Backyard Beekeeping Q&A Episode 266
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- čas přidán 5. 08. 2024
- Losing queens, Alarm Systems and much more in this edition of The Way To Bee.
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Today's topics are listed in order below:
1) Since you have taken down fences around your apiary, what's the brand of the noise-maker you are using?
HullPre Solar Alarm (this is an affiliate link)
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2) I tried to introduce replacement queens two times, the queens disappeared. One seller suggested it was due to direct release.
Do you have any ideas?
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3) I have two deeps under one Flow-Hive. When is the best time to remove a deep and replace with a medium?
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4) My Bee Suit does not seem thick enough to defeat a stinger.
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5) I want to re-use my wood frames. Any suggestions for getting wax out of the groove?
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6) One of my hives is bringing out dead drone brood, is it varroa or something else?
7) I thought soybeans are wind pollinated. I've never seen a bee of any type on any bean flowers.
8) I've noticed an abundance of pollen on frames. Can they become pollen-bound?
9) We can't seem to get our bees to use the Flow-Super. Any suggestions?
10) With the Long Langstroth Hive, Where do you add frames when you add them?
11) I videoed bees collecting was from rendered beeswax. Would it be good to leave some out for them?
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Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
09:26 Since you have taken down fences around your apiary, what's the brand of the noise-maker you are using?
20:13 I tried to introduce replacement queens two times, the queens disappeared. One seller suggested it was due to direct release. Do you have any ideas?
32:12 I have two deeps under one Flow-Hive. When is the best time to remove a deep and replace with a medium?
40:18 My Bee Suit does not seem thick enough to defeat a stinger.
45:35 I want to re-use my wood frames. Any suggestions for getting wax out of the groove?
48:17 One of my hives is bringing out dead drone brood, is it varroa or something else?
52:09 I thought soybeans are wind pollinated. I've never seen a bee of any type on any bean flowers.
56:52 I've noticed an abundance of pollen on frames. Can they become pollen-bound?
01:02:07 We can't seem to get our bees to use the Flow-Super. Any suggestions?
01:10:15 With the Long Langstroth Hive, Where do you add frames when you add them?
01:16:54 I videoed bees collecting was from rendered beeswax. Would it be good to leave some out for them?
1) Since you have taken down fences around your apiary, what's the brand of the noise-maker you are using? 9:26
2) I tried to introduce replacement queens two times, the queens disappeared. One seller suggested it was due to direct release. Do you have any ideas? 20:13
3) I have two deeps under one Flow-Hive. When is the best time to remove a deep and replace with a medium? 32:12
4) My Bee Suit does not seem thick enough to defeat a stinger. 40:18
5) I want to re-use my wood frames. Any suggestions for getting wax out of the groove? 45:35
6) One of my hives is bringing out dead drone brood, is it varroa or something else? 48:17
7) I thought soybeans are wind pollinated. I've never seen a bee of any type on any bean flowers. 52:09
8) I've noticed an abundance of pollen on frames. Can they become pollen-bound? 56:52
9) We can't seem to get our bees to use the Flow-Super. Any suggestions? 1:02:07
10) With the Long Langstroth Hive, Where do you add frames when you add them? 1:10:15
11) I videoed bees collecting was from rendered beeswax. Would it be good to leave some out for them? 1:16:54
Thank you Adam.
Great opening sequence. Thank you Fred.
On the Re-using wax. I have 3 hives here at home and put chunks of comb in front of each hive (had some wonky comb build in 2 of these hives and had some honey on it). 2 hives have been taking it apart and taking it in the hive. 1 hive just cleaned it up and kinda hang out on it in all this heat here (MASS). So I guess each Hive to it's own haha
Paylaşım için teşekkürler efendim 🎁🔔✈️
Glad to hear the borage is working, I pumped it up !, it bloomed until hard freeze last yr.
It will be in today's opening sequence... we'll see how long it blooms here, but it's promising. Thanks for sharing.
