Best Kept Small Cell Secret Revealed

[D. Murrell]

Hi Guys,

Here's a little small cell news that's been well hidden for quite awhile:

Barry Birkey has a small cell hive that has survived without any treatments, feeding, any kind of management, requeening or anything else for seven years!

Gosh Barry, has it been seven years since we started doing this small cell stuff? So much has changed since then. But some things, like your hive, just keep on trucking, unabated.

Let us know what you find when you inspect it for the first time this spring.

Regards
Dennis

[ March 05, 2006, 07:38 PM: Message edited by: B Wrangler ]

[RAlex]

How many splits or nuc`s have come from this hive ? I`d think Barry would want more stock from this queen ? ...Rick Alexander

[Barry]

Hi Dennis -

As always, it was great talking with you earlier today.

Just want to be very clear about these two hives. It is an off shoot of my very first small cell bees seven years ago. I've written a lot about those first four years in different forums and websites. When I had to move them three years ago, I downsized and ended up combining several hives into just two Lang's. These two hives, each consisting of two deeps and several mediums of small cell comb, have been left alone for the last three years.

I plan to get into them this Spring and see what I find. I still have bees to work with having left them alone all this time. I have observed the usual seasonal cycle with SC bees.

Regards,
Barry

[ March 05, 2006, 11:35 PM: Message edited by: Barry ]

[Joseph Clemens]

From my own perspective, not a very surprising accomplishment.

All my bees have Varroa. None of them have ever been treated, some of them were moved to small-cell in the past 4 years or so, but not all. They are all still thriving, this is the beginning of their 10th year under my management.

There are probably more beekeepers with our experience of bees that tolerate Varroa -- they probably just don't use the internet much.

[ March 06, 2006, 12:25 AM: Message edited by: Joseph Clemens ]

[Sundance]

Great stuff!! Very encouraging to a starting small cell beekeeper.

I hear that wired small cell foundation is available now. Who has it?? And how much??

[Michael Bush]

>I hear that wired small cell foundation is available now. Who has it?? And how much??

Dadant and Brushy Mt., that I know of.

And in medium depth.

[amymcg]

betterbee also has it in deep

[Sundance]

Fantastic!! I can't say I will miss wiring :D