The Honey Factory

[jerryse]

43 and sunny . Bees are flying . They seldom fly at this temp .

 

[duluthralphie]

@duluthralphie A lot of dairies are going out of business, you may be able to find something like this. We have some, we call them calf igloos, lol.
They work great on the hives if you can weigh them down because they are heavy but we have lots of straight winds and haven't been able to use them the last couple years in the new location.
https://polydome.com/services/calf-huts/?msclkid=ef18f700ae0111ec8fe25dc3c0cd4d8f

I have some calf igloos, they won’t do for what I want. But a larger one or making a frame they sit on might.

Thanks for the idea

 

[duluthralphie]

I ordered Carolians this year. I have been disappointed in my Canooks.

 

[Apis mellifera]

I do have a mite question. I plan to vigorously fight mites this year. Does anyone have a suggestion for when I free my package?

If it's cold when you get the packages just cut or pry the screen off the box (after removing the queen) and dump the bees on the queen cage. With frames of honey, you won't need to feed them. Ive never had any problems with cold weather installs. It may even be better. You have a window of 9 days after install to treat for mites. Once there is capped brood, you're too late. I would use oxalic acid on packages, you can use the dribble or vap. If you do vaporization use 4 grams, not the EPA recommended 1 gram. It's not effective and was taken from Austrian researchers that were using little hives not Langstroth. Thats your government for you. All the acids (hops, formic, oxalic) are considered organic treatments. Since your area temperatures are below 50 dont worry about absconding.

Gusting winds and snow squalls here, March is no fun.

 

[duluthralphie]

I have made my heated hive. I am going to only heat one so I can see if it makes a difference. And yes I know there are about a million variables and the test is not scientific.


But then neither is my heating system. It is very rustic. I will need more Gorilla tape before I can finish it. However, it is running tonight so I can see if it makes a difference.

First I laid my heater on a piece of purple styrofoam. Then hacked out a hole the size of the heaters



Then I attached the heater to the bottom deep.

I used small brads so I could pull it off the box without upsetting the future residents too much.


Then I trimmed the styrofoam and attacked it to the hive over the heater.

Note that is quality gorilla tape and not cheap duct tape.

Then I placed it on a solid bottom. Which will sit on a piece of insulation for the first month.

Note I have a block and not a reducer at this point.
Then I placed another styrofoam piece behind the first one on the heater side.

I added the second box to it and kind of closed it. But I ran out of good tape and will need more before moving it outside.

I placed honey filled frames in the center next to the heater. When I add the bees (Monday) I will move the honey to the out side of the box. Then replace the center frames with empty comb. The stuff I read said the honey filled frames will act like a heat sink. I am putting the two boxes together this year, because of the heat and I have so much partially filled comb.

I normally add the second box about a month from now. I will be feeding the bees and adding a protein patty to encourage egg laying early. We could start getting pollen within the next two weeks, if the weather warms up. The silver maples are ready to bloom.

There you get an idea of what I am trying

 

[duluthralphie]

It is snowing like a male dog outside.

Colder than a sorceress’s mammary gland.

And I have bees to pick up at 10am. I have brought a deep full of frames into the house. Along with a hive to carry my two packages home in.

However, I am meeting resistance from the WW with my plan to keep them in the house.

I think the best way to handle this without her approval is bring them into the house, and if she doesn’t want them here she can take them outside.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

It is snowing like a male dog outside.

Colder than a sorceress’s mammary gland.

And I have bees to pick up at 10am. I have brought a deep full of frames into the house. Along with a hive to carry my two packages home in.

However, I am meeting resistance from the WW with my plan to keep them in the house.

I think the best way to handle this without her approval is bring them into the house, and if she doesn’t want them here she can take them outside.

I had to keep my package inside before for a day once. You just don't want them to get too warm. (Then they get loud and scary. ) I also sprayed them lightly with sugar water a couple times.

 

[duluthralphie]

I had to keep my package inside before for a day once. You just don't want them to get too warm. (Then they get loud and scary. ) I also sprayed them lightly with sugar water a couple times.

That may not be an option looking at the forecast.

Today is the best day for a week.

 

[duluthralphie]

Please look on YouTube for cold weather bee installs. Then you will see how my install was meant to go.


It did not go as smoothly. Some bees now find themselves locked out of the hive.

 

[jerryse]

I bet those southie bees wonder what happened with the weather .