Another great video, thanks for answering my pollen question… to clarify further, I am seeing 2-3 fully packed frames on both sides and not a lot of brood. I will take your advice and clean them out and place them back in the hive…. I am using Apimaye hives and if I see them bringing in an abundance of pollen in the future, I will use the pollen trap that comes with those hives…. Thanks again….
Yes, great point... the Apimaye hive base has a very well designed built-in pollen trap. Thanks for sharing and I think your colony is probably just fine :)
Tried Plantnet. I am impressed.
Hey Fred another great Q&A. My local beekeeping club is fortunate to meet at the Ohio State University bee lab in Wooster Oh. that Dr. Reed Johnson runs. Here is the description of a CZcams video that I thought you might enjoy on honeybees and soybean pollination. Enjoy.
OSBA 2021 Fall Conference ~ Dr. Reed Johnson "Identifying Benefits of Soybean Bloom for Bees & Bee Pollination for Soybean Production"
Thanks. Mark
I think I need to leave my yard and get to more club meetings and conventions :)
U have a beautiful place so relaxing it is just really nice. hope u have a blessed weekend
Thank you so much! I do completely enjoy where I live. :)
Hey Fred you should try some of that headlight restorer spray and see if it works on those solar panels on your yard alarms. Should make them clear again and make them like new
Ohhh... that sounds like work for the grandsons! Thanks for the tip. Since they still work fine, maybe that's not necesary? But worth a try. Thank you.
Fred, the soybean plant has two colors of flowers - white and purple. Color of the flower is a minor trait similar to our eye colors.
Soybeans seldom get fertilizer applied after planting. In dry years the aphids can become a factor where the farmer needs to apply an insecticide which will be harmful to the foraging bees in the field. I've heard that some varieties of soybeans don't produce nectar and others do. I have gotten some honey from soybeans and it seems to have a greenish tinge to it and tastes ok. (FYI I was a soybean breeder and cross pollinated soybeans by hand for several years. Not a fun job.)
Wow, all very interesting information. The flowers on these soy plants are white, and just coming into bloom. I was checking them out at sunset yesterday. We'll see what happens. I'd like to know more about how to identify various strains of soy plants. But, even with that knowledge, it won't change what's being planted here so I'll just hope it's a nectar producing variety :)
Thank you Fred. Another great Q&A. I’m advising new beekeepers to listen to these all the time. I posted a pic of a new hive I just built on The way to be with some mid day temp readings. I made a temporary lid out of foam that shaded 1/2 the southern face of the hive. Shade lowered the outside face of the hive 10*F. I know not exactly scientific but we can the benefit of shade. Thanks again. Have a great week!
Hi Ross, thanks so much for chiming in and leaving a comment. I hope you are finding more free time to spend wiht family and your bees :) There is a lot of room for shade-innovation for sure, thanks for sharing :)
Although it’s not common, I have witnessed some of my bees gathering some propolis from extracted frames.
I think the propolis is the atraction, even with rendered wax. Thanks for sharing :)
I like the Picture This app for plant identification. It includes if the plant is healthy, if it’s invasive, if it’s poisonous to people or animals, etc.
Here in SE coastal VA, the cotton has just started, the bees have moved off the spearmint, and the yard smells like honey! Cotton produces nectar till well after the first goldenrod starts, so supers are ready!
Yes! I've heard many keepers talk about the cotton blossoms being a great nectar source for the bees. Thanks for sharing.
Interesting, I currently live in SE VA. My husband was in the navy, and this was his last duty station (also our favorite place to live) so we stayed. I grew up in NW PA, and I have family in Erie. These bee videos are addictive! I have no intention of ever being a beekeeper, but I love them, and follow tons of different bee keepers.
👍
In my area of SE coastal VA the farmers rotate between soy, corn, peanuts and cotton. My little acre and a half 24 colony apiary is surrounded by ag fields. Luckily, the soy is directly across the street and the cotton is blooming less than a half mile away. Supers on!!
Thank you ,Fred always interesting topics.
