tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85442001922184262592024-03-12T22:48:49.657-07:00Maria's BeesMariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-5773502318290313582018-08-10T06:01:00.000-07:002018-08-10T06:01:04.677-07:00Using Mite Away Quick Strips for late summer <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZrEiFx4eD_57hiXYW4D75_uNHCpet57I_vAoPhyphenhyphenKlvk77J9vEhZ8MxOHneBL14o2Pznp45Ewy_VLJY0nORNs1FuRFRWMrrNt43z8KzdlOTzNqr30qAge_ZHxD4J0oWo0s81587_Hss4p/s1600/IMG_4357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZrEiFx4eD_57hiXYW4D75_uNHCpet57I_vAoPhyphenhyphenKlvk77J9vEhZ8MxOHneBL14o2Pznp45Ewy_VLJY0nORNs1FuRFRWMrrNt43z8KzdlOTzNqr30qAge_ZHxD4J0oWo0s81587_Hss4p/s320/IMG_4357.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I did not think I will be working bees at all this year, but two swarms adopted me :). As you might expect, they picked the rattiest equipment available where the boxes were falling apart. Once I got their new digs sorted out, it is time to get them ready for winter and do their fall treatment.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOUblBsq6lBMe0wQ78FDIUELWXy-GIlLZtPVqMrXH6LktdtkFdyufjAucaJLGKY7eWoKAsCWLj5sUs664HJZp-tRo_XP5lOX5vWHc0-NYPYoF-gqYy6rOvlxkZP5GZr7o0iW-w0ewBmS1l/s1600/Forecast+for+the+next+10+days+MAQS.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="812" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOUblBsq6lBMe0wQ78FDIUELWXy-GIlLZtPVqMrXH6LktdtkFdyufjAucaJLGKY7eWoKAsCWLj5sUs664HJZp-tRo_XP5lOX5vWHc0-NYPYoF-gqYy6rOvlxkZP5GZr7o0iW-w0ewBmS1l/s320/Forecast+for+the+next+10+days+MAQS.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Currently, we are having some cool weather, so it is a perfect
time to use the Mite Away Quick Strips. I usually aim for the daily high to be
below 85F for at least the first 3 days of treatment. The weather forecast
promises that it is going to be under 85F for almost the entire treatment
cycle.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Getting ready <span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>.
I like to open the packages and separate the two parts beforehand because it is
difficult with gloves on.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The treatment can certainly clean off the top of the box. Both boxes were the same as far as bees on top, but the bees vacated as soon as I put the treatment on.<br />
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The top box has a fresh patty with a little bit of lemongrass in it. I read somewhere that this helps with the queen loss that may happen during treatment. Fingers crossed.</div>
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Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-87990204457774752082016-10-18T07:40:00.000-07:002016-10-18T07:40:41.076-07:00Getting My Bees Ready To Winter<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUoWAhCMfeaa1xNPgdL6PBi4Dc41AiTC_sIQdYSx-z3xgbfIJKTLyRqWHmV6QqAwSD4Fq4r6bvU-K4JqXt7QcTU7g0HI5TTZRtXgPgTkjRsEd5L_ta8-B0c-qrEsBXtqp58sK9a02LqdpI/s1600/IMG_3212+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUoWAhCMfeaa1xNPgdL6PBi4Dc41AiTC_sIQdYSx-z3xgbfIJKTLyRqWHmV6QqAwSD4Fq4r6bvU-K4JqXt7QcTU7g0HI5TTZRtXgPgTkjRsEd5L_ta8-B0c-qrEsBXtqp58sK9a02LqdpI/s320/IMG_3212+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Busy as a bee</td></tr>
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This time of year, I see a lot of discussion about candy boards, sugar bricks, quilt boxes and wrapping hives. I also see a lot of questions along the lines of "When should I start getting my hive ready for winter?"<br />
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For my location, the answer is both "You're too late" and "You're too early"<br />
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For me winter prep starts back in mid July. That's when I evaluate my hives, combine the stragglers and check to see who needs varroa mite treatment. In NW Ohio, mite treatment needs to be completed by August 1st in order to have couple of rounds of healthy brood for winter bees.<br />
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Towards the end of August, when the goldenrod peters out, I make sure everyone is up to their winter weight. That gives me a little buffer in case I need to feed the odd hive. The syrup is 2:1 (sugar:water) in order not to simulate brood rearing.<br />
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Meanwhile, the weather is doing most of the prep work - the shorter days, lack of nectar and cooler nights signal the bees to reduce the size of the brood nest, consolidate the cluster and propolize every nook and cranny.<br />
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There is not much that I do - I stack the empty supers in the barn, I make sure all the equipment is put away and organized. I bottle honey and make creamed honey.<br />
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Finally, in November, when flight days are far and few between, I'll put on the candy boards and some pieces of pink foam board on top. Then I wait till Spring.Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-91965701473189577282016-10-13T07:59:00.003-07:002016-10-13T07:59:50.408-07:00A Few Good Queen Bees<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0lyHD1OND8J_eR9ysm1YKf8i2Mlgnd0-42O6H4l2DoE3HNuLD0rAG3NDgvIA41GGL7Yo1LkhX-FRaEYHlPtrGSqjCr554uoUPv9i4uL02-yqRAzUMpgAucHAGqZ48rBt-5w0a8O5rhGyt/s1600/IMG_3265_q2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0lyHD1OND8J_eR9ysm1YKf8i2Mlgnd0-42O6H4l2DoE3HNuLD0rAG3NDgvIA41GGL7Yo1LkhX-FRaEYHlPtrGSqjCr554uoUPv9i4uL02-yqRAzUMpgAucHAGqZ48rBt-5w0a8O5rhGyt/s320/IMG_3265_q2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td>
<td><br />
You may be wondering how my May queens turned out.<br />
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Here are a few pictures of those queens in their mating nucs just as they started laying. I ended up with 8 queen bees. One of them did not mate properly and turned into a drone layer.<br />
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The rest of them successfully built up their colonies to 2 deeps. They are ready to pass their toughest test yet- overwintering in NW Ohio.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queen Bee #2</td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidfRDLMF6qIC3Rk011Xx4-Pjml5jeYx43PHGZm9MGcYFUwxLXTYdG7C_WAx57vbDK8FQssz9aRuVa2bPWMqxv_J-IMEw-9TD6ZZ-Fu0paEgX4SUIkP8_ciOgHj5G3Gk3P558Cihckq0GRy/s1600/IMG_3268_q3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidfRDLMF6qIC3Rk011Xx4-Pjml5jeYx43PHGZm9MGcYFUwxLXTYdG7C_WAx57vbDK8FQssz9aRuVa2bPWMqxv_J-IMEw-9TD6ZZ-Fu0paEgX4SUIkP8_ciOgHj5G3Gk3P558Cihckq0GRy/s320/IMG_3268_q3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queen Bee #3</td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSn7APrF717UbKU6AemHRDvIdrqLAvkQFCAgtreWKipZ79xoSHwCFxXeqAgotTkMzoc1P1EZbcFln0m9By7dsoG4qXQAft9Fiml_V5iz8-exDmUV98DAa-ojRTzjOTFKbpoinIATQjpNNv/s1600/IMG_3270_q4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSn7APrF717UbKU6AemHRDvIdrqLAvkQFCAgtreWKipZ79xoSHwCFxXeqAgotTkMzoc1P1EZbcFln0m9By7dsoG4qXQAft9Fiml_V5iz8-exDmUV98DAa-ojRTzjOTFKbpoinIATQjpNNv/s320/IMG_3270_q4.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queen Bee #4</td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSt9iFNKXOpLobqa01pOWZ7H3Ym0GVjEZ8xRkGZ896RwTVndFO-8aBu7kebFqaARXfAecic-sNxbQurP10qIkj57Sc5ZlQHwoF6K_vbOCcUJfa-Wl7KP0zuzg4iEyy-B3LQhkKpmzhrUi/s1600/IMG_3281_q7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSt9iFNKXOpLobqa01pOWZ7H3Ym0GVjEZ8xRkGZ896RwTVndFO-8aBu7kebFqaARXfAecic-sNxbQurP10qIkj57Sc5ZlQHwoF6K_vbOCcUJfa-Wl7KP0zuzg4iEyy-B3LQhkKpmzhrUi/s320/IMG_3281_q7.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queen Bee #7</td></tr>
