Beekeeping: Stop Buying Bees | Series on Growing Apiary.
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- Опубликовано: 5 фев 2023
- In this video, We will be discussing our new Series called Stop Buying Bees. This will be the first video of the series, so be sure to watch. We will be putting ourselves in the shoes of beekeepers who want to expand their operation without buying bees or queens. We will be putting out content on each step of the way. From spring buildup to overwintering. All the while pushing our bees to the limit of growth. We will be attempting to take one or two colonies and growing to around 32. Is it possible? We will see as we manage our yard throughout the year to successful overwintering. @brucesbees @MikeBarryBees @CastleHives @ColesFarmNC @BeekeepingWithNatalee @NaturesImageFarmGregBurns @randallcarter-carterhillho2277 @HillBillyEarl
This'll be a fun series to follow.
Thank you! We have been wanting to do it for a while.
I'm just enjoying the blissful sound of early-spring frogsong.
Outstanding
This is a great idea Craig. I like it!
2 to 30 awesome 👍🏻🐝
Tell us what you all think about this series. We are looking forward to it. Thanks for watching!
This will be a very important series for people to watch. I am looking forward to seeing how things go. And in the first video you already had a bit of a challenge. That’s real life with bees. Great stuff my friend!
@@brucesbees Thanks Bruce. It was definitely unexpected with that hive but like you said! That’s Bees 🐝
Great series! but the question I have is why you wouldn’t take the empty bottom boxes off the weaker of the two hives that was stacked 3 high?
Looking forward to this series
Thank you 🙏
while I lost all my colonies on my first year (2020) second and third year saw real progress (up to 15 hives) using queen grafting, Walk away splits and flyback splits. Went to the apiary about 3 weeks ago. After wading through 3-4 feet snow banks I brought them some fondant and all 15 were alive :D
That is awesome. Congratulations. That’s 100% and hard for any beekeeper. You’re doing something right. Keep up the good work. Hopefully they all have viable queens and the weather treats you well.
Fantastic. Glad you kept after it.
@@jacquelynallen488 Thank you :)
How did u treat for mites?
@@nickosuperintendant9514 Usually I use Apivar immediately followed by 1-3 blasts of OAV
Ha I watched Bruce and u were on there this is the first video I have watched from u I enjoyed it and going to watch all of them u did a good job.. I live in Virginia been doing the bees for 9 years so I am not new but I do love watching and learning every thing I can to make me a better keeper of the bees. any way this is going to be great glad u were on live chat with bruce and I found u have a blessed week and thanks for doing these videos
Thank you! We are enjoying the series.
Just found your site and subscribed. I’m looking forward to your upcoming video’s.
Thank you
Looking forward to seeing the growth. Lots of good information. Thanks for the video. Take care.
Thank you 🙏
I am looking forward to the series as I nee dto do some increases at a couple of apiaries.
Glad to have you following along.
00:23:30 jar adapters for cover, love it! And nicely painted.
Thanks 🙏! They work well.
I will subscribe and follow along. thanks. I have lost 3 of my hives over winter but still have 3 others. probably need to make split
Thanks for tuning in. We will help you as much as possible along the way.
First year beekeeper and still in don’t know what to do. I think your series will benefit me greatly. Thanks for your hard work
Thank you for watching. At times I think we all feel that way. New video should be out tmrw
Someday when i own or rent property id love to get into (small-scale) beekeeping. Just enough for friends and family as a treat now and then. Here's hoping i learn a thing or two from these videos eh?
Welcome to the channel! Hope you enjoy our content. You will absolutely love beekeeping. You are doing right by learning now.
Totally doable. I did it last year from 4 to 32. Of the original 4 only 2 were strong. I am up in Manitoba and have a much shorter season that you. Our Red Maple blooms here, end of April. I am a little late to this party but will catch up soon. Should be fun.
The maples are blooming here presently. The bees are growing well. I just have to always remind myself not to push the harder than they can grow. Thanks for tuning in.
I’m looking forward to watching and learning from your apiary expansion.
Thank you! Part 3 comes out today.
Following the Series, Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us all.
Thanks for watching John
Really good to see one of my favorites back at it. Looking forward to following this series.
