Re: Keeping bees

NHGardener 8/28/2014, 12:02 pm

Oh good! Since we're sponsoring it I'll probably volunteer for it, so I hope to see you there! That would be fun.

I got a new queen in early August so I started a nuc and that appeared to be getting robbed which would be no surprise. I have another small hive that also looked like it was having trouble, so I made the screens for those 2, and then my hives have been really light on honey (no capped honey at all) so I figured I better feed them so I put screens on all. I have 3 stronger hives, the weaker hive, and the nuc. I got double screen boards to winter the nuc and the weak hive (2 mediums) on top of 2 of the stronger hives.

**kauairosina** 8/28/2014, 9:17 pm

We have a second hive now. The honey from the first one is fantastic. The only pending problem is ants. All around the ground and into the cinder blocks holding up the boxes.

We have thought about putting out boric acid containers with sugar to draw the ants but so far do not have a solution.

Any ideas out there?

**camprn** 8/28/2014, 9:21 pm

kauairosina wrote:We have a second hive now. The honey from the first one is fantastic. The only pending problem is ants. All around the ground and into the cinder blocks holding up the boxes.

We have thought about putting out boric acid containers with sugar to draw the ants but so far do not have a solution.

Any ideas out there?

don't use sugar, that will attract bees to the boric acid.
Tell me about your hive stand? is it on legs? if you put the legs of a hive stand in water that will slow down the ants. Also, once the colony gets to a large number, it is unlikely they will tolerate the ants.

yolos 8/28/2014, 9:25 pm

Try this video. Part way thru the video the guy gives a recipe for boric acid.
9 tsp sweet corn syrup, 1 tsp boric acid or borax (no more than 1 tsp),
Mix corn syrup with boric acid or borax, put in a butter container type thingie, punch holes near the bottom, put mixture inside, put top on and put in a shady spot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEljeerJ0lw

But I see Camprn just posted a reply so maybe this won't work if you have bees. I would think if the holes were small enough, the bees wouldn't be able to get into the butter type container.

NHGardener 8/29/2014, 6:47 am

I've read beekeepers who use cinnamon sprinkled on the ground circling their hives and in the inner cover to keep the ants away.

**camprn** 8/29/2014, 6:47 am

NHGardener wrote:I've read beekeepers who use cinnamon sprinkled on the ground circling their hives and in the inner cover to keep the ants away.

this never really worked for me, sadly.

**camprn** 8/29/2014, 9:00 am

There is absolutely no need to add sugar as bait to boric acid to kill ants. Instead just sprinkle the crystals at the entrance to the ant hive, it will work.

**camprn** 8/30/2014, 6:09 pm

Late summer and autumn management.
http://www.honeybeesuite.com/fall-management-of-honey-bees/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HoneyBeeSuite+%28Honey+Bee+Suite%29

**kauairosina** 8/31/2014, 4:20 pm

Thanks. We will do that.

**kauairosina** 8/31/2014, 4:24 pm

We currently have a double top bar and a single Langstroth. We have been reading the Thinking Beekeeper by Christy Hemenway and are impressed with her attitude.

**camprn** 8/31/2014, 4:26 pm

If I lived in your climate I would also use top bar hives. In New England they are typically a death sentence.

Post a photo sometime,eh? Wink

Marc Iverson 8/31/2014, 10:33 pm

Honey robbers!

http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/robber-bees-and-the-dearth-of-summer-zbcz1408.aspx

I never knew this happened. I had always thought of bees as the Dudley Do-Right type, always on the square ...

**camprn** 9/1/2014, 8:01 am

I have to make or buy some robbing screens soon. I don't need them now as there is a flow, but the time is coming. If the weather improves today I'll be doing mite counts . Hopefully the girls are capping off lots of honey so I can pilfer some before the flow starts winding down.

Here's a video of robbing behavior.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=s9Ek6TqZRF8

**AtlantaMarie** 9/1/2014, 8:52 am

Took a trip to TN this weekend. Saw some hives that looked to be about 7-8 feet tall. Why would you have hives that tall?

**camprn** 9/1/2014, 9:15 am

Here's another video. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DSXJLfG-hA0

**camprn** 9/1/2014, 9:17 am

AtlantaMarie wrote:Took a trip to TN this weekend. Saw some hives that looked to be about 7-8 feet tall. Why would you have hives that tall?

oh there's probably 60,0000 to 80,000 bees or more in there. A lot of the boxes are called honey supers, a place for honey storage.

NHGardener 9/1/2014, 9:42 am

Plus, they may be optimists. Very Happy

plantoid 9/1/2014, 6:22 pm

NHGardener wrote:Plus, they may be optimists.

The success of nature is that bee's make honey , inspite of the actions of most bee keepers. Laughing

**camprn** 9/1/2014, 6:45 pm

Good Lord! My most productive colony has the most vigorous and tenacious guards. Their behavior was horrible and intolerable. Hours after inspection was completed and away from the hives they were still divebombing. That queen will be replaced next spring when there are not so many bees, grrr... Keeping bees - Page 29 671790

**AtlantaMarie** 9/2/2014, 10:40 am

As long as you didn't get stung, it's still a good day... :-)

**camprn** 9/2/2014, 11:43 am

AtlantaMarie wrote:As long as you didn't get stung, it's still a good day... :-)

uh, yeah, I only got 3 stings yesterday.

**AtlantaMarie** 9/2/2014, 12:46 pm

Oh.......

**camprn** 9/5/2014, 5:13 pm

http://www.beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/?p=13979

**camprn** 9/6/2014, 2:57 pm

I taught my last bee class of the season today. Lots of trials and tribulations this season for nearly everyone in the class. 2 of the 15 students had complete failures of their colonies despite requeening. A challenging season to be sure. A few had no troubles and actually are ahead so they were able to extract a bit of honey.

Heading into cooler weather i have one incredibly productive colony, another good colony and two strong nucs. The third nuc I'm letting go, put too much effort into it already.

The bees in the productive colony need to start capping. Come ON girls, let's go!!!

Marc Iverson 9/6/2014, 7:51 pm

camprn wrote:http://www.beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/?p=13979

Interesting site and article, camprn.

Sponsored content

Keeping bees

Re: Keeping bees

Anyone know how to discourage ants?

Re: Keeping bees

Re: Keeping bees

Re: Keeping bees

Re: Keeping bees

Re: Keeping bees

Re: Keeping bees

boric acid for ants

Which kind of hive structures?

Re: Keeping bees

Re: Keeping bees

Re: Keeping bees

Re: Keeping bees

Re: Keeping bees

Re: Keeping bees

Re: Keeping bees

Re: Keeping bees

Re: Keeping bees

Re: Keeping bees

Re: Keeping bees

Re: Keeping bees

Re: Keeping bees

Re: Keeping bees

Re: Keeping bees

Re: Keeping bees


	Hello Guest! Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum. There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.