Thank you for sharing your years of experience and knowledge with us all. Was such a pleasure meeting you at the expo and will soak up the info. A ton of gold nuggets here, thank you Randy!
Talking about box sizes . I have always ran a deep an a medium brood setup. Well this year I Have been switching out using medium an going also to double deep Brood setup . Ya I have had the same problem with trying to do splits . I would never have the size frames I need to do splits . I got a bunch already switched out but not finished yet. Thanks Randy .
I like to place my hives where they are in the shade in the afternoon. I'm in SE texas west of Houston, it gets hoootttt here. I use sniffer sheets for the most part for hive beatles. I make my swarm traps using a 10 frame deep and a ratty shallow or medium with a plywood bottom. When it catches I wait 2 weeks then move it to my yard as is. In another week or so I'll take that deep box and just put it on a bottom board, done.
It would be interesting to hear the reflections of somebody that does what randy does but in the north. In NJ my colonies in full sun out produce those in shade. Same with entrances facing south.
I appreciate the video and the sentiment. I find it hard to talk seriously about reducing chemicals in the hive when also discussing decade old frames and the pesticides/fungicides that will be contained within that wax. I have treated and untreated colonies, all from feral colonies then selected for desirable traits same as you. I have noticed that feral bees seem to either die off or abscond occasionally now and what better place would there be for scout bees than prebuilt abandoned comb in a place that bees thought previously was a great location, this would make sense, 1 year to build up, 2nd year, large population, crash to high population of mites and low population of bees heading into winter. Leading to an empty nest next swarm season. This is how asian bees deal with tropilaelaps. In nature queen bees are designed to move if and when they feel the need Dr Derek Mitchell has been studying the fluid dynamics of air movement around the comb of feral colonies and hives for about a decade now if you are interested in how much better they are insulated than wooden boxes and how they maintain an environment that is less accommodating to varroa (Higher humidity) Finally on comb orientation, i've heard it said that if bees have build north south and are removed and placed in an empty box they will draw north south again, independent of where the entrance is. Cory Stevens treats his bees.
In The North heat isn't the issue it is the cold when we get down to 0 Deg F bad things can happen. I keep insulation on all year round and my hives are in the sun and had no bearding last summer.
I have something interesting I am in the middle of New Hampshire and I got newbies last April set them up in a nice hive and put one deep with two supers had a queen excluder above the first super and I did not take very much honey this year because they are new just a couple frames and I set them up for winter wrap them put a candy board on top of the one soup that was full and the one curious thing I found was that I did not see not one drone , one thing I do that I found out was a spray my bees lightly in the summer and the fall with a mixture of sugar water with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar I don’t know if that had anything to do with it but supposedly this helps with viruses Not one drone cell all year 😮😮😮😮😮
As long as there are negligent beekeepers within 3-5 miles, I am not satisfied that anyone can successfully -- and honestly -- keep bees without treatments. I've been doing cutouts since the mid '60s. Until the advent of the Varroa mite, those feral colonies usually had absolutely black comb. Nowadays, I never see a feral colony with dark comb because the mite+virus load kills the colony long before it has time to develop dark comb. In my observation, feral colonies don't survive any better than neglected "managed" colonies.
You are entitled to your opinion! But the data does not support anecdote. We have very different understandings about mite-drift and the mythical Mite-Bomb theories these days.
@@sbgmimedia You're entitled to your opinion too. I'll stick with my decades of experience and methodical observations as bee inspector for southern Utah checking hundreds of colonies and scores of apiaries large and small every year absolutely confirms the Mite-Bomb phenomenon. Nearby negligent beekeepers are out to kill your bees. And, you know it. Don't be like them.
Well JMHO If you treat you should bee all good to go, All you are really doing is keeping the numbers down just like we do, Even if every one treated you still would not get rid of the beetle and mite All we can do is keep the numbers down. This sound like a get rid of the competition statement to me. Not sure were you live but where i live and do cutouts there is all kinds of black com unless its a relatively new hive. I watched one hive for three years before they let me do the cutout3.5x14.5x10 feet comb all the way. every color you could imagine in a bee hive.
Swarms don't care why mono culture all they have is us lol there are no trees left . The next best thing is our gear from a garden shed wall to your house 🏡. Traps I have used full sheets 30mm thick 24 x12 trap is made to edge full seal entrance has a guardian fitted landing board is inside 2 brackets a cutting boardneuropreen has pattern of holes so if a beetle gets in past guardian bees push them into holes picking lid is under jar has half ins of oil or dirt the one with shards or one can make a box .top left 25 fdf double Grove place one wax sheet on wire add plastic foundation clip in other side 5 to 6 table spoons of melted wax swirl wax over plastic that's the leg up they need depth of trap full length of a 10 frame box rails frames sit on 10 mm stainless 306 round bar any frame can be moved with ease ie no hive tool needed. The 25 frames well 9 weeks all drawn out pluse if there is a good flow ya could have easy 40 to 50 pounds of honey. Standard 10 fram box is made for the human not the bee.😂 have a good one lads best to ya all for 2025.😂
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Thank you for sharing your years of experience and knowledge with us all. Was such a pleasure meeting you at the expo and will soak up the info. A ton of gold nuggets here, thank you Randy!
I catch 2 to 4 swarms from the Amish in the spring swarm season. Treatment free bees.
Great talk. I enjoy watching his videos and Mr.Eds I’ve learned a lot from watching them.
We like 'em!
