Author Topic: My first season is coming to an end  (Read 4015 times)

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Offline Green bee

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My first season is coming to an end
« on: September 21, 2017, 08:55:36 pm »
   Hey everyone.. It’s been s awhile since I chimed in , hope all is doing well. I have a good season thus far thanks to your help. As you know I started with two hives, and I now have 5. I would have 7 but I give two splits to someone who was wanting to get started. When I started my Beekeeping venture I knew I would have to rely on other Beekeepers advise. So without you guys answering my crazy questions I feel like I wouldn’t have done as well. I also knew I would have to get them through there first winter (which is still yet to be seen)  The five I have is going strong, 4 are Wayne’s bees and 1 is a queen wally and I got out of a tree. I did however go through the typical problems (losing queens, weak hives ect.) and managed to over come this far. All my mite counts have been low with exceptions of one. I am still debating how I will treat them which is something I need to do soon. Honey stores are good so far though I will need to feed soon. I hope I get through the winter with minimal losses, which I guess we all do. I have also been learning to check bees for nosema and tracheal mites using a microscope. This has been an adventure in itself. Anyway just thought I’d let everyone know how things are going , and to say thanks for all your help.

     
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein
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Offline Jen

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Re: My first season is coming to an end
« Reply #1 on: September 21, 2017, 10:04:01 pm »
Hi Gbee  :) Nice to hear your good report. So how do you check for tracheal mites with a microscope? I'm envisioning you having a bee under the scope and asking the bee to ''Say Awe"  :D :D :D
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Offline Green bee

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Re: My first season is coming to an end
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2017, 04:44:42 am »
 Jen this was the best way I know of explaining and getting it right, hope you enjoy the video.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein
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Offline Les

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Re: My first season is coming to an end
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2017, 06:51:46 am »
Wow, you went and bought a microscope?

Offline Jen

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Re: My first season is coming to an end
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2017, 02:48:49 pm »
Wow! That vid was very cool! Good on you for doing this Gbee  ;) 8)

Have you detected trach mites in your hives?
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Offline Green bee

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Re: My first season is coming to an end
« Reply #5 on: September 22, 2017, 11:32:51 pm »
Wow, you went and bought a microscope?
. I haven’t yet , but I will be needing two. One is a dissecting microscope probably around a 40x power for the tracheal mite , and a regular stereo microscope up to a 2000x magnification. I am fortunate enough to have a family member that has a microscope to check for nosema that actually knows how to use one. But it should be an interesting experience to say the least. We have checked one hive and seen nosema present but I need a special slide to do a count properly to know the severity of the infestation. My research has taught me a lot thus far about the issues the bees are having but boy there’s a lot to learn on just these two subjects
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein

Offline Green bee

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Re: My first season is coming to an end
« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2017, 11:34:33 pm »
Wow! That vid was very cool! Good on you for doing this Gbee  ;) 8)

Have you detected trach mites in your hives?
. Jen I haven’t got the microscope required to see any as of yet, but I hope by the end of the winter I’ll bee set up and ready to go.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein

Offline Jen

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Re: My first season is coming to an end
« Reply #7 on: September 23, 2017, 12:55:28 am »
I appreciate your curiosity Gbee


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Offline Les

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Re: My first season is coming to an end
« Reply #8 on: September 23, 2017, 06:06:14 am »
If you have Nosema present or even if you don't, thanks to Robo, I have started using a product called Nozevit.  This helps the bees maintain a healthy gut. 
http://www.apivita.hr/products/nozevit/
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Offline CBT

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Re: My first season is coming to an end
« Reply #9 on: September 23, 2017, 01:09:45 pm »
Super DFM Honeybee from strong microbials is a great tool used after a nosema treatment to restore a healthy bee gut. I have documents that they used it as a noesma treatment with good result. I have seen great improvement in weak, slow or hives.

