The learning never stops with your videos. Words do not adequately express our appreciation for your work: knowledge, demonstrative skill, testing, photography, articulation, your precious time that you so generously share. You already have a place in history for the advancement of beekeeping practices. Thank you.
This was fabulous. I really enjoy the shorter videos. It allows me to take a look when I have a short bit of time available. I realize I could simply watch a longer video in segments, but alas, I suffer from Dunnvideoitis: Once bitten, I can't stop watching!
I think you have convinced me to take the plug and start next year. I have been mulling over the idea and with the ease of the flow hive set up I feel as a first timer the process is manageable for a new person. I also live in Pa right outside Philadelphia! Thanks for the videos!!!
I'm very happy I found your channel, lots of info, and very entertaining! Great content my dude! I want to start keeping bees been watching most of the popular apiary. Learning a lot can't wait to try and catch a swarm this spring!
Some time ago I saw a video of a beekeeper using vaporised mineral oil in much the same way as oxalic acid crystals.presumably it would be less damaging to beekeepers, but I would like to check before trying it.The varroa resistant bee strains would be the best solution in the long run from an environmentally friendly solution.Keep up the good work. I live in the North of Scotland and we are having a great summer here with record high temperatures.
i would be surprized if no one has already commented on this. this is. you say that the hive must be kept level for the oil, but when opening the flow frames , you have to tilt the hive. some chore!
Why would tilting the hive be a chore? All you have to do is remove the tray, empty it, replace it and tilt away. Much easier than removing the honey supers in my opinion. Some people don't put oil in the trays at all, but instead use something like cooking spray and that wouldn't be impacted by tilting at all. Just some alternatives.
Hey Fred, thanks for another great video. I really love the close ups. I've been using canola oil as it's been the cheapest, but will try mineral oil next time.
@@FrederickDunn Yeah I got video. A lot of bee groups, mead making companies and a magazine has shared it. It went viral to our standards. Lol. instagram.com/p/B0WzhaeAHRm/?igshid=zekh5enlgtrn But it was super cool. The bees started fanning alot before she popped out and I was like something is happening. Then she was on the outside pulled frame and I saw the attendants and her head poking out and if it would have been any other frame or time would have missed it It was like 2 minutes from workers opening capped cell and feeding her to her leaving the cell. She instantly started looking at cells to lay in even though she is not mated yet.
Great video. I feel much better about my Saskatraz being able to fend off parasites. I don't see any, but my eyes are kind of weak. Questions: I see drones returning to my hive. Does that mean that they couldn't find a date (mate) on Saturday night? I also see rather small bees. Do bees produce runts or am I just seeing brand new foragers? Thanks as always.
Hi Keith... if you see drones returning to the hive, they failed to find a mate... how do I know? Well, because those who did find a mate are lying dead in a field somewhere with a tiny smile oh their faces. Mating is an activity causing certain death to the drone. Small bees can be new just because they haven't fattened up yet. If they are very light with lots of extra fuzz, that's generally a newly hatched worker :) thanks for watching!
Bout that time of year for Queen cels in the hives for the fall mating flight iirc. Varroa mites and hive beetles are nasty little pests. Luckily you have A great species of sanitation bees that care very well of their homes and keep things nice and tidy. Good Video (Fred) if you don’t mind me calling you that. Otherwise Mr. Dunn 😀
Fred, are you using queen excluders with your FH colonies these days? Earlier, in spite of not using them in your apiary generally, you indicated they should be used, but I believe you felt later that the honey barrier with a 2nd box below the FH super tends to keep the queen from moving into the FH supers...
HI Phillip, I do tell others to usd them until they are certain how far up their Queen will venture. I don't personally use them and instead let them establish a "honey-bridge" in a medium super before adding the Flow-Super. The only time I had eggs in the Flow-Frames was when I left them on through winter without the excluder. Now I take frames off during winter.
@@FrederickDunn Got it - thank you. I have double deeps, then the FH super - and so far, have had a good experience without an excluder - probably because of the "honey bridge" effect you mention. I am also finding they go into the FH super more readily without the excluder - having tried it both ways. Finally, I have a hybrid FH in the mix and they seem to prefer the FH frames over the "standard" frames, having started there first with honey - possibly because they are in the middle.