Thank you for watching. We filmed part 2 today. Should be out in a few days
Great start to the series Craig!! Love the frogs singing in the background!!
Thank you
Now you have a challenge. LOL So life goes. I'm sure this will be a great series. Thanks.
We hope so! We really have been wanting to do this. Even moved all the other colonies from the yard so we wouldn’t be tempted to cheat lol
Great video Craig! Thanks so much for doing this series for us! We can use all the help we can get!!
Very welcome 🙏! Thanks for watching! We have been looking forward to this for a while.
@@thesidelinebeekeeper-craig6924 I have too!! Every since the live chat!!
Love it! I’m in Atlanta and entering 5th year. Backyard beekeeper. Have had as many as 6 colonies and as few as 2. Need to be mor confident with splits.
We will definitely try our best to clear any questions you have up about splitting. Let us know if you need anything
Note to self. Find queen before crushing a queen cell.🤔
That is always a great idea. However we don’t want her genetics. It will make more sense in our part 2 video coming out later today or tomorrow. We also don’t have the drones for mating yet. Our plan at this point is to buy some time. But you are absolutely correct if you don’t have the resources and knowledge to manipulate the colonies it’s always best to leave the cell. Thanks for watching and happy Beekeeping
Also make sure the queen is laying good.
Can't wait for the series to continue. Two weeks ago, I put sugar solution on mine, and they wouldn't touch it. Past 2 days I open fed and they took 4 gallons total. Each colony has 4-6 frames of brood and drones walking around. Just south of you.
I have not seen any drones yet. But hopefully soon. Thanks for watching
Where are y’all located?
@@raydeese8859 we are in piedmont NC
@@thesidelinebeekeeper-craig6924 I'm just south of Charlotte in SC
This is exactly my goal this year. I went from one to 4. Lost one last fall and I can probably split my hives well this year and make it to 7-8 potentially. Two are close to honeybound and have a little brood in but not a lot. I’m in NC. One hive is already making drone brood. I can’t wait to follow how you’re getting your splits done.
Thank you for watching! Part 3 is out tonight. We are in NC also.
Can’t wait! I’m trying to go from 30 to 100 this year
You can do it.
What a goal! Good luck 🍀
as a new bee keeper i have no clue how you would do that in one year. sounds impossible.
That is a great goal. 30 to 100 is a big jump unless you have an assistant and have been building a crap load of equipment or have a huge budget for it to get ready. I’m in my third year and my growth plan is to double my colonies each year. Started with two and this year it’s eight. By 2027 I plan to be up to sixty four colonies and then readjust to ensure I am capable of keeping up with everything required for proper management while still working a FT job. That will be time to see if i can afford to jump into FT Beekeeping. That’s my retirement goal and I will be 55 in 2028.
Looking good, I checked on my hives a few days ago and they are bringing in pollen, and they all have some brood bout to hatch, but good stuff! 👌
That’s awesome! Glad to hear they are doing well. Thanks for watching.
February 4th or 5th and frames of Brood, unreal. This will be a great series Craig. Gotta stay on top of things down South, we still have 7 or 8 weeks yet before we're cracking boxes in my area.
Down here the spring really slips up on you. Lol it’s not spring yet and we still have some bad weather ahead, but you can’t convince the bees. I can’t imagine winter up there.
Welcome back!,this will a great series to watch for sure! Love your style, you explain what your doing and why you may want to change things up from the original plan. Going to use this series to help myself and kids ( 11 and 16) learn more! Great job sir!!
Thanks for the kind words. Part 2 should be out later today or tomorrow. Glad you can make sense of my rambling
If you're from a different part of the world, like me, just listen to the frogs in the background. The snow is disappearing here but there's no sounds of spring water wildlife yet. I'm feeding(I'm in Alberta, Canada) since we have such a long winter and we're having unpredictable weather---warm enough for them to fly one day then snowstorms the next day etc. Timing your work with the weather is key...
I agree! At least your bees are getting some cleansing flight conditions. It has to be tough on the bees in winter up your way. Luckily we have mild winters here.
I am in Australia I stopped rearing queens from feral bees that I happen to have and used well bred commercially bred bees mated in a freinds yard it appears that apart from being more gentle the new stock more than doubles honey production.
