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Author Topic: another dumb question.  (Read 4596 times)

Offline bill

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another dumb question.
« on: May 11, 2005, 12:47:24 pm »
I am trying to figure out if I am disrupting my  established hive and my two small colonies too much.I can't at this stage read the frames very well and I am yet to recognize a queen in a hive. but I keep trying. I guess I am slowing down the bees by disrupting them too much. I suspect that most new beekeepers are guilty of this also. If i just raise the cover and look in, take a frame or two out and look at them where the bees don't really get mad does this harm them much?  If I take them apart on the weekend and look at them closely is that too much. a lot of my trouble is that I started out with a lot of old equipment and that is harder to see patterns, My eyesight is not what it used to be so that too is a difficulty. I also get in a hurry to disengage after the bees get really agitated. I have to keep working but I wonder if you-all could give me some advice on what is too much and what is not. I am just a little to fascinated by them I guess.
billiet

Offline Jay

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another dumb question.
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2005, 01:13:03 pm »
Once a week is not too much, if you want to look more often than that, try removing the top cover and looking down through the  vent hole in the inner cover or if you have a screened bottom board, try looking up from the bottom! :D
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Offline Jerrymac

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another dumb question.
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2005, 01:23:36 pm »
I don't like to open the hives and pull out frames when it is really windy, or even in the lower 70s F. Since I'm out in the wide open on the west texas plains this time of year you can probably guess there are few days when I will venture into a hive. Then just happened to have a few of those days and I was busy doing something else. It has been awhile. Since before Brian and I had that big adventure. One is really going strong, that is in and out of the hive traffic, two are slower by about half, and another is a bee every five to ten seconds or there abouts. I really need to get in there and see what is going on.
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Offline Finsky

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Re: another dumb question.
« Reply #3 on: May 11, 2005, 02:16:09 pm »
Quote from: bill
I wonder if you-all could give me some advice on what is too much and what is not. I am just a little to fascinated by them I guess.


You have too few hives.  :P  Get 10 fold more.

It is good that you are fond of them and you want to know what they are doing. Most of beginners do not study their hives, and they never learn.

Learning beekeeping is that you know, how hive developes and it reacts on weather.  If you are capable to learn, you will be very skillful beekeeper.  Then you try direct bees' aims towards your aims.

Of course you do mistakes and you will see the results what is proper and what is not, and what bees stand.

This is has been my course and I think that I have learned much. I have 10 tricks how to give queen in the hive.

It took me 7 years and after that I did not met surprises with them.
Now after 40 years I do to them many kind of tricks and many beekeepers say that it is wrong.  Just now I have electric heating in every hive. This spring I have feeded  almost 2 month soyaflour+yeast+pollen to get new bees. My hives are over 1 month ahead natural development.

I take honey away at autumn and I put sugar to them for winter. But I do not feed them all the time with sugar.

The most interesting is to raise new queens. I kill queens every year and I put new one to hive.

Every year I buy new queens from different queen raisers and I want to see, what kind of bees thay have. If they are good and nice, I raise my own queens.

I have no method what I do to hives. I handle them as an individual.  

I am not fond of beehive constructions. They do not bring honey. Honey is on the fields and bees gather it. I am also interested on flowers and pastures of bees. It is difficult area.

GET MORE BEES!

Offline Lesli

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another dumb question.
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2005, 09:56:06 pm »
I did the same thing with my two hives last year. I think it is important to consider your first year a learning year, and a "getting comfortable" year. So I don't think it's too much, even if you set them back on honey production.

