Author: GürkanYeniçeri
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 9:54 pm (GMT 0)
Even if you forget about the eggs and immature varroas and you think that the big ones you are seeing are definetly varroa on the other end of the hTBH; this means your bees have the Varroa Sensitive Hygienic behaviour (VSH) and this is good. If the bees are grooming themselves and the brood chambers and throwing all the nasties on the other end of the hive where they stick to the cooking oil sprayed bottom board; this is perfect.
Author Archives: GürkanYeniçeri
References and useful links :: RE: Introducing yourself to your neighbours
Author: GürkanYeniçeri
Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 10:25 pm (GMT 0)
Thanks Boyd, I pulled it down to one page, removed the address and extra info. It just looks like a swarm collectors pamphlet now. I think it is OK at this point.
It is now like:
-------------------------
Dear Resident,
Honey bee swarms have been collected near this area before.
Swarming is the instinct of establishing a new bee colony somewhere else, either because of the lack of space or lack off food resources. Swarming happens in the beginning of Spring through Summer.
It is a natural behaviour to increase the gene pool and start a new colony within a hygienic environment. Old queen usually leaves the hive taking almost half of the colony with her.
There are things that should be known when a swarm is sighted.
They just gather on a near by shrub or tree or take over a suitable cavity.
They have 3 to 4 days worth of honey in their stomach. Prior to swarming, they feed themselves, therefore they don’t bother attacking as they have honey in their stomach and physically they can not bend and sting.
They are not inclined to sting at this stage as they have no nest or brood to protect. But, if you are allergic to bee stings, DO NOT get close.
Do not spray the bees with insecticide, as this will irritate them and may cause them to sting.
A swarm should be removed fast and early, or they will either go somewhere and lost forever or settle in a cavity and build combs. If you spot one please let me know on <your> as quickly as possible. I won’t charge anything to remove the swarm. I am only looking after <the> area.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me.
Regards,
<your>
Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 10:25 pm (GMT 0)
Thanks Boyd, I pulled it down to one page, removed the address and extra info. It just looks like a swarm collectors pamphlet now. I think it is OK at this point.
It is now like:
-------------------------
Dear Resident,
Honey bee swarms have been collected near this area before.
Swarming is the instinct of establishing a new bee colony somewhere else, either because of the lack of space or lack off food resources. Swarming happens in the beginning of Spring through Summer.
It is a natural behaviour to increase the gene pool and start a new colony within a hygienic environment. Old queen usually leaves the hive taking almost half of the colony with her.
There are things that should be known when a swarm is sighted.
They just gather on a near by shrub or tree or take over a suitable cavity.
They have 3 to 4 days worth of honey in their stomach. Prior to swarming, they feed themselves, therefore they don’t bother attacking as they have honey in their stomach and physically they can not bend and sting.
They are not inclined to sting at this stage as they have no nest or brood to protect. But, if you are allergic to bee stings, DO NOT get close.
Do not spray the bees with insecticide, as this will irritate them and may cause them to sting.
A swarm should be removed fast and early, or they will either go somewhere and lost forever or settle in a cavity and build combs. If you spot one please let me know on <your> as quickly as possible. I won’t charge anything to remove the swarm. I am only looking after <the> area.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me.
Regards,
<your>
References and useful links :: Introducing yourself to your neighbours
Author: GürkanYeniçeri
Subject: Introducing yourself to your neighbours
Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 3:45 am (GMT 0)
I am thinking of distrubuting this text in the post boxes on my street. I don't know much of my neighbours, I don't usually see them as everybodies life is busy with their things. By distributing this text, I am guessing they will be more informed and I can may be collect swarms.
Please let me know what you think. Is this a good idea? Or I should keep it as a secret and deal with the swarms if they arise or totaly forget them.
-------------------------
Dear Neighbour,
My name is XXXXXX XXXXX, your neighbour at number 3 Blahblah street.
This is a note about honey bees and their survival in our suburban settings.
I am keeping two beehives at my backyard. I do everything to keep them happy and use natural ways to respect their natural instincts.
One thing though, no matter whatever I do to prevent is the swarming.
Swarming is the instinct of establishing a new colony somewhere else, either because of the lack of space or lack off food resources. Disease or parasites are amongst the other reasons. A bee swarm is a round or oval mass of bees seeking a place to start a new colony under the direction of a queen. Swarming bees are usually placid and unlikely to sting when left undisturbed.
Swarming happens in the beginning of Spring through Summer.
It is a natural behaviour to increase the gene pool and start a new colony within a hygienic environment.
Old queen usually leaves the hive first taking almost half of the colony with her.
Subsequent swarms may arise with a virgin queen.
There are things that should be known when a swarm is sighted.
They are docile and won’t attack and sting. They may just gather on a near by shrub or tree or take over a suitable cavity.
They send scouts to find a suitable home for them. If scouts come back with the information of a suitable cavity, they fly away to take over it.
If they find a cavity, they start building combs for the queen to lay eggs ASAP.
They have 3 to 4 days worth of honey in their stomach. Prior to swarming, they feed themselves, therefore they don’t bother attacking as they have honey in their stomach and physically they can not bend and sting.
