Backyard Beekeeping Questions and Answers Episode 192, let's talk about honey bees and helpful gear.
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- Welcome to another episode of backyard beekeeping topics.
There is a lot to talk about.
Please see the topic list below.
If you want to post your own topic for consideration, please visit this page:
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Bookmark this page if you want to listen to the podcast while you work or drive, stay safe :)
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***APOLOGIES! This video should be One Hour and 29 Minutes long. I am uploading the COMPLETE version now. Watch for it later on. I have no idea how the upload was incomplete. There is more, thank you for your patience. **
Questions are in order:
1) Do you still think powder sugar mite tests are worth doing? Or, do they underestimate the varroa counts drastically?
2) On the spot queen rearing has been suggested to me as a way to grow my apiary. I am interested in your thoughts.
3) This question is related to having drones and sending them out in order to spread selected traits to diminish local "hot" genetics. Is that a waste of time?
4) I have some old drawn comb that seems to be brittle. Is there any kind of expiration date on drawn comb? Should I use it?
5) My bees are looking great here in Eastern Kentucky, I'm currently using Hive Alive Fondant and they love this stuff. Can you overfeed bees in winter?
Get Hive Alive Fondant here, discounted - www.fredsfinef...
6) I need to transfer bees to a new bee yard. If I need to get a frame of brood from one of my resource hives and move them, how long do I have without causing them any harm?
This is the Hive Butler Website: hivebutler.com/
If you place an order with them, please say that Frederick Dunn sent you... there may be a discount, orrr you may just pay the same as everyone else.
SEE the Hive Butler Tote in action here: at 04:56 • How to Install Honey B...
7) Out of the blue, I had a Long Lang hive die in late October.
What do you think happened?
Do you think a Long Lang is a good hive design?
If no to the design, what should I do with this hive?
THIS IS MY VIDEO SHOWING a mite wash and brood disease testing:
• Hive Inspection, Brood...
8) I'm a natural beekeeper going into my second year. When it comes to euthanizing mite bomb colonies, what are your thoughts on just killing the queen?
9) I want to switch my queens to Bee Weaver, what would be the best way to make the change? I'm not in a hurry.
Should I do it one at a time when I do my splits?
beeweaver.com provides excellent queens from survivor stock with great genetics.
10) Can you take a colony that was overwintered in 2 deeps and split it into 2 single deep colonies in spring?
I prefer to have single deep hives because they are easier to manage.
FLUFF -
Find free prints here in PDF form.
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Tomorrow, watch for my interview with the newly crowned Pennsylvania Honey Queen for 2023.
Their Facebook Page is HERE (please say hello from Frederick Dunn)
/ pennsylvaniahoneyqueen...
Are you looking for a worthy cause? Want to volunteer, or just offer support? Well here you go:
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Until next time, I wish you all the best with your bees!
1) Do you still think powder sugar mite tests are worth doing? Or, do they underestimate the varroa counts drastically? 10:21
2) On the spot queen rearing has been suggested to me as a way to grow my apiary. I am interested in your thoughts. 20:17
3) Is it a waste of time to having drones and sending them out in order to spread selected traits to diminish local "hot" genetics. 26:07
4) I have some old drawn comb that seems to be brittle. Is there any kind of expiration date on drawn comb? Should I use it? 31:20
5) My bees are looking great here in Kentucky, I'm currently using Hive Alive Fondant and they love it. Can you over feed bees in winter? 32:20
6) I need to transfer bees to a new bee yard. If I need to get a frame of brood from one of my resource hives and move them, how long do I have without causing them any harm? 41:16
7) Out of the blue, I had a Long Lang hive die in late October. 51:32
8) I'm a natural beekeeper going into my 2nd year. When it comes to euthanizing mite bomb colonies, your thoughts on just killing the queen?
9) I want to switch my queens to Bee Weaver, what would be the best way to make the change? I'm not in a hurry.
10) Can you take a colony that was overwintered in 2 deeps and split it into 2 single deep colonies in spring?
Thanks Adam for continuing to do this. It is ever so useful !!
