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I appologise, really havent had time recently, and even when I did, it was late at night...

Our bees were doing fine, all the way up to january. Then, one by one all the way to march they died...

Well, move em closer to the field, and hope they are growing it for seeds!!!! :D

One of the two hives to make it this past winter, seems to be on its last leg. The frames i checked about 1 1/2 weeks ago, covered with bees, most with brood, (totalling about 12 frames, 8 in the...

Its quite possible these three swarms - or at least some of them - are not from your hive. Has the homeowner actually seen them emerge from your hive?

anyway, i would absolutely not worry, if your...

In this area is where i have always stored all our beekeeping equipment, now a second swarm, the first coming here in 2015, has landed.
here is a link to a video recording it:

...

For the past 2 full bee-seasons (May-ish through October) and 1 half season before, we have been removing swarms of honeybees, a few cut-out's, and many a wasp/hornet nest for people.
Now, I intend...

OK, Went out to the two hives, had them separated, one had a queen (i saw her), the other did not(there were only about 2 frames of bees in the smaller half, wasn't much to look through).

I ended...

Strange test, but still a good idea.

The method I used last year, was to shake a couple frames of bees, plus the frame the queen was on with Her Majesty, and place that in origional hive location....

Wow! I have had hives take 2 quarts in an afternoon, but those are some hungry bees!

First year, had a pile of boxes out in the yard, one day they just moved right in! Next year split it 6 ways

We picked up this swsrm today, but called another beekeeper, he said it probably was one swarm, but we seperated it just in case. Wanted to know what some other beekeepers think!
...

JBrawn, good for you!

Here's how we do it:
use a ratchet strap going over the whole thing, duck tape the entrance at night, (using screen would be better...) load them in the back of a pickup,...

the fact of OAV being harmful to the queen is almost a given because any treatment for mites is harmful to bees in some form because bees and these mites are both invertebrates, right?

it just...

Last fall we had 10 hives and 4 nuc's, now all but 3 of them are gone. We had a pretty mild winter here, through the early part temps hit the "sweet spot" of 40 degrees F, all had adequit stores,...

Me, the experience with foundationless Cole was a bad one. Frames just seem to get a lot of drone comb, more than half on a quite a few frames as well as many are off center, and really don't work...

Neighbor beekeeper bought a pallet load from dadant, gonna get in on his deal!

My goals in the past are very widespread, and I have learned a lot from mistakes in it.

The goals i have this year may be tainted by the fact that many of my hives have died.

My goals for 2017...

That would be the definition of a mating nuc.

Follow the correct procedures of course, like having drone producing hives in the area, not just trusting what's "out there". Define frames, Deep or...

didn't know bees could be used as vhs tapes LOL! :D

Don seems to have good bees, but this is a pretty plain point: if these bees are treated, and you did not treat them, then yes, most reports of...

Just gonna say up front, this is MHO, and I didn't read all the posts.

Starting with 20 hives, and using 5 for increase? What's your death rate? The rest aren't going out for coffee and doughnuts,...

*deep breath* OK, so skimmed a few posts and understand you are from southern MI, and you have / had last fall 3 hives, assuming deep frames and 2 10- frame overwinter size.

1. Do not buy bees...

This is the first report i have ever heard of someone actually selling medium nucs, not to mention they died...



New beekeepers who buy one or two nucs and receive as many "wonky" frames, i...

There is a man near here who used them with his father 30-40 years ago, although they didn't call them quilt boxes, that's what they are.

that is exactly what I was trying to say. it was not to step on anyone's feet and say these methods are untrue: just that not every detail usually cannot be replicated to work exactly the same way.

ok, not talking about 100 nucs here... but 30 or so double deep hives would be great with selling 15 to 20 to pay for things, maybe keeping some nucs in 6 frame boxes.

all the hives and nucs are...