1) How are the BeeWeaver Bees Holding Up? Have they requeened? 3:27 2) Do you know of an easy and inexpensive way to mark a hive for status? Putting bricks on top of the hive doesn't give me enough options. 11:44 3) I'm never sure what to do with surplus honey frames that have crystalized. Can I use these frames as a food source? 14:53 4) Is it safe to extract honey from a hive that dies over winter? 23:04 5) I'm looking to make some woodenware from lumber cut on a buddy's bandsaw mill. Will the lubricating fluid be toxic to honey bees? 29:55 6) You seem to have a lot of spare time on your hands. Have you thought about taking on some additional hobbies? 34:42 7) I have purchased Hive Alive Fondant. I was thinking it would be good to feed a package of bees. Will it be a good for packages in spring? 35:44 8) My question is about cleaning hives after a dead out. I have poly components in my hives. 43:21 9) I'm curious about bottom boards in relation to hive conditions and how they are affected by temperature and humidity. 44:56
I have a bandsaw mill, and I cut lumber for my hive bodies. The drip of lubricant on the blade is minimal. The gullet of the blade removes the sawdust as the blade exits the cant(log); the sawdust with lubricant is discarded from the mill to the ground. The board remains dry to the touch. I started wax dipping my hive bodies, I swear they make more honey in dipped boxes vs none dipped. Bees don't have to propolize the boxes and spend more energy on other tasks maybe. 35F is 1.6⁰c
I too saw (mill) my own wood. I just plan one side then paint the outside. I wouldn’t think there would be enough of anything left to harm the bees. Thanks for all your knowledge Fred. 🎉
Beginning beekeeper comments: Thanks for keeping the newbies in mind during discussions. We don't know what we don't know yet. I love the format of indexing your topics. The first time I watched, I didn't access the index and simply listened. I found my retention of information much greater after using the index. Probably I am kind of tuning out topics that are not yet relevant to me an sharpening focus when the topic relates to something I need to do. Now I am going through your videos, batched by 10s, sequentially. My hive (with mentor) is in a large yard in coastal Georgia. We have some heat here.
Teresa from Middletown, MD. I have screened bottom boards on my hives that I close during winter. I have never seen propolis on them. I have seen Jeff H. do a cut out from under a building that of course had no sides, no bottom or anything except the floor boards that the comb was attached to.
I'm sure climate has a lot to do with that colony. Each keeper can choose what works best for them wherever they reside. Open screened bottom boards aren't something I'd personally recommend, I'm not telling others not to use them, juse giving my reasoning behind my own decisions.
My mom wanted to try screened bottom boards for research purposes in her hives (mostly mite count reasons which has been fun because one's got very few mites and the other's a mite bomb, sitting right next to each other), we keep the plastic trays in, but they're always FULL of wax moths and larvae. If we ever get new bottom inserts for those, I'm sealing the edges of the corrugated with caulking, because the yucky wigglies even get inside the corrugations!
Just to keep you updated on my Top bar hives because I said I would. They were out flying today February 12th. 52 degrees F. Located milwaukee Wisconsin. Put dry pollen out. :)
I was out working on hives today catching up on your q&a’s I’ve missed out on !! I’m getting excited, I have 5 flow hives and 12 langstroths set up to start out , getting excited for bee season and my re entry to bee world ! 🎉
I have tried 2 BeeWeaver queens. The 1st was a late season attempt to requeen a queenless hive. She turned out to be a drone layer. The colony failed before winter. BeeWeaver graciously offered a replacement that I opted to use the following spring. Put her in a spring split.(5 frame nuc)That colony struggled to get 15 frames drawn and filled. I will be surprised if they survive the winter. I will be looking elsewhere to increase genetic diversity in the future.
Hi Dave, thanks for sharing what your experience was with the BeeWeaver queens you received. Their fertility can certainly be damaged in transit if it's hot. I hope you do find stock that works well for you wherever you're keeping bees.
Fred, With the warm weather yesterday I saw my first pollen coming into the Hives...Pussy Willow, just so. of Pittsburgh Silver Maple is close to poping out.
Thank you for sharing about our disease manual, Diagnosis and Treatment of Common Honey Bee Diseases, Fred! And thank you for providing all of the helpful information to the beekeeping community! Keep up the great work and thanks again!
Hi Fred, speaking goftop feeders. I tried the new (to me) cerecel feeders and they were the best I've ever tried and I've tried every feeder on the market. A little pricey since they come from New Zealand but worked great. Glenn
i like the 2 4x4 's setup on 4 blocks,,i had no problem in the high winds and its high enough for skunks and racoons (wall blocks are 16" tall or use 2-8" single blocks)
Great recommendation. We have worked with the Bee team at B.I.P. for 13 years. We use them for breeder testing and lab work. It's important to know what's happening in your Apiary and be proactive in things only lab work can expose. Thanks, Fred🤙
I am starting in spring with 2 hives im in northwest florida... i will be running both different.. one screened bottom board and one solid just to see how they differ for around me i have not seen many honey bees since ive moved into my home 5 years ago i have however had to remove a bald faced hornets nest a couple of weeks ago.. so im hoping to add to the drone population in my local area as well as help pollinate our garden and our neighborhoods gardens
Hi Fred! I wanted to confirm that using no top entrance and r 10 rigid insulation on the top of Hive gives you best chances for winter survival. I'm into year 6 of beekeeping and lost only 1 small nuc this year! Fantastic! In past years I used shims to prop up top cover. I would lose 15% on average. Thanks for doing what you do
Question: when bees choose a space. it is my understanding that they sanitize the space. ex. When they choose to build in a gas tank of an old car..???? I would think that they would propolis et the space if there were residue of windshield fluid etc. Just wondering.🤷♀️
I thought screen wash and anti freeze are poisonous ☠️ , kills cats if they accidentally drink it warning on ours on the uk that’s for sure , great episode , have a great weekend
True, if they actually drink it. This is a case of surface residue at best. Not enough for the bees to drink it, even if they would try? Thanks for sharing.
They said RV anti freeze. That is not the same as regular car antifreeze. Car antifreeze you are trying to protect the heating/cooling system No one is going to drink from it, so get whatever works to prevent freezing that you can get fairly cheap. RV antifreeze you are protecting the plumbing lines that YOU might drink water from in six months. It's nontoxic to people, and less toxic to most animals than regular. But it does cost more. Windshield washer is more toxic. Of course, tiny things like bees... I don't know.
