The Honeystead Bee keeper/swarm catcher Att: Lycan

[Davey Crockett]

I thought of you when I watched a few of her videos . She really knows her stuff.





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49XN5VdW8qI

 

[Obi-Wan]

This post should be moved to the fishing forums since Bee's are considered fish in California.

https://www.reuters.com/legal/litig...ndangered-species-act-state-court-2022-06-01/

 

[Lycanthrope]

I lost a lot of my hives last winter, gonna be a rebuilding year unfortunately...

 

[NG3067]

I lost a lot of my hives last winter, gonna be a rebuilding year unfortunately...

When I used to have some lost half of them every winter. Had better luck sending a super with 3 frames of honey south and getting it filled with a nuc each spring.

 

[Lycanthrope]

When I used to have some lost half of them every winter. Had better luck sending a super with 3 frames of honey south and getting it filled with a nuc each spring.

Id consider that but one of the main reasons I am keeping bees is for early season pollination, the migrant hives usually arent back early enough for that, at least talking to a few commercial beeks I know around bismarck, they usually arrive in the first few weeks of june, after all my trees/bushes have already flowered. Im thinking about building an unheated shed to keep my hives in, to protect them from the elements. I single stall garage type unit would help significantly I think, especially if I have the inside spray foamed to protect against the most harsh temps.


Id like to find some swarms, i put out a few swarm traps a few years ago but didnt get any interest, managed bees dont swarm alot if they are kept properly... Not many feral hives survive around here.

 

[Allen]

This post should be moved to the fishing forums since Bee's are considered fish in California.

https://www.reuters.com/legal/litig...ndangered-species-act-state-court-2022-06-01/

I saw that earlier today and had to give a coworker who's from Californiastan a fair amount of grief over this.

So do we now call a large gathering of bees a school?

 

[Davey Crockett]

Id like to find some swarms, i put out a few swarm traps a few years ago but didnt get any interest, managed bees dont swarm alot if they are kept properly... Not many feral hives survive around here.

Lycan, did you ever get lucky enough to find any swarms ? Saw pics in the paper where my friend salvaged a swarm last week .

 

[svnmag]

Id consider that but one of the main reasons I am keeping bees is for early season pollination, the migrant hives usually arent back early enough for that, at least talking to a few commercial beeks I know around bismarck, they usually arrive in the first few weeks of june, after all my trees/bushes have already flowered. Im thinking about building an unheated shed to keep my hives in, to protect them from the elements. I single stall garage type unit would help significantly I think, especially if I have the inside spray foamed to protect against the most harsh temps.




Id like to find some swarms, i put out a few swarm traps a few years ago but didnt get any interest, managed bees dont swarm alot if they are kept properly... Not many feral hives survive around here.

What about some type of tent?

Song my boy began singing after his first trip to the Hills(?!):

Bumble bee buzzin' through the woods
Bumble bee buzzin' through the woods
Then a tiger got him

Another bee buzzin' through the woods
Another bee buzzin' through the woods
Then a lion got him

True and I don't know WTF. It's beautiful IMO.

 

[FishFinder97]

Bee keeping has always interested me but I have yet to take the plunge. Maybe one of these days

 

[Lycanthrope]

Lycan, did you ever get lucky enough to find any swarms ? Saw pics in the paper where my friend salvaged a swarm last week .

Nope, not yet!

 

[sl1000794]

Lycan, did you ever get lucky enough to find any swarms ? Saw pics in the paper where my friend salvaged a swarm last week .

Davey, you talking about the pic in this weeks Botno Courant?

 

[Davey Crockett]

Davey, you talking about the pic in this weeks Botno Courant?

Yep, There were 2500-3000 on a small tree at the Oak Creek Cemetary. I found a small colony a few years ago in my scrap iron but it was late in the fall and they had already eaten the honey.


Lycan , people have used straw bales for winterizing colonies. The only problem I can think of is they will attract mice .

 

[Lycanthrope]

Yep, There were 2500-3000 on a small tree at the Oak Creek Cemetary. I found a small colony a few years ago in my scrap iron but it was late in the fall and they had already eaten the honey.


Lycan , people have used straw bales for winterizing colonies. The only problem I can think of is they will attract mice .

Yeah Im gonna put a little more work into insulating the hives this year, keep my fingers crossed, ideally Id put them into a shelter of some kind, unheated building or whatever. Just need to build one...

 

[Davey Crockett]

Yeah Im gonna put a little more work into insulating the hives this year, keep my fingers crossed, ideally Id put them into a shelter of some kind, unheated building or whatever. Just need to build one...

Another thing is to bank snow around them. Anyone remember "banking the house" after the first good snow ? I still do it .