If you come across a bee swarm or colony of bees, remain calm and stay out of the bees´ path. Do not spray the bees with insecticide, as this will irritate them and may cause them to sting.
They are not inclined to sting at this stage as they have no nest or brood to protect.
If you are allergic to bee stings, DO NOT get close.
A swarm should be removed fast and early, otherwise they will either go somewhere or settle in a cavity and build combs. If you spot one please let me know on (put your mobile here) as quickly as possible.
A settled colony in the cavities of a house is the hardest thing to remove (that is if you want to remove it) so early inspection and spotting is a must. The only solution in this case is to kill the colony by poisoning them. Removal of combs, cleaning and rebuilding the walls is another problem.
If you would like to see my hives, you are more than welcome, just knock my door at 6pm any evening and I will show them and answer any questions.
I will setup bait hives to attract swarms, I can put one in your garden to remove the swarms easily later on. I would like to assure you that I am doing everything I can to prevent swarming but as this is a natural instinct; I may not be able to prevent it all the time.
My bees are very docile and you can watch them from very close distance. You can walk around the hives, work in the garden or even have a peek from the observation window to see what is going on inside and they don’t even bother you.
Bee friendly gardens
Bees of all species, as well as other insects, are declining in numbers because of the increased use of agricultural chemicals, the destruction of their natural habitat and the accidental importation of diseases and parasites.
Bees are very important to the health of the natural world, especially wild flowers. They also play a vital role in the pollination of many of our fruit and vegetables - without bees, our diet would be very dull and lacking in many key nutrients.
Bee-Friendly Zones provide safe places for bees - and other insects - to live and forage. If we can create a lot of BFZs, we can make a big difference to their health and their numbers - and their long-term survival.
There are things you can do to make your gardens bee friendly.
Never use pesticides or nasty chemicals on your trees, veggie garden and shrubs. This makes it really dangerous to honey bees. There are natural remedies for aphids, and other bugs if you Google it. In fact, last season, I didn’t use any pesticides on my tomatoes and still got normal crop despite the flooding rains.
Honey Bees pollinate almost everything which increases the yield. For example, I’ve got more than enough apples and apricots last year. Honey bees are also good for veggie gardens.
You can plant flowering plants in pots and spread these in your veggie garden to attract honey bees. They will do the pollination for you. If you need seeds of cosmos, marigold etc please let me know. I can also help you setup a veggie garden.
Bee population is decreasing dramatically every year and about 60% of what we eat exist because of the honey bees.
(localized info) Australia is a heaven for bees as we don’t have Varroa Destructor parasite that killed many colonies in Europe, New Zealand and US.
When you see a bee flying from flower to flower, you can be assured that your seeds will germinate next year and your tomatoes will produce more than what you normally get.
It is a teaching tool for kids as well. I usually tell them real bee stories or show them the bees through the observation window. They now know what bee does for us, how they build the combs and how we borrow honey from them.
Watching bees on the flowers is a nice way of refreshing the mind. If you are in photography, macro shots are perfect for bees.
Now that modern farming favours monoculture, bees don't do so well in rural areas and can support themselves more easily on urban gardens or city rooftops.
Have a look at the address http://www.biobees.com/beefriendlyzone for more information about setting up a BFZ.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me.
Regards,
XXXX XXXXX (your name here)
Subject: Introducing yourself to your neighbours
Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 3:45 am (GMT 0)
I am thinking of distrubuting this text in the post boxes on my street. I don't know much of my neighbours, I don't usually see them as everybodies life is busy with their things. By distributing this text, I am guessing they will be more informed and I can may be collect swarms.
Please let me know what you think. Is this a good idea? Or I should keep it as a secret and deal with the swarms if they arise or totaly forget them.
-------------------------
Dear Neighbour,
My name is XXXXXX XXXXX, your neighbour at number 3 Blahblah street.
This is a note about honey bees and their survival in our suburban settings.
I am keeping two beehives at my backyard. I do everything to keep them happy and use natural ways to respect their natural instincts.
One thing though, no matter whatever I do to prevent is the swarming.
Swarming is the instinct of establishing a new colony somewhere else, either because of the lack of space or lack off food resources. Disease or parasites are amongst the other reasons. A bee swarm is a round or oval mass of bees seeking a place to start a new colony under the direction of a queen. Swarming bees are usually placid and unlikely to sting when left undisturbed.
Swarming happens in the beginning of Spring through Summer.
It is a natural behaviour to increase the gene pool and start a new colony within a hygienic environment.
Old queen usually leaves the hive first taking almost half of the colony with her.
Subsequent swarms may arise with a virgin queen.
There are things that should be known when a swarm is sighted.
They are docile and won’t attack and sting. They may just gather on a near by shrub or tree or take over a suitable cavity.
They send scouts to find a suitable home for them. If scouts come back with the information of a suitable cavity, they fly away to take over it.
If they find a cavity, they start building combs for the queen to lay eggs ASAP.
They have 3 to 4 days worth of honey in their stomach. Prior to swarming, they feed themselves, therefore they don’t bother attacking as they have honey in their stomach and physically they can not bend and sting.
