Never run top bar but i would have different size rubber bands and a helper to help when I removed foundation from top bar to give some support. My option 20:49
So glad I sat in on this episode. Great topic. I have a question for you David. When it comes to feeding during a dearth, does it matter if it is liquid or fondant form? Super grateful.
Hi David, you seem to indicate that the bees will not take sugar water or pollen if it is in the field. My 1st year beekeeping in Southern Kentucky and got two nuks, one in May and one in June (each nuk is in a deep). They got crowded enough to add a super each for "growth"/brood instead of honey. My roommate (who raised bees for a couple years in the past) recommends feeding sugar water and Ultra Bee Powder (Ultra Bee Patties in the winter) year round. I believe with bargain hunting for sugar in 50lb bags, and 25lb cans of Ultra Bee Powder, I can afford it - Please note that when using an entrance feeder in June each hive "drinks" a quart every two days. I am curious if they are feed year round, would they fill all the available cells with sugar water/nectar, pollen/Ultra Bee Powder, and honey? And would not having any open cells prevent laying? Lastly, if I am feeding year round, why would the bees need any honey, so I should harvest all the honey? Sorry for such a long question.
Should I put an outside full honey frame in center of upper deep box during dearth and leave through winter months. Presently this area has plenty of capped brood. Live in low country of South Carolina. Thanks
David, GREAT that you answer lots of questions, but you didn't answer my question about whether honey bees pollinate the potato field in the blossom stage? My bees are bringing in large amounts of white pollen and I think the bees are gathering pollen from this nearby potato field. HAVE A GREAT EVENING 👍
I know you talk about absconding or just leaving but have you any experience with a hive dying off from pesticides. How would I know if my bees have died from pesticides?
It's August 3rd. We are treating our 700+ colonies. Why are we seeing fully enclosed at the bottom of the frame swarm cell looking cells? Our bees look great!
Darn. My question must have gotten missed Thursday. I'll ask it here. I pulled my honey supers off the hives. They were mostly capped but upon testing the water content after extraction it was reading 19.5 %. We had 8 in. of rain a few days before harvesting. I have the bucket of honey in a room with a small dehumidifier and a box fan blowing on it but it won't go below 18%. It has been 2 weeks. What else can I do?
Hey I like your comments on helping Jack regarding seeing eggs. I am wanting to start bee keeping in 2025 but wondering about if I will see everything. Also, I am color blind, wondering if I will see the difference between Bee Bread and capped brood. They look similar on your videos. Thanks man for your gentle approach.😊
It depends but they should be full size for your area after three months so they should have drawn out 20 frames. Prep for winter depends on stores resource and how well you’ve controlled mites all year.
If you feed, will bees normally draw comb in dearth ? If top bar hive is vented the bees will cool the hive and therefore the comb will not become soft and fall off.
I asked a question on live event on Thursday and didn’t get a answer. Not sure if you could email a answer or save for another answer session . Thanks and have a great day .
What do you do about yellow jackets we have strong hives and traps for the yellow jackets but they still take a bee here and there we are in Washington state
Im hussling! I caught a swarm in the middle of July. I managed to lose the queen. If she was ever there. I noticed they seemed lost and werent producing wax or honey. I just got a new queen. They seemed ready for her. They were immediately feeding her and not trying to sting her through the screen. Now i am feeding them. 😳 the race is on.
I've been trying for weeks to buy the feeder boards and the feed supplements, but every time I check, you're out of stock of either one or the other. Is there a way to know when they'll be back in stock? Is there an email list or something?
Of course! It gives you an opportunity to learn as much as you can about bees. Plus you never know if you may have an opportunity to teach some time in the future.
Thanks David and Sheri for doing this on Friday's. Great idea 💡
Our pleasure!
Enjoyed the video! Thanks! Your discussion of the EAS testing reminded me of my paramedic exam and practicals. Intimidating and nerve wracking.
Love the hummingbird that video bombed you at 38.17 in the video. On the blue pot behind you LOL
I saw that in the edit room.
I bought a handheld microscope, fairly cheap and the area you’re looking at shows up on your phone and you can screenshot or do videos!
Thanks for answering my question. My swarm is in Northern Maine. I have a weaker hive and will follow your advice!
Good luck!
Thank you for answering the question on SHB! I recently put Grub Ex down to see if that will help.
Keeps us posted
Never run top bar but i would have different size rubber bands and a helper to help when I removed foundation from top bar to give some support. My option 20:49
So glad I sat in on this episode. Great topic.
I have a question for you David. When it comes to feeding during a dearth, does it matter if it is liquid or fondant form? Super grateful.
Liquid has an increased chance of stimulating brood production than fondant.
More great content. Thanks man
You bet
Would you recommend replacing frame in center of upper deep with a frame full of honey for the dearth and leave for winter months
If you combine two hives and have some frames left over that may have brood and resources would you just freeze them till you use them?
