Pollen patties not recommended in Winter, All they use pollen for is brooding up, if there wasn't any in there at all maybe a tad of a patty would be good, otherwise make you a dry pollen sub feeder, gives them something to do on warm days, and they'll store it up for Spring, they won't brood much till the Red Maple comes in, but they can't produce worker jelly with only one kind of pollen, takes several to get the 10 amino acids required.
I mostly agree Brian but as you saw the hives are very, very, VERY weak. I am trying to brood up those boxes in a big way. I think I had a couple of late season swarms while I was at work and those two hives are virtually empty. Just three weeks ago they were slammed with bees and now I have a queen and a couple of bees in each one. Anyway, thanks for coming by to have a look and comment. It's always good to hear from you. Take care.
@@BugFarmerBees My biggest hive collapsed, made me 100 lbs of honey, The queen was marked green, I was hoping she'd make it to graft from next year. I think she just didn't make enough Winter bees, and they dwindled away, mites. Looks like your hive may be dwindling away from mites, maybe. I had treated with Apiguard and OAV. I'm going to requeen earlier from now on, she had 7-8 frames of capped brood in October.
Were you really bare handling Amitraz strips? I'm also wondering if your queens are all bought. This year for us was terrible for shipped queens. Damaged, poorly mated and so on.
I know right. I was in a save the bees zone which must be a doom the bug farmer zone :-). Anyway, Thanks for stopping in to have a look and for taking time to comment. I appreciate you. Take care.
My experience so far, keep the bees packed out in as small of a space as you have for the winter months. Helps the bees keep the hive beetles run off and they don't use as much resources to warm the area. Were everything tends to get bad if they have to much space. You should combine the two week hives my opinion. One decent hive is better than two dead hives. Good luck enjoying your videos.
I am hoping I can change their fortunes and have two thriving hives in the spring. I checked on them this morning and they are both very active on the fronts of their hives. Remember, I have heated hives so I can assist with the hive temp and keep the box at brood rearing temp. The protein from the pollen patties should give the queen a boost. Thanks for watching and taking the time to share your experience and suggestion. I really appreciate all of the advice I get and will certainly apply it when needed. Thanks a bunch. See you next week. Take care.
@@BugFarmerBees i would definitely put them in 4-6 frame nucs so that the bees cover the frames and can survive the winter. i cannot see them surviving otherwise. that is an extremely small amount of bees.
It is certainly possible but I really don't have a choice. Those girls need food and I need the queens in each of the hives to have protein to build up by spring. Thanks for stopping in to have a look and for taking the time to comment.
I just found your channel, and there are many things I like about it. First, your description of your "farm" mirrors my own. I have 2 chickens, blueberry bushes, and a small garden. I am currently building my first hive box (bees have been ordered for spring of 2022 only 1 colony). I am interested in the flow hive or flowhive, but haven't bought one yet. What I love about your channel is that you consider the same RUclips beekeepers that I watch as your mentors.
Great to meet you. I am happy to have you along for the ride. Just remember, I am learning the craft. This year will be my fourth year as a beekeeper and I tend to make a few mistakes. I show everything so if I mess up you can learn from my mistakes. If I do something that really works out you can learn from that too. Over all it is about learning and having fun. Thanks for subscribing and have a Merry Christmas.
Yup very week might want to consider a sugar frame? I have found they saved my hives a couple times and the seem to help with the humidity in the hive?
I gave them each a bucket of syrup and pollen patties. I also cranked up the temp to 75F (23.88C). I hope I get at least one more nice day so I can look in on them.
It is the never ending nightmare. I have been pinching them all year. It is starting to look like I will start the spring with more beetles than bees. Great series on beginning beekeeping BTW.
Two problems. Way late using an extended release varroa treatment. Without knowing more I suspect your hives are weak from viruses brought by varroa. And second, you have way too much volume for the few surviving bees. Not just an issue that a heater can solve. In fact it may be causing more grief. Your beetles are enjoying the warm but unguarded breeding space and now you added their favorite snack, protein patties. Keeping the size of the hive close to the size of the colony is very important, more so this time of year. If you don't want to combine them then try putting a divider in the middle of the one box and have a queen with bees on each side. A nuc may survive, these separate hives will probably both be slimmed by beetles. Nice equipment.
Thanks for the information Billy. I appreciate your assessment. I think it would be a great idea to split the colonies between a single medium. I Ill see if I can build a divided medium . At the very least I can build one in preparation for the future. A medium with a screen down the middle. Great idea. Thanks for stopping in Billy and for taking the time to comment. Take care and have a Merry Christmas.
