Backyard Beekeeping Questions and Answers episode 280

[@Adam.Holmes.]

1) When they do the waggle dance, is the abdomen or the head that points toward pollen? 16:22 2) Do you automatically add Fondant when temps drop even if there is plenty of honey on the hive? 21:00 3) I've been feeding even though we have frost at night. My Poly Hives have new comb construction. Is it due to the insulation? 31:31 4) I noticed that you don't wrap your hives, why or why not? 37:55 4a) There are a lot of feeding options, should I have a feeder shim on the top of my hives? 51:50 5) Should I remove the trays in my screened bottom boards and insulate? 54:39

[@kennith.]

Thank you Adam

[@trishwestberg6982]

Thank you Adam!!

[@Hayyou-n5x]

Here in Texas water lettuce is already in the environment as well as duck weed and red root floater, I was using a couple 7-quart oil change pans with sticks in it but water only lasted 2 days in the summer so this year I tried water lettuce in deep buckets the water lasted all week and the lettuce moved up and down with the water level the bees have no problem getting in and out, if you wat to change the water just scoop the plants out change water and scoop plants back in and your good for another week its fast and easy.

[@NaturesImageFarmGregBurns]

This opening sequence is WAY above average! Not only is the Friday Q&A show the BEST Q&A show going, the videography is tremendously OUTSTANDING!

[@FrederickDunn]

Ok... well... I have to accept this statement as you're VERY honest :) Thanks Greg!

[@marobroski2286]

Dziękujemy.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you very much :)

[@vickiswan9735]

Hi Fred! There are two new videos out that discuss 20 months spent working with and perfecting a new kind of hive, the Supers-to-the-Side hive (think Langstroth meets Layens, with the best of both worlds, and no special honey extractor is needed). Your discussion of year-round insulated hives brought them to mind to recommend to you. The first video goes over the hive's attributes, and it includes temperature and humidity readings in comparison to other styles of hives in the same apiary. The second video details how to build one. Both videos come right up when "Supers to the side beehive" is typed in KZbin's search bar. Thank you for so many excellent podcasts! Vick

[@tina_mg]

Love love the opening sequence, the music was eerily gorgeous.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you so much :) I really appreciate that.

[@niallfahy9333]

@@FrederickDunn loved it too.

[@mlfarm]

"I only have 42 hives" 😂😂 A product of your own success. That's the problem with people who listen to good sound advice from you, they end up like me with way more hives than they want. Thanks for teaching. Mark

[@FrederickDunn]

:) Sorry! :)

[@Jack-es9xq]

Yesssir, love the bar clamp idea

[@kennith.]

Thank you Fred, another knowledgeable with practical suggestions.

[@FrederickDunn]

You're very welcome :)

[@autumnhillbees]

Very informative!! Always enjoy your videos!!

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you :)

[@jaredmalcolm1]

If there’s even remotely a flow happening I’d be upset about open feeding sugar syrup. I add blue Spirulina to dye mine so I know if a frame has that syrup on it…I don’t think most do though.

[@Hayyou-n5x]

BEE WATER, I no longer use shallow water dish I use deep bucket or a barrel with the top cut out and take a plant out of the aquarium called water lettuce and place it in the barrel, the water lettuce soon spreads over the water and gets thick so you will have to pull some out from time to time, the bees seem to enjoy crawling around the plants collecting water.

[@FrederickDunn]

That's a fantastic idea! Is there any risk of introducing a water plant that could become invasive in your area?

[@Hayyou-n5x]

@@FrederickDunn Here in Texas water lettuce is already in the environment as well as duck weed and red root floater, I was using a couple 7-quart oil change pans with sticks in it but water only lasted 2 days in the summer so this year I tried water lettuce in deep buckets the water lasted all week and the lettuce moved up and down with the water level the bees have no problem getting in and out, if you want to change the water just scoop the plants out change water and scoop plants back in and your good for another week its very quick.

[@redfish440]

Thanks Fred, have a great weekend!!

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks, you too! As always :)

[@billprivette6885]

Feeding spirulina in my sugar water right now. May take a while to get used to the dark color. But looks like the bees don't care.

[@willobrien353]

I really appreciate your comment about not open feeding Hive Alive out of respect for other beekeepers. I am a treatment-free beekeeper and thank you for including that comment!

