Switching some boxes around and moving our swarm to a permanent home

07-28-13

I'm not gonna say a whole lot right now. I'm too tired. I just wanted to get these videos up. I'll let them speak for themselves

I'm hoping now that both hives will stay strong and use the next month or two to build up and fill out at least a second box. We'll just have to wait and see!

 

 

 

Removing a swarm from our bait hive.

07-26-13

Here's the videos we took when we moved the swarm from our bait hive into a standard Warre box. We'll join up that Warre box with the new hive we built at some point in this next week.

Please be aware that we're totally new to beekeeping. These videos are not intended to instruct you on the correct way to do things. We're totally learning as we go. We expect that you'll learn just as much from our mistakes as we do from our successes. Also know that not all the information given in the videos may be technically accurate. Please verify anything you hear on this blog with reputable sources before taking it for gospel truth. Finally, we are doing this as a project with my two boys (ages 8 and 6 when we started this spring), so I apologize for the shaky videos, etc, but it is what it is.

All that said, enjoy the videos!

The bad, the good, and the ugly. Aka- the bees have swarmed.

07-26-13

Well, if you've been paying attention to the blog, you know that a little over two weeks ago our bees were bearding and seemed to be getting ready to swarm. It appeared as though they had moved into the second box, and we decided to add a third box to give them more space. The ultimate goal being to have at least two full boxes of honey comb on which the bees could over winter. Well, on Tuesday of this week, I headed out to my parents' house to check on our bees. Hoping and pretty much expecting to see our bees filling out the second box and settling in with the third box we added. This, unfortunately, was NOT the case as you can see in the video below.

So, quick recap of the news:

- Bad news, the bees have swarmed.

- Good news, our bait hive worked and we caught the bees.

- Ugly news, the bait hive, which started out level, no longer is and we will probably have to deal with cross combing or at the very least crooked combs as we move them to their new home.

What's the plan now?

In the video I mentioned recombining the hive back into one. I had thought this would be the best idea, as we're shooting for two full Warre boxes to overwinter our bees. I find it unlikely at this point that the bees, if kept separate, will make it to two full boxes. However, I wanted another opinion. I decided to contact Sam from Bee Crazy and ask his advice. If you've read my posts or watched my videos, you've probably heard me mention this excellent resource. Sam was gracious enough to answer my questions and offer some advice. You can see our conversation at his site here.

Bottom line. I'm going to head out to my parents' later today. I've got two extra Warre boxes, I'll build a couple more along with another base, roof, and quilt, and then we'll move the bees from the bait hive to their new home. I'll the two hives (our original and our new swarm hive) grow and develop separately and see how their doing come this fall. If it appears they might be strong enough to winter on their own, we'll leave them apart. If, on the other hand, they seem weak, we'll attempt at that point to combine them.

Thanks also to Sam for answering my question about the white stuff on the plexiglass. It is, apparently, just wax. That's what my hunch was, it just wasn't there initially, and I was worried it might be some sort of mold or something. Sam's explanation of WHY they were starting to put was on the hive walls was helpful, however. He mentioned that it often starts appearing as the hive gets ready to swarm. Basically, the colony thinks they're out of room (even though they weren't) and the wax producing bees start putting wax on the walls of the hive instead of being productive and building usable comb in the empty space they do have available. I'll try to keep an eye out for this in the future as the white specks started appearing a few weeks before the bees were bearding, before (I thought) they had moved down into the second box.

I'll let you know how it goes and hopefully post some video later tonight or tomorrow!

Two new videos. Hive activity and bait hive/frame construction.

06-08-11

Here's a short video of the activity at the front of our hive and the inside (seen through the observation window) after about one month after installation. They seem to be doing pretty well. They're fairly active today, thankfully, it's been one of the only nice days we've had all spring. It's been pretty rainy and wet here. As you can see they're brining in pollen, which is a very good sign that the queen is laying. You can also see the top box is pretty much 100% full. You can see in the bottom box that they have not yet started building comb in that box. The only thing there is the small bit of comb that I moved down to try and encourage them to start building there. Not sure what else to do to try to get them to move down. If you've got any ideas, leave a comment.

 

06-11-13

This second video is a little bit longer. In it, I explain how I built two more bait hives. This time the with the correct internal volume! One is made out of two empty Warre boxes that I put a base and lid on and attached together. I forgot to mention in the video that I drilled some holes in the bottom box for the bees to use as an entrance. If I ever need to use that particular box in a hive, I'll just plug the holes with some quark. The second bait hive is made out of scrap wood I got for free from craigslist. I made it with just a skill saw, jig saw, and hand drill to show how easy it can be to build a bee hive. I did use the lath we ripped to size on my dad's table saw, however. So there's still that part that's a bit harder to do. Need to figure out an easy way to make those top bars without any special tools. In this video, I also show how I made some frames and half-frames to fit in a standard, unmodified Warre hive. I made these to use with my widow-less boxes so we can do inspections in them. I also made them to see how they worked in case anyone ever need to have removable frames for a beehive permit or what not. I still like the idea of Warre's system, using minimal intrusion and to simply let the bees be bees and do their thing, but it's nice to experiment and come up with way to let the bees do their thing and still be able to check on them once in a while. If one were to truly do minimally invasing beeking, it might be more like the Japanese system, which is pretty much the same as a Warre hive, but with no top bars at all, just some cross braces to give the honey comb some support and then let the bees make the comb any which way they please. I'm rambling now, though, here's the video.