Thanks Fred... I knew they drowned...I thought there may have been some attraction to the oil like a feramone bait or something. Interesting to see the bees pulling out larvae... Another gr8 video...Cheers!
Wow! Those ugly little critters look like a tick. A tick for bees... Ugh... Now I get it... Thanks for another great video Sir. Love those macro shots! 😃
Hey Frederick, I believe I solved my uneven brood boxes. When using an L Square ruler I saw they were not lining up, so I'm going to take apart one end of each box and realign them. I have one other question for you that I need to ask if you don't mind Frederick. If you remember, I modified my deep Langstroth frames into make-shift Layens, so my frame are 19" wide and 18" deep. They will fit in two deep brood boxes. My end goal was to epoxy the two brood boxes together to hold these modified frames. Do you think this is a good idea to adhere them together? What would you do? Would you just stake them and let the bees seal it up? The reason for my wanting to epoxy them together was if I ever had to move it I could as one unit. Because if I take them apart to move them, the frames would need to be taken out. See my point? The Flow Team suggest that I don't, but wanted to ask someone I trust and appreciate. I will follow your suggestion. P.S. I love the idea of doing something different and am glad I modified my frames, yet in doing so, I put myself is a dilema on whether to or not to epoxy the two boxes together or just stake them and let the bees bee. Thanks for always being there for my question. Still learning. Brad
Hi Brad, I would let the bees glue those boxes together and if I had to move them I'd just strap them well with shipping straps before making the move. This way if you ever decide to go back to standard frames etc... the boxes will still be usable for that purpose.
Ok a question for your next Q/A, Question one I'm making a horizontal hive can I put a flow hive on it ? It will be three deeps long. Second question Do you leave your flow hive on yours all year? Third question I know you probably answered this but do you filter the honey after cause on some of your videos of you harvesting honey I see bee parts or something here and there in it. Cosby Clark is my name if you fill like using it in video anytime I have a question. Oh question 4 I will be putting my horizontal hive on 4 acres , I plan on getting goats chickens etc. Though plan on planting buckwheat, alfalfa, and lots of seasonal flowering plants. I'm in Oklahoma, is there a Super flower plant that is a for sure thing , I have also watched bees for trees and others . Just want your opinion. Thanks
HI Cosby, in my FAQ 13, I discuss the horizontal hives. I personally would not put flowframes in a horizontal hive as they may not fill them and you need specific configurations which differ from the traditional frames you'll be using on the same level. IN my opinion, that would be more trouble than it's worth. As for forage, diversity is key since weather can become a factor during any nectar flow, so staging flowering periods through the year so that there is little to no dearth to contend with would be the best approach. There is no single "super flower" that I know of. As for leaving flow-hives on all year, here is a video where I describe my methods: ruclips.net/video/CZsGV1F8xbQ/видео.html
@@FrederickDunn Thanks . I'm just wondering about the flow hives vs cost of all the equipment I need. If flow hives are that simple I might buy them . It will save headaches Later. With all the honey extraction stuff. Thanks again.
I'm a new beekeeper in the north east. I have 2 brood boxes and an 8 frame flow super. Last week I harvested two capped flow frames. Tomorrow I will harvest another. Today I see that the two frames I emptied 3 days ago are about half full with honey again. Should I continue to draw honey from the flow frames as they become capped, or should I add another super to give the hive more space? Thanks.
HI Glen, once I have a deep and at least a medium box with honey, I continue to draw off from the Flow-Frames as they get capped.. however, IF, they are loading the frames too fast and there isn't time for capping them, then yes add another box! The nectar takes up twice the space as the finished honey so they do need time and space to finish it all off.
Hello Fredrich. What kind of stand would you recommend for the flow hive 2--without their bottom stand. Without their stand, the hive has legs so its not very functional on most hive stands. Do you just recommend cinder blocks?