Your videos are always instructive and useful! A question: how many Solar outdoor motion sensor alarms do you have in your bee yard? I am thinking about removing the electric fence (solar energized) based on your comments.. my beginner bee yard has four hives in-line. Thanks, Paul in Ontario, Ottawa area.
Hi Paul, I have 13 of them out in the apiary. I walk around the hives and see if I can get into the area without setting an alarm off. If I can, then I relocate them for better coverage. I figure a bear is about the same movement as a human. As it is now, a rabbit can't walk around a hive without setting them off. So, It's trial and error and you need to face them to the south so they keep well charged for those long overcast days. They are working, we had a bear less than a mile from here two weeks ago, so they are out and patrolling.
@@FrederickDunn Hello Frederick: thanks for your prompt reply! Please let me know what alarms you are using - at the end of this Q&A episode (fluff section) you showed a red-color unit that I didn't see in your previous videos on this topic. I am having a tough time finding a suitable unit on Amazon; as usual, a large number of types available and quality is often questionable. Thanks and best regards, Paul
Hi Fred, I have a double deep 10 frame colony and a 5 frame double deep. I have both sitting on 4 concrete blocks with a ratchet strap through the holes in the bottom blocks, there pretty secure also hopefully high enough to deter skunks. I have converted to single entrance condensing hives this winter following many of your tips, so far they are still getting by. Thanks for all you do to help fellow beekeepers, you are a mentor to many people who don't have one locally.
Fred, happy to see the Bees survived being knocked over. I preach the value of straps to anyone I speak with. I have a 4 foot post buried 2.5 feet down and that is bolted to my stands, makes them very secure. Add straps, they are fairly stable. Appreciate the review on the QueenRightDial. Jason and I have worked hard to get those out to fellow Beekeepers.
Oh ya! I'd forgotten that you were also part of the R&D on those dials. You're welcome, and I hope some viewers will try them out. Yes, I have ground auger-anchors for some hives. That particular hive is just on pavers and wasn't supposed to still be there, I just ran out of time. Always nice to see your comments, Brian! :)
On that hive, there is no Eco-Wood. The bottom/base and brood box are cedar and untreated. The 2nd deep has Helmsman's Marine Spar Varnish. The feeder shim is also just varnish.
I just got an idea about the noise makers. The feral hogs here in Texas run from loud noises. Think the noise maker may work? They're beginning to try to get into my gost pens.
Wait... you have "gost pens"? (';')( ';')... anyway, if those hogs are skiddish, they should not be comfortable around them. Let me know how they work out! And yes, I know you meant "goat" pens. But I couldn't resist :)
Wow, Anonymous, I've never heard of NE Florida as hot as 125 F. I've lived in Sw Florida, where it is warmer than NE, for 3 yrs and I've never seen 100 F. 125 degrees is unbelievable. Since this is my state, After checking, I have found that the highest temp in the entire state of Florida was 109 in 1933. The average temp in summer is 92-95 in the state. We are close to the equator, so standing in the sun can give you a sunburn fairly quick, but in the shade not so much.
Maybe that was an all time high? I wouldn't personally want to live anywhere that got to those temps :) Death Valley California has the record for high temp... 134 deg. F. I would not keep bees there either... :)
Agreed. I was born and raised in NE Florida and even with the heat index I've not seen temps that high. I work outside so I check the temps a lot during summer
@Frederick Dunn l don't know the answer to that question Frederick, I'm enclined to leave the propolis to the bees and disinfect it also, removing only the propolis that is hindering me during inspections. Any impurities in the propolis would be taken care of by the Milton
Wow that wind was wicked here in southern Ohio too! Open up a back door and the wind pulled the door knob out of my hand. Busted the door casing and bent the hinges. I love your videos, thank for your good works! ❤
I was getting ready to say !! I hope that comment was in jest about you having a lot of time on your hands lol , I know that personally with 21 acres and 30 hives 200 birds , 10 horses , goats , 10 ,000 ft of electric fence , dogs , cats , chickens, quail , and 16 acres of grass to cut , i personally know that the quality of videos you produce and the formatted education you’ve seflessly shared with us that I probably have more time than you do , editing is something that probably consumes 80% of your bee keeping time 😋😋 I appreciate you along with many others I’m sure! 🙂 much love to you papa Fred ! I’m listening to your Q&A’ as we speak I’ve missed out on the last few months, I run my forge from November through January making knives , and now I’m getting ready for bee season!!! 😎 🐝 😋😮, it’s been like spring here in southern Maryland ,by the way ☀️ I’ve seen feral bee’s flying around the farm most of the winter 🐝🐝🐝I saw about 20 bees 🐝 looking For food just today 🥸
Wow, you have a forge? Have you considered custom hive tools? :) I know I know, you've just given me a rundown on all of the work ahead, but I think there is a market for custom forged and tempered hive tools. :)
@@FrederickDunn I don’t know if folks would want to pay for carbon steel forged bee tools , but I will make you a hive tool because of all of the hard work you do bringing all of this to the public, im not really sure the world fully gets how much you put into your bee keeping , research and open sharing of this educational and transparent documentation. Sure there are a million books out there , a million bee keepers , lots of super smart bee folks , but I’m sure besides me there are a good bit of folks that appreciate your work like I do , so you are on my top 5 all time list of bee keepers , so I will make you the first custom made hive tool 😬I’m getting ready to close the forge down because bee season needs my attention, plus I’ve got horses , chickens and goats to tend to but I will make you something extraordinary when I think of it lol
Gday Fred; I have screened bottom boards on all my hive, with a slide out lipped metal tray. I pour a little vegetable oil in the tray to catch and kill SHB that the bees drive out, by doing a count I can monitor the numbers and do other management if required. Also by what is in the tray, gives me some info of hive condition without having to open up.
Great video, Fred. When it comes to you and your hives, what is the deciding factor when it comes to either A) Keeping your crystalized, over-wintered honey frames in your hives for them to use when the weather warms up, or B) move your crystalized, over-wintered honey frames to a feeding station far from your hives? Thanks, G in Boise, ID
I leave the honey on if the colony is still productive. I only harvest if it's a deadout. You can center the full frames and move the partially consumed frames to the outside positions if you want to push them to consume the leftovers.
Different sawyers use different blade coolant/lub. I use dawn dish soap but only about 1/4 cup per gallon. Others use diesel fuel, some use pine Sol, and windshield washer fluid if is cold enough to freeze. You should only use enough to coat the blade to keep the sap from sticking to the blade. Not all wood needs it. Oak(red or white) work better with no fluid. I saw all my lumber for hives. I like using soft maple or cottonwood. I have a lot of it, it grows back fast, and it is light weight after it gets all dryed out.
