Thank you sir for taking the time to record, edit and upload this wonderful high-quality footage. Your passion, patience and professionalism are truly demonstrated through your videos.
Wow..Wow..Wow... The best filming of honeybee's i have ever seen. I've watched many honeybee video's being a hobby beekeeper . I have never seen anything close to the work you do, you Mr. Frederick Dunn are a true artist. Thank you for sharing..!
Such a great teaching video, the pace, the different things you are pointing out. Extremely helpful to this new bee keeper. Love seeing the bee in slow motion.
EXTRAordinary film! Thank you so much for producing these videos - it is beyond helpful to be able to observe this behavior up close, slow-mo, etc. and just gorgeous!
Thank you so much for this video. I am a 'new' beekeeper and it was fun to spot the drones and see the uncapped swarm cells. I also enjoyed seeing some of your bees crash land at the hive entrance... I thought it was only mine that did that when they were showing off to their sisters on arrival and got in a mess. Smiles.
Hi Noel, thank you so much and I'm glad you enjoyed this video :) Watching honey bees in slow motion will certainly fix any thoughts we may have about their flying and landing accuracy :) All fun all the time!
Thank you Frank! I don't know about "awards" but my honey bee sequences have been used in honey bee documentaries and will be featured next week at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center during Bee Week, a celebration of pollinators in the State of Pennsylvania. I'm also the guest speaker at a VIP breakfast that kicks off the week. I really enjoy making these videos for people just like you Frank!
Great filming and excellent lighting. Impressive! I kept waiting to see the queen emerge and the swarm take flight! This is a really good film for new beeks to see the different head structures between drones and workers.
Neal Aggarwal All of the music in this video is licensed from SmartSound Music at SmartSound.com.. Normally I write the song title in the description... maybe I forgot to do that on this one :(
Great video My dad and myself wanted to give nature a helping hand we are keepers with our second hive started,my advice to anyone wanting to start beekeeping!. Join a local club and do the classes theory and practicals.honestly you will feel swamped with information after the first few weeks. Gradually everything will make sense and the information will come flooding back. It's a fantastic way of helping nature and contrary to beliefs it's not as expensive as people make out. We are in the Uk and our bees are of the buck fast variety. I hope this information helps
This is an excellent video. I'm an aspiring beekeeper and I watch a lot of vids on here, trying to soak up as much advice and info as possible. This really is one of my favourites. Being able to just actually watch the bees, so close up and for such a sustained period, tells me more than most vids do. I like your sense of humour too. :)
+rossmcl177 Thank you, I'm so glad you find these helpful! So much of bee keeping is really observing and understanding what is really going on day to day and at times, moment by moment. The learning never ends and I'm happy to have contributed to your understanding :)
+Frederick Dunn Yep. Your final piece of advice on-screen: "Know your honeybees, what they are doing and when"- that really sums up my whole attitude towards beekeeping and how I want to approach it. I'd never really put it in words before but its nice to see it laid out so simply. Thanks again - and please make more vids like this. Its a great technique, to simply let us observe them with just a very few well-chosen comments of advice. Take care. x
MANY questions: 1) June, 81F ... middle of day? 2) Swarm cells were under inner cover? 3) Saw smoker ... did you just add supers? 4) Did you just new supers on top as bottom was full? 5) Was there a queen excluder? 6) How much longer would it have been before swarmed 7) Could you have wrapped a mesh around the hive and holed up over night?
+Mike Goodman 1- Yes, mid day, 2- no, under frames, 3- Pulled Drone Comb, replaced with drawn frames, 4 -no pulled honey and replaced existing frames, 5- I never use queen excluders, they slow things down far too much as some workers can't get through it, 6- within a day, 7- I would never restrict movement in or out of the hive unless in transit.
I look forward to the new videos, sooo I'm subscribing. I really appreciate you pointing out the details and differences illustrating their intentions. I also can appreciate the time and effort you go through with a slow ISP. I have a 1Mbps upload speed, but I'm not currently displaying the patience with that that you do. Only once in a while do I post a video purposely at high resolution.
+southernexposure123 yep... dsl... ultra slow and when my neighbors get to streaming something after supper? Forget it... country living has it's drawbacks, but I'll take it! :) thanks for subbing!
I'm countryfied, too and started with dsl. I used that over a year, then discovered cable. Recently they upgraded to fiber optic and i can get 50 Mbps download. I was excited until I asked and found the upload speed is still 1Mbps. Maybe I need to grow some patience and work more on the logistics of uploading. ((-:
Excellent video. I love all the shots of the bees. It’s so amazing learning so much about their behavior. Good thing the drones aren’t capable of critical thinking or they might start to wonder if mating with the queen is so great why does no drone ever comes back after 😂
If the drone mates with the queen (and multiple drones should mate with her in a drone congregation area), the drone's genitilia become detached in the queen and the drone drops out of the sky and dies. That is why they never come back!
