Latest / Honey Bee Obscura Podcast / Plain Talk: Five Nice Hives (286)

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Plain Talk: Five Nice Hives (286) · Honey Bee Obscura Podcast

0:01
Beekeepers, I saved you the
0:04
trouble
0:05
of putting you through the smoker
0:07
loading routine.
0:09
I'm back
0:10
in my yard
0:12
Of course the grass is just relentless.
0:16
Bees are kind of calm.
0:19
But one of the things I kind of wanted to do today was just to have
0:23
a reassuring look.
0:26
at
0:26
the five packages that I paid for last
0:29
spring, just a few weeks ago.
0:32
I put them in very quickly
0:35
I didn't go through a lot of heartache and
0:37
in fact it's the first time in years I didn't even photograph the whole process.
0:42
It's just another spring with more packages going in.
0:46
So I thought we'd have a look at that, talk about packages, and then if you'll hang on, I'm going to finish an idea that I started with you
0:56
weeks ago, and I've decided to do it.
1:01
With you right here.
1:02
So if it doesn't work, it doesn't work.
1:07
Misters, I'm Jim too, and I come to you once a week here at Honey Bee Obscura, where I just always try to talk about something you do with plain talk beekeeping.
1:15
Welcome.
1:16
Welcome to Honey Bee Obscura, brought to you by Growing Planet Media, the producers of the Beekeeping Today
1:23
podcast.
1:25
Join Jew Tew, your guide through the complexities, the beauty, the fun.
1:31
And the challenges of managing honey bees.
1:34
Jim hosts fun and interesting guests who take a deep dive into the intricate world of honey bees.
1:41
Whether you're a seasoned beekeeper
1:43
or just getting started, get ready for some plans.
1:46
Plain talk that'll delve into all things
1:48
honey bees.
1:50
Right off the bat, good
1:52
news, listeners.
1:54
I don't have any plans on discussing any swarms today at any kind of depth that may come up.
2:01
But
2:01
I hope the swarm lecture series is over.
2:04
That was truly
2:06
an event
2:08
To live through all those
2:10
storms and the crazy ones and
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every
2:12
well
2:12
here I am talking about it.
2:13
Just like
2:14
I said I wasn't going to do it
2:16
But
2:16
one day I was trying to tell you that these colonies, because of the dark years I just went through in my family's health life, that a lot of these colonies have not been regularly worked
2:29
And it's
2:31
kind of important
2:32
to know
2:33
that yes, B
2:35
space
2:35
is a real thing, and yes, frames are immovable, but no, they're not
2:41
If you don't remove them fairly regularly and keep the propolis scraped out.
2:47
When I say that, that weighs on me.
2:49
Is that something I'll look back on?
2:52
sometime
2:52
or a year from
2:53
now and say, well that was wrong.
2:54
I was telling beekeepers to get rid of propolis and that was a fundamental aspect of bee colony hep
3:00
health
3:00
or
3:01
whatever.
3:02
So these colonies have not been opened enough.
3:07
In years.
3:09
So they're heavily propylized.
3:11
And I've done articles and whatever because I've become an authority at this.
3:15
A hive tool, just a common pocket hive tool, is frequently useless
3:22
in heavily propolized hives.
3:26
In fact, I've got a small hammer
3:29
that's only got about a six-inch handle, so it's easy to pack and carry.
3:34
And I would frequently set the colony up on its end
3:38
and then lightly tap
3:40
on the bottom end bars and drive them out from the bottom
3:43
or at least get them broken loose.
3:46
enough to pull them out.
3:47
Usually doing number two frame on either side
3:51
just to not roll the queen up and all that burr
3:54
comb that's always there
3:57
So that's one way.
3:59
The other thing is just really get some meaningful hive tools.
4:02
I mean a wrecking bar, a crow
4:04
bar.
4:05
But it's got to be something much heavier
4:07
than just a common hive tool.
4:09
You're going to overspring it and snap it or
4:11
whatever.
4:12
I don't know.
4:12
I've never done that, but I think it would happen.
4:15
Now, as I was telling you about this cockamame
4:19
idea I've got and this concept of slip shot beekeeping that I've been doing
4:24
I wanted to know if an oscillating multi-tool
4:28
could be used to cut through that
4:31
propolis
4:32
and then help me use a common hive tool
4:35
enough to get it out.