Bonjour, Fred, (I'm writing you from the Southwest of France.) Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I appreciate your information and the tenor of your channel, meaning I don't feel like I'm in kindergarten though I'm a very new beekeeper. Here's a question in reference to the above video concerning photographing queens and marking their attributes: Little bit of background: My mother-in-law bought me a hive for Christmas last year. (I'm not sure what that says about my relationship with my mother-in-law but I've found it's most often better not to ask.) Anyway, I went ahead and purchased a second hive. I watched well over a 1000 videos, much to my wife's chagrin, flew to the States to buy a bottle of Swarm Commander (the airline ticket was cheaper than ordering the damn stuff by mail) and caught two swarms in early spring in the swarm traps I built. I was off and running. Not having even a single frame of comb, I was content to see both boxes building out well by August. Then I noticed the first box of mostly wild European black bees had gone queen-less. The population was way down but I purchased a mated Buckfast queen on the oft chance that I could save the colony and improve genetics. (That was after shaking in a few frames of nurse bees from the queen-right box and adding a frame of eggs and larva.) They built three queen cells. I tore down the first (as per Bob Binnie), and the bees tore down the remaining two two weeks later. (I was using a double-screen board and the opening was on the side to the front, not the back--bad idea.) It was only then that I ordered the Buckfast queen. I followed all the instructions for introduction and three weeks on, when I checked on her, the box was void of all things bees, rien. (The queen was very small and jittery and I suspected she was not properly mated and a virgin--without the help of Florida's morality police, however, I couldn't confirm it.) So, I girded my loins and treated the remaining queen-right hive with Aprivar. I waited the prescribed days and around the end of October I opened my last remaining hive: no queen, no eggs, no larva, no brood, no kidding. And no mites, by the way, but who the hell' cares at this point? (The queen was a large, dark madame that I proudly marked earlier in the year.) Not wishing to be labelled a quitter (by my belle-mère) I kept feeding 1-to-1 and threw on a top cover of fondant when the temperature dropped. I have rechecked as weather has allowed over the last few months. Never a sign of a queen but the bees seem to be hanging on. And now for something completely different: Last week things warmed up in France and I opened the box.The bees are much smaller though more numerous. They are bringing in pollen from a Persian Ironwood I have in the yard. And, here's the kicker, there is a queen. She is not marked, smaller than the original and much, much more yellow in color. Can you explain that? Here's a hint: About 663 meters from my hive (thank you Google Earth) is an apery of 30 hives managed by the local agricultural school. The current bees in my box look very much like those bees. Is it possible a swarm arrived in January? Or could the Buckfast queen I ordered have gone into the second hive back in September, killed the queen, and, being a virgin, never laid eggs, as there still are no eggs, larva, brood, etc. If she did, I could have easily missed her as I was looking for a large, dark, clearly marked queen. By the way, had I not found the queen I would have guessed the bees in my hive were robbers enjoying the fondant and honey. Is it possible that a queen might leave a hive to follow robbers in the winter and then, perhaps, return to her hive? I'll hang up and wait for your answer. All the best, John PS: I took some photos and a video of the queen today if that would help. Not sure, however, how to add them.
I think it would be very unlikely that the queen would depart under the circumstances you're describing. BUT, I'm not at all familiar with your local climate and seasonal reproduction. You have nothing to lose by waiting and observing as spring finally comes into full swing. Many of my colonies are also not producing brood at this time.
Hive status…I love the product that you showed! I use colored thumb tacks - green, yellow, red for queen status, and blue for signs of disease. They also hold my hive number tag. I have them on the left and move to the right when I inspect. I move back to the left if I skip inspection during a trip for some reason. I also have my own custom index cards, here I make more detailed notes, landing board observations, things to remember to fix, etc, after I’ve loaded my stuff and before I drive away, on a custom index card (I print them from Excel) for each hive. Finally, I use my phone microphone alot to dictate short notes in the midst of the action so I don’t have to manage writing.
Hi Fred I have watched all of your videos they are all very well put together and ver informative thank you for taking time from your Friday to do this for everyone ...it is hard for me to care for my bees that is why i only have one hive for the last year ...I have M.S. i only have use of one arm But i love the bees and i keep the hive very healthy snd nearly mite free thanks to you and the location i am in no one within miles of me have bees and in this area there are many flowers from neighbors and the area including a cemetery within 400 yards away with fresh flowers all year round. I have a flow hive 2+ and i love it ....less work and mess for me thanks for being there for all of us James Robley
Hi Fred, great info as always. I reference to screened bottom boards I have them on all my hives. Between the landing board and the screened bottom board tray I can obtain much valuable information on how my bees and queen are doing on a daily basis if I so choose.
Late in the fall when the bees should have already been clustered, I popped off a rapid round feeder to drop on a pack of fondant and was surprised with a beard full of bees. No stings and most of them flew back within 30 seconds. Only one had to be coaxed out of my beard. I think she just didn't want to go back out into the cold. I dropped her at the entrance. Definitely don't want that experience again!
I just buy them on Amazon, I went with the model I show as it had the highest DB rating. I also only use them on Night Mode. That's position #3 on the unit. They kept themselves charged all winter, even with weeks of cloud cover. You don't want them next to your home of you'll be waking in the night. amzn.to/3DWvqRG (that's an affiliate link) you can also just do a search for them.
@@FrederickDunn Thanks Fred. I'm going to get some to keep raccoons away. I feed with 1 gal buckets and they knock them off on the ground. They also figured out how to get the tint plugs out and eat all the syrup.Then they run off with the plugs and I have to drill and install new ones.
Where is your snow?I see you got screwed this year with snow this year too. Still snowmobiling hear in upstate NY but we got little snow. Could you explain how to get your bees in the bottom box and have them fill the top box. I had to leave a box of honey because they were light. Thank You Charles Tanner
If you have a single entrance, and no upper venting or entrance, they will naturally migrate down toward the entrance as spring arrives. They will back-fill the upper box with nectar as they move down. If your entrance is large and wide open, that movement is slowed down. If your entrance is smaller, they move the brood a little faster toward the entrance.