You know Fredrick, I'm a sincere creature to. My older sis and I had a lengthy conversation about the emotional effects of Trolls and Cyber Bullying just yesterday. She had to define Troll to me, should know that at my age lol... Anyway I notice you have a few and find it hard to believe since tending bees seems to almost seed the heart with a spiritual feeling. I've never felt closer to believing in God, and I'm not even religious. Bees are not something anyone at all has the right to criticize; it's purely unique as is a painter to their style and subject matter. I relish in these personal perceptions and so should everyone. I also worked as a set carp for a summer and know exactly what 'the golden hour' means to any director. The most coveted and expensive hour in the film business. Only a truly committed artist would go to the extra effort to make their bees even more beautiful then they already are. I hope to see more of films in the future, it had a great impact! Have a great day :)
Nichol Alexander I don't even know what to say... (';') ( ';')... I'm going to make a cappuccino and read this again. In the morning sun while I listen to birds singing and bees humming over flower blossoms... wow... you are walking a profound path of awareness.
I was reading that sugar syrup and water isn't great for the honey bees digestive system and gives them diarrhea. It's this true? It's it better to just give them pure honey or honey water mix? I know there's digestive health additives but after doing the math pure honey per serving mixed with water seems to cost nearly the same. What do y'all think?
Only an issue during winter. If the bees can get out and fly, sugar/water syrup is perfectly fine. It's the water content that causes the dysentery in winter if it's too cold for them to fly.
AMAZING video. FRED I have an important question for you. I live in the NE and am considering wrapping my hives for the first time. By wrapping the hives would I be keeping the bees warmer and promote a looser cluster all winter, encouraging them eating more reserves-or is it the opposite? By not wrapping, and allowing the bees experience a cooler environment and cluster tighter-do they go through more food stores this way?
Hi Dave, the short answer is that it's normally the elder workers that make the decisions as they stop feeding the queen and begin to chase her around the colony while at the same time constructing new queen cells. When the Queen flies out with her swarm, it is composed of foragers, guards, drones, and older colony members. There is a book I highly recommend that is titled "The Honeybee Democracy" and in that text, you will find more detailed answers based on thousands of hours of observation. Thanks for watching :)
This is beautiful. And the music is great!! This makes me appreciate how nice nature, and it's surprises can be. But the one who made it, is the one I should thank....
FANTASTIC macro videography.....depth of field, pan, zoom, rail,lighting, etc Love to have seen a vid of the shoot...lol Very very professional !!! what equipment was used
Michael Kisil At times I do think it would be fun to show the rigs I use for these video shorts. I have a 39" slider, but rarely use it. The macro/micro close ups were with a Nikon D4s body and the 105mm Nikkor Macro lens. When the shot is moving or panning, I was using the Sony AX-100B. You obviously have an understanding of how things are done, very nice to get a compliment from you about the video work! Thanks!
Awesome video my friend....I believe it would be wonderful, inspiring and educational to shoot a vid of a "shoot"... so others can improve there vid techniques. Especially school children...and other bee keepers...(less bad vid I would have to watch, lol) Thanks for the equipment info.....Just Natural light? w/o Umbrella or reflective board ? WOW nice!
Michael Kisil That's correct, I use natural light whenever possible and I select early morning or often the golden-hour before sunset if I have the option. I do have bi-color led panels but prefer not to use them if not absolutely necessary. These sequences were natural light.
Just out of curiosity when a hive swarms it's really just a divide in the colony. So if a hive does swarm how likely would it be for the remaining bees to repopulate and bring the hive back to full strength again?
I have entrance reducers on all of my hives. Bees do better with smaller entrances, they can protect themselves, and handle cold better, and can build up just fine with a 3/8" high by 3" wide entrance. Even in the deep south, large cavities of feral bees manage with very VERY small entrances.
I am insanely scared of bees, althought I do have a tremendous respect for them, and this videos, is the first one I watch and feel actually calm and peaceful as I watch, thank you for that
Hi Gregory, I did a test in the past and used that hook to secure some hardware cloth intended to deter raids by eliminating the direct fly-path to the entrance. I'm just lazy and haven't removed the brass hook.
HI Pamela, wash boarding is just that, they line up and run their tongues over the surfaces, particularly around the landing board. When preparing to swarm, they aren't doing any house cleaning at all and they are departing the hive in a hurry.
Frederick Dunn Thank you! I didn't realize they are actually cleaning during wash boarding. The term makes a lot more sense now that I know that. I'm getting my first nuc in the next week. Just waiting for delivery! I spent all fall, winter and much of spring now learning all I possibly can prior to my bees arriving. I still have much to learn but it will be exciting.
Not as a stand alone behavior, they seem to lick just about everything, even dead and dying drones as they are being evicted. I would like to know more about what their tongues are leaving behind while they "tongue scrub" their environment. Apologies for not responding to this earlier, somehow slipped through the cracks.
The Queen Mating does not happen in or with a swarm. A newly hatched queen will fly out from the hive attended by a handful of workers and will mate with drones in the area, not those from her own colony generally. However, in order for hives to reproduce as a super organism, swarming sends their genetics out into the environment by establishing a new colony with the old queen AND they spread their genetics by sending drones out from the colony without a new queen and without swarming. This video is simply intended to show the behavior of a swarm if they lose track of the departing queen.
this was great were u able to stop them or did u lose your bees thanks and have a wonderful day. did u do a video of swarm management not splits but how to stop your colony from swarming thanks
Hi Frances, yes, I was able to stop the swarm. Also Yes, I have several videos/methods for controlling swarm behavior. My most recent was stopping a late season swarm, here it is for your viewing pleasure : ruclips.net/video/wyBCCQRu7bQ/видео.html I also stop swarms by removing the departing queen, the workers then all return to the original hive/colony.
