What are you doing today?

[Solomon Parker]

I'm wondering what treatment free beekeepers are doing in the couple of weeks around this time of year. And by this time of year, I mean the time of year this thread is started, April 26, 2011.

I'm especially interested in things you might be doing that beekeepers who treat don't, though I myself don't do anything special, other than not treat which may be done around this time of year before the honey flow.

This may sound weird, but I'm celebrating two of my favorite holidays today. The first, I call 'Bee Day' and it's the day 8 years ago when I drove three and a half (it's a four hour drive, but what can I say) hours to pick up my first (and last it seems) group of 20 3 lb. packages of bees from Koehnen in Glenn California. It's always a joyous occasion for me every year. The second holiday which tends to wander is the one I call 'Clover Day' and it's the day I first discover a clover blossom on my property. That just so happened to be today also.

As far as what I'm doing right now, I've made a couple of splits, and I'm building up to give four new queens homes next month. I've trimmed a bunch of PF-105 frames for narrow frame beekeeping, and I've melted down old and poorly drawn comb frames to be used as either small cell foundation frames or foundationless frames. I built ten new deeps and four new five frame nucs. I also converted one of my doublewide hives to a quad nuc, two four frame and two five frame nucs, each with disc entrances. With more division boards, it could serve up to eight two frame mating nucs. It's really utilitarian.

So, what are you up to?

[beeware10]

hi
just got truck loaded for a trip to sc to pick up bees and make nucs. would like to know how you went 4000 miles to pick up your pkgs. whatever the secret is will save me lots of time.

[Solomon Parker]

I lived in Southern Oregon at the time. It was less than 250 miles.

Out of curiosity, what is your procedure for making nucs?

[beeware10]

hi
that explains the time. we have never been west of the miss river. want to go west for a tour. maybe this summer. the splits will be walk away splits. they run about 70-85% rate. not the best way,but is cheap time wise and probably mate with survivor stock. has worked for 20+ years. good luck with your pkgs. you bought good stock.

[Solomon Parker]

I still have one of direct lineage, split into three this year.

[Oldtimer]

Just sharpened my chainsaw, heading out to clean up one of my bee yards.

That's treatment free isn't it? Love this stuff!

[waynesgarden]

Went to an outyard today after the property owner called to say 3 hives were lying on their backs. With the frost out of the ground and all the rain, the concrete blocks sunk into the soil, more at the rear and over they went, probably aided by a pretty severe storm last night.

Got them all back upright and together and all was well. The girls were very calm, kind of like they were enjoying putting their feet up on the lazy boy for a while. As I was putting them back together, I pulled some frames for a quick look and they were all incredibly strong. These hives are Carniolans and overwintered in deep and a medium only since they were slow to build up last year. I usually overwinter in three mediums.

As I drove home, it occured to me that these bees, which get minimal attention, are so far ahead of the bees at home that I fuss over.

Hmmm.

Wayne

[Solomon Parker]

That reminds me, all of my hives are on new stands this year (cinder blocks). I should keep an eye on that especially since we had a 100 year storm here over the last three days. And mine are uncharacteristically tall since I store the comb on the hives year round. My friend's house got flooded with 4 ft. of water. Floated his kegerator from the garage to the kitchen hallway. Railroad tracks are washed out as well.

[Kingfisher Apiaries]

Finally got a hard storm here THANK GOD!!!!
Lets see, removed bees out of a wall 15 ft in the air, stacked cardboard boxes from mann lake that need attn, worked on supers yesterday.....
Been to tied up with lawn care equipment buying and fixing up to pay much attention to the bees....Was going to build supers and frames this PM but with the rain/lighting/possible tornadoes I stayed inside....
mike

[frazzledfozzle]

Just sharpened my chainsaw, heading out to clean up one of my bee yards.

Never leave a man unattended with a chainsaw what starts out as a cleanup inevitably ends up as barren waste land with not a bush or branch in sight!

[Omie]

Today?- today was my 57th birthday.
Here I am this morning with my cake.

I took some great closeup PHOTOS of my native/solitary horn faced mason bees emerging and mating around the nest boxes on my kitchen porch. That's pretty treatment free beekeeping! ;D
I am expecting two nucs of FatBeeMan small cell bees in the mail tomorrow. I hope that goes well- will help my friend install his nuc tomorrow too- his very first hive.

[BeeCurious]

That looks good!

Chocolate and Raspberry?

Happy Birthday!

[Oldtimer]

Never leave a man unattended with a chainsaw what starts out as a cleanup inevitably ends up as barren waste land with not a bush or branch in sight!

Ha, better not let you talk to my wife!

I enjoy my little chainsaw cleanups, but confined myself to one tank of chainsaw fuel today, that bee yard is starting to look how I want.

Just got my eye on a very large nearby Karaka tree, but I've already been told somebody will not be happy if that disappears.

For you non New Zealand folks, Karaka is a tree that grows in NZ, that is poisonous to bees.

[Solomon Parker]

I enjoy my little chainsaw cleanups, but confined myself to one tank of chainsaw fuel today,

A good and proper restriction. I myself have gotten a little willy nilly with the ol' chainsaw on occasion and cut down something I ought not to.

[Solomon Parker]

First sunny warm day in like two weeks. The virgins will be flying!

[RiodeLobo]

hi
that explains the time. we have never been west of the miss river. want to go west for a tour. maybe this summer.

There is a lot of gorgeous country out west. I would recommend the Grand Canyon (and the Oak Creek Canyon near Sedona Az.), Yosemite, the red woods of N. California coast, Crater Lake (Oregon) and many many more that I have never had the opportunity to personally visit.

[Omie]

What am i doing (beewise) today....
Hmm... made a few phone calls.
Found out my 2 nucs which were supposed to come this week weren't shipped out. *Hopefully* they will be shipped next Monday.
Talked to a couple other local people and found out that this past winter was not kind to bees around here. One small longtime commercial BK (not treatment free) said he had high losses, and one hobbyist (treatment free) lost his last remaining hive. Guess I'm lucky to have had one of my two survive this winter and look to be healthy. maybe I'll email a couple others I know to ask about their losses.

[NasalSponge]

Playing with my new camera shooting picts and vids of my bees....playing with resolution to get best picture and still upload to youtube. Thinking about moving my swarm nuc into a full size box.

[Barry]

Since it's RAINING AGAIN today, my daughter came over and we wired frames and embedded foundation for her first hive. Ah, opening up that box of my own sc foundation smelled great!

Hey NasalSponge, what camera did you get?

[NasalSponge]

Well, the wife shot down me getting what I want... Canon T3i so I had to settle for a point and shoot and got a Samsung PL210 but man can it shoot some HD video.

Oh and listening to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjhCE...x=3&playnext=1