The #1 thing to do this spring as a beekeeper

[@lavenderbridges]

“I’m gonna show you the right way to do it and then I will show you how I do it.” … and THAT is why I continue to follow Ian. There is no 100% “only one option” for most of beekeeping and I appreciate that perspective. Thanks, Ian.

[@stefkadank-derpjr1453]

Hobbyist here...heard just what I needed from Ian. I picked up a healthy Nuc yesterday and was talking to seller about the hive beetle explosion this year. My hives ALWAYS kept hive beetle under control until this year...he asked if I treated for mites as well and I told him..."No, all my bees seem to be super hygienic and I see them carry out drone brood with mite attached and fly far away. I've been doing this a few years and have never had trouble with mites" (well, we all like to think our kids are above average, our dog is the very best and I suppose I thought my bees were the same). He just looked at me with his mouth wide open. He told me...if I don't start to treating for mite I was gonna wake up one day with no bees. The message from the universe to me is loud and clear. Don't wait until you have a problem to try and fix it. Thanks friends.

[@Don.Challenger]

Forewarned is forearmed - in that way, with an ongoing monitoring program, you have the time to prepare and execute your response calmly; rather than panic when a problem is revealed - that's time management and logistics. Be a professional hobbyist rather than a bee watcher - either approach is a fine hobby but one is hands on and the other is hands off with only one directed at a potential commercial future.

[@explorebc4x481]

Ian thank you for providing continued videos that are honest, informative, and clear. As an aspiring commercial beekeeper it’s so awesome and inspiring to see you work your bees and how you manage your operation. Much appreciation and gratitude.

[@pauloantunes8826]

Duuudeeee the way you sample your bee yards is incredible!!

[@yasminnilima2366]

I really like your videos And I really like your ambition to teach us all nessessary knowledge! Since I seam to have the similar weather as you, I get some good tips all through out the year on how to care for my bees. Thanks for sharing all your knowledge with us. Lot's of love from a Swedish homesteader.

[@Vbluevital]

You are my premium go to bee expert. So pleased to have access to your excellent educational videos.

[@miralembecarevic9003]

Thank you for your videos and your time mate. You don't know how much you helping to us. Cheers

[@TheDiveDawg]

Ian "I forgot my smoker" Steppler. Thanks for all these videos.

[@bomchickawahwaaaaah]

Ian, Timeless advice. Thank you.

[@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork]

Excellent.. same here.. hives are HUMMING! up and out! Pollen on! Thanks for sharing! Haha! I love the bee aardvark tool!

[@jimmcdougall3750]

Hi Ian great video. Nice ornamental smoker in your office

[@ThatBeeMan]

It was a gift. It's a beauty.

[@miridautaj7905]

Very good information, I do watch your videos all time 👌I’m in Albania

[@BrokePhilanthropist]

Love your enthusiasm man

[@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork]

excellent walkthrough! Yep.. efficiency of operations is so key.. love the suckabee.. might have to build one as I expand hives.

[@isedhooah3683]

Big surprise.... Ian forgot his smoker! haha! Great information and good video!

[@benjamindejonge3624]

Shawn Dougherty he goes bunkers

[@mikeries8549]

Expansion seems to be very easy in the 20-40 colony range. However: there are peaks and valleys. The thing that seems to hold me back from going on to >40 is queens. I go into winter every fall with 2-yr-olds that will never see season three. Need to focus on rearing more than just a few queens. Have been harvesting swarm cell frames...Queen castles then nuc to full size. Circle of life in the bee yard. Need to improve on queen rearing.

[@bub1683]

Thank you. Stay awsome. I am in Sweden.

[@mohhor4998]

I just saw your video for the first time i really amazed how you keep your Beehives clean I dont have the same equipment rhat you have but i do keep observing the diseases such as Varroa and bees Diarrhea The patties that i gave in Fall and wintertime i made it by my self made of 100% natural no sugar or pre made candy Hope to hear from you soon so we can exchange some information From Golan Heights Wael

[@j.d.8075]

I am very lucky for being a beekeeper in Australia and varroa is yet to be a problem here... but I am also aware that one day they shall arrive here...

[@MohamedIbrahim-lt1cg]

Thanks in advance The feeder that you use is awesome feeder I need to apply it in my apiary but I need to know how does it work?

