| Author |
Message |
 Topic: treebeekeeping (Apis dorsata) gone wrong (or not). |
Barbara
Replies: 4
Views: 445
|
 Forum: Wild and feral honeybees and other bee species Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 11:55 pm Subject: treebeekeeping (Apis dorsata) gone wrong (or not). |
| Adriaan, I am so pleased you clarified that. I really did feel like I watched something horrific. I think the footage makes you so acutely aware of the dangers of the situation that when you get to th ... |
| Topic: treebeekeeping (Apis dorsata) gone wrong (or not). |
Barbara
Replies: 4
Views: 445
|
Forum: Wild and feral honeybees and other bee species Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 1:40 pm Subject: treebeekeeping (Apis dorsata) gone wrong (or not). |
Oh Wow! That was traumatic watching! I have put a warning on it as I found it rather upsetting.
Aside from the tension and suspense and vertigo of watching him working that ending was horrendous and ... |
| Topic: Going to give this a go in Michigan. |
Barbara
Replies: 6
Views: 6439
|
Forum: Local Groups and Mentors, USA and CA Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2018 1:14 pm Subject: Going to give this a go in Michigan. |
That sounds like a much better plan. Good luck with it.
I love working with swarms. No need to feed them, they just get on with it as nature intended. |
| Topic: Going to give this a go in Michigan. |
Barbara
Replies: 6
Views: 6439
|
Forum: Local Groups and Mentors, USA and CA Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 3:38 pm Subject: Going to give this a go in Michigan. |
Hi
Thanks for updating this. I am sad to hear that you have had so little success. It would be difficult to comment about those losses without having much more knowledge of your situation but my gu ... |
| Topic: The Small Hive Project - JOIN US |
Barbara
Replies: 6
Views: 5280
|
Forum: TV, Video, Blogs and Other Media Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2018 1:16 pm Subject: The Small Hive Project - JOIN US |
| I'm interested, as I really like the idea, but just struggling for time at the moment and still trying to get a skep made to keep bees in as that is my next project. I visit your site and check up on ... |
| Topic: Timing for Splitting a Hive? |
Barbara
Replies: 5
Views: 706
|
Forum: Horizontal top bar hives Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2018 8:21 pm Subject: Timing for Splitting a Hive? |
Sounds right for swarm cells. You need to do the split before the first swarm cell is capped otherwise you will most likely lose the prime swarm.
Like Dave, I prefer to let them swarm and do my bes ... |
| Topic: DWV detected - what to do? |
Barbara
Replies: 2
Views: 482
|
Forum: Bee health: the treatment (or not) of bee pests and diseases Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2018 11:14 am Subject: DWV detected - what to do? |
| A few years ago I had an outbreak of DWV in one of my strongest hives. I assumed it must be varroa as my previous experience with the disease had all been vectored by a high varroa infestation. I wasn ... |
| Topic: Timing for Splitting a Hive? |
Barbara
Replies: 5
Views: 706
|
Forum: Horizontal top bar hives Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2018 11:05 am Subject: Timing for Splitting a Hive? |
| In our climate here in the UK, it would be unusual and risky for them to be planning to swarm at this time of year and I would want to be sure that they are not building supercedure cells instead of s ... |
| Topic: What do we mean by 'treatment-free'? |
Barbara
Replies: 33
Views: 28344
|
Forum: Treatment-Free Beekeeping Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 11:43 am Subject: What do we mean by 'treatment-free'? |
Yes, sometimes they have strange tastes for water
It is my opinion that they gather much more than just water. I think there are minerals and possibly even good bacteria that they collect. I have a ... |
| Topic: What do we mean by 'treatment-free'? |
Barbara
Replies: 33
Views: 28344
|
Forum: Treatment-Free Beekeeping Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:33 pm Subject: What do we mean by 'treatment-free'? |
If we had a "like" button, Jose, I would be pressing it now.
It is definitely an interesting topic for study. The comb does eventually get to a state where it is no longer useable for bro ... |
| Topic: What do we mean by 'treatment-free'? |
Barbara
Replies: 33
Views: 28344
|
Forum: Treatment-Free Beekeeping Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2018 12:19 pm Subject: What do we mean by 'treatment-free'? |
Jose, I really appreciate you taking the time and effort (since I am guessing English is not your first language) to share your thoughts in such detail.
I agree with you that inspections are not g ... |
| Topic: green gathering in chepstow , wales.... talk/demonstration |
Barbara
Replies: 2
Views: 856
|
Forum: Balanced Beekeeping events and training Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2018 7:43 pm Subject: green gathering in chepstow , wales.... talk/demonstration |
Excellent!
Well done Hannah! |
| Topic: What do we mean by 'treatment-free'? |
Barbara
Replies: 33
Views: 28344
|
Forum: Treatment-Free Beekeeping Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2018 11:28 am Subject: What do we mean by 'treatment-free'? |
Hi Jose and welcome
Many thanks for sharing your experience of treatment free with us. It very much ties in with my own experience, despite practising our beekeeping in very different climates. In ... |
| Topic: Top bar beekeepers in Bristol? |
Barbara
Replies: 8
Views: 10244
|
Forum: Local Groups and Mentors, UK and Ireland Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2018 10:59 am Subject: Top bar beekeepers in Bristol? |
Hi Andy
So very sad to hear of your ill health and having to now give up beekeeping altogether, but hope that your input here will encourage others to give top bar hives a go. I do think that start ... |
| Topic: Warre - new box |
Barbara
Replies: 10
Views: 1575
|
Forum: Beginners start here Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2018 9:27 pm Subject: Warre - new box |
Are they right up into the quilt then or do you have an eke below the quilt that they can build come in above the top bars of the new box you supered.
