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Thread: newbie beekeeping

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Western Ny
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    269

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    Well a week later after working on our driveway road, which included cutting down about a 100 trees with at least 20 or so mature hard maples.

    I checked on my bees when I got back, I could not tell if there were eggs and I didnt see the queen. There was new comb although they didnt seem to be making it on the foundation. Still only 3 frames worth of bees, the frames with lots of bees and comb was significatly heavier. I tried videotaping it but none of the video or pictures came out, since I was counting on this I did not look closely visually. The next day I tried again with a better video camera and had success at spotting the queen. Still cant tell if there were eggs but Im sure I just cant see them. I moved the bee box into my apple orchard which I think will be a good spot for them now. The bees don't seem to bother with the feeder on top so I put it right in front of the entrance and now some bees come although there is a 3:1 wasp to bee ratio visiting it.

    Will the new eggs that hatch be winter bees or still the normal summer foraging type? The weather here has been the worst in memory as far as summers go, we usually enjoy an indian summer in september but I think this year it will likely be an early autumn.
    2019- RO
    2018- 25 taps made 8 gal syrup.
    2017- 25 taps -built a 2x3 flat pan, and a fuel tank arch for it. 335 gal 7.34gal syrup.

    2016- 15 taps, 4.3gal syrup boiling on cinderblock arch 3 roasting pans, 1 redneck trash can with a pot, and a turkey fryer.

    2015- 4 taps 44 gals of sap made 2.25 gal of lite syrup.

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Birdsboro PA
    Posts
    1,326

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    I wouldn't put the feeder outside the hive. It will induce robbing. A small hive that you have they probably won't make it.

    The bees know what to do, but they don't have much time to build up. It'll be a crap shoot if they make it or not.
    first year 2012 50 taps late season made 2 1/2 gals.

    2013 2x6 homemade arch 180 taps. 20 Gals.

    2014 40 on 3/16 gravity 160 on buckets.

    http://omasranch.wix.com/omasmaple

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Western Ny
    Posts
    269

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    I put the feeder inside the hive yesterday, now the bees are taking it nicely and the other hornets dont.
    2019- RO
    2018- 25 taps made 8 gal syrup.
    2017- 25 taps -built a 2x3 flat pan, and a fuel tank arch for it. 335 gal 7.34gal syrup.

    2016- 15 taps, 4.3gal syrup boiling on cinderblock arch 3 roasting pans, 1 redneck trash can with a pot, and a turkey fryer.

    2015- 4 taps 44 gals of sap made 2.25 gal of lite syrup.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Western Ny
    Posts
    269

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    I found someone locally who is going to let me look at his hives, though he and his 13yr old son are admittedly still learning this being their second yr. Yet they managed to overwinter their 2 hives and now through swarming have 4.

    I decided the likelyhood of my hive getting big enough to fit an 10 frame deep hive box is not going to happen so ive built a 5 frame nuc box.I will build a second and hopefuly they can fill them out.20170920_194629.jpg20170920_191909.jpg20170920_195920.jpg
    Last edited by barnbc76; 09-21-2017 at 08:23 PM.
    2019- RO
    2018- 25 taps made 8 gal syrup.
    2017- 25 taps -built a 2x3 flat pan, and a fuel tank arch for it. 335 gal 7.34gal syrup.

    2016- 15 taps, 4.3gal syrup boiling on cinderblock arch 3 roasting pans, 1 redneck trash can with a pot, and a turkey fryer.

    2015- 4 taps 44 gals of sap made 2.25 gal of lite syrup.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Lawrence County Ohio
    Posts
    350

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    Looks like they have a bit of honey capped! It takes 3 week for an egg to go from egg, to larva, to bee. The queen SHOULD slow down before winter. 1:1 Sugar syrup induces her to lay. You can switch to 2:1 when the local flowers dry up. They will store it, and only have to evaporate a small amount of water out to stabilize it...sound familiar?

