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Author Topic: I have smaller bees now!!!  (Read 19660 times)

Offline Cindi

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Re: I have smaller bees now!!!
« Reply #20 on: November 20, 2008, 09:01:38 pm »
Annette, holy smokin' cadoodalhoppers!!!  I have been enlightened.  I have always thought that the popsicle sticks that the people here talked about were held horizontally somehow along the bottom of the top bar.  Now I am getting a picture that the popsicle stick is standing up vertically from the bottom of the frame to the top of the frame, in the centre of that frame, eeks!!!  You see, that is my issue with understanding certain concepts.  Thank goodness I have never tried to use popsicle sticks on my foundationless frames!!!  Have a most wonderful and awesome day and life, great health wishes to us all.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline doak

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Re: I have smaller bees now!!!
« Reply #21 on: November 20, 2008, 10:39:36 pm »
I still say the wedge top frames are the most versatile.
They will accept what ever one feels like using.
my take. doak

Offline annette

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Re: I have smaller bees now!!!
« Reply #22 on: November 20, 2008, 11:57:24 pm »
I'd love to take a look at the video.  Thanks Annette!

Here it is. Our wonderful member Tillie from Atlanta melts the starter strips into the top groove of the frames.

http://beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com/2007/04/how-to-use-wax-tube-fastener_26.html

And this explains more about the starter strips

http://beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com/2007/03/small-cell-foundation-starter-strips.html

Offline annette

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Re: I have smaller bees now!!!
« Reply #23 on: November 21, 2008, 12:00:41 am »
Annette, holy smokin' cadoodalhoppers!!!  I have been enlightened.  I have always thought that the popsicle sticks that the people here talked about were held horizontally somehow along the bottom of the top bar.  Now I am getting a picture that the popsicle stick is standing up vertically from the bottom of the frame to the top of the frame, in the centre of that frame, eeks!!!  You see, that is my issue with understanding certain concepts.  Thank goodness I have never tried to use popsicle sticks on my foundationless frames!!!  Have a most wonderful and awesome day and life, great health wishes to us all.  Cindi

Cindi

No the popsicle sticks are glued into the frames on top just like you originally thought. Nothing is placed vertical into the frames. Now you have been unenlightened!!!! Hee!! Hee!!

Love ya
annette

Offline Cindi

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Re: I have smaller bees now!!!
« Reply #24 on: November 21, 2008, 10:10:34 am »
Annette, oh man, my entire life is full of enlightenment.  I am constantly learning and being enlightened about things, hee, hee, such is life.  I looked at our Linda's blog again, I watched her video on the fastening of the starter strip.  She has put together the most wonderful blog, so proud of her!!!  Gotta take my hat off to that gal!!!

Remember when I posted pictures of my starter strip frames.  Mine were the plastic ones that my Husband cut down, they look almost the same as the starter strip ones that Linda showed us how to make in her video.  The bees liked to use them once they were cut down, reluctant otherwise to use plastic, but they are eventually drawing them out.  I won't buy any more plastic, but am using up the ones that I do have.  Beautiful and most wonderful day, great health wishes for us all.  Cindi



There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline hongsi

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Re: I have smaller bees now!!!
« Reply #25 on: February 06, 2009, 01:07:05 pm »
Two years ago I shook down five colonies on to 4.9 foundation. Three of the colonies are surviving after being shook down a second time last year. One hive went down possibly due to mites and the other failed as a result of the mother of all Nosema infections.  The steaking on the hive below the top entrance was beyond heavy and the tops of the frames inside the top entrance were black with fecal matter for a radius of five inches.  I took pictures.  I have fourteen of the eighteen I wintered and I feel the SC hives do better. My mite treatment last fall was mineral oil with Thymol fogged in.  I did this four times and I think it is an effective treatment.  Sure is quick and inexspensive so that I really am hoping that it is an effective solution until I achieve my goal of twenty SC hives making comb honey on clean forage without any non organics in the hive. I berlieve that the two day shorter hatching cycle will result in a tougher bee with a stronger immune system and with the help of Michael Bush's site, my first reference, and invaluable in my efforts, I know I will prove this out. The Jay Smith section on Queen rearing has to be the best.  No you cannot get a good grafted queen and you will know why after reading Jay Smith on Michael's site.  Cheers to all and good luck to all beeks heading in the natural organic direction. Any step in that direction IMHO has to be for the betterment of Apiculture all round.
There will be a time when the old shall be new again  ovid

Offline Cindi

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Re: I have smaller bees now!!!
« Reply #26 on: February 07, 2009, 12:33:52 pm »
Two years ago I shook down five colonies on to 4.9 foundation. Three of the colonies are surviving after being shook down a second time last year. One hive went down possibly due to mites and the other failed as a result of the mother of all Nosema infections.  The streaking on the hive below the top entrance was beyond heavy and the tops of the frames inside the top entrance were black with fecal matter for a radius of five inches.  I took pictures. 

Hongsi, there is a thread about "what things should look like".  I think that if you have a moment your colony that was heavily struck down with nosema would be an excellent topic to put in that thread, and pictures, if you could get them into the forum would be worth its weight in gold. 

