Author Topic: Alaska Bee Keeping (Read 108820 times)

yukonjeff · « **Reply #20 on:** May 29, 2017, 02:44:05 pm »

Here is where Q-tips grow in case you didn't know.

And I thought I was done making rookie mistakes but NOOOOOOOOOO.. lol

And of course it was all laid with eggs when I cut it off, so I stuck it back in on a undrawn end frame, see if they move the eggs or hatch them.

yukonjeff · « **Reply #21 on:** May 31, 2017, 02:09:20 pm »

Well my queen from Iowa is in the mail and supposed to be here by Thursday, (I kind of doubt that because of my location)

Anyway I have one mostly drawn comb I saved and will be stealing a couple frames of brood.

Should I take 1 frame from both hives? will they fight? or both frames from one hive ?

*I was planning on hanging the queen cage in between frames like installing a package, will that work ok ? Shake extra bees ?

Thanks

riverbee · « **Reply #22 on:** May 31, 2017, 11:56:22 pm »

yukonjeff......
am really enjoying your posts and pictures! thank you very much! also a very interesting learning curve for me for your beekeeping 'environment'.

about your new queen.......(russian hybrid)
you can take 1 frame of brood from both hives, the bees on the brood frames will be nurse bees, they shouldn't fight. you can shake extra bees in from frames, and maybe use some sugar syrup spray on them. yes, you can place the cage in between the frames but with the russian hybrid queen, i would leave the cork in the cage for at least 24 hours. then go back in and remove the cork/cap from the cage to expose the candy for her release, and when you do pay attention to their 'attitude'. lol..........

EDIT AND ADD:
feed them syrup

yukonjeff · « **Reply #23 on:** June 01, 2017, 01:38:18 pm »

Thanks Riverbee. I will install her like you said ,sounds good to me, I was considering a push in cage but I don't have the right screen here and also afraid she would fly away while I was trying to get her under the cage.

I don't have a nuc box so I am taking five frames out of a ten frame deep and put in follower boards.

Fingers crossed, I might have another hive and that will make three ! and hope at least one gets through the winter.

riverbee · « **Reply #24 on:** June 02, 2017, 01:28:31 am »

great photo!

please let us know on the queen acceptance and keep us posted!

Barbarian · « **Reply #25 on:** June 02, 2017, 02:48:19 am »

One dodge if you need to get a Q or attendants out of a traveling cage, is to open the cage with it and your hands in a suitable clear plastic bag.

yukonjeff · « **Reply #26 on:** June 03, 2017, 06:13:20 pm »

Thanks Barbarian ,that's a great idea !

Well she made it today four days in travel on second day express mail. I do give them credit its a small miracle I can get it that quick considering my location.
I gave them a drop of sugar water on the cage and put her in the dark for an hour.

I took two frames from the strong hive (after locating the queen to make sure I didn't take her) my other hive is a bit weaker so I didn't want to slow her down anymore although she is doing great now and both were laying in the top box I added two weeks ago.

I put the cage and very lively queen and attendants between the two frames of mostly capped brood and one drawn empty I have been rat holing since last year. and two empties on the end.

There was only the candy end and says to release in two days for smaller hives and takes three to eat the candy, so will check in two and see how they are acting towards her.

Probably should of shook some extra bees, but didn't.

Feel free to advise on anything I did or didn't do

I have a jar of sugar syrup on under a super but we are in a flow of blueberry ,cloudberry, cranberry,and dandelion that I know of for sure.

I am pretty proud of my decision to leave the chunk of comb in so they could remove the eggs,and they did, but also welded it to the frames, but bees lives matter

Lburou · « **Reply #27 on:** June 03, 2017, 07:18:58 pm »

Looks good to me Jeff, feed, feed, feed that new hive!

CBT · « **Reply #28 on:** June 03, 2017, 09:36:00 pm »

I'm curious about your following board. Can the bees get over the top if they want into the open section?

yukonjeff · « **Reply #29 on:** June 04, 2017, 01:54:35 pm »

Thanks again Lbouru will do if they take it, I imagine they wont have foragers for awhile.

And CBT yes they might be able to go over the top of the follower board, I will check when I remove the queen cage, they are home made and I am not much of a carpenter. I did order a set of follower boards last fall from Mann Lake and they didn't go up to the inner cover or to the bottom board (after they assured me they did) and were quite useless, so made my own.

We have been in the 70 s F. here yesterday and today supposed to get up to 75 ! that's a hot summer day here.

Nugget Shooter · « **Reply #30 on:** June 04, 2017, 05:46:56 pm »

Looks good Jeff.... 75F? that is sweater weather here and 106F for us today

riverbee · « **Reply #31 on:** June 06, 2017, 01:48:58 am »

thanks for your update! feed as lee said.........again, great photos, enjoying your posts!

nugget.....75 d f is sweater weather for you? ..........

i wear shorts and flip flops or go barefoot at 50 d f........so happy i guess to get out of a deep freeze

yukonjeff · « **Reply #32 on:** June 06, 2017, 02:06:16 pm »

Nugget shooter I live here with Eskimo's they complain about the heat when it hits about 70.

Well I released the queen on the morning of the third day, she walked across the frames and quickly dove down in between,so looked like all went well.

Since it was so hot out

I could see they were standing around on the porch and I realized they had no one brining in water, so I set up a little brook for them to drink, they seamed to appreciate it.

I set up a swarm trap in case my bees swarmed. I caught some bees in it !!.......

Wrong kind though.

Some of the blooms going on here now.

The hills are full of these.

When I am not bee keeping I am a commercial salmon fisherman, and just fished last night for my own personal use to make dry fish so getting busy here.

Barbarian · « **Reply #33 on:** June 07, 2017, 04:32:59 am »

Jeff ... re your last posting.
1, The bees at the entrance look to have an "on guard" attitude.
2, Is that the start of a wasp nest in the bait hive ?
3, Water for bees is better a flight away from the hive, mucky and with floats to prevent drowning.

yukonjeff · « **Reply #34 on:** June 07, 2017, 10:09:00 pm »

Barbarian.

Those bees on the deck are nurse bees it was right after I put the two frames in, they would just walk out and go back in, there was no foragers going in the hive, so I believe they were hot and thirsty, and wanted to go home

I do have a water bucket 8 ft away, but none were flying to it so I made a small temporary creek at the door.

They also have the river 100 yards away.

And yes that is a yellow jacket nest I removed out of my swarm trap !

I see my bees all over the comfrey flowers, we have a lot of them here blooming now.

Lburou · « **Reply #35 on:** June 07, 2017, 11:05:06 pm »

Enjoying the pictures Jeff! Are those Jack silvers?

yukonjeff · « **Reply #36 on:** June 07, 2017, 11:08:42 pm »

Thanks Lburou. Those are Yukon river chums, (dog salmon), the one bigger one is a King. both are fine dining, I am drying some now.

Lburou · « **Reply #37 on:** June 08, 2017, 12:09:52 am »

Quote from: yukonjeff on June 07, 2017, 11:08:42 pm

Thanks Lburou. Those are Yukon river chums, (dog salmon), the one bigger one is a King. both are fine dining, I am drying some now.

I see. That container is much larger than I thought. I see the black lips and the side markings now, thanks. I didn't think you would keep any Jacks.

yukonjeff · « **Reply #38 on:** June 10, 2017, 04:23:00 am »

A few more pictures.

Blue Iris

A lot of these blooming here in the village, invasive I imagine.

Lburou · « **Reply #39 on:** June 10, 2017, 03:21:58 pm »

Dandelions make great honey!