HI Brad, if you look at this video, you'll see how I put up wooden supports for a taller stand system. I don't actually like the cinder blocks, I did that because it was quick. If I had a solid gravel base, they would be fine, but through the seasons they heave and tilt. In this video you can see my preferred support method. ruclips.net/video/rjCz-bKBjQc/видео.html
@@FrederickDunn Thank you so much fro always getting back with me. I'm learning so much. Hey, I saw a couple of the older and newer Ultimate Hive Stands (black plastic) in your yard on that video you recommended. Do you like those? I think I'll try those. Thanks.
This was a three day test. This does not count as a mite-count or assessment of mite levels as these are groomed off. A meaningful "mite-count" needs to be taken from the brood frames and directly from the nurse bees. Thanks for watching... I should have taken more time and explained what this does and does not mean regarding mite levels.
I purchased mine through Mann Lake, but I won't be doing that again... you can go directly to the breeder in California. If you want nucs, you'll have to drive to a location where they would be trucking them in as a "batch purchase" - right now, I don't know of anyone doing that. You can start with another line of bees, do a split and install a Saskatraz queen instead of allowing them to make their own.
@@awestryker3268 Not as well as the BeeWeaver Line, but I haven't taken them through winter yet! I will know and share more after I've had them for an entire annual cycle. Looking GREAT so far!!
its me again, just separated 8 frame double deep brood box, the one box has the queen should I add a 8 frame brood box now to that hive, it is in the original spot. I did leave two 98% full honey supers on it. I'm getting a mated queen for the other box. AND I think I see bee pooo on the bottom board, diarrhea ? Nosema ? do I need to treat them for that ?
Wow, strange time of year for nosema? I would sample that poo and observe it under a microscope to see what it really is. Yes, you can add that second box to your established colony as the nectar is coming on here, maybe there also? Too many beekeepers treat for nosema without first positively identifying it correctly.
Hi Diane, I don't really want DE anywhere inside my hive, the bees may "fan" it up into the hive and that's not good for me. I do use DE around my chicken coops, in nest boxes and it truly works well, just not in my hives or their trays. Thank you for asking!
THANK YOU for your excellent videos. I am in my first year of beekeeping as a hobby - I set up my first Flow Hive 2 in early May of this year. Given the high temperatures this summer should I be concerned about ventilation of the hive? Would it be wise to remove the pest management tray altogether on very hot days to provide an updraft? Any advice you can offer is appreciated. I live about 45 min North of NYC. Thank you!!!
Do you have the hive stand? If so you can just toggle the vents open. If not then the regular stand will be enough. I am running flow hives in Maryland. If its too hot the bees will just beard on the outside of the hive to maintain the right temperature.
There is enough ventilation in the FH2 systems already, the bottom aluminum tray offers additional venting and as Carlos already said, have the rear vent in the up/open position, they will do a great job of venting. I think I need to do an explanation of how bees circulate air and we have a tendency to over-vent hives when the bees would prefer fewer openings. The instinctively close up extra air paths. I'm going to address this in FAQ 28
Here's a question for you - as someone who both greatly appreciates bees and is also somewhat bee-phobic, will bees react more aggressively to the pheromones let off by someone who's scared? One day, when I have the space and the money, I'd really like to try my hand at beekeeping, but I don't want the poor little bees getting freaked out because I'm freaked out. (Seriously though, I find bees to be fascinating and I'd love to provide them with homes because I don't want them all dying off. My brain is just stupid sometimes.)
They don't care about fear, but they sometimes will respond to perspiration as that's a strong animal scent. Fears tend to fade with knowledge and understanding. I hope that you will keep some bees in the near future. :)
I installed my bees in April in my flow hive 2. The bees never put any honey in the flow frames. I did put a second brood box on the hive. Anyone know if that affected the honey being in the flow frames? Reaching out for advice. Thanks!
Hi Ryan, may I ask what line of bees you're working with? I've learned through the years, that some lines don't take to the Flow-Frames as well as others. I had Italian bees in the past and they never touched the flow-frames. I added Weaver Bees and now Saskatraz and they load them up right away.
Now that we're into honey harvest season.. I am finding myself thinking of questions for Fred every 5 minutes.. :) Do you have a recommended extractor that is not super-expensive? I have a home-made one that is made of galvanized steel... I am not to keen on galvanized for anything food grade processing wise. So I was looking at extractors and there are lots of options. I wondered if you had a preferred one.
