1) Have you heard of a product called HiveGuard? It uses thymol for mite control. 3:15 2) Do you ever, or should you ever open the pest management tray under Flow-Hives in winter? 9:22 3) My friends are complaining that my honey is too sweet. Do you have an explanation why? 13:16 4) I'm thinking of getting a BeeWeaver Queen next year. Is there any danger I can be bringing in Africanized Genetics? 17:49 5) How do you keep sticky propolis off of your camera equipment? 20:30 6) Can a hive make it through winter with little or no stored resources? 26:15 7) I saw on the Weather Channel the University of Maryland states honey bees have a 50% lower life span from what it was in the 70s. 32:11 8) I am picking up all new hive equipment and hives this winter at the Hive Life Conference. How do I store the hives and frames until spring? 44:45 9) Here in New South Wales, we have to remove honey when treating with OA for mites. How do I get bees out of my Flow-Hive Super? 47:35 10) I have questions about condensation in Observation Hives. Do you do anything about that? What are your thoughts? 54:01 11) I hear everyone say that moisture will condense and kill your bees. Are you saying the only opening to the outside is your single entrance? 59:25 12) I would like to try grafting queens this spring. Everyone says to use one or two day old larvae, why don't eggs work? 1:04:22
I love that in this modern day of instant everything I can look forward all week to your Friday night videos. I can’t believe the conference is sold out!!!
Thank you! I'm also surprised about the conference being sold out so soon. Kamon took a very good gamble in expanding the spaces. I see only growth ahead for that conference and Kamon.
Keep warm Fred , uk has the opposite from the snow flooding issues from heavy rain , but it’s a stunning beautiful blue sky Sunday 9c , then heavy rain tomorrow , have a great week and take care outside
Kamon's grafting video is really what sold me on having the confidence to try this coming Spring. Super nice close ups of the entire operation. Thnx Fred!
23:16; Good Answer Good Answer! Those alcohol disinfectant wipes work well for clean-up too. I only have ONE camera, and I have to use a tool to turn on and off my camera on the tripod.
I woke up to read that Buffalo NY got 6’ of snow!!! How are you doing where you are at? What would the beekeepers in Buffalo do with their bees with that much snow? The hives would be completely buried.
We are still seeing snow-fall, but not like Buffalo. Bee hives can be completely covered and do ok, you'll most often find a small opening/vent rising up through the snow. There is a melt-off coming. A very small opening is all they need to survive.
Thank you very much Fred. I’m mainly referring to my question about condensation in the observation hive but of course as always everything was very informative. Much appreciated. Thank you. Sal
I have enjoyed your information using double bubble as insulation for your hives. I also heard you mention that you created a pillow case for your observation hive using insulation with a R - 1 factor. I was looking at Reflectix R - 21. Would that R factor be too high to line the inside of a telescoping lid? Do you think that lining the lid is a better method or making a square pillow slip for each hive?
My observation hives have "hot pockets" that is to say I made double bubble square-cornered bags which are shaped perfectly to rest over the top of the hives. It's really the air space between the hives and the double-bubble that gives it an advanced R-Factor. Each of the hives are showing increased internal temps with the hot-pockets on the hives. Lining a lid will also be improved if you have air space between two layers of double-bubble. One layer of Double-Bubble is still better than another 3/4" thick piece of pine, so it's an enhancement even when modestly used. Outside, the pillow method I have on my indoor observation hives would be less effective with wind movement. Unless you were able to lock the air in place somehow. Mine are more like custom drapes.
Oh goody, Mug up at the Dunn's, get ready to learn sumtig'. Looks like winter there, 24 F @ 530 am here in central NH. No lake effect snow here. The ground is just freezing up here. How far away from the lake are you, Fred? Trays are cool. I definitely think Dr. Leo is in a sweet spot and I think that fact could contribute to the success of his management style. Hives need a hat in the cooler climates, at least that's the way I think of it. Thanks for posting, Enjoy the snow!
Yes, Dr. Leo frequently comments that his methods may only work best in his environment and they may not apply under different conditions and locations.
