The Wally-Gee Bee Journey 🐝

[5Australorpasaures]

Where you are located you may get away with it. Here in Jersey May into June is the latest I would split and even then I won't split unless the hive is exploding. Next Spring I hope to do a split just before the Blue Berry bloom starts. Hoping for another mild Winter. I'll be making up some 8 frame boxes, bottom boards, inner covers, and lids during the Winter.

Keep us posted.

 

[WallyG74]

It’s obvious my bees are not going to make it. Their numbers are dwindling. They are down to one side of one frame. My help was too little too late. @Apis mellifera tried to tell me early on what I should do, but I waited and that’s on me. I’m not the only dude to kill his first colony, but it still sucks.

Now I have some experience and knowledge to apply next year. I also know how to catch swarms and will start early next year and hopefully get a large swarm to start with. I will keep updates coming as things change and not stop trying because of one failure.

 

[tripletfeb]

It’s obvious my bees are not going to make it. Their numbers are dwindling. They are down to one side of one frame. My help was too little too late. @Apis mellifera tried to tell me early on what I should do, but I waited and that’s on me. I’m not the only dude to kill his first colony, but it still sucks.

Now I have some experience and knowledge to apply next year. I also know how to catch swarms and will start early next year and hopefully get a large swarm to start with. I will keep updates coming as things change and not stop trying because of one failure.

Sorry Wally. Keep going though, next year will be great!

 

[Apis mellifera]

I’m not the only dude to kill his first colony, but it still sucks.

Its a steep learning curve, I lost and killed more bees than I care to admit. Like they say, you may not have the bees but you have the work they did. Freeze the comb and use it for your next colony.

The presenter was of the opinion that early-mid August was a prime time to treat, so that the hive goes into fall with strong, healthy bees.

Any opinions?

Excellent advice. You want healthy bees raising healthy winter bees.

Brood interruption... I haven't heard of that. I'll google it, but if you have a link, that would be great.

Its breaks the life cycle of the mites to make treatments more effective. Anytime the colony doesnt have brood they should be treated with OA (like swarms). Split the hive or cage the queen. When there is a break in brood you treat for mites. Look at the "Swarm (and mite) control" diagram.
https://scientificbeekeeping.com/the-varroa-problem-part-15

I'd like to get VSH, or resistant strains, eventually. I'm kind of stuck with the Italians I have, atm. This is our first hive, our first year. Really just going by the seat of our pants and trying to learn all we can.

Italians are fine. If you want to add great bees next year go with The Sand Hill. I would contact Meghan this fall. http://www.sandhillbees.com/

I would love to not need any chemical treatments. I just stumbled on a website that talked about using rhubarb leaves and stems (which contain oxalic acid) as a treatment. I'd never heard of it, and maybe it's as useful as DE is for mites/lice with chickens.

Great analogy!

 

[Apis mellifera]

has a lot of good advise.

Not at all. I like the kid, she is enthusiastic but is just a beginner and doesnt understand why she is doing the split and what the results will be. She is performing a weak OTS queen rearing manipulation. Workers emerge in 21 days not 16 and the mites aren't going to starve. If she is honest in future videos she's going to have some heavy losses. If you're serious about going treatment free On The Spot queen rearing is the best way to go about it. It does use a brood break as part of the method. But be prepared, you will get high loss years even with OTS and VSH bees.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

Not at all. I like the kid, she is enthusiastic but is just a beginner and doesnt understand why she is doing the split and what the results will be. She is performing a weak OTS queen rearing manipulation. Workers emerge in 21 days not 16 and the mites aren't going to starve. If she is honest in future videos she's going to have some heavy losses. If you're serious about going treatment free On The Spot queen rearing is the best way to go about it. It does use a brood break as part of the method. But be prepared, you will get high loss years even with OTS and VSH bees.

I decided it was an experiment and do a mite chk, go with treatment if needed, rather than risk losing and weakening the hives with winter coming on. Hoping for 2 twenty-one day cycles before a chill is not good odds here in the Northeast as we have a severe dearth and poor fall flow I think I'll stay with what I already know. I'll do my splits in the spring as always. Thanks for the "think about it".

 

[Sally PB]

Now I have some experience and knowledge to apply next year. I also know how to catch swarms and will start early next year and hopefully get a large swarm to start with. I will keep updates coming as things change and not stop trying because of one failure.

Yes, please keep us updated. Being such a newbie myself, I need to read as much as I can to learn from the experienced beeks and other newbies. I'm sorry you lost your hive. Good luck next season, and I'm glad you're not going to give up.

 

[Sally PB]

I just joined SBGMI last month.

 

[Apis mellifera]

Hoping for 2 twenty-one day cycles before a chill is not good odds here in the Northeast as we have a severe dearth and poor fall flow I think I'll stay with what I already know.

Thats surprising, Im way northern NY and golden rod is starting to bloom. I dont really get severe dearths here and most of the beekeepers I know in Vermont are having a good year. I love knotweed honey, thats coming up soon.
https://www.njbeekeepers.org/PollenPlants.htm

 

[5Australorpasaures]

Thats surprising, Im way northern NY and golden rod is starting to bloom. I dont really get severe dearths here and most of the beekeepers I know in Vermont are having a good year. I love knotweed honey, thats coming up soon.
https://www.njbeekeepers.org/PollenPlants.htm

Located in The Pine Barrens of NJ. Blue Berrys and Cranberries, slim pickins' on natural blossoms.