Beekeeping - Lots of Bees, No Brood No Eggs? - Homesteading Activities

[@TheSunnites]

My kids all watched this with me. They were fascinated!

[@daddykirbs]

I'm so glad they found it interesting!

[@IcemanMobile]

Hiya Blake. Another great video! By two cents worth...1. At the beginning of the year (we've still got at least another 4 weeks of winter here) I often swap round the boxes top/bottom - get the bees exposed to the supers. Especially if you have that 'crown' of stores at the top - I've found it difficult in previous years to get the bees to go past this crown of stores, but swapping round the boxes helps.2. Swap honey frames around different hives if one looks to be honey bound and others a bit light. Hives in the same yard/apiary will likely all have the same pests/diseases, but don't do this with hives from different yards.3. Test frame of eggs from another hive to see if you're queen-right. But that did look like a queen. A queen would be expected to be mated and laying within 3 weeks of emerging - but I appreciate that doesn't help you a lot, given you don't know her age. Are you doing swarm traps this year? I've decided I'd give it a go for the first time - I'm already excited about it.Cheers, Ian

[@daddykirbs]

Yes, I'm researching swarm traps right now. Thank you for all that advice and encouragement.

[@Sqeptick]

I'd definitely put a couple frames of eggs in that second hive and then check for queen cells in two weeks.

[@daddykirbs]

Got it. Thanks :)

[@hisimagenme]

Thanks so much, really love the bee vids! Hoping for the best on the queen-question hive! Smiles and blessings...

[@daddykirbs]

Thank you :)

[@nancyfahey7518]

That was pretty cool. Thanks

[@daddykirbs]

Thanks for watching :)

[@amylou1620]

That hive swarmed a week or two ago. Brood hatched out and queen is making her mating flights.

[@daddykirbs]

Interesting.

[@the3d_dude]

Nice Inspection video...

[@daddykirbs]

That new yard that you helped me with is SO NICE to work in! thank you.

[@thuffman44]

Wow, all that foundation is really really dark color !!! It's good that they appear all queen right. I'd certainly remove a couple of brood frames that had nectar/honey and give them fresh foundation to work on. I bet the queen would go nuts laying in fresh, clean, newly drawn out wax comb.... Love watching your progress. Thank you for uploading!! 🐝🐝🐝☮️

[@daddykirbs]

Thanks buddy. I'll put some empties in there this week.

[@diannaboykin7628]

I'm so jealous of you guys in the south, at 28*, my girls aren't out much, lol, though we have had a few warm days... My girls maintain several cups year round, I learned to check them, but ignore... as far as the alarm pheromone, smoke your suit at each sting, or all over between hives.. the possibly queenless hive cannot make a queen without BROOD, you will have to steal some from one of the other two, and may I suggest you pick from the calmer hive, either that, or find a queen for sale

[@daddykirbs]

True. I'll do another inspection soon to see how that hive is coming along. If that young queen is there I should start to see evidence.

[@mizsterious]

Love the Bee vids! Everything I know about bees I've learned from the Kirbs farm! It intrigues me, just love that you can keep the bees going. Man there was so much honey there, Yummy! Everything looks fabulous to me, and thank you for the share. Sure hope that was a young female bee (Princess) in that second hive, can't wait to see the follow-up. The Agarita bushes look like a holly type, do you guys use the berries for jelly? Nice vid!! Thanks for sharing! As always . . .. . . Be Kind, Be Light, Be Love to one another, Help, Hear, Listen and Enjoy each other! . . . .Just Be! Love you guys!

[@daddykirbs]

We haven't used the Agarita berries yet except to nibble on them straight from the plant :)

[@T289c]

queen moves up in spring. you should swap the boxes on that last hive

[@clayhardy8485]

Get my first 3lb box of bees in April. After installed how many weeks does everyone recommend waiting before reopening the hive to see how things are hopefully progressing.

[@daddykirbs]

I'm hoping some other beekeepers chime in here. I had little success with the package bees.

[@jeanlaflamme7099]

Wow, your videos are so interesting. You should be on national geographics. Thank you for making these videos and best of luck with your bees. Follow up videos would be awesome

[@daddykirbs]

What a great compliment! Thanks :)

[@colinlyne8688]

Nice video. What are the cloths on the edge please?

