The Honey Factory

[jerryse]

For those with dead outs - empty hives make good swarm traps . Drawn comb is very attractive to a swarm . Some lemon grass oil - swarm lure helps . Ralphie has a neighbor with bees . Good chances with your one hive and any feral colonies .

 

[jerryse]

Live bees - snow melt above the cluster

 

[duluthralphie]

Live bees - snow melt above the clusterView attachment 2510150

I doubt I would ever see that.
I have 6 inches of fiberglass insulation between my hive and the cover.

I laid layers of newspaper above to collect moisture..

kind of like these:

 

[jerryse]

Our winter has not been as cold as usual so I did not insulate . I considered it .

 

[karenerwin]

I am trying to decide if I want to order 2 packages of bees for the 2 hives that left/died out or just get 1 package/nuc like I did last year. I am pretty sure that I have to do a MUCH better job in regards to mites and small hive beetles. I think those are what weakened my hives so much. I also need to find another mentor that lives closer that can come help me with both of those issues.

 

[jerryse]

I am trying to decide if I want to order 2 packages of bees for the 2 hives that left/died out or just get 1 package/nuc like I did last year. I am pretty sure that I have to do a MUCH better job in regards to mites and small hive beetles. I think those are what weakened my hives so much. I also need to find another mentor that lives closer that can come help me with both of those issues.

You might try 1 package and use the other as a bait hive . Might catch some free bees . I did .

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

I am trying to decide if I want to order 2 packages of bees for the 2 hives that left/died out or just get 1 package/nuc like I did last year. I am pretty sure that I have to do a MUCH better job in regards to mites and small hive beetles. I think those are what weakened my hives so much. I also need to find another mentor that lives closer that can come help me with both of those issues.

Is all of your beeswax in your dead hives ruined? If you can still use some of your built up comb, 2 packages would be the way to go. If you have to discard all of your ruined comb frames I'd go with a nuc to give them a good head start.

 

[duluthralphie]

How often do all ya all* remove comb?

Do you decide by color or a rotation?


*practicing my Southie speak.

 

[Kusanar]

How often do all ya all* remove comb?

Do you decide by color or a rotation?


*practicing my Southie speak.

It's all ya'll which is an improvement over youse guys...

 

[duluthralphie]

It's all ya'll which is an improvement over youse guys...

We all know “you guys” is the appropriate phrase to use.