The Honey Factory

[duluthralphie]

You can always stick to your original plan and off the little stingers.

That is ranking high on my plans again.

I would save their honey for their replacements.

 

[R2elk]

That is ranking high on my plans again.

I would save their honey for their replacements.

Drawn comb really helps a new hive get going.

 

[duluthralphie]

I had drawn comb this spring, I bought 2 used hives with drawn comb.

There was even some honey in it.

I am guessing my mistake was trying to use the queen excluder, they really hated it.

I am thinking next year two packages early as possible, no excluder.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

What’s My choices then?

You could combine both hives, and feed them sugar water with honey be healthy, then when it gets freezing give them sugar and winter patties.
When I combine hives I put 2 layers of newspaper between them. They will sort out the queen issue. If they don't make it then you'll have done everything you could.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

When we combined the nuc, I took 10 frames and put them all into a regular medium super and put on a nuc introduction board with the remaining nuc body on top of that.
I put 2 layers of newspaper between the hive and the nuc bees I was introducing. (Oh and the bottle was a now empty Lemongrass essential oils bottle. )

 

[duluthralphie]

I thought about combining them.
I was going to put them one on top of another with a inch spacer between them so they could help heat each other.

Even though your only a state south of me, your winters are probably 8 weeks shorter than mine.

I am considering feeding them heavy sugar water and hope they store it for winter.

or sending them to bee heaven early.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

My dad has taken me to the boundary waters up by International Falls twice. It's awesome weather there in July, I shudder to think about winter there though. I gripe about my dad and brother living in northern Iowa, it's too cold! It's cold enough for me here in southern Iowa.

 

[duluthralphie]

I have decided to feed them sugar water, for now.

I hope they move it down to the frames and fill them with sugar water. I will give them a chance to survive, if they can store enough sugar water.

I can probably feed them for 6-8 more weeks. I am going to use a heavier than normal ratio. Instead of 1:1 I am using 2:1.

I should have put the winter bottom boards on yesterday, I forgot. So today I will take the hives apart, pottying off the bees again. I will put heavy closed cell styrofoam under them then the winter bottom board. As it is could to freeze tonight, I decided the screen bottom season is over.

I debated taking the concrete blocks out from under them and setting them on the ground. But that could invite rodents. Unless one of you tell me soon why I should set them directly on ground, they will stay on blocks all winter.

 

[jerryse]

Hey Ralphie you going to get any of that snow Cindy has ? Too early .

 

[duluthralphie]

Hey Ralphie you going to get any of that snow Cindy has ? Too early .

Too early, but Togo is cold enough to have it.