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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Mar 29, 2023 14:08:38 GMT -5
I have a busy weekend on the 1st and 2nd. Saturday I'm giving a Beekeeping 101 basic class in the morning and then heading over the mother-father in-laws to tear down and rebuild their deck. Sunday after Palm Sunday service heading to my friends to wax dip my woodenware and spend the rest of the day helping him and his customers wax dipping. Sometime during that weekend I need to setup my grafting hive so I can graft sometime Good Friday or Holy Saturday.
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Apr 3, 2023 7:20:40 GMT -5
Yesterday, I started the wax dipping adventure. 8:45 am to 5 pm. I was able to wax dip my load of bee woodenware. 15 medium honey supers, 24 6 frame deeps, 12 bottom boards and 12 lids. The three of us dipped hundred plus boxes yesterday. We could do 6 deep boxes and one medium at a time. If front of the boxes about 6 bottoms and lids. We boiled each load for 15 minutes. We used next load of two boxes with weight to push the boxes down into the boiling wax. The temperature was around 330 - 340 degrees. I packed my truck with the dipped boxes and 300 frames. 150 mediums and 150 deep frames Now I'm set for this year.
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Apr 5, 2023 6:04:56 GMT -5
I decided to move 4 hives off the wall stand to spread them out some. This gives me more room when I'm working the bees. Three of the 4 hives will move to my second apiary in Hooven, Ohio. That will put 6 hives in that location. That stand can only hold 6 hives. That put the number at 24 on this stand. 4 on the stand to the left not in the picture and 6 in Hooven.
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Apr 10, 2023 6:44:10 GMT -5
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Apr 11, 2023 8:59:12 GMT -5
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Apr 19, 2023 6:31:38 GMT -5
This past Monday, I picked up two more hives and today helping a last year beekeeper. This past Saturday his hive swarmed on him. Luckily the swarm landed in his neighbors tree and he was able to recapture the queen and half his bees. After work, I'll be going through his hive and move frames with queen cells to new 5 frame hives. One swarm queen cell frame and one food frame each. He wants to make two splits. I'm going to cut some cells to show how to cut out cells. I need a few cells for future splits. These cut cells will go into the incubator to hatch out. His queen is from my queen that I grafted from last year. I know the genetics qualities of that hive. That hive produced 60 pounds of honey for him. He is learning by fire.. Big hive the 1st year and what to do the second year. That hive will have anywhere from 5 to 20 queen cells. My guess by the size of the hive there will be a lot.
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Apr 20, 2023 6:59:05 GMT -5
The hive ended up with 18 cells on 6 different frames. It was almost perfect, 3 frames had two cell (perfect), one with 3 cells, one with 4 cells and one with 6 cells. On the six cells one was damaged pulling the frame out. Two cells where not capped on that frame. The bees will stage cells to hatch a couple weeks later for insurance if the 1st virgin queen doesn't come back on mating flights. Smart bees. Each new hive received a frame with either 2 or 3 queen cell frame. In the 4 cell frame I cut two and then split that frame to new hive. So now we have 5 new nucs each with 2 or 3 cells. The frame with 5 cells I cut one out. That left two capped cells to two delay cells on that frame.
So each new nuc hive received the frames with cells and a food frame. So now he went from 1 hive to 7, but 6 will have virgin queens. It is around 70% success rate. He's happy and I ended up with 3 cells.
As I was leaving one of the 3 cut cells the virgin queen emerge. I know we were only a day at most from the queens emerging from the cells. We like to give each new hive two cells. Just in case one is bad.
At my place, two new splits received 1 cell and third the virgin queen. I had just taken a brood and food frame from the queen right resource hive and put that virgin on the top of the frame. The virgin queen crawled to the edge of the frame and looked down between the frame of bees. She stayed there for half minute. Should I go or should I stay. Sometimes bees will kill the queen. When a few bees finally noticed her they came up to investigate her. I guess the bees know they needed a queen and she then went down into the queen less hive between the frames. Somehow they communicated to the virgin queen that she was welcomed. It was only a few minutes taking the bees out of a queen right hive into a box with no queen. The bees already know they needed a queen.
