Guilfordbeekeepers.org

Wishing everyone a safe and happy new year!!

Wally is right....(as usual)...50 degrees F or above.
Better to leave the feeders in place than risk chilling your clustering bees.

I'm treating for Nosema as I stated in my post: Fall Treating with Fumidil-B.
The reason I believe in doing treatments:
http://guilfordbeekeepers.org/forum/vie ... ght=nosema

If you choose to treat for Nosema and treat only once a year, Fall treatment is recommended. I'm treating my bees with 2 gallons of medicated sugar syrup per hive. Info on Fumagilin-B http://maarec.cas.psu.edu/bkCD/labels/Fumidil_B.html Check this out... Posted by ski: Jan 21, 2010 subject: Jan 2010...

top bar maker,
Congrats on your mite count!!
That's very impressive for this time of year.

Would you please share with us how you do a 24 hr mite drop count in a top bar hive?

Hey Wally, I want to watch too!!

Now that's the way to collect a bee tree!
Great pics!
Thanks for sharing Wally.

My bees are bringing in nectar.
I'm not sure if it's a good one but, we ARE in a nectar flow!
Please check your hives, give them extra space if needed to put up the fall nectar. (More stores for over wintering.)

Goldenrod is a major fall nectar source and should start blooming in the Piedmont this coming week,
about Aug. 8th and continue to bloom until about Oct. 14th!

If you choose not to split into 2 hives, I would remove the queen excluder, return the hive to its original configuration, place one of the medium supers with foundation in the top position. This will give them extra space to prevent overcrowding. Overcrowding is the main cause of swarming. Check th...

Two queens can sting through the openings in a queen excluder. What you've done will not prevent swarming. The current queen will still leave with the swarm. If you want to make a split use two hives, moving the current queen to the new location. Additionally, in most cases of swarming, bees will co...

Losses of managed honey bee colonies nationwide totaled 33.8 percent from all causes from October 2009 to April 2010, according to a survey
conducted by the Apiary Inspectors of America


http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2010/100429.2.htm

Check out this link about honeybees trained to detect bombs!


http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/be ... s/19411285

5 dead but, YES it does hurt! I was near tears with each loss!
On the upside I have plenty of drawn comb and capped honey to help swarms/splits get started.
I hope to set up a few more nucs when I have enough drones flying.

hive# 1- queenless-closed out ..... hive# 2- absconded during fall treatment-closed out ........ hive# 3- queenless--closed out.......... hive# 4- 3 mites......ok hive hive# 5-queenless-closed out ........ hive# 6-35 mites.... very strong hive!..... hive# 7- 1 mite....weak hive hive# 8- 7 mites .......

I received my information for the April 14th queen rearing workshop in Forsyth/Winston-Salem.
My letter arrived today, it stated that over 50 participants registered for this workshop by the deadline.
It should be an interesting day!

My sticky boards went on this afternoon.
I'll report results after I leave them in 72 hours,
count the mites on sticky board and divide by 3 to get a 24 hour average drop.

I lost another hive today,
this one makes 4 hives lost this winter!
This one went queenless, no brood capped or uncapped.
Small amount of bees on comb, plenty of honey, lots of dead bees on bottom board.
I did a shake out, and placed the honey in the freezer!

Wally,
That would be great!
I would love to make a few batches of soap with you,
perhaps we can arrange a date/time at the next GCBA meeting.

Thank you!!

Check out this link to the Apiculture Program Dept of Entomology NCSU, Beekeeping Notes.
Scroll down the list, check out 2.01 Diseases of the Honey Bee,
In this pdf you will find-disease/pest, cause, & symptoms.


http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/entomology/api ... notes.html