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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Mar 21, 2024 8:15:30 GMT -5
A little bonus YouTube on last year new garden update. Planting lettuce, carrots, radish and potatoes in the next few days. Yes, staying busy. www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5lEe8Jl2dE
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Post by Woody Williams on Mar 21, 2024 8:48:56 GMT -5
My local honey supplier says his hives weathers the wintered well. Looking forward to some Spring honey!
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Mar 22, 2024 7:13:51 GMT -5
Here's another study on real raw honey.
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Mar 25, 2024 7:43:33 GMT -5
From the graft back on the 14th the queens started to emerge from their cocoon. The 1st ones emerged yesterday afternoon and as of 6am this morning 8 of the 12/13 emerged. I had to put two virgin queens in the mating nuc hives this morning before heading to work. The last 4/5 should be emerging this morning. The 13th cell might be a dead cell. When I was brushing the bees off the cells on the 19th, one cell fell to the bottom of the hive. This might have dislodged the larvae from the top where the royal jelly food is stored. I will know by end of day. I only made 12 mating nucs yesterday. I have a small dab of honey and water for each queen. I need to retire. I rather be home today to take care of them, but instead I'm stuck at work. www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L0Hcsfsxyc
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Mar 27, 2024 6:36:09 GMT -5
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Apr 3, 2024 11:14:49 GMT -5
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Post by parrothead on Apr 7, 2024 14:32:16 GMT -5
I just got done planting 400 strawberry plants. Fun times
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Apr 25, 2024 8:19:56 GMT -5
Friday after work, I'll be heading to Switzerland County near East Enterprise to pick up yesterday new swarm. Hopefully, picking up two of the three traps. Another one has a lot a scout bees checking it out. By evening most of the bees moved in. The new blue tote won of the three. I read bees prefer blue colored traps. www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUPtT1FpGCU&t=12s
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on Apr 25, 2024 8:49:22 GMT -5
Might be change of plans. Bees aren't moving in. You never know the curves mother nature throws. Heading down today if the bees don't move in. Hopefully, they don't fly off. My guess the bees are already building comb right on the 2 x 4 and will stay. You can see part of the 2nd trap on the left. I might pick up the 2 x4 with the bees and dump them in a 5 frame Jester EZ nuc that is in the truck for swarms in bushes or trees. Leave the trap there for a 2nd swarm.
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on May 1, 2024 8:55:01 GMT -5
It's been a crazy week. I have caught 15 swarms out of my 19 swarm traps since last Thursday the 25th. 8 traps are throughout the SW Ohio area and 11 traps are in my apiary. Seven swarms have flown in from my neighbors beehives. I also went on swarm runs and gathered up 4 more swarms off the ground and in the trees. I had a call yesterday, but was busy. See what happens today. I did caught the Cincinnati Zoo swarm that I was hoping for. This queen genetics is the best I've ever seen or know about removing varroa destructor mites from infected bee pupa. Mostly, varroa destructor mites on the male drone pupa bees. I will be grafting this queen larvae in late June and replacing all my queens in the 25 honey production hives. The other 15 hives will be a mix of genetics. Russians, Italians, Caucasians, Carniolans and local mutts. The Caucasians and Carniolans are from the German Alps regions. Here are swarms 6-14 overview. www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOglY-7b-eU
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on May 2, 2024 9:55:10 GMT -5
Last night I picked up #15 swarm. I'm not putting swarm traps back out anymore. My brother called and told me two of the three traps has bees in it. Second one for the blue tote swarm trap. The third had 20 to 30 scout bees checking it out. I might have 3 swarms in a day or two. Heading there Friday after work or on Saturday.
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on May 9, 2024 12:15:02 GMT -5
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on May 13, 2024 6:34:44 GMT -5
The two apiary's are growing. I'm up to 41 hives and all but 4 have mated queens. The other 4 are somewhere between making a queen or has a new emerged virgin queen in the hive. I have 38 at my place and 3 at the 2nd apiary. I plan to move 3 hives to the 2nd apiary after I pull the honey. My guess early August. Of the 41 hives about 27 will be producing 30 to 200 pounds each of honey.
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on May 14, 2024 12:34:10 GMT -5
Today just before lunch time I got a call for a swarm near the Cincinnati Zoo. I didn't hesitate and picked up swarm #24, second swarm from the Zoo. This one is a small swarm. It was raining, so I dumped the bees in the box and packed up and went back to work. I'm thinking this is a cast swarm with a virgin queen. No pictures. This was at the Cincinnati Recreation Center and near the sidewalk entrance. I wanted to get them quickly so no one would get stung. Luckily, only 6 feet off the ground on a 1" branch. I soaked them with sugar water so most couldn't fly. I was able to pull the branch with bees to the box that I was holding in the other hand. One or two big shakes and all but a few fell into the box and I closed the lid. Got almost all of them. I them took a another frame and got the last 6 or 7 bees. Put them in a second box. About 2 thousand bees.
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on May 16, 2024 6:03:50 GMT -5
I got another call yesterday evening for a large swarm near my wife's old stumping ground. Where she lived when I met her. We took walks where I got this swarm. It an older area and I would marvel at the huge trees. Now it's 35 years later. I should have taken some pictures of the trees. www.youtube.com/watch?v=7duK4MoRxRw
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Post by genesis273 on May 16, 2024 13:03:17 GMT -5
Swarm#25 for the year! Nicely done!
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on May 16, 2024 13:55:22 GMT -5
Swarm#25 for the year! Nicely done! Thanks Brandon
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Post by Mack Apiary Bees on May 20, 2024 6:28:22 GMT -5
It looks like #25 will be the last swarm of the swarm season. The latest I've gotten a swarm is May 23rd. I'll keep my truck ready through this week. This doesn't count late summer-fall swarms. Those typically are hives that have issues. "Swarm in July, let them fly" is one of the bee saying.
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