Hi Frederick, on today's topics, bee's generally won't stay in swarm traps that have light coming inside other than the entrance and like that to be a round 1.25" hole. On the question of heat and humidity, you can buy temp and humidity probes for under $10 on Amazon, but the part I'd you to check out and speak to is the miticides available for use are generally temperature sensitive, but major problem is dosing during warmer weather especially in the south-east high humidity areas, many beekeepers tend to underdose or not treat at all because of horror stories they've heard or experiences they've had, I think you have perfect platform and status to get manufactures and science minds to research and solve the riddle hats temperature at relative humidity for the given days of treatment that's key to success and not causing damage to the colony and queens. I don't know the answer, but it's probably, something like say using Formic Acid, the peak temp with 25% or less is 85f, but if you're expecting RH >50% then 75f is you're peak temp.
Good Evening Frederick, I'm a big fan of your RUclips channel. I appreciate your thorough detail and I have a dilemma. I kept a beehive with Italian honey bees for several years in northern California in 2012 but lost it after two years and a subsequent package installation the year after due to varroa mites and deformed wing virus. I used powdered sugar dusting for treatments, which were ineffective. This year I am getting back into beekeeping with a Flow Hive 2+ (8 frame) with a Mann Lake 8 frame medium super to act as a second brood chamber to help get them through the winter (no snow in my area). I am getting a Saskatraz Nuc (5 deep frames) on April 1st for the installation. I would like to remain chemical free if possible, so I have ordered a BeeWeaver queen to requeen the hive the first week of May. I wanted to get your thoughts on taking this approach. I hate to eliminate the Saskatraz queen so early, but I want the best genetics for a chemical free control of varroa mites. Should I build a second hive and try to do a split when the BeeWeaver comes in May if the first hive is really productive? Would you just order a Saskatraz package to install a second hive at the same time as the Nuc (allowing for a Sasktraz and BeeWeaver side by side comparison)? If the Sasktraz develops a high mite count, my plan would be to requeen with a BeeWeaver queen at that time. Sorry for the long message but thank you for taking the time to read this.
I would personally wait to see how that Saskatraz queen performs. They are hit or miss. My Saskatraz bees over a period of two years did not peform well and didn't hold up in the varroa reduction category. But many others who received Saskatraz queens had a very different experience. Your mite counts will tell the story. It would be a shame to pay for that Saskatraz queen only to cull her for another. IF they aren't peforming well, they I'd remove the queen and requeen with the BeeWeaver.
@@FrederickDunn Thank you so much for the advice. I will keep the Saskatraz Nuc/queen intact. So stick with a single hive this year or go with a second one, which would be an Italian package requeened with a BeeWeaver queen?
From your reply it seems that you think that a sugar dusting is a treatment, Sugar dusting is for a mite count to determine if treatment is needed. It does not kill or prevent mites....
@7:42- I don't want ANY of the local genetics! So much of them are Africanized. The other big-time "beekeeper" in the area with gather all these hot swarms and colonies, never re-queen or culture ANY of them and sells hot colonies to unsuspecting newbies. He made a harvest video last August, and in the midst of his hidden apiary on the Pecos, his bees were thick all over him trying to murder him. He should be put out of business, and every one of his bees DESTROYED!
@@rickbegeman4371 Sounds like you have not had to deal with these nightmares. We still remember veteran Lucille Kincaid who was killed in an Africanized bee attack in our town in 2001. I also served to protect Leonard Salcido from a swarm; after which he showed me the scars on his back he still carries from an Africanized bee attack he barely survived 20 years ago. I'm not leaving my home, but the Africanized invaders may move right in. Their range and the amount of swarming- notably in the fall- leaves the whole community to deal with it. I am the one on call, and I rush out to defend innocent people. Its not about laws, its about responsibility. Its also about community; caring for one another. City people in general have no idea. Are you one of them?
That sounds like a huge challenge. Other than trying to visit with him, or share your thoughts, I'm not sure there is much you can do about that. There are some isolated beekeepers who intentionally keep highly defensive stock. I agree that's a very dangerous practice, particularly around other keepers or dwellings. Every State has their own restrictions. I wish I had an answer.
1) How are the BeeWeaver Bees Holding Up? Have they requeened? 3:27
2) Do you know of an easy and inexpensive way to mark a hive for status? Putting bricks on top of the hive doesn't give me enough options. 11:44
3) I'm never sure what to do with surplus honey frames that have crystalized. Can I use these frames as a food source? 14:53
4) Is it safe to extract honey from a hive that dies over winter? 23:04
5) I'm looking to make some woodenware from lumber cut on a buddy's bandsaw mill. Will the lubricating fluid be toxic to honey bees? 29:55
6) You seem to have a lot of spare time on your hands. Have you thought about taking on some additional hobbies? 34:42
7) I have purchased Hive Alive Fondant. I was thinking it would be good to feed a package of bees. Will it be a good for packages in spring? 35:44
8) My question is about cleaning hives after a dead out. I have poly components in my hives. 43:21
9) I'm curious about bottom boards in relation to hive conditions and how they are affected by temperature and humidity. 44:56
Thanks Adam
Adam you are a very dedicated individual! I appreciate the time you take to break this down it is very helpful!
I have a bandsaw mill, and I cut lumber for my hive bodies. The drip of lubricant on the blade is minimal. The gullet of the blade removes the sawdust as the blade exits the cant(log); the sawdust with lubricant is discarded from the mill to the ground. The board remains dry to the touch. I started wax dipping my hive bodies, I swear they make more honey in dipped boxes vs none dipped. Bees don't have to propolize the boxes and spend more energy on other tasks maybe. 35F is 1.6⁰c
I too saw (mill) my own wood. I just plan one side then paint the outside. I wouldn’t think there would be enough of anything left to harm the bees. Thanks for all your knowledge Fred. 🎉
As always, your videos are well spoken and illustrated!
Thank you very much!
Beginning beekeeper comments: Thanks for keeping the newbies in mind during discussions. We don't know what we don't know yet. I love the format of indexing your topics. The first time I watched, I didn't access the index and simply listened. I found my retention of information much greater after using the index. Probably I am kind of tuning out topics that are not yet relevant to me an sharpening focus when the topic relates to something I need to do. Now I am going through your videos, batched by 10s, sequentially. My hive (with mentor) is in a large yard in coastal Georgia. We have some heat here.
Thank you so much! I'm glad you're getting something out of them and that the indexing is helpful. :)
Always great info in your videos, Fred! Thanks!
Thank you :)
I like Saskatraz just because it’s fun to say.
Ok Randy... fun should never be underestimated :) My Grandmother was from Saskatchewan, where the Saskatraz line was developed :)
Teresa from Middletown, MD. I have screened bottom boards on my hives that I close during winter. I have never seen propolis on them. I have seen Jeff H. do a cut out from under a building that of course had no sides, no bottom or anything except the floor boards that the comb was attached to.