@@BugFarmerBees Don't put a screen divider. The queens will fight. Just a tight 1/8" piece of plywood or even 1/16" plexiglass will do it. If you want it very easy just hold it in place with a couple of small nails or even drywall screws, top and bottom. By the way, the reason I know what is wrong with your hives is called "bitter experience".
@@BugFarmerBees sorry for autocorrect. Of course I meant Bounce Dryer Sheets in corners of Hive Boxes. Bee's will Chase Hive Beetle's where the Beetle's get stuck in Fiber Sheets. Works great, along with Beetle Traps with a little Cooking Oil and Vinegar. Those 2 thing's together will wipe out 90% of your problem. Used and proven.
The girls in the orange and blue hives were completely out of protein. No food for the queen to rebuild the colony over the winter. Certain doom. Also, I have evicted the hive beetles. They are now flying around homeless through the woods. :-). Thanks again for having a look. Have a Merry Christmas. P.S. You have a wonderful voice.
@@BugFarmerBees you must be somewhere south! I'm in northern Minnesota. Our queens completely shut down in winter. They may start rearing a tiny bit of brood late January but have to get stored pollen to do it. Our bees just don't get out for cleansing flights so a pollen patty is a big no no for us. I doubt they would eat it.
Believe it or not the blue and orange hives are on the mend. Their populations are increasing. We have had pretty nice weather here in Ga and their hives are heated which is helping them out also. Thanks for stopping in to have a look and for taking the time to comment. I hope you have a great 2022.
Dang Fonz....those beetles are still giving you fits!! It's been in the 80s here. I hate that those hives are dwindling on you. Wld reducing them down into nucs help? I'm sure no Fredrick Dunn but I'm just asking and trying to learn. Thanks for the video and have a great weekend.
I just checked on the two hives this morning and they are both very active on their entrance. I think they will be fin in the medium super. I turned up the heat a bit to help with the brood rearing and hopefully that will change their fortunes. Thanks for stopping in to have a look and for taking time to comment. I appreciate you. Take care.
Definitely I was thinking during the hive heater video that they needed an intervention. Definitely going to be a true test of the hive heaters if those can make it through winter. As a non-heater I would be having to combine them down to a single deep with the best frames and hoping for the best. I’ll be interested to see the outcome.
I have condensed them into a single medium. I checked them this morning and they seem to be on the mend. Thanks for stopping in to have a look and taking the time to offer a suggestion. Much appreciated.
Thanks. I was all happy when I went out to film that video but god depressed after the blue hive. Thanks for stopping in to have a look and taking the time to comment. Take care and I'll see you next week.
I think I may have had a couple of late swarms that I didn't see leave the hive. I will be making lemon aid out of lemons though. Take care and stay warm.
I had to stack a couple weak hives the other day and used a double screen board so they can share the heat. Then SHB are something else down there. Must be a SHB city close by.
I think the SHB city lives under my hives. Solid bottom boards next season for sure. If I didn't heat my hives I would do the same with the orange and blue hives. They are both pretty weak but I cranked up the heat and fed them so I will se how they are doing the next nice day. Stay warm up there.
@@BugFarmerBees BTW I think solid bottom boards are a great idea & might help out with keeping the smell of the hive contained. As you know hive pests are attracted to the smell of the goodies inside like beebread and such.
Thank goodness you had a really nice day to be able to help them out! I am jealous lol It’s 29* and we just had our first (but very late) snowfall last night
Hmmm. Blueberry hedges sounds good. 6 years ago we planted peach, plum, apple, pear, orange, tangerine, lemon and even "fruit cocktail" trees, a few blueberries, raspberry and blackberry. We've had chickens for many years before moving here and small gardens. After the collapse of civilization maybe I can trade honey for gold😋 I've been thinking of putting several frame feeders in a top box because we have such warm Winters. Saw that on another RUclips channel. Have never used bucket feeders yet You are having a rough year.
It has been a rough year but I have learned a ton. I will always trade honey for gold, silver, lead, etc... :-). I need a fruit cocktail tree. Edible landscape is the way to go, I get to nibble while mowing the lawn :-)
It looks like you have way too much space for the bees. In my opinion, those hives look like they should be in nuc boxes. It doesn't benefit the bees to have too much space and the size appropriate home would make it easier to defend again the small hive beetles. Also, you shouldn't handle the Apivar strip with bare hands. It's not good for you but even worse, as a RUclips provider you're setting an example for new beekeepers, whether that's your intention or not.
