I now have a quilting box filled with wood chips and a paper cup chimney to channel heat and moisture to the top with an inner cover and a pitched roof covered in copper atop the hive. I also have a sheet of muslin stapled to the bottoms of the quilting box below the wire mesh to collect propolis. Do I need to put an insulating board on top of the spacer box with the candy board?
Do you use hive warmers in deep or long winters. I have wondered about thermostat solar powered warmers or hand warmers slid in between a beecozy and the hive. In MA where I am winters can be long and very cold ... and weird nowadays.
I have been living on 4 acres in Eden, Utah. I was a traveling technology consultant and never had time for the 6 sets of 3 deep hives as there were no colonies since I bought this beautiful cabin. Well, I’ve stopped traveling and I’m starting my quest in beekeeping. Your detail in this is top notch. Because we live on a ski resort, I’m wanting to move my hives to keep better tabs on them. Because it’s late in the game, I bought a 2 super nuk with load of bees with honey, brood, pollen etc. I’m please with the purchase so I embark to learn and be careful not to kill my bees. We get 3 to 6 ft of snow each year and we can see the beehives when they were up on the mountain but they get covered completely in snow and there is no way I can make it up there so bringing my beehives down to be closer to help feed them . Your totally awesome
Dave, here in North Florida, our temperature drops into the 20's, but warms up to 50-60 within a day. Should I use candy or continue feeding sugar water during the winter?
I have placed it in the blender and it blends better. But I made a video in the past showing that if not mixed well it can settle on the lid BUT the bees will keep opening and clearing the holes. Has not been an issue for me so I just stir it good, and if it settles on the lid I just mix it in with the refill.
Hi David, I’m a new urban bee keeper. My question is: I live in Saint Paul, MN and my hive currently faces North based on the layout of my backyard. In the winter, I get a good breezeway going through my yard and I feel it would be beneficial to switch the hive entrance to face South. Can I do that for entering my bees without messing them up prior to opening up the hive for Spring? Thank you for the excellent videos!
Hello I bought the candy boards last fall. My hives died and didn’t use up the candy boards. I’ve kept them in the garage, could I use them this year with my new hives? Thanks, I appreciate all the great information !
Candy bricks and burlap quilt boards are fine IF done correctly. If the candy brick is too hard or no moisture weakens it, then it may not help the bees. Quilt boxes can help but bees are very good at controlling their winter moisture. I spent one whole winter with sophisticated sensors into a lap top to monitor the ambient moisture and how the bees quickly dried out their internal hive moisture to keep it the same.
I saw another bee keeper do a mite test where they shaked about 300 bees or half a cup full in alcohol. And the mites would fall to the bottom and the bees would stay on top with a special screen. Do you do this at all? Id rather not kill bee's. But I understand the importance of saving the whole hive.
The alcohol wash is what many do. I do not like killing my bees by drowning them in alcohol. I have found a powdered sugar roll test to be very effective in establishing a base line for a mite count.
Depends on which kind. The metal ones could potentially cause pollen to get scrapped off the bees' hind legs from their pollen basket. It might restrict the entrance during a heavy nectar flow. With a solid bottom board, it would reduce ventilation on hot summer days.
Wish I could give you a double thumbs-up! 👍👍
Thanks!
That was a great video. Thank you.
Great video David. God Bless.
I now have a quilting box filled with wood chips and a paper cup chimney to channel heat and moisture to the top with an inner cover and a pitched roof covered in copper atop the hive. I also have a sheet of muslin stapled to the bottoms of the quilting box below the wire mesh to collect propolis. Do I need to put an insulating board on top of the spacer box with the candy board?
I assume that mixture was for a 1 quart Jar ?
cant i wrap the hive and use a small entrance in the bottom a very small one ?
Do you use hive warmers in deep or long winters. I have wondered about thermostat solar powered warmers or hand warmers slid in between a beecozy and the hive. In MA where I am winters can be long and very cold ... and weird nowadays.
Excellent
Thanks
I have been living on 4 acres in Eden, Utah. I was a traveling technology consultant and never had time for the 6 sets of 3 deep hives as there were no colonies since I bought this beautiful cabin. Well, I’ve stopped traveling and I’m starting my quest in beekeeping. Your detail in this is top notch. Because we live on a ski resort, I’m wanting to move my hives to keep better tabs on them. Because it’s late in the game, I bought a 2 super nuk with load of bees with honey, brood, pollen etc. I’m please with the purchase so I embark to learn and be careful not to kill my bees. We get 3 to 6 ft of snow each year and we can see the beehives when they were up on the mountain but they get covered completely in snow and there is no way I can make it up there so bringing my beehives down to be closer to help feed them . Your totally awesome
Can I put my candy board into a spacer box with a 3/8” hole for an upper entrance for winter?
David, how wide of an entrance should I have on be hives going into winter? I was thinking 5" ????
Dave, here in North Florida, our temperature drops into the 20's, but warms up to 50-60 within a day. Should I use candy or continue feeding sugar water during the winter?
Great video. Thanks!
The bee protein powder doesn't clog the holes? Did you bkend it?
I have placed it in the blender and it blends better. But I made a video in the past showing that if not mixed well it can settle on the lid BUT the bees will keep opening and clearing the holes. Has not been an issue for me so I just stir it good, and if it settles on the lid I just mix it in with the refill.
Hi David, I’m a new urban bee keeper. My question is: I live in Saint Paul, MN and my hive currently faces North based on the layout of my backyard. In the winter, I get a good breezeway going through my yard and I feel it would be beneficial to switch the hive entrance to face South. Can I do that for entering my bees without messing them up prior to opening up the hive for Spring? Thank you for the excellent videos!
Can I get just the pollenpowder
Yes
Doesn't the rain soak the insulation?
IS IT TRUE TO ADD TWO BOX OF BEES AT EARLY WINTER KEEP HIVE WARM OF BEES
Hello I bought the candy boards last fall. My hives died and didn’t use up the candy boards. I’ve kept them in the garage, could I use them this year with my new hives?
Thanks, I appreciate all the great information !
Yes they are fine to use again as long as they are not moldy.
@@beek Thanks
Have you ever raise bees for someone with MS for bee sting therapy
I use a candy brick, spacer with burlap sacks and cedar chips (similar to quilt). Is this okay?
Also, how do theymove the dead bee bodies?
Candy bricks and burlap quilt boards are fine IF done correctly. If the candy brick is too hard or no moisture weakens it, then it may not help the bees. Quilt boxes can help but bees are very good at controlling their winter moisture. I spent one whole winter with sophisticated sensors into a lap top to monitor the ambient moisture and how the bees quickly dried out their internal hive moisture to keep it the same.
CAN YOU USE INSULATION BOARD
I saw another bee keeper do a mite test where they shaked about 300 bees or half a cup full in alcohol. And the mites would fall to the bottom and the bees would stay on top with a special screen. Do you do this at all? Id rather not kill bee's. But I understand the importance of saving the whole hive.
The alcohol wash is what many do. I do not like killing my bees by drowning them in alcohol. I have found a powdered sugar roll test to be very effective in establishing a base line for a mite count.
After this liquid feeding, do you keep feeding until day temps reach 50 then stop?
I suggest feeding liquid until day time temps do not reach 50, then use a candy board all winter.
Can you keep a mouse guard on the hive all year
Depends on which kind. The metal ones could potentially cause pollen to get scrapped off the bees' hind legs from their pollen basket. It might restrict the entrance during a heavy nectar flow. With a solid bottom board, it would reduce ventilation on hot summer days.