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Author Topic: Where's the Honey?  (Read 5301 times)

Offline campfirefan

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Where's the Honey?
« on: April 29, 2005, 06:36:23 pm »
OK I've been in this a year now. One hive and looking forward to harvesting my first honey. I have one shallow super on the hive now for 3 weeks and have yet to see any sign of activity in that portion of the hive. I have 4 other shallow supers ready to go.
Since I am new to this, I don't know when I can expect to get full supers ready to extact. Any advise for an anxious beekeeper? I live in west Tennessee.

Online Michael Bush

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Where's the Honey?
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2005, 08:44:21 pm »
When they need the room they'll use it.  I don't know what's normal for there.  I wouldn't expect anything in the supers here yet.
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Offline Jay

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Where's the Honey?
« Reply #2 on: April 29, 2005, 11:35:05 pm »
Do the supers have drawn comb or foundation in them, and do you have an excluder over the brood nest? Often the bees don't like to go through an excluder do draw out foundation.
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Offline campfirefan

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Where's the Honey?
« Reply #3 on: April 30, 2005, 10:34:00 am »
I do have an excluder between the super and the brood nest.  I have not checked the entire brood nest this season. I have started but not finished. I'm  timid beginner and am not yet comfortable with totally dismantling a hive and checking it out. Tried that last year and had the girls pretty upset when it was done. I blame that on not being patient enough with my smoker.

Unusually cool weather here the last week and a half has hampered my effort toward going through the nest and seeing it's condition. From what I can see, everything looks in order. Brood, Honey Pollen.......How do you tell the difference between worker and drone brood? I hope to finish going through the brood nest  in the next few days. I plan on reversing the brrod nest boxes then.

As all you can probably tell, I need a mentor really bad. I enjoy this site lots!

Thanks All!

Offline BigRog

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Where's the Honey?
« Reply #4 on: April 30, 2005, 10:41:33 am »
I'm betting you could find someone there
http://www.tnbeekeepers.org/locals.htm
Local clubs are important for local info
The varity of climates and different blooms makes it hard to gauge one area to another.
Good Luck
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Online Michael Bush

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Where's the Honey?
« Reply #5 on: April 30, 2005, 12:07:55 pm »
If they aren't doing as much as you like and you reverse the boxes and if the brood is split between the boxes you'll set them back another couple of weeks trying to reorganize the brood nest you disrupted.

Personally, I wouldn't.
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 Jerrymac

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Where's the Honey?
« Reply #6 on: April 30, 2005, 12:21:34 pm »
Quote from: campfirefan
How do you tell the difference between worker and drone brood?


Drone cells will be capped with a dome. Workers will be capped flat. Pretty even with the top of the cell wall. Once you have seen it, you will have no problem picking out the drones from the workers.
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Offline RebelRx

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Where's the Honey?
« Reply #7 on: April 30, 2005, 06:03:16 pm »
I live in south central mississippi and from my experience it's still too early.  I have supers on all my hives and most are almost full of honey but none of it capped out yet.  You normally don't get capped honey until the fist full moon in may around here.  Should be close for you in TN.  I don't use excluders.  I will check my hives some time next week. If they have about 3/4 of the super filled, (curing honey, not capped) I will bottom super that hive.  That way when the honey cures and they start capping I get 2 supers at a time.  Good luck

RebelRx

Offline crw13755

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hey camp
« Reply #8 on: April 30, 2005, 10:22:15 pm »
:wink:  the diff between the worker and drone is if you open the hive and see a bees warching the games on sun. having a beer is a drone and the worker bee is the one giving the finger to the drone LOLL    :lol:  

well of course your not going to see much from my readings is that anywhere in the 60's and below just let them work ( like me they arnt cold friendly)  I waited almost 10 days before I bothered them just making sure they had sugar water. And I understand you folks in Tenn.  have gotten alot of cold rainy weather there......Patience grasshopper patience  :wink:

Offline campfirefan

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Where's the Honey?
« Reply #9 on: May 01, 2005, 09:32:38 am »
I think I can identify the drones now! I was wondering where the beer bottle tops was coming from. I took some pics about 3 weeks ago that have a good example of what you are describing (rebelrx) I wish I could figure how to get it on here and show yall!
Thanks

Offline Beth Kirkley

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Where's the Honey?
« Reply #10 on: May 01, 2005, 09:53:28 am »
Posting pictures really isn't that hard. Do a search on the forum about posting pictures, and you'll find lots of post that describe how to do it. If still confused after that, PM me or any of the moderators, and we'll explain.

Beth

Offline crw13755

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Where's the Honey?
« Reply #11 on: May 01, 2005, 09:54:35 am »
Can I post Images?
Images can indeed be shown in your posts. However, there is no facility at present for uploading images directly to this board. Therefore you must link to an image stored on a publicly accessible web server, e.g. http://www.some-unknown-place.net/my-picture.gif. You cannot link to pictures stored on your own PC (unless it is a publicly accessible server) nor to images stored behind authentication mechanisms such as Hotmail or Yahoo mailboxes, password-protected sites, etc. To display the image use either the BBCode [img] tag or appropriate HTML (if allowed).  Can I use HTML?
That depends on whether the administrator allows you to; they have complete control over it. If you are allowed to use it, you will probably find only certain tags work. This is a safety feature to prevent people from abusing the board by using tags which may destroy the layout or cause other problems. If HTML is enabled you can disable it on a per post basis from the posting form.

Offline crw13755

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Where's the Honey?
« Reply #12 on: May 01, 2005, 09:56:10 am »
is what I found beth I am not sure on how either but never asked dont think ya'll be interested in my exciting life of pets , pets, and more pets LOL

Offline Beth Kirkley

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Where's the Honey?
« Reply #13 on: May 01, 2005, 10:23:55 am »
Sure we'd be interested. Well..... maybe not everyone would be interested. LOL But many would, including myself. :)

First, here's the post about that excel thing you mentioned - http://www.beemaster.com/beebbs/viewtopic.php?t=1530

And here's one about how to post pictures -

http://www.beemaster.com/beebbs/viewtopic.php?t=1215&highlight=i+post+pictures

I know there's more about it on the forum, but I honestly didn't have much luck doing the "search" thing. :) It's a topic often brought up, but didn't find the right posts that mentioned it.

Beth


Offline crw13755

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Where's the Honey?
« Reply #15 on: May 01, 2005, 11:18:02 am »
well got the pic I was trying for but like my cig. computer guy better I think but sure proud of me new lawnmower