@@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork If you follow my link in the video description you can see the current prices. I started off with the 7-frame Flow-Super, then the full flowhive 7 frame system which matches the 10 frame Langstroth and now I get the Flow Hive 2 Systems, shown in this video, the Flow Hive 2 (7 frame) and the Flow HIve 2 (6 frame) they are expensive but for me, time is money and I always seemed to run out of time to take honey off at the end of the season which resulted in them having waaay too much honey on through winter. Now the FlowHives let me take off just enough to keep them from becoming honey bound and I don't have to plan a honey removal day. You're probably looking at $700+ for a complete system with the leveling stand/feet. That pays for itself in honey sales in just under two years in my neck of the woods.
@@FrederickDunn NO, they are not! The 6 frame base is, but not the 7. I'm about to order my hive and was set on the 7 base but if I can't find one from somewhere, I'll have to go with the 6 frame. It will be ok as well, being that I'm joining two deep brood boxes that will hold 18,5" deep frames.
I’m sorry if you’ve answered this already, but how do the bees know that the capped brood has mites? PS: I love how you set up all your experiments with different elements of comparison. I enjoy all your videos!!
Hi Shari, the mites are removed from the bees by grooming. The bees groom themselves and remove mites from each other. Not all bee lines/genetics have these traits. The removal from cells is also a specific trait of hygienic bees. If you don't have a flowhive, you can still use screen bottom boards and integrated pest management "sticky" boards. Very common and all bee equipment sellers carry them.
Frederick Dunn Thank you. I have things we treat but I like what you said about the genetics I’m thinking that’s the answer cause I don’t know where to get those kind of bees that you talked about but I’m interested. Do you live in the United States or out of the country that could make a big difference too. Thank you so much for your quick response I greatly appreciate it. I’m on my 4th year as Beekeeper and I want to get more but I want to get a understanding of trying to get a handle on the mite situation. Learned lots but room to learn way more. We did good last season low mite count. Soon as we extract we will do it again. Blessings to you
Fred. That again was great. Man i could listen to you all day. Your narrating is just great... Thank you.
The learning never stops with your videos. Words do not adequately express our appreciation for your work: knowledge, demonstrative skill, testing, photography, articulation, your precious time that you so generously share. You already have a place in history for the advancement of beekeeping practices. Thank you.
Thank you for one of the nicest comments I've ever received! :)
@@FrederickDunn Well deserved, Sir. Our fervent hope is that you don't stop anytime soon. Thank YOU.
Awesome videos Fred - love this in depth look at a question!!!
Wow, super interesting! Thank you for taking time to educate others.
Those close up shots of the bees and other things were amazing.
Thank you :)
Awesome job as always Mr Dunn!!
This was fabulous. I really enjoy the shorter videos. It allows me to take a look when I have a short bit of time available. I realize I could simply watch a longer video in segments, but alas, I suffer from Dunnvideoitis: Once bitten, I can't stop watching!
I think you have convinced me to take the plug and start next year. I have been mulling over the idea and with the ease of the flow hive set up I feel as a first timer the process is manageable for a new person. I also live in Pa right outside Philadelphia! Thanks for the videos!!!
I wish you the best Michael! I have some awesome friends there in Bala Cynwyd :) I hope you do start keeping bees!
I'm very happy I found your channel, lots of info, and very entertaining! Great content my dude! I want to start keeping bees been watching most of the popular apiary. Learning a lot can't wait to try and catch a swarm this spring!
Some time ago I saw a video of a beekeeper using vaporised mineral oil in much the same way as oxalic acid crystals.presumably it would be less damaging to beekeepers, but I would like to check before trying it.The varroa resistant bee strains would be the best solution in the long run from an environmentally friendly solution.Keep up the good work. I live in the North of Scotland and we are having a great summer here with record high temperatures.
i would be surprized if no one has already commented on this. this is. you say that the hive must be kept level for the oil, but when opening the flow frames , you have to tilt the hive. some chore!
Why would tilting the hive be a chore? All you have to do is remove the tray, empty it, replace it and tilt away. Much easier than removing the honey supers in my opinion. Some people don't put oil in the trays at all, but instead use something like cooking spray and that wouldn't be impacted by tilting at all. Just some alternatives.
