Your streamlining tips?

[Jimmy]

Mostly sound practices, but dear me, open feed holes and plenty of ventilation showed he hasn't moved with the times.

I think it was a talk in ~2008.
The general ethos of his approach rather than the specifics are what to me is the take home message.

 

[JamezF]

Cost-benefit analysis probably makes conventional swarm management impractical. David did use bait hives: YT comments state there is a lot of swarming and lots of empty hives getting occupied each year. Didn't mention clipping of queens.

Ah, I rarely read YT comments because they're so often full of utter drivel. Perhaps I should go back and do so in this case.

James

 

[Moobee]

I have a gasvap and have drilled holes in the back of the floors, with a wooden dowel in each to plug them.
Only issue is the gasvap itself. It's just not quite reliable enough for me. It misfires, or I'm just not confident it's actually worked properly, so I end up doing it again, only not to be sure again.

InstaVap seems to be the business. Only issue is the price tag £375.00 + battery (£50).

Next year, I'll have close to 20 colonies. 1 x 10 pack of apivar = £30 x 4 = £120.

But, this year, atleast one of my colonies on apivar is still dropping a small amount of mites.

I need to be ready to make the financial jump. Perhaps next year.

InstaVap Light is £199 and you can use PayPal in 3 installments….

 

[Erichalfbee]

InstaVap Light is £199 and you can use PayPal in 3 installments….

Only till end of the year then it goes up in price.

 

[Wilco]

Only till end of the year then it goes up in price.

Does anyone know if it can be used with larger capacity batteries?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Does anyone know if it can be used with larger capacity batteries?

No sorry. Ask on the InstantVap page?
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/8FJsGHkoNptiAdF7/?mibextid=K35XfP

 

[E&MBees]

Only till end of the year then it goes up in price.

Any indication of what the price rise would be?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I think it’s just the £215 it was originally listed as. Not much

 

[fian]

Distribute your apiary into three groups:
A. Honey production.
B. Production of Queens for replacement or sale.
C. Drone Production.
In each group, establish a single frame size based on your equipament.
Sell or trade any equipment that doesn't fit.
Establish operations systematically for each group:
1. Reviews are every x days.
2. Protocol and equipment for Demare, Treatments, Loss of queen, Wintering.
3. Establish control parameters in each group so that those that meet the parameters allow for faster review.

 

[mbc]

A couple of things to pass on:
Notes from a talk by Andy Wattam, former National Bee Inspector, titled 20 Minute beekeeper.
http://www.hertsbees.org.uk/tips/bee-management/20-minute-beekeeper/

David Wainwright's interview by Gweyn Gruffyd's (think I might have butchered the spelling), recently posted on YouTube.


There's also a balance to be found between cherry picking everyone's good ideas and getting into an incoherent muddle. Good luck!

Gruff's done a great job with that interview, I really enjoyed it and plenty of food for thought.

 

[ericbeaumont]

three groups:
A. Honey production.
B. Production of Queens for replacement or sale.
C. Drone Production.

Is that one apiary or three? If three, B and C ought to be near to each other.

3. Establish control parameters in each group so that those that meet the parameters allow for faster review.

Would you give an example?

 

[fian]

Is that one apiary or three? If three, B and C ought to be near to each other.


Would you give an example?

It would be as you prefer, but it can be in one perfectly since the limit on the number of hives is set by the available field. In the same apiary you can place three rows separated by more than 3 meters between them. In each row a type of exploitation.
Regarding the parameters for control, based on the numerous readings on beekeeping websites, they can be:
A. Number of bees that enter the hive in one minute.
B. For varroa, sugar or natural drop tests.
I know that some are not exempt from criticism, but if the beekeeper decides to implement it with all the caveats that come with it and allows him the ordinary management of his apiary with pleasure, who are the rest of us to disagree?

 

[peterbees]

Buy a cheap blow torch for lighting the smoker. Saves loads of time.
https://tinyurl.com/2aw3yc7b