I'm sure climate has a lot to do with that colony. Each keeper can choose what works best for them wherever they reside. Open screened bottom boards aren't something I'd personally recommend, I'm not telling others not to use them, juse giving my reasoning behind my own decisions.
My mom wanted to try screened bottom boards for research purposes in her hives (mostly mite count reasons which has been fun because one's got very few mites and the other's a mite bomb, sitting right next to each other), we keep the plastic trays in, but they're always FULL of wax moths and larvae. If we ever get new bottom inserts for those, I'm sealing the edges of the corrugated with caulking, because the yucky wigglies even get inside the corrugations!
Good job Fred 👍 enjoyed the video
Glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you have a great weekend! :)
Just to keep you updated on my Top bar hives because I said I would. They were out flying today February 12th. 52 degrees F. Located milwaukee Wisconsin. Put dry pollen out. :)
That is awesome!
Hello Dear Frederick Dunn 🥰🥰🥰🥰
I was out working on hives today catching up on your q&a’s I’ve missed out on !! I’m getting excited, I have 5 flow hives and 12 langstroths set up to start out , getting excited for bee season and my re entry to bee world ! 🎉
I have tried 2 BeeWeaver queens. The 1st was a late season attempt to requeen a queenless hive. She turned out to be a drone layer. The colony failed before winter. BeeWeaver graciously offered a replacement that I opted to use the following spring. Put her in a spring split.(5 frame nuc)That colony struggled to get 15 frames drawn and filled. I will be surprised if they survive the winter. I will be looking elsewhere to increase genetic diversity in the future.
Hi Dave, thanks for sharing what your experience was with the BeeWeaver queens you received. Their fertility can certainly be damaged in transit if it's hot. I hope you do find stock that works well for you wherever you're keeping bees.
Fred, With the warm weather yesterday I saw my first pollen coming into the Hives...Pussy Willow, just so. of Pittsburgh
Silver Maple is close to poping out.
Hi again, I strongly agree on BB. I followed the trend at the time and went with SBB but am replacing them sith solid as time and money allows.
Thank you for sharing about our disease manual, Diagnosis and Treatment of Common Honey Bee Diseases, Fred! And thank you for providing all of the helpful information to the beekeeping community! Keep up the great work and thanks again!
Thank you so much, and you're very welcome! It's a very good resource :)
Hi Fred, speaking goftop feeders. I tried the new (to me) cerecel feeders and they were the best I've ever tried and I've tried every feeder on the market. A little pricey since they come from New Zealand but worked great. Glenn
I have those also.
i like the 2 4x4 's setup on 4 blocks,,i had no problem in the high winds and its high enough for skunks and racoons (wall blocks are 16" tall or use 2-8" single blocks)
Thanks for another excellent Q&A!
Thanks, Shug!
I do agree with everybody saying get local bees I was going through all the bees I had shipped didn't last a year.
Great recommendation. We have worked with the Bee team at B.I.P. for 13 years. We use them for breeder testing and lab work. It's important to know what's happening in your Apiary and be proactive in things only lab work can expose. Thanks, Fred🤙
So nice to see your comment! Thank you, I couldn't agree more :)
I'm built 35 out of backyard Mill lumber it seems to work fine
I am starting in spring with 2 hives im in northwest florida... i will be running both different.. one screened bottom board and one solid just to see how they differ for around me i have not seen many honey bees since ive moved into my home 5 years ago i have however had to remove a bald faced hornets nest a couple of weeks ago.. so im hoping to add to the drone population in my local area as well as help pollinate our garden and our neighborhoods gardens
That sounds like a promising location. I hope you can find some good genetics to begin with :)
Hi Fred! I wanted to confirm that using no top entrance and r 10 rigid insulation on the top of Hive gives you best chances for winter survival. I'm into year 6 of beekeeping and lost only 1 small nuc this year! Fantastic! In past years I used shims to prop up top cover. I would lose 15% on average. Thanks for doing what you do
Thank you for sharing, Brian!
Question: when bees choose a space. it is my understanding that they sanitize the space. ex. When they choose to build in a gas tank of an old car..????
I would think that they would propolis et the space if there were residue of windshield fluid etc. Just wondering.🤷♀️
I agree, I think they would insulate themselves from surfaces they don't want, by painting it with propolis. It's an interesting topic.
@@FrederickDunn It sure is!
I thought screen wash and anti freeze are poisonous ☠️ , kills cats if they accidentally drink it warning on ours on the uk that’s for sure , great episode , have a great weekend
True, if they actually drink it. This is a case of surface residue at best. Not enough for the bees to drink it, even if they would try? Thanks for sharing.
They said RV anti freeze. That is not the same as regular car antifreeze. Car antifreeze you are trying to protect the heating/cooling system No one is going to drink from it, so get whatever works to prevent freezing that you can get fairly cheap. RV antifreeze you are protecting the plumbing lines that YOU might drink water from in six months. It's nontoxic to people, and less toxic to most animals than regular. But it does cost more. Windshield washer is more toxic. Of course, tiny things like bees... I don't know.
@@fionam3554 thanks for that explanation 😀
@@Darren_Nicola oh - you might not get "RV" - I think you call them caravans over there. Recreational vehicles or campers here.
@@fionam3554 camper van, motor homes, caravans , you know we like different names 😀😀
Your videos are always instructive and useful! A question: how many Solar outdoor motion sensor alarms do you have in your bee yard? I am thinking about removing the electric fence (solar energized) based on your comments.. my beginner bee yard has four hives in-line. Thanks, Paul in Ontario, Ottawa area.
Hi Paul, I have 13 of them out in the apiary. I walk around the hives and see if I can get into the area without setting an alarm off. If I can, then I relocate them for better coverage. I figure a bear is about the same movement as a human. As it is now, a rabbit can't walk around a hive without setting them off. So, It's trial and error and you need to face them to the south so they keep well charged for those long overcast days. They are working, we had a bear less than a mile from here two weeks ago, so they are out and patrolling.
@@FrederickDunn Hello Frederick: thanks for your prompt reply! Please let me know what alarms you are using - at the end of this Q&A episode (fluff section) you showed a red-color unit that I didn't see in your previous videos on this topic. I am having a tough time finding a suitable unit on Amazon; as usual, a large number of types available and quality is often questionable. Thanks and best regards, Paul
RV Antifreeze is non-toxic to humans.