Frederick Dunn thanks , just sugar water and/or pollen patty I caught them 1 day before a nice rain event in California so they haven’t been able to forage. They have sugar water right now. Thanks for responding
Hi Fredrick! Hope your having a great season, whichever one your in? It's a very snowy and tiring winter where I am and your video caught my eye again as I pray for warmth to visit. I listened to an audio book recently that made me think of all the beekeepers that have inspired me along the way, including you, so thought I'd leave a mention and recommendation. It's called The Bees by Laline Paul. Was so amazing I wish I could send it to everyone I can think of. Not sure if audio books appeal but it was a great way to pass time during a dull painting project :) Anyway, take care and hope your well. Best, Nichol
Thank you so much, I have a hard bound copy of that book right here next to me! The Bees by Laline Paull "Accept Obey Serve" :) indeed a wonderful book! Thank you for posting!
Thanks for a super video. So the way you saved the swarm was by increasing their hive size? Is there anything else needed? I'd just like to know because they still had all those drone cells and the queen cell in the making.
Hi Jason, remember I removed the queen from the swarm. It's normal for a swarm to happen a day or so before the queen cells hatch. I took the swarm queen out and made a split with her, moving brood to another hive while allowing the bulk of the workers to return to the originating hive. The number of drone cells really doesn't matter as they tend to mate with queens from other colonies.
Try to catch the Queen.... if you have her, they won't go anywhere... make sure you are catching the old (swarming) queen, not the new one and make sure there is new brood to replace her if something happens....
Amazing close up shots, great video. I am a beginner, this is one of the most informative and beautiful videos I have seen. Thanks so much. I also like your concluding thought.."keep your smokers cool". maybe you have some tips ..Mine seems to get really hot.
Hi Mani! Thank you so much for that comment and I'm so glad you enjoyed this video. When it comes to smokers, just puff it enough to keep it smoldering and just a few gentle puffs into the hive is all that's needed. If you keep working the bellows, it gets very hot much like a tiny blast furnace. I hope that helps :)
Depending on colony strength and numbers, I reduce or open the reducer altogether. A small colony cannot defend itself with a wide open entrance and the hives have upper vents to help with interior cooling and dehumidification. Larger stronger colonies do get opened up all the way. Or if there appears to be a traffic jam at the entrance.
That's a great video. I'm someone who would love to keep a bee hive, so I spend quite a lot of time watching videos and reading books etc. You videos are one of the most useful sources. Always informative but also entertaining to watch. Thanks for doing them. My problem is that I live in a flat, with no garden or balcony! So nowhere to site a hive. I've joined my local beekeepers club, and I often attend the meetings etc. and I feel like I'm 'ready' to begin, but its probably not going to happen. At least not for a while. But still very interesting to watch your vids..:)
Never say never, talk to one of your bee club members and ask if you can place a hive or two on his property. You could offer to trade some hours of work as payment.
+jojo2be1 A new queen makes her virgin flight... the drones from her own colony may mate with her, but likely also drones from surrounding colonies will also mate with her. Each drone that gets access to her on that flight (one day), dies after a single mating. Then she returns to her colony/hive and never mates again... she has with her, several years of fertile eggs.
true..... but those drones may head out and mate with a queen of another colony... remember that a drone can be made in the absence of a queen... workers can lay drone eggs in the absence of a queen.
Frederick Dunn Thanks, you may know this I don't know but them chewing that wood is a very good hygienic sign, probably a little AFB mixed in not that that's a bad thing in my opinion, long as it's just in their genes as a good trait and not all out. If you would like to know more about this, you can look up Purdue Anklebiters and how they came to be... First bees selected to start them Chewed Wood !
Thank you Marjie, depending on which sequence you are referencing here, it may be the Sony AX100b, or a D4s with the 105mm Nikkor Micro/Macro Lens. I'll have to check out some of your videos! :)
Thank you! I can't say for certain which camera I was using for this series of sequences, but it may have been my Sony AX-100B.... that's what I grab when I really don't have time to do a proper setup.
I was hoping to see the queen emerge and was hoping to see how the swarm was interrupted. I think the video was more about how good your camera and the resolution of the bees which fabulous but it took a lot of time to watch and I didn't get what I wanted from the video - seeing how you interrupted the swarm? I did learn the difference between bees bearding and frenzied bearding bees. Also the predominance of drones when they are about to swarm. Glad I watched it but it could have been a much shorter video - perhaps 2 minutes max to show the quality of your filming and cut to the chase since people like me don't have a lot of time these days.
Super video. The entrance near the beginning seemed very small for the size of colony which was probably over heated on an 81 degree day In full sun.? From the bird call near the beginning, take it you're not in UK? Nice photography. I wish I had your skill !
