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[BugsInABox]

Only three this year; the nuc loss occurred a while back.

Brill, now we are gettign somewhere. How many colonies (nucs and hives) did you go into winter with (this year)?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

out of how many?

 

[BugsInABox]

out of how many?

I'm on tenterhooks

 

[Earthboy]

I did not make any splits as my wife saw how I would lose to SHB each fall and warned me not to make any more summer splits. I obeyed, being uxorious and hen-pecked. Had about 20 going into the winter, their honey untouched, as feeding invariably invites the beetles. (Pollen feeding is the worst of them all) A few had queen failure even before the winter, a silent killer we seldom notice late in the season. Still I have enough numbers to build back up. What I have learned from all this is how important heat is to the bees during buildup. So they are now well insulated even though I am in zone 7.

 

[Earthboy]

"Dems the very word I hearded, your honor." Now, cross examination!

 

[BugsInABox]

I did not make any splits as my wife saw how I would lose to SHB each fall and warned me not to make any more summer splits. I obeyed, being uxorious and hen-pecked. Had about 20 going into the winter, their honey untouched, as feeding invariably invites the beetles. (Pollen feeding is the worst of them all) A few had queen failure even before the winter, a silent killer we seldom notice late in the season. Still I have enough numbers to build back up. What I have learned from all this is how important heat is to the bees during buildup. So they are now well insulated even though I am in zone 7.

20 or about 20? Lets say 20. So you're completely treatment free, struggle with SHB, faced a once in a century cold blast and lost only 3/20. Impressive.

20 going into the winter, their honey untouched

Though are you saying you had no crop last year?

 

[Earthboy]

20 or about 20? Lets say 20. So you're completely treatment free, struggle with SHB, faced a once in a century cold blast and lost only 3/20. Impressive.

Though are you saying you had no crop last year?

I had a small crop not from my hive but from a cutout but enough for me to take care of my regular customers. I am hoping the remaining survivors that I am not splitting will catch up and make a decent crop this year. To make the matter a bit more challenging, I have a new neighbor who has bought 20 Russian nucs this year and I am apprehensive about that as he is within a mile from me. When he had a few colonies before that, the first thing he did was to treat for mites, having learned how "everybody does it." He is a good person, though, and bought 100 Vitex trees from me. There is no law against having bees close by in Oklahoma yet unlike in Minnesota. He now knows about my treatment free operation but it's up to him. I fear the dicta: "No good deed should go unpunished," though.

 

[Swn58]

Just a couple of observations.

I read that beekeeping in the USA in places like California is mainly employed to pollinate the likes of almond groves. The survival of colonies is not regarded as that important after that? I remember that BS Honeybees claimed to be sending containers full of bees to the USA every year, a while back. I gather it was for that reason?

I get the sense of that old Covid debate on here. The USA has varroa and hive beetles. Surely, if it is not treated by all apiarists, they will manage to cling on, to those apiaries that chose not to treat their colonies? Then they will continue to re-infect the colonies that are relatively free of pest and disease?

I would love to be totally 'Green.' Hell, I try to be, as much as I can! Unfortunately, it is not always that possible in the world that I (and just about everyone) lives in!

I truly believe that if I don't treat for varroa/nosema etc., not only would my bees be in danger, but everyone else's around me. I also understand that anyone that does not treat their bees near me are a potential threat.

 

[Earthboy]

Please read my cross posting on Treatment Free Sub forum folder. Sorry about putting it there.

 

[Queenswood Apiary]

Hi my name is Ian, new beekeeper based in Bridgwater, Somerset, started with one colony I purchased in a 6 frame Nuc and some how I now have 3 colonies , my original colony swarmed luckily Queen had been clipped so she went into a new hive, then I had a swarm in my tree so colony number 3. To say its been a baptism of fire is an understatement, but I am enjoying the challenge.