I've also found it very helpful to spend time just watching the comings and goings.
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Offline Horns Pure Honey

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another dumb question.
« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2005, 09:36:49 pm »
LOL, I am still getting off the kick of looking in every weekend. I am down to 2 times a month now. Every time you look in the hive you set them back 3-4 days of work. bye :D
Ryan Horn

Offline beefree

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another dumb question.
« Reply #6 on: May 12, 2005, 09:40:44 pm »
i like to look at mine, too.  i just try not to smoke them, since i think that sets them back more than my just peeking in and pulling a frame or three.  And i have a hive now that gets agitated when smoked, but doesn't get at all bothered unless i completely disassemble the hive and move it three feet to the right while cleaning it (they did not appreciate that, but calmed quickly once i put it back together and back on the stand).  I like that hive a lot.  It is on the back stoop into my garage and i can see what color pollen they are brining in from the deck where i drink my tea on warm mornings... ahhh, such a life...
beefree
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Offline Horns Pure Honey

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another dumb question.
« Reply #7 on: May 12, 2005, 09:58:25 pm »
sounds sweet to me beefree :D
Ryan Horn

Offline Robo

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another dumb question.
« Reply #8 on: May 12, 2005, 09:58:46 pm »
Quote from: Horns Pure Honey
Every time you look in the hive you set them back 3-4 days of work. bye :D


Hogwash.  How do you figure that?  Even if you smoke the heck out of them, pull every frame out, rearrange them and slap them all back together,  by the next day they are bringing in just as much pollen and nectar and the queen will be laying.

If you don't rip them up too much, keep the supers covered, and don't use smoke, they hardly even know you are there.

For a beginner trying to learn, other than when you first install them, I would say open away.
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline Horns Pure Honey

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another dumb question.
« Reply #9 on: May 12, 2005, 10:00:25 pm »
I am pretty shure I saw that is bee keeping for dummies.
Ryan Horn

Offline crw13755

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another dumb question.
« Reply #10 on: May 12, 2005, 10:04:48 pm »
Quote from: Jerrymac
I don't like to open the hives and pull out frames when it is really windy, or even in the lower 70s F. Since I'm out in the wide open on the west texas plains this time of year you can probably guess there are few days when I will venture into a hive..


Jerry so are you saying today is not a good idea to "venture"  :lol:

Offline Robo

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another dumb question.
« Reply #11 on: May 12, 2005, 10:10:29 pm »
Quote from: Horns Pure Honey
I am pretty shure I saw that is bee keeping for dummies.

Didn't anyone ever tell you "Don't believe everything you read" :lol:

I have a couple of hives that I "trash" (drastically rearrange frames) when queen rearing and open them up many more times than my other hives.  Although I assume it does not help them,  by season end there is not a noticeable difference from the others.  With your figures, I would assume it would be quite noticeable.
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline Jerrymac

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another dumb question.
« Reply #12 on: May 13, 2005, 12:19:20 am »
crw13755,

For me?  Probably not a good day. If you have wind blocks in your area then go for it.

You have seen my pictures haven't you? Wide open plains.
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Offline Apis629

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another dumb question.
« Reply #13 on: May 13, 2005, 01:45:26 am »
I read beekeeping for dummies too but I thought it said that each time the hive is opende the bees are set behind 1-2 days.

Offline Finsky

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another dumb question.
« Reply #14 on: May 13, 2005, 02:39:40 am »
Quote from: Apis629
I read beekeeping for dummies too but I thought it said that each time the hive is opende the bees are set behind 1-2 days.


Nonsence! If you keep fingers out of hive, you loose everything. And we speak now about beginning.  If you do not look inside hive, you as beekeper cant get forward.

For beginners the most usual thing is that they do not look inside, they do not know how colony developes, when to expand, and then hive swarm and honey run away. It is not 1-2 days back, it is whole  1 year. And you learned nothing.

As you see here, many perefer to ask fron internet than go and open the hive wahat is really happening there.

And this is hobby. You do not enjoy if you keep fingers out even you like to look inside.

In June I must look into hives every week for swarming control. My hives develope well. They are not coming back not a day. They larvas are developing not dieing.

It is old fact that bees are disturbed, and 20 years ago bees were mad when I opened  hives. Now they are tame and calm and they often do not care when I open the hive. But if it is evening and sunset, rain is coming and something like that, they are really disturbed.

Even now when new bees are calm, books and handling methods give advice to give smoke into entrance, on top and everywhere. Same methods like 20 years ago and bees really not need that kind of handling, mostly smoke at all.