Yes thank you
APOLOGIES! This video should be One Hour and 29 Minutes long. I am uploading the COMPLETE version now. Watch for it later on. I have no idea how the upload was incomplete. There is more, thank you for your patience.
Thank you Adam.
Thanks Adam for your continued efforts, You're the Man!👍👍
APOLOGIES! This video should be One Hour and 29 Minutes long. I am uploading the COMPLETE version now. Watch for it later on. I have no idea how the upload was incomplete. There is more, thank you for your patience.
An abrupt ending. Just wanted to make sure you weren't attacked by shrews??? 😆
Keith! I'm so glad I read your comment. The video is 1 hour and 29 Minutes long. For some reason, the upload was incomplete. I'm adding the complete version as fast as I can. There is a lot more. Thank you for the heads up! Working on it... ;)
Loved the photo shoot prelude of snowy Pennsylvania and the accompanying music. Breathtaking! Thanks for posting what the music was. So enjoyable. It would make a great opening scene for a movie! As always, you're a master of photography as well as beekeeping. I've listened to your Q & As for over a year now. Thanks for your scientific input on beekeeping. We're all learning a lot from you. Keep up the good work.
David Burns did a quite extensive sugar Shake test comparison he came to the same conclusion it's accurate enough and you don't kill 300 bees
Well, there you have it.
Makes sense to me :)
David Burns - sugar shake
www.youtube.com/@beek/search?query=sugar%20shake
Your bee house reminds me of the one my aunt in Austria has. I love those.
Good Morning Professor Dunn, This is Mona Horchoff Jeff's wife...
I do watch a lot of utube butttt, I dont comment , so it's rare and special to the one I comment on..
I lovvveee the introduction of this video, it's like the beginning of a Hallmark movie!!! Sewww impressed.. love ur setup background in your studio.. You always look good thanks to Annette. Well of course we are the good behind the the better half. A twist on that one. But that is all she wrote for me... That's all I need and here. Well I am queen bee over here with another drone that thinks he's got a good setup... Have a wonderful day in that movie ya'll live in....
It is so sooo nice to see your comment here! I'm glad that Jeff has found such a fantastic partner in life. Thank you for the kind words. I wish you and Jeff every happiness together! :)
I agree, Mrs. Horchoff. Mr. Dunn's taste and execution of photography is remarkable coupled with awesome music. This man is a very talented wizard! Loved your comment!
Man… wish I didn’t snooze on getting my Hive Life conference!!!
There is always 2024 :)
Hey Fred the video cut-off at 56:49. You were on question #7. Is it possible to upload the remaining portion of the video? BTW, I purchased a Hive Butler 2 years ago. To your point, I love the versatility of it. I used it to capture a swarm in my yard last year.
Yes, the other "extended version is up" sorry for that unexpected issue...
Hey Fred, I know you covered it but can you plz do another video dedicated to insulation. I’ve been in construction along time and you explained it so very well in the few videos I’ve seen you talk about it in. “They will die when hot “ “it causes moisture” ext, ext. I can’t find it again but you had a clip that showed the condensation in action in your observation hive
I'll try... thanks for watching.
12:15 hi fred and thanks for all the great content. you've likely already heard this before but what i've switched to is just shaking the jar out into a bowl with a white background with some water in it. spares you wasting some filters. 🙂 from there i'll snap a photo with my phone/camera for better resolution if needed.
The filters are compostable :) but thanks for sharing your method.
Ty for your vdo its year 3 for me with bees and if no for you i would have ended this at year 2
So much pressure... thank you :)
Didn't Randy compare the efficacy of powdered sugar versus alc/dawn wash?
Not exactly, his testing involved the comparison between alcohol wash and Dawn Ultra where mite release was concerned. Mites released sooner, even without agitation with Dawn Ultra Free and Clear. He admits that he really doesn't have time for powdered sugar rolls.
The other Fred on Q&A 192e is better 🙂
Fredrick how much Lake effect snow do you get there in Western PA?
Widely variable year by year, we set a record one year of over 100", this is a low year so far.