More on making a bait hive from our extra Warre box

I've got some pictures of the construction of our bait hive a few posts back. Here's a video talking about preparing the hive to put out and using our beeswax "polish" to seal/waterproof the outside of the hive.

Bee Day = HUGE Success!

I've been anticipating this day for some time now. Wondering. Waiting.

What would it be like? Would I be scared? Would it be an adrenalin rush? Would the bees be aggressive? Would I get stung? Would my kids, the ones I want to do this with, get freaked out and refuse to help with the bees any more? What would the bees sound like? What would they smell like? Would I, could I, dare to install the bees without wearing gloves as many advocate? Would the bees like their new home? The list goes on and on.

Well, despite some difficulties, the day was amazing! More than I could have hoped for. So what were the difficulties? Well, if you've read my previous posts, you know that I had originally intended to save money by trapping bees. If I got some, great, if not, then maybe next year. So, long story short, I came to the whole packaged bee thing a little late to the game. Instead of placing an order at a bee supplier f15 minutes from my parents' house (where our hive is located), the only place left taking orders was over 3 hours away. To make matters worse, I work every other weekend, and this happens to be my weekend to work. I worked until 11:30pm the night before bee day and then had to schedule my bee pickup for 8:45am so that I could be back, get the bees installed, and over to work by 3pm. That meant going to bed after midnight and getting up at 5am. To make matters EVEN worse. I couldn't sleep last night. Didn't fall asleep till almost 3am. So all this was done on 2 hours of sleep. But, despite these difficulties, the day was, as I said, amazing. I wish I could have just stayed afterwards and watched them for like an hour. Oh well. Next time.

And now, I must bid you adieu. I'm tired. I just got back from work. I need to go to sleep. A picture (or in this case, a video) is worth a thousand words anyway. I'll stop waxing poetic and work on getting our videos from the day posted early next week. I must warn you, however, the volunteer videographer happened to be an unseasoned 8 year old boy. You'll have to put up with a fair amount of ground shots... Still, over all, I think he did a good job and by the end of the summer maybe he'll have progressed to taking some really awesome videos of our bees!

A random hodgepodge

Wanted to write another update before we started building the hive on Saturday, just to go over a few things.

First, I found out that Mann Lake, Ltd. was still taking orders though the end of this week. I guess that answers my question on whether or not to purchase packaged bees or trap a swarm! I did end up purchases a 3lb package and now am feeling some mixed emotions. I was excited about the possibility of testing out my swarm trapping abilities, but this will probably be better in the end. My 8 and 6 year old boys would have been very disappointed if we made it the whole summer without getting any bees through our trapping efforts! I'm a little frustrated that I have to drive 3.5 hours one way to pick them up though (I live in the Twin Cities Metro Area and have to pick them up north of Brainerd, MN)! But that's my fault for ordering late. Plus I don't know what the pick up day will be yet. Probably the first or second Saturday in May. I'm hoping the first, then we'd have them in time to take pictures before my boys' science fair. Plus I work the second Saturday at 3pm, which would make for a LONG day, driving early in the morning to get them in time to get home, install them, and get to work...

Second, I also ordered a bee suit for me, a smoker, a hive tool, and some beeswax from eBay. I'm using the wax for a little starter strip on the top bars, as well to help seal the hive (see point four below). I also need to figure out a less expensive bee suit option for my dad and two boys. McCartney Taylor (Learning Beekeeping) has some good ideas about that. I'll explain more (also in point four below).

Third, here's a link to the plans we're using to make the Warre Hive. We're going to make a few modifications, however. We're making at least two of the four boxes with windows, and I like the look of the windows and the simpler construction on the hives as seen at Bee Thinking. Also, we MIGHT try to do something similar to their screened bottom with removable board to keep track of Varroa mites. We'll see how construction goes on Saturday. We're going to make the hive out of high quality pine from Menard's because the red cedar is about 3 times more expensive. We'll seal the hive with a combination of linseed oil and beeswax. Hopefully we'll have it all done and set up by the time the bees get here!

Finally, I wanted to mention McCartney Taylor's excellent resource on top bar hives (Learning Beekeeping) . I mentioned his book Swarm Traps and Bait Hives in my last post, and I would highly recommend browsing through his You Tube videos (Out of a Blue Sky). This is one of the first resources I found when beginning my research on top bar hives, and still one of the best. Almost makes me feel bad that I decided to tray the Warre Hive instead of the Kenyan style. Only issue I have with the information he provides is that it all is in relation to beekeeping in Texas. Not all of it translates to this northern climate, which is part of the reason I started this blog. Of special interest today are his videos on using beeswax for starter strips on the top bars and sealing the hive with linseed oil and beeswax. Also his video on inexpensive bee suits. I'll probably go that route for an extra suit for my dad to use when we're both there (he can use mine if he wants to get into the hive and I'm not around) and for my boys (I don't want to purchase actual suits as they're still a bit young to do hive maintenance and they're growing so fast). If you didn't watch the video, he basically recommends to use a wide brimmed hat with a mosquito net over it, and then to purchase a disposable, plastic painter's coverall (found them for about $7 on eBay). Won't necessarily protect you from stings if the bees really want to, but should be sufficient coverage for someone just standing nearby observing.

