Tulip Poplars

Tulip poplar trees are our major local nectar source but they can get quite big so remember this when planting one.

 

The Flow is ON !

My big Tulip poplars are starting to bloom in the top !  "The Flow" is on.  This is when our excess honey should be made - go bees !

Getting My Swarm Trap Ready !

One of my important early spring activities is checking my swarm traps.  I have one that is placed about 100 yards north of my bee yard.  I have caught a swarm in this trap every summer.  Sometimes it is a swarm that has left my own hives and at least once - it was a swarm from another apiary or a wild colony.  My swarm trap is made of an old weathered deep hive box with a nailed on top and bottom.  Ten Frames are inside the box and there are a few frames of old comb that will smell good to a bee and will not represent a real loss to me if they are destroyed. After the cold, windy weather -
I could see that the box had shifted and needed some attention.

 It is rare to get out to this box without being accompanied by the goats.  Who would have guessed that they knew so much about honeybee swarm traps ?! They certainly do not like the boxes that are full of bees !

Daisy is especially concerned that some of the frames must have too much propolis or (bee glue) on the ends to fit properly in the box. As for me, I feel that old frames are especially attractive to scout bees.  Scout bees leave the mother colony in advance of a swarm and select possible new home sites. Blake has become bored with the whole process and laid down to rest.  Daisy and I finish putting the box back up in the tree.  It is only about 6 ft off the ground but I have to place it low enough that I can get it down later when bees/honey are inside. 

All finished and ready for Spring.  I will need to walk by this box every week during the swarm season.  If a colony moves in,   I will remove it quickly or it will be so heavy I will not be able to get it down without help !

We have just finished and a scout bee is already checking it out !

New bees...it's spring..well almost

It's a great day when new bees come and the sun even came out long enough to put them in their new home !

Success ? Maybe...

My emergency feeding may have been successful.  The bees definitely ate the candy mix that I provided.

Emergency Feeding...

The first week of January 2014 brought a forecast of record low temps for the time of year in our upstate area.  With the coldest temps in 20-30 years being in the forecast, I was filled with worry for my bee colonies.  My worse fear was for my marginal colonies, ones that might make it through a mild winter and thrive but will perish in extreme cold.  These smaller clusters happen for various reasons - some maybe my fault - some maybe bee genetics or pests/disease issues.

Despite good fall prep, I am always concerned that clusters wont be able to reach food when it is needed.  I hate making candy boards and the required rims/shims.  My answer was to try to give the bees a scoop of sugar right on top of the cluster for emergency rations.

First I mixed pure cane sugar in a bowl with just enough warm water stirred in to make it start to stick together. I also added in a bit of Honey B Healthy and a small amount of honey.

On a "somewhat" mild day before the "polar vortex", I quickly opened each colony (not removing any frames and trying to minimize the time with the colony open.  I found the cluster and placed a piece of newspaper on top of the cluster - dampened this with a spray of sugar water - dumped a clump of the candy mix on top and got the top box back on.  The candy mixture was pliable and molded between the boxes not requiring a shim.  I am convinced that this practice helped some of the colonies survive.  This was an emergency situation and I hope helped some of the smaller clusters survive the record cold.

Coldest blast in 20 years ? not good for honeybees

With the record breaking cold weather that we have experienced, I fear that many of us will have dead colonies.  It has been too wet/cold to look since the cold spell but ASAP I will do a very brief  inspection to see who survived.  Package bees will sell out very fast if we experienced great losses .  Also bees use extra food when it is cold, at least give your hives a quick look to check food stores when the weather allows !

New year, time to order bee packages ....

Each year new beekeepers order package bees to start new colonies and experienced beekeepers buy bees to replace those that die over winter. The bees come in a wood & screen package with the queen in a special structure inside and a can of ...syrup for food while in transit Where to purchase bees is a controversial topic and this is MY opinion. Everyone has one. I purchase my bee packages at Bee Well in Pickens. (No I do not get a discount) They have the best price, the packages have statistically done very well for me and the owner goes to the bee farm in GA to pick up the bees himself and often helps fill the packages. They never spend time in the hands of postal workers or others who do not understand the needs of bees ! The most important aspect of a bee package for me is healthy bees in the group and a good weight(number of bees) to the package. If I want to add new genetics to my apiary, I can order queens from other sources and diversify my bee genetics during the summer after the honey flow is over. Consider starting your beekeeping adventure this year !

Drones for Christmas

The larger honeybee with big eyes is a drone (male bee). Colonies do not normally let drones overwinter - maybe there is a problem inside ? Nothing I can do this time of year but I will document and watch what happens. With beekeeping we watch for things that are "outside the norm".

Beekeeping Classes

Would you like to know more about beekeeping ? Maybe have a hive of your own or maybe you just like to learn new things ?  Please consider taking a beekeeping class.  The Pickens County Beekeepers Association offers the best class around. ( Yes I am probably influenced by the fact that this is my home club and I am one of the instructors... LOL )  Local associations offer classes taught by unpaid volunteers.  Please join us.  For more information email Kevin Nicholson  ridercoach62@yahoo.com

Prep for Spring Swarms

 

Honeybee colonies swarm. It's just what they do. Some swarm very little and some swarm a lot.  Beekeepers normally try to minimize the behavior because it is risky for the colony that may fail to requeen itself and it means a smaller honey crop.  I have a large cedar tree near my hives that keeps attracting swarms that sit down too high up for me to reach.  I had it topped and now it looks awful.  I hope to shape it a bit.

The only problem is I had way too much help. LOL

Goat Guards

Goats are guarding the bee yard !  Not really, they are hoping for a handout !

Wheel Bug - Honeybee Predator

The Wheel Bug (Arilus cristatus) is a true bug that preys on soft bodied insects - most of which as considered to be pests.  Unfortunately, they also eat honeybees and this one was caught on top of one of my hives.  Bad Wheel Bug, Bad !  Their bite can be rather painful to you also so be careful !

Evening in the Bee Yard

Goodnight Bees,  Goodnight Moon.

Drones in Fall ?

Bee Colonies have a reason for the things they do.  My role as beekeeper is to try to figure out when something is wrong that may threaten the viability of the colony. Drones (male bees) are kicked out of the hive in fall.  When I see one hive that is keeping drones when the others have evicted their males, I worry that this might be a sign of trouble even though things look ok.  It's a puzzle !  The bee in front is a worker..the bigger eyed drone is just behind.

Bringing in the last of fall pollen

We have had some frost and a light freeze. On this warm November day the bees are making those last flights and I see some dandelion pollen coming in...(see the bees with the little orange balls on their legs !)

Fall in the Bee Yard

As we go into late October, winter is bearing down on us from the bees perspective.  We had heavy frost this week and will experience a hard freeze this weekend.  That should put an end to the nectar plants.  At the point, I have done all I can to prepare my colonies.  Time will tell how they fair as the winter goes forward.  Starvation is a big risk for local beekeepers.  Our mild winters often result in the colony staying somewhat active and consuming large quantities of food.  I will check them periodically on warm winter days.  Good Luck Bees.