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Author Topic: Use of a draw quilt -- your best friend working your hives  (Read 3290 times)

Offline Cindi

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Use of a draw quilt -- your best friend working your hives
« on: October 14, 2007, 12:28:10 pm »
When I began studying about beekeeping the spring of 2005, one of the first books that I read was the ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture, by A.I.Root.  Published in 1947, Revised and Rewritten by E.R. Root, LL.D, Assisted by H.H. Root and M.J. Deyell, Editor of the Gleanings of Bee Culture.  I digress.  He actually studied electricity prior to his life with the bees.  Fabulous book, it was a book that had been handed down to me from my Father, who kept bees when I was a young lady in my nasty teenage years.  Man what a kid, how did my parents ever do it?  :roll: ;) :) :)  Turned out OK, but holy smokers!!!  I take my hat off to them both.

This book is wonderful, the author writes in the book just like he was standing beside you, speaking to you, telling stories to go along with his teachings.  If there ever was a book I would recommend, I would say, this would be the book, it has been revised many times and I am pretty sure there is a very current one available, if my memory serves me, from posts written on this forum.

I have a way of rambling, please pardon this, but my ramblings will lead to something that you may find interesting, or not....depending on what your interest may be.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided that I was going to venture with my bees and begin to not use smoke at all.  I have accomplished this serenity with working with the girls.  Not to say that I don't keep the smoker by my side, within arm's distance, should I need to calm the storm!!!

One of the most useful pieces of equipment that I use ALL THE TIME....is the draw quilt.  I have spoken about this before, in posts quite some time ago.

The draw quilt idea makes 100% sense.  The initial understanding of the importance of this was obtained through the teachings of this book.  I have several draw quilts on hand when I am doing extreme manipulations with the bees, or even simply when I need to know that I will have to cover up boxes, so they are exposed to other bees and to keep the bees quiet and within the confines of their home.  It works.  Not a doubt in my mind and is one most critical part of my "toolbox".

When I am working the colonies, the very second I removed the inner cover, on goes the draw quilt. It is slightly wider than the box and slightly wider in length.  The quilts are made of old sheets I had hanging around, I make them several layers thick and then sew them up.  The main draw quilt is a little different.  It has doweling sewed on the ends for weight factor, not too heavy that it would crush bees, but it holds the quilt down to that the breezes don't blow it up.  THis is what it looks like in the picture below.  Most of the time I use two, when I have more than 2 frames exposed, then I put on another one on the opposite side and there is never many frames exposed to the outside world.

I am also using the baggie feeders now.  I don't think I will ever use inner frame feeders much anymore.  The space gained in the hive by having that extra frame that is in the inner feeders spot is good.  I don't go inside the colony to feed, so again, the bees are happier, and it is simple.  The inverted jar feeder is good too, many use that, as well as the inverted bucket feeder.  But for me, the ease of carrying a bucket full of baggies with sugar syrup is just plain simple, too darn simple.

One thing I did notice though, when cutting the slits in the baggie, is that you must ensure that the slips are only on the top, if the slit is made closer to the side of the bag, gravity pulls out the syrup  :( ;) :roll: :) :mrgreen:  So, that can be a catastrophe  :)  The bees love to sit on this warm bag of syrup and drink to their hearts content.  That is another great aspect of the baggie feeder, it can be microwaved in seconds to warm this luscious drink for the girls!!!  Yeah!!!!!

Holy carumba!!!  Told ya I can really ramble.  My oldest Grandson (who just turned 13) often watches and reads, sitting by my side.  He loves my stories too.  And he just said to me "holy crap Gramma, you started off about a book, then a quilt and now you are onto baggie feeders!!!!"  Told him my forum friends know me, I can ramble!!!!

Have a beautiful and wonderful day, we are off to a full day of sunshine, I can tell this by looking outside  :) :) ;) :) :)  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 DayValleyDahlias

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Re: Use of a draw quilt -- your best friend working your hives
« Reply #1 on: October 14, 2007, 12:38:31 pm »
Cindi,

I am loving all your photos, Thanks a heap~*~

Online Michael Bush

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My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline Cindi

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Re: Use of a draw quilt -- your best friend working your hives
« Reply #3 on: October 14, 2007, 01:06:33 pm »
Michael, hey those sites are good, but holy smokers!!!!  I can make mine for less than the price for the thread to sew them up!!!!!