Well said. I agree I shouldn't have grabbed the Apivar with bare hands. It was a heat of the moment thing. As far as the hives go, the hives have both been converted to mediums and the entrance reducers are in place. The remaining bees should have no trouble defending. Also, the hives are heated so they shouldn't have any trouble keeping their brood warm. Thanks for your insight and thanks for taking the time to drop me a note. Take care.
Down here in Georgia they may be dead hives too. Without the warm day I never would have looked inside the hive and they would have been goners for sure. Thanks for stopping in to have a look and for taking time to comment. I appreciate you. Take care.
Hello my friend... Have you ever thought of putting the Beetle Blaster Oil traps on your hives continually to help keep the hive beetles under control.... it has proved successful for me. Good Luck my friend...
Thank goodness for warm days my friend! It's been warm the last several days albeit, the nights are cool. Take care and hopefully, crisis averted!! See you next week!
Pollen patties not recommended in Winter, All they use pollen for is brooding up, if there wasn't any in there at all maybe a tad of a patty would be good, otherwise make you a dry pollen sub feeder, gives them something to do on warm days, and they'll store it up for Spring, they won't brood much till the Red Maple comes in, but they can't produce worker jelly with only one kind of pollen, takes several to get the 10 amino acids required.
I mostly agree Brian but as you saw the hives are very, very, VERY weak. I am trying to brood up those boxes in a big way. I think I had a couple of late season swarms while I was at work and those two hives are virtually empty. Just three weeks ago they were slammed with bees and now I have a queen and a couple of bees in each one. Anyway, thanks for coming by to have a look and comment. It's always good to hear from you. Take care.
@@BugFarmerBees My biggest hive collapsed, made me 100 lbs of honey, The queen was marked green, I was hoping she'd make it to graft from next year. I think she just didn't make enough Winter bees, and they dwindled away, mites. Looks like your hive may be dwindling away from mites, maybe. I had treated with Apiguard and OAV. I'm going to requeen earlier from now on, she had 7-8 frames of capped brood in October.
@@BackyardBeesNC Where you really going to attempt your first grafting with a 3 year old queen?
@@MinnesotaBeekeeper I graft all the time, she was one of the best, I got some daughters off her last year.
Were you really bare handling Amitraz strips? I'm also wondering if your queens are all bought. This year for us was terrible for shipped queens. Damaged, poorly mated and so on.
I know right. I was in a save the bees zone which must be a doom the bug farmer zone :-). Anyway, Thanks for stopping in to have a look and for taking time to comment. I appreciate you. Take care.
@@BugFarmerBees LOL, just be safe brother.
My experience so far, keep the bees packed out in as small of a space as you have for the winter months. Helps the bees keep the hive beetles run off and they don't use as much resources to warm the area. Were everything tends to get bad if they have to much space. You should combine the two week hives my opinion. One decent hive is better than two dead hives. Good luck enjoying your videos.
I am hoping I can change their fortunes and have two thriving hives in the spring. I checked on them this morning and they are both very active on the fronts of their hives. Remember, I have heated hives so I can assist with the hive temp and keep the box at brood rearing temp. The protein from the pollen patties should give the queen a boost. Thanks for watching and taking the time to share your experience and suggestion. I really appreciate all of the advice I get and will certainly apply it when needed. Thanks a bunch. See you next week. Take care.
@@BugFarmerBees i would definitely put them in 4-6 frame nucs so that the bees cover the frames and can survive the winter. i cannot see them surviving otherwise. that is an extremely small amount of bees.
Could the pollen patties be feeding the hive beatle problem
It is certainly possible but I really don't have a choice. Those girls need food and I need the queens in each of the hives to have protein to build up by spring. Thanks for stopping in to have a look and for taking the time to comment.
I just found your channel, and there are many things I like about it. First, your description of your "farm" mirrors my own. I have 2 chickens, blueberry bushes, and a small garden. I am currently building my first hive box (bees have been ordered for spring of 2022 only 1 colony). I am interested in the flow hive or flowhive, but haven't bought one yet. What I love about your channel is that you consider the same RUclips beekeepers that I watch as your mentors.
Great to meet you. I am happy to have you along for the ride. Just remember, I am learning the craft. This year will be my fourth year as a beekeeper and I tend to make a few mistakes. I show everything so if I mess up you can learn from my mistakes. If I do something that really works out you can learn from that too. Over all it is about learning and having fun. Thanks for subscribing and have a Merry Christmas.
