Showing posts with label neighbors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label neighbors. Show all posts
Monday, May 25, 2009
Video: NYC Swarm
The only thing that concerns me about this video is the way the announcer subtly reinforces negative stereotypes about the bees... However, it is good seeing bees reinhabit urban areas.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Autumn Assessment
With both hives wrapped up, it's time I did a little assessment (I hate that word!) of what I've learned in my first year of beekeeping. So, here is my list! I reserve the right to add to it as I await spring.
1. I have found that, at least for me, starter strips do not work that well when attempting foundationless frames and bars. My bees chewed up the strips, tore them out, and built comb helter-skelter all over the place. Once I used simple Popsicle sticks as a guide, 99% of my cross-comb problems ended.
2. Related to the above, I learned not to wait for the bees to solve cross-comb "problems" on their own. It will only lead to a more disruptive problem later on when you try to move bars around for the winter.
3. You can learn an awful lot about the health of your bees by simply watching the entrance. You don't need to open them up constantly, as interesting as that might be. I have learned so much about bees simply by sitting in front of the hives and watching the bees leave and return.
4. It really pays to monitor each hives varroa count periodically throughout the season. Had I gotten lazy in August, because my mite counts had been so low throughout the year, I might've missed the rapid population increase that happened in August. I did not want to have to use any miticide, no matter how soft and sustainable the chemical, but the extra high count called from some action, other than the approaches I'd been using. To paraphrase Gary on the biobees forum says, "Dead bees can't adapt to their environment!"
5. If this first season is any indication, you can keep bees in town without annoying your neighbors. All that's needed is a few precautions (e.g. tall fence) and some consideration of those you live with in the community. I still think keeping them in town offers some nutritional advantages for the bees, compared with more monocultural areas just a few miles away.
6. I would urge any beginners to start with two hives and no more. Two hives allow comparisons to be made on the one hand, and doesn't become too much of a burden initially on the other.
Any of you readers want to add any thoughts here? I would greatly appreciate hearing about what you learned this season from your own apicultural practice, especially you beginners out there.
1. I have found that, at least for me, starter strips do not work that well when attempting foundationless frames and bars. My bees chewed up the strips, tore them out, and built comb helter-skelter all over the place. Once I used simple Popsicle sticks as a guide, 99% of my cross-comb problems ended.
2. Related to the above, I learned not to wait for the bees to solve cross-comb "problems" on their own. It will only lead to a more disruptive problem later on when you try to move bars around for the winter.
3. You can learn an awful lot about the health of your bees by simply watching the entrance. You don't need to open them up constantly, as interesting as that might be. I have learned so much about bees simply by sitting in front of the hives and watching the bees leave and return.
4. It really pays to monitor each hives varroa count periodically throughout the season. Had I gotten lazy in August, because my mite counts had been so low throughout the year, I might've missed the rapid population increase that happened in August. I did not want to have to use any miticide, no matter how soft and sustainable the chemical, but the extra high count called from some action, other than the approaches I'd been using. To paraphrase Gary on the biobees forum says, "Dead bees can't adapt to their environment!"
5. If this first season is any indication, you can keep bees in town without annoying your neighbors. All that's needed is a few precautions (e.g. tall fence) and some consideration of those you live with in the community. I still think keeping them in town offers some nutritional advantages for the bees, compared with more monocultural areas just a few miles away.
6. I would urge any beginners to start with two hives and no more. Two hives allow comparisons to be made on the one hand, and doesn't become too much of a burden initially on the other.
Any of you readers want to add any thoughts here? I would greatly appreciate hearing about what you learned this season from your own apicultural practice, especially you beginners out there.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Week 9 and The Summer Flow is Coming
I just got through doing my 9th week inspection of Metpropolis and Bee Glad... . We just got through a rainy weekend but this morning was beautiful. The temperature was in the high 70s, the sun was out with light, occasional breezes. The bees have been busy at the entrance, and I've caught them around the neighborhood foraging white clover. I think the basswood trees are just around done flowering.
Bee Glad... has three deeps on now but not much work was happening in the top box. There was drawn comb on one frame but that was about it. The middle box, however, was heavy with bees, capped, and uncapped honey and occasional brood. The bees are drawing very little comb on the green plastic drone frame which is not entirely unexpected I suppose. The bottom box is filled with bees and brood in all different stages of development. When the bees move up in a week or so I will have to do alot of trimming of comb in that box. The cross-comb is terrible on three frames but it would cause too much disruption to do anything right now.
Metpropolis is living up to its name! The propolis is thick in this hive, but not unmanagable. As usual, the comb on most bars is straight, as the cross-comb "problems" seem to be slowly working itself out with a little trimming here and there. I cut off a whole section of capped drone brood from one bar as part of my mite control measures. Like Bee Glad..., the bees are bringing in plenty of nectar into the hive. I am very proud of the bees and I really hope all the neighbors appreciate the work they are doing.
Bee Glad... has three deeps on now but not much work was happening in the top box. There was drawn comb on one frame but that was about it. The middle box, however, was heavy with bees, capped, and uncapped honey and occasional brood. The bees are drawing very little comb on the green plastic drone frame which is not entirely unexpected I suppose. The bottom box is filled with bees and brood in all different stages of development. When the bees move up in a week or so I will have to do alot of trimming of comb in that box. The cross-comb is terrible on three frames but it would cause too much disruption to do anything right now.
Metpropolis is living up to its name! The propolis is thick in this hive, but not unmanagable. As usual, the comb on most bars is straight, as the cross-comb "problems" seem to be slowly working itself out with a little trimming here and there. I cut off a whole section of capped drone brood from one bar as part of my mite control measures. Like Bee Glad..., the bees are bringing in plenty of nectar into the hive. I am very proud of the bees and I really hope all the neighbors appreciate the work they are doing.
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