Offline Jen

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Re: My first season is coming to an end
« Reply #10 on: September 23, 2017, 01:28:52 pm »
Can bees get nosema or diarrhea in the summer months? Because I have some mess on the front of a hive that I haven't seen before this time of year


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Offline apisbees

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Re: My first season is coming to an end
« Reply #11 on: September 23, 2017, 04:27:58 pm »
Yes, is the short answer. Stress is what causes it to manifest itself, Stress causes most most the diseases to manifest themselves in the hive.
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Offline Green bee

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Re: My first season is coming to an end
« Reply #12 on: September 23, 2017, 11:09:53 pm »
Jen from what I have read , what apisbees said would be a good contribution to nosema. But bees are also more likely to show major symptoms after they have been in the hive for long periods, like over winter. The spores are transmitted easily from bee to bee when clustered or confined. k wing is another symptom bees could have from nosema due to the swollen abdomen. My main goal is to be able to test and treat only when I absolutely have to. I guess my theory is to let the bees fight off as much as possible before I intervene in hopes that they build there own resistance. That being said I have also read studies that suggest that in the wild , in old hollow trees there’s natural fungi that grow the bees eat that actually help the bees with these issues. Naturally these fungi is not found in the hive we keep . I have read of a product that’s being developed that contain these fungi that studies show to help with all kinds of issues bees have. I think the further we can stay away from the chemicals we treat with the better for the bees. Don’t get me wrong if I have to use chemicals I will,  I am just trying to avoid it as much as I can.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein

Offline Jen

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Re: My first season is coming to an end
« Reply #13 on: September 24, 2017, 12:01:10 am »
I'm with you Gbee, the only thing I use to date is oxalic acid. But we eat oxalic acid on so many foods that I don't worry about the bees or the honey. Personally, I haven't run across any K wing here in upper northern Calif that I know of. But I have dealt with deformed wing virus, which is so sad to see the bees wobbling around on the ground.
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Offline Green bee

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Re: My first season is coming to an end
« Reply #14 on: September 24, 2017, 08:53:58 pm »
Here is a video i took today of a hive i really thought i was gonna have to be combined before winter. I tried this new product and after feeding this is what it looks like. It was a little over a month ago i had problems with it. I also did i might count sugar roll test when I feed them I had 11. I did a might count today and had 17. Let me know your thoughts. This is a Wayne’s bee hive.
     
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein

Offline Jen

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Re: My first season is coming to an end
« Reply #15 on: September 24, 2017, 10:28:51 pm »
Ya can't beat that Gbee! Beautiful hive  ;D

If it were me, I would be treating for mites now, like right now. I did notice just a few drone cells on your brood frame, that's a prime place for mites to hang out.

What do you use for mite treatment?
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Offline Green bee

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Re: My first season is coming to an end
« Reply #16 on: September 24, 2017, 11:20:28 pm »
Ya can't beat that Gbee! Beautiful hive  ;D

If it were me, I would be treating for mites now, like right now. I did notice just a few drone cells on your brood frame, that's a prime place for mites to hang out.

What do you use for mite treatment?
.  If I did treat I would most likely use OA , but Wally asked me not to treat for mites when I got the Wayne's queen from him. So I guess I will let it go and see what happens. As hard as it is to do. I do have a hive will treat. What is so crazy is , I kid you not it was almost gone. Four or five weeks ago I thought this hive would have to be combined. After talking to Wally he said that's exactly how people describe how his Wayne's bees do. I will do another count in a few weeks to see how it goes. I might even ask wally to stop by ad take a look himself. I am very nervous about it though.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein

Offline Jen

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Re: My first season is coming to an end
« Reply #17 on: September 24, 2017, 11:47:39 pm »
Interesting that Iddee asked to not treat the Wayne's bees. Do you know the reasoning behind that? just curious

How many hives do you have Gbee?
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Offline Green bee

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Re: My first season is coming to an end
« Reply #18 on: September 25, 2017, 12:00:28 am »
https://waynesbees.com/      Here is a link to Wally’s site on Wayne’s bees. I have five hives. Wally has kept these bees going since the late 80’s.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein
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Offline Jen

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Re: My first season is coming to an end
« Reply #19 on: September 25, 2017, 02:12:54 pm »
I'm still reading the link you posted on Wayne's bees. My first question is... How do you keep Wayne's bees exclusively? Wouldn't the other bees from my other hives intermingle with the Wayne's bees? Therefore becoming mutt's?

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