Search found 1886 matches

by Jacobs
Sun Nov 03, 2024 10:43 am
Forum: Beekeeping 101
Topic: Brood?
Replies: 6
Views: 327

Re: Brood?

A lot of the time, you've got to watch that they don't put sugar water in every cell where a queen might lay. I wouldn't worry too much about that where you had no resources in the hive to start with. I'd rather have them need to clear some laying space than have a strong colony starve.
by Jacobs
Fri Nov 01, 2024 7:17 am
Forum: Upcoming Events
Topic: GCBA Beginner Beekeeping Course 2025
Replies: 0
Views: 204

GCBA Beginner Beekeeping Course 2025

The Guilford County Beekeepers Association will offer the Beginner Beekeeping Course on the following dates: Thursday, January 09 Thursday, January 16 Thursday, January 23 Thursday, January 30 Thursday, February 06 Thursday, February 13 Thursday, February 20 (optional question & answer session/r...
by Jacobs
Tue Oct 29, 2024 1:49 pm
Forum: Beekeeping 101
Topic: Brood?
Replies: 6
Views: 327

Re: Brood?

The mystery deepens. . . .I got a call this morning from one of our beekeepers looking for a queen. He had checked with Beez Needz and they did not have any. They knew of the Jacobs Home for Wayward Bees and my efforts to overwinter late absconds for emergency queens and late season bee presentation...
by Jacobs
Tue Oct 29, 2024 6:44 am
Forum: Beekeeping 101
Topic: Brood?
Replies: 6
Views: 327

Re: Brood?

I'm glad you posted this; I've run into a few hives with absolutely no brood. The hives appear healthy and calm. I have spotted the queen in some and in others I did not. Pharmacyman's post on Varroa may contain another example of a broodless colony. I spoke with Mark Case on Saturday and asked if h...
by Jacobs
Fri Oct 25, 2024 2:45 pm
Forum: Beekeeping 101
Topic: Varroa Mites
Replies: 14
Views: 11924

Re: Varroa Mites

I think label is 1 gram per brood chamber, but studies indicate 4 grams of OA total is more effective than 1 or 2.
by Jacobs
Wed Oct 23, 2024 5:15 pm
Forum: Beekeeping 101
Topic: Pollen not seen
Replies: 1
Views: 218

Re: Pollen not seen

If you have a shim, you could add small pieces above on the top bars of your top super. This would let you check it quickly to either add more if consumed or remove it if it becomes a feeder for SHB larvae.
by Jacobs
Fri Oct 18, 2024 3:51 pm
Forum: Beekeeping 101
Topic: Varroa Mites
Replies: 14
Views: 11924

Re: Varroa Mites

My opinions--I would remove the deep if it is totally empty. I would treat with OAV since it is broodless. Your bees may be bringing in mites from a colony that has queen issues and is an object of your bees' robbing efforts. After that, I would keep an eye on the landing board; are the bees flying ...
by Jacobs
Sat Oct 12, 2024 11:50 am
Forum: Beekeeping 101
Topic: Small Hive Beetles
Replies: 14
Views: 92602

Re: Small Hive Beetles

I just checked on a small swarm/nuc that recently re-queened. The new queen is laying, but the population of bees is down significantly. I removed the top nuc box after finding and crushing over 100 SHB in the empty cells from comb in that box. I'm hoping that with less area to patrol, bee populatio...
by Jacobs
Fri Oct 04, 2024 12:44 pm
Forum: Beekeeping 101
Topic: Robbing in High Point 9/20/24
Replies: 6
Views: 1735

Re: Robbing in High Point 9/20/24

Do NOT dump SHB larvae on the ground. They go into the ground to pupate. Either put them in a plastic bag and freeze them for 3-4 days or dump them in a pail of water to drown them.
by Jacobs
Sat Sep 28, 2024 11:38 am
Forum: Just Stuff
Topic: Combining Hives-A New Problem
Replies: 2
Views: 1228