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<br />Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-984269126406614042016-05-31T08:21:00.000-07:002016-05-31T08:21:11.404-07:00Queen Cells Are Capped And Ready to Go<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeRzGfQwnepq-KCOTdoXUEBOEORCDgh1HURCEvf5XV5HbCeOl4zAeGd9Uy4ALcUVgjyKtRQ4pqoCKQycVw7n8wg_FxxmxpuHwIeIKBte7V8lrVDEv0Vg77VwY-g9OA9SnJtq9TY79AqfO/s1600/IMG_3222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeRzGfQwnepq-KCOTdoXUEBOEORCDgh1HURCEvf5XV5HbCeOl4zAeGd9Uy4ALcUVgjyKtRQ4pqoCKQycVw7n8wg_FxxmxpuHwIeIKBte7V8lrVDEv0Vg77VwY-g9OA9SnJtq9TY79AqfO/s320/IMG_3222.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Capped Queen Cells</td></tr>
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The queen cells are progressing nicely and got capped on Friday 5/27. Today, they are getting moved to the mating nucs. I made up the nucs yesterday, so they can be queenless for 24 hours and have better cell acceptance.<br />
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In couple of weeks, I should be able to see the laying pattern of the new queens. Fingers crossed :D<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xW_6ZdsMbYE/V0T1tOffcoI/AAAAAAAAC3s/tc7vcAp5DXcBRSd7AfmgFdUuYYC7DAyAACKgB/s1600/IMG_3213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xW_6ZdsMbYE/V0T1tOffcoI/AAAAAAAAC3s/tc7vcAp5DXcBRSd7AfmgFdUuYYC7DAyAACKgB/s320/IMG_3213.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Queen Cells Are Getting Drawn Out</td></tr>
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Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-5609973302920832022016-05-22T15:48:00.000-07:002016-05-22T15:48:40.421-07:00What Is Going On In Maria's Apiary: Starting Queen Cells With the Cut Cell Method<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYvzgFVbyy8YHABOFpW4hcUkVvcaYi90au6LHwuyJiKv9fejPJI-qgPSHJtECE-74Ri9nDY7y9Y8iAhFfnMq2LgnRwp32HjA_KEKVAw-Pk6KNdsx-dfT2fnf9AkdbHExWPcq8oxHIoMEe/s1600/IMG_3205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYvzgFVbyy8YHABOFpW4hcUkVvcaYi90au6LHwuyJiKv9fejPJI-qgPSHJtECE-74Ri9nDY7y9Y8iAhFfnMq2LgnRwp32HjA_KEKVAw-Pk6KNdsx-dfT2fnf9AkdbHExWPcq8oxHIoMEe/s320/IMG_3205.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Putting together the cell starter</td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyM5FuWzDRzQdAtcy8AsYJQQfZkkNPfUwC0RV4kNJqE5hqy4Al52GyM3RKHXBj8RctoIrf_oy1bd0MLh_Wd8bttm6u2Jiyuf90cm4YYoGyBakAzqsN_6sRlPpFhUN-JGVBjLV9sMP5QACZ/s1600/IMG_3210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyM5FuWzDRzQdAtcy8AsYJQQfZkkNPfUwC0RV4kNJqE5hqy4Al52GyM3RKHXBj8RctoIrf_oy1bd0MLh_Wd8bttm6u2Jiyuf90cm4YYoGyBakAzqsN_6sRlPpFhUN-JGVBjLV9sMP5QACZ/s320/IMG_3210.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queen cells candidates</td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWQaKfESE3djSzctKAW-m_YD6r8pD1bZcZMshYCQ9qq9zOKRAnrnnV-kOcRRW802QI_Mx4kAJVUGXVh2-LpQ-ywjsm5WxoR74O-caEu3rTAq1C7QgCMedgGFpfp3CcxVGw1y8lLfJKD6P/s1600/IMG_3211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWQaKfESE3djSzctKAW-m_YD6r8pD1bZcZMshYCQ9qq9zOKRAnrnnV-kOcRRW802QI_Mx4kAJVUGXVh2-LpQ-ywjsm5WxoR74O-caEu3rTAq1C7QgCMedgGFpfp3CcxVGw1y8lLfJKD6P/s320/IMG_3211.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cell bar ready to go</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The hives are building up nicely despite the chilly nights and constant rain. Most of the hives are filling out their first super. No signs of swarming so far except for one hive (there is always that one hive).<br />
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We're about 3 weeks from the flow here. I like to do a cut-down split right before the flow. That way, I can increase my hive count without sacrificing production. I like to do raise my own queens for going into winter, so now is a good time to start my queen cells.<br />
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Since I only need a small batch, I am using the cut cell method with a small variation - while doing my inspections, I noticed a freshly laid comb from the queen I want to propagate from. So, I just needed to set up the cell bar and the cell starter.<br />
<br />
I was lucky and spotted the queen on the first frame I shook into the cell starter. With the queen located, setting up the cell finisher is going to be a breeze. And so it begins :DMariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-72916379463950942662016-04-25T08:22:00.000-07:002016-04-25T08:22:27.971-07:00What Is Going On In Maria's Apiary: More Equalizing and Getting Ready for Splits<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKzB1j-A7Rp5SPJ1Sa1xBkdbaDaRtBD7iYWSSRVWf6Gbwhvf99lI36hp1bzaPFFpjPOZaqjIEh-_ykc5iyhuciGSVW8f1shKy3Y-BQciq-eHX2wS6aTECTC0wWevmnFtW9xStgtPIxULIR/s1600/IMG_3080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKzB1j-A7Rp5SPJ1Sa1xBkdbaDaRtBD7iYWSSRVWf6Gbwhvf99lI36hp1bzaPFFpjPOZaqjIEh-_ykc5iyhuciGSVW8f1shKy3Y-BQciq-eHX2wS6aTECTC0wWevmnFtW9xStgtPIxULIR/s320/IMG_3080.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bees are boiling over the sides while equalizing the brood</td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5qYlSEqvIvIdzQ2XIOwHUU-G3DbiQ65OoIm-eC5AOlXQ9sevgvox9JdljdFYW4PBxjAeAWJ5KcSvYYUitt775tE7f5WGmrF8qTKE2fSKHQVNA9UhrC0Dxmfk67agJSJ4oOUYRzNQ0_ild/s1600/IMG_3079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5qYlSEqvIvIdzQ2XIOwHUU-G3DbiQ65OoIm-eC5AOlXQ9sevgvox9JdljdFYW4PBxjAeAWJ5KcSvYYUitt775tE7f5WGmrF8qTKE2fSKHQVNA9UhrC0Dxmfk67agJSJ4oOUYRzNQ0_ild/s320/IMG_3079.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The queen bee, doing her best to populate the brood nest</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As I mentioned last week, there are many ways to make sure that your honey bee hives are of the same strength. The easiest way is to switch the place of a weak hive with that of a strong one. Another technique is to equalize brood.<br />
<br />
This weekend, I equalized brood. My goal was twofold:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>I wanted to make sure that all the hives will have similarly sized population of foragers for the honey flow. </li>
<li>I wanted to use the "extra" frames of brood for my splits this coming Wednesday.</li>
</ul>
<br />
To make sure that I have adequate workforce to make the best of the honey flow, I would like to see 6 frames of brood in each hive. Since I kept equalizing the foragers in the prior weeks, all my hives had their 6 frames of brood. In fact, six of them had anywhere from 2-4 extra brood frames. Perfect for my splits.<br />