Ha Mr Dunn great video my candy is on the hives they ate the first 1 they are now on the sec board, they love my cooking. I hope u have a wonderful Thanksgiving
HI Frances, when you say "candy" is on, please describe what that means to you. Is it a solid block of sugar? Does it cover the entire top? Have you ever tried fondant? Thanks :)
@@FrederickDunn Ha Mr Dunn I make my own candy/fondant I call it candy i have 29 hives and i go to Walmart and by 25 lb bags of sugar I mix sugar with some dry protein sub/ ultra bee from Mann lake, and I put hive alive in it as well, I lay a wire mesh 1/4 in hole on the frames, paper towels on top of the wire mesh so it can not fall trough then the what i call candy goes on top of the paper towels, , the feeder shim is 3/4 wide and I fill it up it is the hole top the bees come up and eat there bellies full they love it. been doing the candy for 8 year now but the hive alive just started that last year. the hives do great with it.. I have no problem with moister plus no starvation the candy last about maybe 2 months if i am lucky I check it every month and add when needed. this spring they came out so pretty and strong I fed them pollen patties in feb with the hive alive in it and 1-1 with hive alive as well I make my own patties as well I found that buying a 50 lb bag of ultra bee is cheaper for me to make my own then buying pre made patties. this year I got the most honey I have ever gotten I had 18 hives that produced 25 gal I could had gotten more But I took and did splits for increase it was really great. I had 40 total but combined for the winter the ones I thought would fail because of weakness or queen failure Bob and Kamon says it is taking your loss now instead of letting them just die in the winter when I combine I do not consider it a loss if they die that is a loss to me. Hope all that makes since I do not write very well I hope u have a wonderful Thanksgiving
@@framcesmoore Sounds like you have figured your bees out in your environment, that's great. Did you by chance try some with and some without the addition of Ultra Bee? It may be an interesting comparison and would answer if the Ultra Bee is making a difference. It may be adding waste material to your bees hind gut that they have to "hold" until cleansing flights can be made. Just "food" for thought :)
@@FrederickDunn Ha never tried any experiment in that way, the reason I had been a bee keeper and in my sec year I lost a lot of hives They were all Russian, got them from Kelly"s They had stores/honey but no pollen any where in the hives because of our very long dearths, anyway, what I had studied/read on the web was that the adult bees need pollen as well the question was asked, what was missing from my hives all had no pollen so it was declared they died from a lack of nutrition/starvation so from that year forward I have been giving them ultra bee well bee pro at first until randy in his studies said ultra bee was better then I started buying that. then my loss was very few until i got them saskatras bees 2 years ago, and they were just something wrong lost 17 of them. that was a big disappointment now I have only mutt mixed carnies open mated queens I do not have bee weaver any more either they were just so swarmy even the swarm swarms as far as cleaning flight go here it does not get real bitter so they are able to take flight if they need to. I feed them to build them up to the strongest they can be for the winter I have tried some with 1-1 and patties and others none doing the dearth, and the queen shut down I seen what was happening and started feeding asap so I do not do experiments any more the mix is 1 cup and a half to 12 lb of sugar just enough to give the sugar color any way it works out good so far.. that is the candy/fondant. now the patties is different there is like 22 lb pollen mixed with 25 ld sugar give or take and mix it to the firmness I want with hive alive. I will say the hive alive I really think the bees do great with it, I went tru [3] 200.00 bottles, now I have the 600.00 bottle the biggest one they make, it was on sale. Kamon on his live chat talked about the rocket fuel that Ian uses he tried it and said it is better then hive alive I got some of that coming from Canada so going to try some of that next year I have found that the more u want to help your bees the more it cost. every one wants money any way I will let u go I have the habit of talking to much at times have a great week thanks again for the videos u do they are helping a lot of people I think they are great
Great Q&A Frederick, the El Nino is still gonna make colder weather than average in the northern tier of states, the middle band will be close to their average, the southern band will have slightly above average according to the national weather service.
If you want to make sure you have a cluster, but it's cold to open the hive, you can make a redneck stethoscope with a piece of 1/4" i.d. hose and small funnel that fits the hose.
Always enjoy these Episodes Frederick--thank you always. Brad QUESTION: My hive has a lot of honey stores, yet, I do have Hive Alive Fondant Patties to give them in Jan, Feb and March. My question is, I have learned that Hive Alive Fondant has stimulants? What are your thoughts about stimulating bees to eat during winter? I thought this was not a good idea. Please share your thoughts. Thanks Frederick.
I consider Hive Alive Fondant to be an excellent augmentation for your winter feeding. Bees are stimulated by heavy sugars more than anything else. Since the first ingredient in the Hive Alive Fondant is Sucrose I think they are good-to-go. The fondant isn't encouraging brood buildup in the way that high protein pollen patties can, so they are very different. Consider it related to winter patties. :) I say keep them on. Thanks, Brad.
@@FrederickDunn Thank you Frederick. Thank you for everything. Happy Thanksgiving to you. You have taught me a lot over the past year and I am extremely grateful for all you do. (I agree about Hive Alive)
I lightly mist the sugar as I layer it on when doing the mountain camp method. I sometimes open feed sugar and mist it several times a day in pan where bees aren't suckling up the juice or syrup, which ever you prefer to call it.
Hello Frederick! I enjoy you videos and look forward to Friday evening watching the videos. At least twice when you are speaking of Bweaver that they are located in Sarasota, Tx. Have they changed location? I've thought it was Navasota, Tx and their website also says Navasota. I think I may have the town misspelled. Please keep up the great videos.