[@peterlightbody8443]

Interesting video , Peter from Australia , thank god we don't have Varroa mite in this country , a lot of work for you.

[@serenityforthewin]

You guys should do everything in your power to keep it that way!!!

[@MrMielten]

You are really lucky!

[@dusanjevtic1566]

I like this way to feed on the Pceland. Greetings from Serbia.

[@kristiepaine2332]

Awesome insight.... in South Africa we rarely have to treat for mites... luckily. But still interesting to watch.

[@yukonjeffimagery]

I am hoping I can get my bees mite free this year. I don't have any other bees or beekeepers to worry about here. thanks for doing a sampling video .I need to get a little better at that.

[@donotcare330]

Mite free means constant micromanagement and treatment checks. Not just twice a year for people. But yes, the less mites the better.

[@Dstick1Spearfishing]

Well Done Ian, excellent video. We don't have mite, so apologies for ignorant question, why not just use a treatment , say Oxalic Acid, and just do the lot and be done with it? Is there cost implications or other things to consider? I was just trying to understand what you did after sampling 100 bees and say they all came in positive of mite? Cheers for the help and videos

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

dstick1 Monitoring is basically to provide more information, to help determine efficiency of treatments and to help make better treatment decisions, That kind of discussion has to be had with your Provincial or state Apiarist

[@Dstick1Spearfishing]

Thanks Ian, I didn't realise treatment had already been done and you were checking for efficacy of the treatment

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Treatment isn’t done yet,

[@Dstick1Spearfishing]

OK, so then will you treat all the hives or only the ones above thresh hold loading after doing this? That was what I was trying to understand. I have friends who just treat everything regardless in their Apiary at the beginning of spring and have given up doing counts before treatment. Thanks again for the help, this is all new to me re mite treating.

[@rpgenest]

Thanks for posting great information. COuld you point me in the direction where you purchase the yellow plastic plugs you use in your covers

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Robert Genest www.beemaid.com

[@DarrenCharron]

I have to check my bees for mites. I ordered aprivar strips from bee maid in Winnipeg along with a manlake uncapping table and supplies. I also ordered some queens from hive world and next spring I am going to try grafting my own queens.

[@JosiahGarber]

Why wait till next spring?

[@mohawksniper79]

You could think at it another way too. not saying your wrong or right cause you don't know for sure. When you treat them what you could bee doing is breeding week bees. Because there are beekeepers that don't treat and have very low to nun on the disease and Mite count and I have seen it for my self now those bees are a little more aggressive but not to the point were you would call them killer bees or unmanageable. But it's kinda like feeding geese at a park ya thay will do good as long as your there feeding them but if you move or something happens to were you can't feed them thay will likely die because thay stop flying south and there baby have not made the trip so that instinct is bred out. This is jest a thought I really like the way you do things keep up the vids.

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

mohawksniper79 I believe in good hive husbandry. If I were to go that route, I would need to employ a strategy like Randy Oliver www.scientificbeekeeping.com

[@CuriousCreature]

Without gloves today! If you have any ideas about queen rearing for a small apiary (5-10) I’d love to hear them.

[@sipplix]

I was so worried that when you switched on the little vacuum cleaner a spark happened in the switch and ignited the alcohol vapour and KA BOoM! Phew, it didn't though.👍😎

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Simon's FPV Na lol

[@sumitman54]

I lost my 2 hives 3 winters in a row here in New Hampshire. Just got my new bees this weekend. I'm going to try pivot strips ... Some say way to early. but don't want to have them die a 4 th winter. Also last years bees showed some Nosema... have to treat for that. Please let me know what you think. ok?

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Tony Hackett What’s pivot strips ?

[@sumitman54]

Mite killing strips... Apivar

[@lenoretalon9958]

Tony Hackett nosemia leaves spores in box and on frames. You need to sterilize equipment and fresh comb. Nosemia is so sad. Apivar fall and spring plus OA around Christmas and February if you get a warm enough day. Montana.

[@erichnagy1216]

Very well said! Thank you

[@RoughAndWretchedRAW]

figured you'd be getting some soon out trees popped on the 20th. Now if the wind would piss off for once that would be good. Was it the same in your yard? I noticed for the last month there were no guards on the landing board. Then 2 days ago when the pollen started coming in there was all of a sudden guards on the landing board. All 4 hives were the same. I found that interesting.

