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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Oct 25, 2021 9:43:15 GMT -5
This week (Wednesday) I'll bee installing a sheet of newspaper inside on top of the frames of bees. Then I'll be putting a 1.25 to 2 inch shim on the paper so I can pour dry sugar around Thanksgiving time. On top of the shim will get a R6 high density board and then the lid. This is called Mountain Camp feeding. The newspaper keeps the sugar up above the bees and the bees chew through the paper to the sugar. In a couple weeks the sugar gets hard from the humidity in the hive and the bees lick the sugar for food. This feeds the bees late in winter to early spring if the honey runs out. This also helps in removing moisture. The beehive during 1st half of winter is 84 degrees and by late January around 95 degrees and there will be new eggs and larvae for spring. By Thursday I'll be 100% ready to hitting the woods.
For this season I just need to pour around 3 pounds of sugar for each hive late November to December. Nothing until 1st 50 degree sunny day after new years to check sugar levels. Replenish if required.
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Post by genesis273 on Oct 25, 2021 19:28:44 GMT -5
Sounds like you got a good handle on things!
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Oct 26, 2021 6:56:31 GMT -5
A Beekeeper friend and I just made the big jump into beekeeping. We are teaming up to buy equipment and training at Purdue University for Honeybee Queen Instrumental insemination and the Architecture of a Successful Breeding Program. The equipment is around $3k and class is $1200 for 3 people. So about a $4200 investment. The class will be next year in June. It will take about 2 years to get our investment back. We will be able to breed and sell selective queens traits to fight against the Varroa Destructor Mite. extension.entm.purdue.edu/beehive/short-courses/
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Dec 16, 2021 14:46:29 GMT -5
For Indiana semi-local (southeast). Wayne's Honeybees Nuc Order Form OHIO QUEEN CERTIFIED WAYNE’S HONEYBEES APAIRY ID #: 15034 ATTN: TOM WEHNER BEEKEEPER ID #: 11060 3954 DEMARC CT. CINCINNATI, OH 45248 513-544-8302 WILDWAYNES.HONEYBEE@GMAIL.COM Pre-order your local 2022 honeybees today! 5 Frame Nuc w/Local Raised Queens 2021 Raised Queen Overwinter Nuc $225.00 2022 Martha Carpenter Raised Queen Nuc $200.00 All PRE ORDER FORMS AND MONEY FOR NUCS MUST BE IN BY FEBRUARY 1, 2022 I will call or email you with pickup date and time. Any deliveries arrangements will be per each request. Please fill out form and send with your payment. Thank you Name: Address: City: State and Zip Code: Phone #: Email: ** # of overwinter Nucs x $225.00 = # of 2022 Nucs x $200.00 = This is my local stock. My grafting queens include New River VSH, and Martha Carpenter queens open mated 2019/2020 stock. 2022 nucs will be grafted from the Martha Carpenter queen line. I encourage all to stop by my Apiary. I will help all new beekeepers and mentor if needed. If experienced, we can talk and learn from each other. I work full time so visiting time is limited to evenings and weekends. I will have a class (beginners) (free) at the Holsher Hachman Garden Center this 2022 spring. Date and time will be on there site soon. plantingthefuture.com**Please note: the overwinter nuc hives will be around 10 this year. If you order 2021 overwinter nuc please call or email first to confirm availability before sending in orders. I have a separate list for overwinter nucs. Pickup dates to be announced. There will be two pickup times. Deliveries will be setup in the spring.
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Dec 16, 2021 18:44:07 GMT -5
For Indiana semi-local (southeast). Wayne's Honeybees Nuc Order Form OHIO QUEEN CERTIFIED WAYNE’S HONEYBEES APAIRY ID #: 15034 ATTN: TOM WEHNER BEEKEEPER ID #: 11060 3954 DEMARC CT. CINCINNATI, OH 45248 513-544-8302 WILDWAYNES.HONEYBEE@GMAIL.COM Pre-order your local 2022 honeybees today! 5 Frame Nuc w/Local Raised Queens 2021 Raised Queen Overwinter Nuc $225.00 2022 Martha Carpenter Raised Queen Nuc $200.00 All PRE ORDER FORMS AND MONEY FOR NUCS MUST BE IN BY FEBRUARY 1, 2022 I will call or email you with pickup date and time. Any deliveries arrangements will be per each request. Please fill out form and send with your payment. Thank you Name: Address: City: State and Zip Code: Phone #: Email: ** # of overwinter Nucs x $225.00 = # of 2022 Nucs x $200.00 = This is my local stock. My grafting queens include New River VSH, and Martha Carpenter queens open mated 2019/2020 stock. 2022 nucs will be grafted from the Martha Carpenter queen line. I encourage all to stop by my Apiary. I will help all new beekeepers and mentor if needed. If experienced, we can talk and learn from each other. I work full time so visiting time is limited to evenings and weekends. I will have a class (beginners) (free) at the Holsher Hachman Garden Center this 2022 spring. Date and time will be on there site soon. plantingthefuture.com**Please note: the overwinter nuc hives will be around 10 this year. If you order 2021 overwinter nuc please call or email first to confirm availability before sending in orders. I have a separate list for overwinter nucs. Pickup dates to be announced. There will be two pickup times. Deliveries will be setup in the spring.
