Guilfordbeekeepers.org

I have a 40 LB bag of wood pellet fuel minus a pound or so that I purchased it 4-5 years ago with the intention of using it for smoker fuel.
I tried it and didn't like it for smoker fuel, I thought it burned too hot.
Anyway, if someone has a use for it.
Its free.

The strawberry field where my hives are located. The bees did an outstanding job pollinating the strawberries. The grower is happy, so I am happy and a lot of people are happy to be eating strawberries. http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w45/Beegood_01/2015%20strawberries/20150519_101844_zpsjykzon8v...

Thanks Wally.

I don't think there is one price for cutouts.
A very easy job for a large commercial / industrial company will cost more then a difficult cutout for elderly folks living on social security.

LOL No I don't mind you asking.
NOT ENOUGH, for the work that was done but enough to get the job and in the end know, that I charged the right price for this particular job.

Thanks Rob, I think it should work now.


I had not done a cutout in a long time, now I remember why. It was a lot of work for the two of us.

Received a call from Jeff in Ossipee wanting bees removed from a house. Since it was in Alamance close to some other beekeepers I figured I would just refer it to them and then maybe help out. Well they were busy but recommended, a helper Corey, a beekeeper that had helped with cutouts in the past. ...

Congrats on capturing your first swarm.
Today was not my first swarm capture but the thrill is still there like it was the first.
May you catch many more and may they all be from someone else's hives.

Found this nice swarm in a peach tree in front of my hives. http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w45/Beegood_01/2015%20swarms/IMG_34301_zpsg3j03v3n.jpg As I was planning on getting some equipment together another swarm issued from a small hive and landed in the peach tree. http://i173.photobucket.com/...

Anyone planning on using OAV to treat for mites?
Anyone already using OAV to treat for mites?

This is one I am in the process of putting together.
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w45/ ... bhytac.jpg

Anyone planning on using OAV to treat for mites?
Anyone already using OAV to treat for mites?

This is one I am in the process of putting together.
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w45/ ... bhytac.jpg

You can chip away at it with a screw driver or hive tool but the easiest way may be the propane torch just get it hot and it will burn on its own and then flake off. Just a little scraping will clean it up. Jacobs mentions using the torch in the second post. http://www.guilfordbeekeepers.org/communi...

On April 20 one of my hives issued about a 3 pound swarm and I put them in the topbar hive. http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w45/Beegood_01/Topbar%20stuff/20150420_145813_zpsc7uardzr.jpg About 24 hours later you can see the cluster through the viewing window in the topbar hive hanging from the top...

The write up sounds correct but the map is a mile or so off.

Mike - Thanks for the referral.
Chris now has two hives next to his blueberries.

I am not a cluster expert.
The cluster on all three frames were in basically the same position on the frames. Having bees on both sides it would form, what I would call a typical cluster.

No bees in the top bar hive yet, plan on putting a swarm in whenever. The comb is just something for the swarm to start on, like putting a frame of comb in a standard hive.

Trying to give the top bar hive some comb. Hopefully it will hold on to the top bar until the bees do there thing.


http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w45/ ... gyfgpq.jpg
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w45/ ... 3k9v55.jpg

"Was it the diminished size that kept them from moving to a new area for food?"

Size relative to the temperature.
That is the theory, but why was the cluster so small?
Mite treatment not effective enough, that is my guess.

Any other ideas?

It was an interesting show. Thanks for posting it.

Dr.Vaughn Bryant from Texas A&M spoke at the NC State beekeepers meeting a year or so ago.

I find it hard to imagine having 22,000 hives and losing 12,000 in one year.