Ideas please

[Heather]

No, I am not being lazy, have been thinking hard but-
This year we are having extra out apiary meetings just for bee keeper beginners (0-2 yrs, time not age!) I am anxious that it isn't just a hive inspection but other aspects too.
Yes there is frame making, shook swarm & hygiene - but what did you learn at your out apiary that was very useful in your early years that I could incorporate? I have 6 more subjects to find that would be appropriate.

 

[oliver90owner]

How about these?

Bee biology, bee colony, types of hive, swarming, pests and diseases, bee plants and forage, honey and hive products, getting started, bee diseases.

Copied and pasted from your fairly recent post of 30th December!

RAB

 

[Poly Hive]

A demo of a Taranov swarm is always good.

http://website.lineone.net/~dave.cushman/taranovswm.html

PH

 

[newportbuzz]

idintifying the warning signs
like the bannana smell
the hands flying over brood box
all they eyes looking up at you
all those other litttle signs that say its time to close up before you actually turn them.

also winter prep. like cuting the insulation and the making the cut out for the foundation block.
the slight tilt going into winter to stop rain pooling in entrance

how to fix wavy comb by cutting back and putting inbetween two good straight combs
pollen identification

proper lifting and lowering tehnique (both your back and squished bees)

this is the stuff i wish i was shown when i had the pleasure to watch someone in their apiary. as it stands i got it all from books

 

[Black Comb]

Explanation and demonstration of artificial swarm.
When I say demo I mean take spare boxes and frames and show them how to do it. For beginners manipulations can be hard to get your head around.

 

[Red Bee]

Explanation and demonstration of artificial swarm.
When I say demo I mean take spare boxes and frames and show them how to do it. For beginners manipulations can be hard to get your head around.

 

[Heather]

Yes, Rab that's what our one day course teaches- but at an apiary meeting I wanted to show hands on practical bee things rather than biology, plant types etc.

Thanks Newportbuzz- always helpful to know what beginners were not shown and wished to have seen. lots to think on there.

p.s. have removed all apiary Id from our website - groan... now wait for all the calls from people who couldn t even find us before...still thanks for that nudge- I forget how foul some people are.

Tanorav - quick read a book - am off to study link now- looks interesting.Am up for that one!

 

[Rosti]

Heather, I haven't re-checked the content of your original thread I'm afraid.

Have you already considered?

• The obvious (but for some with poorer eye sight difficult) task of checking egg laying patterns, single egg per cell etc?
• Moving on from that drone comb ratio and dispersal estimate as a trigger for comb replacement.
• Moving on from that sacraficial drone brood culling and of course post removal, inspection for varroa infestation indication

and if they are Y1&2 the basics of wasp monitoring and fabrication of wasp traps along with the over-lapping perimeter placement principle?

 

[Tom Bick]

We had an interesting talk at the weekend on the relationships in the hive mainly regarding the worker bees. Basically they ore all related to the queen but can and do have different fathers as with the queen mating with several drones so the workers are related as full sisters and also half sisters. The talker went on to say in hives where the queen has only mated with a few drones the workers sisters and half sisters increase worker laying in the hive, and if the queen mates with several or more drones this laying worker activity almost disappears. The bit I found the most amusing was when a worker lays an egg her full sisters ignore the egg but if one of her half sisters spots it will more than likely eat the egg. They obviously don’t want the other to get the edge over them.

The whole thing was fascinating a conflict in the hive that I had no idea is going on.

I think the chap giving the talk has this research available if interested I will see if I can get it.

 

[nelletap]

I'm still fairly new, but one of the most interesting things I saw was when a member brought in some frames with workers laying. Not easy to come by to order, of course.
tricia

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Explanation and demonstration of artificial swarm.
When I say demo I mean take spare boxes and frames and show them how to do it. For beginners manipulations can be hard to get your head around.

and me

Other possibilities depending on time of year - setting a bait hive, starting a Bailey comb change, making a nuc, a demaree.

Most important though is to let those that haven't, have first hand experience of handling. Worth its MD weight in giving confidence to 0 year olds.

 

[oliver90owner]

Yes Heather, I thought all, apart from perhaps bee biology, were good starting points for ideas. Let's see...

types of hive, Expanation of differences with actual hives around. Pros and cons (WBC v National per eg).

swarming, A/S methods, skeps, collection methods, lures, etc. Even Taranov!

pests and diseases, Actually identifying varroa, describing the differences from the normal capped brood or uncapped for that matter.

bee plants and forage, Pollen types coming in, water supplies, just look around at the time!

honey and hive products, What they are, how/when to harvest
, crystallised OSR!, capped and nearly capped honey, shake test.

getting started, Nucs, swarms, packages, different aspects of each?

bee diseases How to treat. (Almost) a demo of shook swarm, Bailey change. Rest might be covererd above (duplication).

You were only asking for ideas, after all.

That lot took a lot longer to key in than think about!

Piece of paper and a brainstorming session comes to mind.

RAB

 

[Skyhook]

A demo of a Taranov swarm is always good.

http://website.lineone.net/~dave.cushman/taranovswm.html

PH

From what I've read, would 'interesting' be a better word?

 

[Heather]

Thank you all so much- as usual feedback most useful.
And the Tamarov does demo how bees can be gently manipulated to move on- so gets the new bee keeper a little more confident in handling. A good example.
And I just want to grab a swarm the morning of a meeting to show how they will walk into a new hive- not be dropped from above.. an amazing thing to watch!

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

oh, another thought, marking and/or clipping a queen (or drone if you letting them have a go!)

 

[tkwinston4]