Very educational, I hope more people find this channel
Thanks so much for all these great videos and the great narrative information you share with each one of them. You have a great weekend too!
This is very good but we will miss your long FAQ sooooooo much :.( :.( :.(
we will miss it so much becuase you are the best Mr Fred
Hey Fred, thanks for another great video. I really love the close ups. I've been using canola oil as it's been the cheapest, but will try mineral oil next time.
Thanks for more awesome information Fredd!!
I got to see a queen hatch out right in front of my eyes Fred. Was amazing. Have to be there right minute and right frame to catch it
Did you get video Carlos? (';')( ';') they scoot out soo fast!!!!
@@FrederickDunn Yeah I got video. A lot of bee groups, mead making companies and a magazine has shared it. It went viral to our standards. Lol.
instagram.com/p/B0WzhaeAHRm/?igshid=zekh5enlgtrn
But it was super cool. The bees started fanning alot before she popped out and I was like something is happening.
Then she was on the outside pulled frame and I saw the attendants and her head poking out and if it would have been any other frame or time would have missed it
It was like 2 minutes from workers opening capped cell and feeding her to her leaving the cell.
She instantly started looking at cells to lay in even though she is not mated yet.
Fred, great close ups, thanks!
So instructive, Fred ~ Always the best
Great video. I feel much better about my Saskatraz being able to fend off parasites. I don't see any, but my eyes are kind of weak. Questions:
I see drones returning to my hive. Does that mean that they couldn't find a date (mate) on Saturday night?
I also see rather small bees. Do bees produce runts or am I just seeing brand new foragers? Thanks as always.
Keith, the varroa like to crawl under the abdomen, so there's a good chance you won't see them.
Hi Keith... if you see drones returning to the hive, they failed to find a mate... how do I know? Well, because those who did find a mate are lying dead in a field somewhere with a tiny smile oh their faces. Mating is an activity causing certain death to the drone. Small bees can be new just because they haven't fattened up yet. If they are very light with lots of extra fuzz, that's generally a newly hatched worker :) thanks for watching!
@@FrederickDunnThat made me chuckle. What a way to go!
Bout that time of year for Queen cels in the hives for the fall mating flight iirc. Varroa mites and hive beetles are nasty little pests. Luckily you have A great species of sanitation bees that care very well of their homes and keep things nice and tidy. Good Video (Fred) if you don’t mind me calling you that. Otherwise Mr. Dunn 😀
Fred is just fine :)
Fred, are you using queen excluders with your FH colonies these days? Earlier, in spite of not using them in your apiary generally, you indicated they should be used, but I believe you felt later that the honey barrier with a 2nd box below the FH super tends to keep the queen from moving into the FH supers...
HI Phillip, I do tell others to usd them until they are certain how far up their Queen will venture. I don't personally use them and instead let them establish a "honey-bridge" in a medium super before adding the Flow-Super. The only time I had eggs in the Flow-Frames was when I left them on through winter without the excluder. Now I take frames off during winter.
@@FrederickDunn Got it - thank you. I have double deeps, then the FH super - and so far, have had a good experience without an excluder - probably because of the "honey bridge" effect you mention. I am also finding they go into the FH super more readily without the excluder - having tried it both ways. Finally, I have a hybrid FH in the mix and they seem to prefer the FH frames over the "standard" frames, having started there first with honey - possibly because they are in the middle.
Thanks Fred... I knew they drowned...I thought there may have been some attraction to the oil like a feramone bait or something. Interesting to see the bees pulling out larvae... Another gr8 video...Cheers!
Thanks for your question John! I'm so glad you appreciated the answer :)
Very imformative Fred - thank you for the effort.
Thanks buddy 👍🏽
Wow! Those ugly little critters look like a tick. A tick for bees... Ugh... Now I get it...
Thanks for another great video Sir. Love those macro shots! 😃
Excellent work!!! See you on the Mountain on youtube!!!
Love your videos. Im from erie pa.
