OK, catch up time.
Do you run small cell, the normal foundation. Or do you let them draw what they want and how many years have you been everything free?
I use a variety of methods Onze from standard foundation, (produced locally - association) to top bars with fine wax starter strips, (TBH and Warré). I also use a similar system in some Dadants, normal wired frames with no foundation and a thin wax starter strip, the bees build it in as you would expect. I realise that for people that like to pull their, (frame), hives apart on a regular basis this isn't really an option as it get's a bit messy, but if, as in my case, I only want to pull frames out from time to time to reorganise and free up space or perhaps move to a "clean" hive it's perfect. This has worked since 2002.
Hello Pete, Chris maintains his bees are thriving with no treatments what so ever ?
That is correct JW.
So you dont realy know how long they last, as you are not a beekeeper, just a keeper of bees
That is a somewhat childish remark jimbeekeeper for a serious subject. What gives you the right to determine what constitutes a Bee keeper? I know exactly how long "they last" because they are on my land and the swarms, 90%+ at any rate, are captured and found homes.
Best of luck to him John......amazing where those ley lines can just plonk themselves.
Thanks for the "best of luck" Hivemaker, but again another childish, sad and unnecessary sarcastic swipe.
I would never give myself the self importance or have the arrogance to take it upon myself to tell other people how to manage either their lives or their bees, I do however know from experience that things are rarely as they appear. It is often the case that people have an agenda, either financial or perhaps self-agrandissment and that, IMO we all need to be careful not to mindlessly take on board the dogma of what is becoming an "established religion".
I am in the fortunate position of having plenty of land, (my garden), where I can keep my bees. I'm not restricted to having two or three colonies and "worrying" over them, in fact it must be quite hard to have one colony. So, I could loose 10,20 or 30 % and it wouldn't really matter.
Another point is that it must be quite natural for bee colonies to fail and die, just like everything else in the natural world. If they didn't we would be buried in bee colonies. Even if we assumed that in normal conditions only 70% of swarms found a new home and only 80% of existing colonies following swarming managed to raise a fertilised Queen, that would still give a year on year compound increase, so logically some bee colonies must fail for one reason or another.
Finally for now, (although I'm sure I will say it again sometime), is there any chance that members of this forum, (not all I know), could try to be a bit more serious and stop trying to mock anyone that has an approach that differs from theirs and more importantly does actually work?
It does you no good to try to take the urine....you wouldn't do it face to face.
....ahh, that's another thing, I frequently urinate outside, (saves water), and my dogs do the same, usually in the same places. Now we all probably know that bees and other insects love it. The bees will be found every day at my place, weather permitting, sucking it up, ground covered in them...perhaps another piece of the jigsaw? Just wondering, does anyone mix urine in their bee feed?
Chris
