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Author Topic: Bee Suburbia  (Read 5362 times)

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Bee Suburbia
« on: March 06, 2008, 12:56:42 am »
I did it today the weather was clear, the sky blue the temp in the mid 50s and the bees were singing while they worked.  I decided I couldn't find a better day to re-plat my bee yard.  The 1st goal was to put each hive one the new hive stands that I've made over the past several weeks and have had sitting beside the hives for over a week.  The 2nd objective was to take both of the over wintered nucs and trade them into 8 frame hives.  The 3rd item was to set up the hive for my daughters package (on order) and a bait hive.  #4 was to set up my double nuc double queen/booster hives.  Last was checking brood, remaining stores, and feeding.

I got all but #4 done.  I decided to turn the MH hive into the queen rearer/booster hive and so I took away the now empty of stores medium box and added a 2nd deep nuc box for them to draw out.  Once that's done I'll pull the 2 deep nucs apart, set them side by side on the same stand and add a medium nuc to each.  I had lots of fun going through each hive and putting them in their new spot--just a foot or 2--and having the air full of bees like I was inside a tornado, the bees were, of course, all a buzz over the deal and a few got so lost they ended up moving into the bait hive (I'll have to correct that tomorrow). 

Each of the hives had at least 2 full frames of brood and 2 frames of stores remaining on the nucs, the bigger hives (Italian) had 4 frames of stores and 6 frames of brood.  The MH had made a mess of everything, used all the stores in the lower medium and had both sides of 1 frame in the upper deep nuc of brood.  One the other deep nuc is drawn out and full of bees the queen is getting the ax and I'm pulling frames from the Italian and Russians to develop my queens.  The Russians 2 story medium nucs each over wintered better than the MH.  The MH actually showed the least hygenic of the 4 hives.  They had cluster down beyond the outer edges of the brood chamber and had left a lot of dead bees in the comb in a circle on the frames outside of the current brood area--they didn't seem to be in a hurry to clean up the mess.  They also had the largest pile of dead bees on the SBB. 

I took the SBB of the hives that had them and replaced them with screened slatted racks (SSR).  All together things went well except for the MH.  By the time I was finished I was exhausted and had what my family calls the stumbles, which means I've over extended my limited endurance.  My Sister, who came for dinner, said she came by with a friend, headed for the lake, and got to show her friend her brother working his bees.

So it is set, the bee yard that is.  I reconfigured the plat so that I can hold 12 hives within the space dedicated to the bee yard--that means I'll be able to sell 6 nucs next spring.
Life is a school.  What have you learned?   :brian:      The greatest danger to our society is apathy, vote in every election!

Offline Cindi

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Re: Bee Suburbia
« Reply #1 on: March 06, 2008, 10:16:01 am »
Brian, excellent.  You afternoon with the bees.  You got alot accomplished.  Good for you.  I have to get into that deep spring inspection pretty soon too.  I have done a quick one, but not the big one.  But firstly I have to finish the fixing up of the turkey barn, I think this will be accomplished today.  What a job this has been, I will take some pictures.  The rat protection in the house took the longest time.  The chicken wire around the bottom and top of walls had to be securely done.  Rats are notorious for getting in.  We have no rats right now, but they will proably be coming.  Beautiful day, greatest of this life we live.  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 KONASDAD

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Re: Bee Suburbia
« Reply #2 on: March 15, 2008, 07:44:42 pm »
Thats great. I want to ask some wuestions on the mechanics, but I want to re-read your version first. I am very curious about your double queen hives and your breeding/starter nucs. These are "Master Beekeeping" skills, so elaborate for us house bees please.
"The more complex the Mind, the Greater the need for the simplicity of Play".

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Bee Suburbia
« Reply #3 on: March 16, 2008, 03:53:41 am »
Thats great. I want to ask some wuestions on the mechanics, but I want to re-read your version first. I am very curious about your double queen hives and your breeding/starter nucs. These are "Master Beekeeping" skills, so elaborate for us house bees please.

I do not consider myself a Master Beekeeper, that is nothing more than a title for those who are fixated with titles.  I do, however, consider myself competant.

The idea of my queen holder/booster hives is simple.  I use 2 deep nucs (because I had them and was too lazy to cut down the deep frames (their plastic, drat)  Si I built a hive stand that will hold 2  5 frame nuc boxes side by side so that it essentially looks and works as one hive--dirift is immaterial here.  I'll be putting medium nuc boxes atop those.  The queens in each deep nuc can be used for a failed queen elsewhere.  With the nuc I can afford the delay time in rearing a new queen.  The frames from the medium sections of the nucs will be pulled to boost populations in the other hives in the beeyard so they can build up better and achieve and better harvest than otherwise.  In August I will make several splits from those nucs and frames from my other hives to over winter and sell in the spring.  The constant pulling of full frames and replacing with empty frames has the same affect that super does.  And, if one swarms, hopefully I'll catch it (that's why I keep a bait hive handy) and have another nuc to sell.
Life is a school.  What have you learned?   :brian:      The greatest danger to our society is apathy, vote in every election!

Offline Cindi

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Re: Bee Suburbia
« Reply #4 on: March 16, 2008, 11:01:33 am »
Brian, what do you do with the full frames when you pull them from the outside of the broodnest?  Beautiful day in this beautiful 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 Brian D. Bray

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Re: Bee Suburbia
« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2008, 12:00:47 am »
Brian, what do you do with the full frames when you pull them from the outside of the broodnest?  Beautiful day in this beautiful life, Cindi

Put them into which ever hive I want to.  It is a great way to draw bees into supers, besides giving them a population boost, and placing them in the new super gives time for the odors to mix so there is a minimum of fighting between bees.  Best way i know of getting a package off to a good start--placing a frame of drawn comb and brood and bees into the box you dump the package into.  The bees are 2 confused to fight and you have the basics already--also helps in queen retention for the one that came with the package.
Life is a school.  What have you learned?   :brian:      The greatest danger to our society is apathy, vote in every election!

Offline Cindi

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Re: Bee Suburbia
« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2008, 10:53:57 am »
Brian, beautiful stuff.  Again, and I have probably said this many times, this forum has been the most wonderful learning tool that I could have ever imagined.  I am grateful for all the experience of so many that are so willing to share their ideas and thoughts.  Through these ideas and thoughts I believe my understanding of the honeybee, the methods for caring for them, everything, has increased in so many ways.  Each year I learn so many new things, and can't wait for the season to get fully rolling so I can apply my new knowledges to the tasks at hand.  Yeah, keep on keepin on, beautiful day in this great world we all share.  One day I will feel that I will be a competent beekeeper too, that is my vision in my 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

 

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