Awesome! Thank you! Do you belong to the NWPA Beekeepers Association? I hope you join up if you don't :)
Thanks Mr.Dunn..jus done working hard in the Burning Sun.. LoL 😂🇱🇨👍🙏❤
Hey Frederick, I believe I solved my uneven brood boxes. When using an L Square ruler I saw they were not lining up, so I'm going to take apart one end of each box and realign them.
I have one other question for you that I need to ask if you don't mind Frederick. If you remember, I modified my deep Langstroth frames into make-shift Layens, so my frame are 19" wide and 18" deep. They will fit in two deep brood boxes. My end goal was to epoxy the two brood boxes together to hold these modified frames. Do you think this is a good idea to adhere them together? What would you do? Would you just stake them and let the bees seal it up? The reason for my wanting to epoxy them together was if I ever had to move it I could as one unit. Because if I take them apart to move them, the frames would need to be taken out. See my point? The Flow Team suggest that I don't, but wanted to ask someone I trust and appreciate. I will follow your suggestion. P.S. I love the idea of doing something different and am glad I modified my frames, yet in doing so, I put myself is a dilema on whether to or not to epoxy the two boxes together or just stake them and let the bees bee. Thanks for always being there for my question. Still learning. Brad
Hi Brad, I would let the bees glue those boxes together and if I had to move them I'd just strap them well with shipping straps before making the move. This way if you ever decide to go back to standard frames etc... the boxes will still be usable for that purpose.
@@FrederickDunn This is perfect Frederick, and feels right to me. I'm grateful for this. A fan, Brad
Ok a question for your next Q/A,
Question one I'm making a horizontal hive can I put a flow hive on it ? It will be three deeps long.
Second question
Do you leave your flow hive on yours all year?
Third question
I know you probably answered this but do you filter the honey after cause on some of your videos of you harvesting honey I see bee parts or something here and there in it.
Cosby Clark is my name if you fill like using it in video anytime I have a question.
Oh question 4
I will be putting my horizontal hive on 4 acres , I plan on getting goats chickens etc.
Though plan on planting buckwheat, alfalfa, and lots of seasonal flowering plants. I'm in Oklahoma, is there a Super flower plant that is a for sure thing ,
I have also watched bees for trees and others . Just want your opinion.
Thanks
HI Cosby, in my FAQ 13, I discuss the horizontal hives. I personally would not put flowframes in a horizontal hive as they may not fill them and you need specific configurations which differ from the traditional frames you'll be using on the same level. IN my opinion, that would be more trouble than it's worth. As for forage, diversity is key since weather can become a factor during any nectar flow, so staging flowering periods through the year so that there is little to no dearth to contend with would be the best approach. There is no single "super flower" that I know of. As for leaving flow-hives on all year, here is a video where I describe my methods: ruclips.net/video/CZsGV1F8xbQ/видео.html
@@FrederickDunn
Thanks .
I'm just wondering about the flow hives vs cost of all the equipment I need.
If flow hives are that simple I might buy them . It will save headaches Later. With all the honey extraction stuff.
Thanks again.
I'm a new beekeeper in the north east. I have 2 brood boxes and an 8 frame flow super. Last week I harvested two capped flow frames. Tomorrow I will harvest another. Today I see that the two frames I emptied 3 days ago are about half full with honey again. Should I continue to draw honey from the flow frames as they become capped, or should I add another super to give the hive more space? Thanks.
HI Glen, once I have a deep and at least a medium box with honey, I continue to draw off from the Flow-Frames as they get capped.. however, IF, they are loading the frames too fast and there isn't time for capping them, then yes add another box! The nectar takes up twice the space as the finished honey so they do need time and space to finish it all off.
@@FrederickDunn Hi Fred, thanks so much for your advice! Your videos are really helpful!
Hello Fredrich. What kind of stand would you recommend for the flow hive 2--without their bottom stand. Without their stand, the hive has legs so its not very functional on most hive stands. Do you just recommend cinder blocks?
HI Brad, if you look at this video, you'll see how I put up wooden supports for a taller stand system. I don't actually like the cinder blocks, I did that because it was quick. If I had a solid gravel base, they would be fine, but through the seasons they heave and tilt. In this video you can see my preferred support method. ruclips.net/video/rjCz-bKBjQc/видео.html
@@FrederickDunn Thank you so much fro always getting back with me. I'm learning so much. Hey, I saw a couple of the older and newer Ultimate Hive Stands (black plastic) in your yard on that video you recommended. Do you like those? I think I'll try those. Thanks.