WoW... The Northern States is having lots of Snow ! Big time.... Is it not really early ? Seems the Weather is going weird. Here in Scotland, recently, it was 16C (61F) in Edinburgh Botanical Gardens at 4am in Mid November ! 🙄 Should be cold and frosty by now (!) At least it means we are not having to put the Central Heating (Furnace) on. Phew... esp as Home Heating Fuel is so Expensive. £££s At the time of that Warm Spell, seems Fred, JC Bees, David Burns, other US Beeks were getting Snow bound ! On this side of the Pond, iur Bees were flying like it was Spring. Bringing in Dandelion and Primrose Pollen. Yes, these are Flowering again, even though they did back in April. .. Nature is mixed up (?) Even had a Strawberry 🍓 Plant with an odd Flower on it 🤭 Been adding plenty of Fondant, as any Honey Stores seem to be used more than this time last year (November 2021 was getting Cold and Icy at this time.) Hope the Colonies get as much Ivy Nectar and Pollen as they can. It's Flowering like crazy. Bees Buzzing all over this at the moment, when it's dry.... 👀 Been warm, but very very Rainy, (guess it's the Jet Stream gone Ape, Blocked Cold Air Stateside,) and we get all this warm Moisture. It even Flooded many Areas. A Cold Snap is needed, but not a long Blast of Blizzards. Your welcome to keep that Snow and Ice. 🤭 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 Happy Beekeeping 2022. 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
I always recommend two hives/colonies for beginners. If you find yourself to be queenless, or if one needs a boost, a second hive can often provide that. Few things are more depressing for new beekeepers than to find yourself flat out of bees. I hope that's helpful :)
Fred, I have my hives tucked behind a wind break ( 4’ wall of leaves) . I have a nice 2” top insulated cover and 1/2 “ aluminum coated rigid insulation board on 3 sides. Is it reasonable to expect condensation to form on the one un insulated side ( the front ) ? If excessive it could slide down it and through my screened bottom board onto the insulated board beneath it. Seem logical?
I'll talk about this on Friday. Thanks, Gerry. So you're saying you have three sides of the hive completely insulated as well as the top cover you're describing? And that the front is uninsulated? Also, aside from the insulated cover, is there also an insulated inner cover?
Fred, thanks for the reply! I use a regular inner cover with a rapid round ( filled with sugar as you described )surrounded by sawdust. To import the insulated inner cover up here to Ontario is cost prohibitive for this simple pensioner 😉
Great Q&A as always Fred!! A question... During the Winter I have hives that get more shade than others and of course the bees are less active than the colonies in the sun. The active colonies of course burn through more resources, but which is actually better for the bees? Is it better for the bee's health to break cluster and be active almost every day, or just stay mostly clustered and only break cluster occasionally? Thanks as always and see you soon at Hive Life!!
Hi Keith, my sunny hives with south-facing landing boards definitely fly sooner during momentary warm ups. Shaded hives warm slower and often miss forage opportunities, particularly when it comes to flying out for water. May not be as important in southern climates.
Ashtabula is gettin slammed,,we got 13 inches so far,,my friend 7 miles south has 2 inches,,,my hives are well insulated for Jan an Feb temps,,,,,gotta love Lake Erie
That would depend upon what's already in the fondant. Spirulina was being promoted for bee health a few years ago, but I haven't found any new data on that.
A note on the Beescape pesticide scores, they only cover agricultural use and are a "best guess" for that. If you are a backyard beekeeper in a suburban setting (like me), you're probably better off seeing how nice your neighbors lawns are and how many "Mosquito Joe" signs you have in your neighborhood. Explanation from the Beescape FAQ is below. "Moreover, the score is limited to agricultural insecticide use, and so excludes other kinds of insecticide application (e.g., homeowner use, mosquito spraying)."
If you use the link on my website, there is a discount associated with it. I hope they didn't raise their prices. www.fredsfinefowl.com/hivealiveworks.html
Fred, If I use hive alive and the bees are normally in the lower box this time of year, the bees move up immediately to eat the fondant. If it runs out, will the bees move back down to the bottom? Or will they stay at the top? So, if they eat the resources at top first, will stay there and starve or move down? Thanks for all your videos.
Last year, they moved up and then expanded down when weather warmed. I think it's important to keep the fondant available once you start with it. One colony appeared to be at the top right away, but it was just the heat-capsule inside the hive, the cluster was still down over the honey. Last winter I was evaulating the insulated inner covers at the same time I started with fondant, so there were some interesting evaulation challenges with thermal imaging. Bee health in spring told the story, so I'm onboard with Hive Alive packs.
I have two hives that I split off my first two hives this year single deep hives I fed them heavy and a sugar board on them is that sufficient in middle Missouri ?