Hence the advise to breed your own bees given out so commonly thatnI nievly followed in my earlier bee keeping cost me very dearly and is still costing as I try to source a breeder queen thanks for the opportunity to warn others.
From what I've heard, feeding bees on sugar may keep them alive, but not as healthy as they could be if you let them feed on their own honey, and are not as able to fight parasites naturally. Aparently they make enough on their own so you could still take some honey for yourselves although not as much.
You are correct in the way we are feeding at the moment. We did leave honey on for them, but we have warm winters where they fly a lot and burn through stores. We always try to leave them some. With that being said there are several studies that show if you feed thin syrup in the fall early enough for them to process the syrup like honey and add the enzymes, it’s supposed to be pretty good feed. Fresh nectar is the best bee feed. Honey is just dehydrated nectar that can be stored. I like to use thin syrup to help stimulate the colonies early to get a jumpstart on the season. The sugar bricks are just extra insurance if they run out of feed. But there is something to be said with how bees work. They have been storing honey all along, so it can’t be too bad.
I hear the frogs singing to you 😊Definitely a great series, I’m looking forward to seeing your progress! I did start my first year with a package and it was a good experience. I learned that catching swarms is more fun 😂
I started with a package many years ago. It’s such a learning experience and I still recommend new beekeepers start with a package. You get to watch the colony grow as a super organism. I have caught swarms in equipment sitting around, however I have never caught a swarm in an intentionally set trap🙁now I have to many to trap, but I still need to add it to the list of beekeeping accomplishments
@@thesidelinebeekeeper-craig6924 If you have a deer stand in a tree, you’re certain to get a swarm with a trap intentionally set there and check it off your list! It’s worked well for us in Indiana. We got 2 swarms last year in that tree stand.
Craig, hopefully the Queen in that second box is OK and just got her wires crossed up because she had been shut down for the winter. However, on that first hive when you stood that medium up on its side, I have to admit that it scared me because I know that Queen was in that box and the frames can move so much when standing on its sides. I’m sure that you know what you’re doing and felt comfortable doing that. If it wasn’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have any luck so I have to be extra careful! I will definitely be watching your videos.
Hey Don! You are absolutely correct they can wiggle in the box and cause problems. I should have been extra careful. One of those moments that could have been bad. Thanks for pointing that out. Hopefully the queen is going to be ok. We will know more later. Thanks for tuning in.
Craig, really enjoy your video. New beekeeper here. Just got my girls through their first winter so am very happy. Not too far from you I think here in Columbus, NC. Red maples not popping yet but, on the days they can fly, my girls have found some pollen and nectar source. Have the maples started blooming in your area?
They are just getting ready to open. The bees are brooding and burning through stores, so we have been feeding. Congratulations on getting them through winter.
@@thesidelinebeekeeper-craig6924 My girls are coming in loaded with pollen and nectar. I couldn’t think where they were getting it as nothing is blooming in the area. I mentioned it to my wife and said “don’t you remember we have a commercial nursery less than quarter mile from the house”? I dropped in their yard and sure enough they are getting the spring inventory in that is from Florida so many of their plants are just starting to come into bloom. My girls were all over them! I figure this puts me 2 to 4 weeks ahead of normal.
I plan to try to make some splits this spring but expect that I will have to keep an eye out for swarming much earlier than I expected. My concern is that by making my splits early, do you think there will there be enough drones in the air to breed the queens properly?
Well you pulled me in. I have been working my tail off since starting in 2021. I want to build up to more colonies but also want to produce honey as much as possible. When you said you were going to turn 2 colonies into 32 you got my attention. If I can take a couple hives to grow and use the others for production, that will be great. I have some hives I want to build queens from. I went into winter here with 18. Now I got 11 due to deadouts. Still got about 6 weeks or so here before the weather gets good and maples bloom. Hopefully I won't lose anymore.
It’s not going to be easy, but we have a long season. We will be feeding a lot and rearing queens constantly. We may be a little ambitious with 32, but hopefully it will work out. A lot can happen, but the yard will definitely be increasing rapidly. Thanks for watching. Part 2 should be out in a few days.
