Beginner Beekeeping Questions and Answers 51 Frames with or Without Foundation and much more!

[@FrederickDunn]

One of the comments was about online beekeeping education. YES, there is a great program ongoing and you can get a FREE month to check into the topics and quality of beekeeping education. Just follow this link :) www.thebeekeeper.org/a/21799/L2SLyBh5 I'm one of the instructors there :)

[@wtechboy18]

If someone told me a year ago that I'd sit at my laptop for an hour listening to someone talk about the difference between 8 and 10 frame beehives, and the pros and cons of comb foundation types.... I'd say they were crazy. But damned if I didn't just do that, and now I feel like I've learned some valuable information for the future.

[@mj-ls7qr8xp3n]

And I just bought an 8 frame hive.

[@beemanjam]

Fred = knowledgeable, honest, sincere, with no agenda. Thanks.

[@FrederickDunn]

That's a great compliment, thank you!

[@adamb14527]

Just ordered a set of the Acorn dipped frames, thanks for your insight and product reviews.....I can't stop watching your videos.....lots of great info

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks Adam!

[@abre.j2]

Hi, Frederick.I like your program very much,I'm from South Africa and normally don't win anything but I like your shirt very much.Its fascinating to look at your office.

[@danskisbees7348]

Hello Fred, thank you so much! I had a really busy day at work and listening to your comments really gave me the lift I needed. I didn't know that the bees were mixing the synthetic wax with honey comb. I'm glad Dave Maloney brought it to your attention. I don't know how Dave at Barnyard Bees wouldn't know about you. If he doesn't, he will now, I just sent him an email, Lol. Good night Fred.

[@FrederickDunn]

You're always welcome Dan! Glad to send viewers to your neck of the woods so they can appreciate all of the hard work you've obviously put into your apiary. If I improved your work Day, then my work here is done :)

[@suchardaniel3448]

A lot of great info put out. I enjoy watching your videos, as you often state, like minded outlook. Thanks again

[@robertshorthill6836]

32:16 Laying workers are more difficult to thwart the longer one waits to get a good queen. I had a laying worker colony just once in about 16 years of beekeeping. Fortunately I had a nuc box with a vital, productive queen. I dumped the bees on what looked like a comb where the layer or layers were. All I did was carry three or four combs several yards away from the hive, shake all the bees into a grassy area which would get the layers off the combs. Replace these combs with those 3 from a half sized (5) nuc with a queen. Get your 1:1 sugar sprayer and squirt the new combs as well as the combs in the layer hive. Better than 95% of the time, this queen will be accepted. The layers are lost in the grass, the flyers will return to their hive and all should be well in a few days. The secret is not to wait too long with a bunch of laying workers. Keep a couple nucs for just this eventuality -- sort of an insurance policy in the bee yard. You can set aside the combs with drone eggs for later future use and put the remaining 2 frames of bees into another hive or two, using syrup to join them. Most of the time this works well. A mentor of mine showed me this a long time ago. I took notes and used this method many years later. A layer colony can happen after a swarm, leaving a colony queenless for various reasons. Or just an old queen that gets tossed out and a new queen just gets lost somehow. Just pay attention to what is going on around your hives. Bob

[@FrederickDunn]

Just remember that when you do that method, you also lose lots of nurse bees. You're right, stay on top of the situation regarding queen losses, it's a 3 week window before laying workers begin to produce drone eggs.

[@robertshorthill6836]

@@FrederickDunn Fred, you are correct about nurse bee, but I found their numbers were more that made up for from the nuc frames that had a laying, vital queen. Bob

[@harryfedorek5165]

Thanks for answering me back hope I get to meet you this year. First year bee keeper in the Conneautvill area. You’re my KZbin mentor. Thank you

[@FrederickDunn]

You're very welcome Harry! Yes, I hope we run into each other one of these days! Are you a member of the NWPABeekeepers Assn?

[@Mz.Stephanie]

Thank you for the info on the comb I had not thought about that happening.

[@SmallTNHomestead]

Thanks so much Fred. You covered a lot I needed to hear tonight. I do have bees coming and may have to prepare a few extra things. I also appreciate your advice not to put the super on right away! Really appreciate your time. Have a nice weekend.

[@wayne-oo]

Great video as always !!

[@trevorcollyer9551]

Thank you Frederick. Although I am an experienced beekeeper I find your chats interesting.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you Trevor!

[@JBEESHoneyJoelBrutcher]

Thank you as always! Way to Bee🐝👍

[@mj-ls7qr8xp3n]

Very good questions!

[@hugabee2580]

Thanks again another great way to bee...🐝

[@daveroth4078]

Very informative. Thanks

[@anelbehric9615]

Hi Frederick, Hope all is well with you. I just wanted to stop in and thank you for your instructional videos. Excellent. I am starting my new beekeeping adventure this year and this is very helpful. I believe I am ready. I will check in from time to time let you know how I do :) Again, thank you!

[@zacharycurrier5621]

Very interesting and informative video 👍

[@FrederickDunn]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@mbgal7758]

I loved the 3 minute or so saga with the mason bees trying and failing to get in the hive. 😆

[@papsroyalapiary9668]

Eastern Europeans, where I come from myself, to do away with the 10 or 12 frame boxes they have, they reduce the hive to only frames covered by bees, put a divider, may it be 3/4" insulation board and put frames of honey on the other side if they think they low on food, otherwise, they wrap those frames in newspaper to keep them tucked and warm within they nest; this way you still have the ability to use the 10frame space in honey harvest season.

[@FrederickDunn]

That sounds like a very interesting practice. 12 frame boxes? If you have a link to a video showing that practice, I think lots of people would be interested in learning more about that. Thanks for sharing!

[@papsroyalapiary9668]

@@FrederickDunn if people understand romanian, all beekeepers in romania do that type of winter preparation. there is one guy you can youtube called Iulian Bobocea, this guy visits other beekeepers and show their methods of beekeeping; one guy, Viktor Papp, an Ukranian, is an excellent beekeeper in his region.

