Re: Keeping bees

**camprn** 7/26/2013, 10:13 am

Sometimes just a spritz of sugar water helps distract them but I have found the trick to the smoker is using wood pellets. They ignite relatively easily, I get them burning well, then top off with two handfuls of pellets to sit atop the smoldering ones. This allows for a slow burn with cool smoke and it also turns the pellets that don't burn into charcoal so the next time it's incredibly easy to get going. I don't use the smoke but for little puffs. If the bees are thick across the topbars and boiling out of the hive when I want to put on the super, I give much more smoke to drive them down... I won't go into my hive of surly bees without smoke.

CindiLou 7/27/2013, 10:11 pm

NHGardener wrote:Beautiful honey, Cindilou! What are those arrows on the frame tops?

I don't use a smoker. It was more trouble than it was worth. It was hard to get lit, stay lit, and then it would kick in and I could barely breathe for all the smoke when at the hives, plus I probably barbequed bees my first year. Now I just suit up completely, sweat, but they can't get to me.

The arrows are to tell me which way to put in the frame towards the center. Has to do with the y-up and y-down thingy lol..

I am trying not to use the smoker unless I am going to really get into the hive. It is a really calm hive. Unless hubby is around :no:he gets really nervous if the bees are active lol...he doesn't like me to get stung. But I figure the way I have to suit up, no bee will make themselves the laughing stock of trying to get in..if they do..well I tried lol.. All to make hubby happy..

I difn't even suit up to put in the syrup. shhhh hubby don't know that! Would do it when he went to bed at supper time!

NHGardener 7/28/2013, 12:13 am

When I first got my bees, I was afraid of them. Now I realize there's no way they can penetrate the bee suit (Brushy Mtn). Since I'm impenetrable, doesn't seem much use in causing the bees anxiety with smoke. It's a sauna, but I try to pick good weather days. I've never been stung, which isn't a good thing, altho a vast minority of the population are allergic.

**camprn** 7/28/2013, 7:49 am

less than one percent of the population is truly allergic to honey bee sting. venom reaction and allergy are not the same thing.

Goosegirl 7/28/2013, 10:04 pm

camprn wrote:less than one percent of the population is truly allergic to honey bee sting. venom reaction and allergy are not the same thing.

I have to agree - what most people consider allergies are really sensitivities - medically speaking, which cause a wide range of symptoms and reactions. According to my allergist, to be a true allergy, it must be a reaction causing anaphylaxis. So when I eat dairy and puff up and feel that my clothes are suddenly 2 sizes too small, I am very 'sensitive' to dairy, but not allergic. So far, no need to carry an Epi-Pen for cheesecake, no matter how excruciating the experience may be!

GG

**camprn** 7/31/2013, 8:02 pm

The honey judge liked my honey! The dark took 4th, comb, chunk and light extracted took first. And I won sweepstakes. Honey pays more than canning, so I'm pretty happy.
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**RoOsTeR** 7/31/2013, 8:28 pm

Congrats to you! That's awesome camp Keeping bees - Page 17 3170584802

**camprn** 7/31/2013, 8:34 pm

Thanks Rooster! Now I want all those fair goers to buy honey on the way out of the gate. Very Happy

NHGardener 7/31/2013, 9:45 pm

Good job, camprn! Guess all that work in the heat paid off.

**sanderson** 7/31/2013, 9:53 pm

Camp, Congratulations! The honeys looks so delicious. cheers

PS You have other entries, correct? Keep us posted.

**llama momma** 8/1/2013, 6:35 am

Camp,
How nice to have your good effort recognized. Congratulations!

**camprn** 8/1/2013, 7:56 am

Thanks.... There was quite a bit of fretting about if the bees would be doing well with making the comb honey... for months. It is nice that it worked out.

Pollinator 8/1/2013, 9:55 am

camprn wrote:The honey judge liked my honey!

Awesome! Congratulations.

CindiLou 8/2/2013, 12:31 am

Congrats, Camprn!! clap

Maybe someday I'll make a county fair lol.. right now just wanting to have my ladies make it through the winter!

I am gonna harvest a frame later though! I really want to try MY honey lol..

CindiLou 8/2/2013, 12:35 am

Goosegirl wrote:
camprn wrote:less than one percent of the population is truly allergic to honey bee sting. venom reaction and allergy are not the same thing.

