Mike Palmer Video Talk: The Sustainable Apiary - April 2011

[Adam Foster Collins]

Looking for more from Mike, I found this video of a talk he did this year, and I really enjoyed it. It may have been posted here before, but to anyone who hasn't seen it, and is interested in a very knowledgeable beekeeper giving an engaging presentation on how to create a sustainable system of beekeeping in Northern climates, give it a look. The link:

http://vimeo.com/23178333

Mike, when you put out a book, I'll definitely be a buyer. Your work and what you've got to say is important to beekeeping, and I'm thankful that you're sharing what you've learned.

Adam

[AramF]

Thank you. Great stuff.

[AramF]

In his video, Mike mentions Kirk Webster influencing him. SO I went to Kirk's website and in his discussion of nucs, Kirk says, if you have a bad colony just kill the queen and intorduce 5 frame nuc with its queen right in the middle of the broodnest of this now queenless colony. I get an impression that the change is immediate. Does that make sence? Are we all overprecausios by doing newspaper combines?

[Michael Palmer]

Brother Adam said that rejection of the new queen isn't because of individual queen smell, etc. It's more about the actions of the new queen and whether or not she's a laying queen. Read his work in Bekeeping at Buckfast Abbey. He would remove new queen from mating nuc, go to colony to be requeened, remove old queen, give new queen, take old queen back to mating nuc and install her there...all with no cages or paper.

He also says to take additional precautions when installing a queen you really care about...so he must have lost some.

[AramF]

Maybe that's part of the reason why Lusby's smoke heavily colonies that they are requeening. Thanks for the talk. I agree, raising queens is a lot of fun. I was really suprised to see so many yellow queen daughters coming out of my carniolan queen. Only two black bodied daughters.

[Michael Palmer]

Thanks Adam. If you want more...I've added some new things to my presentation...I'll be speaking at the Maine meeting tomorrow in Lewiston ME. Not too far from you in Halifax. mainebeekeepers.org

[zookeeper]

Kirk says, if you have a bad colony just kill the queen and intorduce 5 frame nuc with its queen right in the middle of the broodnest of this now queenless colony. I get an impression that the change is immediate.

A friend who is an experienced beekeeper recommended this method to me, and I've done it several times, all with success. He suggested spraying the area with sugar water to mask the fact that the old hive and new nuc have different scents. You also want to make sure the new queen is on the middle frame of the nuc you are introducing, so that she has lots of familiar bees around her until the hives combine.

[ga.beeman]

I read a article in the bee journal about taking a laying queen out of a hive and putting her a queenless hive within a hour(just drop her in between the frames) and close it up for a few days and she will be fine. I tried this three times and so far it has worked every time.

[Adam Foster Collins]

Thanks Adam......I'll be speaking at the Maine meeting tomorrow in Lewiston ME. Not too far from you in Halifax. mainebeekeepers.org

Right. Not too far, just 10 or 12 hours drive or so (each way) ...

If it's any help, I found the little illustrative personal stories you tell to be especially interesting. Like when you talk about how fast the nucs can draw foundation by telling the story of how they drew and started to lay new foundation in like, 6 hours.

And one aspect of your public work that I've always found especially notable is how you don't pull any punches about your feelings. Your open criticism of the present state of queen and bee production for Northern climates is not necessarily "PC", but it makes it clear where you stand, and as an "audience member" I feel it makes people read you as honest. You're not coming off as a guy that is selling something - but as an honest, hard-working beekeeper who is passionate about sharing experience, and getting people to become sustainable. Getting more people to raise their own queens, and to breed for their environments and needs.

But the key quality that's so important, is the fact that your strong opinions are built on extensive experience as a beekeeper. You're not just an "internet expert" who's had a few years in bees and started a blog and a website. You're basing your opinions on hard-earned experience. And that's the key to a working formula. A person may not agree with everything you say, but you don't come off as a guy that expects everyone to agree with him either.

It may not get you elected to public office, but it still gets my vote. Your "no-B.S." take on apiary management lays it out clearly and allows the listener to take it or leave it.

I hope one day, when I'm down to Vermont to visit family, I'll get a chance to visit you too.

I hope your talk in Maine goes off without any technical difficulty.

Adam

[VolunteerK9]

I always enjoy any info Mr. Palmer shares. He and a few others are my go to people when I do a search for info on here. Thanks for sharing

[squarepeg]

i second everything adam said above, thank-you michael!

[winevines]

[QUOTE=Adam Foster Collins;718244]Looking for more from Mike, I found this video of a talk he did this year, and I really enjoyed it. It may have been posted here before, but to anyone who hasn't seen it, and is interested in a very knowledgeable beekeeper giving an engaging presentation on how to create a sustainable system of beekeeping in Northern climates, give it a look. The link:
http://vimeo.com/23178333
/QUOTE]

Thanks for taking the time to post your comments. Having MP come talk to our group was a no brainer, but your comments helps us to know that the effort to take the video, edit, and then host/post is worth it. Over 700 hits aint bad.
HOpe you also saw that there is a part 2
http://vimeo.com/23234196
and some other videos you might enjoy which are here
http://vimeo.com/pwrbeekeepers/videos

[Adam Foster Collins]

Karla,

Thanks so much for making it available. Yes, I did see part two as well.

We'd all love to be able to take the time to travel to these events, but with kids and work and life's day-to-day commitments - plus the cost of travel itself, it's often impossible. Posting these kind of talks online means that a much broader range of interested people from a wider geography can enjoy and learn from people like Mike and their depth of knowledge.

Cheers to you for putting the effort into getting it online. I know that it all takes work.

Adam

[lakebilly]

Am I the only one having problems w/ the audio in & out? I have tried several times to watch this vid. No luck..

[squarepeg]

i had to go to "couch mode" to hear the audio properly.

[Adrian Quiney WI]

Two thumbs up for the vimeo's and the generosity in sharing them. I have watched and enjoyed both and will watch them again in the winter.

[VeggieGardener]

Great videos! Thanks to Mike and the PWR Beekeepers for sharing this info. Also, thank you Adam for sharing the link.

Any plans to have Mike return to speak on queen rearing? I'd make the trip down from PA if he's in the area again.

[sqkcrk]

I'm going to listen to this when I get a chance, but w/out the video. I easily suffer motion sickness often caused by videos like this one. People who film such videos should take a course in video recording. Just a suggestion. I imagine most of you had no trouble watching this, but I could feel it coming on w/ Mike second slide.

[Michael Palmer]

Any plans to have Mike return to speak on queen rearing? I'd make the trip down from PA if he's in the area again.

VG, are you attending the PA meeting at Lewisburg on the 11-12 of November? I'll be there for a presentation on queen rearing.

[Daniel palmer]

i have watched these vids so many times that my girlfriend is jealous of mike! just kidding but she is getting annoyed.