<br />
One of the most time consuming parts in making a split is making sure I don't transfer the queen by accident. I kept my eye out for her when rearranging the brood frames and got extremely lucky - I was able to spot her in every hive. A quick shake is all it took to make sure she's in the bottom brood chamber and under the queen excluder. The extra brood frames went on top of the excluder, so all I have to do on Wednesday is to grab the top brood box, put it on its own bottom board and place the new queen.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-56894357565126589382016-04-18T07:30:00.001-07:002016-04-18T07:30:17.478-07:00What Is Going On In Maria's Apiary: Equalizing<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0mII7hjXGRrTy77dRYneFzhEJG1NE_kF00G4BYwxoowj8xOiAm2rMzY9iNhOvWSKXm3PW1XTUD9j2iyqQOvLKLN7DE_TciLG8UAYx_HrtMv9b5cd6yse0yZnPgjvz91b8N5tD_Q7WPSou/s1600/IMG_3064+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0mII7hjXGRrTy77dRYneFzhEJG1NE_kF00G4BYwxoowj8xOiAm2rMzY9iNhOvWSKXm3PW1XTUD9j2iyqQOvLKLN7DE_TciLG8UAYx_HrtMv9b5cd6yse0yZnPgjvz91b8N5tD_Q7WPSou/s320/IMG_3064+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quick expansion into the second brood box already</td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJuG4M5ntrf3nOLQ2MNyJhbDLfcCxLl1RHhTXprVs_mlwtE8vVOHZgZ1SY-THPoRwzyhSHuNFrQmganU8wIo09HKYHpdqmUKmNxrmQxmyXcKRcWSXm278JPeC-5L6lt5VPIOXYjjCpK4XK/s1600/IMG_3067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJuG4M5ntrf3nOLQ2MNyJhbDLfcCxLl1RHhTXprVs_mlwtE8vVOHZgZ1SY-THPoRwzyhSHuNFrQmganU8wIo09HKYHpdqmUKmNxrmQxmyXcKRcWSXm278JPeC-5L6lt5VPIOXYjjCpK4XK/s320/IMG_3067.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More brood</td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyctR7IUl-xqlGWSDH6CzK85KjNcaIc4GCfsOg4i_b13x5nIIqUhreKFj_2ZzfaVc6S9DRImM_h924CtyMKPWg2Gugyjx1SsrMVuCQTqJq5441yyhOKQ1kvhsQXKit4VPGbGja3hJxUmu/s1600/IMG_3069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyctR7IUl-xqlGWSDH6CzK85KjNcaIc4GCfsOg4i_b13x5nIIqUhreKFj_2ZzfaVc6S9DRImM_h924CtyMKPWg2Gugyjx1SsrMVuCQTqJq5441yyhOKQ1kvhsQXKit4VPGbGja3hJxUmu/s320/IMG_3069.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course, we have to have a Queen picture</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Overwintered hives are a force to consider in the Spring. They build up fast and furious. Despite a week of snow and freezing temperatures that caught them in the middle of their Spring build-up, they already have anywhere from 4-6 frames of brood in the second brood box and the bottom brood box is packed. Drones are already emerging.<br />
<br />
As a beekeeper, my job is to pace them until our main flow arrives in mid June. Since it is early, I still equalize by switching the places of the strongest and weakest hives. In this way, the foragers from the stronger hive pad out the population of the weakest. The goal is to have all the hives as even as possible, so the manipulations can be done at the same time. Of course, a good record keeping system is a must - you don't want to propagate a hive that is lagging behind.<br />
<br />
Next week, I will equalize the brood frames between the hives. It takes 42 days to raise a forager. The brood that is raised now is going to be collecting the honey harvest.Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-11103380858688054482016-03-29T13:48:00.002-07:002016-04-07T20:46:14.369-07:00What Is Going On In Maria's Apiary: Spring Cleanup<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibyX27mRDwZdYUzTO2UMTcn2ur2A1vL28WSqtGxdu6SbyZb0JjkOo1kIbW3OkFXfd0xzpcw6ZIivAw5X1BTpAzxekhNMRC_oAHeQSkxqb5wHx_NQpq6UYXBeqe_psZnBvuPmWDiwk05m-X/s1600/IMG_3028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibyX27mRDwZdYUzTO2UMTcn2ur2A1vL28WSqtGxdu6SbyZb0JjkOo1kIbW3OkFXfd0xzpcw6ZIivAw5X1BTpAzxekhNMRC_oAHeQSkxqb5wHx_NQpq6UYXBeqe_psZnBvuPmWDiwk05m-X/s320/IMG_3028.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is a wonderful feeling to pop off the covers<br />
and find a strong honey bee hive<br />
<br /></td></tr>
<tr>
</tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qgDUqO9drqtxU24D8F8Aq30AV3EbS2A8UGfQ3z1JJxWPF9itrnbnLcB5UYPCV0Nv9hFoI3c8jWuZbdN_qlZRhmfYOCKD9h9KAgqwZNsZbIQYQUXBkK4NpMh113J6R4YTApOUCDu2uiJE/s1600/IMG_3029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qgDUqO9drqtxU24D8F8Aq30AV3EbS2A8UGfQ3z1JJxWPF9itrnbnLcB5UYPCV0Nv9hFoI3c8jWuZbdN_qlZRhmfYOCKD9h9KAgqwZNsZbIQYQUXBkK4NpMh113J6R4YTApOUCDu2uiJE/s320/IMG_3029.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hives are strong and ready to go.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Strong hives in early Spring are both a delightful surprise and an incredible challenge. You have the promise of a wonderful honey crop, provided you can keep the bees in their boxes.<br />
<br />
Every Spring, I am reminded how close to the edge honey bees overwinter. At the start of the Maple flow, the honey bee cluster is usually pushing at the inner lid. I like to check their status at the first break in the weather.<br />
<br />
Last year's May splits and packages had around 4 honey frames left each. There was one exception - one hive had a full second brood box. Of course, I checkerboarded that one. I am also going to keep it in mind as a possible candidate for queen breeder.<br />
<br />
The splits that I made in July had at most 1 frame of honey left and were making the best of the candy boards that I put on in the Fall.<br />
<br />
I reversed the boxes on the rest of them, made sure each hive had at least 2 capped honey frames and plenty of candy board left and added fresh patties. I also swapped the weakest and the strongest hive positions in order to equalize the populations.Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-17436286772049123792016-03-10T16:57:00.002-08:002016-03-10T16:57:58.505-08:00What Is Going On In Maria's Apiary: Time for Pollen Patties<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6BUEBiC0hG3fDUBMWvDpfhzG-38mWtlASrA-bodBbNruhutJo3zrub4Wmi4CmGOs06NwvEwH6IOGw6ZWA592ZwYiMj-CHtxqgtlZttga4EEnSlYQN_xvGPdPs9AwrGcCsyNBQlxNkYkG/s1600/IMG_3013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6BUEBiC0hG3fDUBMWvDpfhzG-38mWtlASrA-bodBbNruhutJo3zrub4Wmi4CmGOs06NwvEwH6IOGw6ZWA592ZwYiMj-CHtxqgtlZttga4EEnSlYQN_xvGPdPs9AwrGcCsyNBQlxNkYkG/s320/IMG_3013.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my July splits after driving the bees down <br />
to make space for the pollen patty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I checked the hives and added pollen patties on 3/8/2016. The honey bee hives are looking great. The clusters are good and I have 9 out of 9 hives make it through the winter.<br />
<br />