Ha do u do a late season clean up with oav like kamon does and bob binnie they do it in dec Bob does 3 treatment 10 days apart kamon does 2. I started doing it last year I use to treat in early spring with mite away it hurt the build up in turn messed up the honey production, now I do not have to they come into spring clean my first treatment is now when the suppers comes off Just asking have a great day thanks and have a blessed week
Hi Frances! Thank you for this question, I'll add it to my list for this coming Friday. I think it's important to give a good description of my timing on this. Thanks for being a frequent viewer and commenter :)
Shortened lifespan of honeybees (50%) applies to lab-kept bees. Today’s Honey Bees Live Only Half as Long as ’70s Bees Shorter Lifespans for Lab-kept Honey Bees Could Help Explain Increased Colony Losses, Lower Honey Production
pulled my formic pro off after 14 days,,time will tell ,out of 5 ... 1 looks strong, i added fondant,temp was 49°f,buttoned up and freezing temps that nite and from now on ,I worked fast , on anither note one of my apimay knockoffs was a dead out,...they were a honey producer, but noticed about a week ago a bit if robbing ,so it seemed ,well i took a look ...and no bees ,no dead bees, i am at a loss, they had zero mites, i pulled the slide out tray detrtitus was a few beetles,wax caps and saw a few wax moth cacoons,but nearly all the combs were empty but totally reusable,next season, some had a little honey still capped, so its all in my freezer ready for next spring, this was not a hive i had formic on,just another mystery in my bee venture,just caught me by suprise was a good colony thru summer,maybe any survivors just drifted to the next hive ,the combs were not damaged by any wax moths, crazy bees
@@FrederickDunn yes,i never saw a big robbing event,doesn't mean it didnt happen, didnt see many dead bees,im not sure if they abscobded,and now too cold to finish robbing,guess im lucky to get all the drawn comb in good shape,thank you mr dunn
Grafting eggs using the traditional (dolittle method) doesn’t work for me because there is no Royal jelly yet, which is essential in the transfer from comb to cup using a Chinese grafting tool. I move the grub by scooping up the jelly pool with the larva floating in it. Using the Nicot, however, transferring cups containing eggs has been successful for me, and multiple eggs in a single cup has worked better for me. (Notice I keep saying “for me”! Everyone arrives at their own method through trial and error.
If you learned nothing at all, then I'm very happy that you have a wide array of bee-channels on RUclips. I'll never be in politics, but thanks for that compliment.
1) Have you heard of a product called HiveGuard? It uses thymol for mite control. 3:15
2) Do you ever, or should you ever open the pest management tray under Flow-Hives in winter? 9:22
3) My friends are complaining that my honey is too sweet. Do you have an explanation why? 13:16
4) I'm thinking of getting a BeeWeaver Queen next year. Is there any danger I can be bringing in Africanized Genetics? 17:49
5) How do you keep sticky propolis off of your camera equipment? 20:30
6) Can a hive make it through winter with little or no stored resources? 26:15
7) I saw on the Weather Channel the University of Maryland states honey bees have a 50% lower life span from what it was in the 70s. 32:11
8) I am picking up all new hive equipment and hives this winter at the Hive Life Conference. How do I store the hives and frames until spring? 44:45
9) Here in New South Wales, we have to remove honey when treating with OA for mites. How do I get bees out of my Flow-Hive Super? 47:35
10) I have questions about condensation in Observation Hives. Do you do anything about that? What are your thoughts? 54:01
11) I hear everyone say that moisture will condense and kill your bees. Are you saying the only opening to the outside is your single entrance? 59:25
12) I would like to try grafting queens this spring. Everyone says to use one or two day old larvae, why don't eggs work? 1:04:22
Thank you.
Looking forward to some stunning photographs/video of your beautiful landscape with snow.
Thank you for answering my question, Mr. Dunn!
You are very welcome :)
I love that in this modern day of instant everything I can look forward all week to your Friday night videos. I can’t believe the conference is sold out!!!
Thank you! I'm also surprised about the conference being sold out so soon. Kamon took a very good gamble in expanding the spaces. I see only growth ahead for that conference and Kamon.
Perfect pronunciation of my name, thank you for answer and another informative video!
Thank you :)
Keep warm Fred , uk has the opposite from the snow flooding issues from heavy rain , but it’s a stunning beautiful blue sky Sunday 9c , then heavy rain tomorrow , have a great week and take care outside
Thanks for the all the info
❤️ Thank you ❤️ Happy Thanksgiving!
Same to you! And you're welcome :)
Hello Dear Frederick Dunn 🥰🥰🥰🥰
Kamon's grafting video is really what sold me on having the confidence to try this coming Spring. Super nice close ups of the entire operation. Thnx Fred!