@@thesidelinebeekeeper-craig6924 Thanks I know a lot can happen for sure. Of the ones I lost I think it was because I had queen issues (they wouldn't lay brood) later in fall and I don't think I went into winter with big enough clusters. A couple others were big hives with a lot of bees and looked like they died in place. They had plenty of food and even had sugar bricks on them but they crashed anyway. So I'm excited you are doing this. Maybe I can build back up.
Maybe they were trying to replace a old queen, I would have left that super cell alone.
I agree they were trying to replace her. However there were no drones at the time, so we had to buy some time and we don’t won’t her genetics. But it is definitely a great idea to leave them alone. But she would not have mated in my opinion due to lack of drones. Thanks for watching
Coming to the end of the video, wouldn’t it have been best to leave that supersede cell on there for a new queen?
And there’s no way to buy a new queen and save the hive if you only had that one If there wasn’t any queen cells?
Typically yes. That would be the most ideal thing to do. However we don’t want those genetics in our operation. This series is focused on growing but we also sell queens and run around 100 colonies. There would not have been enough drones at that time to get her mated anyway in my opinion. We are just now seeing a few drones flying. We are still pushing it a little, but we gave them one of our grafted cells last night and had been giving them open brood and temp queen to reduce the chance of a laying worker. But you are absolutely correct! If you don’t have the resources to get it by it’s best to leave them alone.
its laying workers. you can tell by the buckshot pattern. a drone laying Queen can still lay a good pattern, its just drones
I would typically think the same, and you very well may be correct. There was only one egg per cell in the bottom. They were trying to supersede and all egg laying ceased? That’s what makes me think it was a drone layer? But they stopped laying whatever it was? Could have caught it early and stopped it with the open brood we kept giving them. Time will tell, we added a cell on Thursday. Thanks for watching and the imput
@@thesidelinebeekeeper-craig6924 I suspect those frames of brood did you a world of good. where are you located? I,m in Northwest Arkansas. I'm not seeing drones yet but do have drone cells. We are either fixing to have a real early spring, or an awful mess. I started this winter with 7 hives 2 of which had superseded their Queens. They were small going in but with some feed and pollen patties they both made it and have about 2 frames of brood now. I lost 1 hive. 1 of my big hives robbed it out last Dec. So far you are going at building up the same way i,m thinking. I,m aiming at making between 30 and 40 splits this year. I love your vide'os.
Where did u get your magnet for your hive tool?
It’s just a rare earth magnet we got off Amazon. It was like 2-4 in a set cheap. We taped two together because they break easily. But it works well
Btw, where are you located?
We are in the NC piedmont
Thanks for sharing. I'm beginner so not picking up some of the terminology. What to mean when you say checking the bees to see if they are "queen right"? Do you just want to see if she is laying eggs?
Queen right would refer to the colony having a queen, her performance, is she a drone laying queen and such. Hope this helps. Let us know if you ever have questions. Pt 5 is published now
Great video, Does it break up the cluster to put a shim in between the brood boxes, I was wondering how it would effect them on cold nights if there's brood top and bottom?
In theory yes but in practicality not in my opinion. We have done it for years without issue. But we have mild winters and this is not the box configuration we usually run. We typically overwinter in singles.
I NEVER kill a qc until I know it has a queen. You can prevent turning to a done layer by adding frame of brood from one of the good colonies every week or 2.
We usually get rid of cells because we don’t want the genetics, we also usually have the resources to fix any problems, however with that said this one has been a challenge. Not sure you can prevent a queen from becoming a drone laying queen? This occurred because she no longer has viable sperm stored in her spermatheca. It can definitely help with a laying worker situation. If you watch part 2 and 3 you will be able to see we transfer brood and eggs like you mention. Thanks for watching and Happy Beekeeping
@@thesidelinebeekeeper-craig6924I wonder, I have a hive like this and I’m curious because I assumed they are raising drone brood because they are looking to repopulate which is in their genetics so soon would be a queen cell . That’ may be reason for the dronenbrood. They are getting ready for swarming.
This is what I’ve always done. Got bees from cutouts and decided It would be better for me not to purchase bees. Hardest part of expanding is acquiring enough equipment. Honey production is limited because they have to build comb.
So true! We have been fortunate to have been able to acquire equipment throughout the years to build to our level, which is still small scale honestly. But it took a while to get to 100 and a lot of money 🐝
What is the silver inner cover you are using.