This weekend is going to be time for housekeeping in the apiary. Time to clean the bottom boards and reverse the boxes. Looks like Spring time is here :DMariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-83394949246085754142015-12-15T08:44:00.001-08:002015-12-15T08:44:45.811-08:00Winter Bee Mites Treatment - Oxalic Acid Dribble<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfcf07cFORC3svkU6B6e5th2fnz9Fz6c2Ifze7rO_NhxLcae_9nGtjSNhgi3tCt-ruaJpfHdZetP6wPoP4-vnsV9HUnKXIPHcN3VQ5n47ChUbKjkraVJgUuMCDJyyMbvwxYta1_uRM9zR/s1600/IMG_1352_bee+with+mite+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfcf07cFORC3svkU6B6e5th2fnz9Fz6c2Ifze7rO_NhxLcae_9nGtjSNhgi3tCt-ruaJpfHdZetP6wPoP4-vnsV9HUnKXIPHcN3VQ5n47ChUbKjkraVJgUuMCDJyyMbvwxYta1_uRM9zR/s320/IMG_1352_bee+with+mite+-+Copy.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Varroa mite on a nurse bee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Warm winters are hard on honey bee hives. Instead of staying clustered, honey bees send out foragers any time the weather is warm enough for flight. This reduces the life span of the winter bees and quickly uses up colony resources. The colony might end up raising brood well into late fall and winter to replace foragers.<br />
<br />
A prolonged and mild winter can play havoc with the varroa mite numbers within a honey bee colony.<br />
<br />
The last few winters in Northwest Ohio came hard and fast. We did not get a reprieve until Spring time. This year, I had the perfect opportunity to try Randy Oliver's (Scientific Beekeeping) recommended winter mite treatment - an oxalic acid dribble.<br />
<br />
I read through his power point presentation. Then I used the Oxalic Acid Treatment Table and made the 1 L batch that treats about 20 colonies. I used a handheld 2 gallon sprayer <br />
(shown on left).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6cASfd2SHCC8ppxopBnuTtVyH14tCBIvwaqDkO8GY9VpZIWcAJhcLvLyzomH5vONOIl3U_vnmIOPTPPG8xpYnGqrMp4h53GSH1cj2LAa2yldgRsCVXMcbYffYAbw73MG4l9LaRGE7r30N/s1600/Handheld+sprayer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6cASfd2SHCC8ppxopBnuTtVyH14tCBIvwaqDkO8GY9VpZIWcAJhcLvLyzomH5vONOIl3U_vnmIOPTPPG8xpYnGqrMp4h53GSH1cj2LAa2yldgRsCVXMcbYffYAbw73MG4l9LaRGE7r30N/s320/Handheld+sprayer.JPG" width="181" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handheld sprayer for bee mite treatment - <br />
oxalic acid dribble</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
At the lowest setting, my sprayer dispenses about 2.5 ml per "pass". I made 2 passes per seam of bees. I also did not treat with more than 50 ml per hive, since Randy mentioned in his presentation that Europeans recommend not applying more than that due to the colder and longer winters.<br />
<br />
It took us about 1 hour to treat 9 hives. We should be able to see the effect in the Spring.Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-76298999699401264232015-12-08T09:53:00.000-08:002015-12-08T09:53:46.408-08:00Changes to my Candy Board Recipe for Winter Feeding<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGU6p2Rc2XBs3ZEbq_3H99neyHv8wHOHSmwScvuBPDEznShZPkU8xDVYU4da8SOrE2J-kFwl38E5C6pFcpZYU8iRprcD2BVuHWZwfDP7yj-4t6cHJp-9SvIrs5RyPOBg_39Eibe5jvsQj/s1600/IMG_2357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGU6p2Rc2XBs3ZEbq_3H99neyHv8wHOHSmwScvuBPDEznShZPkU8xDVYU4da8SOrE2J-kFwl38E5C6pFcpZYU8iRprcD2BVuHWZwfDP7yj-4t6cHJp-9SvIrs5RyPOBg_39Eibe5jvsQj/s320/IMG_2357.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modified bee candy board with a diagonal rib <br />
to stabilize the sugar block</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It is the time of the year when I like to make sure my honey bee hives have plenty of resources for the winter. Even though I check their resources continually through the late summer, this time of the year I provide insurance in the form of sugar blocks.<br />
<br />
In past years, I was able to put the blocks on in late October or early November. This year, in part due to El Nino, flying weather is extending well into December. In fact, next week still has highs well into the 50s and 60s. Yep, it is still flying weather even though it is December.<br />
<br />
Sugar blocks are a little bit tricky to put on in this kind of weather. I want the bees to think of them as surplus and not as “flow”. For that purpose, this year I am skipping the pollen/patty part of my recipe. I am also adding a diagonal “rib” to my sugar block board that will stabilize the sugar block and prevent it from crumbling due to the temperature swings. You can see the “rib” on the picture.<br />
<br />
Finally, in order to make the sugar brick harder, I reduced the sugar in the final phase of the quick-set method from 15 lbs. to 10 lbs. It makes the mixture set slower and as a result, the brick is more uniform.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here is my updated recipe (original recipe is <a href="http://www.donnellyfarmsohio.com/2013/11/fall-inspections-bee-candy-boards-and.html" target="_blank">here</a>):</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
<b>Candy Board Recipe for Winter Feeding </b></h3>
<br />
<b>Equipment needed:</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Pot (I use a 21.5 quarts canning pot)</li>
<li>Drill with metal plaster stirrer attachment (optional UNLESS you use the quick-set method)</li>
<li>Cooking or candy thermometer</li>
<li>Scale</li>
<li>Gloves</li>
<li>Bee candy board forms | bee fondant forms</li>
<li>A wooden spoon | spatula to fill the forms and pat the mixture into shape</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>Ingredients needed:</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>4 parts by weight sugar (I start with 15 lbs.)</li>
<li>1 part by weight water (3 lbs. and 12 oz.)</li>
<li>1/4 tsp. vinegar for each pound of sugar (1 Tbsp. and 3/4 tsp.)</li>
<li>Additional ingredients for the quick-set method:</li>
<li>2 2/3 parts by weight sugar (I use 10 lbs.)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<b>Preparation</b><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Mix together 4 parts sugar, 1 part water and the vinegar into the pot and set it on high.</li>
<li>Once the mixture starts boiling, start checking the temperature. We are aiming for the soft-ball candy stage or 242F.</li>
<li>You are done once the mixture reaches 242F. Turn off the heat. The mixture is ready to pour when it cools down to about 180F.</li>
<li>If you don't want to wait, you can proceed with the quick-set method:</li>
<li>Make sure you have your power stirrer, your spoon | spatula, your forms, your gloves and the extra sugar set out.</li>
<li>Dump the extra sugar into the mixture, mix it thoroughly and let it cook for about a minute. Spread it into the forms. </li>
</ol>
<br />
<ol><span style="color: black;">
</span></ol>
<span style="color: black;">
</span>Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-29806624694157449612015-05-08T08:09:00.001-07:002015-05-08T08:09:26.464-07:00Spring Splits | Splitting Beehives | Kids in the Apiary<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxqd74WLtHkxwdxr5IIjKeLV9s1TcOAB2_bwqt3pYrBLPdlmJLV0GCH4HqWbdhyWOg7jzOMr58PSc95pzyhnbcmblah-3Ti8Jf9IUrwhc83mFoNfruq8Gk4VYBY07fu2tOx4vd6XnzyCG/s1600/IMG_1360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxqd74WLtHkxwdxr5IIjKeLV9s1TcOAB2_bwqt3pYrBLPdlmJLV0GCH4HqWbdhyWOg7jzOMr58PSc95pzyhnbcmblah-3Ti8Jf9IUrwhc83mFoNfruq8Gk4VYBY07fu2tOx4vd6XnzyCG/s320/IMG_1360.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Splitting is so fun!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Early splits can be especially nerve-wrecking - you need to order your queen bees months in advance and hope for nice weather to put them in. Miraculously, this past week has been wonderful for making early splits. Lows were in the high 50s and the highs are touching 80s. Apples just started blooming on Monday and the dandelions have been going strong.<br />