Glad it was helpful! I hope you left him a comment :)
Happy Thanksgiving
23:16; Good Answer Good Answer! Those alcohol disinfectant wipes work well for clean-up too. I only have ONE camera, and I have to use a tool to turn on and off my camera on the tripod.
A remove control in a zip-lock baggie is another great way to protect your camera and the remote :)
Good show, great and varied questions!
You crack me up! I'm a first-year beekeeper and trying to learn all I can. I just thoroughly enjoy your videos!
:) Thank you so much!
Thank you, Fred, for the ongoing educational videos.
Thank you for watching them, Kennith!
Happy holidays thanks for time and wisdom
Thanks Fred! Great info as always!
Thanks for watching!
Great show Fred. Can't wait to meet you at Hive Life!
Very interesting entrance. I might have to get my printers going.
I woke up to read that Buffalo NY got 6’ of snow!!! How are you doing where you are at? What would the beekeepers in Buffalo do with their bees with that much snow? The hives would be completely buried.
We are still seeing snow-fall, but not like Buffalo. Bee hives can be completely covered and do ok, you'll most often find a small opening/vent rising up through the snow. There is a melt-off coming. A very small opening is all they need to survive.
Thank you very much Fred. I’m mainly referring to my question about condensation in the observation hive but of course as always everything was very informative. Much appreciated. Thank you. Sal
Yes, I know, I just try to provide inclusive information that may have a broader appeal and usefulness. :)
I have enjoyed your information using double bubble as insulation for your hives. I also heard you mention that you created a pillow case for your observation hive using insulation with a R - 1 factor.
I was looking at Reflectix R - 21. Would that R factor be too high to line the inside of a telescoping lid? Do you think that lining the lid is a better method or making a square pillow slip for each hive?
My observation hives have "hot pockets" that is to say I made double bubble square-cornered bags which are shaped perfectly to rest over the top of the hives. It's really the air space between the hives and the double-bubble that gives it an advanced R-Factor. Each of the hives are showing increased internal temps with the hot-pockets on the hives. Lining a lid will also be improved if you have air space between two layers of double-bubble. One layer of Double-Bubble is still better than another 3/4" thick piece of pine, so it's an enhancement even when modestly used. Outside, the pillow method I have on my indoor observation hives would be less effective with wind movement. Unless you were able to lock the air in place somehow. Mine are more like custom drapes.
Happy holidays thanks for your time and wisdom
Oh goody, Mug up at the Dunn's, get ready to learn sumtig'. Looks like winter there, 24 F @ 530 am here in central NH. No lake effect snow here. The ground is just freezing up here. How far away from the lake are you, Fred? Trays are cool. I definitely think Dr. Leo is in a sweet spot and I think that fact could contribute to the success of his management style. Hives need a hat in the cooler climates, at least that's the way I think of it. Thanks for posting, Enjoy the snow!
Yes, Dr. Leo frequently comments that his methods may only work best in his environment and they may not apply under different conditions and locations.
Thanks for video Fred, Happy Thanksgiving!!
Same to you! and thank you.
Ha Mr Dunn great video my candy is on the hives they ate the first 1 they are now on the sec board, they love my cooking. I hope u have a wonderful Thanksgiving
HI Frances, when you say "candy" is on, please describe what that means to you. Is it a solid block of sugar? Does it cover the entire top? Have you ever tried fondant? Thanks :)
@@FrederickDunn Ha Mr Dunn I make my own candy/fondant I call it candy i have 29 hives and i go to Walmart and by 25 lb bags of sugar I mix sugar with some dry protein sub/ ultra bee from Mann lake, and I put hive alive in it as well, I lay a wire mesh 1/4 in hole on the frames, paper towels on top of the wire mesh so it can not fall trough then the what i call candy goes on top of the paper towels, , the feeder shim is 3/4 wide and I fill it up it is the hole top the bees come up and eat there bellies full they love it. been doing the candy for 8 year now but the hive alive just started that last year. the hives do great with it.. I have no problem with moister plus no starvation the candy last about maybe 2 months if i am lucky I check it every month and add when needed. this spring they came out so pretty and strong I fed them pollen patties in feb with the hive alive in it and 1-1 with hive alive as well I make my own patties as well I found that buying a 50 lb bag of ultra bee is cheaper for me to make my own then buying pre made patties. this year I got the most honey I have ever gotten I had 18 hives that produced 25 gal I could had gotten more But I took and did splits for increase it was really great. I had 40 total but combined for the winter the ones I thought would fail because of weakness or queen failure Bob and Kamon says it is taking your loss now instead of letting them just die in the winter when I combine I do not consider it a loss if they die that is a loss to me. Hope all that makes since I do not write very well I hope u have a wonderful Thanksgiving