Cover cloth $11.50 a pair
Manipulation cloth $17.00

I am encouraging our members to make their own, or have the wife make them for them!!!  Yeah!!!  Us beekeepers are penny pinchers, yeah!!!!!  Have a beautiful and wonderful day, love our great life, Cindi

Sharon, I am grateful that you are lovin' my pics!!!!  :) :) :)
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 Kirk-o

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Re: Use of a draw quilt -- your best friend working your hives
« Reply #4 on: October 14, 2007, 01:17:38 pm »
I purchase the 1947 edition last week.I'm going to make me up a couple of those quilts
kirko
"It's not about Honey it's not about Money It's about SURVIVAL" Charles Martin Simmon

Online Michael Bush

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Re: Use of a draw quilt -- your best friend working your hives
« Reply #5 on: October 14, 2007, 03:16:04 pm »
I like the Brushy mountain one with the wire frame to make the gap between the two cloths.  You can roll this over to close the gap or roll it back open to make the gap.  The gap is large enough to pull a frame out easily.  But after owning one for about seven years, I've only tried to use it once.  It's one more piece of equipment to haul around and my bees don't get exited anyway.

I have:
ABC of Bee Culture 1877 edition
ABC & XYZ of Bee Culture 1945 Edition, 35th Edition(1974) and the 38th Edition(1980).

I love them all.  There are many similarities and many differences.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline DayValleyDahlias

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Re: Use of a draw quilt -- your best friend working your hives
« Reply #6 on: October 14, 2007, 03:41:52 pm »
Well, I can't believe I missed that book, I am going to Amazon right now to buy it!

Offline Tropic

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Re: Use of a draw quilt -- your best friend working your hives
« Reply #7 on: October 14, 2007, 04:08:35 pm »
When working with our AHB hives here in Costa Rica, I found the use of these covers absolutely necessary to keep the apiary in some sort of peaceful state... when also used in combination with a spray of very cold sugar solution. I hardle need to use much or any smoke that has been one of the reasons that the bees surely get agitated to the extreme and attack en masse.

Offline Understudy

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Re: Use of a draw quilt -- your best friend working your hives
« Reply #8 on: October 15, 2007, 12:50:18 am »
I find this intriguing. I may have to look into it more.

Sincerely,
Brendhan
The status is not quo. The world is a mess and I just need to rule it. Dr. Horrible

Offline Cindi

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Re: Use of a draw quilt -- your best friend working your hives
« Reply #9 on: October 15, 2007, 01:10:46 am »
Brendhan, some strong advice.  Should you decide to begin to use manipulation cloths, cover cloths, call them what you will, don't go and spend some ridiculous amount of money on the ones from the bee sale sites.  Come on......I cannot condone purchasing these items, not even a little bit.  Unless there is no way to make one in your own home, then for all sakes, buy these gagets from the bee stores.

But all you have to do is just take some lightweight cotton, polyester, whatever, make a cover that is larger than the box.  My advice is several thicknesses to keep the wind from blowing it too easily off, and just make it up. So simple, I even bet Brendhan, that your wife could make it for you for about 10 cents.  Yeah!!!!  Come on forum friends, think about how to save your money!!!!!

I have still not used smoke with my bees for about a month.  My draw quilts keep them calm.  Even though I have used draw quilts all the time, I thought that I needed to use smoke as well --  until I simply just did not use smoke anymore.  My girls have surprised me, the fact that they aren't smokers  ;) :roll: :) :) and I bet I could have gone through every manipulation with them all summer without even the use of smoke......period.  We are entering the winter shutdown, there are many flowers, but I see no bees on them gathering nectar, I don't think they have any nectar to provide, but still, pretty flowers, so, I guess you could say we are in dearth.  Have a wonderful and beautiful day, enjoying this great space in time.  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 Cindi

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Re: Use of a draw quilt -- your best friend working your hives
« Reply #10 on: October 15, 2007, 01:15:00 am »
Michael, I think that you are a lucky man to possess the 1877 edition of the ABC of Bee Culture.  I wonder at what point in time of the revising of the books that it became the ABC and XYZ.  That is a curiosity.  Cherish those books, you have a wonderful work and a wonder in the palm of your hands.  The 1877 book was probably the very first writing of A.I. Root, yeah, again, hold those precious to your heart.  Pass them forward when the time comes.  Have a wonderful and beautiful life, in this space in time we possess.  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 Old Timer

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Re: Use of a draw quilt -- your best friend working your hives
« Reply #11 on: October 15, 2007, 01:44:26 am »
>that your wife could make it for you for about 10 cents.  Yeah!!!!  Come on forum friends, think about how to save your money!!!!!

i can think of one good way to save a dime. :-D that's what extra inner lids and outer lids are for. when i go through the frames, i need it all open in case i want to move them around in the box. the manipulation cloth would just get in my way.

Offline alfred

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Re: Use of a draw quilt -- your best friend working your hives
« Reply #12 on: October 15, 2007, 10:48:26 am »
   I just recently learned about this technique and it works very well for me. My girls have gotten more crusty as the fall has begun so this has helped muchly. I have been using several old towels. They seem to work even better if slightly damp.

  I'm not sure that I understand the baggie techniqe.. How do you do this?

  I love to read your ramblings Cindi, I always learn something and I always have a smile on my face  :)

Alfred

 

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