[daknoodle]

I got a chance to go down and meet Hambone this past Saturday. We checked out two of his hives and he was very kind enough to give me a walk away split of one of his booming colonies.

Well here it is, in place in my back yard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-tqutizlgQ

That queen cell we saw is capped already and there are about 2 or 3 others with larva in them ready to be capped soon. And the half of the pollen patty I put on is about 95% gone, including the wax paper! There is a lot of nectar and a few cells with pollen. They are loving that frame of honey, but I'm considering adding a miller type nuc feeder that I built just to give them a little extra.

The video would have been a little longer, but I had just gotten done opening them up and they were a little testy after I came back with the video camera. The girl flying by in the last frame was buzzing my head, so I decided to get outta Dodge. Luckily, without a sting.

Next time I'll try to remember to take the camera with me when I'm doing the inspection.

 

[jhs494]

Very nice. I would say that it was a very successful visit. Congratulations.
Thanks for sharing the video with us!

 

[Hambone]

Thanks Doug!! I had a great time and it was great meeting you. Always happy to help out a fellow beek when needed. Told ya they liked that Mega Bee. Keep us updated on the progress.

Thank You for the package of Wright's Bacon. Wright's is the best!

 

[alpha6]

Hey Hambone...how many hives can I get if I bring you a whole Pig!??

 

[daknoodle]

Hey Hambone...how many hives can I get if I bring you a whole Pig!??

Make sure is a "Wright's" pig!


Derek, glad ya'll liked it! Can't wait for that queen to come out and start laying. I'm betting this hive is going to start boom!

Whats the best way to unfreeze the other half of the pollen patty?

 

[Hambone]

Alpha. You can come get what ever you want! I'll even throw in a master grafting tool an old beek gave me.

Go on that vacation yet?

 

[Hambone]

Whats the best way to unfreeze the other half of the pollen patty?

I had just taken it out of the freezer when I brought it. Just set it out for a bit. It thaws very quickly.

The host hive from that split has been a gang buster from the time they were a nuc early last year. She has some good genes. Hope she gets mated well.

 

[Hambone]

That queen cell we saw is capped already and there are about 2 or 3 others with larva in them ready to be capped soon.

Are those other 2-3 on that other frame of eggs I gave ya? Just thinking if they are and once they are capped you can run down here and I will give you a frame of brood to split those other capped cells with.

 

[daknoodle]

Going off of memory, the capped queen and one cup is on one frame, a second and maybe a third cup on another frame and a cup on the third frame.

Is it safe to split a split?

 

[Hambone]

Is it safe to split a split?

Those cells are going to get destroyed anyway. Might as well use them. It's only one frame. Pull the extra queen cell frame out. I can give you a 2 frames of larva/brood from my recent swarms. 1 for the host nuc and 1 for the new split. Just a thought.

 

[alpha6]

Alpha. You can come get what ever you want! I'll even throw in a master grafting tool an old beek gave me.

Go on that vacation yet?

Sorry it took so long to respond...I have been out on the porch shoveling off the 14 inches of snow that dumped on us yesterday....Ahhh...spring in the Rockies. BTW...the vacation was great, I walked around the whole time singing "I'm on a Boat!" looking for T-Pain to join in.

 

[daknoodle]

Those cells are going to get destroyed anyway. Might as well use them. It's only one frame. Pull the extra queen cell frame out. I can give you a 2 frames of larva/brood from my recent swarms. 1 for the host nuc and 1 for the new split. Just a thought.

I had not thought of it that way. Hmmmm, need to build some more nucs then. Thoughts on the amount of time we have before its too late to do this?

 

[bigbore]

if one is capped, that wasn't when you picked it up, you have 10 days from pickup date.

 

[Buffalolick]

Is it too late to move to Texas?

 

[daknoodle]

Is it too late to move to Texas?

HAHA, c'mon down!