Hi Fred, I have a double deep 10 frame colony and a 5 frame double deep. I have both sitting on 4 concrete blocks with a ratchet strap through the holes in the bottom blocks, there pretty secure also hopefully high enough to deter skunks. I have converted to single entrance condensing hives this winter following many of your tips, so far they are still getting by. Thanks for all you do to help fellow beekeepers, you are a mentor to many people who don't have one locally.
That sounds great, thank you for sharing. :)
Yes it's Fred-day!
:) Thanks for bee-ing here :)
Great advice about documentation and pic of queen will do!
I understand 7 Days a week. Sometimes 8 . Be Safe joe
Fred, happy to see the Bees survived being knocked over. I preach the value of straps to anyone I speak with. I have a 4 foot post buried 2.5 feet down and that is bolted to my stands, makes them very secure. Add straps, they are fairly stable. Appreciate the review on the QueenRightDial. Jason and I have worked hard to get those out to fellow Beekeepers.
Oh ya! I'd forgotten that you were also part of the R&D on those dials. You're welcome, and I hope some viewers will try them out. Yes, I have ground auger-anchors for some hives. That particular hive is just on pavers and wasn't supposed to still be there, I just ran out of time. Always nice to see your comments, Brian! :)
Hi Fred. Which part of this tipped over hive is eco wood? how is it holding up? Thanks
On that hive, there is no Eco-Wood. The bottom/base and brood box are cedar and untreated. The 2nd deep has Helmsman's Marine Spar Varnish. The feeder shim is also just varnish.
I just got an idea about the noise makers. The feral hogs here in Texas run from loud noises. Think the noise maker may work? They're beginning to try to get into my gost pens.
Wait... you have "gost pens"? (';')( ';')... anyway, if those hogs are skiddish, they should not be comfortable around them. Let me know how they work out! And yes, I know you meant "goat" pens. But I couldn't resist :)
@@FrederickDunntypos, ugh.. good response. :)
Love the fondant question
Wow, Anonymous, I've never heard of NE Florida as hot as 125 F. I've lived in Sw Florida, where it is warmer than NE, for 3 yrs and I've never seen 100 F. 125 degrees is unbelievable. Since this is my state, After checking, I have found that the highest temp in the entire state of Florida was 109 in 1933. The average temp in summer is 92-95 in the state. We are close to the equator, so standing in the sun can give you a sunburn fairly quick, but in the shade not so much.
Maybe that was an all time high? I wouldn't personally want to live anywhere that got to those temps :) Death Valley California has the record for high temp... 134 deg. F. I would not keep bees there either... :)
Agreed. I was born and raised in NE Florida and even with the heat index I've not seen temps that high. I work outside so I check the temps a lot during summer
I absolutely love how "snarky" you are! I bet you're a Monty Python fan. 😉😁
I am indeed a Monty Python Fan... :)
Thanks 🙏🏻 I did get both books as I am a new beekeeper.
You're going to like having them. I've kept bees since 2006 and find them very handy still.
Sterilising poly hives, use Milton, as in Sterilising babies bottles etc.
Does it dissolve propolis?
@Frederick Dunn l don't know the answer to that question Frederick, I'm enclined to leave the propolis to the bees and disinfect it also, removing only the propolis that is hindering me during inspections. Any impurities in the propolis would be taken care of by the Milton
Wow that wind was wicked here in southern Ohio too! Open up a back door and the wind pulled the door knob out of my hand. Busted the door casing and bent the hinges. I love your videos, thank for your good works! ❤
Hi Anita, wow, how frustrating to have your door damaged in that way. It sure was gusty.
Really that guy
Thanks Fred, have a great weekend!!
I was getting ready to say !! I hope that comment was in jest about you having a lot of time on your hands lol , I know that personally with 21 acres and 30 hives 200 birds , 10 horses , goats , 10 ,000 ft of electric fence , dogs , cats , chickens, quail , and 16 acres of grass to cut , i personally know that the quality of videos you produce and the formatted education you’ve seflessly shared with us that I probably have more time than you do , editing is something that probably consumes 80% of your bee keeping time 😋😋 I appreciate you along with many others I’m sure! 🙂 much love to you papa Fred ! I’m listening to your Q&A’ as we speak I’ve missed out on the last few months, I run my forge from November through January making knives , and now I’m getting ready for bee season!!! 😎 🐝 😋😮, it’s been like spring here in southern Maryland ,by the way ☀️ I’ve seen feral bee’s flying around the farm most of the winter 🐝🐝🐝I saw about 20 bees 🐝 looking For food just today 🥸
Wow, you have a forge? Have you considered custom hive tools? :) I know I know, you've just given me a rundown on all of the work ahead, but I think there is a market for custom forged and tempered hive tools. :)
@@FrederickDunn I don’t know if folks would want to pay for carbon steel forged bee tools , but I will make you a hive tool because of all of the hard work you do bringing all of this to the public, im not really sure the world fully gets how much you put into your bee keeping , research and open sharing of this educational and transparent documentation. Sure there are a million books out there , a million bee keepers , lots of super smart bee folks , but I’m sure besides me there are a good bit of folks that appreciate your work like I do , so you are on my top 5 all time list of bee keepers , so I will make you the first custom made hive tool 😬I’m getting ready to close the forge down because bee season needs my attention, plus I’ve got horses , chickens and goats to tend to but I will make you something extraordinary when I think of it lol
Couldn't you melt the hive alive fondant down in the spring if you use two and a half pounds of water to one fondant patty and feed it that way.
Yes! You can just mix it with water and create a syrup for the bees. But that's what I'd do with leftovers, I wouldn't open a fresh pack and do that.
Gday Fred; I have screened bottom boards on all my hive, with a slide out lipped metal tray. I pour a little vegetable oil in the tray to catch and kill SHB that the bees drive out, by doing a count I can monitor the numbers and do other management if required. Also by what is in the tray, gives me some info of hive condition without having to open up.
That all sounds great! Thank you for sharing what you're doing.
Great video, Fred. When it comes to you and your hives, what is the deciding factor when it comes to either A) Keeping your crystalized, over-wintered honey frames in your hives for them to use when the weather warms up, or B) move your crystalized, over-wintered honey frames to a feeding station far from your hives?
Thanks,
G in Boise, ID
I leave the honey on if the colony is still productive. I only harvest if it's a deadout. You can center the full frames and move the partially consumed frames to the outside positions if you want to push them to consume the leftovers.
IPM boards would be a good choice. Over open bottom boards. Great Q&A Fred thanks for all your work.
Thanks.
