What's up SUGAR CAKES?

http://www.honeybeesuite.com/candy-board-feeders-for-honey-bees/
http://www.gardenfork.tv/sugar-cake-recipe-for-honeybees

i know it's CRAZY to be thinking about this now...but I'm thinking NOW IS THE TIME
to stock up on "containers" at goodwill and rummage sales, etc.

instead of making HEAVY sugar boards - make SUGAR CAKES.  I've recently seen some examples of sugar cakes that were probably poured in a BREAD PAN or an 8 x 8 PAN. You could really pour these into ANY container - but remember - you need to POUR SHALLOW - so you have the right depth for your spacers.  The one gal uses a cooking spray for release - the example I saw was poured into a WAX PAPER LINED container - wax paper still intact upon extraction.  Which I think would be a good thing to keep your "cakes" separate and ready-to-apply.

And by all means - GOOGLE - "sugar board" recipes - there are a TON out there.

here's a youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD-dwW7ryAA

Beekeeper Fred is WEIGHING his hive....

I have placed a hive on an old baggage scale.  This will permit me to measure the hive weight change daily.  Thus I should be able to identify the dates of the major honey flows in my area.  Bees enter and exit the indoor hive via two PVC pipes plumbed through the honey house wall. 

The data has been compiling since 4/22/2014

Click to view spreadsheet:  File update: 6/16/2014

ECWBA newsletter May 31

ECWBA Meeting Schedule 2014
• June 7, 2014.  Start time is 2:00 pm.  Location is at Denise Palkovich’s apiary.  See “field day” note below for meeting details.
• August 2, 2014.  Location is Ripon Public Library, Silver Creek Room.  Start time is 9:30 am.
• September, 2014.  Location will be Fond du Lac.  Date and time to be determined.

June Field Day
This year’s field day will be hosted by Denise Palkovich at her apiary on June 7, 2014.  We will get started at 2:00 pm.  Unless something comes up, there is not a formal meeting to take place, just a few announcements.  Denise will show us her beehives.  Then at about 3:00 pm, Craig Petros, the State Apiary Inspector, will arrive to demonstrate his process of inspecting beehives for the state.

Address and Driving directions:  Address is:  N7928 County Road WH, Fond du Lac.  To drive there:  On the east side of Fond du Lac, travel north on Highway 151.  There is a stop light at the intersection of Hwy. 151 and Hwy. WH.  Turn and travel east on WH from off of Hwy. 151.  Go up and around the corner staying on WH. Denise will try to post a sign out front.  (Denise has already posted a map on the ECWBA website - under the PLACES tab.)

FULL BEEKEEPING ATTIRE is REQUIRED if you're going to participate in the beekeeping.  It's not a bad idea to bring a chair for yourself as well.


Beeswax Wanted
Mary Rechek is looking for beeswax for some craft projects.  If you have extra beeswax, you can work out the details with Mary by e-mail at  rechek@epi.ophth.wisc.edu .

ECWBA Library
The ECWBA maintains a library from which members can check out beekeeping books.  Andy Krueger has been doing a great job as our association librarian.  If you have ECWBA books, please bring them back so we can keep those books circulating.  If you are exploring something new in beekeeping, the library probably has a book or DVD for you to check out.  This is a valuable resource – use it to your advantage!!!


Beekeeping Notes:
• This is prime swarm season.  Give the honey bees plenty of room in the way of an extra brood chamber or added supers.  Splitting colonies also helps to prevent swarms.
• Summer has come along quickly this year.  And so, the nectar flow in on.  Be prepared with plenty of supers ready to go to capture the harvest.
• Also, start planning in advance about how you will handle the honey harvest this year.  Arrange for extracting equipment, comb honey handling equipment, storage containers (small jars up to 5 gal. pails), etc.


Best of Beekeeping,
Jeff Champeau

bees SAVED....

there's some re-queening going on

Did a major run-down of all the hives in the yard this weekend.  MY STRONG (swarm/survivor) HIVE (persephone) got SPLIT.  As I suspected, a hive with this much population - didn't waist any time making some swarm cells.  NOT MANY, maybe 4. (maybe the cold nights slowed them a little) TWO NICE CAPPED swarm cells went into the daughter hive....one for sure, second just in case. (I'll let them figure it out)  In no time, the daughter should be up and running.  Just keeping an eye on these two still wanting to swarm....and if I catch 'em - they're going right back into their box.  I gave both mother and daughter some previously worked frames, but also some foundation to work....and a sugar syrup bucket (to keep their interest inside the hive?)

You know!  it's beekeeping - it's ALL AN EXPERIMENT!  x-ing my finger and toes.

And EOSTRE aka "NASTY HIVE".  she wasn't TOO bad this time...but I soon discovered why.  THEY'RE busy SUPERSEDING.  This is still a really nice sized population - probably #2 in rank.  I'm going to keep them as a 2.5 high all this summer (2 deeps and a super) - see if I can't build up a whopping big hive.  I'm going to keep HIVE BODY SWITCHING this one.  As soon as she gets to the top - i'm going to put her back on the bottom (the queen).

Every hive is ready for a population boom....LOTS of capped brood at every level.  DRONE BROOD CUTS on all.  (and interestingly - I have one hive that's not interested in building drone brood on the bottom of my short frame - it built regular brood cells!)