Beekeeping: The Demise of My Hive
My hive is dead. It is no longer. Ding Dong the queen is dead. But I did get some sweet honey. I think what I have learned the most is leave the bees be. They know what they are doing. Watch them from a distance and let them do their thing. I think one should only be in a hive if there is a specific need to be. Otherwise hands off. At least that is what I am telling myself now.
25 Responses to Beekeeping: The Demise of My Hive
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@tappakeggaday1 Yes
LDSPrepper
January 6, 2012 at 4:28 am
does the 2/thirds rule apply to both sides of the honey frame?
tappakeggaday1
January 6, 2012 at 4:37 am
let us know how the new starter nuc fares next spring
Primex007
January 6, 2012 at 5:16 am
Hey LDS here is a thought use that other deep body and give it to your surviving hive that will give them room to grow get a queen excluder as well to prevent the queen from laying eggs in the honey supers. Might I also suggest using a stain/ sealing type stain like thompson water seal
Primex007
January 6, 2012 at 5:54 am
that girls are so agressive. they must be genetically mixed alot. i’d suggest you to obtain caucasian honey bees because they are one of the coolest/calm bees of the world (like an italian golden bees), also they has outstanding productivity (70-90 kilos per/hive “at least”), but probably you wouldnt be able to protect their bloodline eighter. I guess you are happy with what you got there, as i see.
Thanks alot for sharing video, and take care please.
Theiyidogan
January 6, 2012 at 6:38 am
@permaculture7 Thank you for the recommendation. I have considered that but didn’t want to have the bees have to pull comb all the time. I would prefer they use their energy and resources in storing honey.
LDSPrepper
January 6, 2012 at 7:25 am
@magprob We think alike. That is exactly what I did. I may not have done it right. But I did give it a try. Thanks for your comment.
LDSPrepper
January 6, 2012 at 8:14 am
may i suggest you research Warre’ Hives, its a top bar system which mimics the natural dimensions/volume of a wild hive, as opposed to Langstroth hive. It allows the bees to draw virgin comb each and every time which eliminates toxic build up in comb, which greatly contributes to the queen and bees rejecting the comb, resulting in loss of hive.
permaculture7
January 6, 2012 at 8:29 am
You should have just pulled a frame of eggs and brood, once a week, from that strong hive, and put it in the laying worker hive. They would have pulled out of it and made a new queen. Laying workes need the brood pheremone to snap out of it. 3 weeks would have done it.
magprob
January 6, 2012 at 9:13 am
@ArtaniAM Great suggestion. Thank you very much.
LDSPrepper
January 6, 2012 at 9:16 am
You should have move the strong hive ( with a queen) in the midel of the stand.
about 50 cm on your left.
This will help the bees of the queen-less hive to enter in the new hive , at the same time the bees of the strong hive wont bi so protective ( less territorial) because they will spend some time to be familiarized with the new position of their hive rather than fighting the new arrivals.
ArtaniAM
January 6, 2012 at 9:24 am
@chuckarama451 Hmm, good idea. Thanks for sharing.
LDSPrepper
January 6, 2012 at 10:08 am
@DIECASTER Nope.
LDSPrepper
January 6, 2012 at 10:44 am
@paidskn1488 Brushy mountain bee farm. I ordered them online.
LDSPrepper
January 6, 2012 at 10:48 am
Saddle soap to clean the gloves?
ss109guy
January 6, 2012 at 10:50 am
That’s too bad buddy, you still have healthy hive and spring is not far away to re-nuc your lost one – praise God for his goodness that you do have a honey harvest. Take care and thanks for the post. I also lost my hive this year so with the drought I decided to wait until right before spring to begin my hive. Take care and God bless you.
econewpower
January 6, 2012 at 11:33 am
wow. i’m still trying to decide if i want to have a bee hive when i get my own property.
niffer58
January 6, 2012 at 11:53 am
I stopped using leather gloves ages ago and use Nytril gloves. They’re puncture “resistant” but the girls will get me through them occasionally. Nice thing is, when they do, just give the glove a tug and the stinger is right out. Helps cut down spreading disease amongst hives as well. I can take off one pair, dry my sweaty hands, and put on another pair. You could buy them in a larger size and just put over your leather gloves. Same sanitary benefits, and your gloves won’t get sticky.
chuckarama451
January 6, 2012 at 11:55 am
@ldsprepper Why not just buy a new queen?
Use leather soap to clean your gloves. I use to buy mine from a western store to clean all my leather goods.
Good luck on the larger hive!
MrsNewAmericaNow
January 6, 2012 at 12:51 pm
@PreacherPrepper Order your bees at the end of Dec or January. We ordered very late in the season (April) and was lucky enough to find some on ebay. BetterBee . com has good prices on equipment and bees.
MrsNewAmericaNow
January 6, 2012 at 12:57 pm
Have you had any problems with African bees???
DIECASTER
January 6, 2012 at 12:57 pm
Where did you get those bee hive boxs?
paidskn1488
January 6, 2012 at 1:57 pm
thats to bad but at least ya got something out of it and try avon skin so soft on the gloves i know it sounds strange but it works i dont know if the oder will mess with the bees but it will cut the sticky stuff right off
roadhog1986
January 6, 2012 at 2:12 pm
Can’t wait to see the honey extraction video. Thanks for your sharing with us.
TheJACKCOLORADO
January 6, 2012 at 3:05 pm
@PreacherPrepper Workers usually do. Something went wrong.
LDSPrepper
January 6, 2012 at 3:40 pm