Author Topic: hive headaches  (Read 2856 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Zweefer

  • Administrator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 1816
  • Thanked: 161 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Eau Claire WI
hive headaches
« on: May 11, 2022, 04:08:33 pm »
went into the hives quick before another round of storms come through... Had one hive come up queenless....
I stole a frame of eggs, larva and brood complete with nurse bees from my nuc and put it in the hive.

Then thought better of it.  $30 later, I have a new queen in the box and will check on her Friday to make sure she is out.

On a positive note, the dandelions have started to come up here. saw my first one yesterday!

*edit* I have a friend who is 10 min drive from me with queens banked, thus the ability to replace her so quickly.
Keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.
Henry David Thoreau
The following users thanked this post: Gypsi

Offline Jen

  • Platinum Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10175
  • Thanked: 240 times
  • Gender: Female
  • Location: Upper California
Re: hive headaches
« Reply #1 on: May 12, 2022, 12:46:09 am »
I don't know why, but for years I have had plenty of dandelions in my large yard and I'll be darned I have ever seen a bee on one of them  ???

When I first started on this forum years ago there was only one other beekeeper in the area that I knew of. I had to order queens from Mann Lake and Dadant about 150 miles south, over night shipping, came to about $70 queen. But now we have a bee club in our county and this club keeps a hybrid queen bank. Plus we have another commercial beekeeper about half hour away that keeps Italians.

Zweefer, what breed of queen do you like best?
There Is Peace In The Queendom

Offline Zweefer

  • Administrator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 1816
  • Thanked: 161 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Eau Claire WI
Re: hive headaches
« Reply #2 on: May 12, 2022, 06:44:44 am »
I’ve had the best luck with Russians.
Keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.
Henry David Thoreau

Offline The15thMember

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 679
  • Thanked: 93 times
  • Gender: Female
  • Traveler of the Multiverse, Seeker of Knowledge
  • Location: Western North Carolina
Re: hive headaches
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2022, 10:28:18 am »
I’ve had the best luck with Russians.
So have the Washington Capitals.   8)   :D

Seriously though, local bees are the best.  I was fortunately able to get local bees when I got my first packages, and they have done so well for me.  It's great to see clubs working on breeding local stocks. 

I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.

Offline Jen

  • Platinum Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10175
  • Thanked: 240 times
  • Gender: Female
  • Location: Upper California
Re: hive headaches
« Reply #4 on: May 12, 2022, 11:43:02 am »
I would have to agree with 15th on local queens. Although the hybrid queen bank we have here comes from central Calif, those queens genes include russian stock because they are evidently huge honey makers.

I prefer the italian queens because they are laying machines. But would like to try carnolian queens as well. Then there is the Saskatraz bees who are bred in Canada and do real well in cold weather.
There Is Peace In The Queendom

Offline LazyBkpr

  • Gold Member
  • Posts: 6842
  • Thanked: 205 times
  • Gender: Male
  • www.outyard.net
    • The Outyard
  • Location: Richland Iowa
Re: hive headaches
« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2022, 02:09:02 pm »
Split my BIG hive today, I'll go in and look a the other hives this weekend and decide if and when to split depending on how crowded they are getting...   Didn;t see any queen cells in the big hive, but it was five boxes and packed full. The other hives shouldnt be too far behind it...   Didn't get stung today... strangely enough... maybe they are starting to love me?
Drinking RUM before noon makes you a PIRATE not an alcoholic!

*Sponsor*

Offline Jen

  • Platinum Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10175
  • Thanked: 240 times
  • Gender: Female
  • Location: Upper California
Re: hive headaches
« Reply #6 on: May 12, 2022, 02:40:53 pm »
No doubt in my mind Lazy ~ How many hives are you running now?
There Is Peace In The Queendom

Offline Zweefer

  • Administrator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 1816
  • Thanked: 161 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Eau Claire WI
Re: hive headaches
« Reply #7 on: May 12, 2022, 05:24:27 pm »
Walk away split, or did you put a queen in each one?
Keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.
Henry David Thoreau

Offline LazyBkpr

  • Gold Member
  • Posts: 6842
  • Thanked: 205 times
  • Gender: Male
  • www.outyard.net
    • The Outyard
  • Location: Richland Iowa
Re: hive headaches
« Reply #8 on: May 13, 2022, 06:14:19 am »
Walk away split... Made sure both hives had eggs, and I'll go back in and check both in a few days looking for queen cells...   Hoping they have a couple extra to split a couple more hives with...   Unfortunately I dont have anyone ten minutes down the road with queens, so I am on my own unless I want to order them...     I am hoping to MAKE a few later in June to fill up a few nucs.. NOT having good luck overwintering nuc's and need to figure out how to get them through the winters better....     Mrs Jen.. I try to keep ten hives, and have five nucs by the end of july....
Drinking RUM before noon makes you a PIRATE not an alcoholic!

