The Most Honey Of All Time (For Us) | Checking Honey Hives And Adding Boxes

In this video I am checking our honey hives and adding boxes when necessary.
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[@michaelmueller4946]

If they are nasty with smoke I switch to sugar water then they are all interested in eating. I use a Milwaukee leaf blower. It has a variable speed trigger and 2 speeds.

[@stufarnham]

Hi, Brett, I’m 70 years old and switched to all mediums about 5 years ago. I cut down all of my geeks, saved the off-cuts for shims, and never looked back. The boxes are lighter and easier for me to move, and any frame can go anywhere I want it. For years I was always experimenting. Now it is simplify, simplify, simplify. Identical bottom boards, migratory covers, every component will fit every hive. Time to dial it back so I can enjoy my bees with less work. I buy my boxes and frames and build everything else. The economics of buying in bulk vs shipping on more specialty items (e.g., slatted racks, double screen boards, screened inner covers) work out favorably.

[@BKBees]

When we started that was my idea, all mediums for simplicity. It was brilliant until we started to sell nucs. That was the point where 25 year old me decided to keep the simple aspect of one size for everything, but to just make that one size deeps. So, now I regret it and will be going down your route here in the next couple of years probably. As far as building things, I've been saying for years I need to start building lids and bottom boards, I need to stop just saying that though.

[@EverydayKindaGuy]

I used a blower this year. Highest CFM Ego model. Bees can hang on like mad. Ended up blowing honey out of the boxes, kicking off robbing, pissing off everything.. Was fun. Fume boards work great. I just used some cheap pleather scrap I had with felt back, think it's easier to just blanket the boxes. Less weight, less fuss, just roll it up once done and chuck behind the truck seat.

[@BKBees]

Yeah, if your blower experience was anything like mine I'd bet you got a nice number of ankle stings, left a decent amount of loose bees in the yard, and brought a good sized cluster back to the house, lol.

[@Mookiethedog]

Really enjoyed watching you work and was well amused by the fat pinch

[@donbearden1953]

Brett, i feel your pain lifting those deeps full of honey! Have you thought about a lift? You have a lot of $ tied up in the boxes, frames and comb so you may want y to look at one of the hand operated battery/solar powered lifts. They’re cheaper that medical bills for back problems.

[@BKBees]

I had never thought about that. Just always dismissed the idea as way too expensive. I do think I'll check it out though. Thanks for the tip.

[@donbearden1953]

@@BKBees Brett, here’s a link to Mike Barry’s KZbin video showing one of the lifts I commented about. This is where he tries it for the first time. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2rMkqCvec91irM

[@rstlr01]

I had to Get a chiropractor appointment after watching this. Glad as a hobbyists I run medium Supers, those are heavy enough when they are full.

[@williamfitzpatrick5133]

"Prevent the PUKING of BEES"!

[@BKBees]

lol a phrase I never thought I'd say on KZbin.

[@bullwinkled790]

Great to see you having so much success this year! you have earned it

[@BKBees]

Thanks brother.

[@TabAtl]

I learned from a friend last year to fume board first, blower second, put on truck and cover with towel. We had almost no loose bees when we got to his honey house.

[@BKBees]

This is exactly my plan, minus the towel.

[@TabAtl]

@@BKBees I misspoke. We used grungy old bed sheets to cover the boxes and keep the girls out.

[@matthewsweeney2577]

Great info! I like the the reflective as an inner cover seems to make them work the top! Let you know what I find out in five or ten years 👍

[@dwaynelevandowski5506]

Glad to see your bee's are kicking butt. We miss your humor and wisdom south of the troll bridge. Do you think they'll still have time to fill a deep super.

[@BKBees]

Thanks, Dwayne. No, they won't fill that deep before I pull my last round of honey, but, my overwinter plans are to pull the queen excluders in August and leave them with an unfinished box of honey on top that they'll fill with goldenrod and syrup. So, instead of wintering straight singles like I did in Hesperia, they'll be singles with a honey box on top.

[@HaselorHoney]

Still waiting to harvest mine also, they just don’t seem to want to cap it

[@charlesthomas5737]

Brett, you talked about harvesting honey boxes using a leaf blower only. The best way that I have found is to put a fume board on the honey box for two to five minutes then tip it up on it side and you should only have a hand full of bees left in the box and then you blow them out with a leaf blower. You should have little to no bees left in the box when you put the honey box on your trailer.

[@BKBees]

Yep, that's the idea for this year.

[@woodlandharvesthoneycompanyllc]

Single brood really looks like the best way to go. I am just starting up my operation after being out of it for several years. I wish I could see a start to finish of a single box hive. Like January around to January again. Are there any good books on the subject that I could read? I really want to use it in my operation. Thanks for the informative videos.

[@BKBees]

That's a cool idea, follow some hives for the year for a video. I think I'll try to pull that off. Sorry, I don't know of any books on the subject. I talk about it a lot here on this channel but the info is fairly spread out. Please feel free to hit me up with any questions you might have though, I'm happy to help.

[@franklotion8]

Girls killin it in northern maine as well thIs yr😎

[@BKBees]

Heck yeah. How was your last winter? Ours was almost record low snowfall. I expect a big change this winter, lol.

