Search found 156 matches
- Sun Apr 21, 2024 5:40 am
- Forum: Just Stuff
- Topic: Tulip Poplar Flowers
- Replies: 1
- Views: 398
Re: Tulip Poplar Flowers
The two old poplars in my Greensboro neighborhood I usually watch for the first signs of blooms definitely have some open flowers now. There seems to be a range of fully opened flowers down to solid green unopened buds on the same tree. My home bees aren't quite acting like the serious flow is happe...
- Fri Apr 12, 2024 8:41 am
- Forum: Extractions, cut outs, removals and swarms
- Topic: Greensboro swarm 4/10/24
- Replies: 0
- Views: 332
Greensboro swarm 4/10/24
I got a call from a neighbor on Wednesday about a swarm at the base of an AC unit. This particular house appears to be a magnet for some reason, as I had responded to them last spring when they had scout bees coming down their chimney and entering the living room! This time they were on vacation, so...
- Fri Apr 12, 2024 8:31 am
- Forum: Extractions, cut outs, removals and swarms
- Topic: Greensboro swarm (and Jacobs) in the news!
- Replies: 1
- Views: 177
- Thu Mar 28, 2024 2:34 pm
- Forum: Extractions, cut outs, removals and swarms
- Topic: Greensboro swarms 3/28/24
- Replies: 0
- Views: 284
Greensboro swarms 3/28/24
Well, I thought they might wait until tomorrow, but I just got reports of two swarms in my neighborhood here in central Greensboro. Both literally within 30 min of the sun coming out a little bit ago! I have no good way of estimating weight, but both are soccer ball sized. My guess is the next few d...
- Wed Mar 27, 2024 9:45 am
- Forum: Wanted/For Sale
- Topic: Queen cells
- Replies: 2
- Views: 433
Re: Queen cells
How many are you looking for? I plan to check all my colonies Fri/Sat, and am sure to run across some in swarm mode... If so, I'd be glad to cut out some good capped cells and share.
- Sat Mar 23, 2024 6:12 am
- Forum: Beekeeping 101
- Topic: Drone layer
- Replies: 1
- Views: 236
Drone layer
I had my first encounter with a drone-laying queen this week. I had noticed this colony was a little weaker and slower to build up than the rest, but in my recent quick inspections I had found the queen and had seen eggs/larvae, so just assumed they were slower coming out of winter... The other day ...
- Wed Mar 20, 2024 3:39 pm
- Forum: Beekeeping 101
- Topic: Question From a Beginner
- Replies: 4
- Views: 264
Re: Question From a Beginner
Yes, Wally is absolutely right! If you have the opportunity to start with two hives instead of one, definitely choose that route. The sharing and switching of resources, combined with the ability to make comparisons, is very valuable when starting out.
- Tue Mar 19, 2024 5:16 am
- Forum: Beekeeping 101
- Topic: Question From a Beginner
- Replies: 4
- Views: 264
Re: Question From a Beginner
Michael - welcome to the group! There is really no "right" setup. Some folks use one deep brood box, with additional mediums for brood and honey. Other folks use two deeps for brood, with mediums for honey (this is probably the most standard). Even others (like me) use all mediums, althoug...
- Fri Mar 15, 2024 1:34 pm
- Forum: Beekeeping 101
- Topic: Adding a honey super
- Replies: 8
- Views: 440
Re: Adding a honey super
Sounds like you're on the right track. Just in the past 10 days almost all my colonies have now drawn out full 10-frame deeps without any liquid feed from me. I'm now seeing redbuds and hollies blooming all over the place, so there should be plenty of nectar coming in to encourage wax-building. Like...
- Mon Mar 11, 2024 7:08 pm
- Forum: Beekeeping 101
- Topic: Pinching queens to control swarming?
- Replies: 6
- Views: 296
Re: Pinching queens to control swarming?
OK, you have both talked me out of it... Glad I asked! I do have a bunch of 5-frame equipment laying around, so it makes perfect sense to keep the queen in reserve rather than just pinching her, and pulling some brood frames and bees out of the original hive to relieve congestion. Unlike last spring...
- Mon Mar 11, 2024 4:08 pm
- Forum: Beekeeping 101
- Topic: Pinching queens to control swarming?
- Replies: 6
- Views: 296
Pinching queens to control swarming?