If you come across a bee swarm or colony of bees, remain calm and stay out of the bees´ path. Do not spray the bees with insecticide, as this will irritate them and may cause them to sting.
They are not inclined to sting at this stage as they have no nest or brood to protect.
If you are allergic to bee stings, DO NOT get close.
A swarm should be removed fast and early, otherwise they will either go somewhere or settle in a cavity and build combs. If you spot one please let me know on (put your mobile here) as quickly as possible.
A settled colony in the cavities of a house is the hardest thing to remove (that is if you want to remove it) so early inspection and spotting is a must. The only solution in this case is to kill the colony by poisoning them. Removal of combs, cleaning and rebuilding the walls is another problem.
If you would like to see my hives, you are more than welcome, just knock my door at 6pm any evening and I will show them and answer any questions.
I will setup bait hives to attract swarms, I can put one in your garden to remove the swarms easily later on. I would like to assure you that I am doing everything I can to prevent swarming but as this is a natural instinct; I may not be able to prevent it all the time.
My bees are very docile and you can watch them from very close distance. You can walk around the hives, work in the garden or even have a peek from the observation window to see what is going on inside and they don’t even bother you.
Bee friendly gardens
Bees of all species, as well as other insects, are declining in numbers because of the increased use of agricultural chemicals, the destruction of their natural habitat and the accidental importation of diseases and parasites.
Bees are very important to the health of the natural world, especially wild flowers. They also play a vital role in the pollination of many of our fruit and vegetables - without bees, our diet would be very dull and lacking in many key nutrients.
Bee-Friendly Zones provide safe places for bees - and other insects - to live and forage. If we can create a lot of BFZs, we can make a big difference to their health and their numbers - and their long-term survival.
There are things you can do to make your gardens bee friendly.
Never use pesticides or nasty chemicals on your trees, veggie garden and shrubs. This makes it really dangerous to honey bees. There are natural remedies for aphids, and other bugs if you Google it. In fact, last season, I didn’t use any pesticides on my tomatoes and still got normal crop despite the flooding rains.
Honey Bees pollinate almost everything which increases the yield. For example, I’ve got more than enough apples and apricots last year. Honey bees are also good for veggie gardens.
You can plant flowering plants in pots and spread these in your veggie garden to attract honey bees. They will do the pollination for you. If you need seeds of cosmos, marigold etc please let me know. I can also help you setup a veggie garden.
Bee population is decreasing dramatically every year and about 60% of what we eat exist because of the honey bees.
(localized info) Australia is a heaven for bees as we don’t have Varroa Destructor parasite that killed many colonies in Europe, New Zealand and US.
When you see a bee flying from flower to flower, you can be assured that your seeds will germinate next year and your tomatoes will produce more than what you normally get.
It is a teaching tool for kids as well. I usually tell them real bee stories or show them the bees through the observation window. They now know what bee does for us, how they build the combs and how we borrow honey from them.
Watching bees on the flowers is a nice way of refreshing the mind. If you are in photography, macro shots are perfect for bees.
Now that modern farming favours monoculture, bees don't do so well in rural areas and can support themselves more easily on urban gardens or city rooftops.
Have a look at the address http://www.biobees.com/beefriendlyzone for more information about setting up a BFZ.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me.
Regards,
XXXX XXXXX (your name here)
Horizontal top bar hives: construction and use :: RE: Advanced techniques?
Author: GürkanYeniçeri
Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 11:51 pm (GMT 0)
Bush_84
From your first paragraph, I am actually trying to do natural beekeeping on a langstroth. I only have 2 colonies, one in a hTBH and one in a langstroth.
For the langstroth, as a move to more natural ways; I adapted Delon's roof, frames with no foundation but wired horizontally with fishing line, starter beads on the frames with natural wax, Warre bottom and will do nadiring next spring.
I think for the vTBH to be a mainstream beekeeping practice, we need an easy transition path for the conventional beekeepers so that it can be adapted.
Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 11:51 pm (GMT 0)
Bush_84
From your first paragraph, I am actually trying to do natural beekeeping on a langstroth. I only have 2 colonies, one in a hTBH and one in a langstroth.
For the langstroth, as a move to more natural ways; I adapted Delon's roof, frames with no foundation but wired horizontally with fishing line, starter beads on the frames with natural wax, Warre bottom and will do nadiring next spring.
I think for the vTBH to be a mainstream beekeeping practice, we need an easy transition path for the conventional beekeepers so that it can be adapted.
Beginners start here :: RE: quesions about hive temp
Author: GürkanYeniçeri
Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2012 1:37 am (GMT 0)
Increased insulation may be a good thing during winter but as soon as spring hits (even before) the hive will get warmer (earlier than it should've been) and queen would start laying earlier. This may result in not enough resources to feed them and starvation may occur. Can go to the extend of killing the entire colony.
Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2012 1:37 am (GMT 0)
Increased insulation may be a good thing during winter but as soon as spring hits (even before) the hive will get warmer (earlier than it should've been) and queen would start laying earlier. This may result in not enough resources to feed them and starvation may occur. Can go to the extend of killing the entire colony.