Drstratton - My Backyard Journey Journal

[drstratton]

Last nights meeting was very productive. We learned more about how they treat mites in our area. They also shared what they use for candy boards and some great ideas for top insulation and moisture control. I will share those as soon as we get them built.
We will be starting our OAV treatments next week when we get back home from a weekend spent with Dale's sister and her husband. Bike riding, dinner, drinks and golf. Should be very relaxing. Well, except maybe the golf...lol

A Carniolan bee on our Crepe Myrtle!

Italian Bee!

 

[drstratton]

Happy Wednesday!

Finally lap chickens! With bribery anyway...lol I had 4 in my lap today! Evidently I wasn't doling out their grapes fast enough...

Nom, nom!
Willow and Phoenix!

 

[Baymule]

I like the way you tell us what kind of bee it is in the picture.

 

[fuzzi]

Happy Wednesday!

Finally lap chickens! With bribery anyway...lol I had 4 in my lap today! Evidently I wasn't doling out their grapes fast enough...

Nom, nom!
Willow and Phoenix!

Love that last picture.

 

[drstratton]

Love that last picture.

I know right!

 

[drstratton]

I like the way you tell us what kind of bee it is in the picture.

Thank you. I think it's a fun thing to know and something I didn't know, before we started.

 

[drstratton]

Bees and blooms!
Carniolan & Italian on a Zinnia.

Carniolan in mid flight, Italian on Chives.

 

[drstratton]

I'm always researching plants for our bees.
Per a recommendation from @R2elk I'm thinking of planting a combination of Rocky Mountain Bee Plant and Butterfly Weed in my old paddock area.
And Sweet Clover in what was supposed to be our small pasture area.
The nectar yields sound amazing.
I don't like to wish the days away, they go too fast as it is, but I'm so excited to see what happens with our bees next year.

 

[Baymule]

Do you have both kinds of bees, the Italian and the Carniolan? And where does the Carniolan come from?

 

[drstratton]

Do you have both kinds of bees, the Italian and the Carniolan? And where does the Carniolan come from?

Yes, we have both. After we placed our order for the Italian bees, we learned that the Carniolan might be better for our area. They are from Slovenia, Austria and a few other northern regions, so are well adapted to cold winters and long hot summers.
Here's a little excerpt from an article I was encouraged to write in Backyard Chickens. I'm still working on it and will be for awhile as it's mostly based on my experience.
Carniolan:
Gentle & calm.
Strong foragers.
Quick Spring buildup.
Winter hardy.
Less prone to swarming.
Strong orientation, less likely to drift into other hives.
Less likely to rob.

Italian:
Gentle & calm.
Good producers of brood and comb.
Strong foragers.
Quick Spring buildup.
Less prone to swarming.
Prone to drifting and robbing.
Quickly consume stores.
Not as cold hardy.

Here are two other varieties that I might like to try at some point. The resistance to disease & mites are important traits.

Caucasian:
Gentle: one of the most gentle
Strong foragers. Flying earlier and later in cold conditions.
Slower to build up in summer.
Overwinter well.
Less swarming tendency than some.
May have some resistance to American Foul Brood.

Russian:
Spicy: Protective of the hive, yet not overly aggressive.
Resistance to Varroa and tracheal mites.
Good foragers, but not the largest honey producers.
Winter hardy.
More important for us than a huge amount of honey is getting these girls through winter. Except for the queen, the bees that are alive right now will be dead by winter. So, winter bees start in August. You have to make sure that your mite counts are extremely low to reduce the chance of the bees contracting the viruses the mites carry. To do that, you test and treat and when the nectar flow stops you feed your bees to keep them strong and healthy. It's quite involved. Most first year beekeepers are not successful at helping their bees survive overwinter. We're trying to learn and do everything needed to keep our bees alive. And believe me, there is a lot to learn. It is really stretching my old brain...lol and I'm thoroughly enjoying it.
Forgive me if this is more information than you asked for. I just find it all so fascinating.