Recent Posts

1

TBH, Warre, and Other Alternative Hives / Re: Traditional Appalachian Bee Gum Experiment

« Last post by The15thMember on May 14, 2025, 09:34:25 am »

Other than that, I would cut the top flat, cover it with 1/2 in. or better plywood. Then cut a hole in the plywood a bit larger than the hollow. Now, place a super on the plywood and harvest yearly.

I will hypothetically take that into consideration.   

It is illegal in N.C. and most states to have a hive without removable frames.

I'm kind of just assuming that no one REALLY cares about that, since I read an article from a local paper about someone keeping bees in gums which was written in like 2012, and I've seen several blog posts and YouTube videos on it as well.  If this thread suddenly disappears, just never mention it again. 

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TBH, Warre, and Other Alternative Hives / Re: Traditional Appalachian Bee Gum Experiment

« Last post by iddee on May 13, 2025, 06:23:11 pm »

It is illegal in N.C. and most states to have a hive without removable frames. Other than that, I would cut the top flat, cover it with 1/2 in. or better plywood. Then cut a hole in the plywood a bit larger than the hollow. Now, place a super on the plywood and harvest yearly.

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TBH, Warre, and Other Alternative Hives / Traditional Appalachian Bee Gum Experiment

« Last post by The15thMember on May 13, 2025, 04:48:20 pm »

So, I'm currently in the process of thinking through a potential cockomamie scheme.  My dad was working on chainsawing some downed trees in one of our pastures, and he discovered a tree with a significantly sized hollow cavity in the center.  One piece is about 50 inches long and the other is 16.5 inches and inside is a 6 in. diameter hollow.  The logs themselves are around 8-10 inches in diameter, and the bigger log has a section that protrudes out where a significantly sized limb used to be, but it's only open at the top and bottom.  My calculations put the cavity volume at around 31 L, so pretty close to the preferred 40 L volume that Dr. Seeley recommends for a swarm trap.

I'm thinking that I could potentially make a traditional Appalachian bee gum out of this thing.  It's pretty tall and skinny, but I could probably put a cross of sticks somewhere in the middle of the log for a second comb attachment point, close up the top and bottom, drill an entrance hole in it, and strap it to a tree to keep it off the ground.  I'm a little bit leery of a colony being able to store enough honey to overwinter in it, so I probably would never harvest from it.  I could just set it up basically as a swarm trap, or I could catch a swarm and hive them into it (I actually have a swarm on a branch right now, but I don't know if I'll be able to get this set up in time to put them in it).  The point of this essentially would just be a heritage experiment.

Does anyone have any experience with bee gums, log hives, or the like?  Any concerns or considerations that I'm not thinking of that would convince me this is a bad idea?

4

Other Pollinators / Re: Jewel Bees Love Fish Emulsion Apparently

« Last post by Bakersdozen on May 13, 2025, 11:08:57 am »

It never ceases to amaze me how many different little bees are in our yards and gardens, quietly and often thanklessly working to pollinate our plants!

That's a good sign of a healthy environment. 

5

General Beekeeping / Re: Package backfilling brood nest

« Last post by iddee on May 12, 2025, 07:32:25 pm »

It is always un-drawn foundation. If it is drawn, is is comb, not foundation. It is common practice to create a hole amongst the brood to get them to fill in the open space during comb drawing season, which is now.

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General Beekeeping / Re: Package backfilling brood nest

« Last post by Bakersdozen on May 12, 2025, 06:00:59 pm »

I would put a frame with foundation in the middle. They do not like holes in their nest. They should go to work on it immediately. As soon as they get it past midway, put another one in there.

Thanks iddee. Do you mean a frame of un-drawn foundation in the middle? I'm always concerned about splitting up the brood nest, but this time of year it might be find to do that.

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Other Pollinators / Jewel Bees Love Fish Emulsion Apparently

« Last post by The15thMember on May 12, 2025, 03:25:23 pm »

My mom mixed up a jug of fish emulsion to use while she planted her tomatoes and some starts we had gotten at a local nursery, and she rinsed off the little measuring scoop overtop of the elecampane, just because that is where the hose happened to be. Within 30 minutes, the leaves were covered in little jewel bees, along with a handful of carpenter bees and a few other wild bees.  I couldn't believe it!

If my ID is correct, most of these jewel bees are from the genus Augochlora. Some species are solitary, but some are social, with a life cycle similar to bumble bees and carpenter bees. I'm not sure what the bees with the duller coloration and striped abdomens are, perhaps a species of Andrena? There is also a green bottle fly trying to blend in with the jewel bees in one of the pictures.

It never ceases to amaze me how many different little bees are in our yards and gardens, quietly and often thanklessly working to pollinate our plants!

8

Swarms, Cut Outs, Trap Outs and Bee Trees / Re: I Caught a Swarm on My Hand!

« Last post by The15thMember on May 12, 2025, 03:17:56 pm »

I could, but our big spring flow just started, so I will check on them again either this weekend or next and see if they are making good use of that.

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General Beekeeping / Re: Package backfilling brood nest

« Last post by iddee on May 12, 2025, 03:10:08 pm »

I would put a frame with foundation in the middle. They do not like holes in their nest. They should go to work on it immediately. As soon as they get it past midway, put another one in there.

10

General Beekeeping / Package backfilling brood nest

« Last post by Bakersdozen on May 12, 2025, 12:34:17 pm »

I put a package of bees in a single brood box with some drawn comb in the center and un-drawn foundation on the outsides. I have been giving them 1:1 sugar syrup and checking their progress.  Last week I marked the queen, a nice looking Italian. Yesterday I checked on their progress and they backfilled the entire brood nest and haven't drawn any wax. I didn't see any signs of supercedure or swarm cells surprisingly.  There is a wee bit of brood still present. I gave them a few more frames of drawn comb so she would have a place to lay eggs. We are peaking on our spring nectar flow here but I don't understand why no one isn't drawing comb? If they don't do it now they not going to do it in another 6 weeks.