[@FrederickDunn]

You're very welcome :)

[@just_ledoux_it]

Hello Fred, In Texas, it's the heat that seems to be more detrimental then the cold; my flow hive insulation is double bouble cut to form fit over the top cover, with a hole cut for the feeder plug (Hive Alive on top of insulation) then also a insulated form fitting piece under the roof. This also leaves a dead airspace between the insulations which I hear also increases the R value....................Insulations stays year round!

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks for sharing.

[@sonofthunder.]

Drought goin on down here...need rain.thanks for the video btw😊

[@thegr8stm8]

Hi Fred, Greetings from Aix-en, Provence… VDM big problem here! They haven’t heard about Flow Hives… Lavender honey is good, sweet, fragrant. At 15:28 you talked about Blue/Green color in honey… I wonder if this stands out in a Flow Frame since bee’s segregate their honey sources??? Something for Quinn to discover next year😊😉

[@FrederickDunn]

You would definitely see it in a flow-frame as you extracted. That blue-green tint is noticable even if only part of the frame contains it. But, your supers should all be off prior to offering a spirulina syrup for your bees.

[@jamescanderson1302]

As far as note taking - I use the bottom tray on my Apimaye as a note pad for each hive. All I need is a Sharpe . Each time I inspect the hive I analyze the tray for Mites and other debris then scrape it off and clean the tray and then make my new notes. a new tray is $8 and can be purchased at Apimaye. I will get new trays in the spring

[@FrederickDunn]

Wow, what a great tip! :) Thanks for sharing.

[@jamescanderson1302]

Fred maybe a good segment for your podcast is (" How to read the tray" ) using your deluxe camera you can show ---where is the cluster, honey capping, brood capping's, Mites, moth poop, etc- there is a lot to learn about the health of the hive by simply looking at the tray. especially I the winter no need to open the hive then make a note on the tray. just a thought

[@denb7181]

I use a R5 foam on the outside of the hive on top I have a 4 inch shim which i put a Hive alive fondant over the inner cover hole a piece of double bubble over it then 2 pieces of 2 inch R10 foam and no upper vent works good for me.

[@timothymitchell8310]

Funny how that every time you took a sip of your drink. I was looking to see your design on that brown cup but, alas it was a right handed coffee cup. Look at me curious about Fred Dunn. Nice video as always.

[@FrederickDunn]

That cup has "The Village Victorian" on it and is from Morrisville, Vermont :) They sold the Inn and now I believe it's a private residence :)

[@bunhelsingslegacy3549]

Hornet: It's too cold for this. Fred: Hee hee, I know.

[@FrederickDunn]

:)

[@schammond8993]

That's some paint job on that waspie creature at the end. Oh, bald faced hornet. Did you name him? Maybe Darth Vader .😅 Good video as always. Susan NW Georgia

[@FrederickDunn]

:)

[@bradgoliphant]

Great episode Fred. I have some new information on salt intake--I have this out from a Betterbee lecture given at the New Jersey Bee Conference. Plain and simple, it was said we should NOT BE FEEDING out bees salts. Yes they need salt, but by adding more we could be contributing to a quick death. Better bees explained that if bees consume anything over their normal salt consumption that they get on their own--even as small as 00,00125 salts, it rapidly declines their life span. Interesting right! No more salt feed for me. Question for you Fred. With tempertures in the 60s and 50s, can I still do an OAV treatment? Grateful.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks for sharing. I put out two teaspoons of sea salt to 1 Quart of fresh water as a Free Choice Alternative. I stand by it. If you have a solid study that you'd like me to read, my mind is always open to science. Consider coastal beekeepers who see their bees visiting tide-pools and gather salty water from the rocks as the tide recedes. Based on your comment here, tide-zone beekeepers should be seeing considerable losses. My take is that they are not getting 100% of their water resources from these tidal waters and there is also plenty of fresh water always available (which I always include in those talks). This is also why I never suggest feeding saltwater in sugar syrup... the bees need to be making that choice. 100% respect for the folks at Better Bee. But Close The Ocean then? (';')( ';').... to firm up... fresh water should always be available to the bees.

[@FrederickDunn]

Afterthought, is there any chance that the presenter was referring to salt content in plant nectar? Or, are you absolutely sure he/she was referring to honey bee water foragers? Those would be dramatically different. journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/219/6/790/16697/Salt-preferences-of-honey-bee-water-foragers

[@bradgoliphant]

@@FrederickDunn you missed my point all together Fred. And yes, they had science backing it. I'll try and find it. Point was, bees need salt, and they seek it out, but if we are feeding them extra salts wither their food, and it exceeds their daily intake it will reduce their lifespan--not kill them quickly.