[@MarcellaSmithVegan]

@@papsroyalapiary9668 Wish they had an English version

[@papsroyalapiary9668]

@@MarcellaSmithVegan you really don't have to understand what they say, obviously you loose a lot by not understanding, but you can see and understand by body language quite a lot, I don't speak Ukranian but watch what they do and kind of get it; I do speak Romanian, so that helps me a lot in that part of the world; one should remember, they were doing beekeeping for a lot longer than beekeepers here, therefor they have a lot of experience that relate to today's beekeeping; also their winters are similar to our northern states here so quite a lot of what they are doing relate to us that live in the cold states because both, them and us have a short season.

[@mihaiilie8808]

12 frame boxes is normal here and ive used to take out the frames just like Vlad says and ive used stirofoam to complete the space. I never used newspapers or wood chips thogh because i have bottom screen mesh even on the big beehives wich i let it half open in winter and i have no problem with humidity. I do wrap my beegives verry well( airtight) in cheap food grade celophane except the screen bottom.Somme use special black celophane but im using regular transparent wrap foil. It mimics a bell.

[@kareno8634]

THIS is SUPER INFO! Thanks So Much to All for input! ~ POLLEN & FUNGI APPS ~ w0w Thanks! 9:35 Bee Aggression or Not 6:40 to 7:55 YEP, i know the feeling when hungry too. %\ "Pollen Pants" Hillary, GREAT NAME! ~ no offence, your name does trigger the 'pants' notation. lol =) Fred, You are Exactly Right ~ "The Way to BEE" is a lesson from BEES we All Should Learn. Cheers! _love from the Bees_

[@MarekArawn]

Yet another great video. I appreciate the update on the BB pre-drawn comb. Though I have no intention of putting it in a harvestable honey super. You had mentioned the possibility of mixing in a previous video.

[@Hokuhelecooperative]

For the winter cluster, the most important reflection of heat is off the ceiling of the hive. The sides are beyond frames and do not reflect back warmth. Now that I think about it, you once cut a hole in a board for the rapid round because the hole in the inner board was too small. A smaller hole would actually be good, because it gives a better reflective surface from the ceiling of the hive. So a smaller hole under the rapid round is probably the best way to do it.

[@FrederickDunn]

The bees sealed up those feeder shim holes well before winter. Yes, the best thermal control is at the top. Thanks for sharing.

[@masoudmon3411]

Love to listen to you

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks!

[@CalicoJackxx]

Excellent video, one of your best. Great info for rookies as well as grey beards who can always learn something. BZ Mr Dunn. Glad to hear that there's a Bluenose II, the first was a beauty Calico Jack of Dabob Bay

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks Gary! Yes, knowing that a Sea Going Schooner is protected by the same finish I'm putting on my hives is just a fun nautical tie-in that I enjoy. The Bluenose Schooner is a remarkable vessel for sure!

[@Vladviking]

Rather interesting night before. Had two dead bees on their side on my bait jar stand when I brought it in to refill. It was a cold day. Sometime after I noticed they were both standing up but not still moving. Not wanting to be heartless and throw then out in the middle of the night I put them up for the night in a gallon jar. They seemed content this morning when I put them back on the stand outside.

[@kareno8634]

That's LOVE! : }

[@Vladviking]

@@kareno8634 Ehh obsessive compulsively humane in my older age. You'd be surprised at the villain's I've let go on their merry way.

[@tomcrynock37]

Barnyard bees started larger packed to encourage more honey for the first year beekeepers.

[@richardkuhn8115]

Dave did a test with determining whether starting with a lot of bees will produce honey in your first year. So he was also selling like six pound of bees with a single queen, so you could install lots of bees with a queen to get a head start on your new hive. A normal package is three pound with the one queen.

[@FrederickDunn]

The Saskatraz bees came in 3 lb packages last year and all of them produced several surplus gallons of honey in their first year. There is no question that a larger work force will produce a faster start, I just don't personally think 6 lbs are necessary to accomplish that. I'm not trying to talk anyone out of receiving a package that size, but wanted to explain the numbers a little. I've never even seen a 6 lb package offered, so Dave is definitely doing something different there. Thanks Richard!

[@richardkuhn8115]

@@FrederickDunn Fred, this the video that provided Dave's explanation of the larger packages. I really didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the video. I think the fellow that provided you with the 6 pound info had seen this you tube video. He sells a lot of packages, so he offered large packages with just one queen. He's in the business, and it's what folks want.

[@mj-ls7qr8xp3n]

Yay for me! I did that! One foundation, one foundationless. -)

[@SkogenInTheHous]

Hi, and thanks for good information.. I'm going to start with bee keeping now this spring and there are a lot of preparations to do, but that with the pollen app was not a stupid idea, so thank you for it. I've downloaded it and am ready.. I live on the westcost of Norway, in Haugesund.. Even if everything is not related from country to country, you can always pick up good ideas from others.. I'm going to follow your channel from now on, very good information on that with bee keeping..

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you so much Ragnar! I am happy to know that something I may share is reaching someone so far away and having a positive influence. I really do appreciate it!

[@andrewmcmullen1388]

Thanks again for the videos, Fred. Don't want to speak for them but Barnyard bees has a few videos on their 6 and even a 9# package. First year they are marketing and selling it. Idea is that they they will build up faster to produce a better honey crop the first year.

[@FrederickDunn]

I happily leave that to Dave, I'm not sure any of the package containers I have would accomodate over 6# of bees... no one is going to complain about getting more bees that's for sure. I've had 3 lb packages arrive with almost no nectar left in their feeder can. Is Dave making larger package containers with larger cans of syrup in them? I'll have to check his channel one of these days. He's definitely in the bee business and I hope it works out well for him and his customers.

[@MarcellaSmithVegan]

@@FrederickDunn I would think if you were getting a 6 lb box of bees that you should already know how to handle 3 lbs well, perhaps the bigger batches wouldn't be good for beginner beekeepers, so many little factors to learn and some I doubt if I will do well until I get practice with my first hive

[@kabees6501]

@@FrederickDunn He is selling two, three, or four 3# packages with only one containing a queen called a super package.

