Top Bar Hive Check Feb 18, 2022
Our daughter’s top bar hive is still alive! Good information on what is going on in all hives this time of year!
Should I treat a new package of honey bees with Oxalic Acid?
Should I treat my package Bees with Oxalic acid? Short answer is we don’t recommend it. Now for the lists of pros and cons. First off, O.A. is a great mite treatment when no brood is present. (we like it as a late season treatment) We also know that it is important to start with
May 19 2021 Hive Check
Here is the hive check on the package bees we hived on April 23 and 24. We will also walk you through how we do a hive inspection, what we are looking for, and what is happening season wise as it relates to these 4 colonies. Hive check part 1 https://youtu.be/ymvNAPLnOzc Hive check part
Daniel’s May 19 hive check
Daniel (age 5) started his first hive this year, he is getting to do his first big check since hiving his package. He is proud of the desert camo pattern he painted his boxes. This package went into drawn comb on April 24. We see good brood pattern, population is getting ready to grow exponentially,
Top Bar Hive Inspection 1 Week After Hiving Package
This package went into a colony with established comb so we didn’t have to remove or repair comb, they are already building straight. Have fun, we had trouble finding evidence of a queen, but we finally did find it! This is a week after hiving.
Varroa Mite Check in Drone Brood
Checking drone brood is a great way to get a handle on what the mite load is on your hive.
Making Splits with Overwintered Hives
If you have a strong colony that made it through the winter, splitting in the spring is a possibility! You want to split during the time of year that colonies are naturally looking to swarm. The biology is that by taking the old queen and moving her to a new hive gives the hive the
May 11, 2021 Hive Check
This past week things are really starting to take off, It has been warm enough that bees have been out and busy. Dandelions are in full bloom, the fruit trees are blooming as well. some of the mustard in our cover crops on the farm is blooming as well. This next week some of the
Checking Hived Packages
HI everyone, For us its been a cold windy couple of days. here is some footage of the first hive checks, These are the very hives that were hived as part of the demonstrations. Sorry for the wind noise in the clips. Key steps for new hives is providing food in the form of sugar
Why didn’t my bees make it through the winter?
This is a question we are asked multiple times in the spring. As a result, I have had the opportunity to not only observe my own hives, but to also look at a lot of hives belonging to other beekeepers confused and saddened by what they think is the sudden loss of their bees. Was
Plant Now to Feed Bees for the Whole Year!
That’s right, it’s time to plant your bee food. This week at Tubbs Berry Farm we are currently frost seeding cover crops, and adding more bee friendly plants to our pastures and waste areas. Frost seeding is broadcasting seed and allowing the natural freeze thaw action work the seeds into the soil. The spring snowmelt
Options for Getting a Honey Bee Hive Started This Spring
With spring around the corner, a question we are often asked is, “What is the best way to start a hive?” Most hives will be started in one of 3 ways: A Package, A Nuc (nucleus hive), or a swarm. Here are some of the pros and cons of each, and some information about what