How many years can a comb last before the cells are to small from layers of cocoons?
Talking about box sizes . I have always ran a deep an a medium brood setup. Well this year I
Have been switching out using medium an going also to double deep
Brood setup . Ya I have had the same problem with trying to do splits . I would never have the size frames I need to do splits . I got a bunch already switched out but not finished yet. Thanks Randy .
Great vid Thanks.
That's what we are here for!
I like to place my hives where they are in the shade in the afternoon. I'm in SE texas west of Houston, it gets hoootttt here. I use sniffer sheets for the most part for hive beatles. I make my swarm traps using a 10 frame deep and a ratty shallow or medium with a plywood bottom. When it catches I wait 2 weeks then move it to my yard as is. In another week or so I'll take that deep box and just put it on a bottom board, done.
It would be interesting to hear the reflections of somebody that does what randy does but in the north. In NJ my colonies in full sun out produce those in shade. Same with entrances facing south.
I appreciate the video and the sentiment.
I find it hard to talk seriously about reducing chemicals in the hive when also discussing decade old frames and the pesticides/fungicides that will be contained within that wax.
I have treated and untreated colonies, all from feral colonies then selected for desirable traits same as you.
I have noticed that feral bees seem to either die off or abscond occasionally now and what better place would there be for scout bees than prebuilt abandoned comb in a place that bees thought previously was a great location, this would make sense, 1 year to build up, 2nd year, large population, crash to high population of mites and low population of bees heading into winter. Leading to an empty nest next swarm season. This is how asian bees deal with tropilaelaps.
In nature queen bees are designed to move if and when they feel the need
Dr Derek Mitchell has been studying the fluid dynamics of air movement around the comb of feral colonies and hives for about a decade now if you are interested in how much better they are insulated than wooden boxes and how they maintain an environment that is less accommodating to varroa (Higher humidity)
Finally on comb orientation, i've heard it said that if bees have build north south and are removed and placed in an empty box they will draw north south again, independent of where the entrance is.
Cory Stevens treats his bees.
That's a pretty serious claim... Do you have proof?
In The North heat isn't the issue it is the cold when we get down to 0 Deg F bad things can happen. I keep insulation on all year round and my hives are in the sun and had no bearding last summer.
I have something interesting I am in the middle of New Hampshire and I got newbies last April set them up in a nice hive and put one deep with two supers had a queen excluder above the first super and I did not take very much honey this year because they are new just a couple frames and I set them up for winter wrap them put a candy board on top of the one soup that was full and the one curious thing I found was that I did not see not one drone , one thing I do that I found out was a spray my bees lightly in the summer and the fall with a mixture of sugar water with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar I don’t know if that had anything to do with it but supposedly this helps with viruses Not one drone cell all year 😮😮😮😮😮
You may come out better if you start renting out swarm traps boxes at a lot of those locations where you do a lot of cut outs . LOL
As long as there are negligent beekeepers within 3-5 miles, I am not satisfied that anyone can successfully -- and honestly -- keep bees without treatments.
I've been doing cutouts since the mid '60s. Until the advent of the Varroa mite, those feral colonies usually had absolutely black comb. Nowadays, I never see a feral colony with dark comb because the mite+virus load kills the colony long before it has time to develop dark comb. In my observation, feral colonies don't survive any better than neglected "managed" colonies.
You are entitled to your opinion! But the data does not support anecdote. We have very different understandings about mite-drift and the mythical Mite-Bomb theories these days.
@@sbgmimedia You're entitled to your opinion too. I'll stick with my decades of experience and methodical observations as bee inspector for southern Utah checking hundreds of colonies and scores of apiaries large and small every year absolutely confirms the Mite-Bomb phenomenon.
Nearby negligent beekeepers are out to kill your bees. And, you know it. Don't be like them.
Well JMHO If you treat you should bee all good to go, All you are really doing is keeping the numbers down just like we do, Even if every one treated you still would not get rid of the beetle and mite All we can do is keep the numbers down.
This sound like a get rid of the competition statement to me.
Not sure were you live but where i live and do cutouts there is all kinds of black com unless its a relatively new hive. I watched one hive for three years before they let me do the cutout3.5x14.5x10 feet comb all the way. every color you could imagine in a bee hive.
@@sbgmimedia "Mythical Mite-Bomb theories "? Mythical, seriously?
@@MinnesotaBeekeeper what's your theory?
Love to lissen to your voice! Say hi to your beautiful wife!
Almost as soothing as Bob Binnie!
Swarms don't care why mono culture all they have is us lol there are no trees left . The next best thing is our gear from a garden shed wall to your house 🏡. Traps I have used full sheets 30mm thick 24 x12 trap is made to edge full seal entrance has a guardian fitted landing board is inside 2 brackets a cutting boardneuropreen has pattern of holes so if a beetle gets in past guardian bees push them into holes picking lid is under jar has half ins of oil or dirt the one with shards or one can make a box .top left 25 fdf double Grove place one wax sheet on wire add plastic foundation clip in other side 5 to 6 table spoons of melted wax swirl wax over plastic that's the leg up they need depth of trap full length of a 10 frame box rails frames sit on 10 mm stainless 306 round bar any frame can be moved with ease ie no hive tool needed. The 25 frames well 9 weeks all drawn out pluse if there is a good flow ya could have easy 40 to 50 pounds of honey. Standard 10 fram box is made for the human not the bee.😂 have a good one lads best to ya all for 2025.😂