Ian

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hi my name is Ian, new beekeeper based in Bridgwater, Somerset, started with one colony I purchased in a 6 frame Nuc and some how I now have 3 colonies , my original colony swarmed luckily Queen had been clipped so she went into a new hive, then I had a swarm in my tree so colony number 3. To say its been a baptism of fire is an understatement, but I am enjoying the challenge.

Ian

Hi Ian and welcome

 

[madasafish]

Hi my name is Ian, new beekeeper based in Bridgwater, Somerset, started with one colony I purchased in a 6 frame Nuc and some how I now have 3 colonies , my original colony swarmed luckily Queen had been clipped so she went into a new hive, then I had a swarm in my tree so colony number 3. To say its been a baptism of fire is an understatement, but I am enjoying the challenge.

Ian

Beekeeping is designed to winnow out those with less determination than others.

 

[user 20528]

Hi Ian, welcome to the group. Or do I call it a family?
Enjoy

 

[Murox]

Hi my name is Ian, new beekeeper based in Bridgwater, Somerset, started with one colony I purchased in a 6 frame Nuc and some how I now have 3 colonies , my original colony swarmed luckily Queen had been clipped so she went into a new hive, then I had a swarm in my tree so colony number 3. To say its been a baptism of fire is an understatement, but I am enjoying the challenge.

Ian

Hello and welcome.

 

[enrico]

Hi my name is Ian, new beekeeper based in Bridgwater, Somerset, started with one colony I purchased in a 6 frame Nuc and some how I now have 3 colonies , my original colony swarmed luckily Queen had been clipped so she went into a new hive, then I had a swarm in my tree so colony number 3. To say its been a baptism of fire is an understatement, but I am enjoying the challenge.

Ian

Hi Ian, not far away from you at all in Stoke St Gregory. Best wishes
E

 

[Reddishpink]

Hello everyone,

Nice to meet you. I'm Mark from Livingston, Scotland.
I'm new to Bees but fell in love when we were lucky enough to have a Tree Bumble Bee take up nesting in our garden. I produced a little mini-video documentary showing macro detail shots of the Bees living their lives - mating, nesting etc. If anyone is interested in the Tree Bumble Bees, do take a look at: Tree Bumble Bees Bombus Hypnorum | Video documentary

I look forward to learning more about Bees and hopefully making positive contributions to the forum.

Have a great day.

 

[Queenswood Apiary]

Hello everyone,

Nice to meet you. I'm Mark from Livingston, Scotland.
I'm new to Bees but fell in love when we were lucky enough to have a Tree Bumble Bee take up nesting in our garden. I produced a little mini-video documentary showing macro detail shots of the Bees living their lives - mating, nesting etc. If anyone is interested in the Tree Bumble Bees, do take a look at: Tree Bumble Bees Bombus Hypnorum | Video documentary

I look forward to learning more about Bees and hopefully making positive contributions to the forum.

Have a great day.

Hi Mark and welcome to a great Forum, I'm also a new Bee and getting some great help and advice

 

[Murox]

Welcome

 

[Akba]

Hi, my name is Akbar, nice to chat with you guys, from east London, united kingdom.
I'm working with many beekeepers around the world in countries such as Spain, Portugal, Italy, Bulgaria, Turkey, Indonesia*(wild honey), Pakistan*( wild honey) and so much more.
I know a lot of beekeeping and still learning every day something new, of course, practice is the key!
We do only ORganic honeys ,no feeding, in areas with no farming, no factory, no highways and specially in mountain areas

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hi, my name is Akbar, nice to chat with you guys, from east London, united kingdom.
I'm working with many beekeepers around the world in countries such as Spain, Portugal, Italy, Bulgaria, Turkey, Indonesia*(wild honey), Pakistan*( wild honey) and so much more.
I know a lot of beekeeping and still learning every day something new, of course, practice is the key!
We do only ORganic honeys ,no feeding, in areas with no farming, no factory, no highways and specially in mountain areas

Are you selling their honey?