This blog is for beekeepers in Northern climates. I will be describing what I am doing with my bees on a monthly schedule. Copying any text or photos is forbidden except with written authorization of the author.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
How to do a divide an over wintered colony
Here is a link http://www.tc.umn.edu/~reute001/htm-files/DIVIDES%20.htm on how to divide your over wintered colony.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Pollen
Pollen stored in the comb. It can be gone within three days when foraging is difficult because of weather |
The upcoming week is going to be cold and rainy. The bees will not be able to get any pollen from foraging until next Saturday at the earliest. A colony can deplete pollen stores in as little as three days. When there is no pollen in the hive, brood cannot be fed and any uncapped brood will die.
If you looked into your hive that has had no pollen it would seem queenless with no brood.
This can set back any colony that a beekeeper was planning on dividing. The loss of brood will have a consequence of lower bee numbers when the nectar flow starts and less honey in the hive.
During the spring, pollen patties should be on the hive into early June. This is cheap insurance to have a healthy productive colony.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Do you have eggs and larvae in your new colony?
Friday, April 25, 2014
Queen Sale Sat only
All remaining queens Carniolan or Italian left over from package bee order
Sat only - cash and carry
$15.00 each.
Queen with attendants in 3 hole cage with candy
We will be getting weekly shipments of queens starting next week and thru the month of May. After Saturday, queens will be $28.00 each
Sat only - cash and carry
$15.00 each.
Queen with attendants in 3 hole cage with candy
We will be getting weekly shipments of queens starting next week and thru the month of May. After Saturday, queens will be $28.00 each
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Bees are all Gone
The bees are gone I am sold out of package bees for 2014
I do have queens available.
I do have queens available.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Bee Pick Up
Any beekeepers who have not picked up. There no longer is a pick up schedule.
Please come and pick up your bees. I am here, starting at 7:30 am.
Please come and pick up your bees. I am here, starting at 7:30 am.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
New Second Delivery Date, Monday, April 21st
The bees will arrive here sometime on SUNDAY. They will be available for pickup on SUNDAY. I will publish on this blog when the bees are ready to pick up. SUNDAY pick up is first come first served. Do not come here for pick up until I have published that we are ready. You will be turned away.
Pick up schedule for MONDAY
Please Clean ALL DEBRIS out of the returning cages. No Bees, No Feed Cans, No Queen Cages, No Spiderwebs, No leaves, No Cottonwood Seeds - Thank You
MONDAY, Please follow the schedule. There are 600 beekeepers stopping by and if we get off schedule wait time will rise considerably.
Please drive in the driveway marked enter. Pull up as far as you can and stay with your vehicle. We will come to you.
MONDAY, PICK UP SCHEDULE
We will go by the first initial of your last name.
7:00 am any large orders over 50
W - Z 7:30 am - 8:30 am
T - V 8:30 am - 9:30 am
R - S 9:30 am - 10:30 am
N - Q 10:30 am - 11:30 am
11:30 - Lunch for the crew
L - M 12:30 pm - 1:30pm
H - K 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
E - G 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
A - D 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Open time 4:30 pm - 7 pm
There is no rush to put the bees in. It is best to install packages after 6:00 pm. Putting them in late in the day helps prevent them from absconding.
Pollen Patties 2 pks - $9.00 / 10 lb Box $37.00 / 40 lb box $87.00
Feeder Pails $5.00 each / ProSweet Bee Syrup $46.00 5 gallons
Sales Tax is included in the above pricing. Please have exact change if possible.
No Credit or Debit Cards accepted because we will not have electricity.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Second Delivery Date May Be Changing
The delivery date may be changing to an earlier date. Stay tuned for updates.
First delivery follow up
The first delivery went very well. The pick up schedule was followed by the beekeepers picking up with the schedule. The wait time for bees was usually five minutes. The crew was able to process everyone through very quickly.
It is a long day for all of us, it starts at 6 am and ends at 7 pm. Beekeepers come all day and the only rest we all get is our lunch break.
I can't say enough about my helpers without them this all would not be possible.
It is a long day for all of us, it starts at 6 am and ends at 7 pm. Beekeepers come all day and the only rest we all get is our lunch break.
I can't say enough about my helpers without them this all would not be possible.
From the left: Bob, Warren, Mike, Jim, Brian, Eric, Bill, Cory, not pictured Joe, photo by Wendy
Monday, April 7, 2014
Updated Pick up schedule for first delivery, Saturday, April 12th 2014
Feeder Pails $5.00 each / ProSweet Bee Syrup $46.00 5 gallons
Sales Tax is included in the above pricing. Please have exact change if possible.
The bees will arrive here sometime on Friday. They will be available for pickup on Friday first come first served . I will publish on this blog when we are ready pass out the bees. Don't show up here unless you know the bees are here.
Please Clean ALL DEBRIS out of the returning cages. No Bees, No Feed Cans, No Queen Cages, No Spiderwebs, No leaves, No Cottonwood Seeds - Thank You
SATURDAY Please follow the schedule. There are 600 beekeepers stopping by and if we get off schedule wait time will rise considerably.
Please drive in the driveway marked enter. Pull up as far as you can and stay with your vehicle. We will come to you.
SATURDAY PICK UP SCHEDULE
We will go by the first initial of your last name.
7:00 am any large orders over 50
W - Z 7:30 am - 8:30 am
T - V 8:30 am - 9:30 am
R - S 9:30 am - 10:30 am
N - Q 10:30 am - 11:30 am
11:30 - Lunch for the crew
L - M 12:30 pm - 1:30pm
H - K 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
E - G 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
A - D 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Open time 4:30 pm - 7 pm
There is no rush to put the bees in. It is best to install packages after 6:00 pm. Putting them in late in the day helps prevent them from absconding.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
On Bee Pick Up Day
Bee Pick Up Days- April 12th and April 22nd
On bee pick up day we will not be selling any equipment. If you need equipment get it before the bees come.
We are working outside so there will be no electricity, we will not be taking credit or debit cards.
The only thing for sale will be: Pollen Patties in two packs, 10 lb box or 40 lb box, Feeder Pails, ProSweet Bee Syrup, and ProHealth
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Installing Package Bees
This is a video I made a couple years ago. I was taught this method by the University of MN short course 25 years ago. I added the marshmallow queen release for the packages. I want to say that a marshmallow should never be used for releasing a queen into a colony. The only reason it works in a package is because the bees have been with her for four days.