[@rickl192]

Thank you for being so generous with your time and investment in new Beekeepers. We have all benefited greatly, as have our bees. I have a question regarding spring mite treatment. I just read that OA should not be used in the spring, only in the fall, as it is hard on the bees and reduces numbers when you want to increase as fast as you can. They suggest something like Apivar or apistan. They also suggested to not “dribble” in the spring (no idea what that is).

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Rick, I would use the OAV in spring, prior to the nectar flow kicking in and before you put your honey supers on and then again at the end of summer after you're removed the late season honey supers. I'm curious as to why anyone would say not to use it in the spring, unless you don't have much of a mite count to deal with?

[@rickwarner516]

Good job

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks

[@suchardaniel3448]

As always, thanks so much! I really enjoy your videos and found it's great to watch them on my TV when I can, great for watching the video inserts. And thank you specifically for answering my questions. My first question is when you speak about feeding during a dearth/rain I totally get that adding a quart of sugar water is minimal but if you have your flow frames on would you just let them consume their resources? Thanks for the tip about painting the tops and bottoms.

[@FrederickDunn]

Yes, and it's why I almost never have a spring or summer honey harvest. They build to fall and that's when we take off. You can watch them consume the the flow-frames and then fill them again. Luckily, here, we don't really have a summer dearth, so they are building all summer long.

[@jklin2987]

Thank you for all the work you do for us backyard beekeepers. Here’s another question, but it’s not very important. Do you have a suggestion for a trail cam that a technological idiot - me - can use? I need something that reliably defeats my squirrel baffle and messes up my hanging platform cardinal feeder. I think that if I only could see what is going on out there, I might be able to better manage those pests. Jacque

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Jklin... I do a lot of trail cam testing and there are lots of really good ones. Bushnell makes very dependable and easy to use motion cameras. You can set it for day, night, 24/7 and can adjust the detection/trigger sensitivity to get the smallest critter (mice for example)... $100 and you're all set! amzn.to/39Foas0

[@jklin2987]

@@FrederickDunn Ohhh… and it just straps to the tree. No carpentry skills needed. Thank you!

[@FrederickDunn]

@@jklin2987 Yes and it also takes a 1/4 20 thread if you have one of those tree mounted camera spikes which I like a lot :)

[@jklin2987]

@@FrederickDunn Oh, I don’t know. Will I need a drill?

[@robertshorthill6836]

I will have 3 swarm catch boxes this year each with 6 Layens frames. I am going to find out if this Layens system is as good as it is touted to be. My hive sitting on top of my shed roof had a couple of bees checking out the opening. Maybe they were just checking out the smell of a Q-tip with lemon grass oil. We are at the 28th of March today. In maybe less than 2 or 3 weeks we could see some swarms.

[@FrederickDunn]

I hope it works :)

[@harryfedorek5165]

Better bee has medium hexa cell now. Saw at show in Monroeville Saturday.

[@FrederickDunn]

Yes, they do... because many beekeepers are asking for that. I'll be keeping hexacell down in the brood boxes only, for the reasons I've described in this video. Only becuase I plan to use cut-comb in my upper boxes this summer.

[@mj-ls7qr8xp3n]

Wow on the 8 frame hives. However, I've had overwintered bees in a tbh in Oregon as well. They do however, reduce down to about 8 frames out of 30.

[@taylor65712]

Thank you for the video. It's so much fun learning all this stuff. I've been talking to my local bee group and state associations... I've referenced your channel multiple times...I believe we are going to slap your channel's address on our monthly mailer... Everyone really believes in your information/work..it's not much but it will be in state wide circulation.

[@FrederickDunn]

Wow Taylor! Thank you so much and I can't tell you how happy it makes me to know that what I'm sharing is helping out :) I seriously appreciate that and please extend my thanks to the members of your bee-fellowship :)

[@russellkoopman3004]

When it comes to feeding sugar water to bees the size of the hive makes a difference. If it is a full grown production hive you may want to limit feeding with supers on. If it is a nuc I think you should feed them as much as you can without getting them honey bound. Another thing to think on is that once the honey is sealed they don't consume it until the uncapped honey/nectar is gone, so a quart of sugar water on a big hive is only the fuel for the day for the bees to live on and very little would be stored as honey.

[@58Kym]

I really enjoyed the visit by the state inspector many video’s ago. Do you think he will be coming back for a new video because I would love to revisit that inspection procedure?

[@FrederickDunn]

He got in a tad of trouble for allowing me to vidoe that last one... but I defended it to his boss by showing that it's a valuable tool for sharing what an inspection is and also to promote the DOA's program. BUT, when he comes back I'll definitely ask :)

[@58Kym]

Frederick Dunn Really.....but it was a great endorsement of the inspection procedure. It was so informative and relaxed that I can’t imagine why they didn’t applaud you both for the value of the video alone in encouraging participation by other beekeepers. I have watched it a couple of times myself and I don’t even keep bees.

[@georgiagibbs.art.design]

I have 4 frames on my hive but they are all medium sizes or 'Illinois' boxes. I made that choice because I was concerned about weight when the frame is full. But I think that it would be better to have the brood box... rarely moved about I see now... a deep box. Would you recommend that change and if so, what time of year is best to make a change like that? Thank you, Fred, for all of of your time creating these videos. I have been beekeeping for just a year. Yes, I have taken workshops and read the manuals but you are a fountain of information that I may not find in those resources and are just invaluable IMHO.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you Georgia! I would make that change in spring when you know your bees made it through winter and it's warming enough for them to work new comb :)

[@georgiagibbs.art.design]

@@FrederickDunn Thank you. Will do :-)

[@wendybachman6224]

Hi Fred, will you please tell us exactly what weather conditions you wait for to do your spring inspections? I can't wait to check to see if my queens survived! Also, there is mold growing on top of my super frames in the Caucasian hive. While I was recovering from surgery, the outer cover got blown off & I don't know how many days that hive got rained on...I can't even believe they survived the winter, but there is a living cluster still in there. What should I do to help address the mold issue? Can the bees clean it up themselves? Or should I replace that super with a new one once it's weather appropriate? If I do that, can I bleach the moldy equipment for re-use once the bleach has become inert due to being in open air after at least 24 hours? Or is that equipment with all the drawn comb a total loss?