Great content sir.
Thank you :)
Different sawyers use different blade coolant/lub. I use dawn dish soap but only about 1/4 cup per gallon. Others use diesel fuel, some use pine Sol, and windshield washer fluid if is cold enough to freeze. You should only use enough to coat the blade to keep the sap from sticking to the blade. Not all wood needs it. Oak(red or white) work better with no fluid. I saw all my lumber for hives. I like using soft maple or cottonwood. I have a lot of it, it grows back fast, and it is light weight after it gets all dryed out.
All great information, thank you!
i have 3 screened bottoms,w enclosed trays ,getting ready ,soon as this 25°f rainy weather goes away
Bonjour, Fred,
(I'm writing you from the Southwest of France.)
Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I appreciate your information and the tenor of your channel, meaning I don't feel like I'm in kindergarten though I'm a very new beekeeper. Here's a question in reference to the above video concerning photographing queens and marking their attributes:
Little bit of background: My mother-in-law bought me a hive for Christmas last year. (I'm not sure what that says about my relationship with my mother-in-law but I've found it's most often better not to ask.) Anyway, I went ahead and purchased a second hive. I watched well over a 1000 videos, much to my wife's chagrin, flew to the States to buy a bottle of Swarm Commander (the airline ticket was cheaper than ordering the damn stuff by mail) and caught two swarms in early spring in the swarm traps I built. I was off and running.
Not having even a single frame of comb, I was content to see both boxes building out well by August. Then I noticed the first box of mostly wild European black bees had gone queen-less. The population was way down but I purchased a mated Buckfast queen on the oft chance that I could save the colony and improve genetics. (That was after shaking in a few frames of nurse bees from the queen-right box and adding a frame of eggs and larva.) They built three queen cells. I tore down the first (as per Bob Binnie), and the bees tore down the remaining two two weeks later. (I was using a double-screen board and the opening was on the side to the front, not the back--bad idea.) It was only then that I ordered the Buckfast queen. I followed all the instructions for introduction and three weeks on, when I checked on her, the box was void of all things bees, rien. (The queen was very small and jittery and I suspected she was not properly mated and a virgin--without the help of Florida's morality police, however, I couldn't confirm it.)
So, I girded my loins and treated the remaining queen-right hive with Aprivar. I waited the prescribed days and around the end of October I opened my last remaining hive: no queen, no eggs, no larva, no brood, no kidding. And no mites, by the way, but who the hell' cares at this point? (The queen was a large, dark madame that I proudly marked earlier in the year.)
Not wishing to be labelled a quitter (by my belle-mère) I kept feeding 1-to-1 and threw on a top cover of fondant when the temperature dropped. I have rechecked as weather has allowed over the last few months. Never a sign of a queen but the bees seem to be hanging on.
And now for something completely different: Last week things warmed up in France and I opened the box.The bees are much smaller though more numerous. They are bringing in pollen from a Persian Ironwood I have in the yard. And, here's the kicker, there is a queen. She is not marked, smaller than the original and much, much more yellow in color. Can you explain that? Here's a hint: About 663 meters from my hive (thank you Google Earth) is an apery of 30 hives managed by the local agricultural school. The current bees in my box look very much like those bees. Is it possible a swarm arrived in January? Or could the Buckfast queen I ordered have gone into the second hive back in September, killed the queen, and, being a virgin, never laid eggs, as there still are no eggs, larva, brood, etc. If she did, I could have easily missed her as I was looking for a large, dark, clearly marked queen.
By the way, had I not found the queen I would have guessed the bees in my hive were robbers enjoying the fondant and honey. Is it possible that a queen might leave a hive to follow robbers in the winter and then, perhaps, return to her hive?
I'll hang up and wait for your answer.
All the best,
John
PS: I took some photos and a video of the queen today if that would help. Not sure, however, how to add them.
I think it would be very unlikely that the queen would depart under the circumstances you're describing. BUT, I'm not at all familiar with your local climate and seasonal reproduction. You have nothing to lose by waiting and observing as spring finally comes into full swing. Many of my colonies are also not producing brood at this time.
@@FrederickDunn Thanks, Fred. I appreciate your feedback. Best.
Fred what is the name of the solar “noise maker”?
I'll add that to the video description.
Hey Fred, we had our first baby goat and he is so cute! Feels like a fuzzy stuffed toy. Thanks for the video, glad the hive is ok.
Goats are fantastic! I miss ours.
Hive status…I love the product that you showed! I use colored thumb tacks - green, yellow, red for queen status, and blue for signs of disease. They also hold my hive number tag. I have them on the left and move to the right when I inspect. I move back to the left if I skip inspection during a trip for some reason. I also have my own custom index cards, here I make more detailed notes, landing board observations, things to remember to fix, etc, after I’ve loaded my stuff and before I drive away, on a custom index card (I print them from Excel) for each hive. Finally, I use my phone microphone alot to dictate short notes in the midst of the action so I don’t have to manage writing.
Nice! Thanks for sharing :)
Hi Fred I have watched all of your videos they are all very well put together and ver informative thank you for taking time from your Friday to do this for everyone ...it is hard for me to care for my bees that is why i only have one hive for the last year ...I have M.S. i only have use of one arm But i love the bees and i keep the hive very healthy snd nearly mite free thanks to you and the location i am in no one within miles of me have bees and in this area there are many flowers from neighbors and the area including a cemetery within 400 yards away with fresh flowers all year round. I have a flow hive 2+ and i love it ....less work and mess for me thanks for being there for all of us James Robley
Thank you, James. I'm so glad that you are able to keep bees, and it sounds like you've found a great location for them.
Hi Fred, great info as always. I reference to screened bottom boards I have them on all my hives. Between the landing board and the screened bottom board tray I can obtain much valuable information on how my bees and queen are doing on a daily basis if I so choose.
Late in the fall when the bees should have already been clustered, I popped off a rapid round feeder to drop on a pack of fondant and was surprised with a beard full of bees. No stings and most of them flew back within 30 seconds. Only one had to be coaxed out of my beard. I think she just didn't want to go back out into the cold. I dropped her at the entrance. Definitely don't want that experience again!
Lesson learned! :)
That wasn't me, I'm SW Florida :)
Fred where do you get the noise makers?
I just buy them on Amazon, I went with the model I show as it had the highest DB rating. I also only use them on Night Mode. That's position #3 on the unit. They kept themselves charged all winter, even with weeks of cloud cover. You don't want them next to your home of you'll be waking in the night. amzn.to/3DWvqRG (that's an affiliate link) you can also just do a search for them.
