The Honey Factory

[duluthralphie]

I hide my special tools so I'll know where to find them when I need them. DH is not concerned about where he has put a tool until he wants it again, then cover the little ones' ears! He thinks he has a system. He may, but it doesn't work very well for him.

I can identify with him...

 

[duluthralphie]

Probably works as good as my system works. If I can remember where I last used something, it is easy to find unless something else got put on top of it.

Or moved by someone who hates to see anything “out”.

 

[R2elk]

Or moved by someone who hates to see anything “out”.

That is a situation that I do not have to deal with. If I can't find something, I have only me to blame.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

...He thinks he has a system. He may, but it doesn't work very well for him.

My system is to look 3 times, then I give up and ask my wife to look and she finds it right off...

This was foolproof in the past, but here lately she’s becoming less reliable and sometimes must look twice herself... and sometimes now I forget what I’m looking for, so I can’t remember what to tell her I lost

 

[R2elk]

Honeybee on Gumweed

 

[duluthralphie]

I kind of mowed my field yesterday.

I went around the milkweed patches and tried to hit the clover in hopes of a second bloom on it. There is not much for flowers left. I assume they will be hitting the goldenrods heavy now.

The bees are acting weird in the NUC hive. I will repost the pattern photo.

They are constantly crawling and changing positions, there is no movement in or out of the hive. There is no hole other than the little 3/4 inch escape or vent. This is on the north side of the hive.

They seem to bunch up in the hand hold, and on the crack between the boxes. Any idea what they are up to?

 

[karenerwin]

I checked my hives yesterday and in the split I saw 4 small hive beetles out of 10 frames. In the original hive I saw 19 to 22 of them out of the 10 super frames. My mentor was telling me I could make a see through top cover that should help with getting rid of the beetles, as well as killing all of them I see. She also mentioned a small hive beetle trap. Have any of you used either of these methods?
On a good note, I think I saw the Queen (finally) in the split hive.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

I checked my hives yesterday and in the split I saw 4 small hive beetles out of 10 frames. In the original hive I saw 19 to 22 of them out of the 10 super frames. My mentor was telling me I could make a see through top cover that should help with getting rid of the beetles, as well as killing all of them I see. She also mentioned a small hive beetle trap. Have any of you used either of these methods?
On a good note, I think I saw the Queen (finally) in the split hive.

I use Beetle blasters and dry swiffer pads.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

B&B Honey Farm beetle traps.
I use a syringe to fill the bottom with canola oil. Make sure not to dump any because the oil will hurt the bees. It says to put in two for every box but I put one on the boxes and a dry swiffer pad on some of the boxes. Both things work great.

Make sure there's not shade on the hives. The wax moths and beetles love the dark shade.
We had to move our hives this year after battling cutting trees where they were and losing our hives to these pests.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

I have a tackle box I made into my "Bee box" I grab it when I work the hives.
I have baby powder in it too. Bees like the scent of baby powder and if your gloves or hands get sticky, the powder helps to remedy it.