[@FrederickDunn]

If the cluster is a decent size, they may recover assuming there are resources still stored in the frames. Yes, they can clean up the mold on their own. You can open the hive when you are getting sunny days in the 60's and try it in the afternoon if you can. You can remove/replace damp/moldy equipment and yes, bleach it and dry it out completely. This is one reasy why it's always imortant to have replacement gear stored and ready to use. :) I hope everything turns out for the best! When the lid blew off was the inner cover still there providing some protection?

[@wendybachman6224]

Frederick Dunn yes, the inner cover had been glued on by the bees, thankfully!

[@maggiewatte7911]

I’m in Idaho. I was taught to have two deep brood boxes. I’ve been reading recently about single deep brood boxes. It’s stated advantages are the smaller cluster that help with varroa and better winter survival . I’ve been running double deeps in winter with hit and miss results. These have been beekeepers in Canada with weather patterns similar to mine. What’s your thoughts on single deep brood boxes?

[@FrederickDunn]

My winter configuration is a single deep with a medium super full of honey on that. BUT, environments are widely variable and you'll have to find the best arrangement that consistently sees your bees through winter. Here, bees manage winter better in smaller hive configurations here. An insulated inner cover has vastly reduced their winter resource needs as well.

[@maggiewatte7911]

@@FrederickDunn thank you

[@honeybee8396]

Hi dunn i like your video. Good job

[@timothymitchell9956]

Hey Fred, what do you put in your videos? I find them addicting!

[@FrederickDunn]

Hardee harr.... :)

[@johnlowe989]

Fred, since we are coming into swarm season, would you please provide a check list of everything that is needed to capture a swarm and show the items on video and maybe provide links on the best place to acquire those items. I'd like to be ready in case there is a swarm to be had in my area. John Lowe, Clearwater FL

[@FrederickDunn]

No problem John! Here you go :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZ-tpYyAl8-Kh5o

[@thomaskopec5454]

Mr. DUNN, LOVE YOUR CHANEL! The bees heating ONLY the cluster is based on a study in which bees were placed in a freezer without a box and survived just fine... this idea on paper sounds fine BUT reality is that less energy will by expended heating a cluster in an 8 frame vs 10 frame.... what about spring buildup up? Which box will be easier to control temperature in? I've even shrunk my box to 5 frame to allow bees better brood buildup in the spring! IMHO 10 frames but next time try overwintering 5 over 5... then one 10 frame box they will move up the box a lot easier and cluster will be much tighter....

[@thomaskopec5454]

All you need is a separation board in two 10 frame boxes to make it 5 over 5.. just make sure top frames are drawn out all the way

[@FrederickDunn]

It's true that they heat the cluster, specifically the nurse bees and queen at the center, BUT, there is plenty of heat that escapes and if the cavity is smaller, or well insulated, that passive heat can be retained which definitely benefits the bees. So yes, smaller cavities are much better at retaining the heat that would otherwise be lost. The bees don't attempt to heat the space, this is where that description comes into play. But you are absolutely right on all counts.

[@rickbegeman4371]

I noticed you have a unique inner cover for your desktop model hive. I did a quick search and could not find a reference to it. Do you have a video up that covers that aspect?

[@FrederickDunn]

It's just a standard telescoping cover without the metal cladding.

[@14623carolanne]

I was thinking of getting 2 ten frame complete hives two large deeps and two med supers each. Did you just say I could use a flow hive super on an non flow Hive? Also I just read I can wax my own plastic comb with a foam roller and I think I might. I am planning to go with 1 5 frame nuc per hive. Is the queen with the brood or separated on nucs? I'm brand new to all of this. Love your videos. Plan on watching them all!

[@FrederickDunn]

Yes, you can indeed... this video shows several configurations that work: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYvWeIlne52rmLM

[@14623carolanne]

@@FrederickDunn Lol thank you for your reply. I had done further research myself thought I had deleted this message. I got invited to open a hive this weekend and I'm so excited! Only thing he said his bees were mean lol. I'm still researching if the queen is separated in a nuc. I was thinking of marking her. I also have to figure out what species of bees I would be getting. Loving your videos learning so much give me lots to think about starting new.

[@abimael1839]

Hello my name is Abi, I'm new here never done beekeping and don't have bees also right now but just trying to find info so if possible I want to start beekeping I've watch most of video that has been very interesting and have lots of information. Thank you so much! But I do have some question that makes me wonder though What does the space between the inner cover to the roof meant for? is it for vent or just for aestethics ? if you want to add the second brood box to the top, is it needed to use the queen excluder between the 1st on the bottom and 2nd brood box on the top? or just use the queen excluder just at the top? What is the estimated area of garden / open field / flowers needed for 1 bee hive? Also I live in Indonesia it's located at southeast Asia, which only have 2 seasons, dry seasons and rainy seasons. Do you have any recommendation of hives type (few vents or lots vents) and bees? Sorry if I ask so much, thank you for your time!

[@prestonaustin8902]

Mr. Dunn what fuel do you used in your smoker?

[@FrederickDunn]

Propane

[@sammygeorge7122]

At 72 I'm a complete greenhorn. Your videos are fascinating and I've spent the last few weeks viewing them back to back. I only want 1 hive for my first year and I've decided on a horizontal hive using Langstroth frames. How many frames should I use that will allow the hive to grow this year and next? I'm think of using the deep frames for the brood and medium for the honey, do you recommend or discourage using two different frame sizes in the same hive box. Is there a target distance between the bottom of the frame and the bottom of the hive or does it even matter. Thanks for any suggestions. Sam in Ooltewah, Tn

[@FrederickDunn]

HI Sammy, I will talk about this tomorrow! FAQ 52 as those are great questions that many will have. I will discuss my own thinking and how I've arrived at my own design parameters. I'm going with all deeps throughout and I'll explain that in detail.