Do not waste your $$$ on a Flow Hive. They're NOT worth it! But a great Advertising Job! 🐝
@@andylamm5571, not worth it for who? I don't plan on buying a spinning tank to harvest honey, and will only have 1 or 2 hives.
@@Amigatech What are you talking about? Do you have me mixed up with someone else. I was talking about how to control Hive Beetle's? 🙄🤔🤔🤔
@@andylamm5571 I replied directly to your comment about the value of flow hive.
Yup very week might want to consider a sugar frame? I have found they saved my hives a couple times and the seem to help with the humidity in the hive?
I gave them each a bucket of syrup and pollen patties. I also cranked up the temp to 75F (23.88C). I hope I get at least one more nice day so I can look in on them.
It's the rare beekeeper who has 100% survival. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever actually met one.
I am working like the dickens to keep these girls alive. I think I know what happened.
Where are you located?
Metro Atlanta Georgia
Can't believe you are still fighting those darn SHB. Can't catch a break huh.
It is the never ending nightmare. I have been pinching them all year. It is starting to look like I will start the spring with more beetles than bees. Great series on beginning beekeeping BTW.
@@BugFarmerBees Hopefully the numbers of SHB declines some over the winter. . And thanks.
Two problems. Way late using an extended release varroa treatment. Without knowing more I suspect your hives are weak from viruses brought by varroa. And second, you have way too much volume for the few surviving bees. Not just an issue that a heater can solve. In fact it may be causing more grief. Your beetles are enjoying the warm but unguarded breeding space and now you added their favorite snack, protein patties.
Keeping the size of the hive close to the size of the colony is very important, more so this time of year.
If you don't want to combine them then try putting a divider in the middle of the one box and have a queen with bees on each side. A nuc may survive, these separate hives will probably both be slimmed by beetles. Nice equipment.
Thanks for the information Billy. I appreciate your assessment. I think it would be a great idea to split the colonies between a single medium. I Ill see if I can build a divided medium . At the very least I can build one in preparation for the future. A medium with a screen down the middle. Great idea. Thanks for stopping in Billy and for taking the time to comment. Take care and have a Merry Christmas.
@@BugFarmerBees Don't put a screen divider. The queens will fight. Just a tight 1/8" piece of plywood or even 1/16" plexiglass will do it. If you want it very easy just hold it in place with a couple of small nails or even drywall screws, top and bottom. By the way, the reason I know what is wrong with your hives is called "bitter experience".
You should put some Voice sheets in there to control Hive Beetle's.
I have thought about it and may try it this year if the problem is as bad. Thanks for the tip.
@@BugFarmerBees sorry for autocorrect. Of course I meant Bounce Dryer Sheets in corners of Hive Boxes. Bee's will Chase Hive Beetle's where the Beetle's get stuck in Fiber Sheets. Works great, along with Beetle Traps with a little Cooking Oil and Vinegar. Those 2 thing's together will wipe out 90% of your problem. Used and proven.
Try swiffer sweeper pads for hive beetels
Thanks John.
No pollen patties in winter plus with your hive beetles not a good idea.
The girls in the orange and blue hives were completely out of protein. No food for the queen to rebuild the colony over the winter. Certain doom. Also, I have evicted the hive beetles. They are now flying around homeless through the woods. :-). Thanks again for having a look. Have a Merry Christmas. P.S. You have a wonderful voice.
@@BugFarmerBees you must be somewhere south! I'm in northern Minnesota. Our queens completely shut down in winter. They may start rearing a tiny bit of brood late January but have to get stored pollen to do it. Our bees just don't get out for cleansing flights so a pollen patty is a big no no for us. I doubt they would eat it.
@@krispapas9834 Mid Georgia.
In my opinion that hive went to winter already weak, and also have to mucho space. It will probably died.
Believe it or not the blue and orange hives are on the mend. Their populations are increasing. We have had pretty nice weather here in Ga and their hives are heated which is helping them out also. Thanks for stopping in to have a look and for taking the time to comment. I hope you have a great 2022.
Dang Fonz....those beetles are still giving you fits!! It's been in the 80s here. I hate that those hives are dwindling on you. Wld reducing them down into nucs help? I'm sure no Fredrick Dunn but I'm just asking and trying to learn. Thanks for the video and have a great weekend.
I just checked on the two hives this morning and they are both very active on their entrance. I think they will be fin in the medium super. I turned up the heat a bit to help with the brood rearing and hopefully that will change their fortunes. Thanks for stopping in to have a look and for taking time to comment. I appreciate you. Take care.