[@floridalife-livinginflorid6882]

Loud bees - can mean no Queen! Hence the noise

[@dracarys6775]

Hey how good are those rubber gloves can the bees sting through them?

[@daddykirbs]

These have been really good for me so far. I started with the cheap thin gloves and yes... yes they can easily sting through them, but these are a bit thicker. So far no stings through these. I think they are 6mil

[@dracarys6775]

Blake Kirby Thanks for the info..😁

[@syazwansaroni1954]

Watched this in hospital, while eating hot porridge! 4 wisdom tooth removal surgery went well.. Just letting people know.. =)

[@daddykirbs]

Oh boy! I do wish you a speedy and painless recovery :)

[@mizsterious]

Syawan . . . Get to feeling BETTER!!!

[@syazwansaroni1954]

speedy recovery might be my strong suit, but not with painless one.. im just being discharged 5 hours ago from hospital, and now back at home resting..wishing you all having a healthy life =D

[@syazwansaroni1954]

thanks miz

[@coagulatedsalts4711]

I really like this series/type of work because I'm really interested in bee keeping, but I literally live in a desert so they would probably die.

[@daddykirbs]

Check with some local beekeepers to see what the success rate and secrets are for your area. It's worth looking into :)

[@wtglb]

I would think you could keep bees, after all there are plenty in the Southwest that pollinate all the pepper farms, etc.

[@coagulatedsalts4711]

Thanks!!!!

[@tucheldoru2771]

Frist of all nice video. About the hive without brood is very dangerous to leave it with that "vrigin" queen because in this time of the year there are not that meny drones to mate with,unless there are other hives in the area besaids yours,plus untill that queen wil breed is posible that hive wil loose 80% of theyr bees because there are winter bees,unless that hive had brood in decembre-febuary if so a number of bees wil suvrive until 20+ march around that date that queen wil start laying.My recomandation to unite them with that small sawrm u wil have alot more bee at the end of all.

[@firstblood7155]

i am a beginer.. i also have hive like you.. many bees.. no brood..much honey.. i can't find queen bees..i think that queen shrink.. or die.. i dont know.. i have chacked that hive.. not found queen cell or cup.. so what should i do? my hive just 1 box.. so i plan to add another box to give them more space.. i want to take some frame from first box and put it to second box to give them more space and to make them comfortable at second box... can i do that or what should i do.. ? can you give me some idea.. sory for bad english..

[@l.k.b545]

Do you treat for mites? OAV or Apivar ? I’m about 60 miles south of you - I’m not out of the woods but looks like I over wintered 20 of 23

[@daddykirbs]

I have not used anything for mites. I need to look into the OA

[@peterkarzon4294]

The hive is very week I think is queenless what can do

[@toomanyminds1212]

What temperatures are you working with?

[@daddykirbs]

70's during the day and 50's at night mostly lately.

[@toomanyminds1212]

Blake Kirby Thanks still too cold in Toledo

[@kirstenwhitworth8079]

Thanks for the video! I raise bees, but in a Kenyan top bar, rather than a Langstroth. I'm going into my fourth year, so I am still a "new bee" beek. Question (because I don't know Langstroth beekeeping much): since the super in the 2nd tow hives are pretty full of honey, wouldn't you want to add a new super on each? Would you want to move the bottom box up on the last hive? Again, I am asking out of ignorance and curiosity. My bees are doing well; we just had a light freeze last night and not much is blooming yet, but my girls have been exploring on sunny days. April is the month that many hives fail up here, though. I've got my fingers crossed, and am planting more and more for them every year. Agarita jelly: yum!

[@daddykirbs]

I do a lot out of ignorance and curiosity too! LOL I'll likely be taking most of the honey off soon and leaving only a few frames. Yes I think you might be right about switching the two boxes in that last hive. Thank you :)

[@K5ATA]

Yeah, I do think you have a virgin queen. She just has not made any male... acquaintances. You are right, if it were not queen right, they would be much louder and more obnoxious. Either way, gotta love the buzz of the bees.... thanks for sharing!

[@daddykirbs]

I'll put some empty frames in there to help with space for when she's ready.