Generally if you super a box, you need to prov ... |
| Topic: Warre - new box |
Barbara
Replies: 10
Views: 1575
|
Forum: Beginners start here Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2018 10:39 am Subject: Warre - new box |
Did you place any comb or foundation ladders in the top box to encourage the bees to build in it?
When you say....
The flour soaked hessian is in place but the bees have snuggled in underneath i ... |
| Topic: Removing plastic foundation |
Barbara
Replies: 2
Views: 695
|
Forum: Horizontal top bar hives Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2018 11:55 am Subject: Removing plastic foundation |
Hi and welcome.
Well done for successfully chopping and cropping. I know it can be a daunting task and with plastic foundation that must have been trickier.
I would not try to remove those combs ... |
| Topic: Dead queen after going from frames to TBH |
Barbara
Replies: 3
Views: 646
|
Forum: Beginners start here Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2018 8:08 am Subject: Dead queen after going from frames to TBH |
Hi and welcome
A few things occur to me from your post.....
If it was getting dark when you did your inspection of that hive, the bees will behave differently. They become irritated and fly out ... |
| Topic: No eggs 3 weeks after swarm |
Barbara
Replies: 10
Views: 1184
|
Forum: Horizontal top bar hives Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2018 7:38 am Subject: No eggs 3 weeks after swarm |
| That is great news. Pleased to hear that bees half way across the world show similar behaviour/timescales to mine when left to their own devices. Thanks for letting us know. |
| Topic: moving a newly caught swarm |
Barbara
Replies: 8
Views: 1137
|
Forum: Beginners start here Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2018 6:20 pm Subject: moving a newly caught swarm |
| Sounds good as regards wood starter strips rather than foundation. It is best to rub them with bees wax still. You can use a thin wooden strip like a popsicle stick or paint stirrer or a triangular pr ... |
| Topic: moving a newly caught swarm |
Barbara
Replies: 8
Views: 1137
|
Forum: Beginners start here Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2018 5:05 pm Subject: moving a newly caught swarm |
| Sounds a bit like a Dartington hive. I would recommend that you use starter strips in the frames rather than full sheets of foundation. The bees can then build comb with a cell size that suits them ra ... |
| Topic: moving a newly caught swarm |
Barbara
Replies: 8
Views: 1137
|
Forum: Beginners start here Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2018 12:54 pm Subject: moving a newly caught swarm |
| As an afterthought, I would also recommend you bait your main hive to attract the swarm as well. The distance is not prohibitive and having a choice of 2 gives you better odds.... 3 or 4 better still. ... |
| Topic: moving a newly caught swarm |
Barbara
Replies: 8
Views: 1137
|
Forum: Beginners start here Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2018 12:47 pm Subject: moving a newly caught swarm |
Hi and welcome
Firstly, just want to make you aware that your terminology is slightly adrift which can cause confusion, particularly when talking about a feral colony. A bait hive is what you are m ... |
| Topic: Prime swarm not left yet? Is Taranov split posible |
Barbara
Replies: 4
Views: 760
|
Forum: Horizontal top bar hives Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2018 4:32 pm Subject: Prime swarm not left yet? Is Taranov split posible |
None of the links are working for me..... @catchercradle .... Dave can you see them?
Hi Liz
I have been having a rethink and if you are specifically wanting to populate your other hive then it m ... |
| Topic: Advice needed - feeding an artificial swarm |
Barbara
Replies: 3
Views: 728
|
Forum: Local Groups and Mentors, UK and Ireland Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2018 12:21 am Subject: Advice needed - feeding an artificial swarm |
Hi
If you think about it logically, the bees in a swarm only have whatever honey/nectar they have in their honey stomach to start a new colony. I would say that a natural swarm is probably not goin ... |
| Topic: No eggs 3 weeks after swarm |
Barbara
Replies: 10
Views: 1184
|
Forum: Horizontal top bar hives Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2018 12:11 am Subject: No eggs 3 weeks after swarm |
| Keeping records of exactly what you see during each inspection can be really helpful. Things like number of combs with brood on and if it is mostly capped or open. Which bars queen cells are seen on a ... |
| Topic: Inspection question |
Barbara
Replies: 3
Views: 1166
|
Forum: Ask a Bee Inspector Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2018 8:12 am Subject: Inspection question |
I would agree with Dave. Opening the colony too often disrupts and stresses them to some extent and stressed colonies are believed to be more susceptible to EFB.
I also agree that Bee Inspectors c ... |
| Topic: No eggs 3 weeks after swarm |
Barbara
Replies: 10
Views: 1184
|
Forum: Horizontal top bar hives Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2018 6:38 pm Subject: No eggs 3 weeks after swarm |
| Mating takes place outside the hive so it does not matter if there are drones in the hive with a virgin queen or not, although usually she will attract them and they are welcome from any colony and wi ... |
| Topic: No eggs 3 weeks after swarm |
Barbara
Replies: 10
Views: 1184
|
Forum: Horizontal top bar hives Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 7:24 pm Subject: No eggs 3 weeks after swarm |
| Yes pollen going in is usually an indication that brood rearing is about to or has begun. Personally I would not disturb them again to look for a queen but I have plenty of other colonies so if they a ... |
| Topic: No eggs 3 weeks after swarm |
Barbara
Replies: 10
Views: 1184
|
Forum: Horizontal top bar hives Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 11:45 am Subject: No eggs 3 weeks after swarm |
| In my experience it can go 4 weeks or longer even. I used to get anxious about it but I try not to any more. The longer the brood break the better as regards the varroa population being knocked right ... |
| |
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