@@framcesmoore Sounds like you have figured your bees out in your environment, that's great. Did you by chance try some with and some without the addition of Ultra Bee? It may be an interesting comparison and would answer if the Ultra Bee is making a difference. It may be adding waste material to your bees hind gut that they have to "hold" until cleansing flights can be made. Just "food" for thought :)
@@FrederickDunn Ha never tried any experiment in that way, the reason I had been a bee keeper and in my sec year I lost a lot of hives They were all Russian, got them from Kelly"s They had stores/honey but no pollen any where in the hives because of our very long dearths, anyway, what I had studied/read on the web was that the adult bees need pollen as well the question was asked, what was missing from my hives all had no pollen so it was declared they died from a lack of nutrition/starvation so from that year forward I have been giving them ultra bee well bee pro at first until randy in his studies said ultra bee was better then I started buying that. then my loss was very few until i got them saskatras bees 2 years ago, and they were just something wrong lost 17 of them. that was a big disappointment now I have only mutt mixed carnies open mated queens I do not have bee weaver any more either they were just so swarmy even the swarm swarms as far as cleaning flight go here it does not get real bitter so they are able to take flight if they need to. I feed them to build them up to the strongest they can be for the winter I have tried some with 1-1 and patties and others none doing the dearth, and the queen shut down I seen what was happening and started feeding asap so I do not do experiments any more the mix is 1 cup and a half to 12 lb of sugar just enough to give the sugar color any way it works out good so far.. that is the candy/fondant. now the patties is different there is like 22 lb pollen mixed with 25 ld sugar give or take and mix it to the firmness I want with hive alive. I will say the hive alive I really think the bees do great with it, I went tru [3] 200.00 bottles, now I have the 600.00 bottle the biggest one they make, it was on sale. Kamon on his live chat talked about the rocket fuel that Ian uses he tried it and said it is better then hive alive I got some of that coming from Canada so going to try some of that next year I have found that the more u want to help your bees the more it cost. every one wants money any way I will let u go I have the habit of talking to much at times have a great week thanks again for the videos u do they are helping a lot of people I think they are great
Great Q&A Frederick, the El Nino is still gonna make colder weather than average in the northern tier of states, the middle band will be close to their average, the southern band will have slightly above average according to the national weather service.
If you want to make sure you have a cluster, but it's cold to open the hive, you can make a redneck stethoscope with a piece of 1/4" i.d. hose and small funnel that fits the hose.
Always enjoy these Episodes Frederick--thank you always. Brad
QUESTION: My hive has a lot of honey stores, yet, I do have Hive Alive Fondant Patties to give them in Jan, Feb and March. My question is, I have learned that Hive Alive Fondant has stimulants? What are your thoughts about stimulating bees to eat during winter? I thought this was not a good idea. Please share your thoughts.
Thanks Frederick.
I consider Hive Alive Fondant to be an excellent augmentation for your winter feeding. Bees are stimulated by heavy sugars more than anything else. Since the first ingredient in the Hive Alive Fondant is Sucrose I think they are good-to-go. The fondant isn't encouraging brood buildup in the way that high protein pollen patties can, so they are very different. Consider it related to winter patties. :) I say keep them on. Thanks, Brad.
@@FrederickDunn Thank you Frederick. Thank you for everything. Happy Thanksgiving to you. You have taught me a lot over the past year and I am extremely grateful for all you do. (I agree about Hive Alive)
@@bradgoliphant Thanks, Brad, and the same to you!
I lightly mist the sugar as I layer it on when doing the mountain camp method. I sometimes open feed sugar and mist it several times a day in pan where bees aren't suckling up the juice or syrup, which ever you prefer to call it.
I have found the best way to remove propolis from anything is to use nail polish remover. It does a great job taking it off tools or equipment.
Thanks for sharing!
@@FrederickDunn You are welcome. Hope it helps you and other people who struggle with propolis on their equipment.
Hello Frederick! I enjoy you videos and look forward to Friday evening watching the videos.
At least twice when you are speaking of Bweaver that they are located in Sarasota, Tx. Have they changed location? I've thought it was Navasota, Tx and their website also says Navasota. I think I may have the town misspelled.
Please keep up the great videos.
That will teach me to shoot from the hip on locations. You're right - 16481 County Rd 319, Navasota, TX 77868
I heard you guys got some cresy snow--- like ga-zillion feet of it!
Hmmmm, a ga-zillion feet? (';') you must have received your information from my grandson... ( ';')...
I think that, Carrie, the lady that works for Ian Steppler would be an excellent teacher in the art of making queens.😎😎
There are definitely lots of experienced grafters that provide beneficial information.
WoW... The Northern States is having lots of Snow ! Big time.... Is it not really early ?