<br />
Our queen bees arrived on Tuesday 5/5 and we were able to make up our splits later in the day (after 7 pm Eastern).<br />
<br />
I made up my splits with 2 capped frames of brood with adhering bees and a frame of open nectar. I also added a patty and filled the rest of the box with drawn frames. Since those splits are in my back yard, I did not remove the cork from the queen cages. I am planning on releasing them on Saturday, 5/9. I left the entrances small for the time being.<br />
<br />
Everything went according to plan and my kindergartner assistant was very excited.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6QWiydLVl6I/VUy4fraJLHI/AAAAAAAAAsM/U0M4YzgB1w0/s1600/IMG_20150508_092133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6QWiydLVl6I/VUy4fraJLHI/AAAAAAAAAsM/U0M4YzgB1w0/s200/IMG_20150508_092133.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shipping package</td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittK2jGxWVILGhicDqhZ23oIvNXgfcXgA5-wMIgrexbfJtvtaDwKjery_hhoqfG-_CCFWKImKhEa4BQOfiHIfJFTzS-1ZbndwPXqQZilIF42HOk3el-BBi3OPpB_MrWEk8hbPSbzZm7UXU/s1600/IMG_1356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittK2jGxWVILGhicDqhZ23oIvNXgfcXgA5-wMIgrexbfJtvtaDwKjery_hhoqfG-_CCFWKImKhEa4BQOfiHIfJFTzS-1ZbndwPXqQZilIF42HOk3el-BBi3OPpB_MrWEk8hbPSbzZm7UXU/s200/IMG_1356.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring queen bees</td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCPl8CLKlWJsCvOaB3vSA9KRonS5a8i6Yf8Z2fQYevG4hk3LmG4Z4D2sF6caABxLEfUIup9B0_7yOSR_otD2mRrq8t3C4XPIZMY2A5RmIykk8D-lbqHtgMiSKtqBVnOYicwiuYKpO4H69/s1600/IMG_1365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCPl8CLKlWJsCvOaB3vSA9KRonS5a8i6Yf8Z2fQYevG4hk3LmG4Z4D2sF6caABxLEfUIup9B0_7yOSR_otD2mRrq8t3C4XPIZMY2A5RmIykk8D-lbqHtgMiSKtqBVnOYicwiuYKpO4H69/s200/IMG_1365.JPG" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Filling out the boxes with old brood comb</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Here is how it went:<br />
<ul>
<li>Opened up the donor hive and selected 4 frames of capped brood.</li>
<li>Transferred the frames into the new boxes, making sure I did not grab the queen.</li>
<li>My assistant wanted to see the donor queen, so we went hunting for her. Any guesses where we found her? Yep, she was in one of the freshly made up splits.</li>
<li>We ooh-ed and aah-ed over her splendor. And yes, an overwintered queen looks decidedly majestic and ginormous (this is a scientific term ;)) compared to a new spring queen.</li>
<li>We moved the donor queen back to her hive, after explaining to her that her kids were missing her (and they were getting angry). </li>
<li>We placed the queen cages on top of the brood. We surrounded the brood the honey frames and placed the patty right on top. Finally, we filled up the remainder of the box with drawn comb.</li>
<li>We moved the splits to their new location</li>
<li>We experienced a short delay in setting them up while my husband removed a "cute baby mouse" from my hive stand. I don't see anything cute in the little heathens, but oh well...</li>
<li>Finally, we filled the feeders and called it a night.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Do your kids want to help out in the apiary?Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-74675320160593039562015-05-01T06:38:00.000-07:002015-05-01T06:38:05.554-07:00Getting Ready for Spring Splits | Splitting Beehives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8Nze9owXPzY18KavMTQIe_A4vopYLhOR2eDBgzLswWXDDBM_b14sGoX1jJeZ7pezR9T3PQLycO-fL5P0s6FtRHxDwI3xjQN1h_Q2Hi64hZ32bKUQrN9YVVi47QX53TNFltrcwUvdjeKE/s1600/IMG_1353+resized.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8Nze9owXPzY18KavMTQIe_A4vopYLhOR2eDBgzLswWXDDBM_b14sGoX1jJeZ7pezR9T3PQLycO-fL5P0s6FtRHxDwI3xjQN1h_Q2Hi64hZ32bKUQrN9YVVi47QX53TNFltrcwUvdjeKE/s1600/IMG_1353+resized.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overwintered queen and newly emerged bees</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
April was wonderful for buildup. On my first inspection on 3/31, the queen had just started laying with only a couple of frames filled with brood/eggs.<br />
<br />
I kept adding patties weekly as the bees were going through them pretty quickly. We had some marginal weather during the first half of April, but the buildup continued steadily.<br />
<br />
As of my last inspection on April 26, the bottom box is fully filled with brood and the brood nest is expanding into the second box. The first round of brood is emerging - you can see some brand new fuzzy white bees on the bottom left of the queen picture.<br />
<br />
At this point, I can either start expanding the brood nest to try and prevent/delay swarming or I can attempt some early splits. And yes, I have drones!<br />
<br />
At this point, I am not planning on letting them raise
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBx88juX7nSijh1SKdXLUJS1xNBDaKoSXFUZpD0PWZT9lrvymRFtIAny-XduTLZOutmgMl5Ryu0oa_WeJireqPd18binaDz41i9epm0JBAPb7YvFDx_cK4ct8mmddiFpdmDK7ningg7h3/s1600/IMG_1347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBx88juX7nSijh1SKdXLUJS1xNBDaKoSXFUZpD0PWZT9lrvymRFtIAny-XduTLZOutmgMl5Ryu0oa_WeJireqPd18binaDz41i9epm0JBAPb7YvFDx_cK4ct8mmddiFpdmDK7ningg7h3/s1600/IMG_1347.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bee patties are going quickly <br />
when the brood rearing gets going</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
their own queens, because I don't want to miss the early spring buildup. The dandelions are just starting to bloom. Instead, I have ordered VSH queens and they should be arriving some time next week (May 2). The long range forecast calls for lows in the high 50s and highs are in the high 70s. Perfect time for spring splits.Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-77254730288437591592015-04-03T11:47:00.000-07:002015-04-03T11:47:03.780-07:00Spring cleanup in the apiary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixgnBqeyvfO4eEPOSS8qe1vyRkYj2xHlk8AqnkidcS0gV3aYy6DYHl-4K49-9CgKk5ha0jxfTcI_3WpYd7QlGQlviWr3XiOyOnZ6DDtiWYj-frFzEu1prtNlBBjn_IBLI8s5ec230cRbl/s1600/IMG_1316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixgnBqeyvfO4eEPOSS8qe1vyRkYj2xHlk8AqnkidcS0gV3aYy6DYHl-4K49-9CgKk5ha0jxfTcI_3WpYd7QlGQlviWr3XiOyOnZ6DDtiWYj-frFzEu1prtNlBBjn_IBLI8s5ec230cRbl/s1600/IMG_1316.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On Wednesday, April 1, I was finally able to peek under the
covers. The temperature was balmy 69F, it was sunny and really pleasant. I took
the opportunity to do my spring cleanup:<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<br />
<li>Assess cluster size and food reserves</li>
<li>Check the brood nest</li>
<li>Clean out the bottom boards</li>
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<br />
I was pleasantly surprised with the size of the clusters.
