The Honey Factory

[duluthralphie]

Ha! I beat you! By a lot!

That’s cause he is true blue Southie... I think I heard him whistling “Dixie” right now.

 

[R2elk]

That’s cause he is true blue Southie... I think I herd him whistling “Dixie” right now.

We both know who the true southie is and it ain't me.

 

[CLSranch]

I think R2elk is from Wy. I'm from OK and it got past-17 here. Exactly -17 where I'm at.

That’s cause he is true blue Southie... I think I herd him whistling “Dixie” right now.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Here's a picture of the crystalized honey that I took yesterday. (And the transient bees)

 

[R2elk]

I got news from TSC that they pulled a bait and switch on me. They advertised overnight shipment to the house via UPS and have switched it to "You have to pick the bees up at the post office."

The last time I got bees delivered via the USPS, they held them at the pick up point until they were all dead before shipping them. Had I known that they are using the USPS, I never would have ordered from them. Their original ad states that the bees will be delivered starting in mid April through May.

Mid April is just about perfect for here. Today's information says they will be shipped in two weeks. That is too early for package bees in Wyoming.

I will not buy through them again. If I was sure I could get other bees, I would cancel the order.

 

[R2elk]

It's a beautiful sunny day here. In light of the possible early arrival of bees, I cleaned out the Italian hive that was the last to die. While cleaning it, I had a visit from one single honeybee. It didn't stick around long since there wasn't anything left to steal.

The hive may have died from freezing but it may have dies from starvation. There was less than one quarter of a frame of honey left in the hive. It is possible that if I had started feeding before the freeze, I might still have a live hive.

 

[R2elk]

I cleaned out the Saskatraz hive today. If I had not already ordered a new package of Saskatraz, I would not order any now. They drew wax on one frame. They never did anything in the bottom hive box. They starved out. They remained a small swarm and would have froze out if they had not starved out.

This year's package will not get a second hive body until they do something with the bottom hive body.

 

[jerryse]

I picked up a pollen patty at TSC . Bees have been visiting my damp sawdust . Someone said they want protein . Silver maples have not bloomed yet . Soon I think .

 

[Apis mellifera]

I cleaned out the Saskatraz hive today. If I had not already ordered a new package of Saskatraz, I would not order any now. They drew wax on one frame. They never did anything in the bottom hive box. They starved out. They remained a small swarm and would have froze out if they had not starved out.

This year's package will not get a second hive body until they do something with the bottom hive body.

It kind of sounds like queen failure or a poorly mated queen. In order to draw wax a hive needs a healthy mated queen and lots of sugar or a strong nectar flow. If the queen isn't laying or there isn't any sugar they have no reason to draw wax. I found package queens typically need to be replaced, but that's just my experience. If you check the frames again and find remnants of supercedure cells, that's a red flag.

 

[R2elk]

It kind of sounds like queen failure or a poorly mated queen. In order to draw wax a hive needs a healthy mated queen and lots of sugar or a strong nectar flow. If the queen isn't laying or there isn't any sugar they have no reason to draw wax. I found package queens typically need to be replaced, but that's just my experience. If you check the frames again and find remnants of supercedure cells, that's a red flag.

Nope, no supercedure cells.