re: Anyone here keep Bees?

Do any of y’all take a more treatment free approach?

Update

The weak hive looks like it will struggle through and I left an empty box out and the strong hive has decided to swarm right into it.

Now back to three the hard way

I will no longer be attempting treatment free beekeeping but good luck to those who try, propane fogger and oxy acid on the way.

ETA have requested ADMIN to add sticky, come on guys put this in the "how to", it is a multi year info thread.

What is treatment free approach?

Had one of my hives swarm on me yesterday. I was able to get them in my Top Bar I’m trying out. They were still in there this morning so hopefully I’m good.

What is your process for making splits?

I do walk away splits

I take 1frame of mixed fresh eggs/larva/brood
1 frame capped brood
1 frame of honey
1 frame pollen
1 empty frame plastic foundation.

I also shake a frame or 2 of nurse bees (make sure queen isn’t on those frames)
I feed them sugar syrup.

I already have a split with a laying queen. Did split on Feb 7. Was a gamble but weather stayed warm.

Well I've taken the plunge. I wanted to go ahead and get started and a flow hive wouldn't be available for a few more months so I went ahead and bought a deep ten frame box and a medium 10 frame box as well as a good bit of tools. It's for the best. If I got a flow hive I wasn't even planning on using it until next year. Should hopefully have everything set up by next weekend. Can anyone answer a few questions I have?

1. I plan on getting a nuc with some established frames in it if I can. From that point on would I need to be feeding them any sugar water to help them along or will they be fine this late in the year?

2. If any of yall feed do you add any Honey B Healthy or anything? I see HoneyBHealthy, VitaminBHealthy, are pretty well respected and there is also an amino-b booster and honeybhealthy plus. Are all of these needed or some kind of combo or none?

3. Do I need frame feeder for water? I just really want to make sure they do not try to go to a neighbors pool for water.

4. It looks like the best position for me will be to have the hive facing west instead of east, is this a big deal?


Thanks if anyone can offer any advice. I live near Birmingham if it matters.

Good news for us:



We thought our bees were dead three months ago.

None in the boxes.


Then two weeks ago we saw ten, then forty and now about a hundred.

The must have left and came back.

Anybody ever messed around with observation hives. I think I have lost my mind during the quarantine. I've built a 4 frame observation hive for inside my house. I have found that most of my mistakes have been due to lack of knowledge. I figure this might help. I also suck at finding the queen so this should help with that as well. I should be done with it this week.

quote:

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Anyone ever tried a top bar hive? Just looking on opinions with those.

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Bumping for this question. I've read several books on bees. I know you don't get as much honey for a top bar hive but I figured it would be enough just for us at the house and maybe to give some away. Curious if a top bar hive would be ok for a newbie to try and the pros and cons.