Mug up from central NH where it is 26 F and dark at 6:24am. With 6 fresh inches of snow on the ground, all my shoveling done, I'm going skiing today 😎But first some learning. Lost feed here too, hope to hear the finish. Have a great day, I will, Off to ski!!! Well, Skiing in the fields is great! The woods are a bit thin, but it looks like the snow switch is on and we are looking at another 6-8" this weekend. Looks like I get to watch the rest of the Q&A, Thanks Fred!
Sounds cozy to me :)
Hello Dear Frederick Dunn 🥰🥰🥰🥰
Fred, second going on 3 year newbie from San Antonio, Tx here. I just inspected a hive that has 2 deeps and a super, separted by a queen excluder. There is nothing going on in the super yet, but the deeps are very active. What worries me is that in the top deep, there are 4 frames that have what looks like fresh comb built out but are completely empty, despite having some bees on them, just not packed with bees. Next to those frames are 3 frames that are packed with bees and brood, the typical thriving hive where the bees are so dense you can't see the frame and contents under the bees. And a good many of these bees have full pollen baskets. I can see through to the bottom deep, and although I did not go into it, I can see that it appears very active in the bottom deep as well. Should I be worried about the empty frames, the ones with comb with nothing in them? Is it just because they have not yet filled them with resources, or brood, or is it a sign that the bees might abscond?
Steve, what part of the world are you in? If they aren't continuing to fill cells with resources and there is plenty of forage for them, I would definitely keep an eye on that hive for signs of queen cells. When they stop investing in infrastructure, something is up.. assuming it's a time of year and a season when other colonies are building up.
@@FrederickDunn San Antonio TX. We are in a winter dearth at the moment, there's just not a lot of flowering plants right now, so lot a lot of forage. I did not see any queen cups during my inspection.
I'm hoping no swarm, because they have almost made it through one year without absconding.
Been to busy. Missed a lot but gonna be catching up on last shows.
Thanks for covering the convention sir.
What a tease making us wait for the last 30 minutes!!😊 a lot of Layens beekeepers like the Iris Tote for holding Layens frames. I’ll send you pics of mine and info on them. A really nice sealing tote with a long handle and wheels.
Just sitting here wondering if your grandkids are told to stay out of the fresh fallen snow until Grampa Fred can get footage for his videos? Beautiful.
They weren't out there "yet". So, the house wasn't wrecked, and the snow was fresh :)
Hmmmm, Why did the video stop in the middle of long lang discussion? at 556:49?
I have no idea why UA-cam did that to my video (';')... fixing that this morning and uploading the complete video asap. Thanks for being patient :)
Ooops. Didn't see you were OF COURSE already aware of this.
Happy Saturday Mr
Dunn,,🇱🇨👍🏼♥️
Same to you, Robert!
Have you seen Phil the Beemans method of counting bees? He came up with an average weight per bee. That way he can weigh the dead bees after washing and get a more accurate count. I can't remember if he weighed them wet or dry.
Each bee's weight can vary widely, by as much as 30% simply based on how much they have ingested. I'm not sure that's very valuable as a mite counting tool, but we definitely need to keep the mite load down. Thanks for sharing.
How many minutes do you recommend to leave the bees in the shade n the powdered sugar shake?
2
Thx, noone ever mentioned that part, I can see it's importance after you explained the proper method.
Wish the video feed hadn't cut off while you were describing the movement of the bee's, things happen I know. Thank you for your scientific approach of telling us things, it's the thing that was missing when I nearly got into bee's back in '99. I'm going Layens so I know have to adjust to some to what you are saying but I really appreciate your attention to detail. The local bee's club meetings I sat in on back then was based on wife's tales I know now. It's a good thing I didn't get started back then, you'll just have to trust me, the reply would turn into a book.
My fault... I'll have to upload the complete file, this was truncated by mistake! Watch for it. Thanks
Fixing that asap... there is much more that was supposed to be in this video. Thanks for your patience.
@@FrederickDunn as always I’ll bee waiting, thank you so much, have a wonderful weekend!
Hi Fred, You talk about them often but never show us. How about showing us a Hive butler
I've shown them often... let me get a video link for you :) ua-cam.com/video/QE7IaqVAIPk/v-deo.html seee one at 04:56
@@FrederickDunn Just shows you how 'Un' observant ( or forgetful I am). I even commented in this video. Of course I can blame it on old timers disease. 🤪🤪
@@cobberpete1 No problem at all... :)
Hi Fred, just heard you say you don't vent the top of your hive. What is the surface area of your winter entrance?