[@crimony3054]

If mite populations grow exponentially (like the bee population), then knocking them down early should have a disproportionately large impact on the later population. However price becomes a consideration, because the cost in time and materials to treat a hive is the same regardless of how many mites there are inside. One possible area for consideration is the impact on a hive's honey production, not just its winter survivability.

[@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork]

How do you identify Nozema with a microscope? I have a 4000 X scope with a digital camera. I'd love to be able to check for that here "field test" like you say. I('d also like to be able to share that video when I have a better grip on it.

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

400x is all that’s needed

[@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork]

@@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog Sweet! Mine goes to 4000X so I should be set X10!

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Man I’d love 4000x Send a pic of a nosema at 4000x

[@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork]

@@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog Well hopefully I wont have any, but if I do I'll gladly share! Yeah, bought this scope years back with intent to study more micro stuff.. never have time! lol I gotta get back to that program at some point!

[@donotcare330]

Mites really is the big one and yes. Beekeepers have to AVOID giving advice which treatments to use, to eliminate liabilities.. The popular one widely used "off Record" (NOT allowed in united states) is tactic, used in cattle treatment. The guy I worked for , had us go out there with insect foggers and fog out the hives with the stuff. I remember putting on the Tyvex suit under my bee jacket, and a full-face mask respirator. The stuff was hard on the lungs! Most of the California operations now have switched to blue shop towels soaked in the solution. heh.

[@Robbie-Rob_Bees_Apiary]

could you give me details on your modified vac? how you went about making/modifying it.

[@AT-X123]

great video

[@boscodog4358]

Show us how you modified your dust buster ?

[@Irene-ke6to]

Thank you !

[@Hardeepsingh-wk5yh]

vèry good job sir.i beekeper in india At punjab

[@FJB2024_]

Thank you

[@АлександрАрбузов-д1ю]

Доброго дня!В Ваших 6 рамочниках находятся матки выведенные в этом году или зимовалые?В каком месяце снят этот ролик?Спасибо.

[@voronezh2404]

У него в омшаннике стоят эти шестирамочники, он говорит что данная система именно под его медоносы и технологию, матки и зимовалые и сеголетки.

[@abbesdimiri8839]

You have a follower beekeeper now from Algeria.

[@meje6403]

Could someone tell me what kind of alcohol Ian is using? Didn't quite understand.thank you

[@lenoretalon9958]

Me Je isopropyl alcohol 90%? Standard

[@meje6403]

@@lenoretalon9958 Thanks ;)

[@RoughAndWretchedRAW]

Not just commercial folks criticize hobby bee keepers. I certainly don't have enough hives to be considered commercial. If you have a problem then treat period. It's stupid and immoral to allow your issues to infect your other hives or harm other beekeepers. At the same time I also criticize Commercial as harshly because they tend to treat on mass based on port hole evidence. By this I mean they haven't got complete evidence. They find some issues then treat all hives based on a few. I see this through out commercial livestock. They treat the sick and the well which rapidly creates resistance and renders the treatments themselves useless. This results in ever more extreme and expensive measures to treat. In Saskatchewan here. Treatment you could buy off the shelf now has to be gotten through a vet with that added cost. Nearest vet certified to get those hive treatments from is a 3 hour drive there and back. The middle ground is to test every hive and treat only those that need it. But, That statement will have me criticized by both extremes. Yet it's the people in the middle ground that are actually being harmed the most. Their hives are being infected by miss management beyond their control while cheap effective , easily and readily available controls are rendered useless by miss management beyond their control. The correct and responsible answer lays in the middle. I personally believe we have a responsibility and an accountability issue. Everyone is claiming rights while shirking the responsibility and accountability. How did the mite get to North America? How did it spread so rapidly? Why can't we effectively deal with it? Why have treatments become ineffective? Why are we still arguing about this? Accountability and responsibility. Does it matter who brought in the mite? Does it matter that it was commercial enterprises that spread it? Yes! Why? Because the issues that caused it are the same issues that keep it in a constant state of out of control. Lack of accountability and responsibility by all. Some folks think law is the answer. It's not. The mites were imported and went through government protections and laws. The responsibility and accountability belongs to each of us personally and it's limited by the first excuse we use to shirk it PS. Hope it misses you but, Better screw on your cap. they've been forecasting 30 gusting to 50 here. We had 44 gusting to 58 all day yesterday no breaks. They are forecasting 30 gusting to 50 today and tomorrow.

