🐝💗Our Backyard Beekeeping Journey!💗🐝

[drstratton]

OUCH!

Agreed!

 

[drstratton]

Setting up for our 8th OAV treatment.

We'll probably inspect on Sunday and see where the bees are at.

The days are getting shorter, sunset is at 7:18, sigh.

Bees and blooms!
Italian Bee on Salvia!

 

[drstratton]

Found another wax moth larvae on the white board from Hive#1. I think they must be down on the screened bottom board where I couldn't see them. We will make decisions this weekend when we inspect on what to do.

Varroa Count from 7th treatment
Hive #1: 3 & 1 wax moth larvae
Hive #2: 2
Package Hive: 2
Swarm Hive:0

 

[drstratton]

Just cleared out the freezer where we plan on putting frames as we pull them off. It's currently in the defrosting mode. We'll leave them for 3 days and then store them in some 19g Husky totes we bought at home depot. They will hold 14 or 15 frames. I'm thinking about adding a door seal to them, too deter insects.

The members of our bee club, spray the comb with BT, Bacillus Thuringiensis, to keep the wax moths from developing in them, it kills caterpillars. It can only be used on stored frames. It's not harmful to adult bees, but I think it could kill larvae from what I've read. They have had no problems with it. I will clarify exactly how it is used at the next meeting.

We're still trying to decide which way to go if we are truly queenless. I kind of want a new queen, but Dale wants to downsize. If we combine, Dale wants to move the package hive that is in the front of the Apiary to the back. Just trying to figure out the best way to do that. I think he's leaning towards placing newspaper and a queen excluder on the back hive, then moving the deep with the package queen on top of that. Hopefully by the time they have integrated, the package hive will then orient themselves to the new location, which is slightly right of and behind where it is sitting now.

Older picture for orientation.

 

[drstratton]

Just did a little more research on the BT spray. It will not harm the bees or larvae as they do not eat it. It is a natural and effective treatment for wax moth. The strain you want is Bta. bacillus thuringiensis aizawai

You spray it on with a pump sprayer, allow it to dry and then store it so that it has good air circulation.

Or we might just freeze, and then seal them in the totes.

So many different ways to do things in beekeeping.

 

[SageHill]

BT is also used in gardens and veggie gardens.

 

[drstratton]

BT is also used in gardens and veggie gardens.

Yeah, I read that. Might have to try it if we ever have trouble with caterpillars.

 

[SageHill]

I just picked up some Sumac honey -- local. OMG yum. You have soooo opened my eyes to bee keeping. Chatted with the gal I got it from - so fun to be able to know and understand a little of the process!

 

[drstratton]

I just picked up some Sumac honey -- local. OMG yum. You have soooo opened my eyes to bee keeping. Chatted with the gal I got it from - so fun to be able to know and understand a little of the process!

Sumac honey, we have some Sumac trees, I'll have to see if there are different varieties.
It's really amazing and I'm glad that you're finding it so too. We'll turn you into a bee nerd yet...lol
I went into my friends Dr appointment with her. We found out her Dr is a beekeeper too. Talked for a few minutes about what we were dealing with right now from possibly having lost a queen and what we were thinking to do about. He looked surprised and said, you know a lot about it for a first year beekeeper. I told him, there's no way I'd take this on without doing a lot of research about it. Still so much to learn. Bees are such a precious resource.

 

[SageHill]

Bee nerd - perhaps, but not a beekeeper I'm the one that mosquitoes target and other stinging critters.