    Here's a good article from Maine- we have used these recipes before with good success.

    http://mainebeekeepers.org/informati...syrup-recipes/
    '12 15 jugs - Steam pans
    '17 125 3/16 - 18" x 72" drop flue on homemade arch
    '18 240 3/16 - Deer Run 125
    '19 450 3/16 - Converted RO to electric/added a membrane
    '20 600 3/16 - Maple Pro 2x6 Raised Flue, added AOF/AUF
    '21 570 3/16 - Built steam hood, Smoky Lake filter press
    '22 800 3/16 - Upgraded RO to 4 4x40
    '23 500 3/16 - Re-plumbed RO, new "Guzzler"
    '24 500 3/16 - Steam Away, DIY 8x40 RO

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Albion PA
    Posts
    5,099

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    Welcome to the world of bees! Chances of your bees making it through the winter is about 30%. But you have given them a chance and they just might suprise you.
    Good luck!
    My daughter just took off 125 lb of honey from her three hives today.
    My one hive was from two swarms this fall. There chances are slim but they had time to gather some goldenrod, and I fed them too.
    Regards,
    Chris
    Casbohm Maple and Honey
    625 roadside taps + Neighbors bring some sap too!
    3x10 King, WRU, AOF and AUF
    12" SIRO Filter Press.
    2015 Ford F250 PSD sap hauler
    One Golden named Maggie, Norwegian Forest Cat named Lucy
    Too many Cub Cadets
    Ford Jubilee and several Allis WD's, and IH tractors
    1932 Ford AAB ton and a half, dump truck

    www.mapleandhoney.com

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Western Ny
    Posts
    269

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    So my bees seem to be doing very well, I met with the guy and his son who live near by and got to see what a real hive looks like. We extracted some honey from one hive, it certainly is fun and a lot of work. I received 2 frames of honey in return for building them a bunch of nuc boxes so now my bees have about 3-4 frames of honey and last I checked a combined total of about 1 frame of brood, the bees cover 4 frames now. They are in 2 five frame nuc boxes stacked with only 4 frames in each, I am still feeding them a little here and there since our weather is so unpredictable. I have 1" foam board i will use to insulate and get it ready for winter.

    My dad who helped me on all my maple equipment is going to have a bit of free time on his hands for a few weeks recovering from surgery and is going to help me build a bunch of bee boxes.
    2019- RO
    2018- 25 taps made 8 gal syrup.
    2017- 25 taps -built a 2x3 flat pan, and a fuel tank arch for it. 335 gal 7.34gal syrup.

    2016- 15 taps, 4.3gal syrup boiling on cinderblock arch 3 roasting pans, 1 redneck trash can with a pot, and a turkey fryer.

    2015- 4 taps 44 gals of sap made 2.25 gal of lite syrup.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Albion PA
    Posts
    5,099

    Default

    Nice work saving the swarm and they sound like they are doing well for you. Thanks for the update.
    Regards,
    Chris
    Casbohm Maple and Honey
    625 roadside taps + Neighbors bring some sap too!
    3x10 King, WRU, AOF and AUF
    12" SIRO Filter Press.
    2015 Ford F250 PSD sap hauler
    One Golden named Maggie, Norwegian Forest Cat named Lucy
    Too many Cub Cadets
    Ford Jubilee and several Allis WD's, and IH tractors
    1932 Ford AAB ton and a half, dump truck

    www.mapleandhoney.com

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Western Ny
    Posts
    269

    Default

    After a long winter unfortunately my bees did not survive. I either killed them with my inexperience which I think is likely or else mites. At any rate I was disappointed but not surprised. I have ordered a nuc of bees locally that I will be getting in may. I am in the process of building my hives and frames, only a few things to wrap up. Working around making maple syrup and OT at work but I have to get things done soon as my wife is expecting or 3rd child in mid April. I managed to finish building the 4 nucs I promised my friend, next is grafting and planting Apple trees.
    2019- RO
    2018- 25 taps made 8 gal syrup.
    2017- 25 taps -built a 2x3 flat pan, and a fuel tank arch for it. 335 gal 7.34gal syrup.

    2016- 15 taps, 4.3gal syrup boiling on cinderblock arch 3 roasting pans, 1 redneck trash can with a pot, and a turkey fryer.

    2015- 4 taps 44 gals of sap made 2.25 gal of lite syrup.

  10. #20
    Haynes Forest Products Guest

    Default

    Bee keeping is a misnomer. We hope to keep them happy until they skip town for parts unknown.

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