The queen had just started laying. If I needed to treat for mites, it would
have been a great opportunity since I found only eggs. At this point in time even
a sugar shake combined with cleaning out the bottom board in about 15 minutes
or a sticky board would have had a major impact. I did not have to do anything
since the mite numbers were very low.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The bees were making headway on the patties I provided on
the weekend. They were heavily working the maple trees. They had multiple
pollen frames, a couple of frames of nectar and almost no capped honey. I added
a couple of capped honey frames that I held back in the fall. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I reversed the hive bodies and cleaned out the bottom boards.
The hives are all spruced up and ready to go.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-57314250066290744672015-04-01T08:20:00.000-07:002015-04-01T08:20:02.223-07:00Spring is almost here! in Maria's apiary<div class="MsoNormal">
Winter finally let go on Saturday, March 28 and I was able
to slip new protein patties into the hives. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This year, the patties are softer since they were drying out
too quickly last year. I’ve also added a few drops of lemongrass oil and
spearmint oil to make them more palatable. Each hive got one of the old batch
and one of the new batch, so we shall see how that turns out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I did not get much of a peek inside since it was in the 40s.
However, the maples are blooming and as usual, the temps are taking us for a
wild ride. Tomorrow, the weatherman is promising us almost 70F. Hopefully, I
will be able to take a quick peek in and assess the situation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
How are your bees doing?<o:p></o:p></div>
Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-19186982579483817422014-10-23T09:12:00.000-07:002014-10-23T09:12:02.177-07:00Hindsight is 20/20: My beekeeping Summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKEuBcZ2-G_1fimv2GVMizjgaNvppTIUCWmVZSoBGvMP-Xw2gHr27QjYNop5raNaBGksqPKn0Mlq-ZBRkER24OI7d6FXeZQK3RJdphABt_j-JOA5_OzKOy4qshxNTG2s_u1CFRw5AWKQC/s1600/IMG_20140920_103505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKEuBcZ2-G_1fimv2GVMizjgaNvppTIUCWmVZSoBGvMP-Xw2gHr27QjYNop5raNaBGksqPKn0Mlq-ZBRkER24OI7d6FXeZQK3RJdphABt_j-JOA5_OzKOy4qshxNTG2s_u1CFRw5AWKQC/s1600/IMG_20140920_103505.jpg" height="200" width="120" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Man plans and God laughs</i></blockquote>
<br />
My summer was pretty much a blur. I managed to <i>mostly </i>follow the plan that I outlined in <a href="http://www.donnellyfarmsohio.com/2013/10/how-to-maximize-your-honey-production_20.html" target="_blank">How to maximize your honey production while minimizing swarming (Part II)</a>. I am very grateful that I had this plan, because in the swirl of my day-to-day responsibilities, I did not have much time to putter in the hives and try out new things. I had a target date, manipulations that needed done and that was that.<br />
<br />
I am happy to report that I ended up with 10 5 gallon extracted honey buckets from my 5 hives that survived the polar vortex. I ended up leaving 2 full deep supers on 2 of those hives since couple of the middle frames had some unhatched drone brood and I did not have the time to try to move those further down. I also distributed a full supper among my new spring packages to make sure they have adequate supplies for winter.<br />
<br />
Overall, I am happy with the results even though I did not have the time to grow my apiary the way I planned to. Over the next few weeks, I will be posting some more details and <i>pictures!</i> from my beekeeping summer.<br />
<br />
Now, the only thing left to do is to make sure they are protected for the winter.Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-40150353310443705892014-04-16T16:05:00.001-07:002014-04-16T16:05:45.970-07:00What Is Going On In Maria's Apiary: I am finally able to peek under the covers!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYlWNS2HwKP-bpNN6vZ1vZR8s_kr1h-DaQoNp8g-sEWCMK0mPjYd03XhHdgZfOXZk7yVFUmts_JAUXOPxB2z-PjmEkgNZhVh4fZQylPX_wsdfJqh30v7CbI1DwLDDWzP1UxsoA8pqsGn3e/s1600/Hive+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYlWNS2HwKP-bpNN6vZ1vZR8s_kr1h-DaQoNp8g-sEWCMK0mPjYd03XhHdgZfOXZk7yVFUmts_JAUXOPxB2z-PjmEkgNZhVh4fZQylPX_wsdfJqh30v7CbI1DwLDDWzP1UxsoA8pqsGn3e/s1600/Hive+4.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An overwintered double deep hive</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We had some gorgeous weather in the past week and I was able to take some pictures of the clusters.<br />
<br />
They are looking great considering the winter that we had and the fact that when I took those pictures, the maples hadn't started blooming yet.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYivf0c1LmwHRHwn6wMUgSpD_WwZM0FuAB6DBDda0rTT5mKI9w7SPy5YD7TEVivqT4v5sbOzqbXz4UYqrxd1It02THhYqVtHVL1jSimxIWSpEy-lA3AeqmYV2xisl0OXztG5n-Jn58lH3U/s1600/IMG_0315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYivf0c1LmwHRHwn6wMUgSpD_WwZM0FuAB6DBDda0rTT5mKI9w7SPy5YD7TEVivqT4v5sbOzqbXz4UYqrxd1It02THhYqVtHVL1jSimxIWSpEy-lA3AeqmYV2xisl0OXztG5n-Jn58lH3U/s1600/IMG_0315.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A hive that overwintered in a single deep</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As I mentioned in my previous post, I added patties since I did not think the bees will be able to benefit much from the maples. Turns out I had it right - the maples bloomed over the weekend and the cold weather promptly set in. Yesterday's high was below freezing and today's high is only 43F (6C).<br />
<br />
Fortunately, I was able to add some frames of honey to the lighter ones.<br />
<br />
Looks like Thursday and Friday next week will be perfect to take a peek at the brood and equalize it. The timing is perfect according to my calendar - just about right for the apple bloom (<a href="http://www.donnellyfarmsohio.com/2013/10/how-to-maximize-your-honey-production_20.html">http://www.donnellyfarmsohio.com/2013/10/how-to-maximize-your-honey-production_20.html</a>).<br />
<br />
I am hoping the weather forecast stays the same. How is your Spring prep going? Drop me a note in the comments.Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-90231791721329820792014-03-29T15:44:00.000-07:002014-03-29T15:44:56.922-07:00Beekeeping With Kids<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQUq0CBXTRgOAVvVH-0ue3XmMmOdP1Mz77WTl1KRz1i6EoMCgBr9q0PPWzenzLn51k9aNIxGIkICdzHsS9YucM_Rq3-hAOlLP-hlAUTDYYHH0kwdWr67oWpOmuTNBviekJJjK0SX277ko/s1600/IMG_20130630_120200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQUq0CBXTRgOAVvVH-0ue3XmMmOdP1Mz77WTl1KRz1i6EoMCgBr9q0PPWzenzLn51k9aNIxGIkICdzHsS9YucM_Rq3-hAOlLP-hlAUTDYYHH0kwdWr67oWpOmuTNBviekJJjK0SX277ko/s320/IMG_20130630_120200.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My helper and me. We are getting ready <br />to check on our queen cells.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Sooner or later, your friends and family will become curious and will want to visit your apiary. I've shown (and shown off) my honey bees to a lot of people. Below are some of my experiences.
