The Honey Factory

[Bogtown Chick]

I have not read through all the thread yet... so I’ll risk this suggestion for the mean bee hive and see if anybody has already made the suggestion. I saw a YouTube video of a bee keeper using a squirt bottle of sugar water instead of smoke to squirt on the bees. And while they are busy cleaning each other up you can get your framework visit done.
Any thoughts on the peanut gallery suggestion?

 

[MarkJr]

I have not read through all the thread yet... so I’ll risk this suggestion for the mean bee hive and see if anybody has already made the suggestion. I saw a YouTube video of a bee keeper using a squirt bottle of sugar water instead of smoke to squirt on the bees. And while they are busy cleaning each other up you can get your framework visit done.
Any thoughts on the peanut gallery suggestion?

Sugar water doesn’t work quite as well as smoke, but it is effective. These bees are pissed at the world before he even knocks on the front door.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

What's the latest buzz bee people?

 

[R2elk]

What's the latest buzz bee people?

It's chilly out. The high was 53°F and it is currently 39°F and dropping as the wind is howling down from the north.

 

[R2elk]

It was a beautiful sunny day. I checked the hives and removed all the empty supers. I did manage to get a total of 6 frames to harvest, They aren't full but between all of them I will get about abut 4 full frames worth of honey.

Yes I did but on my bee jacket with veil and gloves. I did not smoke either hive. Both hives were calm and peaceful.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

My husband has been working on a couple Long Langstroth hives for me. I told him it could be my Christmas present(s).

 

[Apis mellifera]

Last year was a banner year in the Northeast for honey. This year was pretty darn good too. I reared more queens and made more nucs than chickens this year . Here's a queen returning from one of her mating flights on a rainy day. The workers like to form a retinue around her as she enters the mating nuc.

 

[jerryse]

Morning . Back home from my trip up north . Need to check my hives . Ralphie the hornets nest was empty as I thought . Wife was wrong but I addressed her concerns .

 

[duluthralphie]

I am glad your hornets left.

I have to feed my bees and wrap my hives. I am thinking I will try for Sunday. I should feed them now but I don’t want to open the lid in these temps.

Today is calm, so I might try today to feed them if it feels warm enough. But it is not warm enough to take the hive apart and winterize it.

I keep looking for dead bees at the entrance but have not seen a high number yet.

It appears I need to drill a hole in my medium supers as they will be my top box. In what I am reading I should have three deep boxes for winter. I only have two on each hive. So I will need to use a medium on the top.

I was told by a woman near me to not use tar paper around the hives. She says when we first get the warmer weather the black tar paper will warm the hive too much and the bees will break cluster. She claims if they break cluster in February they will die as they don’t go back into cluster.

She uses Tyvec.

Who knows what it will look like when I am done

 

[jerryse]

Took a look at the hives and saw good activity . Put the insert under the screened bottom board on the June hive . Lifted the top cover on the July hive . Lots of bees at the hole on the inner cover . No suit and no smoke . No stings . Should be near 70 Tuesday . So I will look further then . Do not intend to feed . Never have . I am more of the natural beekeeping mindset . Will relocate the hives before winter to be more convenient .