4:37
And just
4:38
as I was beginning to explain that to you, a swarm began to issue.
4:44
And what do you think I did?
4:46
I got all excited.
4:48
Gotta get a hive
4:49
to
4:49
and really did a poor job of explaining
4:53
this
4:54
idea that I was tinkering
4:56
with
4:57
And then today when I was coming back I thought
4:59
well do you want to go back out there with something you've never tried
5:02
one time
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with
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everybody looking over your shoulder
5:07
And I decided I was gonna do it if it doesn't work it's no harm done
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I gotta
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I
5:13
got a decent woodworking shop and I own these things for other reasons.
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I've got another tool that's got a lot more blade options, but it's it requires electrical power from
5:22
the
5:23
From the grid
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and the one I've got out here has fewer tool options, but it runs off batteries.
5:31
Two objects today, listeners.
5:33
One is
5:34
let's just look at these packages, see where they are, see where I am with them.
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criticize the grass that's growing and then secondly
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see if this tool can be used to help me churn
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through
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Some of this thick propolis.
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Okay, step number one, phase number one.
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I can stand outside this
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package hive
6:02
And
6:03
tell you
6:04
that it's okay.
6:06
It's got good flight, they're bringing in pollen.
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It's been out now what
6:11
about
6:12
uh eight, nine, ten
6:13
weeks
6:15
So there's nothing wrong with this colony.
6:18
And if really
6:19
all I would want to do
6:23
is
6:23
open it.
6:27
Gotta move the perpetual
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hive
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top rock.
6:32
Is
6:32
open it.
6:34
Yep, this is gonna be
6:37
They're up in the panhole of the inner cover.
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I didn't feed them much.
6:45
So whatever they've got
6:47
they
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made on their own
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Yep, it is one full
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box.
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It is completely full.
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It needs space.
6:58
Or I'm going to have swarms coming out of this package
7:01
colony
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They've got a little open area in the center where there's not a lot
7:07
a great number of bees.
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And that means there's a brood nest area there.
7:13
They've got it centered
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They look good.
7:17
You know what I hadn't thought of listeners?
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This is huge.
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When I was working this
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this
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spring, this
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propolis was cold
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And now, this
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propolis
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and this hot sun
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is just turned to gum.
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So it's not going to be the same concept at all.
7:40
So I wonder if that means
7:42
if this is even an idea
7:44
that it needs to be done when the propolis is harner.
7:50
I'm not pulling a frame out of that one
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That colony is beautiful.
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I'm just not going to
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explore something that
7:57
doesn't need exploring.
8:00
Look at some of the others over here
8:03
This is the one that I installed and it had a crack
8:08
in the
8:09
empty deep that I used up top to install them
8:13
And they all begin to use that crack at the back of the hive as their primary entrance.
8:19
So let's see what's happening here.
8:22
A fairly nice day and there's still a bit of a nectar flow on.
8:28
This is another full one.
8:30
It's not as full as the other one over there
8:35
Okay, I'm gonna try that gadget.
8:38
Even though I've told you that it's going to be more seasonal than I expected.
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This
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this colony has a
8:47
a frame
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locator
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for a queen cage.
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It's got a thick top bar
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with a slot cut in the top.
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so
8:59
that you can lay a queen in it.
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Listeners, by the minute, I'm locking this idea
9:06
about this oscillating tool less and less.
9:10
This is not one of the colonies with a lot of it in.
9:14
Alright, here goes nothing.
9:18
And it cut right through that
9:21
Now I'm gonna run it down between the end
9:23
bars.
9:28
And it seems to be doing okay with that
9:32
My device is coming loose.
9:34
So run it down between
9:37
the other
9:38
on the other end.
9:41
on the other
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other in
9:43
bar
9:43
frame.
9:45
You know
9:45
it's gumming up the blade, but the blade doesn't seem to care
9:51
And now when I come back to it, since the propolis is already soft, the frame is coming out fairly easily.
10:01
Hope the queen's not on this
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It's
10:06
got she's got a beautiful pattern.
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This
10:10
is
10:11
oh it's beautiful on both sides.
10:14
It's beautiful
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And the opposing frame inside
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is full.
