Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I managed to get a Nucleus colony from a local swarm catcher/beekeeper last week. As it's already into summer I plan to have these build up their numbers in a Lang and then hopefully split into a Warre next spring.

I think the timing was pretty good as the Strigy Barks (Eucalyptus obliqua) are just starting to flower so there is plenty of nector for them.

Hopefully will have pictures soon, (three cameras in the household of three and I can't seem to be able to get my hands on any)

Himzo.

Awesome - congrats on finding a swarm.

I finally bought some equipment (mesh head cover, gloves, long sleeves) and will move them about 2 foot per night so i can get this darn chicken coop finished...

The first thing I bought was the vail..I already had some gloves that have velcro strapping..tucked the trousers into the socks...I'm hopeing I can get by with this lot for a month or so before I splurge out and by a Hooded Jacket and longer gloves.

Still got two stings from some pretty pi$$ed off bees when I put them in position, they had been shut in from 5:00PM the previous night and I didn't release them until 8:00AM.

One managed to get me through the stiching in the glove, the other must have been sitting on the vail, as soon as I took it off she gave me a kiss right on the chin..

I need to transfer them into the main hive either tonight or weather depending on the weekend, so I expect more of the same.


Himzo.

Good luck

- I was in Cheap as Chips golden grove and they have a meshed hooded jacket (for mozzies) for only 5$

Found it in the camping section

Tucking trousers into socks is not such a great idea if there is space for bees to fall between your socks and boots. I speak from painful experience! The best thing for that is to have trouser legs that are long and can go over high ankle length boots, or better still white gumboots, and then to put elastic bands around the trousers to hold them tight over the boot. The best thing is to get yourself a white overall 1 or two sizes too big and install elastic in the hem of the trouser legs. Hide this overall away from your artist wife/kids who think that overalls are common property!

New to forum, but not to beekeeping!! As a beekeeping instructor, I encourage new beekeepers to be cautious of miracle beekeeping techniques that promise your bees will be immune to disease and other improbable claims (see Backyardhive.com). Corwin is a good man and a good beekeeper but I differ with some of his claims that run counter to readily available science, critical thinking and observation.

There are lots of ways to keep bees, and all have their strengths and their possibilities of failure. Ultimately beekeeping rests on the beekeeper to know the needs of a colony, to monitor the colony for health, and to harmonize your efforts with the bees' strong instincts: you can't force them to do something they don't want to do anyways. But you can shape their direction if you know what it is and end up in a happy place with healthy bees.

And lastly, I'll offer my opinion that bees don't benefit from the culture wars where beekeepers attack other beekeepers for using Langs or topbars or Warres or whatever... bees live perfectly happily in all types of equipment (as well as gas tanks, building spaces, flowerpots and tree boles). Bees and beekeeping have enough challenged without beek-on-beek warfare.

Check out http://www.beesource.com/forums/forum.php for a robust forum with lots of views, lots of beeks new and old, and lots more besides. Disclaimer: I am a moderator on the meadmaking forum

Thanks for sharing these amazing links and info. I was just planning to build a hive and researching on internet for this. These are some really amazing links and info.

Reviving an old thread.

How to feed your bees with an axe

https://youtu.be/W3b22LkdAvE