True, and my standard winter entrance is 3/8" high by 2.5-3" wide.
@@FrederickDunn Thanks, I am moving from having a top entrance. I have insulated the top of the hive. On a warm day I removed the cover and checked for moisture. Everything looked damp but I expect that is OK. The sides of the hive will be cooler than the top.
I am in New Brunswick Canada
A historical cliffhanger, sir.
Technical difficulties... working on getting the complete video out right now. Thanks :)
Fred what was your introduction music?
It's from an album called Heartland America from Smart Sound Music.
Great point on the suger shake for mites. I know little about it. But I've seen test done. I don't really think shaking pecking and rattling the bees is the best. I believe that the test would work just as well if not better to just roll the bees and suger in the jar and and like you said leave them in the shade for a bit. Then shake the suger out.
Hate it cut you off and the end. I'm sitting here wondering would port's in the comb allow the bees to move the cluster side ways. Just a thought. Great video as always. Love the snow seen so beautiful but so cold. Thanks Fred
That was unintended, the actual video is almost an hour and a half. I'm working on that and will upload a second version that is complete. First tim that's happened, no idea why it was incomplete on upload. Watch for more.
@@FrederickDunn no worries appreciate all you do as always. What do you think about ports or port hole in comb on the horizontal hives. I have none of these hives but it was just a thought that popped in my head. Also I'd think if we looked at enough cut outs we might see the bees have a way to move side ways. I don't know ,just a thought. Ik it mess some comb up , but I wouldn't think it have to be to many holes or maybe just one.
I live in AZ where all the feral colonies are considered africanized... what our top keepers say is that the africanized bees are faster and stronger and generally win out when it comes to mating... seeing them in action, they are defiinitely faster... they forage faster, build up stores faster, attack faster... so it makes sense that they'd find the queens for mating faster too... In general, docile drones just aren't going to make an impact...
Correct, and Africanized bees practice userpation as well. They spread rapidly, and swarm frequently. You have a reall challenge on your hands there. Thanks for sharing your perspective and information.
Thanks for another great Q&A. Love all the information you provide.
Thanks for watching! And it's so nice to know who you are now :) I hope you have a fantastic spring ahead.
Beautiful video
Thank you
I really liked your thoughts on the "on the spot" queen rearing. The bees know who is who, in the hive!
It makes sense to me, thanks :)
Another reason the drone thing won’t work on Africanized bees is the queens mated with European honey bees as their father emerge a day later than Africanized queens. As we know the first queen to emerge is the winner. It works to slow the spread to have a ton of European drones in an area to slow the spread but once established it is what it is.
Thanks for sharing.
@@FrederickDunn The developmental time in days (from egg to adult) of European and African honey bees.
European honey bees African honey bees
Queen 16 14
Worker 21 19-20
Drone 24 24
The video cut off before it was over.
I just found that out, I'll upload the complete version as soon as possible.
@@FrederickDunn yes sir. No worries. I just wanted you to know.
hello
weird fluff session fred.
I missed it 😆 where it go
I know, I know... doing damage control this morning. I had no idea that it didn't all load... will upload the complete version this morning.
I look forward to checking out the new observation hive. Another great Q&A.
😃
There may have been a issue with the upload. It cuts out in the middle of question seven.
Same on my end. There are no time stamps after question 7 either.
Yes same here.
It cut off before the end of question 7 for me also. Was this a cliff hanger? 😊
True, and I just figured that out thanks to the comments. The complete version is uploading... thank you for your patience, sorry for the frustration.
Fred -- what is the product name of that varroa test cup at 11:00? Thanks
That's by ceracell. I found them in stock here: bemishoneybeefarm.com/products/ceracell-varroamite-test-bottle?variant=42792884961494
Thank you. The directions associated with it describe the alcohol method. I have a question in to them regarding using it with the sugar roll method.
They replied that it's meant for the alcohol wash method. For sugar, recommended mason jar & screen method.