The oil dissolves the polystyrene. Instead just put a couple of drops on the top bar of one or two of the frames. Remember to reapply every couple of weeks.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Lemon Grass Oil - Poly hives
Just a word of warning to all of you who use poly hives or nucs. Do not put any lemon grass oil on the polystyrene.
The oil dissolves the polystyrene. Instead just put a couple of drops on the top bar of one or two of the frames. Remember to reapply every couple of weeks.
The oil dissolves the polystyrene. Instead just put a couple of drops on the top bar of one or two of the frames. Remember to reapply every couple of weeks.
Monday, April 4, 2011
April 4th 2011
Bait hives
As swarm season is about to start its time to set up the bait hives.
Previously I've made up a few frames with foundation but this year I bought 20 sheets of wax coated plastic foundation instead as I found after awhile the normal foundation turns stale and is useless after a few weeks of hot weather. The trick I use is simply added a few drops of lemongrass oil on the top of a couple of the frames and wait.
The lemongrass oil scent seems to attract bees like iron filings to a magnet. The idea is when a colony swarms they then settle some where and send out lots of scout bees to find a potential new home, once one of the scouts finds some where suitable it returns to gather more bees to come and inspect the site before they in turn return and so on until a critical number decide to take a look then the whole swarm moves in. Last year the 4 frame nuc I left in the garden had plenty of bees interested but I guess it wasn't big enough to house a good sized swarm unlike the empty Dartington hive which attracted a massive swarm. So this year I have a langstroth medium chamber and one of the new 6 frame poly nucs I bought sat out in the garden about 4 feet off the floor in a sunny spot ready and waiting.
I'll let you know if I have any luck.
As swarm season is about to start its time to set up the bait hives.
Previously I've made up a few frames with foundation but this year I bought 20 sheets of wax coated plastic foundation instead as I found after awhile the normal foundation turns stale and is useless after a few weeks of hot weather. The trick I use is simply added a few drops of lemongrass oil on the top of a couple of the frames and wait.
The lemongrass oil scent seems to attract bees like iron filings to a magnet. The idea is when a colony swarms they then settle some where and send out lots of scout bees to find a potential new home, once one of the scouts finds some where suitable it returns to gather more bees to come and inspect the site before they in turn return and so on until a critical number decide to take a look then the whole swarm moves in. Last year the 4 frame nuc I left in the garden had plenty of bees interested but I guess it wasn't big enough to house a good sized swarm unlike the empty Dartington hive which attracted a massive swarm. So this year I have a langstroth medium chamber and one of the new 6 frame poly nucs I bought sat out in the garden about 4 feet off the floor in a sunny spot ready and waiting.
I'll let you know if I have any luck.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Hive Guide Update
I've recently added a new section to the guide.
Poly Nuc's
I also intend to make a few other minor changes in the next few days. The guide is now approximately 25 Meg so it will take some time to download so please be patient if you click on the Hive Guide cover picture in the side bar or alternatively the link below.
Hive Guide2011
Once again thank you for all the feedback, I really appreciate that you took the time to email me to let me know what you think of the guide and all requests to use it as part of a training package for new bee keepers.
Good News
Several people have made requests for another guide, one subject seems to be very popular so I am happy to let you know I will be working on new guide to do with bee keeping but not hives which will be available later this year.
Mike
Poly Nuc's
I also intend to make a few other minor changes in the next few days. The guide is now approximately 25 Meg so it will take some time to download so please be patient if you click on the Hive Guide cover picture in the side bar or alternatively the link below.
Hive Guide2011
Once again thank you for all the feedback, I really appreciate that you took the time to email me to let me know what you think of the guide and all requests to use it as part of a training package for new bee keepers.
Good News
Several people have made requests for another guide, one subject seems to be very popular so I am happy to let you know I will be working on new guide to do with bee keeping but not hives which will be available later this year.
Mike
Sunday, March 27, 2011
March 27th Colony Adjustments
I've decided to transfer one of my strong colonies into a Langstroth poly hive. I tried this late last year without much success. However this time I've taken a different approach.
I started by shifting the National hive to one side, so I could turn the hive stand round 90' and place a wooden board down so the feet of the poly hive had a good base. I then put the poly hive on top and carefully arranged the frames before adding a ply wood template ( as the langstroth hive is longer than a national the ply board will be used as a temporary roof) before putting the National back on top.
- Template shown stood up so you can see the over all size and the large hole in it.
- National Hive Brood + Super for 14x12 frames
- Template shown between the two chambers
- Langstroth deep brood chamber and floor
The aim is to allow the colony to expand downwards over time. Once they have drawn out enough of the Langstroth frames I will insert a queen excluder and a frame of brood below so the queen has no choice but to use the lower chamber.
Here is a picture I took from a distance two days later as I didn't have my bee suit.
I started by shifting the National hive to one side, so I could turn the hive stand round 90' and place a wooden board down so the feet of the poly hive had a good base. I then put the poly hive on top and carefully arranged the frames before adding a ply wood template ( as the langstroth hive is longer than a national the ply board will be used as a temporary roof) before putting the National back on top.
- Template shown stood up so you can see the over all size and the large hole in it.
- National Hive Brood + Super for 14x12 frames
- Template shown between the two chambers
- Langstroth deep brood chamber and floor
The aim is to allow the colony to expand downwards over time. Once they have drawn out enough of the Langstroth frames I will insert a queen excluder and a frame of brood below so the queen has no choice but to use the lower chamber.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
March Inspection II
After finding the two struggling colonies yesterday, I decided only one of them was worth trying to save. So I put together a poly nuc with 3 new frames and transferred the colony and two frames with large amounts of capped syrup into the nuc and added an empty frame feeder as well, just to help fill out the space. To some this may seem a little early to be making this sort of adjustment, but the old hive floor and frames were littered with dead bees which were mouldy and the colony would of struggled to keep warm in a full size chamber.
Twenty minutes later.
Twenty minutes later.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
March Inspection
Had a great day today.
March Inspection
First time I've opened them up to look inside properly. Lifted the crown boards and was glad to find four of my six colonies looking good and building up nicely although a little light on stores. The other two colonies not shown in this video will need to be combined and put into a nuc if they are to survive as one of the queens has failed, the other is only laying a small patch of eggs as the colony is very small.
March Inspection
First time I've opened them up to look inside properly. Lifted the crown boards and was glad to find four of my six colonies looking good and building up nicely although a little light on stores. The other two colonies not shown in this video will need to be combined and put into a nuc if they are to survive as one of the queens has failed, the other is only laying a small patch of eggs as the colony is very small.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
February Inspection
As the weather was very nice for this time of the year and not a cloud in the sky so Clare and I went to see the girls. All but the poly hive were out flying and making the most of the warm day and collecting the first spring pollen.
We quickly lifted the roof of each hive to check the amounts of fondant they had and were pleased to see most of the colonies have hardly touched it since last month.
We quickly lifted the roof of each hive to check the amounts of fondant they had and were pleased to see most of the colonies have hardly touched it since last month.
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