Guilfordbeekeepers.org

I must be a slow reader. It takes me longer than that to get through the newspaper. I really thought it took longer for them to make the breakthrough. Thanks for the input.

The only thing separating the upper super of the queenless/strong hive and the super containing the queen and a few hundred bees at most is the sheet of newspaper with a few small slits in it. The inner covers are on top of the queenright super to give those bees some sort of entrance, otherwise the...

Last Saturday, Marc and I went through my four surviving hives. As we opened the strongest hive, bees began flying from the top medium super and the numbers increased until the flight numbers and behavior looked like a swarm. These bees covered the front of the home hive and one next to it. As we ex...

I have the same situation in one of my hives. It was the hive that was hardest hit by varroa and the weakest going into winter. It made it until the last cold snap. From the looks of the inside I think the number of bees got too small to maintain heat and they starved in place even though there was ...

I'm working on the assumption that my bees have as bad a sense of direction as I do and that even a simple change in the orientation of the hive will baffle them. The hives are no longer at right angles to my other hives, but are in line with the others. I figure that doing what I have done was simp...

I would not go into the hive now until it warms up. Once it is warm enough for the bees to be flying (sunny and around 50 degrees) I plan on feeding pollen patties. I plan on putting a partial patty on the frames directly above where the bees are clustering as this is most likely where any brood wou...

I decided to take advantage of the new Greensboro Ordinance today and move 2 of my hives 5 to 6 feet over on my driveway pad. This will move them out of total shade and they will get morning sun on the entrances and afternoon sun on the sides and back of the hives. I stapled screen over the reduced ...

I see that my blackberry and blueberry plants are starting to bud and a scraggly bush of some kind has put out a few very small white daisy like blossoms. O.K. plant experts, is this normal for this time of year or are my plants headed for disaster at the next freeze? I have only begun paying attent...

Harvest less or force your bees to work harder. I have heard Wally ask on more than one occasion, "Would you rather feed your bees 50 cent a pound sugar or 5 dollar a pound honey?" Obviously, strong hives with drawn comb to fill during the spring flow will give the best production. What th...

Just a suggestion that you don't have to take, but if you got one of those Langstroth boxes you would't have to buy a new truck to keep every bee tree you get!

Things did go well. I met with Mr. Hails of the planning department a week before the meeting and got the proposed wording of the ordinance and the memo that Council would be working from. It had the back yard limitation for bee colonies and relief for 12000+ square foot lot owners only if they coul...

I spoke with City Planners yesterday morning. I did not get an exact copy of the text going to Council and will try to do so. STAFF IS SENDING UP ITS VERSION OF THE BEE ORDINANCE DESPITE THE PLANNING BOARD'S UNANIMOUS VOTE NOT TO RECOMMEND IT (OR "OUR" REQUEST). I am planning on being at t...

The first picture looks like one of my hives. The bees just seem to want to spread out more than other bearding hives. In the evening the foragers are coming back and bearding increases either because of crowding or climate control. If they have room and water nearby, I don't think there is much to ...

I am going to see if I can clarify what Council will be considering. The Planning Board met July 16th and voted not to recommend either the City Planner recommended version or our version of the amended bee/chicken ordinance. Instead, it voted to recommend changes to the ordinance regarding fences f...

Mine are bearding too. Last night at about 8:00 p.m. I looked out and saw the air full of bees. I did not see them coming out of any hive and all of my hives still had lots of bearding and bees. These landed about 10 feet up in a dogwood tree and formed approximately a softball size cluster. I got t...

I think it would be helpful to have people attend. I don't know how much input I will be allowed to have or anyone else, but it certainly doesn't hurt to let the city planners know there is interest and concern and that we want to make beekeeping more available to city dwellers. Don Hopkins, the Nor...

I hope to see folks at tomorrow night's meeting. I have e mailed my comments along with the Staff recommendation version and the "citizen's" request versions of the revised Ordinance that will go before the Planning Board on July 16th at 2:00 p.m. (Council Chambers, Melvin Municipal Buildi...

The presentation was a blast and the time flew by. About 40 people, lots of very smart young boys and girls with lots of questions. Wally and Ken, I can return your items, but I would like to have the posters and the observation hive to use on Wednesday July 23rd and Friday July 25th, if possible. I...

I'm not sure when Brian received the proposed changes to the bee/chicken ordinance, but I e mailed it to those who gave me an e mail address. If you want to see it, e mail me at RobertJJacobs@aol.com. Brian says it will go before City Council in August, but I have not seen it on the planning board a...

Yesterday around 5:30 p.m. there were heavy orientation flights around most of my hives. When I came out around 6:00 p.m., there were bees in the air behind the hives circling higher like a swarm. I did not see bees pouring out of any hive and this was not the size of a primary swarm. Having watched...