You're welcome, and thanks for taking a moment to comment :)
Locusts decimated my sunflowers, borage, and even the hyssop.😢 The tall clover I planted was very prolific though.
Wow, that's more than a little annoying.
It’s too bad that dragonfly’s don’t hunt at night. They would do a job on the mosquitoes. I have a huge bat house but they only show up in spring. When we get into the high 80s they leave and go north.
Clover is tough, but unfortunately the dry clay here is tougher. I tried planting white clover as ground cover instead of a lawn. Nothing but tumbleweeds and sunflowers have grown though.
Maybe I didn't water enough, I did it daily but the ground just will not hold moisture. Next year I'll try tilling in some mulch or something.
Sounds like you may need something that has a deep tap-root that can get through that hard-pan. Thanks for sharing what your challenges are.
I wish I had a 90 minute attention span.
Thanks Fred, great information as always, have a great weekend !
Thanks, you too :)
Though not that particular alarm, ive seen bee yards with alarms lights and sirens destroyed by bears. But I'm glad they work for you!!!!
As I've mentioned in my response... they only work IF the bear hasn't been rewarded there in the past. I'm counting on bears being annoyed enough to go elsewhere.
Great Info on long Langs ( Q10). First Year with a Long Langs, and I will be following your advice on this topic during my next season. Winter here in Australia.
If I'm giving a honey bee demonstration, the Long Langstroth is the easiest to work by far. Like a Bee Buffet, and you just go through the index of frames.
It's about winter time Bear will make it ezer to check out your bee's if you wrap him around you you will stay warm while you are checking them
Buff Orpingtons and Barred rocks in addition to your Minorcas? Nice choices.
Pets for the grandchildren... they come to you rather than running away :)
That explains the “beginner chickens”. Hope your Minorca Roos keep the hawks at bay!
I found some angles of sheet metal roof flashing,to act as hive visors, easy 2 screw attachment,some of my hyssop in planter pots, is about to bloom, took a long growth period to get to this stage,very delicate,like my sweet peas, germinated well but hard to get sucess once planted, very fragile,so I keep trying,im feeding now,and the bees must be in dearth ,seem desperate for thin syrup,clovers done here,I still made a few splits,and time for beetle traps, and varoa mangmnt
Last fall there was a tall sweet clover growing here in ne ohio on my land & the bees were working it hard, I really hope it will be here this year.
That sweet clover just shows up, and it's native so I don't see why it wouldn't continue. Plus, with the bees working it I think that may help with propogation and seeding more.
We farm soybeans and yes the yield can be increased. Some days you can hear the bees buzzing loudly throughout the field. It is a light honey. I’ve seen bumblebees in the fields recently so honey bees should be on it within the week. Not all types of soybeans attract bees, some seed I think are too hybrid for them.
Hi Mary, thank you so much for chiming in on that topic. I'm glad to hear from a grower :)
Probably Roundup ready soybeans and they were spraying roundup... Glyphosate
I don’t have orioles but a feeder to keep the bees out while allowing the orioles access would be a reverse squirrel proof feeder. A baffle would normally sit over the access port to prevent bees from access to the food but when an oriole lands on the perch its weight will cause the baffle to slide down allowing them access to the food.
Ohhhhh.... hey! I do like that concept! You are a thinking man, Brad! Now, we need to come up with that contraption with clear panels so the Orioles see the goal. :)
@@FrederickDunn Sounds like a similar concept to Grandpa’s Feeders - which uses a treadle to open the feed bunker for the chickens. Keeps the wild birds and rodents out of the feed.
Hi Fred. . .
Watched this Q&A, on Sat & Sun ! Rushing out to catch a dry moment to do the 'Bees.'
It's been so WET it's not even got up to 15C (59F) in July !!!
No Summer yet here in Scotland. 🏴 Absolutely crazy
Most Beeks are in (Minus) made 2024 Honey Territory to date.
The poor Hives are either needing to be Fed, or for those who only take a Jar or two, the Bees have consumed almost everything that they have made. Some BBC Radio said parts of the UK, Ireland have had more Rain in the first Week of July or so, to that of nearly x3 Months average. Just crazy !