Hi Clarksonbarry, there are other vents on the hives and I watch the entrances for traffic jams or bearding outside. I do remove the entrance reducers as conditions dictate. Thanks for your comments and observations.
Thank you sir for taking the time to record, edit and upload this wonderful high-quality footage. Your passion, patience and professionalism are truly demonstrated through your videos.
+lucman22aa and people like YOU are exactly why I do it.. thank you for that comment!
Wow..Wow..Wow... The best filming of honeybee's i have ever seen. I've watched many honeybee video's being a hobby beekeeper . I have never seen anything close to the work you do, you Mr. Frederick Dunn are a true artist. Thank you for sharing..!
Wow, thank you!
@@FrederickDunn You are most welcome.....
Really good to see the different behaviors. The music really fit the film too.
I've watched many bee tutorials THIS is the most magnificent! Thank you for sharing the beauty of bees.
Thank you Michelle, that is a wonderful comment! You've just made my day :)
Out standing observation, and a true masterpiece-video clip! I keep coming back to enjoying the music and watching these majestic insects.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate that you cared enough to comment :)
Such a great teaching video, the pace, the different things you are pointing out. Extremely helpful to this new bee keeper. Love seeing the bee in slow motion.
Thank you Mia... comments like yours are very meaningful. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts and appreciation. :)
EXTRAordinary film! Thank you so much for producing these videos - it is beyond helpful to be able to observe this behavior up close, slow-mo, etc. and just gorgeous!
Thank you so much Julia!
Wow. That was absolutely mesmerising. Thank you so much for taking the time to make such a wonderful short film. Well done, very well done.⚘
Hi Bev, thank you so much for such a wonderful compliment! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you so much for this video. I am a 'new' beekeeper and it was fun to spot the drones and see the uncapped swarm cells. I also enjoyed seeing some of your bees crash land at the hive entrance... I thought it was only mine that did that when they were showing off to their sisters on arrival and got in a mess. Smiles.
Hi Noel, thank you so much and I'm glad you enjoyed this video :) Watching honey bees in slow motion will certainly fix any thoughts we may have about their flying and landing accuracy :) All fun all the time!
Thank you for teaching their habits. The more I learn about them the less I fear them. Bravo for a great documentary!
Thank you so much John!
Honey Bees & Bumble Bees 🐝🐝🐝 are the cutest bugs in the world,
their eyes look like Cats & they have fur! 😻💛🧡🖤
Definitely much cuter than wasps.
Your filming deserves awards
for sure...enter it
Thank you Frank! I don't know about "awards" but my honey bee sequences have been used in honey bee documentaries and will be featured next week at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center during Bee Week, a celebration of pollinators in the State of Pennsylvania. I'm also the guest speaker at a VIP breakfast that kicks off the week. I really enjoy making these videos for people just like you Frank!
Thanks Michael... if only National G. would hire me ;)
they should !!
this was as good as anything I have seen on @NatGeo !!! thanks and good luck!!
Great filming and excellent lighting. Impressive! I kept waiting to see the queen emerge and the swarm take flight! This is a really good film for new beeks to see the different head structures between drones and workers.
Thank you Nancy, very kind of you to say! :)
Thank you for this. Made my day. You are a poet capturing the poetry around us. Wonderful photography and music.
Thank you Neal.. what a great comment! :)
Do you mind sharing with us what the title of the music is so we can search for more of the same?
Neal Aggarwal All of the music in this video is licensed from SmartSound Music at SmartSound.com.. Normally I write the song title in the description... maybe I forgot to do that on this one :(
Beautiful photography set to soothing music. What a wonderful job you've done!! This is an impressive work and thank you for sharing it.
Hi Denton! Thank you so much for your comment, so glad you enjoyed it and liked the quality.
Great video
My dad and myself wanted to give nature a helping hand we are keepers with our second hive started,my advice to anyone wanting to start beekeeping!.
Join a local club and do the classes theory and practicals.honestly you will feel swamped with information after the first few weeks.
Gradually everything will make sense and the information will come flooding back.
It's a fantastic way of helping nature and contrary to beliefs it's not as expensive as people make out.
We are in the Uk and our bees are of the buck fast variety.
I hope this information helps
Wishing you continued success and learning with your honey bees... Buckfast bees are an excellent choice...
Your video footage is the best! Thank you for this! Beautiful.
Thank you. That was wonderful (and informative). I am just starting. I have empty hives on my deck. Bees seem to be interested in them.
A delicious taste of nature. Beautifully shot, awesome sound track. Thanks for 14+ minutes of the real world.
+desktop4000 Thank you so much for sharing your appreciation! Have a great day!
This is an excellent video. I'm an aspiring beekeeper and I watch a lot of vids on here, trying to soak up as much advice and info as possible. This really is one of my favourites. Being able to just actually watch the bees, so close up and for such a sustained period, tells me more than most vids do. I like your sense of humour too. :)
+rossmcl177 Thank you, I'm so glad you find these helpful! So much of bee keeping is really observing and understanding what is really going on day to day and at times, moment by moment. The learning never ends and I'm happy to have contributed to your understanding :)
+Frederick Dunn Yep. Your final piece of advice on-screen: "Know your honeybees, what they are doing and when"- that really sums up my whole attitude towards beekeeping and how I want to approach it. I'd never really put it in words before but its nice to see it laid out so simply. Thanks again - and please make more vids like this. Its a great technique, to simply let us observe them with just a very few well-chosen comments of advice. Take care. x
MANY questions:
1) June, 81F ... middle of day?
