General beekeeping topics & questions :: RE: Advice please
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:53:13 GMT
Author: kuman
Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 9:53 pm (GMT 0)
The best would be to take a bar with young (4 day) brood or eggs. You will see after 4 days (in case of eggs) or next day (in case of 4-day brood) if bees will make rescue queen cells on this brood. Then you are sure you have no queen.
Since you have no brood for 5 weeks I would assume you have no queen in the family. Soon the workers could start laying eggs - then it is too late for introducing eggs or young larvae, they will not make a new queen once they started laying. So my advice - try to introduce young brood or eggs as soon as possible and watch it.
I had simillar situation last 4 weeks - one of my swarm families lost its queen - probably during mate fly. Workers started laying so it is lost now: I joined it to the other family.
Tomorrow I will take away drone brood to cook it
Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 9:53 pm (GMT 0)
| RectoryGarden wrote: |
| ........I will try to get a bar of brood from someone nearby and introduce it to the hive....... |
The best would be to take a bar with young (4 day) brood or eggs. You will see after 4 days (in case of eggs) or next day (in case of 4-day brood) if bees will make rescue queen cells on this brood. Then you are sure you have no queen.
Since you have no brood for 5 weeks I would assume you have no queen in the family. Soon the workers could start laying eggs - then it is too late for introducing eggs or young larvae, they will not make a new queen once they started laying. So my advice - try to introduce young brood or eggs as soon as possible and watch it.
I had simillar situation last 4 weeks - one of my swarm families lost its queen - probably during mate fly. Workers started laying so it is lost now: I joined it to the other family.
Tomorrow I will take away drone brood to cook it
Beginners start here :: RE: Where to get a top bar, anyway?
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:17:38 GMT
Author: ecologystudent
Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 7:17 pm (GMT 0)
Thank you-
I think what I'll do is try to build the main hive body- but then buy the top bars themselves. I heard that the way to make them was by "ripping" them, and I heard that was hard to do. Unless I could simply find lathe that was already 3.5 cm, and just cut it into pieces?
Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 7:17 pm (GMT 0)
Thank you-
I think what I'll do is try to build the main hive body- but then buy the top bars themselves. I heard that the way to make them was by "ripping" them, and I heard that was hard to do. Unless I could simply find lathe that was already 3.5 cm, and just cut it into pieces?
General beekeeping topics & questions :: RE: Advice please
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:25:23 GMT
Author: Ivan
Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 8:25 pm (GMT 0)
Well that answers the obvious question,
"Where do you find a TBH beek at a time like this."
Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 8:25 pm (GMT 0)
Well that answers the obvious question,
"Where do you find a TBH beek at a time like this."
General beekeeping topics & questions :: Look up at the rolling news box
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:17:44 GMT
Author: Ivan
Subject: Look up at the rolling news box
Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 9:17 pm (GMT 0)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8129536.stm
This is fascinating
Subject: Look up at the rolling news box
Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 9:17 pm (GMT 0)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8129536.stm
This is fascinating
Beginners start here :: RE: Where to get a top bar, anyway?
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:47:33 GMT
Author: ecologystudent
Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 10:47 pm (GMT 0)
I was going by the measurements stated in there http://www2.gsu.edu/~biojdsx/tbs.htm, which stated 35 mm for the top bars for Italian bees, and 32 mm for African bees. My understanding was the the African bees hadn't traveled this far north yet. Is that mistaken?
Not having tools was my initial concern, but people encouraged me and said it was easier than it looked. so I was thinking over the idea a little, and trying to find a way to make it work. If I can't, then I will buy it, though I think it would be much more satisfying to build it, if I can.
Also, one generally doesn't need a table saw if one is growing raspberries. Or at least that's been my experience.
Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 10:47 pm (GMT 0)
I was going by the measurements stated in there http://www2.gsu.edu/~biojdsx/tbs.htm, which stated 35 mm for the top bars for Italian bees, and 32 mm for African bees. My understanding was the the African bees hadn't traveled this far north yet. Is that mistaken?
Not having tools was my initial concern, but people encouraged me and said it was easier than it looked. so I was thinking over the idea a little, and trying to find a way to make it work. If I can't, then I will buy it, though I think it would be much more satisfying to build it, if I can.
Also, one generally doesn't need a table saw if one is growing raspberries. Or at least that's been my experience.