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These are nice bees.
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They deserve a better beekeeper
10:26
than I am.
10:28
Nice bees.
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I don't I don't want to see the queen.
10:31
I don't want to do anything more.
10:32
I don't want to run the risk of damaging her.
10:35
This is the second one
10:37
that could use
10:39
more
10:39
equipment
10:41
Listeners, is there any of you who somehow
10:45
keeps bees
10:46
in a single deep?
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Apparently
10:52
That was the idea
10:55
in the old days of one hive
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body
10:59
and then supers on top of it
11:02
But every time I do this have have we pumped up our coins
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so
11:07
potent
11:10
that
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they can fill up more than one deep
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So
11:15
are our queens
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that good?
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I don't know.
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I really don't know.
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But
11:24
If some of you still keep bees in one deep, I'd like to know how you do it.
11:30
How do you
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restrain swarming?
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control
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things like that.
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Here's the third one.
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Tops
11:42
really stuck
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down
11:44
Don't have an undercover on it or what?
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Yep, no undercover and it's
11:52
chock a block full of bees.
11:55
Chaka
11:56
block full of bees.
12:01
Here's the dirty secret.
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I got some whiting going on here
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So there's a bit of a nectar flow still going on.
12:09
All the peripheral edges of all the exposed comb has a light layer of white on it
12:15
A bit ago when I was giving you that lecture about
12:18
using heavy-duty tools
12:21
to get frames out
12:24
I need to tell you that it's been my experience that it doesn't work well
12:30
to do
12:31
that
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with
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plastic frames.
12:34
If you try to pry plastic frames that hard
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It
12:39
just doesn't work right.
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This snaps over, breaks
12:45
over.
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I'm gonna put a queen
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excluder on top
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just
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to use as an inner cover since I don't readily have one.
12:56
Those frames of plastic don't pry out well
13:02
So if you got plastic frames mostly and I do have a lot of plastic frames
13:08
I have to preferentially go look
13:11
for
13:13
one
13:13
of the ones that
13:15
has a wood frame
13:17
and work on that.
13:19
So
13:20
three of these
13:23
are beautiful.
13:25
And they did it.
13:26
I can't take any credit for it.
13:31
Oh, you know, before we start this one, why don't we take a break
13:34
here
13:35
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13:38
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14:17
Okay, I'm back
14:19
There's grass in the entrance.
14:21
This one doesn't have as much
14:24
entrance activity
14:26
as
14:27
the others did
14:29
As soon as this is over, beekeepers, I'm gonna have to go straight in
14:33
and take some kind of antihistamine.
14:36
The grass is tall
14:40
I've been reading about ticks.
14:42
I've never gotten the tick back here, but this looks like tick
14:46
conditions to me.
14:49
But
14:49
when I got the grass out, give the bees
14:51
better entrance, they're moving in.
14:54
more
14:54
judiciously.
14:57
Alright, let's open it up.
15:00
See what happens here.
15:04
This one has one of the insulated hive covers on it
15:08
This is the first time I've used them, so
15:10
can't give you a report.
15:13
These
15:13
have accepted it.
15:15
Yep, this
15:16
is full as the others
15:19
Absolutely
15:19
as full as the others.
15:21
Let's do that thing I'm doing to see if this works.
15:25
So
15:25
I gotta go pick it up.
15:28
If I really wanted to do this, I'm gonna pick out
15:33
the second frame in.
15:35
We'll smoke them back away from it.
15:39
I'm just going to lightly touch it.
15:44
And it immediately cuts through and then I scrape it off.
15:47
Then I turn the device straight up
15:50
and run it
15:54
between the frame
15:58
And then
15:59
between the wall,
16:02
it cuts through it,
16:04
other
16:04
end of the frame.
16:08
Cut through the old propolis.
16:10
There's a lot of
16:10
beer.
16:17
It's a lot here.
16:21
Well, I don't know
16:23
what to say about this.
16:24
It's working
16:26
A little bit better than I thought it would.
16:28
There's a screw coming off.
16:30
Of course it's got to come off right now.
16:33
Let me see if I can take it out
16:36
and put it away
16:38
Okay, I got that off.
16:41
Now I'm gonna try to
16:43
do
16:43
the
16:44
vertical cut.