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on May 1, 2023 7:07:03 GMT -5
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on May 1, 2023 8:43:20 GMT -5
Suzan Burns from Nature Image Farm in Zanesville took this picture right as we left. We rushed out to beat the storm. I drove home in on and off rain showers. Nothing bad. Just missed this one. Awesome neat picture
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on May 3, 2023 12:06:18 GMT -5
I have my ruff sketch of the Mackabees logo. Next a friend graphic designer is going to make it better. Star of Bethlehem and a Queen bee Sharing the Spirit of the Bees
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on May 5, 2023 13:54:41 GMT -5
I caught three swarms yesterday evening. I helped one new keeper with catching hive own hive swarm. Heading out in a few for two more after work. Pictures when it setting down.
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Post by lawrencecountyhunter on May 5, 2023 19:39:56 GMT -5
A swarm of thousands of bees went through the Rural King parking lot today, moving at the pace of a slow walk. I was loading the truck, next thing I know they're all around me.
What's the deal with that? Finding a new home?
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on May 8, 2023 6:39:06 GMT -5
A swarm of thousands of bees went through the Rural King parking lot today, moving at the pace of a slow walk. I was loading the truck, next thing I know they're all around me. What's the deal with that? Finding a new home? That is a hive that just swarmed to reproduce. The existing queen leaves the hive and takes half of the hive with her. The queen has not flown for a year and is rusty. Typically, they go up to 100 yards and crash-land on something to rest. 1st flight in year plus. The other bees surrounds her during flight and once landed. They ball up around her and she sends out 50-100 scout bees to find a new home. That can take up to three days. Then the all go at once when they find a new home. You had a queen bee fly right by you and I'm sure she landed near by. That's what I capture to make new hives.
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on May 8, 2023 6:41:53 GMT -5
This one landed in a cedar tree. I used a wax combed frame to attract the bees for removal. Once I got the queen they all left the tree and flow into the box just below in a ladder. Next two are on the same juniper, but on opposite sides. One Friday evening and one on Saturday.
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on May 8, 2023 6:52:41 GMT -5
I do my best to keep my bees from swarming. I had one swarm on me last week, but I was home and it landed just 20 yards from the hive in a tree. That queen and bees are now in my horizontal hive. Luckily, I was home and out in the yard when it happened. I try to get as many as possible so they don't end up in someone's home. The bees like soffits, walls, and floors. I've give away three of the swarms to new beekeepers, sold one for $150, and kept three so far. I hope to get two more for the new Horizontal Hive and one more to give away.
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on May 8, 2023 7:07:06 GMT -5
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on May 9, 2023 13:39:24 GMT -5
A new beekeeper down the road that I sold some bees two the last two years just texted me. They have a small swarm about 40 ft. up in a tree. I can reach 30 ft. and they have a ladder. Hopefully, I can reach it for them. This is a virgin queen swarm from their hive.
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on May 11, 2023 6:28:18 GMT -5
I'm heading down to my brother's farm right after work today. Swarm trap #2 has bees in it. I try to close the swarm traps either 1st light or last light so I don't leave any bees behind. Swarm trap #1 will be put back in place to try for another swarm. I will be doing a little late afternoon-evening fishing first. I have to wait for around 8:30ish before closing the swarm trap. After loading the swarm trap in the truck, I'll drive home and open the trap very close to where their new home will bee. It's an hour drive home, so I should be finished by 10pm. Clean up and crash for a full day.
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Post by Pinoc on May 11, 2023 8:32:22 GMT -5
My wife got home yesterday and said she drove through a big swarm of bugs that hit the windshield with loud thuds. I knew what it was before looking but I checked and yep honey bees all in the grill. I made her repent of her sin and plead for forgiveness from the bee keepers.
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on May 11, 2023 8:39:35 GMT -5
My wife got home yesterday and said she drove through a big swarm of bugs that hit the windshield with loud thuds. I knew what it was before looking but I checked and yep honey bees all in the grill. I made her repent of her sin and plead for forgiveness from the bee keepers. Hopefully, she didn't get the queen bee. If she did, I'm glad she won for your sake.
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