@@bradgoliphant Those stands are great, they hold up to weed whacking and mice can't climb them :)
How long did the tray stay under the hives? I would treat the hive with highest mite count if this is 24 hours
This was a three day test. This does not count as a mite-count or assessment of mite levels as these are groomed off. A meaningful "mite-count" needs to be taken from the brood frames and directly from the nurse bees. Thanks for watching... I should have taken more time and explained what this does and does not mean regarding mite levels.
Great video
Fred, do you know of anyplace that sells or will be selling the Saskatraz nucs in spring 2020 near NY, where did you get yours?
I purchased mine through Mann Lake, but I won't be doing that again... you can go directly to the breeder in California. If you want nucs, you'll have to drive to a location where they would be trucking them in as a "batch purchase" - right now, I don't know of anyone doing that. You can start with another line of bees, do a split and install a Saskatraz queen instead of allowing them to make their own.
@@FrederickDunn Did not know Mann Lake did that. Ok, thanks for the info. How are your Saskatraz performing compared to others or in general?
@@awestryker3268 Not as well as the BeeWeaver Line, but I haven't taken them through winter yet! I will know and share more after I've had them for an entire annual cycle. Looking GREAT so far!!
its me again, just separated 8 frame double deep brood box, the one box has the queen should I add a 8 frame brood box now to that hive, it is in the original spot. I did leave two 98% full honey supers on it. I'm getting a mated queen for the other box. AND I think I see bee pooo on the bottom board, diarrhea ? Nosema ? do I need to treat them for that ?
Wow, strange time of year for nosema? I would sample that poo and observe it under a microscope to see what it really is. Yes, you can add that second box to your established colony as the nectar is coming on here, maybe there also? Too many beekeepers treat for nosema without first positively identifying it correctly.
ok thanks again ! will look into it better before I treat !@@FrederickDunn
Have you tried food grade diatomaceous earth in your trays?
Hi Diane, I don't really want DE anywhere inside my hive, the bees may "fan" it up into the hive and that's not good for me. I do use DE around my chicken coops, in nest boxes and it truly works well, just not in my hives or their trays. Thank you for asking!
Fred if I didn’t have flow hive two could I spray the board with cooking oil to kill varroa instead of filling up the tray that come with flow hive 2
I I’m getting the hybrid
It dose not come with tray
It has board
sorry this response is so late, yes you can spray the surface with PAM or other popular cooking spray and the varroa get stuck in it.
THANK YOU for your excellent videos. I am in my first year of beekeeping as a hobby - I set up my first Flow Hive 2 in early May of this year. Given the high temperatures this summer should I be concerned about ventilation of the hive? Would it be wise to remove the pest management tray altogether on very hot days to provide an updraft? Any advice you can offer is appreciated. I live about 45 min North of NYC. Thank you!!!
Do you have the hive stand? If so you can just toggle the vents open. If not then the regular stand will be enough. I am running flow hives in Maryland. If its too hot the bees will just beard on the outside of the hive to maintain the right temperature.
There is enough ventilation in the FH2 systems already, the bottom aluminum tray offers additional venting and as Carlos already said, have the rear vent in the up/open position, they will do a great job of venting. I think I need to do an explanation of how bees circulate air and we have a tendency to over-vent hives when the bees would prefer fewer openings. The instinctively close up extra air paths. I'm going to address this in FAQ 28
Here's a question for you - as someone who both greatly appreciates bees and is also somewhat bee-phobic, will bees react more aggressively to the pheromones let off by someone who's scared? One day, when I have the space and the money, I'd really like to try my hand at beekeeping, but I don't want the poor little bees getting freaked out because I'm freaked out.
(Seriously though, I find bees to be fascinating and I'd love to provide them with homes because I don't want them all dying off. My brain is just stupid sometimes.)