[@suzanneguiho4882]

I am starting in bee keeping this spring. I would like to pass on to you my starting plan. Your opinion on it would be appreciated. 1) Description of region: In Canada, the Gatineau hills, cottage country, lots of lakes, trees, no pesticides permitted, no agriculture but for a few fields where they cut for hay, with a few horses for recreational purposes only. 2) Put up three bee traps, at the beginning of May, in three different areas. 3) Use Layens hive, because of my physical limits with regards to lifting things. 4) No intention of harvesting any honey for the first year. 5) My intention is to observe them throughout the first year and take notes...to see if I can figure out what they are doing and when, evaluate for one thing what in all I have learned, what I really know and recognize as going on in the hive. 6) As for verroa mites, intend to use, If needed, the verroa trap (the brood comb trap), the pin method and artificial swarm method. 7) Will ´´feed in this first year, and check what, when and if they use the resources. 8) Will winterize the hive, being in the 4b agricultural zone. 9) After a year, if they are still alive, make the adjustments that need to be done. My main objective is to see if I can keep bees in as natural state as possible and try to raise interest around me in bee keeping. I think there is a fine line that I need to find and may not. I can’t use pesticides in my area, because of the lakes and the environmental regulations and restrictions we need to follow, so if I can’t find a way to navigate through it...well it will be that. Any suggestions would be appreciated in the above described context. Thank you.

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Suzanne, I hate to pass the buck on this one, but based on all that you've described, I think Dr. Leo has ALL the answers you're looking for and has done many seminars that are online. Particularly since you are going to be using the Layens Hive, that is right up his alley! I'm just starting my horizontal hive experience this year, so can't speak from experience there. You are always welcome to follow my progress, but Dr. Leo has already covered the ground very VERY well. Particularly since you plan to trap your bees, I highly recommend this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j2nCe2WrirCNrNE

[@georgegarcia5052]

Thanks for the great information on 8 frame boxes. Can you discuss using one deep box for the brood box as opposed to 10 frame deep? I’m using an 8 frame deep with a slatted rack but I’m not sure 🤔 what to do next. As I recall you use a deep (10 frame?) and medium below your flow frame box. Thanks.

[@FrederickDunn]

Yes, I use a deep and medium, but may expand that this year as we're really cutting it close in resources with the warmer weather.

[@Vladviking]

Kamon has got a hot wax operation. you had recommended his channel about those plastic hives.

[@FrederickDunn]

YES!!! That's where I saw that! If I had the gear, I'd probably try that out, but I'm basically out of storage space. Mr. Ed aka Jeff H. Also trucked his hive bodies to a place that offered that service. For my backyard operation, I'll be painting for now. Thanks for reminding me about Kamon Reynolds! I hope he can do bees full time, I know that's his goal.

[@MarcellaSmithVegan]

Wouldn't it be better to soak them in bee's wax instead of a petroleum product?

[@papsroyalapiary9668]

@@MarcellaSmithVegan you have to do it that way, a mixture of the natural wax and the petroleum product allows for the wax to get absorbed in the wood vs just laying as a film over the wood where with time washes off just like clear coat varnish; as water is forced out of the wood fibers, that mixture of paraffin/wax gets absorbed in the wood as replacement, that wood will last forever; if you fast enough after you get them out of the wax bath, imedialtelly paint them as the paint thru drying of the wood gets absorbed somewhat in the wood fibers, now, that will last you as long as that box can stay together, lol; When you see someone doing it, is appealing but unless you do a lot of material at one time, is not economical to dip just few boxes at one time; you have somewhere around 1000-2000$ sitting as a block of wax and you keep adding slabs as you use the wax in the dipping. I gave up on that a while ago, boxes fall apart here in the north no matter what so the extra wasted money is not worth it.

[@jpthedelawarebeeman6239]

@@FrederickDunn I saw both their videos Fred - I don't have the money to wax dip so Ooops paint it is for me !

[@AtEEmLu]

Hi Frederick, I was just wondering if you have any special technique to lift the 7 frame flow hive (10 frame langstroth) when you have to do an inspection of the brood box and the flow supers are full? It must be very heavy, about how much does it weigh when full? Attila from Barcelona Spain

[@FrederickDunn]

You're talking about 70 lbs or 31.7 kilos.... there is a method that I am going to demonstrate in an upcoming video!

[@byronholt4912]

What type of wood is preferred for your boxes? I have access to Cypress and many tools so I’m thinking about using Cypress to build my first box.

[@FrederickDunn]

Cypress sounds great to me, just put a good finish on it and you're good to go :)

[@pantherman4699]

Hey Fred, I know this might be a bit of a chore, but can you put time stamps on the questions. If people go back to past videos to look up a question it'd be easier to jump right to it. Just a thought. I just got done watching them all. :) Keep up the great info.

[@FrederickDunn]

Wow, you watched them all? !!! I do need to do something like that... but there is also a way for you to fast forward through the video. Click on the settings (little gear symbol) and select playback speed... choose 2 and then stop and return to normal speed when you arrive at the topic you're interested in? I know that's a lame method, but it's the best I can do for now. Thank you for your patience... I do need to accomplish that!

[@pantherman4699]

Winter time seemed like a good time to educate myself before the spring and I have learned so much from these videos. I'm sure beekeepers starting out will appreciate it as much as I do.

[@ruesnow5989]

Could you keep the 10 frame footprint but block off and insulate down to 8 frames? For an entrance to an observation hive how far away from the hive is to far?

[@FrederickDunn]

Yes, absolutely, much like follower boards in a horizontal hive, you can fill the frame spaces at each end with place holders.

[@jpthedelawarebeeman6239]

Hi Fred, I checked my 3 hives today after work and my smallest ( one deep and 1 medium 10 frame ) was building comb again from the medium up through the candy board to underneath the quilt board. I scraped it last week the first time I found it and was thinking I should do it again what do you think. I am sure there are eggs in it as there was the last time...... Should I just add another medium with some empty frames???

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi JP, it seems like they definitely want to expand, are all of the lower boxes/frames full?