[@edcoffin3514]

Does that dirt devil come with a queen excluder attachment 😎😎😎

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Ed Coffin Ha ha, nope Making an assumption she’s not hanging low, or quickly disappears when tipped

[@henrysimmelink4748]

I’ve said this before on other beekeeping channels, If your cows or horses or chickens, or dog or cat were sick would you medicate them? I’m sure you would. Honeybees are not native to North America so I think they need extra care in this respect.

[@dougyankunas3104]

Do you have Beers where you are ? If so , how do you keep them out of your bee yard ?

[@JosiahGarber]

😂

[@amirfouzen3472]

Your job is very wonderful. I wish your friendship and I would like to speak with you a little bit

[@tonyfreeman8218]

Looks like #1 was to feed them, then vaccinate ?? Is that Sugar Syrup on the hives?? Please advise

[@abejadevidriales]

which manufacturer makes these feeders

[@wadebarnes6720]

Who did you get the six frame boxes from

[@juniorbroggio8618]

what food do you put for. bees

[@sumitman54]

It's a mite killer. Look on Amazon, that where I got it. 10 to a pack

[@Hg-se1dy]

Do you have constriction of the roof ?

[@joseywells264]

Great hello 😎 north Carolina 😎 USA😎 😎

[@Molly-pl4vg]

Where do you purchase the dry pollen powder please?

[@vancegilbraith3706]

How often do you find detrimental levels of nosema

[@ginasnyder532]

What are you using for dry feed ? MASSENA NY HERE

[@lenoretalon9958]

Gina Snyder watch his pollen video

[@zongshunliang9928]

wow, pollina

[@travisfriesen8771]

What microscope do you use for nosema testing?

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Travis Friesen 400x

[@travisfriesen8771]

a Canadian Beekeeper’s Blog thank you

[@robertostman2075]

if I am not wrong caterpillars are ferocious mite killers, they may not kill bee mites but there may be something that does... anyone??

[@electricengineer624]

Love it , great advice, thanks again bro Tremendous advice

[@juniorbroggio8618]

These sunflower blooms here in the thick forest are ending because of the cane

[@nancynolton6079]

What can be done for a hive with nosema?

[@mikeries8549]

Dadant sells a product called Nozevit. Forty years ago it was somewhat standard practice to treat ahead of nosema and foulbrood. In other words we treated healthy colonies as prevention.

[@jenniferwhite6089]

would the mites transfer from a hive box form a year before

[@lenoretalon9958]

Jennifer White nosemia has spores that will stay. Mites are sucking on the bees. You may have viruses and disease from an old box but the mite itself will go with the bees. Treatment free beekeepers rotate their mites out by selling nucs untreated

[@sumitman54]

They also had Nosema... They can't eat when the have it and die.

[@lenoretalon9958]

Tony Hackett treatable

[@ayoubdyablo7770]

Hello my friends, I am a beginner in beekeeping

[@عبدالرحمن-ط2و3خ]

What is inside this pot above the box

[@blackberry5908]

Sugar water

[@VictorFursov]

Thank you for your enthusiasm! Best greetings from Ukraine. Welcome to watch our Ukrainian beehives on my channel! it will be interesting to know your opinion aboout our 3-storeys beehives.

[@johnmyers3889]

It seems in any agriculture operation weather it's bees or row crops disease, pest control and nutrition seem to be essential. In doing everything we can to maximize our production as a farmer so we can keep our customers and at the same time try to make it worth the time and make a little money. I think most of us need more help identifying disease and pests and have better access to solid information. I have trouble with my agriculture extension in my county he only really seems to be specialized in large animals. We have taken him plants and he is not very helpful and doesn't seem to go out of way to get information from someone he knows. Even the strawberry variety we tried this year that he recommended will be the lowest yielding variety by far and I can never seem to get a call back from him when he says he will. Who has been the most valuable resource thru your years in bees and agriculture especially when you first started growing business?