They don't care about fear, but they sometimes will respond to perspiration as that's a strong animal scent. Fears tend to fade with knowledge and understanding. I hope that you will keep some bees in the near future. :)
@@FrederickDunn Thank you! :)
I installed my bees in April in my flow hive 2. The bees never put any honey in the flow frames. I did put a second brood box on the hive. Anyone know if that affected the honey being in the flow frames? Reaching out for advice. Thanks!
Hi Ryan, may I ask what line of bees you're working with? I've learned through the years, that some lines don't take to the Flow-Frames as well as others. I had Italian bees in the past and they never touched the flow-frames. I added Weaver Bees and now Saskatraz and they load them up right away.
theres a firefly there. woot.
Using Corn oil an option?
Yes, it performs just like the Canola oil does.
@@FrederickDunn Thank you sir!!
Now that we're into honey harvest season.. I am finding myself thinking of questions for Fred every 5 minutes.. :) Do you have a recommended extractor that is not super-expensive? I have a home-made one that is made of galvanized steel... I am not to keen on galvanized for anything food grade processing wise. So I was looking at extractors and there are lots of options. I wondered if you had a preferred one.
I have a small hand-crank stainless steel extractor from Dadant... only spins two frames at a time :)
Thank you! Sounds like exactly the answer I was looking for! :)
Out of curiosity, do you have model number or price? Thanks as always for your advice and time.
@@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork If you follow my link in the video description you can see the current prices. I started off with the 7-frame Flow-Super, then the full flowhive 7 frame system which matches the 10 frame Langstroth and now I get the Flow Hive 2 Systems, shown in this video, the Flow Hive 2 (7 frame) and the Flow HIve 2 (6 frame) they are expensive but for me, time is money and I always seemed to run out of time to take honey off at the end of the season which resulted in them having waaay too much honey on through winter. Now the FlowHives let me take off just enough to keep them from becoming honey bound and I don't have to plan a honey removal day. You're probably looking at $700+ for a complete system with the leveling stand/feet. That pays for itself in honey sales in just under two years in my neck of the woods.
Hello Frederick. Do you by chance have a Flow Hive 2 (7 frame base) you would like to sell? Please let me know. Thank you, Brad
Hi Brad, I'm sorry I don't, I'm actually trying to obtain more of those bases. Are they not in stock at HoneyFlow?
@@FrederickDunn NO, they are not! The 6 frame base is, but not the 7. I'm about to order my hive and was set on the 7 base but if I can't find one from somewhere, I'll have to go with the 6 frame. It will be ok as well, being that I'm joining two deep brood boxes that will hold 18,5" deep frames.
@@FrederickDunn thank you anyway Frederick.
Can you say where you get your hygenic bees from? I recently ordered a breeder queen, but not at all impressed. No hygenic behavior from her offspring
BeeWeaver in Texas, just tell them that Frederick Dunn sent you :)
4th from N.E Ohio!
I’m sorry if you’ve answered this already, but how do the bees know that the capped brood has mites?
PS: I love how you set up all your experiments with different elements of comparison. I enjoy all your videos!!
They are extremely sensitive to pheromones and there is something "different" that they pick up on when varroa are occupying a brood cell.
Thank you for the reply! That’s so amazing how they can detect such a tiny being hidden away amongst so many other things going on in the hive.
First from Germany 😜
Woohoo!
So if you don’t have flow hive how would you do it.? Also how do you get the mites off the bees first?
Hi Shari, the mites are removed from the bees by grooming. The bees groom themselves and remove mites from each other. Not all bee lines/genetics have these traits. The removal from cells is also a specific trait of hygienic bees. If you don't have a flowhive, you can still use screen bottom boards and integrated pest management "sticky" boards. Very common and all bee equipment sellers carry them.
Frederick Dunn
Thank you. I have things we treat but I like what you said about the genetics I’m thinking that’s the answer cause I don’t know where to get those kind of bees that you talked about but I’m interested. Do you live in the United States or out of the country that could make a big difference too. Thank you so much for your quick response I greatly appreciate it. I’m on my 4th year as Beekeeper and I want to get more but I want to get a understanding of trying to get a handle on the mite situation. Learned lots but room to learn way more. We did good last season low mite count. Soon as we extract we will do it again. Blessings to you
Yay dead and chewed varroa 😀
Makes me happy every single time :)
So bees are pro-choice. 😂