*Sponsor*

Offline Zweefer

  • Administrator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 1816
  • Thanked: 161 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Eau Claire WI
Re: hive headaches
« Reply #9 on: May 13, 2022, 06:39:13 am »
Still doing the double story 2x2 (side by side) for overwintering?
Keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.
Henry David Thoreau

Offline Bakersdozen

  • Global Moderator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 4509
  • Thanked: 482 times
  • Gender: Female
  • Location: Olathe, Kansas
Re: hive headaches
« Reply #10 on: May 13, 2022, 10:08:52 am »

I prefer the italian queens because they are laying machines. But would like to try carnolian queens as well. Then there is the Saskatraz bees who are bred in Canada and do real well in cold weather.
I have Italian and Carnolian queens.  Italians winter over in larger clusters and require more winter food stores.  Carnolians go into winter with smaller clusters, don't require as much winter stores, and come out of winter in smaller numbers.  The colony builds up quickly and are not quite as gentle as the Italians.  I also have one Saskatraz queen.  I talked about how I acquired her in another thread.  https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/index.php?topic=9057.msg104192#msg104192  I received her about a month ago, so it will be fun to watch how that colony does.

Offline LazyBkpr

  • Gold Member
  • Posts: 6842
  • Thanked: 205 times
  • Gender: Male
  • www.outyard.net
    • The Outyard
  • Location: Richland Iowa
Re: hive headaches
« Reply #11 on: May 14, 2022, 12:19:22 am »
Saskatraz?????   Do tell!!!!

   The ones I still have are mutt leftovers from my Wayne's bees, doubt there is much left of the original genetics by now though...   Going through hives tomorrow, will be interesting!
Drinking RUM before noon makes you a PIRATE not an alcoholic!

*Sponsor*

Offline Jen

  • Platinum Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10175
  • Thanked: 240 times
  • Gender: Female
  • Location: Upper California
Re: hive headaches
« Reply #12 on: May 14, 2022, 03:09:17 pm »
Hi lazy, Saskatchewan Canada is where the Saskatraz gene comes from. Pretty phenomenal queens! I'm trying to make room in my small apiary for a Sask hive. One of their great traits is that they are bred in cold weather... example... one of my bee buddies acquired a Sask hive early this spring, owners moved and couldn't take them. He said the Sask's are always the first bees to come out in the cold mornings.

Our closest source for Sask queens is about 2 1/2 hours south. California

 https://backyardbeekeeping101.com/saskatraz-bees-review/
There Is Peace In The Queendom

Offline LazyBkpr

  • Gold Member
  • Posts: 6842
  • Thanked: 205 times
  • Gender: Male
  • www.outyard.net
    • The Outyard
  • Location: Richland Iowa
Re: hive headaches
« Reply #13 on: May 14, 2022, 05:38:27 pm »
Interesting.. I always liked Michael Palmer's bees for similar reasons.  Hopefully I can get back to working with them often enough to try some of these good genetics soon!
Drinking RUM before noon makes you a PIRATE not an alcoholic!

*Sponsor*

Offline vvand111

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 287
  • Thanked: 17 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: atlanta GA
Re: hive headaches
« Reply #14 on: May 15, 2022, 05:29:48 pm »
Lazy,   just out of cureosity what size boxes are you running.
I am running 2 deep 10 frame boxesand supers on top.
All of my bees r from Waynes bees out of nc.


Offline Zweefer

  • Administrator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 1816
  • Thanked: 161 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Eau Claire WI
Re: hive headaches
« Reply #15 on: May 15, 2022, 08:26:58 pm »
hey there stranger! Nice to see you vvand111! :yes:
Keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.
Henry David Thoreau

Offline vvand111

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 287
  • Thanked: 17 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: atlanta GA
Re: hive headaches
« Reply #16 on: May 16, 2022, 07:43:55 am »
Been busy zwee   had some real bad medical problems for about 2.5 years.  a lot better now. managed to keep 5 of my my 10 hives. I do not know how but purly lucked my way through.  I will be doing at least 3 splits in next week and then let them settle in for the rest of the summer.
                       look forward to talking with you guys more.
Would love to here from Idee as he really inspired me from the beginning

Offline LazyBkpr

  • Gold Member
  • Posts: 6842
  • Thanked: 205 times
  • Gender: Male
  • www.outyard.net
    • The Outyard
  • Location: Richland Iowa
Re: hive headaches
« Reply #17 on: May 16, 2022, 08:15:03 am »
VV I run all medium, ten frame boxes.... overwintering in three mediums instead of two deeps.....   a medium full of honey is plenty heavy enough for me.   :yes:
Drinking RUM before noon makes you a PIRATE not an alcoholic!

*Sponsor*

Offline iddee

  • Administrator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 6122
  • Thanked: 405 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Sophia, N. C.
Re: hive headaches
« Reply #18 on: May 16, 2022, 09:01:38 am »
Hello, VV. Good to hear from you. Glad to know the Wayne's bees are doing well.
“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
― Shel Silverstein

Offline Bakersdozen

  • Global Moderator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 4509
  • Thanked: 482 times
  • Gender: Female
  • Location: Olathe, Kansas
Re: hive headaches
« Reply #19 on: May 16, 2022, 11:15:38 am »
Saskatraz?????   Do tell!!!!

Sorry Lazy, I though I posted a response to this but I don't see it now.
The Saskatraz line was developed in Saskatchewan Canada.  Not only do they have have good wintering abilities, are similar to Italians in gentleness, but they are bred to be hygienic and adaptable to mite resistance.  Saskatraz are also supposed to be good honey producers.  This package I acquired, with the Saskatraz queen, was on the verge of starving by the time I got them.  I gave them 4 frames of drawn comb in a 10 frame brood box.  They are slowing down on the sugar syrup and starting to draw comb now that we have a bit of a nectar flow going.  They weather hasn't been favorable to foraging and  I am still feeding quite a few colonies while they build up.  They are taking it, so they need it.  She is laying where ever she can find comb.  So far, so good.