Barry has asked me to collect info on different topics i.e. pollen patty recipes, queen rearing techniques, etc. to post on the resources section of this site. If you have any SPECIFIC subjects that you would like posted, please post here. If you have info you want included, please post the beesource link.
To be one step ahead of the future posted questions I believe some Spring preparation topics would be in order. Maybe reversing, swarm prevention, checker-boarding...
Checker boarding is a method of swarm control. Imagine that you have a hive in a single deep and the colony is expanding and getting crowded in that box. You need to do something or they will swarm. One thing you can do is give them a new box and hope for the best. Another idea is that when you do so you can remove half the frames from each box and then alternate the new with the old in both boxes. If you had glass ends on the boxes and the new frames were fresh white wood, perhaps with just foundation, and the old frames were dark aged wood then the hive from the end would look somewhat like the first two rows on a checker board.
This is a common misreading of checkerboarding as described by walt wrigt....ome that will in most cases will cause real problems. I eould put this.as on of the most misunderstood concepts.in beekeeping.
Checkerboarding is.done above the brood nest, not in it. Following the advice you give is likely to spread the bees out too much in the hive...brood will likely be chilled.
Deknow
Don't put your bees in harms way. Children throw rocks and upset bee hives. If a stinging incident occurs, are you negligent? Did you put up a sign warning of the dangers posed by your bee hives? Did you have a fence to prevent the children from getting up close to the hives?
Generally, you probably would not owe duties to trespassers. However, an exception applies to kids, when there is a condition on your property (called an "attractive nuisance") that you reasonably would expect to attract kids. I seriously question that a beehive would qualify as an attractive nuisance. (I also can't ever remember how to spell nuisance). However, if there are kids around, fence off your hives.
Barry...sorry I have not gotten on this...someone keep proding me every cpl days! Between bee meetings and bee work (they never work with my schedule) I have been swamped!
mike
Ryan, there is a good market for your bees wax. I just saw a blurb on TV about them making a "dust" out of bees wax to neutralize oil spills. using space-age technology. It soaks up the oil, then the goop becomes totally bio-degradible. YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO CLEAN IT UP ! When it gets wet natural microbes will totally degrade it ( both oil and wax ). They probably used it on the gulf oil spill last summer. Thea would take many TONS of wax !
I find myself looking at dcoates plywoos nuc plans thread.
I would be interested in a list of any public presentations delivered or found worthwhile. Much better than reinventing the wheel.
Lastly, frame jig plans, if not listed elsewhere, is extremely useful.
As a new member and a new BK, it would be helpful to have a beginner section. In this section, there could be individual sections to address the questions on Washboarding, yellow jacket, feeding, treatments, types of bees, pros and cons of queen excluders, time of day to inspect a hive, what to do during long periods of rain, preparing for winter, etc.
Sorry folks i have not really worked on this. I need help. Volunteers needed!
Mike
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