Seems the Weather is going weird. Here in Scotland, recently, it was 16C (61F) in Edinburgh Botanical Gardens at 4am in Mid November ! 🙄 Should be cold and frosty by now (!) At least it means we are not having to put the Central Heating (Furnace) on. Phew... esp as Home Heating Fuel is so Expensive. £££s
At the time of that Warm Spell, seems Fred, JC Bees, David Burns, other US Beeks were getting Snow bound ! On this side of the Pond, iur Bees were flying like it was Spring. Bringing in Dandelion and Primrose Pollen. Yes, these are Flowering again, even though they did back in April. .. Nature is mixed up (?) Even had a Strawberry 🍓 Plant with an odd Flower on it 🤭
Been adding plenty of Fondant, as any Honey Stores seem to be used more than this time last year (November 2021 was getting Cold and Icy at this time.)
Hope the Colonies get as much Ivy Nectar and Pollen as they can. It's Flowering like crazy. Bees Buzzing all over this at the moment, when it's dry.... 👀
Been warm, but very very Rainy, (guess it's the Jet Stream gone Ape, Blocked Cold Air Stateside,) and we get all this warm Moisture.
It even Flooded many Areas.
A Cold Snap is needed, but not a long Blast of Blizzards.
Your welcome to keep that Snow and Ice. 🤭
🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
Happy Beekeeping 2022.
🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
You got snow already in you area mister Frederick
We do indeed, with more on the way.
To clarify, I can use mountain directly on the frames with insulation on top of that, and no drip or quilt box. Is this correct?
Yes, you can do the mountain camp method directly on the frames and have the inner cover or or other insulation above that.
Fred, I know this is off topic but as a beginner beginner beekeeper how many hives do you suggest I start with? - Bill
I always recommend two hives/colonies for beginners. If you find yourself to be queenless, or if one needs a boost, a second hive can often provide that. Few things are more depressing for new beekeepers than to find yourself flat out of bees. I hope that's helpful :)
Fred, I have my hives tucked behind a wind break ( 4’ wall of leaves) . I have a nice 2” top insulated cover and 1/2 “ aluminum coated rigid insulation board on 3 sides. Is it reasonable to expect condensation to form on the one un insulated side ( the front ) ? If excessive it could slide down it and through my screened bottom board onto the insulated board beneath it. Seem logical?
I'll talk about this on Friday. Thanks, Gerry. So you're saying you have three sides of the hive completely insulated as well as the top cover you're describing? And that the front is uninsulated? Also, aside from the insulated cover, is there also an insulated inner cover?
Fred, thanks for the reply! I use a regular inner cover with a rapid round ( filled with sugar as you described )surrounded by sawdust. To import the insulated inner cover up here to Ontario is cost prohibitive for this simple pensioner 😉
With the HiveGuard, what is the pollen drop?
I have no idea, she hasn't responded to any questions.
Great Q&A as always Fred!!
A question...
During the Winter I have hives that get more shade than others and of course the bees are less active than the colonies in the sun. The active colonies of course burn through more resources, but which is actually better for the bees? Is it better for the bee's health to break cluster and be active almost every day, or just stay mostly clustered and only break cluster occasionally? Thanks as always and see you soon at Hive Life!!
Hi Keith, my sunny hives with south-facing landing boards definitely fly sooner during momentary warm ups. Shaded hives warm slower and often miss forage opportunities, particularly when it comes to flying out for water. May not be as important in southern climates.
Ashtabula is gettin slammed,,we got 13 inches so far,,my friend 7 miles south has 2 inches,,,my hives are well insulated for Jan an Feb temps,,,,,gotta love Lake Erie
Ashtabula often takes a heavy hit, I know when I'm driving I-90 that part seems to often be heavier that most other areas around there :)
thanks for all your great work and great videos. i love how detailed you are. question: would you see any benefit to adding some spirulina to fondant?
That would depend upon what's already in the fondant. Spirulina was being promoted for bee health a few years ago, but I haven't found any new data on that.
@@FrederickDunn thank you
A note on the Beescape pesticide scores, they only cover agricultural use and are a "best guess" for that. If you are a backyard beekeeper in a suburban setting (like me), you're probably better off seeing how nice your neighbors lawns are and how many "Mosquito Joe" signs you have in your neighborhood. Explanation from the Beescape FAQ is below.
"Moreover, the score is limited to agricultural insecticide use, and so excludes other kinds of insecticide application (e.g., homeowner use, mosquito spraying)."
That is true, BeeScape counts on reporting by farmers. Neighbors are likely to do anything at any time and have no notification requirements.
Thank you Fred, as always lots of great information, have a fantastic weekend! PS I would love to see the snow you are getting. (Hint,hint)
I'm with you, RB, I am almost ready to get my skis out.
How many dead bees is normal in winter? I'm cleaning out around 20- 40 per day. 😢
With a normal sized colony, that's not a lot this time of year.
