new pictures added

[bleta12]

I added some pictures I took today on some of my yards of some nucs I am overwintering and some half frame matting nucs. I did wrapped them with tar paper.
They did look good, heavy on honey and I have hi hopes.

Gilman

[alpha6]

Nice pics...great colors on your nucs.

[bleta12]

Nice pics...great colors on your nucs.

Thanks, I only use ups paint, $5 a gallon from Home Depot.
These were some yards that I did not had I chance to wrap.
We are going to have 6 inch. of snow so I was rushing today.

Gilman

[Chef Isaac]

i luv your pics. I had some of the 4 frame mini nucs come through the winter and looked great and did great. Some got chaulk brood though early on. Not sure why..... I think I split them up too early into mating nucs.

[Maine_Beekeeper]

Hi Gilman -
Great Shots. Beautiful brood patterns - just like what I saw in your nucs last spring. Great bees - thank you.

Come on up to Maine and we'll show you what real striped bass fishing is all about.

Talk to you soon,
-E.

[bleta12]

Hi Gilman -
Great Shots. Beautiful brood patterns - just like what I saw in your nucs last spring. Great bees - thank you.

Come on up to Maine and we'll show you what real striped bass fishing is all about.

Talk to you soon,
-E.

Thanks Erin,
I hope your bees are doing great. Days are getting longer and we only have 3 more months of winter.
When is the best time for bass in Maine? Let me know please.

My best Gilman

[bleta12]

i luv your pics. I had some of the 4 frame mini nucs come through the winter and looked great and did great. Some got chaulk brood though early on. Not sure why..... I think I split them up too early into mating nucs.

Hi Chef,
You are probably wright, splitting them too early is a stress factor which combined with wet weather and predisposition on the stock may be the reason for some chalk broad. Like the other thinks with bees, it is more than one thing (problem).
You may try to adjust the splitting time, select from other stock and hope that the weather is fine.

My best Gilman

[Michael Palmer]

When is the best time for bass in Maine? Let me know please.

Oh Gilman. You know the answer to that. "When they're bitin'."

Only 3 more months of winter? If we're lucky.

Keep warm.

[Maine_Beekeeper]

Hi Gilman -

The stripers are here just when they're leaving CT, I suppose. They first come around Mid May and then really fill in by early June. The good thing is they stay here all summer - between Portland and Bath for the most part.
Good fishing.
They're so thick you can get them on a fly rod (which is what I do and is a blast!)
Not that I spend any time fishing anymore now that I've got the bees - I haven't wet a line in over 3 years...

Take Care, Happy New Year!
-E.

[JPK]

great pics!

[bleta12]

I added few pic taken yesterday while I was walking my yards. The bees look good but we have a lot of winter ahead. Lets hope.

Gilman

[bleta12]

I added some pictures that I took today. Nice weather 55F, they were bringing pollen. First time I see them bring pollen this year.

Most of the pictures I took are of the matting nucs that I overwintered.
They all are half deep frames matting nucs.
Some are 4 way, some are 2 - 10 half frames, others are single half 5 frames.
Some are double single half frames with the second nuc added late in the summer to avoid swarming. Those single matting nucs have a screen on the bottom which I took off to let the bees of the first floor to occupy the second store. They were too strong in the fall and I did not have time to deal with them so I just added another nuc body on top with frames and they went vertically throu a hole that they have at the bottom board.

It looks that I am blessed with the ability to complicate things, which may be true. In fact I was simply reacting to what the bees were doing in the fall without a plan. That is the time of the season that our attention is on the harvest not on the configuration the matting nucs are going to overwinter.
The best way to overwinter these small colonies was in 2 - 10 half frames.
I was happily surprised to see how well they did even in 4 way 5 half frames configuration.
Placing these nucs on top of the big hives is a big help, advantage that the single matting nucs don't have.
They were not wrapped during the winter. 10 days ago I gave them some pollen sub, megabee, which I mixed myself.
I did not feed them in the fall, they are kept only in yard that are proven to have a good fall flow.
Most of the these nucs have carni queens.



Gilman