I'm thinking of a scenario where a beekeeper is not interested in (or able to) expand their apiary, has no interest in selling bees, and therefore does not use splitting colonies as a means to control swarming. Would it be possible to find a colony in swarm prep mode, locate and pinch the current qu...
- Sat Mar 09, 2024 8:38 am
- Forum: Just Stuff
- Topic: Swarming prep observations - anyone?
- Replies: 2
- Views: 220
Re: Swarming prep observations - anyone?
Well, I think I spoke too soon about my own colonies. I checked my home hives on Thursday afternoon, and the strongest one did have at least one uncapped, charged swarm cell with larvae and jelly. I removed two frames of brood to boost a weaker colony and replaced with empty drawn comb in the hopes ...
- Sat Mar 09, 2024 8:29 am
- Forum: Extractions, cut outs, removals and swarms
- Topic: Greensboro swarm 3/7/24
- Replies: 0
- Views: 292
Greensboro swarm 3/7/24
I just got an unverified report of a swarm here in the center of Greensboro on Thursday. Unfortunately, the neighbor just contacted me last night about it... I assume they are long gone by now, but I do plan to go check if we get a break in the rain later today.
- Thu Mar 07, 2024 9:47 am
- Forum: Just Stuff
- Topic: Swarming prep observations - anyone?
- Replies: 2
- Views: 220
Swarming prep observations - anyone?
My bees definitely seem to be weeks behind compared to the past few years, so as soon as folks begin to see charged swarm cells, I would love to hear about it! So far, I am not seeing any real swarming preparation or swarm cells, even in my strongest packed colonies. I am certainly seeing tons of fl...
- Wed Mar 06, 2024 2:24 pm
- Forum: Beekeeping 101
- Topic: Adding a honey super
- Replies: 8
- Views: 440
Re: Adding a honey super
All of my hives overwintered this year in 2, 10-frame mediums. I put a deep box with heavily waxed black plastic foundations (only) on most of them Feb 10. As of the other day, all but a few weaker colonies had started drawing out those foundations. The strongest 3 or 4 colonies had almost fully dra...
- Wed Feb 21, 2024 11:41 am
- Forum: Just Stuff
- Topic: Early February observations/Burr comb in shims
- Replies: 4
- Views: 843
Re: Early February observations/Burr comb in shims
Long story, but I put deeps with new heavily-waxed plastic foundations on all my hives on Feb. 10. They still have plenty of honey, and I am supplemental feeding with Hive Alive fondant (no liquid syrup yet). I thought it was worth a shot to see if they'd consider drawing them out, and maybe I'd get...
- Wed Feb 21, 2024 11:20 am
- Forum: Beekeeping 101
- Topic: Overwintering drones???
- Replies: 1
- Views: 208
Overwintering drones???
Is it possible for drones to overwinter in a hive? I thought not, but I did a thorough check of some hives on Monday and found plentiful numbers of mature-looking drones on frames. I guess it's possible they are this year's drones, but that means those eggs would have been laid AT LEAST 24+ days ago...
- Wed Feb 21, 2024 11:20 am
- Forum: Just Stuff
- Topic: Drones 2024/Overwintering drones???
- Replies: 4
- Views: 307
Drones 2024/Overwintering drones???
Is it possible for drones to overwinter in a hive? I thought not, but I did a thorough check of some hives on Monday and found plentiful numbers of mature-looking drones on frames. I guess it's possible they are this year's drones, but that means those eggs would have been laid AT LEAST 24+ days ago...
- Sat Feb 03, 2024 3:52 pm
- Forum: Beekeeping 101
- Topic: Red maples blooming already?
- Replies: 21
- Views: 27379
Re: Red maples blooming already?
I stopped by Cooperative Extension on Thursday to see the tree in bloom. It is almost certainly a gnarly old red maple (not a silver or sugar maple), and the bees were certainly working it! I haven't seen any others blooming to this extent in the area, but would love to hear what you folks are seein...
- Sat Feb 03, 2024 10:09 am
- Forum: Just Stuff
- Topic: Early February observations/Burr comb in shims
- Replies: 4
- Views: 843
Early February observations/Burr comb in shims
As Wally suggested, I took the opportunity yesterday to peek in all my hives, check weights, and make general observations. In 2 of my 19 hives, they are now starting to build comb inside the feeding shim (mainly drone comb). In fact, one was already laid up with eggs! They have definitely been burn...