<br />
<br />
I'll start with the obvious :D. It is a lot easier to show off hives in Spring and early Summer while the bees are on a flow and mostly ignore intrusions.<br />
<br />
I usually show beginner beekeepers my nucs. In this way I can show them a nice selection of frames (honey, brood and pollen) without a lot of lifting and digging through multiple boxes. I can also find the queen fairly quickly. In addition, the nucs are not as defensive as the fully-grown production hives. Another positive is that beginner beekeepers are not going to be overwhelmed with the sheer number of bees in a production hive.<br />
<br />
Before we even get close, I make sure that everybody's bee suit is bee tight and then I go over the basic rules. The rules may be obvious for us beekeepers, but beginners probably never even thought about them.<br />
<br />
First, of course, I point out the safety zone. This is the place where my assistants can go and take off their bee suits if they get overwhelmed, scared, stung, hot or simply bored. I also make sure that everybody understands that they cannot come back towards the hives unless their bee suit is back on and zipped up.<br />
<br />
Then, I cover the basics of dealing with a bee sting - you scrape the stinger off and puff a few puffs of smoke on the site to cover the pheromone. Then, you can either head to the safety zone or stay and help me finish up.<br />
<br />
After that it is time to head to the hives. I don't plan to do any special manipulations if I can help it. The main goal of the visit is to show my friends the hive and how to complete a basic inspection. I have found that it helps to "narrate" as you go (make sure you name and point out all the parts):<br />
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<ul>
<li>"You puff a little bit of smoke at the entrance to let the honey bees know that we're going to be visiting them. Wait for a bit, so that they can calm down"</li>
<li>"Now, we can open the telescoping cover. A puff of smoke will keep them out of our way".</li>
<li>And so on</li>
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Be prepared to give up your hive tool and smoker. I ended up having to get spares in order to be able to assist the newly minted beekeepers. </div>
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Finally, don't forget to have fun!</div>
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Have you shown off your hives to your friends and family? Do you have helpers? Drop me a line in the comments!</div>
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<br />Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-53455485313736645582014-03-19T15:20:00.000-07:002014-03-19T15:20:58.911-07:00What Is Going On In Maria's Apiary: Adding Pollen Patties<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6YfUyGUa12MjjZ-tbHoI8_9OWLg9NP991vSr0IDWxpMMisbYlY73diTvKrZbK4aKH5pH32n6bYZCWs2bVWqGIXJ6Ss68nn_MVgzcTbYdo5Q6djTxZApjg8A0qfClqQBRhVJZ5Xq40LaB/s1600/IMG_0299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6YfUyGUa12MjjZ-tbHoI8_9OWLg9NP991vSr0IDWxpMMisbYlY73diTvKrZbK4aKH5pH32n6bYZCWs2bVWqGIXJ6Ss68nn_MVgzcTbYdo5Q6djTxZApjg8A0qfClqQBRhVJZ5Xq40LaB/s1600/IMG_0299.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My apiary is covered with snow</td></tr>
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Spring is almost here. It may not look like it, but underneath the covers, the bees are getting ready for Spring buildup. The ice is gone from the Maumee river and the maples are budded up.</div>
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I am looking at our long range weather forecast. The highs for the next couple of weeks are hovering in the mid 40s, well below the average temperatures for this time of year. The forecasts also calls for long stretches of snow or rain showers - a spell of cold and wet weather that can prevent my bees from building up on the maple pollen. You can find my bloom dates here: <a href="http://www.donnellyfarmsohio.com/2013/10/how-to-maximize-your-honey-production_20.html">http://www.donnellyfarmsohio.com/2013/10/how-to-maximize-your-honey-production_20.html</a></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeRQQytsgzFjAYyzxH9dofUyfYWPOQj5bhOjSdmjQ3Gb13x64-JFz_0i3qZBWy12naLiNuPRcEYBe29z7fnD4dziBOr-JPU6E-A86t9HBmiSCpEpDwYcvv-kTOnqYmwXJjKvXIOJJxHzo3/s1600/IMG_0280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeRQQytsgzFjAYyzxH9dofUyfYWPOQj5bhOjSdmjQ3Gb13x64-JFz_0i3qZBWy12naLiNuPRcEYBe29z7fnD4dziBOr-JPU6E-A86t9HBmiSCpEpDwYcvv-kTOnqYmwXJjKvXIOJJxHzo3/s1600/IMG_0280.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ice is moving on the Maumee river</td></tr>
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As you can see from the above, the maple buildup is approximately 42 to 49 days before the dandelion and the fruit tree blooms. Optimizing the bee populations for those blooms will allow me to make my increase and to secure a decent crop later in the summer on the basswood flow. </div>
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<i>At least that is the theory - I will keep you informed on how that pans out in reality as the season develops :D.</i></div>
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Since it does not look like the bees will have good flight weather for the maple bloom, I've decided to supplement with a pollen patty.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyA87eAZLFjjsaoONc_Nui9WinkgysA8LecO3ZJ8plzy06RCSd6JT7a_1KYKAtLviQ02B03zd-BXtVIuP4-HfTjhT4tulqrPxsyBxeA2tVrymQSgQ2mGuzmCjnsrcjCwTh2v2NJmR8Kd2c/s1600/IMG_0296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyA87eAZLFjjsaoONc_Nui9WinkgysA8LecO3ZJ8plzy06RCSd6JT7a_1KYKAtLviQ02B03zd-BXtVIuP4-HfTjhT4tulqrPxsyBxeA2tVrymQSgQ2mGuzmCjnsrcjCwTh2v2NJmR8Kd2c/s1600/IMG_0296.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The maple tree is ready to bloom</td></tr>
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For the past 3 months, I've been waiting for Randy Oliver @ScientificBeekeeping.com to publish his latest research on pollen supplements. Unfortunately, he seems to have run into some snags and the research has not been published as of this writing. So, I decided to go with Bee-Pro from MannLake. To mix it, I used Michael Palmer's pollen patty recipe of 25 lbs 2:1 sugar syrup and 10 lbs Bee-Pro.</div>
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Today I put those on my hives. It is still just under 50F and quite windy - I did not take the time to take pictures. The survivors are looking pretty good. I will share some pictures once our weather settles down a bit.</div>
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Meanwhile, drop me a note on your thoughts on patties! Do you use them and when? What brands do you prefer?</div>
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PS. Diana W., I got your message, but unfortunately there is a typo in your email address. I am using a queen rearing calendar to get the timing right. I will share it here on the blog when it is time to rear some good queens. I usually start my Fall queens on the 4th of July.<br />
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Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-78854451034453088002014-03-12T17:04:00.000-07:002014-03-12T17:04:53.515-07:00Beginning Beekeeping: How To Set Up Your Apiary<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaYQdIDJU7aJoPE6_4ZkTrCZD0tS4c2lpFGz2b93Hxg7d3kblMFwkfzMCwmdKIzC473KBPzw9mUnIlmmlRu8kSLjk0DartwpUgjaN5digEcpCGgNSt5_8zJk4124EiFKYIDnd5w48AeTSH/s1600/IMG_0139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaYQdIDJU7aJoPE6_4ZkTrCZD0tS4c2lpFGz2b93Hxg7d3kblMFwkfzMCwmdKIzC473KBPzw9mUnIlmmlRu8kSLjk0DartwpUgjaN5digEcpCGgNSt5_8zJk4124EiFKYIDnd5w48AeTSH/s1600/IMG_0139.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My backyard apiary is covered in snow.</td></tr>
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It may not look like it right now, but Spring is almost here. If you are expecting your first package or nuc this Spring, you probably already researched what is best for the bees:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Southern or South-Eastern exposure to encourage earlier and later flight</li>
<li>Full sun, so that the bees have the upper hand against SHB</li>
<li>Easy access for the beekeeper</li>
<li>Access to water and decent forage</li>
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For a lot of beekeepers the above usually translates into a backyard apiary. A cursory Google image search for backyard apiaries will reveal many bucolic pictures with beehives close to a back door or on a patio. I have to admit that even today those idealized images showing the Bee Whisperer's backyard have a certain draw. However, now I know better. My backyard apiary is far-away from the high-traffic spaces of our yard, behind a barn.<br />
