The Wally-Gee Bee Journey 🐝

[Sally PB]

Yeah, I've read/seen info on the internet about it. Some of the comb is quite dirty, so I'm planning to try the cheesecloth method.

 

[WallyG74]

Yeah, I've read/seen info on the internet about it. Some of the comb is quite dirty, so I'm planning to try the cheesecloth method.

Actual cheesecloth sucks. I would use flour sack material.

 

[WallyG74]

@Sally PB
If you have a good sized strainer, that works well. Also, when I did my little batch, I used a piece of old window screen. It gets the big stuff.

 

[Apis mellifera]

Rendering dark brood comb really doesnt produce much as its mostly cocoons. Its best used for swarm traps and fire starter. Dont use it for making soaps, lip balms, and salves. For really beautiful wax, oven rendering small batches of clean capping wax threw paper towels is hard to beat.

 

[Sally PB]

fire starter.

Since we have a wood stove, it'll come in handy.

 

[WallyG74]

Rendering dark brood comb really doesnt produce much as its mostly cocoons. Its best used for swarm traps and fire starter. Dont use it for making soaps, lip balms, and salves. For really beautiful wax, oven rendering small batches of clean capping wax threw paper towels is hard to beat.

I know you already know this, but practice makes perfect. I’m using what I got until I do have some nice white cappings. There was A LOT of filth that I filtered out of the small batch I did.

 

[Sally PB]

I'll practice on the junky stuff till I have some good stuff.

 

[Apis mellifera]

Since we have a wood stove, it'll come in handy.

Its amazing how flammable it is. I use for the wood stove too sometimes and summer camp fires. When I render large batches I always use a double boiler outside.

 

[WallyG74]

2 1/2 weeks from last check, I was still very optimistic as before and before, but disappointed again. I hear about how much they can change over a couple weeks time, but it’s just not happening here. I found some capped brood and a good bit of nectar but they don’t seem to be expanding very fast at all. There is some new drawn comb on one of the newer frames but most of the activity is still on the old frames that came with them from the swarm trap.

 

[Apis mellifera]

2 1/2 weeks from last check, I was still very optimistic as before and before, but disappointed again. I hear about how much they can change over a couple weeks time, but it’s just not happening here. I found some capped brood and a good bit of nectar but they don’t seem to be expanding very fast at all. There is some new drawn comb on one of the newer frames but most of the activity is still on the old frames that came with them from the swarm trap.

Its true, a large swarm can build really fast. I think what you have is a secondary swarm so they are small and build slow, but will grow. It takes 21 days for a worker to emerge and its been less than that since your last inspection. Foragers/workers are dying off faster than new bees are emerging so it will take some time for them to gain strength. There's not enough right age bees to produce wax so you have to be patient and help them along. You can reduce space down to 5 frames with a follower board or a piece of rigid insulation. Feeding sugar syrup will help a lot. You can use a frame feeder like the ones made by Mother Lode Products, they're inexpensive and work great. Or use a mason jar feeder over an inner cover. You have to feed them if you want a healthy colony going into fall or they will struggle and not survive the winter. On their own, only 8 to 20 percent of swarms survive the first winter. Bee proactive, reduce the space and feed. You can also check with any local beekeepers that can spare a frame of bees with brood to add.