Re: Combining Hives-A New Problem

The weather finally got stable enough to check for the queen; there is no sign of her. My next plan is to combine these bees into a queenright 10 frame by putting an empty medium on, putting only 1 frame up top, and shaking the queenless bees into that super. My hope is that if the queenright hive h...
by Jacobs
Thu Sep 26, 2024 6:37 pm
Forum: Beekeeping Equipment, Gadgets & Gizmos
Topic: Oxalic Acid Vaporizer
Replies: 2
Views: 1372

Re: Oxalic Acid Vaporizer

I think all of the lower priced wands are pretty much the same-no temperature controls and you give it your best shot.
by Jacobs
Thu Sep 26, 2024 5:06 am
Forum: Beekeeping 101
Topic: Robbing in High Point 9/20/24
Replies: 6
Views: 1735

Re: Robbing in High Point 9/20/24

If the hive is queenright and you have broken the robbing, your hive has a reasonable chance to survive. The dead bees may be a mix of your bees and the robbers that got trapped in when you closed up the hive.
by Jacobs
Thu Sep 26, 2024 5:02 am
Forum: Just Stuff
Topic: European Hornets
Replies: 17
Views: 106163

Re: European Hornets

Normally, the European Hornets are more of a pest than a threat to a bee colony. I am in an area with multiple nests of European Hornets and many hunting visits a day. Still, if I did nothing, my bees would be fine. My efforts are more recreational than functional.
by Jacobs
Tue Sep 24, 2024 2:02 pm
Forum: Just Stuff
Topic: Combining Hives-A New Problem
Replies: 2
Views: 1228

Combining Hives-A New Problem

I determined that a 2-10 frame medium hive was queenless after using Formic Pro. I went through it thoroughly, and although it was not strong, it was in good shape. On Sunday afternoon, I used the plywood piece that allows combining a 5 frame nuc into a 10 frame hive. The nuc had a marked, laying qu...
by Jacobs
Mon Sep 23, 2024 7:57 am
Forum: Beekeeping 101
Topic: Eating vs making honey
Replies: 1
Views: 555

Re: Eating vs making honey

Short of repeated examinations to see what is going on or having a hive scale on the hive, I don't know of a way to tell. I can't detect relatively small weight changes by hefting the hive.
by Jacobs
Sun Sep 22, 2024 6:08 pm
Forum: Beekeeping 101
Topic: Robbing in High Point 9/20/24
Replies: 6
Views: 1735

Re: Robbing in High Point 9/20/24

Sometimes, bees all over the front of a hive means they attempted to swarm/abscond, but the queen did not go with them. They cover the front of a hive for around 15 minutes and fan a lot. In my experience, when this happens, the queen goes with them the next time-often the next day. Absconds this ti...
by Jacobs
Fri Sep 20, 2024 6:51 am
Forum: Extractions, cut outs, removals and swarms
Topic: Greensboro swarm 8/31/24
Replies: 2
Views: 2161

Re: Greensboro swarm 8/31/24

I like collecting and playing with the small, late absconds that tend to show up at my house in August or September. If I can get the abscond to settle in and start functioning, I feel better about using these bees to do presentations later in the season and in less than ideal weather conditions; I ...
by Jacobs
Fri Sep 13, 2024 8:52 am
Forum: Just Stuff
Topic: European Hornets
Replies: 17
Views: 106163

Re: European Hornets

I have seen a lot fewer European Hornets for the last few days. I don't know if they have come to know me and to fear me or if we are in that part of their season where they produce less brood and focus on producing queens to overwinter.
by Jacobs
Wed Sep 04, 2024 7:22 am
Forum: Just Stuff
Topic: I'll be more careful next time.
Replies: 2
Views: 1971

Re: I'll be more careful next time.

Did you get any free apitherapy out of the process?
by Jacobs
Sun Sep 01, 2024 2:14 pm
Forum: Just Stuff
Topic: Flow observations?
Replies: 5
Views: 4230

Re: Flow observations?

This morning was the first time this season that I have seen frenzied activity at the nectarometer. I will be curious to see how things play out over the next few days--are we in a serious dearth or have heavy rain showers the last 3 days created a temporary one in my location?