[@franklotion8]

@@BKBees wasnt too bad at all..maybe a 2 ft snow pack at its worst..didnt get to -25 at all either..which surprisingly the girls can handle no prob🤗

[@decaturridgebees8761]

I’m happy for you buddy! Glad your girls are putting it away so good!

[@BKBees]

Thanks, Brad!

[@johnvisco3931]

Fume boards work great. But, the smell is.... well you know. I use lids/covers dedicated to fume boards. The stink doesn't come out of the outer cover. So, I suggest using dedicated tops. Storing them sucks as well. Out door storage area only or throw them out. Do not put them in a garage or basement or shed you store your boxes in. The smell penitrates everything. Good luck!

[@BKBees]

The stuff I bought is essentially almond extract. Smells pretty good. I said "bee quick" because that's the term I use for the stuff, like coke in the south or kleenex when we mean tissue.

[@johnvisco3931]

@@BKBees thanks for the videos. Keep'em coming. Good luck with the fume boards. I live in NJ. We are almost in the dearth. Used the blower method last year, same issues as you. Bee escapes this year.

[@rickhermann7639]

if you have some that are mostly capped, put it in the honey ship with the dehumidifier on high and walk awY. moisture content of the nectar will become honey

[@BKBees]

Yeah, I haven't gotten around to building a hot house yet, but at some point that would be really useful. Thanks, Rick.

[@RyanMcDonnough]

YUSSS. Fume boards & honey bandit FTMFW.

[@BKBees]

lol I had to google FTMFW. I'mma use that one now.

[@joer5627]

Man! What a harvest!

[@BKBees]

Heck yeah.

[@karenakes5890]

Why are my bees not building in my supers? No excluders.

[@wadebarnes6720]

Can you send someone to cold weather 90 today then whatever the heat index is

[@BKBees]

Yeah it's back to hot here too. Should be about 90 here tomorrow.

[@ericgauthier8695]

Our boy Mojo loves eatin flyin spicy raisins too 😂

[@BKBees]

lol this made me laugh.

[@christianshannon3943]

Hey Brett , in a normal to good honey season, about how many pounds (gallons) do you harvest ?

[@BKBees]

It's been a sliding scale, last year we got something like 5,500 lbs, the year before that maybe 4k, but we were growing at the time.

[@jnscowles]

When you add boxes do the already have drawn comb in them?

[@BKBees]

For the most part, yes.

[@johnemmenecker4859]

Get yourself a crane truck like Ian, those deeps won’t be so bad then

[@BKBees]

Oh dude I wish. I have no desire to grow to that size, I want my operation to be sustainable with just Katie and my effort, so I don't think it'll be buying me any boom lift trucks any time soon.

[@kevinkaplan7050]

Me and you...we're in a similar stage of our lives.

[@BKBees]

The comments to this video have made me very happy, lol.

[@fezwhy]

You must have a bi extractor for all that honey. I opted for plastic foundation this year. Since I have no extractor I will just be scraping into a strainer over a bucket. What should I do with those frames since I wont be able to get 100 percent of the honey off the plastic foundation after extraction?

[@BKBees]

I'd set them out to get cleaned up by the bees after you're done. We had a 3 frame hand crank extractor until last year. Now we have an 18 frame electric one.

[@fezwhy]

@@BKBees thank you. I will plan on setting them out. You must have more rising out by you. Our state is in a severe drought. Hopefully things turn around

[@johnandjacquelinewarren9979]

@@BKBees if I'm not mistaken, I also just read another comment saying you harvested 4k lbs (literally 2 tons lol) of honey a couple of years ago. I'll bet your arms were tired after those harvesting sessions!

[@MrChristopherharmon]

You mentioned that you move boxes. I'm planning on moving a double deep colony to a new property. Do you have any pointers for those new to transporting hives? Any pitfalls to watch out for?

[@BKBees]

For moving one colony I wouldn't worry about it too much. Move 'em at night, but other than that just put 'em on a trailer and move them.

[@BLachance75]

I did all deeps and it only lasted a year. Deeps full of honey are to heavy to be moving around by hand. I've been using the deep frames for splits and buying medium frames and boxes.

[@BKBees]

Yeah, mediums are going to have to be the future for me.

[@BLachance75]

@@BKBees I cut down a bunch of deep boxes and made them mediums. It saved me from buying more boxes.

[@simondejonge3486]

With two deep brood boxes Do you leave a super with two deeps on over winter or just the two deeps?

[@BKBees]

Just the two deeps.

[@cloverridgehoney3885]

So, how do you stop? if you don't continue to split they will eventually swarm. At that point do you split and sell the excess bees?

[@BKBees]

You don't have to continually split them. Get the initial split in spring and add space as necessary. Some bees will continue to try to swarm but for the most part all you need to do is split in the spring.

[@thatguy3456]

@@BKBees This is for pretty much any colony.

[@southie6033]

Watch the fat rolls bro! Haha

[@BKBees]

lol I will try to.

[@pirateprospecting707]

Dam bro! No pinching the rolls!!😁🤣🤣Great video wait till your 50🤔☹👎🤣

[@BKBees]

lol, I've gotta get that under control. Peanut butter and honey sandwiches are adding up.

[@silver87ish]

How many hives do you have?

[@BKBees]

Right around 170. About 100 of those are honey producers.

[@garydungelman6530]

Your six-pack is gone

[@BKBees]

It certainly is, lol.