Beekeeping

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

I did mine slightly different than you did. My thought process was to get them out of the tree and not let them back in. This is ugly and I have better ideas for the next time.... I created a funnel with the exit far from the tree. It is mesh so they can smell the tree entrance at the base of the funnel but can't get in to it. They are not smart enough to go way to the end of the funnel to go back in, since there is no smell there. I was able to get the majority of the bees from the tree but was not able to get the Queen.

With your funnel being relatively short and solid I'll be curious to see if they are enticed to stay in the new hive box. I'm afraid it may just turn out to be a smaller entrance for them. Since your funnel is solid they will smell home and be able to go in where they smell it.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I did mine slightly different than you did. My thought process was to get them out of the tree and not let them back in. This is ugly and I have better ideas for the next time.... I created a funnel with the exit far from the tree. It is mesh so they can smell the tree entrance at the base of the funnel but can't get in to it. They are not smart enough to go way to the end of the funnel to go back in, since there is no smell there. I was able to get the majority of the bees from the tree but was not able to get the Queen.

With your funnel being relatively short and solid I'll be curious to see if they are enticed to stay in the new hive box. I'm afraid it may just turn out to be a smaller entrance for them. Since your funnel is solid they will smell home and be able to go in where they smell it.

View attachment 5770676

We will see! If I don't get bees populating the box in a couple days, I can change the funnel type. The funnel just slides up and out.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Spent a little time building a stand for the box. Still need to seal up the secondary entrance a bit better after dark tonight. Hopefully in 24 hours the box goes on.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I got the secondary entrance a little better closed up. A little hardware cloth, foam, and black plastic to keep it darkened.

Weather permitting, I'll get the box installed tonight!

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

In the process of extracting about 100 pounds of honey that the bees stored last year. I'm going to keep another 60 pounds in frames in reserve in case I have a few colonies that need a boost for winter.

This will bring the 2025 bottling up to 250 pounds.

 

[ponytug]

It is so clean!

Kudus to you for having such a clean workshop and processes.

All the best, Peter

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

It is so clean!

Kudus to you for having such a clean workshop and processes.

All the best, Peter

Thank you. I'm not one who works in chaos. Always careful planning!

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

The glare off my skull is intense

 

[JasperFrank]

Does one have to buy Mason bees. I set up a pretty good space for them. But so far no takers.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Does one have to buy Mason bees. I set up a pretty good space for them. But so far no takers.

I've never seen them for sale

 

[RjCorazza]

Does one have to buy Mason bees. I set up a pretty good space for them. But so far no takers.

My neighbor got his initial Mason bees online at Crown Bees.

 

[ponytug]

Does one have to buy Mason bees. I set up a pretty good space for them. But so far no takers.

There are more than few vendors, but check that the species are right for your locale.

They are reportedly quite particular as to hole size, location, and material. That said, I've found the remains of cells in things as unnatural as a brass light socket.

I think one reason why the reed based holders seem to work well is the variation in individual reed diameters.

I think where bees decide to set up domiciles is pretty fascinating, from mason bees to leaf cutter bees to honeybees to bumble bees. Here, our pollination is largely driven by bees other than honeybees, though we still get swarms of honeybees swarming here. Some acquaintances set up some swarm traps here, but didn't manage to find any takers.

All the best,

Peter

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

The honey is a little wet, so I'm setting up a dry room to dry it down for bottling. 21% moisture now, need to get it down to 18%

 

[drumminj]

The honey is a little wet, so I'm setting up a dry room to dry it down for bottling. 21% moisture now, need to get it down to 18%

You set up a dehumidifier in there for that?

 

[JasperFrank]

My question should have been more defined. Do you have to buy mason bees, or is there any chance of them colonizing on their own.. in the PNW? I could buy them. Yet, they are native to the area. And maybe I'm just not making a good colony structure for them? All the successful "hives," I've seen, are far larger then the store bought, little ones. Which is, what I have.... given as a gift from a BIL. We have many other pollinators.
I'm, wondering if this is like getting those little green turtles, as a child, that always died, Or Sea Monkeys for adults.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

You set up a dehumidifier in there for that?

Large rectangular tote, heater, two fans, and dehumidifier... Yep

 

[ponytug]

The honey is a little wet, so I'm setting up a dry room to dry it down for bottling. 21% moisture now, need to get it down to 18%

It looked very fluid as it was coming out of the extractor, but temperature makes a big difference, doesn't it?

All the best,

Peter

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

It looked very fluid as it was coming out of the extractor, but temperature makes a big difference, doesn't it?

All the best,

Peter

It does yes. But without bees to control humidity, above 60% RH honey will absorb water

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Today we are bringing home two swarms that landed in swarm traps. Also, going to be checking on the trap out hive box.

One unique aspect of this trap out method is that you are adding a room to the hive, which encourages the queen to exit the tree to explore the new square footage. In a traditional trap out, this will not happen as a matter of exploration and curiosity, because your one way cone is a true exit, not a passage to another room to be explored. This is one reason the extensions are kept completely dark.

I’ll post back results from the inspection. Also on the agenda, extracting the last of the honey we will extract this spring. That will definitely total 100 pounds.

I have a small swarm we captured off a tree, that was queenless. They will join other colonies, but they did store and ripen 10 pounds of honey in the past two weeks. Another colony, which was a split, had their new queen return to another empty hive on my property from mating (wild)… so she is doing fine, but the bees she left behind, I forced to go join other colonies. They stored up about 24 pounds of honey that we are pulling.

The acre of white clover we frost seeded is coming in we’ll, so I’m hoping to see some blossoms soon!

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

The entrance to the hive box on the trap out is getting busier, and has guards roaming it. The box itself has a decent number of bees, but it could take a week to have enough to support a frame of brood.

I watched for a while, and I saw bees coming out from the funnel, but though there were bees around the funnel opening, none returning.

So far, it appears status quo for the trap out.