[@jpthedelawarebeeman6239]

@@FrederickDunn deep 10 frame with a medium 10 frame on top. It feels light. I do have sugar on them but they are building through the sugar board to the bottom of the quilt board. Only the one hive is building comb that I see

[@Rrailroad3]

Have enjoyed your videos and have just started watching. My family and I are considering getting into bee keeping and are doing as much research as we can. We would prefer to do everything as natural as we can, no feeding,no chemicals etc.... my question is do you have issues with high mortality with bought bee’s? I saw your video that you buy bee’s from Texas and wondered if they have problems with the climate differences? Thanks

[@FrederickDunn]

HI Seth, thanks for watching! I've had very good luck with the BeeWeaver line of bees from Texas. They seem to handle our winters here very well. A wonderful treatment free line to be sure.

[@tonyt.1596]

Have you ever used Le Tonkinois varnish on your hives? It is natural and non-toxic. It is supposed to move with the wood and not crack like regular varnish

[@FrederickDunn]

I use Eco-Wood these days :)

[@catherinebellaire7298]

The beehive with mason glass jars, is it the same concept? Do we do the bottom boxes of beehive with glass jars, the same as the trays? Do we really need to do a beehive with bottom boxes? I would like to build just a mini beehive that would contain 1 to 3 glass jars, the size of bird house. Could I do that without the bottom boxes, or do I need to build a bottom box for the bees to store honey for their survival in winter and make baby bees?

[@FrederickDunn]

You need a complete bee hive first, with an esablished brood box with frames. Then I also recommend a second box of honey prior to adding any jars for honey production. Unless you're talking about a complete hive system in jars, that's not doable in my opinion. There is a channel on KZbin where the gentlaman uses old LARGE plastic water bottles and manages to get bees to use them. Unfortunately, he doesn't answer any questions and there are many potential issues with that method in my opinion.

[@paulahello7435]

Hello, I'm starting hobby beekeeping with my husband next Spring. We would like to keep the number of hives four or less. We are older and plan on having one brood box for each going into winter. How do you keep the numbers down? I see so many excited about making new splits. I don't want to expand into a "beeyard." I want only what we can manage well.

[@FrederickDunn]

The short answer is that you just may not be able to prevent colony reproduction and should be prepared for that.

[@paulahello7435]

@@FrederickDunn Thankyou for the response. I have a large family and many might be open to taking nucs and starting their own.

[@howlingdogranch]

Do you know if there has been any experiments done on the size of the cells of foundation comb vs the foundationless comb. I heard foundationless has a smaller cells size.

[@FrederickDunn]

There have indeed been many studies and small cell foundation doesn't occur with foundationless frames, but is rather associated with specific lines of bees. There used to be lots of buzz about smaller cells being beneficial in varroa mite reduction, but that failed to prove out scientifically.

[@stevekleinman7209]

In Spring 2019, I installed a bee package into a 10-frame deep. The population expanded and eventually, I added a second 10-frame deep. My bees have overwintered with those two deeps and supplemental feeding. Spring 2020 is arriving. I presume that my over-wintered bee population has dwindled and when I open my hive, I will find that two deeps are no longer appropriate. How do I consolidate back into one deep? If more than 10 frames have brood, do I keep both deeps on but use a queen-excluder between them until the brood in the box where the queen cannot lay has matured and then remove the broodless deep?

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Steve, I will discuss options on Friday FAQ 52. As the spring nectar flow comes on, they will gradually migrate to the lower brood box and fill the upper box with honey again. You "can" swap the boxes, but not always necessary.

[@gcpd727]

Well I got another new guy question, and dont even have my bees yet. I just watched your video on queen excluders where you show very few of the workers getting through. I have the flowhive, could I do an upper entrance? As a new guy I'm paranoid about brood in my flowhive and have no clue how to make it easier on the bees and myself. Are there different gap sizes in queen excluders? Thank you in advance!

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Jake, I will answer your question as the first response on Friday for FAQ 52. Yes, you can add an upper entrance, but there are some things to consider when doing that. Great question! As for queen excluders, I did another video showing the different designs, materials and so on. The metal bar designs seem to be the easiest on the workers as they have smooth edges which result in less wear and tear on the bee-bodies.

[@larrylosciale9656]

Good Day Fred, I'm expecting 2 5 frame nucs in March. I was wondering is it better to let them acclimate in the nucs for a short time or to move them into their hives right away?

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Larry, I recommend placing them in the final box right away so you don't have to get into them again too soon.

[@timothymitchell9956]

Bee sweet man Fred, I was missing your broadcast. I noticed a skep hive over your right shoulder. What do you f do with that?

[@FrederickDunn]

It was a recent gift from Mel Gibson's Chef's Wife of all the random things :) so, I decided to make it a conversation piece. :) She lives just outside L.A. and recently visited.

[@smatt566]

nice videos. I have strong opinion agains dipping in parafin/oil/wax of the boxes. it gets immpermeable, they cant get water out, and also they get darker with time, brownish even blackish, when its hot it destroyes the colony, im from south america, some places get from 35 to 48°C, so they can melt down and die. With white or light colors paint is more durable and safer for bees.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks for sharing your observations.

[@brettmoore1820]

WWFREDDo? First hive of Saskatraz bees appear to be making it through winter great so far (MT so still a ways to go). Going to start a second hive this year (10 frame Lang). For second hive....start with a new nuc? wait till late spring/early summer and do a spit it they propagate well? How do I queen a split? order one or let them make their own? Sorry a lot of questions in one but wondering how you would go about this

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Brett... I have a split video here that should answer your question as to how I manage that. I'm glad your Saskatraz bees are doing well! kzbin.info/www/bejne/a2Wln41_arF7sKM

[@bradgoliphant]

In regards to the 8th question about whether 8 frame or 10 frame overwinters better, which hives to you have? Do you keep only 10 frame?

[@FrederickDunn]

The question was regarding stacks of boxes, not actually the frame count, but I'm transitioning to all 10 frame equipment just for compatibility with all gear. The Horizontal hives will have their full length. The nucleus hives I use are 5-frames each and I stack those as needed.