[@jamesbarron1202]

You’re told the 3 feet or 3 mile rule when moving bees but them when you combine 2 weak hives you just broke that rule with the hive you moved. You’d think the workers from that hive would return to the old location.

[@FrederickDunn]

If they return to the old location it's a momentary disruption, the foragers will fing their way to another hive, or the one combined.

[@nancynolton6079]

Fred hope you can add some insights... did a search regarding brood cappings and findings were that the brood cells were capped with wax. I was surprised to see this as the cells are definitely not sealed with the same kind of wax cappings the bees use to cap honey. So my question is what material are brood cells capped with? The material seems more "felted" and more like a cocoon than honey wax cappings and certain is porous in nature.

[@FrederickDunn]

Just time for this week's Q&A... you're right, they are very different! You'll have to return on Friday :)

[@robertmathurin739]

🇱🇨👍🏽❤️

[@slava790]

My bees have not touched salt or fresh water for weeks. I am in Massachusetts.

[@FrederickDunn]

They must be getting water somewhere... thanks for sharing.

[@aaronparis4714]

Ever wonder how they see the waggle dance in the dark hive 😅

[@FrederickDunn]

They "feel" it :)

[@ChristieAnnMitchell]

Finally broke down and started OAV with the thin copper colored wand. I have one hive where i cannot insert it. The bees have built something about 3 in inside that stops it. I have slatted racks and closed screen bottom boards, so i tried going under the screen. I just ended up with OA crystals in a little pile on the tray afterwards. Is it impossible to do OAV under a screen? Would you talk a little more about your method, particularly how you keep the thin pipe clean? I read that it clogs up. Thank you for your countless hours of beekeeping guidance. 👍

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks, I think this would be a great time for me to make a Quick-Tip video about OAV. Thanks, Christie Ann :)

[@josevelazquez-feliciano1613]

My bees are preferring the moss and freshwater over the salt water it has been reverse all year

[@FrederickDunn]

It's great to give them options so we know what they need where. I appreciate that you shared that as it can be dramatically different when in other environments. :)

[@markbasinger6015]

Link to bear noismakers..

[@FrederickDunn]

Oops... ok... sorry about that. amzn.to/3Yvbccs

[@alecjaquez9194]

Hi from NYC 🇩🇴🗽🇺🇸🐝. How good is to use regular polen on sugar water mixed? The other hand I had beach sand that I took when I was fishing., a few bees 🐝 are digging on the sand to the point of making small holes 🕳️ on it..

[@FrederickDunn]

Pollen on sugar water mixed during winter wouldn't do much. I'm a much bigger fan of putting pollen substitute out for the bees on warm days instead. That way we're not force feeding it to them and adding solids to their digestive system.

[@ME_MeAndMyBees]

Hi Fred. . . Its my Saturday watch of your Q&A ! Amazing sequence at the beginning. 👍 Watched today, in the early evening, this time, as we had a beautiful Sunny Day with Blue Skies here in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿. The Bees and this Beek, took the opportunity to grab this awesome weather 14C (57F) to watch the Girls in getting some Pollen off the Wild Ivy (bursting with Pollen !) And gather the last bit of Nectar of the 'self seeded' Aster Flowers that grow along my South Facing Boundary verge, by our Road side. Able to add a few New DIY Shim Boxes to my UK National x2 Box Nucs. And to a couple of my Warre Nucs too. We have had a couple of weeks were we are getting Air Temps at about Freezing. Mind you last week we had a -5C (23F) which was a bit chilly ! It being the First Ground Frost of this Season. . . Brrr. However, after the US having had that Hurricane 'Milton', we are due our First Storm of Autumn (Fall) called 'Ashley' !!! Pending Winds of between 60 to 80 mph are due : more likely on the West Coast of Scotland, and a good part of Western Ireland too. All blowing in off the Atlantic Sea. 🙄 Fingers Crossed 🤞being more Inland, & in Southern Scotland, I hope this Storm might be further North (!) Although it could be very Wet & Stormy nonetheless. So today after adding Feed to the little Nucs, all Hives had more Strapping added to them. Or a large Heavy Plant Container got placed on each Hive Roof, just in case. 🤭 Hope my Herbs and other Plants in them, don't get hurled about the place. . . Who knew in doing Bees and Beekeeping it included Battening down the Hatches as part of bee 'management' ! A lovely Day of pure Bee enjoyment, followed by the pending Storm. . . 😖 Lets hope we all stay safe and cosy in our Hives, and in our Stone Cottage. . . 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 Happy Beekeeping 2024 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 All the Chickens and Ducks took an early Night, this evening ! (Guess they have their Heads under their Wings.) While we wait for this Wind to head East ! . . . 🌬

