Search found 174 matches

by reedyfork
Thu Jan 06, 2022 3:57 pm
Forum: Beekeeping 101
Topic: No buzz
Replies: 11
Views: 47689

Re: No buzz

Hopefully these photos work...
by reedyfork
Thu Jan 06, 2022 3:57 pm
Forum: Just Stuff
Topic: Drones 2022
Replies: 8
Views: 32906

Re: Drones 2022

Hopefully these photos work...
by reedyfork
Thu Jan 06, 2022 3:47 pm
Forum: Beekeeping 101
Topic: No buzz
Replies: 11
Views: 47689

Re: No buzz

Just got back from vacation and decided to check on my sugar brick situation after reading Jacobs' post... Three of the four hives at my house have consumed the entire brick within a month, and have completely filled the feeding shim with new COMB, EGGS, LARVAE, and HONEY! I have no idea what to do ...
by reedyfork
Thu Jan 06, 2022 3:47 pm
Forum: Just Stuff
Topic: Drones 2022
Replies: 8
Views: 32906

Re: Drones 2022

Just got back from vacation and decided to check on my sugar brick situation after reading Jacobs' post... Three of the four hives at my house have consumed the entire brick within a month, and have completely filled the feeding shim with new COMB, EGGS, LARVAE, and HONEY! I have no idea what to do ...
by reedyfork
Fri Dec 10, 2021 6:54 am
Forum: Beekeeping 101
Topic: Removing lower hive body in winter
Replies: 3
Views: 17097

Removing lower hive body in winter

In my switch to an all-medium setup, I have one last remaining deep hive body (on the bottom) that I need to remove and retire. My plan was to wait until this winter when they were generally broodless and the cluster had moved up into the two mediums above it, and then pull off that bottom deep. A s...
by reedyfork
Thu Sep 30, 2021 4:51 pm
Forum: Just Stuff
Topic: Sugar Rolls
Replies: 3
Views: 14654

Re: Sugar Rolls

If it were me, I would certainly treat both hives - IMMEDIATELY! If they only have two hives and are going to go through the trouble of treating the infected hive, they might as well do them both (if only for practice and as a precaution).

I've never heard of a 120 mite count...
by reedyfork
Thu Sep 30, 2021 3:42 pm
Forum: Extractions, cut outs, removals and swarms
Topic: Swarms/Absconds - 9/28 and 9/30
Replies: 1
Views: 4140

Swarms/Absconds - 9/28 and 9/30

Had a tiny swarm show up in my back yard on a branch about 7' off the ground! I scrambled and got them on two frames in a nuc box with a made-up lid and bottom board. Then, I had two more swarms show up at my roof-top hives this afternoon. I think I got one to go into a Red Oak box with a hole cut i...
by reedyfork
Sun Sep 26, 2021 11:15 am
Forum: Extractions, cut outs, removals and swarms
Topic: Charging for trap-out?
Replies: 5
Views: 13136

Re: Charging for trap-out?

Ha - that's a great question Wally. I have a feeling that's something I made up on my own! In my mind I was probably thinking they would need immediate resources due to the time of year, but never once did I consider the impact of robbing. Since this was my first attempted trap-out in the fall, now ...
by reedyfork
Thu Sep 23, 2021 7:18 pm
Forum: Extractions, cut outs, removals and swarms
Topic: Charging for trap-out?
Replies: 5
Views: 13136

Re: Charging for trap-out?

Fall Trap-out Lesson #1: this should have been obvious, but turns out that the same resources that are meant to attract the trapped-out bees you want also attract nearby robbers!!! So on day #2 when I added a frame of honey and a frame of eggs/brood, robbers quickly found it and overwhelmed the half...
by reedyfork
Thu Sep 16, 2021 5:04 pm
Forum: Extractions, cut outs, removals and swarms
Topic: Charging for trap-out?
Replies: 5
Views: 13136

Charging for trap-out?