[@FrederickDunn]

btw, 8 or 10 frame hives do equally well here where I live.

[@makkdot1]

Hell, I am a third-year beekeeper in zone 5, My last year hive made a huge amount of drone comb. My question is will they restructure the wax into what they need or should I be culling the excess drone come out? I have some full deep frames of drones.

[@FrederickDunn]

I personally may be tempted to remove some of that drone comb, even though they often use it for honey stores. BUT, if there is a lot of it, I'd clean it out.

[@g10prodriver76]

Where can I get that tiny hive

[@FrederickDunn]

Lots of bee supply companies sell them in with their educational materials.

[@235112347]

To add a hive to my apiary and build up a hive for honey production what would work best? 1. Use my spring splits (with overwintered queen) to start a new hive then do a newspaper combine to put two together for maximum numbers 2. Purchase a 3lb package with a queen Both scenarios would have fully drawn comb to work with.

[@FrederickDunn]

That is a timely question! I will talk about this tomorrow for FAQ 52... your fastest build up, being that you have drawn comb, will be the 3 lb package. :)

[@framcesmoore]

Ha Mr Dunn great video but you always do good. I have a few questions for u just to see what u do.. my self this is what I do with the first spring inspection, 1 treat for mites asap, I feed sugar water 1-1 and give them pollen patties asap, now the inspection, all the videos and studying I have done I got this from them. The brood is at the top so I move all down to the bottom box I just do not move the boxes I move frames, weather warm enough I checker board the frames to help with swarming I will feed the syrup till the flow starts it is around April 15 they say here in Virginia but I put my suppers on the 1st of April so when the suppers go on the sugar comes off. doing the swarm season I inspect every 10-14 days to catch the cells if any, and I keep moving the brood down and empty on top of brood. it is a lot of work but I live in a city and I do not want them to swarm I do not want to lose my bees and I would be ill responsible to let them swarm. here they will die if some one does not catch them any way I don't want my bees to swarm.. Tell me what u do when u start inspecting your hives after winter Thanks. Oh yea what kind of fuel do u use in that smoker that runs off of batteries I got one and it almost caught on fire flames man it was hot. it was melting the handle Thanks

[@FrederickDunn]

HI Frances, I will be talking about box arrangements in spring on Friday for FAQ 52. Another viewer had questions about that as well. Unless I see the bees removing larvae onto the landing boards indicating that they are combatting varroa or infection, I don't automatically treat. I also allow swarms, so your situation is very different. I get 3 out of 5 when they do swarm, so it's a natural split method for me. The description of what you're doing to avoid swarms seems like a good method. Removing queen cells doesn't always work if they are determined and what you can end up with is a queenless colony, but I'm sure you are aware of the brood situation so they could produce an emergency queen if needed. AS for the smoker, I don't use the battery powered units, I use densely packed pine shavings that I also use for bedding in my hen houses.

[@framcesmoore]

@@FrederickDunn Thanks I am looking forward to friday have a great day

[@timothymitchell9956]

You mentioned someone that paints or has good painted hive boxes . What’s a link to him?

[@FrederickDunn]

His channel is Dan Skis Bees... he recently commented that he spent Valentines Day with his girls so I thought I'd give him a shout out and tease him a little. He shows his apiary on Feb 14th. kzbin.info/door/W_cZ0rHSWTBOdEeuW7EtfQ

[@jamesgrissom3750]

Mr, Dunn l'm thing about getting a couple of game camera's Is their a camera that you can recommen. Thank you . love your video and shirts. Jim

[@FrederickDunn]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4bCZpx6ndueY7c here is my recommendation :)

[@Psyche8D]

Frederick Dunn Thanks for replying on this comment. It’s good to know that the recommendation is still current. FYI my price for the camera is $53.59.

[@johnmcneill923]

Qn 6 with 6K bees. When does the Queen excluder go on. Is it on top of the brood box?

[@FrederickDunn]

Because I leave the bottom two boxes (minimum) on for the bees and not human consumption, I don't put a queen excluder on until it's time for honey supering (3rd box and up).

[@johnmcneill923]

Frederick Dunn ... yep! I remember you mentioned this a number of times. I think you recommended the QE under a Flow Super.

[@timrussell5078]

Just to comment on the six pound package they are selling it so first time beekeepers might be able to harvest honey the first year dave has a video about there reasoning on using a six lb. Package hope this helps

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks Tim!

[@thehydrosource]

Does anyone know why my hive would kick out drones at this time? They also uncapped larvae drones and kicked those out too. Hive is strong and pulling in nectar currently. I'm in Southern California.

[@FrederickDunn]

Depending on the bees you're managing, they may be hygienic and removing drones that are infected with something you may not be able to observe, or varroa impact. I've observed my own bees tossing Drones in spring, and I almost always also see evidence of varroa related deformations at the same time: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZrWiK2MmayHgNE

[@thehydrosource]

@@FrederickDunn They're the saskatraz bees. Didn't think those were hygienic. But I didn't treat for mites ever with them so maybe they there is a mite problem. I ordered some beeweaver queens for this spring. Going to do some splits! Thanks for the insight Fred!

[@lizmichel8239]

How high is your round fedder boxu

[@FrederickDunn]

Anything that shims up 2.5 inches can accomodate all of the rapid round feeder designs.

[@harryfedorek5165]

Yep went to the last meeting I’m about5 miles from Charlie

[@papsroyalapiary9668]

Funny you talk about foundation Fred; as you know, I am a sucker for Acorn, you might not believe it, but just put another order of deep black foundation from them, this time 2000pcs, I sold everything I ordered last time here in MI, people start to understand the value of Acorn heavy waxed foundation.

