = linden = lime depending on where you are.
What I do is I google the latin name of the plant.
For basswood it's Tilia americana.
For linden tree it's Tilia.
So yes, the same species, americana is a subspecie. Hope that helps.
👍
Working towards bees resistance virus from the mit don't try to go in that too fast you got to have to run your business it only takes one infecting Mit .
It’s something to work toward, will see how it goes.
Maxant chain uncapper
Strongly considering this. Do you have one?
What happened to long-hive?
Went queenless.
Put in a wood burner…
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Can you post the amish gentleman's address. I'm thinking about ordering supers.
Midway Bee Supply in Ethridge TN.
@@DuckRiverHoneyyou are near them? I use them too. I'd love you to come see my hives and give some advice if nearby.
BEADS???
???
500 you need help
Agreed