2) Swarm cells were under inner cover?
3) Saw smoker ... did you just add supers?
4) Did you just new supers on top as bottom was full?
5) Was there a queen excluder?
6) How much longer would it have been before swarmed
7) Could you have wrapped a mesh around the hive and holed up over night?
+Mike Goodman 1- Yes, mid day, 2- no, under frames, 3- Pulled Drone Comb, replaced with drawn frames, 4 -no pulled honey and replaced existing frames, 5- I never use queen excluders, they slow things down far too much as some workers can't get through it, 6- within a day, 7- I would never restrict movement in or out of the hive unless in transit.
Thanks for the video and the description. That's real high quality video.
I'll be watching more.
+southernexposure123 Very much appreciated... thank YOU!
I look forward to the new videos, sooo I'm subscribing. I really appreciate you pointing out the details and differences illustrating their intentions.
I also can appreciate the time and effort you go through with a slow ISP. I have a 1Mbps upload speed, but I'm not currently displaying the patience with that that you do. Only once in a while do I post a video purposely at high resolution.
+southernexposure123 yep... dsl... ultra slow and when my neighbors get to streaming something after supper? Forget it... country living has it's drawbacks, but I'll take it! :) thanks for subbing!
I'm countryfied, too and started with dsl. I used that over a year, then discovered cable. Recently they upgraded to fiber optic and i can get 50 Mbps download. I was excited until I asked and found the upload speed is still 1Mbps.
Maybe I need to grow some patience and work more on the logistics of uploading. ((-:
Excellent video. I love all the shots of the bees. It’s so amazing learning so much about their behavior.
Good thing the drones aren’t capable of critical thinking or they might start to wonder if mating with the queen is so great why does no drone ever comes back after 😂
If the drone mates with the queen (and multiple drones should mate with her in a drone congregation area), the drone's genitilia become detached in the queen and the drone drops out of the sky and dies. That is why they never come back!
willworthington 😂 I know why they don’t come back. I was saying it’s a good thing the drones don’t know why they don’t come back
Gorgeous film, made me feel like a little kid exploring nature! Love the music, the colors and descriptions; learned a lot and felt good :) Thanks
Wow.. thank you Nichol, comments like yours are very encouraging and much appreciated! :)
You know Fredrick, I'm a sincere creature to. My older sis and I had a lengthy conversation about the emotional effects of Trolls and Cyber Bullying just yesterday. She had to define Troll to me, should know that at my age lol... Anyway I notice you have a few and find it hard to believe since tending bees seems to almost seed the heart with a spiritual feeling. I've never felt closer to believing in God, and I'm not even religious. Bees are not something anyone at all has the right to criticize; it's purely unique as is a painter to their style and subject matter. I relish in these personal perceptions and so should everyone. I also worked as a set carp for a summer and know exactly what 'the golden hour' means to any director. The most coveted and expensive hour in the film business. Only a truly committed artist would go to the extra effort to make their bees even more beautiful then they already are. I hope to see more of films in the future, it had a great impact! Have a great day :)
Nichol Alexander I don't even know what to say... (';') ( ';')... I'm going to make a cappuccino and read this again. In the morning sun while I listen to birds singing and bees humming over flower blossoms... wow... you are walking a profound path of awareness.
Stunning to watch! But I think that drones are more important than mentioned here. We have to be humble.
That camera/lenses is amazing! I see the difference very clearly between drones and workers
I'm so glad you enjoyed it :)
Well done sir! A pleasure to watch.
+bobsskiff Thank you so much.. I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)
I was reading that sugar syrup and water isn't great for the honey bees digestive system and gives them diarrhea. It's this true? It's it better to just give them pure honey or honey water mix? I know there's digestive health additives but after doing the math pure honey per serving mixed with water seems to cost nearly the same. What do y'all think?
Only an issue during winter. If the bees can get out and fly, sugar/water syrup is perfectly fine. It's the water content that causes the dysentery in winter if it's too cold for them to fly.
Frederick i really like your videos they are awesome! Great info!
Thank you so much!
AMAZING video.
FRED I have an important question for you. I live in the NE and am considering wrapping my hives for the first time. By wrapping the hives would I be keeping the bees warmer and promote a looser cluster all winter, encouraging them eating more reserves-or is it the opposite? By not wrapping, and allowing the bees experience a cooler environment and cluster tighter-do they go through more food stores this way?
Brad, I think you really like those issues that beekeepers endlessly polarize over. :) I think I'll talk about hive wrapping on Friday. :)
It could be looked at that way but I see it as a passion to learn. I won’t learn without asking questions.
