Comments for Beekeepers Friend

Comment on Marking Queens and Why by Marking Queens and Why : Beekeepers Friend

Marking Queens and Why : Beekeepers Friend — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:32:55 +0000

[...] more: Marking Queens and Why : Beekeepers Friend Posted in Marking | Tags: are-not, clipping-one, her-wings, know-the-reason, larger-animals-, [...]

Comment on Confession Time! by Getting Ready for Splits : Beekeepers Friend

Getting Ready for Splits : Beekeepers Friend — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 06:03:51 +0000

[...] am getting ready to start the splitting process that I talked about two posts ago. My thoughts are to put two 5 frame nuc boxes side by [...]

Comment on Chautauqua 2010 by Problems With the Chautauqaua : Beekeepers Friend

Problems With the Chautauqaua : Beekeepers Friend — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:30:14 +0000

[...] have confirmed the date, I find out that the school had placed the time a week ahead of the scheduled day. Now I have to get in touch with all the speakers to see if they can attend a week earlier than was [...]

Comment on Judging Honey Shows by Chautauqua 2010 : Beekeepers Friend

Chautauqua 2010 : Beekeepers Friend — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 15:56:24 +0000

[...] For those of you who wish to participate in the honey judging, click here [...]

Comment on Less Frames, More Honey Weight! by ekpeach

ekpeach — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:56:09 +0000

Thank you,Lois. I will probably, in the future, take your commit and make a post out of it. Good explanation for nucs.

Comment on Less Frames, More Honey Weight! by Lois Merritt

Lois Merritt — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:28:26 +0000

Hey Peaches,
I was looking thru ebay @ beekeeping stuff and came upon a guy selling nucs. This is a very good description/reason for using a nuc. I guess I never really ‘got it’ before. Makes a lot of sense, nothing u didn’t already know I’m sure. Just something to add to/for newbies. Lo

1: HONEY PRODUCTION: Bee hives that are more congested produce surplus honey above the brood chamber faster. Our test show that a double deep 5 frame hive will out produce a single 10 frame hive sitting next to it. Another thought, if you compare two 5 frame hives to one 10 frame hive, you have the same amount of frames being used in the two 5’s as the one ten. However, with the two 5’s you are running two queens verses one queen in the 10 framer. Which do you think will be the more productive situation? Also, it is the bees nature to work upwards rather than side to side. Common sense tells us that in nature when bees build natural hives in a hallow tree, the 5 frame hive is more native for them.

2. DEFENSE: The 1″ entrance hole we use coupled with a stronger hive makes wax moths and the small hive beetle have a difficult time getting in. The chances of being robbed are reduced as the bees can defend the smaller entrance. Thus allowing them to produce brood and honey rather than fighting with other bees. Again, in nature bees can survive for years in hollow trees with a small finger size entrance hole.

3. LIFTING SUPERS OR MOVING: Need I say more? A lot of us beekeepers are getting a little age on us. Toting a 5 frame deep or medium super of honey is half the load verses 10 frame equipment. Work smarter, not harder. The same is true when relocating your hives.

4. OVER WINTERING: A lot of our northern customers have ask how the 5 frame hives will overwinter? Very good question. My answer is this. In the fall of the year about the time the drones get the boot, the queen slows down on brood production. The reduction in brood means that not many new bees will be coming on board. So the entire colony of bees are getting ready for winter. They have what they have as far as numbers go. It is this same group of bees that will form a cluster to keep warm during times of freezing temps. In short, that same cluster of bees becomes a heater. Now lets use some good ole fashion common sense. Which would be better? A large room with a heater placed in the middle of the room? Or a small room with the same heater placed in the middle of the room? I will leave that up to you to decide.

Comment on Different Size Hive Bodies by Less Frames, More Honey Weight! : Beekeepers Friend

Less Frames, More Honey Weight! : Beekeepers Friend — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:18:13 +0000

[...] information that explains the weight issue on less frames/more honey. You can go to my post that touched on this subject and go to the comment section, so you can follow a little [...]

Comment on Where Are the Bees Coming From? by Cleaning up : Beekeepers Friend

Cleaning up : Beekeepers Friend — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:35:57 +0000

[...] never did find where the bee were coming from. By the time it stopped raining, it got cold and the bees are not flying. So I will just have to [...]

Comment on Chautauqua 2010 by More Delays : Beekeepers Friend

More Delays : Beekeepers Friend — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:56:17 +0000

[...] am also just 3 months away from the Bee Chautauqua (workshop) and there are several things that still needs to be done before we are [...]

Comment on New (to me) Thought by More Delays : Beekeepers Friend

More Delays : Beekeepers Friend — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:54:46 +0000

[...] top boards and possibly some top screens for moving bees long distance. I am also wanting to try single sized boxes for the complete hive. I have to do some figuring as to how best to change over. I will start with [...]