Honey Bees
- Thread starter Peeps
- Start date
I know you are farther north than me by 400 miles - but that seems early. Has your goldenrod already peaked by then. My bees have made as much honey from mid sept to nov as they have made in the spring - some years.
A word of caution of processing fall honey. When I rob in July, temps are always in the 90’s. When I rob the first of november - temps may be in the sixties or seventies. Honey that poured through a 200 micron filter in July will not flow through fast enough at 70 degree temps to keep up with what is coming out of a twenty frame extractor. If you go off and leave the extractor - you have a mess when you come back.
ksgobbler
5 year old buck +
That could be what happens when your bees do through a dearth. What I leave on my bees for hive bodies doesnt have an empty cell in it come fall. I would miss half my honey if i did that here - but my bees also dont have to go through a winter as long as yours, either. I would dang sure do what they suggest for your area. My bees are without a source of nectar only from Nov - Feb.
Turkey Creek
5 year old buck +
Lots to learn, probably some by hard knocks. Will do my best to get more in tune with our state association and see if I can find any local keepers with lots of experience by next year. We have Goldenrod here, but I cant think of any other late blooming flowers right now. I am sure I will become more in tune with what blooms when and if the bees utilize it as I move forward.
ksgobbler
5 year old buck +
Kind of nervous my queen absconded. Noticed my good hive didn't have much activity but the new hive was going crazy. New hive have almost filled the super in the week we were on vacation. Old hive hasn't done much of anything on the second super. I pulled them off and started going through that hive. Found them putting honey where capped brood had been. Still some capped brood. Also found what appeared to be a hatched queen cell. Hoping this colony isn't screwed.
Turkey Creek
5 year old buck +
I have watched and read a bunch of Michael Bush's stuff. I like his thoughts on things and since he is in Nebraska as well it seems that he should have a good feel for what I should or shouldnt be doing. I have emailed him a few times already and he has been good at responding to my questions.
ksgobbler
5 year old buck +
Swamphunter is on the right track. I got ahold of my “mentor” by email and her is what she had to say
“It sounds like your hive swarmed. Sometimes when we have done everything to keep the bees from swarming they do it anyway. Given they are storing nectar where there was once brood and not storing as much nectar in your honey super is a sign they have swarmed. Also since you found a hatched queen cell I would assume you have a virgin queen in your hive. Once a virgin queen has emerged it takes from 8 to 21 days for her to mate and start laying. My advice is to wait 2 weeks and then go back and do a hive inspection and see if you see eggs and or small larva. I know this is hard but just be patient and see what happens.”
“It sounds like your hive swarmed. Sometimes when we have done everything to keep the bees from swarming they do it anyway. Given they are storing nectar where there was once brood and not storing as much nectar in your honey super is a sign they have swarmed. Also since you found a hatched queen cell I would assume you have a virgin queen in your hive. Once a virgin queen has emerged it takes from 8 to 21 days for her to mate and start laying. My advice is to wait 2 weeks and then go back and do a hive inspection and see if you see eggs and or small larva. I know this is hard but just be patient and see what happens.”
Turkey Creek
5 year old buck +
It seems that there are 2 separate trains of thought on swarming, those that do everything they can possibly do to try and keep it from happening and those that say no big deal if it does.... that is the way nature intended it. Hopefully your new queen will carry on. I would think you will have plenty of time for that hive to rebuild before fall.
I used to worry and fret with my bees - when they swarmed, or a hive died out - but doesnt bother me that much anymore. I really only need about 15 hives to supply the honey I need - but I keep about 25. That way, if a couple die out or honey production is off - I have enough extra hives to make up for it and not worry about it.
TreeDaddy
5 year old buck +
I got my first two last year
One just swarmed
I plan to reload soon
It hard not to take this personally..........
bill
A swarm shouldnt be the end of your hive - just might take awhile to build back - or did they abscond?
Peeps
5 year old buck +
Darn that means something happened to the queen. I would check into getting another queen to requeen that hive asap.
Turkey Creek
5 year old buck +
Time wise might be getting too late in the year to build bee numbers fast enough to overwinter that queenless hive with this method, but you can also take a frame that has some just laid eggs out of another hive and put in your queenless hive. They will turn 1 or more of those eggs into queen cells, but from what I heard it will take at least 30 days for a queen to hatch, go on her mating flight and then come back and start laying.