How do they decide who goes and who stays
Hi Dave, the short answer is that it's normally the elder workers that make the decisions as they stop feeding the queen and begin to chase her around the colony while at the same time constructing new queen cells. When the Queen flies out with her swarm, it is composed of foragers, guards, drones, and older colony members. There is a book I highly recommend that is titled "The Honeybee Democracy" and in that text, you will find more detailed answers based on thousands of hours of observation. Thanks for watching :)
Frederick Dunn Thanks for the answer.
Anytime :)
You're welcome Dave!
Just watched this. I really enjoyed it. It was so peaceful.
Thank you so much :)
The most peaceful video I've seen in a very long time. I keep bees. I miss them. It's cold and I can't open them.
Thank you for this amazing video.
Thank you for taking time to comment and I'm so glad you enjoyed this during the colder months.
when i was a child in the 60s the bees swarmed like crazy now not so much i feed them like crazy i love bees
+mike smith How are you feeding the bees? By providing plants for nectar and pollen? Please share more... :)
This is beautiful. And the music is great!! This makes me appreciate how nice nature, and it's surprises can be. But the one who made it, is the one I should thank....
Thank you! And you're so very right... we are just observers.
FANTASTIC macro videography.....depth of field, pan, zoom, rail,lighting, etc Love to have seen a vid of the shoot...lol Very very professional !!! what equipment was used
Michael Kisil At times I do think it would be fun to show the rigs I use for these video shorts. I have a 39" slider, but rarely use it. The macro/micro close ups were with a Nikon D4s body and the 105mm Nikkor Macro lens. When the shot is moving or panning, I was using the Sony AX-100B. You obviously have an understanding of how things are done, very nice to get a compliment from you about the video work! Thanks!
Awesome video my friend....I believe it would be wonderful, inspiring and educational to shoot a vid of a "shoot"... so others can improve there vid techniques. Especially school children...and other bee keepers...(less bad vid I would have to watch, lol)
Thanks for the equipment info.....Just Natural light? w/o Umbrella or reflective board ? WOW nice!
Michael Kisil That's correct, I use natural light whenever possible and I select early morning or often the golden-hour before sunset if I have the option. I do have bi-color led panels but prefer not to use them if not absolutely necessary. These sequences were natural light.
Just out of curiosity when a hive swarms it's really just a divide in the colony. So if a hive does swarm how likely would it be for the remaining bees to repopulate and bring the hive back to full strength again?
They do return to full strenth, it just takes a couple of months depending upon resources and time of year.
Are they festooning at 5:25?
Nice video, curious as to why you have an entrance reducer on that hive though?
I have entrance reducers on all of my hives. Bees do better with smaller entrances, they can protect themselves, and handle cold better, and can build up just fine with a 3/8" high by 3" wide entrance. Even in the deep south, large cavities of feral bees manage with very VERY small entrances.
I am insanely scared of bees, althought I do have a tremendous respect for them, and this videos, is the first one I watch and feel actually calm and peaceful as I watch, thank you for that
Yep thought there were swarm cells nice thoe are few queen cells to raise that would be are lovely hive split this one🐝🐝🐝
nice close up shots, appreciate such a good quality. Could be a documentary. Thanks for sharing.
+zigero1 Than you so much! I really appreciate your comment! You're welcome...
Watched this again and had the same reaction as before, Wow 😳 😯!
Amazing footage, love the music! Thank you for a spectacular video!
Thank you too!
A masterpiece of education and art. I miss the beautiful format. What's the purpose of the hook on the edge of the landing board at 12:47?
Hi Gregory, I did a test in the past and used that hook to secure some hardware cloth intended to deter raids by eliminating the direct fly-path to the entrance. I'm just lazy and haven't removed the brass hook.
This is simply incredible footage. WOW!
Thank you so much, I'm glad you were pleased :)
Excellent video. Pleasure to watch.
Thank you so much Wave Rider! :)
Curious... How can you tell they are getting ready to swarm versus wash boarding?
HI Pamela, wash boarding is just that, they line up and run their tongues over the surfaces, particularly around the landing board. When preparing to swarm, they aren't doing any house cleaning at all and they are departing the hive in a hurry.
Frederick Dunn Thank you! I didn't realize they are actually cleaning during wash boarding. The term makes a lot more sense now that I know that. I'm getting my first nuc in the next week. Just waiting for delivery! I spent all fall, winter and much of spring now learning all I possibly can prior to my bees arriving. I still have much to learn but it will be exciting.
I hope everything goes well for you Pamela and glad to have helped with your understanding.
I see it's been a year Pamela, how are your bees doing? Just another bee enthusiast gathering inof.
Congratulations! Felicitari from Romania! I am also beekeeper. Your film is amazing!
Thank you very much!
"actors are paid with sugar water" love it!
so wash boarding is a sign to a upcoming swarm?
Not as a stand alone behavior, they seem to lick just about everything, even dead and dying drones as they are being evicted. I would like to know more about what their tongues are leaving behind while they "tongue scrub" their environment. Apologies for not responding to this earlier, somehow slipped through the cracks.
great footage! One of our top favorites on this topic. Well done. We like the music too. Great choice.
Thank you! Nice to get a comment like yours... :)
Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge
You're very welcome Dave... thank you for taking the time to watch and post! :)
So how does the queen mate with drones unless swarming takes place?