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you so much for sharing all that's going on in your part of the world :)

[@14623carolanne]

I'm trying beeweaver again. Was gonna put her in isolation cage take workers out. Should there be food on the deep fame I put her on?

[@FrederickDunn]

There needs to be food in the brood area, not not critical to have it in the queen isolation cage. The nurse bees can come and go, so they will be able to feed the queen.

[@bthyme]

Do you give your chickens Spirulina?

[@FrederickDunn]

I don't give them supplements. They free range and have complete rations in their coops. :)

[@trishwestberg6982]

Our daytime temps are in the upper 60s and nighttime temps are around 33-38, is it ok to still feed sugar syrup?

[@FrederickDunn]

With those temps, yes... heavy syrup as needed.

[@trishwestberg6982]

@@FrederickDunn until day time temps are below 50 correct?

[@FrederickDunn]

@@trishwestberg6982 I pay more attention to the overnight temps falling below freezing. But yes, daytime temps are below 50 that's harder on the bees as well.

[@Ninjakicks]

Does anyone know the website that shows the level of pesticides being used in your area? It's been mentioned here before but I can't find it.

[@FrederickDunn]

Sure, it's BeeScape.org

[@JulieShumake]

How much spirulina to sugar water?

[@FrederickDunn]

3 heaping tablespoons to 4 lbs of dry sugar to 1/2 gallon of water. It's important to mix the spirulina in with the dry sugar prior to adding to the water or the spirulina will clump. That's the mix and ratio that I use.

[@JulieShumake]

@ thank you!

[@sonofthunder.]

Sweet bald face wasp 😮drone tease

[@FrederickDunn]

:)

[@jamesstroup4552]

Thanks for the great & informative videos Mr.Dunn My question, is there any proven studies hive/brood boxes made of CEDAR prevent wax moths from entering your colony? Thank you for your time, god bless

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks, James, I'll answer that now. There is no current study or scientific published evidence that Cedar hives deter wax moths at all. I guess clothing moths are a different species and they are not drawn to brood comb. It's that presence of brood comb that draws the wax moths in to lay their eggs and cedar aroma isn't strong enough to deter that apparently.

[@rodkirt9273]

You didn’t mention how much spirulina to add to each gallon of sugar water . What’s the amount ?

[@FrederickDunn]

They did a terrible job of conveying that in the studies. So, I've defaulted to 3 heaping tablesppoons to 1/2 gallon of finished syrup. I read some tested mixes as high as 10% so, if you had 10 cups dry mix for your syrup, one of the cups should be spirulina and the rest dry sugar. It will look nearly black. I also have no way to validate the claims made in the studies. But it makes sense to me, and I have to trust the data.

[@rodkirt9273]

@@FrederickDunn Thank you . I asked on the Way to Bee group and received some very inappropriate responses from some of the group members .? Some may be posting false information .?

[@christinehackl9961]

What time is the live stream

[@FrederickDunn]

I only do live streams once a month and they are from 4-5 pm eastern standard time.

[@Walter-ts1vu]

who to ask if we are allowed to have bees in our town?

[@gigihenderson8567]

I did a search on my city’s ordinance website. If you don’t find anything, also check your county as well

[@alecjaquez9194]

It all where you live, it town hall on most of the places they will know, the police can give you the info. Here in NYC 🗽 you should report it to the city & the state of NY.. article 161. Health departments is the one responsible of dealing or taking decisions….

[@FrederickDunn]

I'd recommend finding your local bee association, or your State Beekeeper's Association, they tend to keep lists of all of the communities that approve of beekeeping and also have a list of restrictions.

[@Huntnlady7]

Dude! You tell us not to feed the bears, then you go and handle the wasp queen... tsk, tsk, tsk.

[@FrederickDunn]

I apparently have issues keeping my hands to myself (';')( ';')....