Hey Fred where you get hive alive fondant for under 5 dollars ? Thanks
If you use the link on my website, there is a discount associated with it. I hope they didn't raise their prices. www.fredsfinefowl.com/hivealiveworks.html
Hi fred can you replace white trays with the new yellow ones. On flow hives.
Yes, I think they are the same size and interchangeable.
Fred,
If I use hive alive and the bees are normally in the lower box this time of year, the bees move up immediately to eat the fondant. If it runs out, will the bees move back down to the bottom? Or will they stay at the top? So, if they eat the resources at top first, will stay there and starve or move down? Thanks for all your videos.
Last year, they moved up and then expanded down when weather warmed. I think it's important to keep the fondant available once you start with it. One colony appeared to be at the top right away, but it was just the heat-capsule inside the hive, the cluster was still down over the honey. Last winter I was evaulating the insulated inner covers at the same time I started with fondant, so there were some interesting evaulation challenges with thermal imaging. Bee health in spring told the story, so I'm onboard with Hive Alive packs.
@@FrederickDunn I’m putting on hive alive tomorrow under a candy board. I’ll keep it throughout the winter. Thanks
I have two hives that I split off my first two hives this year single deep hives I fed them heavy and a sugar board on them is that sufficient in middle Missouri ?
That sugar board may save them if they don't have enough capped honey on. It's a toss up.
Thank you I also used Hive Alive In all feedings also in the candy boards.
Ha do u do a late season clean up with oav like kamon does and bob binnie they do it in dec Bob does 3 treatment 10 days apart kamon does 2. I started doing it last year I use to treat in early spring with mite away it hurt the build up in turn messed up the honey production, now I do not have to they come into spring clean my first treatment is now when the suppers comes off Just asking have a great day thanks and have a blessed week
Hi Frances! Thank you for this question, I'll add it to my list for this coming Friday. I think it's important to give a good description of my timing on this. Thanks for being a frequent viewer and commenter :)
@@FrederickDunn Thanks u kidding I always enjoy your videos the music all of it is great Thank you for doing them have a blessed week
At 9.95 I could see the Hive Guard being too costly. If it killed 95%, I would try it.
I think we're waiting on the research to be finalized. I've sent requests for interviews, we'll see what can be learned going forward.
Shortened lifespan of honeybees (50%) applies to lab-kept bees.
Today’s Honey Bees Live Only Half as Long as ’70s Bees
Shorter Lifespans for Lab-kept Honey Bees Could Help Explain Increased Colony Losses, Lower Honey Production
pulled my formic pro off after 14 days,,time will tell ,out of 5 ... 1 looks strong, i added fondant,temp was 49°f,buttoned up and freezing temps that nite and from now on ,I worked fast , on anither note one of my apimay knockoffs was a dead out,...they were a honey producer, but noticed about a week ago a bit if robbing ,so it seemed ,well i took a look ...and no bees ,no dead bees, i am at a loss, they had zero mites, i pulled the slide out tray detrtitus was a few beetles,wax caps and saw a few wax moth cacoons,but nearly all the combs were empty but totally reusable,next season, some had a little honey still capped, so its all in my freezer ready for next spring, this was not a hive i had formic on,just another mystery in my bee venture,just caught me by suprise was a good colony thru summer,maybe any survivors just drifted to the next hive ,the combs were not damaged by any wax moths, crazy bees
Unpredictable behavior will often leave us scratching our heads...
@@FrederickDunn yes,i never saw a big robbing event,doesn't mean it didnt happen, didnt see many dead bees,im not sure if they abscobded,and now too cold to finish robbing,guess im lucky to get all the drawn comb in good shape,thank you mr dunn
Fred will you be at the meet and great at hive life?
I hope so, it really depends on how the driving is weather wise.
Grafting eggs using the traditional (dolittle method) doesn’t work for me because there is no Royal jelly yet, which is essential in the transfer from comb to cup using a Chinese grafting tool. I move the grub by scooping up the jelly pool with the larva floating in it. Using the Nicot, however, transferring cups containing eggs has been successful for me, and multiple eggs in a single cup has worked better for me. (Notice I keep saying “for me”! Everyone arrives at their own method through trial and error.
Thank you for sharing your methods and thoughts.
Before I forget, again-- are you going to be selling your awesome cup??
I'm sorry to say that I'm not, the artist is taking a break, but thanks for asking :)
@@FrederickDunn keep count of those who inquire ❤️
Kakugo virus can make people think they have Africanized bees, because it makes guard bees more aggressive.
Education is key when determining the cause of overly defensive colonies. Thanks for sharing.
🇱🇨👊🏼👍🏼♥️
Talk talk talk and nothing learned, this guy should be in politics
If you learned nothing at all, then I'm very happy that you have a wide array of bee-channels on RUclips. I'll never be in politics, but thanks for that compliment.
If you want to learn something why not ask him a question you need answered.