Comment

Comment by Paul McCarty on March 2, 2013 at 7:04pm

I guarantee your bees are already thinking about swarming. I checkerboard the langs and space the brood in the horizontal hives. Just watch for drones and a honey cap. Try to do a cut-down split.

As warm as it has been, it's gonna' be a bad swarm season again.

Comment by Diana Calkins on March 2, 2013 at 3:12pm

I agree with the spring build up and swarming.  I also want to know more about opening up a brood nest.

Comment by James H DAWDY on March 1, 2013 at 3:41pm

Spring build up and swarming would be a timely topic!

Comment by Rob Shepler on March 1, 2013 at 12:20pm

I am still looking for a venue for the seminar, I need your thoughts! Suggestions?

 

It looks like Jessie Brown will be coming down from Albuquerque to help with our seminar. She has the weekend of MARCH 23^rd open and it looks like it fits most of our schedules.

 

What do YOU want to see covered?

 

Here are some thoughts,

Life cycle

Types of hives

Hive management

Bears and bees

Harvest!

Wintering bees

Spring wake up and swarming

How to catch a swarm, how to trap out, how to cut out.

Disease and parasites

CCD

 

Paul has offered to teach a section on cutouts and it would be fun to hear about what he does with his foundationless langstroth hives.

 

Do you want hands on hive management? If so DAY 2 could be up here in Mayhill at our place and we could have 20 hives to go through and play with.

 

What would you like to do? What do you want to see covered?

Please let me know soon as we are only 3 weeks away.

Rob

Comment by James H DAWDY on February 26, 2013 at 12:21pm

Hive check today: very, very light on stores.  Looks like the ~20F nights have taken their toll.  Also, not much open and capped brood.  Looks like they are still in standby mode.  Started feeding.

Comment by Diana Calkins on February 23, 2013 at 8:26pm

Windy up here today, so no hive activity.  At one point today it was warm enough to check on the pollen substitute we put in last Saturday, but the wind stopped that.  Supposed to be windy again tomorrow.  Our elm trees are beginning to come out of dormancy here at 6800 feet, so I image yours are way ahead of us.  Maybe that's what they are feeding on.  Do you have willows?  They love willows.

Comment by James H DAWDY on February 23, 2013 at 7:37pm

Lots of activity from my hive, still taking pollen sub, but they don't seem to be too interested in some sugar near the hive.  Also, a small amount of honey was left out about 50 feet away, and they dont seem too interested in it either.  What could they be feeding on at this time?

Comment by Diana Calkins on February 16, 2013 at 12:06pm

Thanks!  I'll check out the ebook, too.

Comment by James H DAWDY on February 16, 2013 at 11:44am

No, just a tablespoon of water or so to make it a little clumped up.  I doubt even that is necessary.  However, there is a lot of information in the ebook Fat Bee Skinny Bee (google it) from Australia which talks about pollen sub.  Basically, a lot of recipes call for mixing it with honey or syrup, which the book describes as "An expensive way to feed your bees syrup".  My thought is that by just leaving out the soy/yeast, if they feel like they need it, they'll take it, and if they don't need it they'll leave it alone.  Theres even a picture in the book of a drum of soy flour dumped out on the ground of the apiary.  So I trust the bees to find what they need.

Comment by Diana Calkins on February 16, 2013 at 11:38am

James, do you add anything to your pollen substitute other than the soy flour and baker's yeast?

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