Welcome @Helicopter Mom! Tell us a little about yourself.
Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"
- Thread starter bigzio
- Start date
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- #64,522
Helicopter Mom! Hope you enjoy the cheeseheads!Nice score bl4.....I've been considering the eco glow for some time now. I have great results with my brinsea advance 20 bator and its ease to clean after each use.
No way we will see 50 here North of you.
bigz
It’s a beehive day.... one down, one more to paint.... I need to figure out what to do with the frames inside my deadout hive. They are loaded with honey and pollen, but I can’t leave them at warmer temps as they might mold. I need to clean the boxes but the frames are just oozing honey so if I don’t have a box to hold them up they will just empty out, and I don’t want to waste all the hard work of my previous hive. Quite the pickle!
Helicopter Mom
Songster
Let's see...my fiance and I started our homestead a year ago just outside Princeton, WI. We bought 4 hens for eggs and unfortunately lost one a few months later. In late July, we purchased 14 chicks from CackleHatchery.com. Now our flock has grown to 17 (16 hens, 1 rooster). We have the following breeds: Buff Orpington, French Black Copper Maran, Ameraucana, Olive Egger, Welsummer and Black Silver Laced Wynadotte. These are the first chickens we've owned and raised. So far so good. Ran into a bit of a worm problem with the flock a few weeks ago and we're still working on getting it taken care of.
In addition to our chickens, we have 2 cats (Marshmallow & Smokey) and a black lab named Gunnar. We have no children of our own so our animals are our kids.
All of can't wait for the warmer temps coming this week!!!
@babylady4 Can't you collect all the honey from the old hive and process it like you would have done just a couple of the frames? Not knowing anything about the process, I ask the stupid question...
I have orpingtons and call ducks due to hatch on the 19th. I'm getting excited. But I have to sell ducklings this year. Last year I kept all of them and sold as juveniles and ended up with a lot of extra drakes to get rid of. It's just hard to sell the babies. I have a waiting list, so hoping they go out as fast as they hatch.
Not a stupid question!
My bees were putting all their winter food reserves in the bigger brood boxes, so most of the frames are a combo of honey and pollen stores. Since the frames the bees built their comb on had a thin foundation piece (a piece of thicker wax to ‘train’ the bees when they are making their comb), and the frames have wires running through them, I cannot just cut off all the comb. I ended up cutting off honey and pollen to the best of my ability, off of three frames. The rest I bagged up and put into the freezer. The honey and pollen I saved in two big Tupperware containers and put those in the freezer as well. I put it all in the freezer for two reasons: honey is hydrophilic (water loving); with the bees gone, the caps on the comb break and the honey will adsorb water from the air. When that happens it will ferment (mead!). The freezer also prevents wax moths from taking over and infesting the hive. I have so much food stores for the three packages of bees, they should be just fine.
I have learned a TON about keeping bees this year; it is extremely interesting! I am of the opinion that the langstroth hives require a ton of hands on work: not what I want to deal with. The Warre Hives are easier: just cut the comb off and you are done.
I finished cleaning up the langstroth hive today, and have put another coat of paint on it. Finished painting the second Warre hive today too. My youngest DD is coming home this weekend, so I have asked her to decorate it for me.
My bees were putting all their winter food reserves in the bigger brood boxes, so most of the frames are a combo of honey and pollen stores. Since the frames the bees built their comb on had a thin foundation piece (a piece of thicker wax to ‘train’ the bees when they are making their comb), and the frames have wires running through them, I cannot just cut off all the comb. I ended up cutting off honey and pollen to the best of my ability, off of three frames. The rest I bagged up and put into the freezer. The honey and pollen I saved in two big Tupperware containers and put those in the freezer as well. I put it all in the freezer for two reasons: honey is hydrophilic (water loving); with the bees gone, the caps on the comb break and the honey will adsorb water from the air. When that happens it will ferment (mead!). The freezer also prevents wax moths from taking over and infesting the hive. I have so much food stores for the three packages of bees, they should be just fine.
I have learned a TON about keeping bees this year; it is extremely interesting! I am of the opinion that the langstroth hives require a ton of hands on work: not what I want to deal with. The Warre Hives are easier: just cut the comb off and you are done.
I finished cleaning up the langstroth hive today, and have put another coat of paint on it. Finished painting the second Warre hive today too. My youngest DD is coming home this weekend, so I have asked her to decorate it for me.
The Warre hive in the front and the Langstroth hive in the background.
It is so interesting with the different hives and all that. I have thought about getting honey bees, but with everything else we have going, i know that is one hobby that will have to wait until retirement.
For now, I am studying about putting up Mason Bee houses.
My goal is to support the natural germination experts to help in the garden areas.
For now, I am studying about putting up Mason Bee houses.
My goal is to support the natural germination experts to help in the garden areas.
By the way, I love how you have painted that hive. A real asset to the homestead.
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