I was late harvesting the honey this year. Early august, to be sure! I checked my best producing hive this past weekend... a full month after the honey was harvested and there were FEW bees in the hive! I checked it in the evening... around 645pm. Should I be concerned at the lack of workers?
If you are going to treat for varroa, you will want to treat before supering for honey. Most treatments are not safe to use with honey supers on. You do not want your honey contaminated with chemicals.
You will want to add one super at a time. Add a new super when the last one is 80-90% full.
When catching a swarm, you can put it near the old hive without any problem. Swarms do not always stay though, It helps to give them a frame of brood. This will usually keep them from leaving!
You should join the mentor group at https://www.timbercreekapiaries.com/groups
I'm going into my second season in KANSAS and have lots of questions. 1. Do I need to do a spring varroa treatment BEFORE I put on a super? 2. When I add a super do I just add one at a time and harvest it when full or add one on top of the full one and keep building up like that. 3. If you catch your own swarm can you put them in a new hive close to the old hive? This is a start. LOL
Varroa is a hard one. The easiest way to treat with Oxalic Acid for varroa is with the dribble method. Vaporizers are more expensive and without the necessary protective equipment-dangerous. With the dribble method you dissolve the Oxalic Acid and sugar into water and dribble it in between the frames with a syringe. Don't use this method when it is cold though as it will freeze the bees.
Saw your comment on Oxalic Acid for varroa mites. How do we go about using Oxalic Acid to treat for the mites? Varroa is probably the scariest thing for me, as a beginner.
Many Thanks!
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I was late harvesting the honey this year. Early august, to be sure! I checked my best producing hive this past weekend... a full month after the honey was harvested and there were FEW bees in the hive! I checked it in the evening... around 645pm. Should I be concerned at the lack of workers?
@dging54
If you are going to treat for varroa, you will want to treat before supering for honey. Most treatments are not safe to use with honey supers on. You do not want your honey contaminated with chemicals.
You will want to add one super at a time. Add a new super when the last one is 80-90% full.
When catching a swarm, you can put it near the old hive without any problem. Swarms do not always stay though, It helps to give them a frame of brood. This will usually keep them from leaving!
You should join the mentor group at https://www.timbercreekapiaries.com/groups
I do not always see blog comments. lol :)
I'm going into my second season in KANSAS and have lots of questions. 1. Do I need to do a spring varroa treatment BEFORE I put on a super? 2. When I add a super do I just add one at a time and harvest it when full or add one on top of the full one and keep building up like that. 3. If you catch your own swarm can you put them in a new hive close to the old hive? This is a start. LOL
Varroa is a hard one. The easiest way to treat with Oxalic Acid for varroa is with the dribble method. Vaporizers are more expensive and without the necessary protective equipment-dangerous. With the dribble method you dissolve the Oxalic Acid and sugar into water and dribble it in between the frames with a syringe. Don't use this method when it is cold though as it will freeze the bees.
Beginning beekeeper next year.
Saw your comment on Oxalic Acid for varroa mites. How do we go about using Oxalic Acid to treat for the mites? Varroa is probably the scariest thing for me, as a beginner.
Many Thanks!