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48 degrees and sun- winter OAV. DDC for 5 after 24 hours is 7, 1, 0, 0, 0. 4 full size hives plus nuc in the resource hive are thriving and flying. They are eating their snack food and have plenty...

Between 12-15 inches of snow and some sub zero nights. Mid 40’s this week. Two things- How are you fairing? My 5 came through. For Pete’s sake the Russians think its spring. If there is pollen...

Had a cart on the Mann Lake site that I had been editing for days and just put in my order. Got the separate components for my 5th production hive. Just over $100 for free shipping. Now need to go...

I track weekly or daily (fall) throughout the year. Enjambres reads sticky boards as often as I do (or at last report). Besides trend spotting there is a lot of interesting info to be learned. ...

Not sure what you're getting at but here is a little more.

Mite loads in fall and late fall operate differently than counts any other time of year if there is a colony collapsing around you. In...

Sticky boards are much better than washes during robbing season when the mite loads can swell overnight. Done well its the earliest indicator of a mite bomb in the area. Best used in fall to late...

Out of respect. Beekeeper mistake. She deserved a memorial.

In hindsight it turned out okay. Splitting a package is a bad idea in my opinion even if its on drawn comb. Packages have enough...

Interesting read. Robbing resets the math on your mite load. I pull my sticky boards daily during robbing season. A drop that suddenly gets higher gets a series of OAV.

The October mite drift = welcome to crazy town. I had one colony population swell almost overnight. Not logical that all of it came from hatched brood. Many of us were doing multiple rounds of OAV...

Encouraging messages. Really enjoyed OdFrank's warm, fed. dry and treated. Cozy and snug will help with the warm part. Yes, don't forget the pollen and remaining mite treatments. People forget...

Wise move. As I was reading Oldtimers advice I was saying “spot on”. Also feed feed feed. Sacto may still be warm enough for something like Prosweet and pollen patties if they are still flying no...

Wow fix that was some year. I read your piece. Love your devotion. An excitable hive teaches a lot. I learned to build and use a quiet box with hive cloths this year. That along with using smoke...

Always have it on then move downwind as soon as possible. Better to have it on and not need it then need it and not have it.

The rain can stimulate the forage in the area so if there's anything out there they will find it. I'm still seeing yellow debris on the sticky boards at 3100 elevation and mild winter so far. They...

Looks great. I do all these things except tape the seams. I found too much condensation pooling just in the seams when the bee cozy was on. So after I took the tape off it allowed the extra little...

So you understand then. The way I dote and fuss and lecture them they may as well be my kids. We need to reach a better understanding over water safety. I’m leaving lots or rocks in their water...

51 and sunny. Flying kids are out. Lots of activity at the water. Opened all 5 up to spy into the covered feeding shim of the vivaldi board. 3 of 5 are actively eating winter patties, MC or...

Another option if you’re open to it is offering to treat his hives at the same time you are treating your own for a fee. Or having him rent your equipment so he can treat his own. Sometimes the...

There is such a thing as "being in the zone" as a beekeeper. Like a professional athlete who has the ability to focus intensely, move with great intent and stay relaxed there is a zone for us as...

FYI-I used rapid feeders this year with my new colonies and will be using them again next year. The other commenter is correct that if they take all the syrup you can get escapees. So the solution...

Welcome. One thing I wish I had fully understood my first year was this- first year colonies fall under a different set of rules than established colonies. Since you are using all new equipment...

I use these with an additional 3 inches added to the top. I also drilled vent holes on the front and back to make a vivaldi board type box. The vent holes are screened. I use the bottom as the top...

Turned it off after about 1 minute. Although I want to keep an open mind about TF options I’m tired of the galvanizing dialogue.

That was super hilarious. Thanks for sharing. The pink hoodie part was awesome.

You deserve some praise! It must be weird to have someone go through your colonies. I’m fiercely protective I don’t care who they are.

I’ve been working on nutrition this year to have the...