Just giving a little back to Mother Nature.

[N9BOW]

After they killed off all the clover on the old golf course, the bees are pretty happy to have some easy Pickins!

[N9BOW]

It’s getting really busy real quick!

[N9BOW]

[BilletHead]

             You are a nice guy Eric but much cheaper to do a 1 to 1 ratio of sugar to water. Boil your water turn off and add sugar. Stir and cool. 100 yards give or take from hives to not start a robbing fiasco. 

[N9BOW]

1 hour ago, BilletHead said:

             You are a nice guy Eric but much cheaper to do a 1 to 1 ratio of sugar to water. Boil your water turn off and add sugar. Stir and cool. 100 yards give or take from hives to not start a robbing fiasco. 

Awesome! Cup of water to cup of sugar! Will do!!

I like bees! Use to help my Pop-Pop Getting swarms in the boxes, taking the comb out of the hive, cutting it out of the frames, cutting the caps and spinning… Pop-Pop always let me spin. I think that had something to do with apprenticeship, knowing I’d keep this knowledge alive to pass on to my kids! Have my first Grandson this late fall, winter!!!! I do Miss Him.

Anywho, I think I may be too close to the hives! (Thanks!, learned something I did not know.) You can see them in the background… Quite a few.

They were getting kind of pushy with one another! 😞

[N9BOW]

BTW- They’re not getting very much honey it’s just what’s on the rim. I’m  taking these two really old bottles that have crystallized and heat them up in the sun to transfer it together.

Figured why not share!

[jdmidwest]

Dry weather dearth right now.  They are looking for anything to feed up on.  Saw some goldenrods starting to bloom at Powder Mill access yesterday.  Fall flow is coming.

[BilletHead]

9 hours ago, jdmidwest said:

Dry weather dearth right now.  They are looking for anything to feed up on.  Saw some goldenrods starting to bloom at Powder Mill access yesterday.  Fall flow is coming.

                                  JD,

    Seeing goldenrod around here blooming. One of my Layens hives entrances are turning yellow stained. I assume that colony is using it real heavy. Do you fall feed? 

[jdmidwest]

If they are heavy with real honey, no need to feed.  Young hives that need to draw comb need feed.  If they are light, they need feed.

I am conservative when I pull honey the first of July, I try to leave plenty for them. I never take any in the fall.

You will know when they are on goldenrod, the hives smell like rotten feet.  Lots of yellow aster here still and some white clover.

[BilletHead]

14 minutes ago, jdmidwest said:

If they are heavy with real honey, no need to feed.  Young hives that need to draw comb need feed.  If they are light, they need feed.

I am conservative when I pull honey the first of July, I try to leave plenty for them. I never take any in the fall.

You will know when they are on goldenrod, the hives smell like rotten feet.  Lots of yellow aster here still and some white clover.

                   Here is where I stand now JD,

    Out of the 9 hives three long langs, three langs like you run and three Layens I had to shake one Layens. Queen disappeared it was going real well and then nothing. I gave them brood frames which they raised and frames with eggs. They drew out six queen cells out of that egg supply and then those cells later were taken down without a queen showing up.  Hive got weaker by the day and a few hive beetles showed up and began to slime a couple frames. I shook that hive, froze the frames left and later hung in a tree for other bees to clean. Will store and keep for next years Layens swarm traps or reintroduce to existing hives since there is drawn out wax. 

   Concerned about all other hives with the hot weather but all seemed to do what they do to control the temp into hives. The three standard Langs would beard so much the fronts would be sold bees with large drooping beards hanging. I seen while we were gone some hives in Wisconsin with the lids up and tipped from the front to the back for more air circulation. I did that and it helped. So after getting back from trip I got into everything for a wellness check. Bees had went crazy and drew more comb, capped dried honey doing what bees do. I had to add frames to all. The three Standard Langs had to add another deep to two and will have to add to the other if the fall flow starts. These three hives were just going to be resource hives and I had not intended to overwinter them but now I suppose I will try that. Couldn't pass up not keeping those trapped swarms. Hard not to pass up freebees  . Learning as I go.  I am wanting to take some honey this year but am really not sure yet  what I can harvest without messing things up.  Might try to get my mentor out here to get into hives again to see what he thinks? I know the standard Langs will not get anything out of those. Will have to do the wintering in single deeps. Just a hobby keeper here. Not selling or even trying to make any money. With dog gone I suppose bees have become my pets. Wish me luck,

   BilletHead