🐝💗Our Backyard Beekeeping Journey!💗🐝

[Apis mellifera]

Would they work for capturing a swarm, if we should need to?

What you have is shipping nucs, the coroplast are Jester nucs and the hard plastic are Pro Nucs. Some beekeepers keep one in their trunk for swarm calls and just shake the swarm in them. They could work as swarm traps, but you would need to put a frame of brood comb in them.

I saw some lemongrass oil in the store and bought it; I've read it's a good lure for catching a swarm. It would be nice not to need to buy bees again. They aren't cheap. We paid $200 for a locally raised nuc in May. I am not complaining about the price, just commenting.

Are you thinking about placing swarm traps near your yard or place them in different locations?

That is really nice. Thank you for doing this.

You bet, bees are expensive and it's great to help people get started.

There are people in our club who raise and sell nucs (where we got ours), so I'd be hesitant to give away a colony and take away their business.

Theres no shortage of buyers. Sellers will be fine.

But I'd also be hesitant to sell them when I don't know much about what I'm doing.

You'll get all the basics soon. You already know so much more than most people.

 

[drstratton]

Did our 4th OAV treatment tonight.
Here's a little rundown of our Mite-e-Vape.
When the green light goes off, it's at temp, 400° This shows it right side up.

This silicone cup holds 4g or 1tsp of Oxalic acid.
Once it's at temp and the light goes off, you turn the vaporizer upside down and push the cup into it. Sorry I didn't get a picture of that.

Keeping the vaporizer upside down you stick it into a 1/4" pre-drilled hole, in the back of the hive. Then you turn it right side up, tap the cup a few times to make sure the acid crystals have dropped into the vaporizer. When the light goes off it's back up to temp. I leave it in for about 20 more seconds, then remove it. Super simple and fast.

Thought I'd give you all a laugh at my expense.
The bees were spicy today and I was stung twice, so tonight I decided I'd better have my jacket and veil on. I didn't need it, but wasn't in the mood to be stung again today.

Don't think I'll go out and about like this...lol

 

[GunnyBun]

Did our 4th OAV treatment tonight.
Here's a little rundown of our Mite-e-Vape.
When the green light goes off, it's at temp, 400° This shows it right side up.
View attachment 4208394

This silicone cup holds 4g or 1tsp of Oxalic acid.
Once it's at temp and the light goes off, you turn the vaporizer upside down and push the cup into it. Sorry I didn't get a picture of that.
View attachment 4208395

Keeping the vaporizer upside down you stick it into a 1/4" pre-drilled hole, in the back of the hive. Then you turn it right side up, tap the cup a few times to make sure the acid crystals have dropped into the vaporizer. When the light goes off it's back up to temp. I leave it in for about 20 more seconds, then remove it. Super simple and fast.
View attachment 4208396

Thought I'd give you all a laugh at my expense.
The bees were spicy today and I was stung twice, so tonight I decided I'd better have my jacket and veil on. I didn't need it, but wasn't in the mood to be stung again today.

Don't think I'll go out and about like this...lol
View attachment 4208392View attachment 4208393

Ouch!! I don’t blame you at all! My grandparents used to have some hives wayyy before I came along and I was told my grandfather would just go out to the hives without anything on and the bees never bothered him! They probably would sense my fear, I’m not actually scared of bees by themselves but if I’m face to face with hundreds if not thousands of them at once I would feel a lot better having that protection on!

 

[drstratton]

Ouch!! I don’t blame you at all! My grandparents used to have some hives wayyy before I came along and I was told my grandfather would just go out to the hives without anything on and the bees never bothered him! They probably would sense my fear, I’m not actually scared of bees by themselves but if I’m face to face with hundreds if not thousands of them at once I would feel a lot better having that protection on!

Thank you! What a fun memory of your grandfather!
The girls don't usually bother me either. But, I really do need to be more careful...lol I wasn't sure if I would be afraid of them or not. I'm not afraid of them, but I never open the hive without my veil on and I always wear gloves. I do however go in without my jacket. But, I'll probably wear it the rest of the season. They aren't as calm as they were all summer. It didn't help that our smoker went out. My husband's a good Pyro, so I'm surprised it happened. Live and learn!

 

[drstratton]

I have one of those and I never took it out of the box, I should try it sometime. I'm so used to the Jero double serrated knife it's hard to try something different. Everyone just has to find what works best for them. I like making candles, so I need to render the wax.

I think I'd like to make candles at some point too.

You'll have to let us know if you try it.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

Did our 4th OAV treatment tonight.
Here's a little rundown of our Mite-e-Vape.
When the green light goes off, it's at temp, 400° This shows it right side up.
View attachment 4208394

This silicone cup holds 4g or 1tsp of Oxalic acid.
Once it's at temp and the light goes off, you turn the vaporizer upside down and push the cup into it. Sorry I didn't get a picture of that.
View attachment 4208395

Keeping the vaporizer upside down you stick it into a 1/4" pre-drilled hole, in the back of the hive. Then you turn it right side up, tap the cup a few times to make sure the acid crystals have dropped into the vaporizer. When the light goes off it's back up to temp. I leave it in for about 20 more seconds, then remove it. Super simple and fast.
View attachment 4208396

Thought I'd give you all a laugh at my expense.
The bees were spicy today and I was stung twice, so tonight I decided I'd better have my jacket and veil on. I didn't need it, but wasn't in the mood to be stung again today.

Don't think I'll go out and about like this...lol
View attachment 4208392View attachment 4208393

Ground Control to Major Tom

 

[5Australorpasaures]

44 F, had to turn the heat on in the honey room since honey and wax are a little stiff this AM. One super to go, drippings from decapping then the fine filtering. Honey seems to have a slight hint of smoke and a little heat, very nice sweetness, atta girls. After clean up concentrate on winter prep.

 

[Sally PB]

I like making candles, so I need to render the wax.

I need some information about rendering wax. It might be too late to build a solar melter, and I don't want to do it on the stove, for safety reasons.

but I never open the hive without my veil on and I always wear gloves.

Our bee club has an apiary at a local college now. Beekeeping is also a 1-credit class for students. The person in charge said it's ok if you don't want to wear a suit or jacket or gloves, but wearing a veil will be mandatory. A bee sting on your arm, eh, so what unless you're allergic. A bee sting in your eye could cost you your eye. That makes sense to me.

 

[Sally PB]

Honey seems to have a slight hint of smoke and a little heat,

Smoke and heat taste in honey??? How do you get that? I'm intrigued!

 

[5Australorpasaures]

Smoke and heat taste in honey??? How do you get that? I'm intrigued!

The heat comes from what ever they find at the end of summer going into fall, living here in the Pine Barrens I have no idea what they bring in beyond strong flow of Blueberry nectar, Cranberry pollen, Swamp Maple and Holly in the spring. I'm thinking the smoke may have come from all the forest fires and prescribed burning we've had this season.