For those of you who perform trap-outs and cut-outs "for hire", how do you go about determining the cost you charge a client? Do you have a set fee, charge by the hour, etc.? Related to that, is there any reason a trap-out this time of year would not be successful (assuming I'll combine th...
by reedyfork
Fri Sep 03, 2021 7:45 am
Forum: Beekeeping 101
Topic: overwintering nucs
Replies: 2
Views: 12335

overwintering nucs

Does anyone have experience trying to overwinter a 5-frame nuc? I helped an 8-year old neighbor (future beekeeper!) catch a small swarm a couple weeks ago. It was tiny, so I added a couple frames of capped brood and nurse bees from one of my strong hives, a frame of honey, and two frames of empty dr...
by reedyfork
Fri Aug 13, 2021 5:35 pm
Forum: Beekeeping 101
Topic: Formic Pro time?
Replies: 4
Views: 12214

Re: Formic Pro time?

So in my opinion here are a few of the CONS to doing the 1-strip, 10-day (x2) treatment option: 1. Not only do you have to find one, 3-day temp period of less than 85 degrees, but you have to find two of these periods - typically in August! This time it looks like we'll get lucky with only a few day...
by reedyfork
Sat Jul 31, 2021 7:17 am
Forum: Beekeeping 101
Topic: Formic Pro time?
Replies: 4
Views: 12214

Formic Pro time?

Looking at the temperature forecast next week (below 85 degrees), it's definitely time for me to think about treating my colonies with Formic Pro. I've always done the 2-strip, 14-day treatment, but would love to hear the pros and cons of doing that vs. the 1-strip, 10-day (x2) treatment option.
by reedyfork
Tue Jul 27, 2021 2:20 pm
Forum: Just Stuff
Topic: Mountain Mint
Replies: 3
Views: 13085

Re: Mountain Mint

Shoot, I wish I had known you were going to plant this and I could have given you some! Mountain mint, like all mints, will spread (vigorously) on its own - not by seed, but by surface runners/roots. Luckily, it can be easily pulled and divided, and is not as aggressive as other mints. Early next sp...
by reedyfork
Mon Jul 26, 2021 2:42 pm
Forum: Beekeeping 101
Topic: Uncapped honey supers?
Replies: 3
Views: 10996

Re: Uncapped honey supers?

So I did buy a $25 refractometer, and was excited that even the uncapped frames were reading an average of 16.5% moisture! I pulled all the supers off, replaced with a super of blank foundation, and put on the feeders to see if there's any chance of getting them to work and draw out anything... Each...
by reedyfork
Wed Jul 21, 2021 5:50 am
Forum: Beekeeping 101
Topic: Uncapped honey supers?
Replies: 3
Views: 10996

Uncapped honey supers?

After removing most of my honey supers a few weeks ago, each of my hives were left with a medium super of partially-capped frames that they hadn't quite finished yet. And no, I did not test moisture levels... Question: what should I do with these frames/supers now, since they look the same now as a ...
by reedyfork
Thu Jul 15, 2021 5:24 am
Forum: Beekeeping 101
Topic: Unsuccessfully introducing a new queen -
Replies: 8
Views: 27466

Re: Unsuccessfully introducing a new queen

So just like Jacobs suggested a few weeks ago, sure enough I went back a couple days ago to find the supercedure cells gone and the marked queen still there and doing fine. Hopefully things are stable now so they can build up!
by reedyfork
Thu Jul 08, 2021 6:03 am
Forum: Beekeeping 101
Topic: Chasing sourwood
Replies: 1
Views: 8109

Chasing sourwood

I have an opportunity next year to keep several hives (or move several hives) up to a couple different places in the mountains - Wilkes and Watauga Co. I'd love to hear from any folks around here that have moved hives seasonally to try and capture the sourwood flow. Just trying to figure out the tim...
by reedyfork
Thu Jul 08, 2021 5:48 am
Forum: Just Stuff
Topic: Dearth?
Replies: 30
Views: 312006

Re: Dearth?

I have clouds of bees working all of my mountain mint (and neighbors')! Good news is that it will continue to bloom for another month or more. However, anytime I've opened my hives over the past week or two, it definitely triggered probing and robbing behavior. These colonies at my house are strong,...
by reedyfork
Tue Jul 06, 2021 3:56 pm
Forum: Beekeeping 101
Topic: Unsuccessfully introducing a new queen -
Replies: 8
Views: 27466

Re: Unsuccessfully introducing a new queen -

So these bees re-made 3-4 more supercedure cells, even though I still found the queen looking perfectly normal, eggs, larvae, etc. I knocked these cells down on the 25th - still hoping to let the queen settle and everyone to get along. Came back on July 1st on found 3-4 MORE cells - uncapped, but a ...