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If you are planning on keeping bees in close proximity to other people and pets, your first and foremost goal should be to limit their interaction as much as possible and to make sure any close contact does not result in an injury.<br />
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Bees in urban areas can become a nuisance in a hurry. They are naturally attracted to swimming pools. A strong hive hauling water in hot weather can prevent you or your neighbors from enjoying the backyard pool. In order to prevent this, you need to establish an alternative water source early in the season. For that you can use any water container such as a bird bath, an animal water through and add pebbles or float some straw or bark in order to make it safer for the bees.<br />
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Once your bees find a <u>reliable</u> water source, they will keep visiting it. This will work in your favor as long as you establish your water source before pool season starts and <u>never, ever</u> let it go dry.<br />
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In order to minimize stings, pay special attention to the traffic pattern from and to your hive. Foraging honey bees will fly in a straight line to their nectar source ("beeline"). If their traffic crosses a path, the inevitable collisions will result in stings when the foragers get tangled in clothing and hair. In order to minimize this, point the hive entrance to a blind wall or erect a small privacy fence.<br />
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All this precautions can seem silly or even an overkill in the Spring. After all, we have all seen all those videos of people installing packages with absolutely no protection and completing the follow-up inspection with nary a puff of smoke in sight. Some of us have even tried it - I know I did (and I won't be repeating it). And yes, it can be done on a beautiful day without a sting. <i>However, there is a big difference between inspecting a newly installed package and an overwintered colony</i>.<br />
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A package has no resources and is scrambling to get their brood nest established, build the necessary comb and collect pollen and honey in order to be able to survive. Protection is not among the most pressing issues facing a newly installed package. An established colony, on the other hand, will protect the area in front of its entrance. The stronger the colony is, the more resources it can spare for protection. The same package that let people and pets play right in front of the entrance in the Spring, will send out guards to investigate and head-butt observers in the Fall.<br />
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However, if you took the precautions in the Spring to minimize bee and human interactions in the Spring, you should have no issues in the Fall. Enjoy your hives and happy beekeeping!<br />
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Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-21458157720435041212014-03-01T15:31:00.001-08:002014-03-01T15:31:35.872-08:00Snow Owls In OhioI spotted two snow owls on my way back from work on Tuesday. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me. Today, we went looking for them again and we were lucky to spot them less than 3/4 miles from home.<br />
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The darker one is a young one or possibly female. The whiter one is an older male.<br />
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Once in a lifetime opportunity to observe those beautiful birds!<br />
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<span id="goog_1778078739"></span><span id="goog_1778078740"></span>PS. I am also uploading a video on my YouTube channel.</div>
Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-26142123603530417252014-02-17T06:12:00.001-08:002014-02-17T06:12:43.875-08:00Perfect StormThe last several weeks were a perfect storm of illness, including extended hospitalization as well as new "challenges" at work. Needless to say, I am behind on my posts.<br />
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Now, that all of that is behind me, I am playing catch up on working on my latest project - How to set up your apiary. I should have my post up in the next couple of days barring anything unexpected.<br />
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Stay warm!<br />
MariaMariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-12161749122593568852014-01-30T07:10:00.001-08:002014-01-30T07:10:30.711-08:00In The News: Neonicotinoid Pesticides Harm Bees’ Food Gathering Ability<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Well, time to eat crow :). Research so far was unable to show increased bee and larval mortality due to neonicotinoid exposure at<b> field relevant doses</b>. The latest study, “Field realistic doses of pesticide imidacloprid reduce bumblebee pollen foraging efficiency” published online in the current issue of the journal “Ecotoxicology,” shows that neonocotinoids actually impact pollen foraging.</div>
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I assume the impact on honey bees is similar to that on bumblebees. A hive exposed to neonocotinoids would collect less pollen and consequently raise less brood. Any beekeeper can see the effects: smallish clusters that succumb easily to pests and diseases and are not very successful at overwintering. The impact will look very much like a poor queen but it might be poor nutrition. Thoughts?</div>
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Original article here: <a href="http://ens-newswire.com/2014/01/29/neonicotinoid-pesticides-harm-bees-foodgathering-ability/" target="_blank">Neonicotinoid Pesticides Harm Bees’ Foodgathering Ability</a></div>
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Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-82291406255357931162014-01-28T08:01:00.000-08:002014-01-28T08:01:18.285-08:00In The News: Honey bees – will concern over health sting crop production?“Ban the neonicotinoids!” has become the rallying cry of many concerned with the decline in bee health. Unfortunately, scientific studies overwhelmingly suggest that the neonicotinoids might be the lesser of the two evils as far as bees are concerned. If you are curious about some of the research, you can check out Randy Oliver’s Scientific Beekeeping blog.<br />
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Mechanical solutions to neonicotinoid dust at planting as well as educating the public about common sense usage that protects pollinators such as spraying at dusk or when pollinators are not flying and spraying when all bloom is spent make more sense than banning a whole class of products that drastically reduces aerial spraying of crops. What are your thoughts?<br />
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<a href="http://deltafarmpress.com/blog/honey-bees-will-concern-over-health-sting-crop-production" target="_blank">Honey bees – will concern over health sting crop production?</a><br />
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Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8544200192218426259.post-16916053760423385002014-01-27T08:23:00.002-08:002014-01-27T08:23:33.854-08:00In The News: Australian Honeybees Unable to Make HoneyThis year is brutal on honey bees everywhere. The record lows and the "Polar Vortex" here and the heatwave in Australia are testing the hives in both hemispheres. How are your bees faring so far?<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Australia's </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/04/spring-2013-hottest-on-record" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #399800; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">hottest</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> spring on record has spawn droughts and intense heatwaves; it has been disastrous for honeybees as their hives are </span><a href="http://www.perthnow.com.au/lifestyle/food/drought-in-australia-affecting-honey-supplies-as-bees-battle-dry-conditions-and-lack-of-nectar/story-fnhlcwrj-1226809862086" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #399800; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">melting</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> whilst temperatures soar.</span></blockquote>
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Source: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-reese-halter/australian-honeybees-unable-to-make-honey_b_4670475.html" target="_blank"> The Huffington Post</a>Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221355104098501489noreply@blogger.com0