Tip :
One thing I have in my Garden (Yard) is 'Flowering' Plants of the Hedge, Shrub, Bush and Tree variety. Some of these give as much, maybe more : Nectar for the Bees than 'Flowers.'
You mentioned in North East PA : Elderberry and Elderberry Flowers (these make the best Homemade 'Cordial' ! Simmer loads of Flowers in Water, reduce down, Add Sugar & Bottle. (Dilute to Taste with Tap Water or Fizzy Water.) Thirst Quenching stuff. . . Lovely. 😏
Back to these other Nectar producing 'Greenery.' I've planted Hedging of : Privet, Cotoneaster (Bees adore these Flowering Upright, or Ground Covering versions.) Ceanothus, and mini edging Box 'hedges' too. These work well around plenty of Shrubby Herbs : Rosemary again Upright and Covering versions. Also Bushy and Creeping Thyme Herb. And several types of 'Lavender.' OK a 'flower' but can be Grown in Banks of 'Greenery' in Bud.
Near my Property I also have a Community Wood : full of Trees in Flower right now. (One is of interest by the Bees, clusters of 'Big Cream White Flowers' but I don't know the Spicies. 🤔 You hear the Bees 'buzzing in the Tree Top Forage ! :Does PlantNet cover the UK too (?)
Off to see and check my Regions 'Postcode' (Zip Code !)
One thing Scotland has a lot of is 'Thistle' ! Our Nations Emblem. 👍 Bees & Butterflies are all over these. Lovely to see.
So when 'Planting' Forage : do also Plant some Hedge, Shrub, Tree and Bush sources of Nectar. The Bees and vertical 'space' or lack of, will thank you.
Hope this helps. 😎
🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
Happy Beekeeping 2024
🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
I also planted Sunflowers, some Borage. As well as a Box of 'Seed' for Pollinators : including Blue Cornflowers, Poppies, baby Thistle, Clover and much more !
My Roadside Verge is a lovely x15 Metre long mini 'Meadow.'
And that Community Wood is full of Wild on mass 'flowering' Brambles or 'Blackberry'. 👍
A local Beek dropped by to say : the Bee Club were offering 'slots' on the Land offered to them Annually for 'Heather.'
It usually is in late Aug to Sept, that Beeks 'bring in' their Hives to the near by 'Moorland.' But its Flowering now. Way to early. Guess we went straight from Spring to Autumn (Fall.) In this Cool and Soggy May, June, July. Weirdest Season to date. . .😖
Mine just need to fly x1 Mile up the Hill. And gather that "Ling" then "Bell" Flowering Heather 'Honey.'
If the Colonies to date haven't got a good Harvest of Honey to offer me, 🙄 they sure have had made me Bees. I started the Year with x5 Colonies. And now have x 16 !!! Wow. . . My Front and Side Garden is filled with lots of 'Single' Box Colonies ! And many are DIY Pallet Wood made versions. Quick 'make' a Box, utilise some scrap Board placed inside a Feed Sack, as a Roof, under placed as a Floor.
All placed on top of Storage Bin or Dustbins where I keep my Duck and Chicken Feed. 🤭
I really like keeping my Bees and the Birds ! 🙃
Fred : In Chicken Footage seen.
What 'Hens' are those "Grey" ones ?
I have similar Coloured 'types' called 'French Cuckoo Marans' & also Black 'Copper' Maran's too.
Currently have a x2 week 'Duckling' and the same aged 'Chick' both from a Broody Hen (who abandoned the nest !)
So bigger fluffy 'Heat Sink' Duckling (Mothers) the Dinky Chick. Both the best 'Roomies' I've seen Care for each other.
(Unknown Genders as yet: so 'Duckling get called Spud' and Chick as Chips.' 😁 Guess if I get a 'Quasp' (girl) or a real loud 'Quack' (boy also have a Curled Tail Feather) they both remain as feathered Teen Friends. Pier de Terre is a Ferret Cage. Snug as bugs in that Hay.🙃
Frederick greetings and thank you
Thank YOU for your many innovations, and for producing practical tools that make keeping honey bees easier :) Am I correct in assuming that you also provided those framed Queen Excluders? Very well made!
