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Thanks, Charlie B. I meant to use it last year, and after hearing reports of queen-loss with MAQS, I chose to wait. Looks like I may have thrown my money away. Ah well! Just one pail.

I guess...

I bought my first pail of MAQS last fall but did not open or use it until now. Reading tells me the gel should be wrapped in paper after removing the plastic outer wrap, but it seems to have...

That helps with the length decision: 60" x 80% = 48".

Thanks!
Grid

That sounds well thought out for what you want. I am trying to follow the KISS principle, hoping the bees won't mind and it will make my life easier. :)

I was going to go with 44 1/16" which is 3 x the internal dimension of a standard 10-frame langstroth super. 48" sounds like a good round number, lumber often comes in that length already.

I am...

Thank you both. Michael, with mediums how long did you make your horizontal hives? How many frames?

I am making horizontal hives, but will use standard langstroth frames.

My question: Deeps (9 5/8") or Mediums (6 5/8")?

Would deeps be better so the bees have room to cluster into a ball in...

I guess my decision to go with genetic diversity in my bee yard (some Italian, some Russian, some local, some out-of-town, some...) means I am likely to have some pretty grumpy bees for the next...

Thanks all. Won't be the first time where something that didn't make sense to me turned out to be true. Weird, though. I wonder why it is?

Anyhow, thanks.
Grid

I have heard from a number of different people that Hybrid or cross-bred bees are more aggressive.

Anyone know where this opinion comes from, and if there is any truth in it? If the hybrid is...

Thanks all. First time attempting queen rearing, so made a newbee mistake. Sure be nice if I didn't have to find the queen, but excluders and patience can help with that. This is the one thing...

Thanks, Omie. Now I know I am not alone, and you did what I was about to - try it with a variety of larval ages. I am using a small paring knife with a good point to break only the cell walls below...

Makes sense. I have since tried 4 other times in two other hives to break away the bottom of cells with larvae in them, and no success beyond the initial short-lived joy. I made sure I was using...

Tried the IMN On The Spot Queen Rearing method, where you break away the lower part of a cell wall with a 36-hour larvae in it, and the bees develop it into a queen cell. It worked, or so I thought....

This is relative. When I was only 3 years old in beekeeping - really a babe in arms myself, maybe a toddler - a complete newbee wanted someone to help her get started. None of the old timers...

Here is a comparison of various bee breeds, including the Russians.

http://www.beekeepingstarterkit.com/page/1317490

Grid.

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?228063-Small-Hive-Beetle-Nematodes

Thank you both.

Grid.

I'm going to try my hand at the Jenter queen rearing system. I have never done any queen rearing before. No time like the present to learn.

When counting the days for an egg, is day one the day...

There is a new beekeeping supplier stepping up to fill the Benson void. He ordered some stuff so that the Ottawa Valley beeks will be supplied while he gets organized. First few orders will likely...

Some people re-queen every year. If the queen is 2 years old and doing well, I'd let her be though, but if she is in her third year, I'd re-queen. That's my rule of thumb, I'm sure others will...

I have between 2 and 6 hives near Ottawa, and I am registered. It's not hard to do, and it helps the provincial apiarist and bee inspectors keep tabs on things. I also get a tax break on beekeeping...

I like the Russians (Francois Petits, Pilgrim Honey House near Ottawa). I also like my Italians, and my Buckfast, and my Ontario, and my... :)

They all have pros and cons. The Russians tend to...

Renovation plans have forced me to move all my beekeeping stuff out of my basement and into an outdoor shed. This includes drawn comb. What precautions should I be taking to protect it? I did not...

The drones that gather in the Drone Congregation Areas (DCAs) come from up to 2 miles away, or so I have read. They come from any hives, kept or feral, in that range. If there are no other keepers...