Keeping Bees

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Re: Keeping Bees

Postby DrewInToledo » Thu Aug 06, 2015 6:39 pm

Guy - have you actually seen mites on your bees? They're small, but they can be seen. I found some before. They look like little pinheads running around the bees back. Also, do you use a screened bottom? Some believe that if the mites get knocked off or fall they will fall through the bottom and have no way to get back into the hive. That theory does make me wonder how they ever get there in the first place.
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Re: Keeping Bees

Postby pa_friendly_guy » Thu Aug 06, 2015 9:45 pm

I took it for granted that most all bees have mites. And since I bought mine from a commercial vender I figures they have them. July is when I wanted to treat the bees for mites, but oh well, I didn't get to it them, so Aug will have to do. It was explained to me that the bee calendar is different than ours, we are thinking summer right now, the bees are thinking winter, they are gearing up their honey stores to survive the cold winter. Treating them in July, or early Aug means that they should be health and mite free as winter approaches. At least that's the theory as it was explained to me at one of the seminars I attended. :lol:
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Re: Keeping Bees

Postby pa_friendly_guy » Thu Aug 06, 2015 10:01 pm

Had a bit of excitement today. I was mowing up in the field and hit a tree root that stopped the mower dead in its tracks and bent a blade. After some trouble I was able to straighten the blade and go back to mowing. The paths up around the bees had not been mowed for awhile so I decided to head up that way to mow. I made the 1st pass in front of the hive with no trouble, but as I made the 2nd pass behind the hive I got too close and hit the stand I have everything on. Well, it knocked the hive off the stand, moved the cement blocks, basically all Hell broke loose. :o So I put the mower in reverse and got out of there as fast as I could. Down to the garage, off the mower as fast as I could go and started to gather up my bee stuff. Went back up to the field , started the smoker, put on my white long sleeve shirt, gloves, grabbed the hive tool and started for the problem. I 1st put back the cement blocks, them the cement slab, then I started to move supers. Got the bottom board and 1st super back in place with out and problem, then the bees started to swarm around me pretty good, so I grabbed the next 2 supers and put them on. Had to move them into the right spot, then I went for the last super. It had the feeder in it and the frames had all fallen out and the wax foundation had fallen out. Through them all in, adjusted everything to fit right, put on the inner cover then the top cover propped open with a brick. Nothing seemed to be damaged much, I had a plastic bucket next to the hive for water that got smashed, but all in all everything worked out well. I did not get stung, but it was exciting to say the least. :lol:
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Re: Keeping Bees

Postby Lollykoko » Fri Aug 07, 2015 6:00 am

Guy, you had my heart racing with that tale! Several years ago, about this time of year, I disturbed some wasps. No, I wasn't as lucky as you were today.

So, did shaking up the hive do anything for your clustered bees?
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Re: Keeping Bees

Postby pa_friendly_guy » Fri Aug 07, 2015 12:51 pm

It did seem to get them moving around a bit, lol, I am just glad that I did not damage any equipment. I am going to check them again today and see how they are doing. I think I will remove the top super that contains the feeder and a bunch of frames that no longer have the wax foundation in place. I bought some more foundation to put in and I think I will melt the old damaged foundation and use it to sort of weld the new wax in place so that it does not come out in this intense heat.
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Re: Keeping Bees

Postby pa_friendly_guy » Fri Aug 07, 2015 4:29 pm

When I checked them today I saw that the mite strip had fallen on the ground when the hive fell over and in my haste I had not seen it on the ground. So I fired up the smoker, put on my bee out fit and put it back in-between the 2 brood supers, I also removed the top super where the wax foundation had fallen out a took the frames out and down to the house. I got out any wax that was stuck in those frames and put in new foundation. Then I fired up my Rocket Stove, set up a double boiler thing with 2 pots, tore the old foundation wax into small bits and melted it down. Then I took a paint brush and sort of welded the new wax foundation into place both on the top and the bottom of the frame. Now I have to make some bee feed and I will replace everything into the super and put it on the hive tonight, when it is cooler and the bees are less active. I am starting to think of myself as a Bee Keeper now, I have been in the hive several time and have not been stung yet, lol :lol:
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Re: Keeping Bees

Postby pa_friendly_guy » Sun Nov 22, 2015 8:41 pm

I have brought my Bees into winter!! :D That is MUCH better than I did last year. LOL Last year they all left the hive by August. I fed them yesterday, don't know if they will take much feed this time of year, they were all huddled up into their cluster for warmth. Its in the 30's here today, yesterday was in the 50"s so I figured they might move around some and find the feeder full of warm sugar water. Today I am sure they aren't moving around much at all. Making the winter is now my primary goal.
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Re: Keeping Bees

Postby pa_friendly_guy » Sun Feb 28, 2016 9:20 pm

I thought my bees were dead, I checked them a month ago and did not see any live bees in the hive. There were a bunch of dead bees on the floor of the hive but I did not see many live bees. One or two bees did come out and buzz around but that was it. Its warm here today, getting into the upper 50's , so I took a walk in the woods and decided to walk up in the field by the hive. Surprise, Surprise, the bees were out and about, buzzing all over the place. What a Leap Day present. When I checked them before where was a bunch of crazy comb that I couldn't get open to inspect, they must have been hiding in there. :D I am so happy!!!
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Re: Keeping Bees

Postby DrewInToledo » Sun May 08, 2016 12:14 pm

Do vegetarians eat animal crackers or coconut meat?
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Re: Keeping Bees

Postby pa_friendly_guy » Fri Aug 18, 2017 2:28 pm

A Bear came back this year and attacked my bees. This year I got to see the bear, I was standing in my back yard on top of a stone wall near the fire ring when a bear cub came walking down a path that I mow. I froze and started to look around for Momma, she came down the path next followed by 2 more cubs. She climbed up on a pile of logs and started to look around, when she looked right at me she climbed down and turned around and went back the way she came. No hurry, just slowly went back into the woods. It was the 1st bear I have seen in Pa. Bottom line is that she attacked the bees 4 times and the bees dis not survive the last attack. I now have no bees left in the hive. My neighbor did tell me about a wild hive in a hollow tree on the line between our properties. I found it yesterday. So I still have some bees to help pollinate the orchard and garden. I guess bees are available for purchase, so I will buy another nuke next year and try to protect it with electric fence. It have been a little bit disheartening.
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