I have bees all.over my borrage
I think that's about to happen here also :)
Hello from NYC 🇩🇴🗽🇺🇸🐝🦅
Hello right back to you :)
Fred, A friend told me Pinesol cleaning solution repels bears because it distorts it's since of smell which is their major defense system
I would have to see that in action. I'm not saying that wouldn't work, but after watching bears run off skunks, I don't think their sniffer is put off from a real feast. Thanks for sharing, I can't imagine putting pine sol out over a period of days, or even weeks.
I been collecting all kinds of wax with the purpose to melted one day. I been dropping it on a bucket 🪣 I keep it open when I’m working with the bees… I don’t see bees going after the wax… Even on swarm lures I been setting then up with wax foundation because they smell super good… don’t see then interesting on the wax neither… I did melt wax at the entrance of a swarm catcher on that one the bees did mess with it to remove it from the entrance.,, all the time I open the bag of wax foundation bees come around… sometimes I see scattered bees on it, but not carrying it out… A ball of propilo was more attractive than the wax itself to the bees… I been using everything to add the chances of attracting bees to visit swarm trap….
Thanks, Alec! I think the bees are taking it and using it as propolis rather than as wax for comb construction. I think it's becuase there is enough propolis in the wax that they recognize it as a sealant material. Very interesting.
I also left a few ounces of Propolis out and the bees went crazy for it.
They also seem to be pulling wax from frames in the few empty boxes I have in the yard with a few drawn frames.
As an after thought, I think they are collecting it and using it as propolis rather than using it in comb production. Thanks for sharing what you've seen.
@@FrederickDunn interesting. My GF suggested using food dye like David Burns did on some plastic frames. We also don’t think twice about using waxed frames. I’d be more comfortable using my own wax as opposed to something I have no control over.
I sure hope you get positive results for the Soy bean observations.
I put 3 hives on a field of alfalfa and clover last year and they produced like gang busters. I was super bummed when this year they put soy bean in. Looking on the web seemed to indicate that the bees can get nectar and it will be a later crop so might be good later in the year?
I had several bears around my hives. I had a 500 lb one with double ear tags that knocked my hive over 3 times and tore the lid off but never touched the frames. I learned to ratchet strap them.
I just had one today that I found on the ground. I have an electric fence but didn’t stop the bear. Thank goodness for my using Layen’s hives the big thick construction kept the bear out of it and it didn’t even touch any of the other 10 in the yard but I think I need the stronger solar energizer.
That's one advantage to the layens... if you strap them closed, bears don't make much progress with them.
The instructions for the Queen Introduction Cage say to have no live/adult bees in the cage with the queen. What if I take a frame (with queen, bees, brood, etc) out of a donor hive & place it into the queenless hive (inside the cage of course)?
The new queen would still be new to them, but I think nurse bees would be very accepting of an unfamiliar queen if they are queenless.
Hey Fred use clear plastic to solarize the soil.
By solarize, you mean cook it? :)
Thank you for answering my question Fred. Since you are going to be hearing about milkweed in your Beekeeper meeting, can you find out if gophers like to eat it, or if they leave it alone. I’d like to get some established here, but would like to know if I have to protect it or not. Thanks!
You've got it, Gigi! And watch for my response next Friday during the Q&A. ==
I wonder if you could polish the solar panel to restore it?
It's still working fine, many have suggested that. I think we're good for now :)
Hi Fred, love all your videos. Looking for some clarification, I had always thought (up to several months ago) that larvae “hatched” from the egg but was watching a time lapse video that included the egg evolving into a larvae, not actually hatching. What are your thoughts on this? I have started referring to the egg evolving and the pupae emerging. Apparently, there is no hatching going on which is another unusual trait of the honey bee.