I have to agree - what most people consider allergies are really sensitivities - medically speaking, which cause a wide range of symptoms and reactions. According to my allergist, to be a true allergy, it must be a reaction causing anaphylaxis. So when I eat dairy and puff up and feel that my clothes are suddenly 2 sizes too small, I am very 'sensitive' to dairy, but not allergic. So far, no need to carry an Epi-Pen for cheesecake, no matter how excruciating the experience may be!

GG

Not "allergic" to bees, am to wasps. Have to have an epi for them. Bees I just get this huge area that is about 6" in diameter that raises up and is red and has little blisters and itches like heck! I even get little areas from sweat bees! Thank goodness for plantain poultices! I got the one the last part of April and the area is still a little discolored. But my reactions could have something to do with the M.S. also. Oh well, I am a beekeeper lol.. Been a dream of mine for decades.

**camprn** 8/2/2013, 8:12 am

CindiLou wrote: I am a beekeeper lol...

Pollinator 8/2/2013, 1:04 pm

CindiLou wrote:
I am a beekeeper lol.. Been a dream of mine for decades.

YEA for you!

Puts me in mind of a poster I had years ago. that said: "I am a beekeeper. I am a professional. There is little that I fear. If you see me running, you'd better follow!"

grownsunshine 8/2/2013, 2:14 pm

LMAO!!!

**camprn** 8/2/2013, 5:03 pm

Pollinator wrote:
CindiLou wrote:
I am a beekeeper lol.. Been a dream of mine for decades.

YEA for you!

Puts me in mind of a poster I had years ago. that said: "I am a beekeeper. I am a professional. There is little that I fear. If you see me running, you'd better follow!"

I want one! What a Face

CindiLou 8/5/2013, 11:58 pm

Not a happy beekeeper today! Yesterday I was just walking out to the dog pen at my daughter's. Darn bee came up under my pant leg and got me! Mad

Itch..burn..owie...darn bee...

**camprn** 8/6/2013, 8:39 am

I am also not a happy beekeeper today. Found two of my hive queenless with few stores (we are coming out of a dearth). There are queen cells in the hive, but it is so late not sure about building up a winter colony. I may have to combine these hives. If they are not bringing in nectar in the next week I am going to feed.

NHGardener 8/6/2013, 9:01 am

Sorry to hear that camprn - what happened to the queens? I assume these hives aren't the ones you took the honey from.

I'm giving my hives until mid August and then checking again for honey stores. So far the strong new package has had lots of capped and uncapped honey, and I've swapped some capped honey frames to the weaker hive that is getting built up. Hopefully they are busy working and there will be enough stores to at least get them thru part of the winter. Then I'll just provide fondant as needed.

Bringing it up ad nauseum, but I think the buckwheat patch played a role in their honey production, I'm enlarging that for next year. I also planted a bee bee tree, if that takes, it will be 5 yrs., but then it should provide for them too, if I don't have bees, then for someone else's bees. Might as well plant useful things.

**camprn** 8/6/2013, 9:58 am

For first year hives in the north, like the ones me, Cindy and NHG have, if the bees have drawn empty comb by the end of August, start to feed 2:1 syrup to fill the hive for winter stores. That's what I plan on doing. GO BEES!

**camprn** 8/6/2013, 6:51 pm

Finally got my honey onto the farmstand.
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plantoid 8/6/2013, 7:25 pm

camprn wrote:I am also not a happy beekeeper today. Found two of my hive queenless with few stores (we are coming out of a dearth). There are queen cells in the hive, but it is so late not sure about building up a winter colony. I may have to combine these hives. If they are not bringing in nectar in the next week I am going to feed.

Camp you seem to have what is called natural supersession ( queen cell late in the season ) that's good .

Keep feeding the hives the queens should reach fertility and start laying like mad just after the hive starts to naturally close down , kick out the drones and reduce the numbers of older bees in readiness for the normal winter number reductions'
You will enter the winter with lots of young healthy bees to bring the hive through winter .

Do you have QC's in each queenless hive ? If in only one , take one of the bigger QC's and carefully cut it out of the comb leaving extra wax whre you can hang it on the bottom of a frame with a paper clip so it lies against other sealed wax in the cell free hive .. the beees will bring on that queen.

Don't forget to treat for Varroa, also perhaps add some Thymol to the sugar syrup to help prevent mould in the syrup solution before the bees have time to take it regurgitate it as the honey , evaporate the water out of it & cap the honey filled cells.

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