Definitely I was thinking during the hive heater video that they needed an intervention. Definitely going to be a true test of the hive heaters if those can make it through winter. As a non-heater I would be having to combine them down to a single deep with the best frames and hoping for the best. I’ll be interested to see the outcome.
Too much space. Condense the hive down.
I have condensed them into a single medium. I checked them this morning and they seem to be on the mend. Thanks for stopping in to have a look and taking the time to offer a suggestion. Much appreciated.
Some of the absolute sloppiest beekeeping I have ever seen. Unreal.
Thanks for stopping in to have a look. Maybe I'll get better this year. :-)
@@BugFarmerBees lol we all hope so! beekeeping certainly isnt for everyone!
Wow interesting
Thanks. I was all happy when I went out to film that video but god depressed after the blue hive. Thanks for stopping in to have a look and taking the time to comment. Take care and I'll see you next week.
We had so much rain this year and the hive beetles was in paradise.
They certainly were in my hives. Whew, I thought beetlegeddon was over but no luck. The battle rages on! :-)
@@BugFarmerBees out of all my hives i had 1 that was really bad with them and finally got it under control with traps and dixie towels.
Thats a bummer. I check on my hives in a couple days hope I don't find the same. (where are the bees????) Scary
I think I may have had a couple of late swarms that I didn't see leave the hive. I will be making lemon aid out of lemons though. Take care and stay warm.
I had to stack a couple weak hives the other day and used a double screen board so they can share the heat. Then SHB are something else down there. Must be a SHB city close by.
I think the SHB city lives under my hives. Solid bottom boards next season for sure. If I didn't heat my hives I would do the same with the orange and blue hives. They are both pretty weak but I cranked up the heat and fed them so I will se how they are doing the next nice day. Stay warm up there.
@@BugFarmerBees gonna try! Record temps next week, high 60's!
@@BugFarmerBees BTW I think solid bottom boards are a great idea & might help out with keeping the smell of the hive contained. As you know hive pests are attracted to the smell of the goodies inside like beebread and such.
M
Just k(((Kopp
::
Thank goodness you had a really nice day to be able to help them out! I am jealous lol It’s 29* and we just had our first (but very late) snowfall last night
I am jealous. It is foggy and gross here today and I would love to have a nice snowfall before Christmas.
Mite crash.
What is a mite crash?
Hmmm. Blueberry hedges sounds good. 6 years ago we planted peach, plum, apple, pear, orange, tangerine, lemon and even "fruit cocktail" trees, a few blueberries, raspberry and blackberry.
We've had chickens for many years before moving here and small gardens.
After the collapse of civilization maybe I can trade honey for gold😋
I've been thinking of putting several frame feeders in a top box because we have such warm Winters. Saw that on another RUclips channel. Have never used bucket feeders yet
You are having a rough year.
It has been a rough year but I have learned a ton. I will always trade honey for gold, silver, lead, etc... :-). I need a fruit cocktail tree. Edible landscape is the way to go, I get to nibble while mowing the lawn :-)
It looks like you have way too much space for the bees. In my opinion, those hives look like they should be in nuc boxes. It doesn't benefit the bees to have too much space and the size appropriate home would make it easier to defend again the small hive beetles. Also, you shouldn't handle the Apivar strip with bare hands. It's not good for you but even worse, as a RUclips provider you're setting an example for new beekeepers, whether that's your intention or not.
Well said. I agree I shouldn't have grabbed the Apivar with bare hands. It was a heat of the moment thing. As far as the hives go, the hives have both been converted to mediums and the entrance reducers are in place. The remaining bees should have no trouble defending. Also, the hives are heated so they shouldn't have any trouble keeping their brood warm. Thanks for your insight and thanks for taking the time to drop me a note. Take care.
Up here in Wisconsin those are dead hives. One good thing that I have -- NO hive Beetles.
Down here in Georgia they may be dead hives too. Without the warm day I never would have looked inside the hive and they would have been goners for sure. Thanks for stopping in to have a look and for taking time to comment. I appreciate you. Take care.
Hello my friend... Have you ever thought of putting the Beetle Blaster Oil traps on your hives continually to help keep the hive beetles under control.... it has proved successful for me. Good Luck my friend...
Thanks. Yes, I have a plan for next year. I missed you nightcap the other day. Looks like a fun idea. Take care.
Thank goodness for warm days my friend! It's been warm the last several days albeit, the nights are cool. Take care and hopefully, crisis averted!! See you next week!
The warm day may have saved those hives. Now I am going to get my coffee and watch the sting of a snowflake. Take care and have a great weekend.