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

John Myers My Provincial Apiarist

[@Hardeepsingh-wk5yh]

hlo sir

[@celikprefabrik]

Merhaba türkiye sizin ülke neresi

[@roberto1s2peyrot]

Hello again. I may not have understood you well, but when you say you talk to yourself you should know that it is not so. Look, I still don't know your name because it doesn't appear anywhere, but I want you to know that when you speak you say important things to our profession and that at times it seemed to me like I was there in the apiary, listening to you. Don't get me wrong, I'm fine in the head, I just want to say that I concentrate so much on understanding what you're broadcasting, that I forget it's a video for a moment. Well, all this talk to tell you that there is communication here, and that on this side there are very attentive people. In another video I asked you about the hives with three queens, so I started to investigate and it turns out that here in Argentina and in neighboring Chile there are people who have tried the method, only that it has not been taken into account, I think because there was much swarming and to avoid it required to be much more aware of the hives. Now maybe it would be a better time because queen breeders have more and more access to technology and better genetics. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. A hug.

[@ibrahimacar7597]

Türkiye'den yazıyorum çok iyi bal üretiyorum dogal organik bütün analiz testlerini yapabilirsiniz balımı yurtdışına satmak istiyorum yardımcı olur musunuz bal burada ucuz sende kar edersin bende kar ederim

[@ayhankum8375]

Usta anaari yolla

[@PhillipHall01]

Good Video

[@sumitman54]

amitraz

[@phillee2814]

Treat mites with chemicals and you create treatment resistant mites, breed from stock that can control the mites themselves, and you won't need to treat. The main reason mites (and the diseases they carry) are a problem is because the typical managed honey bee is 150% of the size of a natural one, and stays in the capped cell for longer in order to grow that big - that is how the mites can keep expanding their infestation - every 8 hours additional time in the capped cell is an additional viable mite.

[@dacoelec]

Damn straight. Isn't it interesting how us small beekeepers that breed our bees for good mite resistance get blamed for spreading problems that we don't have? Same crap with people running to the doctor for every last little ailment they have so they can get a shot of the latest antibiotic then wonder why they have a super bug infection. Doing the same thing over and over expecting different results is one definition of insanity. I no longer waste my time trying to convince folks that disagree with that. I have better things to do with my time.

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

You guys completely missed the point. I could care less which way you manage the mites, there are countless mite management methods. When mite levels increase you need to control them, otherwise the exponential mite growth will kill the colony and pollute every hive around. If the hives manage the mites themselves, great. If they aren’t, manage the mite counts.

[@beebob1279]

Show me the scientific research that proves todays honeybees are 150% larger. Also, show me where the bee stays in the capped cell longer to develop because of this. Where is that study. I've only read scientifically that small cell foundation has no effect on mite population control. Non what so ever. Wild bee populations are basically nill and they make their own natural comb don't they? Yet wild hives are killed by varroa to. Ian is right. Today beekeepers have to manage the varroa levels at all costs. I've got neighboring beekeepers who follow that small cell foundation and really don't manage their mite loads as they should. Their mentality is the same as yours. My hives are healthy until the neighboring colonies crash and burn. My bees rob out those colonies and bring back issues for me to deal with. I've been inflicted with viral infestations even with mite counts of one. But the fall is the worst even treating. Those infected hives kill all the colonies in our area and yet they are too ignorant to do anything about it. If it happens again this year (new foundation and comb) I'm done keeping bees. Please properly treat your apiaries. You're ruining it for the rest of us!!!!!

[@phillee2814]

@@beebob1279 You'll have to go back to the 19th century to view the timing of bee development in natural cells, and I'm afraid that will require something more than a link on the internet. As for the (short term) studies that showed no difference in natural cell size, none were continued ffor long enough for the bees to adapt to the unenlarged cell size and reduce their own size accordingly, so are fundamentally flawed. i suggest you study the subject before attempting to level any critism next time, or you'll just look like an idiot again.

[@dacoelec]

@@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog Thanks for the comment. I have the utmost respect for your operation. The organization and time spent doing these video's that you do for beekeepers education is priceless and I for one want to extend my sincere thanks for your efforts! I'm guessing that time is a precious commodity that you have little to spare. I have zero issues with how you treat varroa. I only have issues with beekeepers like Bee Bob that plays the blame game and refuses to think outside the box. May you have a awesome and prosperous 2019 bee season! There is nothing quite like working with bees. They are fascinating little creatures!

[@m.c.murdoch6]

Any reason for a hobbyist not to skip the test and go straight to treatment? At least early/mid season?