Update To "In The Groves"...Video Of Our Trip

[DC Honeybees]

Jerry (Matt1954) was kind enough to let me tag along with him on his trip to move his hives. The video diary of our four-day trip is located here:

http://dchoneybees.blogspot.com/2013...ida-video.html

[Adrian Quiney WI]

Thanks for making the video available. We have a forecast high of -2F on Monday. Warm bee-work, even testy bee-work, looks good to me. Although I wonder if your buddy might need some better screens.

[johng]

Very cool thanks for sharing. I plan on making my first trip to the groves this year too. I'm a little bit nervous.

[matt1954]

John, this was my first trip into the groves as well. And many times, experience is the teacher. I can say I learned an awful lot on this trip of things I should and should not do.

[tefer2]

Hey Matt, where's your chain binders to hold that tractor to the trailer? You guys are a lot braver than me.

[Beeslave]

I see so many things in that video that are wrong.......I don't even know where to begin. Lack of smoke... tarp....daylight moving with warm temps....no running vehicle keeping vibration on loaded bees while unloading........screening while flying.....breaking apart boxes before moving<-----Thats just a start

[Beeslave]

Not trying to pick on you Matt but this could be a way to teach others lacking experience what not to do.

[matt1954]

Shannon, thanks for your comments. As you know, things happen unexpectedly. We were using smoke, we did have tarps, and some of the hives did come apart when we hit one of the trees going into the orchard. Life is an imperfect world.

[Trevor Mansell]

The bloom you showed is just a shock bloom the bees wont do anything with it ,you are going to want to feed your bees at least thru the first part of Feb. Also you are going in a little early ,make sure with the caretaker that they are done spraying for greening, if they are spraying by air it could do some damage to the hives.

[matt1954]

Thanks Trevor. All of the colonies that are active had two full deeps with significant amounts of capped honey that will get them through the next few weeks. We have already addressed the spraying and are good to go.

[sqkcrk]

Not trying to pick on you Matt but this could be a way to teach others lacking experience what not to do.

Life is a learning experience and everyone starts where and when they start. I know what you mean Beeslave I wondered why screening was bothered with considering how the strapping opened the hives and the covers didn't stay in place. But, I bet DC learned something and hopefully will improve.

[sqkcrk]

Shannon, thanks for your comments. As you know, things happen unexpectedly. We were using smoke, we did have tarps, and some of the hives did come apart when we hit one of the trees going into the orchard. Life is an imperfect world.

What did you do when you stopped for fuel along the road South? Did you stop at the AG Station on the way into FL? Did you stop at any Weigh Stations on Rt 95?

[matt1954]

Hey Mark, when we went down in October we did stop at the AG Station and had our paperwork from Florida in advance. It was a straight shot down 95. No stops at weigh stations on 95.

[sqkcrk]

Stops for fuel? Lose many bees?

[matt1954]

We of course stopped for fuel and it was very cold out at that time so I did not lose many bees. Once we arrived at destination in Florida the bees became very active. I noticed some swarming almost immediately upon arrival, so I guess I should say that we did lose a few bees.

[tefer2]

Matt, OMG, didn't know you really lost the tractor on the way back home. Feel bad for you guys. Maybe you can buy a skid steer with the insurance money.

[sqkcrk]

Lost the tractor? Where did you read that?

[tefer2]

See, In the Orange Groves post, 1/17/2013

[sqkcrk]

Is that a different Thread?

[Barry]

http://www.beesource.com/forums/show...-Orange-Groves