[@FrederickDunn]

Of all of the plastic heavy waxed foundation available today, they are solid at the very top of my list which you already know :) This year, I'm trying to get some cut-comb going, but I have enough Acorn frames to last a good long while :)

[@papsroyalapiary9668]

@@FrederickDunn Probably I told you before, I do Ross Cartridge for honeycomb, I customize my own shallow type boxes to fit 9 cartridges in them, problem with that, you have to have a strong hive to fill it proper, this year I will monkey around with 5frame style shallow and will see how many of those cartridges will I be able to fit in the 5Frame unit, see if they fill those Ross rounds perfect; even the bigger setup, eventually they do a great job at it, just want to take the entire shallow at one time and not few cartridge frames at one time where I have to fill in the gap with new empty cartridges. I hope it make sense what I am telling you.

[@FrederickDunn]

I'm also testing the Ross Rounds this year, should be interesting. The kit is sitting in my frozen garage at the moment. Lots going on, thanks for sharing.

[@papsroyalapiary9668]

@@FrederickDunn sure no problem Fred; Ross is very appealing to the higher price costumers, they don't like the idea of us beeks toughing their food, so when you tell them your hands never handle the comb itself they like that; just have both clear and opaque lids available, just the clear ones might work in your disadvantage since some time you want to hide some imperfections on either side of the round, with one side opaque and one clear you increase your volume by 50% since you can hide the not so appealing side, lol.

[@whatjamesthinks]

@@FrederickDunn i thought you weren't in the wax business? Better get rid of that synthetic hexacell.

[@jeremyjames3895]

Evening fred..

[@FrederickDunn]

Evening Jeremy!

[@mj-ls7qr8xp3n]

Tbhs take a long time to inspect. Mine are over 30 frames each have to be moved going forward and closing back up tight. Lot of pros and cons...

[@raulortiz136]

I'm on my second winter as a beekeeper, and unfortunately I'm pulling my boxes apart and painting them.

[@FrederickDunn]

Why's that unfortunate Raul?

[@raulortiz136]

@@FrederickDunn They all died, but I already ordered a packege and I secured an overwintered nuc and I am doing some more learning. Hopefully I won't let them die again.

[@wadebarnes6720]

I get my paint from the dumpster and tell him I'm going to recycle it on beeboxs

[@FrederickDunn]

Every paint store has paint they need to get rid of! Nothing wrong with that! :)

[@wadebarnes6720]

@@FrederickDunn the recycle center has it to for free. I found 4 gallons of car paint dude give me 150 for it I didn't know car paint cost so much and then somebody to throw it away was crazy

[@jamesnoell5848]

here I go again, I just got a VAROMORUS-SMOKE CANNON, FOR OXALIC ACID TREATMENTS. BUT ITS FOR LIKE 50/25 HIVES. I ONLY HAVE 2 HIVES CAN YOU RECOMMEMD A FORMULA FOR DOING JUST 2 HIVES ?

[@LarryLeesBees]

James Noell - The ProVap 110 is pretty awesome and the caps you fill with the OA is just the size for one frame at a time. But it costs about $485. Other single use OA treatment options are the wands. They run about $75 and up. I didn’t have very good success with the o e I purchased due to it melting into aluminum slag... LoL!!! But I may just have gotten a bad unit. Blythewood Bee Company ProVap 110 Commercial Oxalic Acid Vaporizer www.amazon.com/dp/B07FRL3HZM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_3lnsEbKT76MSM Dorhea Bee Vaporizer Oxalic Acid Varroa Mite Treatment Formic Evaporator Beekeeping Sterilization Tool for Bee Hive Vapor Fumigation Beekeeping Safe Heating Electric Beekeeping Tool 12V 150W (Upgrade) www.amazon.com/dp/B07VHNM6KQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_innsEbVCX11RB

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks Larry Lee :)

[@HMallory1]

Hello Fred, I don't if you look at other bee websites , I follow many beekeeping websites . Just checked out the bee web you just referenced and subscribed ,because I find that you will learn good or bad ideas from each one. Would like to find out your opinion about this website "Anna Kra"He is a thirty year beekeeper from Russia and now lives in South Carolina , he has fifty hives and he is chemical free. Not trying to promote ,but think his ideas are interesting and seem to be effective. Your opinion would be helpful , I don't know if I have the ability to try his methods ,I only have four hives . I find that they are more than enough to keep me busy.Thanks I can't seem to catch your live chats ,but watch all of your videos and thanks again ,from Hampton, Va.

[@FrederickDunn]

I do try to visit other youtube channels whenever I get the chance (which is rare). I have seen Anna Kra I think, as her father is the bee master in her family? When it comes to natural beekeeping, I have two standout pros that I go to, one is Thomas Seeley of course, and the other who thoroughly impresses me is Dr. Leo who I highly regard as truly caring about the bees. I just don't have the time to visit all of the great bee-Guru's out there so I hone them down to a few that are somewhat like-minded. Thank you for sharing! If Anna Kra speaks to you in the way she handles bees, then you've found your sweet spot :)

[@HMallory1]

@@FrederickDunn Thanks Fred I understand about the time schedule . I just bought the queen cages that is used in her videos , I'm going to try and get new comb this year looks like it might be a little intimidating . But I guess the only way to learn is try. I did get some better bee comb to help along ,thanks again

[@noahzegart5190]

Hi fred

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Noah

[@wadebarnes6720]

I have not seen them do nothing but score in them

[@FrederickDunn]

.

[@weasleoop]

Worst video on the internet. Did not learn one thing. I am kidding. I love this stuff. Fred when can I move in?

[@FrederickDunn]

You scared my Carlos... for a second there. :) I'm pretty sure you are VERY happy where you already reside!

[@weasleoop]

@@FrederickDunn So I got my nearest neighbor, which is quite away since 368 acres. So I got my nearest neighbor wanting to get back into bees he was a keeper before. All his bees left. Wants me to order him Saskatraz and pay me to manage his hives for him. He is planting all these amazing linden trees and cherries and helps my bees out. Love it!

[@kareno8634]

LOL That's not the Carlos i 'know'; Must Bee Hungry! = ) Fred Does bring in the Excitement! Hope all is well ~- *

[@FrederickDunn]

Sounds like a nice opportunity Carlos... and thanks Karen! :)

[@weasleoop]

@@FrederickDunn Yeah on my resume I list I went to Fred Dunns school of mastery beekeeping. It gets me a lot of gigs.