Hi Brad! I am so happy that you asked for this clarification. The proper biological description here is "hatch" even though it's not like a chicken egg. Years ago, I wanted to capture that point of "hatch" on video. To my profound disappointment, and amazement, the larva actually simply absorbed and consumed the egg casing. So it's wasn't very dramatic. It does hatch, but it just looks like a casing that splits apart while being absorbed by the larva. This is why we don't see "egg-shells" or egg casings cast off in the cell. So, it's called hatching, but really amounts to transitioning from egg to larva. Cancel all fireworks... it's subtle.
@@FrederickDunn Thanks for the clarification, you’re the best.
I saw a video that shows if you use wd40 on your solar panel, it helps it charge again
Thanks, Rene! I think the WD-40 may be melting the surface of the translucent plastic a little and that dissolves the surface into a smooth state again? Can't hurt. But the good news is that even when they look scuffed or faded, they still work fine. :)
Awhile back you mentioned a seed catalog that had pictures for most of the plants could you please tell me the name of that company thank you
Ernst Seeds, they also have a digital download of their catalog. ErnstSeed.com
Thank you have a blessed day
First ..🎉🎉🎉
Hi Fred, I have 1 hive of mine that was very strong in the Spring. Did a honey harvest as well. It was strong after the honey harvest too. Upon inspection this week I noticed reduction of brood and larvae in the top brood box. Upon inspection of the lower brood box i did see capped worker brood as well as larvae of varying ages. There were frames of nectar and pollen as well. I did not see the queen. I did add a frame of eggs from my resource hive to see if they make a new queen. Is this an example of a "break" by the queen or is it a sign of a failing queen?
You'll quickly have your response after having put those eggs in the hive. Depending upon where you are located, reductions in environmental resources can result in a pause with egg production by the resident queen.
@@FrederickDunn I’m in Yardley, Pa
Pretty hard to know if the bees boost the crop if the deer eat it all.
There might have been a reason that the previous farmer raised cattle.
I walked out into that soy-field and could not find a single plant that was not chewed, or topped by deer. BUT, the soy plants are still growing in spite of the foraging. We do miss the dairy cattle. Just 30 years ago, there were 8 family run dairy farms on our road. Now, we're down to one. It's all turning over to crops, and it's all corn and soy. Pretty boring.
@@FrederickDunnKeep an eye out for signs of insecticide or fungicide spraying. Also if coated seed was used you may find an increase in pollen collection, but the nurse bees don't seem to use it when there are neonics in it.
I noticed you didn't mention the slatted board when explaining your hive configuration. Did you stop using these?
He still uses them ,cause they give space,space, prevent drafts in winter,probably just didnt mention it
I do still use Slatted Racks, but they aren't essential to the setup. More than 50% of my hives include slatted racks. They provide a nice buffer from the wind, provide a way to use OAV without hitting frames directly, and aid in encouraging the queen to lay eggs all the way down to the bottom of the frames. They are a nice to have rather than a necessity.
@FrederickDunn
Thanks. I have them on all, but one hive. I use the apamaye bottom boards topped with a slatted board followed by a deep. I pull the trays off on the hot days we are having and have experienced no bearding as of yet. The one that doesn't have this configuration does beard up.
Thanks for the videos. They have been a great help in honey production as well as my gatden.
Your talk about reusing chewed wax remind me about something I've noticed. I'm a third-year beekeeper this year and have struggled to save every little scrap of wax to wax frames to help to Build more resources. Also moved my bees constantly into fresh Hive boxes trying to create used Hive boxes for swarm traps. And I've noticed when i move all the frames to a clean box, the first thing they do is move the darkest nastiest wax and start attaching it to the box. As if purposely removing old possibly contaminated wax. Or at least the less fresh wax for sure. I've noticed them making black wax stalagmites on the bottom board too. But never clean fresh wax on the bottom board. They attached fresh wax to the walls when drawing out fresh frames but when you move brewed frames to a fresh box they always stick gobs of black wax to the box walls. Any thoughts? P.S. my grafting into bee made Queen cups was a success! Worked better than the Jzbz plastic cups for me.