Hope this info helps someone out there. Pictures will be up after we make the beehive on Saturday!

Book reviews and preparing to build our first hive

Well. It's been over a month. I fully intended to write some reviews of the books I've read sooner but got swept away in orientation at my new job as well as by a much needed family vacation. So here's what's happened in the last month:

1) I've read four beekeeping books and am in the middle of a fifth.
2) I've decided on the Warre Hive ("The People's Hive") rather than the Kenyan Top Bar Hive
3) I've been rather indecisive and tossed back and forth between whether or not I want to trap bees or purchase packaged bees. And...
4) I've set a date with my father to go out to his place and build the hive.

Here's a little more detail on each of the happenings for the past month.

1) The books I've read are:
 "Top Bar Beekeeping" by Crowder and Harrell
- This is an EXCELLENT resource for anyone interested in beekeeping, whether or not you will be utilizing the top bar method. I got this one from the library and will definitely be purchasing it later. When I do get it again, I'll  put up a more detailed review. My only issue with the book is that all the information provided is in regard to beekeeping in New Mexico. Not so user friendly when trying to keep bees in Minnesota!

"Beekeeping" by Ryde
- This resource was not as good. Besides having factually wrong information in certain places, the information that was provided was too simplistic to actually help anyone keep bees. If this were the only resource I had available, I feel that I would fall flat on my face. It was a good, simple book, for my boys to browse through, however. Got this one from the library and won't be getting it again.

"A Short History of the Honey Bee" by Readicker-Henderson
- This book wasn't necessarily on beekeeping methods, but more on the honey bee itself. The information provided was beneficial for someone, like myself, who was just getting involved in beekeeping and didn't actually know much about honey bees. In addition, the pictures are breathtakingly beautiful and mesmerizing! Got this one from the library, and while I may not purchase it, I will definitely check it out again if for nothing else that to get lost in the photographs.

"Bait Hives and Swarm Trapping" by Taylor
- More of a field guild of manual than a book. Don't waste the money on a full, printed edition. Just get the less expensive Kindle version. That being said, there was excellent, practical information if you'd like to try trapping bee swarms to expand your apiary for free. And he guarantees a 30% success rate!

And, finally, I'm in the middle of "Beekeeping for All" by Abbe Warre
- While a bit tiresome at times as he goes into explicit detail about why "The People's Hive" is superior to the other common hives of his day, it was fun to read about the strenuous process undertaken by Warre to produce a superior beehive. It is especially helpful, as this is the type of hive I ultimately have decided to build. Plus you can get it as a free PDF download, and who doesn't like free?

2) Why did I decide on the Warre hive?
Well, for a couple of reasons. First, it's still a top bar hive, like the Kenyan style hives, and, as such, the bees will produce more comb themselves, rather that use foundation. Plus, without frames, I'll be able to use the crush and strain method for extracting honey, thus eliminating the need for an extractor, and providing a surplus of wax to make candles out of (and my wife can really go through candles!). Second, the vertical style seems to more naturally mimic the hollowed trees bees would be using nature and appeals to their preference to build from the top down, rather than side to side as they would in a horizontal hive. Third, it will be easier to adjust the hive's size by adding or removing boxes. Fourth, I can use a queen excluder if I want to, to keep her from rearing brood in the honey stores. Fifth, from what I've read, there is less hive maintenance to perform in a Warree hive as compared to a Kenyan style hive. And, finally, as I've toyed with the idea of using bait hives to capture my first swarm, I thought it would be nice to be able to utilize the boxes from the Warre hive as the bait traps themselves, rather than needing to build a Kenyan hive, along with three or four bait hives.

3) So am I gonna trap my first swarm or purchase packages bees?
As I mentioned, I've gone back and forth. I originally intended upon trapping bees. I'm a little strapped for cash, having just finished school and started a new job, and the idea of free bees drew me in. Plus it sounded fun. And, if I'm building boxes for the Warre hive that are the right size for bait traps, why not just use them as such? However, as I get closes and closes to the beekeeping season, I feel that I just really want to guarantee that I've got bees. I mean, how much of a let down would it be to hype this up with my kids (their using the beehive as a science fair project for goodness sake) and then not end up with bees? I'm a little late to the game to purchase packaged bees, however. Most places I've contacted have been sold out for about a month. I've got one more email out to a local beekeeping supplier, and I guess when I hear back from them I'll know if I'll be purchasing or trapping, right?

4) When is this all going down?
The boys and I are heading over to Grandpa's this Saturday to build our hive! I've got the plans, and we'll try to get to the lumbar yard before then, but if not, we'll just go with Grandpa, no big deal. It's so exciting that this is finally happening! Hopefully another blog post soon... with pictures!!!