It’s reflectix insulation from lowes. We only use it because we use pallets and out hives are side by side and it’s soft and playable so we can use it to move bees out of the way to prevent squishing. It also helps with warped tops to seal the box.
You can’t take a smaller Brood frame from the one on the left and put it in the one one the right so they can build Queen cells?
You can! That’s actually in the next video lol 😂. It still may not work because I have not seen any drones. But it will definitely buy us some time to avoid a laying worker issue.
those were 2 brood boxes, during winter you were basically using brood boxes to multiply & create more queens?
That was just how the colony overwintered.
Needing advice. I’m new to apiary. I noticed one lil bee coming to my apartment and trying to forage. So I put out some dabs of honey. I’ve seen beekeepers giving sugar water. What is the recipe? What are some other food sources I could I offer?
Hello! Thanks for watching! I would not use honey as it could spread a disease know as American foulbrood. I would use sugar syrup mixed at a ratio of 1 part sugar to 1 part water by weight. Where are you located? Temperature can determine what ratios to use.
You might have acted too soon tearing down that queen cell.
It definitely disrupted things in the colony. However there would not have been drones to mate with in my opinion. We ar just now seeing drones walking. Plus we don’t want her genetics. But maybe let them be for a while next time and the. Fix the problem. Thanks for watching
Are you in the South
Yes North Carolina
Why kill the supercedure cell on the side of the frame if that queen isn't performing? I'm a newbie.
It’s not generally recommended. Especially if you don’t have the resources to fix the problem, but we don’t want those genetics in our operation.
Honest question: Why did you kill the queen cell before you found your queen?
It’s not something I would recommend most of the time. However we also don’t want her in our genetics. We don’t like to see supersedure coming out of winter. Also there is not enough drones in our area yet to have her mate properly in my opinion. It also gives us a chance to demonstrate how to fix the problem with the other hive. Thanks for watching.
Would you not propose using the campfire technique of feeding based on your comment about using dry sugar?
I’m not familiar with the campfire method? Maybe you were referring to the mountain camp method?
@@thesidelinebeekeeper-craig6924 I was referring to the mountain camp method. Newbee here, lol.
Hi Craig, I'm looking forward to seeing some more insights about how to make an increase! I wondered why you didn't pick up the burr comb with eggs and larva and give them to the smaller Colony just by pressing it onto the frame bottom over the shim? ( I realize that placement wouldnt be ideal but might hold off the laying workers and give maybe a chance at a queen cell with genetics from the stronger hive if she could get mated, and have cost the other colony nothing since it was already removed?) I'm sure it's difficult to talk to us and think about an apropriate way to remedy a problem, please don't take my question as criticism..
That would have worked just fine. In the next video we discuss how we corrected it. It should be out later today. But it would definitely been a viable way to help the colony. We just did it an easier way to show viewers. Thanks for watching 🙏
What state are you in??
We are in NC
@@thesidelinebeekeeper-craig6924 i bet my wife that thats where yer at..one of my top fav states..i lived south of richmond fer a number of yrs..up in northern maine now..
I been looking in to beekeeping for years and years and I really hope to only have to buy bees one time. I'm thinking 1or 2 nukes and then done. I hope atleast.
Beekeeping is wonderful! Learning to be self sustainable is the key to not buying bees. Take the plunge! You will love it!
@@thesidelinebeekeeper-craig6924 i do it as soon as I buy some better propperty to have it on.
I do have a nice plott of land in the familly that is not used for anything, but there are houses around so I'm afraid they will complain.
why put a shim between the upper and lower box? that goes against almost everything that is written.
It’s only temporary! It allows us to keep sugar on the cluster no matter what box the choose to go Into. It works well to prevent starvation. It does cause some issues with comb being drawn from the bottom of the frame due to the bee space not being correct. But I would rather cut off comb than have the bees starve in early spring. Thanks for watching and Happy Beekeeping
never cull a Queen cell the bees know better than we do
They do! We generally cull them to get rid of the genetics, but this one is becoming a challenge. Check out part 2 and 3 of the series hopefully it will work. Let us know your thoughts. Thanks
Stop buy bees 😅 no stop buy food ... of course not