HIVE BEETLES NEED GROUND DRENCH AND I USE BEETLE BEE GONE SHEETS AND DIXIE TOWELS . GROUND DRENCH IS A MUST GARD STAR OR GRUB X
Hi David, you seem to indicate that the bees will not take sugar water or pollen if it is in the field.
My 1st year beekeeping in Southern Kentucky and got two nuks, one in May and one in June (each nuk is in a deep). They got crowded enough to add a super each for "growth"/brood instead of honey.
My roommate (who raised bees for a couple years in the past) recommends feeding sugar water and Ultra Bee Powder (Ultra Bee Patties in the winter) year round. I believe with bargain hunting for sugar in 50lb bags, and 25lb cans of Ultra Bee Powder, I can afford it - Please note that when using an entrance feeder in June each hive "drinks" a quart every two days.
I am curious if they are feed year round, would they fill all the available cells with sugar water/nectar, pollen/Ultra Bee Powder, and honey? And would not having any open cells prevent laying?
Lastly, if I am feeding year round, why would the bees need any honey, so I should harvest all the honey?
Sorry for such a long question.
Great info
Glad it was helpful!
Should I put an outside full honey frame in center of upper deep box during dearth and leave through winter months. Presently this area has plenty of capped brood. Live in low country of South Carolina. Thanks
David, GREAT that you answer lots of questions, but you didn't answer my question about whether honey bees pollinate the potato field in the blossom stage? My bees are bringing in large amounts of white pollen and I think the bees are gathering pollen from this nearby potato field. HAVE A GREAT EVENING 👍
I don't see why they wouldn't. That is kind of fun though. Potato blossom honey.
I know you talk about absconding or just leaving but have you any experience with a hive dying off from pesticides. How would I know if my bees have died from pesticides?
Do you pull the supers off during the dearth and replace them in fall?
I usually remove my honey supers, sometimes I leave one on for winter. Then I feed them after waiting two weeks.
So, do you not harvest honey in the fall considering you feed during a dearth? Do they fill the supers with sugar water?
Rarely do my bees bring in much honey in the fall after the dearth.
Thanks
Welcome
Lifestream went so fast yesterday which was Thursday it was amazing I couldn’t even finish a cup of coffee
I know!!
After passing the four test and certified, do you have to be recertified?
It's August 3rd. We are treating our 700+ colonies. Why are we seeing fully enclosed at the bottom of the frame swarm cell looking cells? Our bees look great!
Sure it’s not drone cells? Sometimes colonies do swarm in late summer or fall if there is a strong late nectar flow.
Darn. My question must have gotten missed Thursday. I'll ask it here. I pulled my honey supers off the hives. They were mostly capped but upon testing the water content after extraction it was reading 19.5 %. We had 8 in. of rain a few days before harvesting. I have the bucket of honey in a room with a small dehumidifier and a box fan blowing on it but it won't go below 18%. It has been 2 weeks. What else can I do?
Hey I like your comments on helping Jack regarding seeing eggs. I am wanting to start bee keeping in 2025 but wondering about if I will see everything. Also, I am color blind, wondering if I will see the difference between Bee Bread and capped brood. They look similar on your videos. Thanks man for your gentle approach.😊
Yes and choose a queen color that you can easily see
You missed my question and it was ,I live in Arizona I got my bees may13 how far along should they be and do I need to worry about winter
It depends but they should be full size for your area after three months so they should have drawn out 20 frames. Prep for winter depends on stores resource and how well you’ve controlled mites all year.
If you feed, will bees normally draw comb in dearth ? If top bar hive is vented the bees will cool the hive and therefore the comb will not become soft and fall off.
Feeding helps get the comb drawn out BUT depends on the time of year.
So you see no problem feeding dry sugar in the summer months? As long as they have water available.
I never feed dry sugar. Bees need lots of water to come close to eating dry sugar
I asked a question on live event on Thursday and didn’t get a answer. Not sure if you could email a answer or save for another answer session . Thanks and have a great day .
What do you do about yellow jackets we have strong hives and traps for the yellow jackets but they still take a bee here and there we are in Washington state
That’s a tough problem. No easy fix.
Im hussling! I caught a swarm in the middle of July. I managed to lose the queen. If she was ever there. I noticed they seemed lost and werent producing wax or honey. I just got a new queen. They seemed ready for her. They were immediately feeding her and not trying to sting her through the screen. Now i am feeding them. 😳 the race is on.
Good luck.
I've been trying for weeks to buy the feeder boards and the feed supplements, but every time I check, you're out of stock of either one or the other. Is there a way to know when they'll be back in stock? Is there an email list or something?
Yes they are very popular but they are in stock as I type this. May only last an hour though.
@@beek snagged them! Thanks for the heads up!
Does it make sense for me to earn a master beekeeper's certificate if I do not intend to teach it or give courses?
Of course! It gives you an opportunity to learn as much as you can about bees. Plus you never know if you may have an opportunity to teach some time in the future.