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Dec 18, 2021 14:29:08 GMT -5
I just picked up 15 deep boxes and 150 frames. The 15 deep boxes will be glued and stapled together this winter. Next spring take them to a friend to be dipped in wax. Wax dipping. 1st time out since Friday after Thanksgiving. Good to get out and get some fresh air.
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Jan 20, 2022 8:39:58 GMT -5
The 2022 is looking very good. I've already sold 13 nucs at $225 or $200 each. 2021 overwintered nuc is $225. New 2022 nuc is $200. Goal is 20 nucs sold. This year has been a very bad year to overwinter bees. It's been so warm that the bees are very active and flying. The bees are eating all of the food supply and then dying. I'm already hearing of 100% lose for some keepers.
Honey sales has been very good for 1st year. Selling more that I ever dreamed. This year I need around 2000 pounds to meet demand. I'm planning to expand between 25 to 30 hives on two apiaries. Working fulltime, 30 hives will be max.
Fun Fact for Ohio. My guess Indiana is about the same. Ohio 30 years ago had 300,000 hives, now it is around 50,000 hives. Largest today is around 2000 hives. Average winter loss is 55.4%. The national average is around 48-49%.
Out of my 20 I've lost 1 so far. Just checked last week and the other 19 look good.
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Feb 5, 2022 15:42:05 GMT -5
I just finished 8 lids for new hives this spring. Had a great start this yesr so far. Sold 17 nucs at $200 each. Thats about all I want to sell. Might sell some queens if I have extras.
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Post by genesis273 on Feb 5, 2022 15:53:27 GMT -5
It all sounds like jibber jabber to me but, you seem excited so I'm happy for ya!
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Feb 7, 2022 14:45:59 GMT -5
A nucleus (Nuc) hive is is 5 frames where a typical hive box is 10 frames. Beekeepers keep cost down and make half size boxes called nucs for short. Plus the nucs are lot easier to pickup and move. Typical 10 frame single deep box hive. With 10 frames inside the box Bottom board, Deep hive Box, Inner Cover, and Lid with 10 frames inside deep box. Typical frame Last night I bottled the last of my 2021 honey. Bottled 57 bottles. Tonight putting labels on and tomorrow setting up two stores. Both are out of stock.
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Post by Woody Williams on Feb 7, 2022 15:14:56 GMT -5
The box looks well made - dovetail corners!
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Feb 7, 2022 21:44:38 GMT -5
The box looks well made - dovetail corners! Yes, each groove glued with water proof wood glue and then either screwed or stapled at each finger. Best boxes that last the longest are dipped in boiling wax. Those last 30 plus years. Painted boxes last 12 to 15. I'm getting 16 deep boxes, 8 lids, 5 bottom boards, and 3 double screen boards dipped next month. I'll take some video and pictures of the process.
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Feb 12, 2022 16:01:03 GMT -5
I had a good afternoon working on my hive stands. Total stand length is 48 feet. I now have the capabilities of 24 10 frame hives, 3 8 frame hives, and 2 resource 5 frame nuc hives. This will be my maximum number of hives. My guess I'll end up around 25 by years end.
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Feb 14, 2022 19:59:18 GMT -5
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Feb 21, 2022 20:54:15 GMT -5
I spent most of today over my beekeeper friend and we hot boiled waxed dipped 140 hive boxes and woodenware. It included my 16 deep boxes, 2 4-frame nucs, 8 lids, 5 bottom boards, and 3 double screen boards. Worn out. Wax deeped boxes will last 30 plus years where painted lasts 12 to 15 years. imgur.com/a/j5Cb6ne
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Feb 22, 2022 20:45:35 GMT -5
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Feb 24, 2022 10:34:21 GMT -5
Wayne's Honeybees Home Apiary
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Feb 28, 2022 7:31:46 GMT -5
Just a heads up, spring weather is here for the mid to southern part of Indiana. My honeybee girls were bringing in dark orange pollen on their back legs yesterday. That tells me the Grey Alder trees are blooming. I don't have any, but my silver maples are only a few days from blooming. The trees are right on schedule per past 4 years.
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Mar 18, 2022 12:32:51 GMT -5
I have 45 3 frame mating nucs set up. Each will get 1/2 frame of bees, 1 food, and one empty comb frame. I'll need to graft about 65 cells and hope to get 70% mating success. I will be grafting sometime between 4/14-16 and then 7 days later. Each graft will be 38 cells. I have 45 empty comb frames and about 20 food frames. About 20 of them will be set up with sugar water and will not need a food frame. So I might need to pull a few food frame from the hives. I will need to pull about 1 or 2 cups of bees for each mating nuc. Hoping to only take 2 or 3 brood frames each of the 12 hives. Good news right now all the hives have 2-5 frames of brood. By a month it should be 6-10 plus brood frames per hive. I will need around 1400 drones for mating. I have a drone brood frame in 9 hives. I think each drone frame holds around 3000 cells. Right now none have comb on them. I'm hoping the bees build out and the queen lays in them by end of month. It takes 30 days for a drone egg to emerge and mature for mating. My guess each one will average 30% fill out with drones by end of month. I'm busy as a bee!
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Mar 25, 2022 8:33:57 GMT -5
I made a PowerPoint Beginner's class on beekeeping. I converted to YouTube Get the Buzz on Bees. I'm given two classes on Saturday April 2nd. The morning class from 10-12 filled so we added a 2nd class from 1-3. Class size is 25. youtu.be/ncgUxg_rrtg
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