@@FrederickDunn Thanks Fred. I'm going to get some to keep raccoons away. I feed with 1 gal buckets and they knock them off on the ground. They also figured out how to get the tint plugs out and eat all the syrup.Then they run off with the plugs and I have to drill and install new ones.
@@woodlandharvesthoneycompanyllc Wow, I hope that works, My raccoons did run off when the alarms sound. Keep us posted.
Happy Friday Fred! Just got done watching Natalee and Rainier's live chat...the future beekeepers are good, strong folks.
That's great, I need to watch that, I did see the promotion post.
I’d one of your hats, I don’t see any on your site. I’d take two if you have a women’s with ponytail opening.
I'm sorry to say that I don't have ball-caps. I could check in with Teespring and add them. I'll do that today. Thank you. :)
Where is your snow?I see you got screwed this year with snow this year too. Still snowmobiling hear in upstate NY but we got little snow. Could you explain how to get your bees in the bottom box and have them fill the top box. I had to leave a box of honey because they were light.
Thank You
Charles Tanner
If you have a single entrance, and no upper venting or entrance, they will naturally migrate down toward the entrance as spring arrives. They will back-fill the upper box with nectar as they move down. If your entrance is large and wide open, that movement is slowed down. If your entrance is smaller, they move the brood a little faster toward the entrance.
Hi Frederick, on today's topics, bee's generally won't stay in swarm traps that have light coming inside other than the entrance and like that to be a round 1.25" hole.
On the question of heat and humidity, you can buy temp and humidity probes for under $10 on Amazon, but the part I'd you to check out and speak to is the miticides available for use are generally temperature sensitive, but major problem is dosing during warmer weather especially in the south-east high humidity areas, many beekeepers tend to underdose or not treat at all because of horror stories they've heard or experiences they've had, I think you have perfect platform and status to get manufactures and science minds to research and solve the riddle hats temperature at relative humidity for the given days of treatment that's key to success and not causing damage to the colony and queens. I don't know the answer, but it's probably, something like say using Formic Acid, the peak temp with 25% or less is 85f, but if you're expecting RH >50% then 75f is you're peak temp.
Thanks for sharing, Carl!
He said NE Florida - no swarm traps because of the no unknown queens law. Glad I'm not in FL.
True, and True... I'm glad I am permitted to keep my swarms and produce my own queens here.
Another enlightening episode. Where did you purchase the red noise maker you showed? Thanks!
Thank you, it's on Amazon. amzn.to/3DWvqRG That's an affiliate link, if you just want to search motion activated noise makers you'll also find it.
What a great informative video. Man, I wish you the best of luck moving forward with your business. I know what it’s like to wake up on your own.
Probably my TV but the picture has a red color hue except the video inserts in the corner.
It's not your TV, I have red-lights on the background at the moment.
Pollen with rocket fuel?
For those who really need to push their production, I defer to those who use it. I don't put pollen in my hives.
Have a follow up about bottom boards will send to your website with pictures
🇱🇨👍🏼♥️
Good Evening Frederick, I'm a big fan of your RUclips channel. I appreciate your thorough detail and I have a dilemma. I kept a beehive with Italian honey bees for several years in northern California in 2012 but lost it after two years and a subsequent package installation the year after due to varroa mites and deformed wing virus. I used powdered sugar dusting for treatments, which were ineffective.
This year I am getting back into beekeeping with a Flow Hive 2+ (8 frame) with a Mann Lake 8 frame medium super to act as a second brood chamber to help get them through the winter (no snow in my area). I am getting a Saskatraz Nuc (5 deep frames) on April 1st for the installation. I would like to remain chemical free if possible, so I have ordered a BeeWeaver queen to requeen the hive the first week of May. I wanted to get your thoughts on taking this approach. I hate to eliminate the Saskatraz queen so early, but I want the best genetics for a chemical free control of varroa mites. Should I build a second hive and try to do a split when the BeeWeaver comes in May if the first hive is really productive? Would you just order a Saskatraz package to install a second hive at the same time as the Nuc (allowing for a Sasktraz and BeeWeaver side by side comparison)? If the Sasktraz develops a high mite count, my plan would be to requeen with a BeeWeaver queen at that time. Sorry for the long message but thank you for taking the time to read this.
I would personally wait to see how that Saskatraz queen performs. They are hit or miss. My Saskatraz bees over a period of two years did not peform well and didn't hold up in the varroa reduction category. But many others who received Saskatraz queens had a very different experience. Your mite counts will tell the story. It would be a shame to pay for that Saskatraz queen only to cull her for another. IF they aren't peforming well, they I'd remove the queen and requeen with the BeeWeaver.
@@FrederickDunn Thank you so much for the advice. I will keep the Saskatraz Nuc/queen intact. So stick with a single hive this year or go with a second one, which would be an Italian package requeened with a BeeWeaver queen?
From your reply it seems that you think that a sugar dusting is a treatment, Sugar dusting is for a mite count to determine if treatment is needed. It does not kill or prevent mites....
@7:42- I don't want ANY of the local genetics! So much of them are Africanized. The other big-time "beekeeper" in the area with gather all these hot swarms and colonies, never re-queen or culture ANY of them and sells hot colonies to unsuspecting newbies.
He made a harvest video last August, and in the midst of his hidden apiary on the Pecos, his bees were thick all over him trying to murder him. He should be put out of business, and every one of his bees DESTROYED!
Because of the lax laws around bees here in North America your neighbor has every right to keep whatever bees he wants. You can move or deal with it.
@@rickbegeman4371 Sounds like you have not had to deal with these nightmares. We still remember veteran Lucille Kincaid who was killed in an Africanized bee attack in our town in 2001.
I also served to protect Leonard Salcido from a swarm; after which he showed me the scars on his back he still carries from an Africanized bee attack he barely survived 20 years ago.
I'm not leaving my home, but the Africanized invaders may move right in. Their range and the amount of swarming- notably in the fall- leaves the whole community to deal with it. I am the one on call, and I rush out to defend innocent people.
Its not about laws, its about responsibility. Its also about community; caring for one another.
City people in general have no idea. Are you one of them?
That sounds like a huge challenge. Other than trying to visit with him, or share your thoughts, I'm not sure there is much you can do about that. There are some isolated beekeepers who intentionally keep highly defensive stock. I agree that's a very dangerous practice, particularly around other keepers or dwellings. Every State has their own restrictions. I wish I had an answer.
I think your rt he was making a joke.
Second!