The Queen Mating does not happen in or with a swarm. A newly hatched queen will fly out from the hive attended by a handful of workers and will mate with drones in the area, not those from her own colony generally. However, in order for hives to reproduce as a super organism, swarming sends their genetics out into the environment by establishing a new colony with the old queen AND they spread their genetics by sending drones out from the colony without a new queen and without swarming. This video is simply intended to show the behavior of a swarm if they lose track of the departing queen.
Ah yes I had heard that but I forgot. Thanks for clearing up a puzzle.
Michael McNeil You're very welcome Michael!
"Know your Bees" I am having the Best time watching them! Thanks for your Helpful input! I think BEES Built the Pyramids. lol
this was great were u able to stop them or did u lose your bees thanks and have a wonderful day. did u do a video of swarm management not splits but how to stop your colony from swarming thanks
Hi Frances, yes, I was able to stop the swarm. Also Yes, I have several videos/methods for controlling swarm behavior. My most recent was stopping a late season swarm, here it is for your viewing pleasure : ruclips.net/video/wyBCCQRu7bQ/видео.html I also stop swarms by removing the departing queen, the workers then all return to the original hive/colony.
thank u are great
Great work on the video . I enjoyed it.
Thank you so much Dewey!
there are a lot of videos about swarms but what do you do when your hive does swarm? and if you catch one . do you feed them ?
If you catch a swarm, you hive it and yes, you feed it. They need lots of resources to start again.
Frederick Dunn thanks , just sugar water and/or pollen patty I caught them 1 day before a nice rain event in California so they haven’t been able to forage. They have sugar water right now. Thanks for responding
Yep the 1 to 1 sugar water mix will help them start comb construction and of course provide energy to remain warm. Good Job! :)
Hi Fredrick! Hope your having a great season, whichever one your in? It's a very snowy and tiring winter where I am and your video caught my eye again as I pray for warmth to visit. I listened to an audio book recently that made me think of all the beekeepers that have inspired me along the way, including you, so thought I'd leave a mention and recommendation. It's called The Bees by Laline Paul. Was so amazing I wish I could send it to everyone I can think of. Not sure if audio books appeal but it was a great way to pass time during a dull painting project :) Anyway, take care and hope your well. Best, Nichol
Thank you so much, I have a hard bound copy of that book right here next to me! The Bees by Laline Paull "Accept Obey Serve" :) indeed a wonderful book! Thank you for posting!
Blessed be thy womb heehee... Or should I say your Droness :)
Amazing photography
Thanks a lot 😊
Thanks for a super video. So the way you saved the swarm was by increasing their hive size? Is there anything else needed? I'd just like to know because they still had all those drone cells and the queen cell in the making.
Hi Jason, remember I removed the queen from the swarm. It's normal for a swarm to happen a day or so before the queen cells hatch. I took the swarm queen out and made a split with her, moving brood to another hive while allowing the bulk of the workers to return to the originating hive. The number of drone cells really doesn't matter as they tend to mate with queens from other colonies.
Oh my goodness that was so incredibly peaceful...do it again please😎
Thank you so much Frank, I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)
My bees are about to swarm and I don't have extra boxes what should I do
Try to catch the Queen.... if you have her, they won't go anywhere... make sure you are catching the old (swarming) queen, not the new one and make sure there is new brood to replace her if something happens....
Thank you very much for the show
You're welcome Larry... glad you enjoyed it!
Amazing close up shots, great video. I am a beginner, this is one of the most informative and beautiful videos I have seen. Thanks so much. I also like your concluding thought.."keep your smokers cool". maybe you have some tips ..Mine seems to get really hot.
Hi Mani! Thank you so much for that comment and I'm so glad you enjoyed this video. When it comes to smokers, just puff it enough to keep it smoldering and just a few gentle puffs into the hive is all that's needed. If you keep working the bellows, it gets very hot much like a tiny blast furnace. I hope that helps :)
Why a reducer at that temperature?
Depending on colony strength and numbers, I reduce or open the reducer altogether. A small colony cannot defend itself with a wide open entrance and the hives have upper vents to help with interior cooling and dehumidification. Larger stronger colonies do get opened up all the way. Or if there appears to be a traffic jam at the entrance.
Thanks.
welcome
Amazing video footage. Really close up and clear.
+SiCoope Thanks... I try to make them visually appealing... :)
Fascinating! Well done!
Thank you so much Jerry!
That's a great video. I'm someone who would love to keep a bee hive, so I spend quite a lot of time watching videos and reading books etc. You videos are one of the most useful sources. Always informative but also entertaining to watch. Thanks for doing them. My problem is that I live in a flat, with no garden or balcony! So nowhere to site a hive. I've joined my local beekeepers club, and I often attend the meetings etc. and I feel like I'm 'ready' to begin, but its probably not going to happen. At least not for a while. But still very interesting to watch your vids..:)
Hi Ross, I'm sorry I missed your comment! Thank you very very much!
Never say never, talk to one of your bee club members and ask if you can place a hive or two on his property. You could offer to trade some hours of work as payment.
What is the music?
SmartSound Music Corp... custom cut.
Beautiful videography, Frederick! What part of the country are you in?