16:51
And it goes right through.
16:53
I'm laying the gadget down.
16:56
I'll put a picture of it on the webpage
16:59
I don't know.
17:00
This
17:00
is this a thing?
17:01
I don't know.
17:01
I'm
17:02
I'm always playing.
17:03
I'm always tinkering.
17:06
I mean it's just beekeeping.
17:08
We always do this.
17:09
We used
17:10
a
17:11
We
17:12
began to use leaf blowers to such an extent for removes
17:16
that nobody actually manufactured a dedicated bee blower anymore.
17:20
And I used them a lot.
17:23
They got brood
17:24
on the out
17:25
on this
17:26
on the number
17:28
two
17:29
and number eight frames
17:31
and nectar is dripping out of the frame
17:35
They have brood
17:36
maybe on the wall next right up front.
17:39
So there's that.
17:41
That looks nice
17:42
putting the
17:44
insulated top back on
17:47
Would you think it's a problem to have it on in the summer?
17:53
I don't know.
17:55
So
17:56
I'm just gonna put that back on for here
17:58
Put the brick back on.
18:01
I'm kind of
18:03
crying crocodile tears
18:05
here
18:07
I think I'm done with this cutter gadget.
18:09
It works okay.
18:11
It might be helpful if I had really a lot of these to do.
18:16
But I'm not sure I'm gonna put it in my
18:18
Hive
18:19
tool
18:20
carrier.
18:22
I'm over here in
18:24
ridiculous grass.
18:26
I'm gonna die of all this pollen.
18:29
I've got good flight at this one.
18:32
Got on another
18:34
insulated top here
18:38
And
18:39
it's the same, it's full.
18:42
Drones, I can see brood.
18:45
Listeners, if you're a new beekeeper,
18:48
Do your thing.
18:49
Open
18:50
them
18:50
up
18:51
and
18:53
do your
18:54
thing
18:58
And if you're an experienced beekeeper, I can tell you right now, if you're in my boots, you need to go back to your shop.
19:06
Put together five deeps
19:08
and do things that are not really beekeeping.
19:11
So
19:12
I said I wasn't going to mention swarms
19:14
all that much.
19:16
And now I have to say this that if
19:19
I think these packages would produce
19:21
really late season swarms
19:24
If I don't come do something with them
19:27
to give them more room.
19:29
I'm gonna put an inner cover on here
19:32
under
19:32
this insulated
19:34
outer cover.
19:39
Tops
19:40
back on.
19:41
Oh, it's hot in the suit.
19:44
And I'm an old man
19:46
and I got my hive tool, I got my smoker.
19:49
I want to go back and sit down somewhere nice and cool
19:56
I improvise
19:57
a
19:58
paper plug, let the smoker go out, put
20:02
that right there
20:03
and I'll come back out in
20:05
an hour or so and put it all away
20:08
I don't have a convenient chair out here.
20:11
Stand in the shade.
20:12
Oh, that's work.
20:15
Alright, quick review.
20:17
Five packages.
20:23
They look so good.
20:24
I gotta go build equipment
20:26
and get that on.
20:27
Probably won't paint it, just a hurry
20:30
That
20:30
'd be a
20:31
fundamental part of slip shot
20:32
beekeeping.
20:33
I tried the
20:35
oscillating multi-tool
20:37
gadget.
20:38
It worked okay.
20:39
It worked better than okay, but it needs to be probably used when the propolis is cold and will shatter.
20:47
instead of when it's gummy, even though it did cut through the gum reasonably well.
20:51
The bees didn't go bonkers
20:53
about me using it.
20:54
So that's a real 60%.
20:56
If anybody wants to give it a try
20:59
And lastly, I ask if any of you are keeping bees in single deeps
21:03
to give me some idea of how you're doing that.
21:05
How do you suppress swarming?
21:08
Alright, I'm going to go clean up, drink some water, and uh
21:14
Maybe read a B book or something.
21:16
I don't know how it's
21:17
going
21:17
on this afternoon.
21:18
Beautiful day.
21:20
Beautiful day.
21:21
80 degrees.
21:23
So I'll end on that note.
21:25
I always enjoy talking to you.
21:26
Thanks for keeping me company out here.
21:28
I'm Jim.
21:29
Telling you by