was EVERYONE out checking bees this weekend!?!? in the shelter of the beehouse - i actually performed my "spring cleaning" and "hive body switch" on the two backyard hives. one is THRIVING and the other...alive.
from the strong hive - i brushed....maybe a couple thousand dead bees from the bottom board....very few. the cluster had made it into the middle of deep number two (this is a three deep hive....i'm experimenting) and had small areas of brood. deep number two was examined and placed on the bottom board (hive body switch). deep number one is now deep number two. it was still somewhat full of bees on some empty frames....these frames i kept in relative vertical position for the "cluster" (try not to break the cluster)....frames that were somewhat empty and empty of bees - i "checkerboarded" with honey frames.
"checkerboarding" is sometimes also called "nectar management". it's essentially re-arranging and alternating frames - one empty/one honey/one empty/one honey/etc. (WITHOUT breaking the cluster!!!)
deep number three was also checkerboarded with honey and some empty frames. the method behind this madness is to "give the bees room". this particular bee (feral by now) seemingly goes through a really strong SPRING BUILDUP....if i don't break up all the honey frames - they'll feel "honeybound" and swarm. what i've read on nectar managment, indicates that by alternating frames as this - the cluster and bees utilize more of the box.
...and getting back to the "alive" box. maybe a few thousand bees is all that's left!....and the queen (saw her - she was easy to find as they were guarding/protecting her). hindsight being 20/20....SOMETHING went on with this hive already last fall. i think it was taking a population dive at that time already. i had a queen issue with that hive mid-summer - maybe they requeened late. i got them down to one box....kept the cluster frames together in the corner and did what i could to remove icky frames and bees. ....likely won't make it through the remaining cool nights. didn't want to combine them with the strong hive...don't want to transfer any disease if that was the issue....i wish i had a nuc box - they might fare better in there.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
new...discussion group link added
i will add a ECWBA discussion group link to the sidebar. beekeepers - use this are to discuss and ask questions about beekeeping or meeting material. http://groups.google.com/group/ecwba
ECWBA Newsletter
1. Meetings. Here is the list of meeting dates for the remainder of 2010:
* March meeting: March 20, 2010, 9:30 am to 11:00 am at the Fond du Lac Public Library (click on the event calendar link at the bottom for directions/map).
* May meeting: May 22, 2010. Start time is at 1:00 pm. This will be the field day at Denise Palkovich’s bee yard (see below for further information and directions).
* July meeting: July 17, 2010. Place to be determined.
* September meeting: September 18, 2010. Place to be determined.
2. Meeting Topics. Here are the discussion topics to be covered at the meetings:
* March meeting: Package bee installation, splitting over-wintered colonies, and making nucleus colonies.
* May meeting: Field day at Denise Palkovich’s bee yard – look at beehives and Denise’s beekeeping operation.
* July and September meetings: To be determined.
3. March Meeting. The March, 2010, ECWBA meeting will be at the Fond du Lac County Library. The library’s address is: 32 Sheboygan Street, Fond du Lac, WI. To get there, take Main Street (north or south) to Sheboygan Street. Take Sheboygan Street east one block to Portland Street. Turn left (south) on to Portland and go about a half block to the library’s parking lot located on the east side of Portland Street.
4. May Meeting. The May, 2010, ECWBA meeting will be at the bee yard of Denise Palkovich. Start time is 1:00 pm. To get there, take State Highway 23 east out of Fond du Lac (Hwy. 23 is Johnson St. in Fond du Lac). Turn left onto Log Tavern Road (which is the first road after County Highway W). Take Log Tavern Road north to Pit Road. Take a right onto Pit Road and an almost immediate left turn to address of the bee yard by the brown ranch style house. The address is W1575 Pit Road, Mt. Calvary, WI. (click on event calendar link for directions/map)
* Attention: This is a field day, so bring your own bee veil, bee suit, gloves, etc., for safe and comfortable work around bees.
* The rain date for the May meeting is June 5, 2010. The place and time is the same.
5. Membership dues reminder. ECWBA membership dues for 2010 will remain at $15.00. Dues need to be paid by end of March, 2010, in order to continue receiving a newsletter and association communications.
Beekeeping Notes:
* Spring is definitely on the way. The bees have already begun to break cluster and go on their cleansing flights. This means it will soon be spring feeding time. Be prepared to feed sugar syrup and pollen supplements or substitutes.
* If you do use any medications for the control of diseases (nosema, American foul brood, mites, etc.) now is the time to obtain those. Study and learn how to properly to use those medication. Poorly applied medications can do more harm than good!
* Before things get going too fast in the spring and summer, this would be a good time to check on your honey gathering supplies and equipment. Will you need more honey supers? Queen excluders? Bee escapes? Jars and bottles for honey? Start planning ahead.
