The Honey Factory

[R2elk]

Saskatraz are a mix with Russ, carn, italian, buckfast, and VSH.

If the Saskatraz don't do any better this year than they did last year. I will add them to the list of bees I will not have.

The absolute best bees I have ever had were the ones that I got from Noble Apiaries in California. Unfortunately they will no longer ship individual packages. If I get a hive to over winter again, I will be getting one of their queen bees to get back to their line of bees.

Theirs were extremely gentle, outstanding honey producers, rarely ever swarmed and over wintered very well.

 

[jerryse]

I keep hearing of Saskartz bees not surviving the winter . Must be the selection or lack of it in the US . We know from raising poultry that breeding to the standard is a must to keep quality up .

 

[duluthralphie]

I keep hearing of Saskartz bees not surviving the winter . Must be the selection or lack of it in the US . We know from raising poultry that breeding to the standard is a must to keep quality up .

With so much open breeding purity in bees is like hitting the lottery.....a myth

 

[CLSranch]

Inspection yesterday. She is laying.
Had the wife pull a few frames just to get the fell in case she has to do it later without me around.


Right after she took off the veil and gloves. It all went well with no stings.

 

[itsasmallfarm]

should be getting my bees in a week or two!

 

[duluthralphie]

I picked up my new nuc.... sorta.

The guy is Russian and speaks very little English. His wife speaks some English.

I asked if they still had Nucs.

they replied “yes 10”

I got down there to pick them up and had boxes with 10 frames only left.

After some dickering, I lost and bought a hive with 10 frames plumb full of bees.

He said they were going to add a second box as they needed room. He told me to put a box on top of them, and take the 5 frames out of the middle and move them into the upper box.

I did what I was told. I hope it works.

I did not get any pictures of these today. It’s too cold and the bees speak Russian so we just tried to get along. It’s just too soon in our relationship for photos.

He told me not to feed them. Said “they find food now”.

I hope he’s right.

 

[R2elk]

I picked up my new nuc.... sorta.

The guy is Russian and speaks very little English. His wife speaks some English.

I asked if they still had Nucs.

they replied “yes 10”

I got down there to pick them up and had boxes with 10 frames only left.

After some dickering, I lost and bought a hive with 10 frames plumb full of bees.

He said they were going to add a second box as they needed room. He told me to put a box on top of them, and take the 5 frames out of the middle and move them into the upper box.

I did what I was told. I hope it works.

I did not get any pictures of these today. It’s too cold and the bees speak Russian so we just tried to get along. It’s just too soon in our relationship for photos.

He told me not to feed them. Said “they find food now”.

I hope he’s right.

Feed them.

 

[jerryse]

Ok here is your giggle for today . Went to put flowers on Moms grave . Had lunch . Needed lemongrass oil for the swarm traps . Wife says Pharmacy will have some . She is never wrong . So I went in and asked . Clerk said what you going to put it on . I sad beehive . The look priceless . They did not have any . So I went to the vitamin shoppe . Same thing . What you going to use it on . I said beehive . Same look . They did have it . One ounce for about $6.00 .

 

[jerryse]

So Ralphie got bees from a Russian . So in the future you need to put out a Russian scion . I am going to put out a swarm trap at the lake this year . You should try one at Togo . Anything we catch should be winter hardy . Sunny here so later in the heat of the day I want to check for a queen in the nuc I split off . High around 60 today

 

[duluthralphie]

That’s true they should be winter hardy.