+LongBinh70 Thanks a lot... so glad you enjoyed it! Northeastern US...
wait so do drones mate with the queen of their colony once or more then once?
like how often do drones mate with the queen?
+jojo2be1 A new queen makes her virgin flight... the drones from her own colony may mate with her, but likely also drones from surrounding colonies will also mate with her. Each drone that gets access to her on that flight (one day), dies after a single mating. Then she returns to her colony/hive and never mates again... she has with her, several years of fertile eggs.
+Frederick Dunn wow never mates again...so the drones that they raise is just in case they have to raise a new queen then...thats very proactive
true..... but those drones may head out and mate with a queen of another colony... remember that a drone can be made in the absence of a queen... workers can lay drone eggs in the absence of a queen.
+Frederick Dunn oh right yes I read that..its just amazing how such small creatures have an amazing amount of order and organization in their colony
I've seen the video that shows mating in flight, so amazing to witness .
SELL ME A QUEEN OFF THESE BEES! FOR REAL, NOT KIDDING
I don't sell bees, BUT, you can get your own from this line at BeeWeaver ! In Texas.
Frederick Dunn Thanks, you may know this I don't know but them chewing that wood is a very good hygienic sign, probably a little AFB mixed in not that that's a bad thing in my opinion, long as it's just in their genes as a good trait and not all out. If you would like to know more about this, you can look up Purdue Anklebiters and how they came to be... First bees selected to start them Chewed Wood !
Anyone knows 100% capped honey price per kg in USA or your own region?
The Department of Agriculture posts those current prices.
Excellent job with the video! What kind of camera did you use? I am a novice bee keeper and also do video and editing.
Thank you Marjie, depending on which sequence you are referencing here, it may be the Sony AX100b, or a D4s with the 105mm Nikkor Micro/Macro Lens. I'll have to check out some of your videos! :)
Excellent video.
Thank you very much!
very good music choice with the editing and everything else.
+MsTokies Thank you very much! I'm so glad you appreciate it and took the time to comment! :)
That was very nice music indeed. And i wanted to know what the music was called?
It's a custom arrangement licensed through Smart Sound Music.
Ok, but still thanks.
You're welcome :)
Love the song playing
Thank you so much Brett!
Beautiful filming, amazing thanks
what music is this?
SmartSound Custom tracks
You've created wonderful suspense.
Thank you so much! :)
Actor are paid with sugar water...lol
I'm generous like that.
@@FrederickDunn i mean you mentioned those bees are the actor??
@@satriahadjobaru2718 I just have a strange sense of humor, they are not actors :)
Uteraly fascinating
Thank you Jane!
Why do they want to swarm out to other place? This is good video.
It's just how honey bee colonies reproduce and make more colonies.
A brilliant video. Really lovely, I keep watching it. Music outstanding. What is it called?
Thank you Bill! The music is licensed through SmartSound Music, It's titled The Return Lightly. Sorry I didn't see your post earlier.
Really great camera work.
Thank you so much! I love comments like this :)
LOVE IT!! Thank you so very much.
EXTRAORDINARY PRESENTATION
THANK YOU
Photography is Beautiful.
Thank you! :)
Beautiful video.
Thank you!
excellent film work! perfect music choice! what kinda camera you shooting with?this made want my own bees
Thank you! I can't say for certain which camera I was using for this series of sequences, but it may have been my Sony AX-100B.... that's what I grab when I really don't have time to do a proper setup.
Love your videos! What is the music?
I do custom tracks through SmartSound Music. You can select instruments, mood, it's highly customizable .
It was beautiful music.
great video... relaxing
Thank you Doug... so glad you enjoyed it!
Great video. Thank you
+Lauren Tindall You're welcome... thank you for enjoying it!
A work of art!
I was hoping to see the queen emerge and was hoping to see how the swarm was interrupted. I think the video was more about how good your camera and the resolution of the bees which fabulous but it took a lot of time to watch and I didn't get what I wanted from the video - seeing how you interrupted the swarm? I did learn the difference between bees bearding and frenzied bearding bees. Also the predominance of drones when they are about to swarm. Glad I watched it but it could have been a much shorter video - perhaps 2 minutes max to show the quality of your filming and cut to the chase since people like me don't have a lot of time these days.
Apologies, I'm glad you did get something out of it.
1:22 " omg omg, tasty liquid!!" lol
Thanks to you i learn quite a lot about bees
timothy chan thank you!
Very interesting video. Would have better if it was narrated. I enjoyed it though. 😉
Thank you Douglas, I do try to narrate most of my current videos.
So exciting! Very educational. Thank uuuuuuu as always 👍👍👍🙌🙌🙏🙏🙏
Thank you Stephanie, I'm so glad you enjoyed this! :)
Super video.
The entrance near the beginning seemed very small for the size of colony which was probably over heated on an 81 degree day
In full sun.?
From the bird call near the beginning, take it you're not in UK?
Nice photography. I wish I had your skill !
Hi Clarksonbarry, there are other vents on the hives and I watch the entrances for traffic jams or bearding outside. I do remove the entrance reducers as conditions dictate. Thanks for your comments and observations.
great vid
+dave lastman Thank you!