Best of beekeeping, Jeff Champeau, President, ECWBA, Telephone: 715-330-9969
P.S. You may send membership dues to the association’s treasurer or president at one of the following addresses: George Weigel, 268 Peters Ave., Fond du Lac, WI 54935 or Jeff Champeau, 145 N. Wisconsin Street, Berlin, WI 54923. Make checks payable to: East Central Wisconsin Beekeepers Association. A membership card will be returned to you promptly.
* March meeting: March 20, 2010, 9:30 am to 11:00 am at the Fond du Lac Public Library (click on the event calendar link at the bottom for directions/map).
* May meeting: May 22, 2010. Start time is at 1:00 pm. This will be the field day at Denise Palkovich’s bee yard (see below for further information and directions).
* July meeting: July 17, 2010. Place to be determined.
* September meeting: September 18, 2010. Place to be determined.
2. Meeting Topics. Here are the discussion topics to be covered at the meetings:
* March meeting: Package bee installation, splitting over-wintered colonies, and making nucleus colonies.
* May meeting: Field day at Denise Palkovich’s bee yard – look at beehives and Denise’s beekeeping operation.
* July and September meetings: To be determined.
3. March Meeting. The March, 2010, ECWBA meeting will be at the Fond du Lac County Library. The library’s address is: 32 Sheboygan Street, Fond du Lac, WI. To get there, take Main Street (north or south) to Sheboygan Street. Take Sheboygan Street east one block to Portland Street. Turn left (south) on to Portland and go about a half block to the library’s parking lot located on the east side of Portland Street.
4. May Meeting. The May, 2010, ECWBA meeting will be at the bee yard of Denise Palkovich. Start time is 1:00 pm. To get there, take State Highway 23 east out of Fond du Lac (Hwy. 23 is Johnson St. in Fond du Lac). Turn left onto Log Tavern Road (which is the first road after County Highway W). Take Log Tavern Road north to Pit Road. Take a right onto Pit Road and an almost immediate left turn to address of the bee yard by the brown ranch style house. The address is W1575 Pit Road, Mt. Calvary, WI. (click on event calendar link for directions/map)
* Attention: This is a field day, so bring your own bee veil, bee suit, gloves, etc., for safe and comfortable work around bees.
* The rain date for the May meeting is June 5, 2010. The place and time is the same.
5. Membership dues reminder. ECWBA membership dues for 2010 will remain at $15.00. Dues need to be paid by end of March, 2010, in order to continue receiving a newsletter and association communications.
Beekeeping Notes:
* Spring is definitely on the way. The bees have already begun to break cluster and go on their cleansing flights. This means it will soon be spring feeding time. Be prepared to feed sugar syrup and pollen supplements or substitutes.
* If you do use any medications for the control of diseases (nosema, American foul brood, mites, etc.) now is the time to obtain those. Study and learn how to properly to use those medication. Poorly applied medications can do more harm than good!
* Before things get going too fast in the spring and summer, this would be a good time to check on your honey gathering supplies and equipment. Will you need more honey supers? Queen excluders? Bee escapes? Jars and bottles for honey? Start planning ahead.
Best of beekeeping, Jeff Champeau, President, ECWBA, Telephone: 715-330-9969
P.S. You may send membership dues to the association’s treasurer or president at one of the following addresses: George Weigel, 268 Peters Ave., Fond du Lac, WI 54935 or Jeff Champeau, 145 N. Wisconsin Street, Berlin, WI 54923. Make checks payable to: East Central Wisconsin Beekeepers Association. A membership card will be returned to you promptly.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Southeastern District Meeting - WHPA
Where: Ashippun Fire Department
in Ashippun (south of Honey Acres) on County Hwy O - 1 block west of Hwy 67
When: 10 AM
Agenda:
Mark Gilberts, Over wintering and his success
Lee Heine, Honey Bill
Craig Petros, Colony Collapse
Mary Kettlewell, WHPA Honey Queen program
Abby Tracy, WHPA Honey Queen
Anna Kettlewell, ABF Convention
Potluck at noon
in Ashippun (south of Honey Acres) on County Hwy O - 1 block west of Hwy 67
When: 10 AM
Agenda:
Mark Gilberts, Over wintering and his success
Lee Heine, Honey Bill
Craig Petros, Colony Collapse
Mary Kettlewell, WHPA Honey Queen program
Abby Tracy, WHPA Honey Queen
Anna Kettlewell, ABF Convention
Potluck at noon
Less Invasive Beekeeping
Anarchy Apiaries (yes - that's their name) poses an interesting rational for top bar beekeeping. http://anarchyapiaires.org/hivetools/node/32 (skip down to the top bar hives and small cell beekeeping if you wish to focus on those topics.)
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