Worldwide Beekeeping

Beekeeping => Swarms, Cut Outs, Trap Outs and Bee Trees => Topic started by: Jim 134 on October 31, 2023, 11:48:47 am

Title: Keeping bees, Filipino style.
Post by: Jim 134 on October 31, 2023, 11:48:47 am
Remember this is just my personal observation and experience..Asian Honey Bee Apis cerana.. In my opinion are the best bees to keep.. In this part of the Philippines. If you do cut out or trap out.. You are wasting your time.. Catching swarm is  ok. Now if you want to be a little Smarter. You will do swarm traps. If you want to be 90% Successful.. You will use a full hive body. Completely set up.. And paint all the inside. With bees wax.. Now a little bit about trap out and cut out... If you do one you are wasting your time.. You have about an 85% chance.. That the bees will abscond. In 3 to 5 days. Remember everything I'm talking about here. I'm talking about Asian bees.
  If you would like more information about asian bees. Just let me know in the comments. I do not mind writing something.  Every week or so. I also did be keeping in north africa many years ago I was there for 2 years.. In United States Peace  Corps.


        BEE  HAPPY  Jim 134   :)


     
Title: Re: Keeping bees, Filipino style.
Post by: iddee on October 31, 2023, 12:55:15 pm
Are they the same size as our bees? If so, use a queen excluder and they won't abscond if the queen can't go with them.
Title: Re: Keeping bees, Filipino style.
Post by: Jim 134 on October 31, 2023, 07:44:59 pm
    Thank You for the questions, Iddee
 
   European bees 13 millimeters long.. Asian bees are only 10 millimeters long. I have Never see a beekeeping supply house.. That has Any equipment for asian bees. All the woodwear I have ever seen is home made. Asian bees do build thinner comb. All the honey is harvested by crush and strain. You see very little comb honey for sale.. In case you would like to know the price of honey. If you buy 1 gallon at a time.. It will be approximately. $2.50 to $2.75 Per pound.. Every once in a while, you will see... At the grocery store honey from the USA.. Believe it or not, the price is the same as the USA grocery stores..

        BEE HAPPY  Jim134   :)

Title: Re: Keeping bees, Filipino style.
Post by: iddee on November 01, 2023, 05:07:48 am
Thanks for the info.
Title: Re: Keeping bees, Filipino style.
Post by: Bakersdozen on November 01, 2023, 12:07:24 pm
. Catching swarm is  ok. Now if you want to be a little Smarter. You will do swarm traps. If you want to be 90% Successful.. You will use a full hive body. Completely set up.. And paint all the inside. With bees wax.. Now a little bit about trap out and cut out... If you do one you are wasting your time.. You have about an 85% chance.. That the bees will abscond. In 3 to 5 days. Remember everything I'm talking about


     


     
Jim, are the swarms large?  Is that why you would use a full hive body as a trap?  Does painting the inside with beeswax increase the swarms attraction to your trap, like a swarm lure?
Is Apis cerana still unaffected by varroa mites?  I shouldn't say unaffected but able to maintain a host-parasite relationship?
Title: Re: Keeping bees, Filipino style.
Post by: Jim 134 on November 02, 2023, 12:23:30 am
Bakersdozen, Here are the answers to your questions.

    Asian Swarm are smaller. Than the European Swarm. The reason being. You could easily put 2 asian bees in the same spot as 1 european bee.

   Beewax Covered woodware .Act as attractive. For the bees.
 

   Varoa mites. The mites have been in. The Asian bees for about  a 100 years.. Only about 1/3 of the beekeepers try to treat  Varoa mites.. I personally don't think it makes any difference..



       BEE HAPPY  Jim134  :)


  The Philippines also has european honeybees.. And yes I do know 2 dealers that sell .Bees Supplies.. At all comes from the USA Dadant.. The price is. about two and a half time just much as USA...  Because of freight and import taxs.

Something to remember there is no package bee industry here.. So you have to grow your own BEES
  Yes beekeepers will sell. You full hives of bees .