Hi Sean, I've added this to my list for next Friday. I think they are nabbing the older wax, as well as collecting it from other locations as they treat it like propolis. Some of the older wax has propolis in it, and the bees may be using it as a glue, or tuck-pointing material. This is something I'll be paying closer attention to. Thanks for sharing :)
@@FrederickDunn what I observe is more like stashing on the sides more than sealing up with propolis. I have seen what you're talking about too and have seen them robbing propolis from used boxes. My interpretation is that they're removing the more contaminated wax from their comb. Now I'm wondering if they will remove old wax on their own to remove toxins. just a thought.
Will the eggs or larva get chill in the queen isolation if wokers can't get to them
I had that same concern about the isolation cage, and asked Dr. David Peck at the Honey Bee Expo - Dr. Peck said that the colony will warm that cage from the outside just fine. That makes sense unless we're in a cold climate at the time. I see no evidence that this isn't the case, they do seem to be able to warm it while the brood emerges.
@@FrederickDunn thank you for the response that makes sense it's pretty warm inside to begin with in the summer
How is dog Bain an invasive species?I thought it was native to north america ......
It's native, it's invasive in behavior only.
Spreading dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium) is often labeled as invasive, but this isn't entirely accurate.
Native to North America: It's important to understand that dogbane is a native plant, not an introduced species.
Aggressive Growth: While it's true that dogbane can spread rapidly and become dominant in certain areas, this is more a characteristic of its growth habit than an invasive trait.
Nuisance Weed: In some cases, it's considered a nuisance weed due to its ability to outcompete other plants.
So, why the confusion? The term "invasive" often refers to non-native species that cause ecological harm. Since dogbane is native, it doesn't fit this definition. However, its aggressive growth can make it problematic in certain situations.
Hi Fred. I was intrigued when I put some removed burr comb on the hive entryway. Bees were munching off pieces and going inside the entryway. So. I bought a Parmesan grater a month ago. On my next inspection (2 deeps and now a flow super) Put in some block beeswax in the shredder feed and shredded it along the top of the frames on reassembly. Focusing on frames with foundations that weren’t 80%. I was reluctant to reinspect at 7 days but I needed to see if it was successful. Everything I shredded was gone. I have videos of the bees pulling the shreds and cutting them into manageable lengths and heading down between frames. (Nothing seen on the bottom board looking in the long entrance after placing the wax.). All my frames have more drawn comb and the queen has laid eggs in the new comb. I’m certainly over inspecting (frequency wise) but it seems the benefits of shredded wax on the top of the frames every 8-10 days outweighs the drawbacks. I inspect and shred on warmer days to reduce the difference in ambient below hive temp of 94°. I haven’t had to smoke these Italians yet and they are mild. My wax is processed wax by a member of our beekeepers club.
Since bees can’t see red very well,I contemplated adding food grade gel coloring into the wax to be able to see where they are utilizing the wax I am shredding.
Please note: observation of my knockoff flow frames through the clear harvest window shows that bees cannot climb the interior and get up to the flow frame foundation faces. They will even attempt to fly up without success. Falling onto the excluder. So I cut 2”x 3” pieces of nylon window screen and tucked it under the flow frame wire on the frame bottom. They now have paths to get to the flow frame foundation hex faces. As they propolise the flow frame plastic surfaces to get more traction, I am removing the screens. I contemplated a couple quick passes with 100 grit on the bottoms of the flow frame troughs, facing the upper deep. That could easily have been done when waxing the flow frame faces before putting them in service. Attention to detail on what is happening revealed they just couldn’t get up there. This could be why the knockoffs aren’t performing. A couple of 4oz ball jars w/ 1:1 syrup in feeder lid in the top lid also gives motivation. Next was moving a couple resource frames up with some brood absent of drones and excluder on, after cooler nights were gone (>72°).
Thanks for sharing all you're doing, please keep us posted regarding what your observations reveal :)