I know that many diseases of the honeybees are more clearly identified if a beekeeper can see a picture.  You know Rod Stewart's song, "every picture tells a story."  Bring it on, when you have a moment.  This is the link to that thread. Have a wonderful, most awesome day, health,  Cindi

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php?board=95.0

This thread is in one of the pictures forum, it was rather hard to find, I may address this with a moderator.
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline hongsi

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Re: I have smaller bees now!!!
« Reply #27 on: February 08, 2009, 06:37:36 pm »
Hi Cindi, there you are, I will try and get a photo up, good idea.  By the way did you feel our cold snap had any meaningful detrimental effect on your bees?  The last few days have seen the bees out but no pollen coming in yet tho' there are bleep willows about to give and the catkins on the hazel nut trees are ripening fast.  Here we go again. To the max.  Cheers.
There will be a time when the old shall be new again  ovid

Offline Cindi

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Re: I have smaller bees now!!!
« Reply #28 on: February 09, 2009, 12:27:20 pm »
Chris, I have been swamped lately, so I haven't been much of a presence on the forum.

Being on the other side of the river to you, I am about 2 weeks behind with all the flows here.  Sounds weird, but yes I am.  I remember John Gibeau (Honeybee Centre) speaking of the flows at his place, probably not too far from you.  At least 2 weeks ahead of me.

I have not had good enough weather to even peek open inside a little bit, I don't think I have seen the bees even flying yet.  Far too cold, even with the past few milder days we have had, not willing to open even for a moment to stuff on a pollen patty.  I am making the patties today to have on hand.  As you know, our weather can warm up so quickly, seriously.  I still have tons of snow on the ground everywhere, but it is beginning to melt. 

No clue if there has been any colony loss.  I will know in a couple of days.  I went into winter with 8 super strong colonies, two deep brood boxes, tons of honey and one less strong colony in a single deep.  We'll see, time will certainly tell that tale.  The catkins on the hazelnut trees are beginning to look like they are maturing, I don't have any p u s s y willow trees here in my IMMEDIATE vicinity that I know of (notice the spaces, otherwise you get bleepwillows, smiling), so I can't see if that.  I am hoping today I will be able to see some activity in the colonies, even a little would be very encouraging.  Time tells that tale.  Have a beautiful, most wonderful day, love and live life.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline hongsi

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Re: I have smaller bees now!!!
« Reply #29 on: February 14, 2009, 09:09:30 am »
Hi Cindi Yes I guess you are a couple of weeks later on the mysterious north side of the river. And you have bears.  I have looked in my fourteen of seventeen survivors and found them with capped brood.  I have only fogged with mineral oil and Thymol and I am beginning to think that fogging is effective treatment for mites.  I shall continue using this treatment as it is very inexspesive, Quick and is more in line with a kinder more organic approach.  I fed pollen and honey patties in the fall and again last week.  They were set tight together with migratory tops and wrapped.  I wrap the hives to mainly stop the wind blowing on the rain wet boxes, I leave top entrance open of course.  This climate is not bee friendly as compared with the dry interior, hmmmm.  I still like the Fraser canyon where I lived as a child. Sure is dry enough and side walk eggs every day of the summer.  I will get some pix up soon but my still project has had me tied up for a bit.  Is it just me or are there more women than men interested in "natural/org/small"?  It would seem so to me.  Onwards and upwards to victory.  Have an all around good day,  Chris
There will be a time when the old shall be new again  ovid

Offline Cindi

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Re: I have smaller bees now!!!
« Reply #30 on: February 14, 2009, 12:56:58 pm »
Chris, what part of the Fraser Canyon did you live in as a child.  I am very excited about the thoughts of moving to the interior, no mossy, green, slimey, black slimey stuff, and NO SLUGS!!!  Yay, I seriously can't wait for the dry climate, really tired of the rainforest of our area.  Beautiful day in this great life, health.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline hongsi

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Re: I have smaller bees now!!!
« Reply #31 on: February 14, 2009, 03:39:08 pm »
Hi Cindi,  I was ten years old and landed in Lytton with my family in 1948 from UK.  I thought Lytton was another spelling for paradise.  My life to that time had been dominated by years of various lung related problems.  These problems ceased to exist within days of living in that friendly dry climate and I had my first ever perfect school attendance.  Community life was, for a one street half Indian railroad town was to say the least robust and pulsing with inter community athletic programs year round, a John Wayne movie once a week, gravel trucks loaded with kids taken for free the twenty miles to Big Horn where the motel had a real concrete swimming pool ever so Hollywood, and more. The town took a real interest in the kids and laid on programs for adults of all kinds. Gotta Go.  Cheers C
There will be a time when the old shall be new again  ovid

Offline Cindi

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Re: I have smaller bees now!!!
« Reply #32 on: February 15, 2009, 12:45:38 pm »
Hongsi, oh what a beautiful story you have painted for my mind's eye.  Lytton, never been through there, but I will be googling it.  I think it may be near Cache Creek.....hold on.....

http://www.britishcolumbia.com/regions/towns/?townID=3361

50th parallel

http://www.hellobc.com/NR/rdonlyres/196F50E4-DC25-4CEF-9E49-89B6EC18011C/0/BC01.pdf

Lytton is west of the area that we are wanting to move to, we are heading towards the Vernon/Armstrong/Enderby area.  Basically, somewhere in the Okanagan Valley, which is enormous!!!  I was looking at the sites for Lytton, and it surely sounds like a beautiful place, dry, that would be very desirable.  Have a great, most wonderful day, health.  Cindi



There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service