Bit of a scare today for beekeepers. A swarm of Apis Cerana was found on a ship off the shore of New Jersey, it was killed but Tropilaelaps mite was found in the swarm. Not good.
Invented by Dr. Harry Laidlaw "The father of honeybee genetics."
https://aggiehero.ucdavis.edu/news/harry-laidlaw-%E2%80%98father-honeybee-genetics%E2%80%99-and-namesake-lab-dies
Because you never have weak or queenless colonies. The nucs provide extra brood, bees, and queens in the event any of the production hives have issues during flying season. By fall all of the hives are of equal strength, risk vs reward. Robbing isn't a real big issue until you get around 6 to...
I wish I could find the photo I had of an entrance during robbing, but you'll see sticky wax all over it. Bees will be entangled on the ground spinning in circles fighting. 5x5 nucs eliminated the use of robbing screens in my apiary. They're low maintenance and a constant source of brood...
Nice weather today for orientation flights, some of my hives are doing the same. When you have robbing, you'll know it. Careful with robbing screens. I don't use them, research has shown you lose a lot of foragers. Randy Oliver may be doing an update on robbing screens.
Yes. Late August to early September is about as late as you can treat with any thymol treatment. But if your mite counts are low now, you'll be fine. I always do the January brood less OA treatment.
I believe any of the top bee suppliers will send it to you. Theres also ApiLife Var.
Very easy. You can get thymol crystals from Ebay or Lebermuth.
https://scientificbeekeeping.com/extended-release-thymol-blocks/
It's strange but it does seem to reinvigorate them.
Hard to say, I don't combine hives because it could also be viral. I usually just reduce them down to one hive body and get surprised in the spring when they bounce back.
Some beekeepers tilt a hive on to a scale. Or you can guess at the weight by counting full frames of honey. A full deep frame is about 8 pounds and a medium frame 5 lbs.
I'm not sure what the target weight in your area is but let's say its 130 pounds for 2 deeps. If your hive weighs 110 pounds you would feed them 2 gallons of 2:1. A gallon of 2:1 adds about 10 pounds.
You can get solar chicken doors and led lights. You run into problems with the water heater, it would cost thousands for that amount of panels and batteries to store the power. I found inexpensive solar lights in my area just aren't reliable for year round use. For an RV or camp, sure.
Yes, you can get synthetic comb. I was given a few to try a couple of years ago and they work but the comb and cells didn't really hold their shape over the summer. They looked a little weird and I took them out the following spring. They may be better now, I'm not sure. It's not something I...
NOOOOOOooooooo! They don't.
Fortex rubber bowls are made from 100% rubber and do not contain PFAS. They are designed to be durable and safe for use with pets and small animals.
If it is 2:1 syrup it can be stored in an airtight container for about 6 months. 1:1 will get moldy quick because of the higher water content. Adding distilled apple cider vinegar or lemon juice can inhibit mold growth for storage. The problem is it's just a guess on how much to add because...