Late Summer Colony Inspection

How we manage our colonies in late summer including brood nest inspection, feeding, equalization and more.
Correction at 10:52, the picture is wingstem (Verbasina alternafilia)

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Oh love the sight of a late brood frame like that. Mine is pretty much done now

[@bobbinnie9872]

I just looked at your latest video. Once again I'm struck with the differences in the way we need to do things. Our lead in to winter is long and drawn out and yours is like a fast closing window. You're already building fires in the stove !! I hope you have a lot of firewood ready.

[@taylorboysoutdoors]

Yep your building fires were still running ac

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

The fundamentals are the same, tweaked to our different circumstances

[@mikeconley3031]

Stopped by bob’s store last weekend. Gonna pick up a few things, ended up spending over 1000 dollars ! Just wanted to say them 2 girls was so helpful. They were sweet an pleasant, knew every thing I asked for an very very helpful. Great people! Really enjoyed my time there.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi Mike. I'll let the girls know about your comment.Thanks.

[@richardpraeger6357]

Thank you for coming to the 2022 ABA conference. I really enjoy listening to you speak and share your years of experience with us.

[@kathyhathaway8823]

Hello Bob yes it is always good to see bee that are having no problem. You an your crew really do a great job. Looking forward to meeting you next month in NC . As always thanks for all your informative information. THANKS

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thanks 👍

[@framcesmoore]

Ha Bob this was great thanks so much I am feeding and treating now with OAV no more inspections either I checked them 2 weeks ago I found 8 with queen loss and combined them, and the rest looked great, so I cant do anything to help them so I just feed and treat I am glad when u said they do not have to be real large for them to servive the winter I live in Virginia I do not know how our weather compares with yours but I know I have done every thing I can to help my bees I cant do any thing more it is a waiting game now I am still feeding and will continue to do so I really thank you for the videos u share u have helped me so much and I thank you I am glad seth is over the covid glad no one else got it there. any way thank u so much for every thing u do for every video u share with al of us. they are great and they have helped so much u will never know. God Bless You and your wonderful family in every way

[@GEEZBEEZ]

Enjoyed your videos as always. Lots of information. Thanks

[@dcsblessedbees]

Well I must be ok here in SW WA as my brood boxes look similar to what you are showing. Then on my strongest I have additional deep of food on each so that I can be set up for early Spring. At least that's what I am thinking, even though it's just my first-ish season I think I like my carni better then my Italians for were I like in Washington, they seem to sink better with the weather here. (At least to me) I do the same with the wet grass, still can't keep the stupid thing lit 1/2 the time.🤣 Ty Bob I have and continue to learn a great deal from you. Blessed Days...

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thanks.

[@markbooth8458]

Hello Bob feeding bees here in Central Virginia. Sometimes I equilize the stores. So I can feed them all the same amount. Golden Rod and Wing Stem is in full bloom. Hopefully it doesn't dry up. No rain here in the forecast. I feel like like the comedian spinning the plates. I haven't crashed yet tho. Lot going on with feeding bees and building a new honey house. Coming down your way in the middle of October.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi Mark. Keep those plates spinning.

[@decaturridgebees8761]

Thanks again Bob!

[@HoneyStoneFarm]

Thank you Bob great video on what is needed for winter prep.

[@hootervillehoneybees8664]

Talking about goldenrod feds planted one of my yards with late blooming strain called stiff goldenrod bees and butterflies are all over it... Main thing is smart weed and boy that's gotta aroma honey looks like motor oil.. I'm smelling it in yards 50 miles apart.. hopefully bees can winter on it ok don't normally get that flow .. weather just been so nice and sunny with shots of rain

[@Aereaphotography]

Fantastic video and informative as all of Bob's videos are 👏

[@CatastrophicNewEngland]

Healthy and well fed. That's how I like my ladies too.

[@bobbinnie9872]

👍

[@jonrobertson4498]

Very helpful Thank you Bob

[@chrisshaw8943]

Nice video Bob, I also like smaller colonies and the carniolan bee. Say I didn’t see any hive beetles what is your go to method besides full sun. Especially with these smaller hive populations! Thanks chris

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi Chris. We have a few beetles here and there but not a lot so we currently aren't doing anything out of ordinary. Lucky I guess.

[@matthewmccormick2417]

Carn/Cauc seem to winter up in like Wisconsin better. They do good when you shed them also for winter

[@bobbinnie9872]

Interesting about the shed.👍

[@matthewmccormick2417]

@@bobbinnie9872 They use less to overwinter in the shed. Italians consume a lot over winter if in a shed. Also being they have a higher Propo amount to seal the box up helps. For cold weather Carn cauc i think are the best. Yes maybe slow to build out of winter. Maybe lower honey production but less stress to care for to over winter i think

[@framcesmoore]

Ha Bob I am trying to find bucket feeders with the plugs u use your web is not working can u tell me how much they run for looking for 2 gal and the plugs to stimulate the bees the holes drilled want 30 do u sell them how much per bucket or where I can get some thanks Have a blessed day

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi Frances. Call our store at 706 782 6722 and they can answer all your questions.

[@toprakanaciftligi8037]

👏👏👏👏

[@randyhahn3346]

Wondering why you have green frames at this time of year

[@russellkoopman3004]

The bees use them for storing honey as well as any other type of frame so there is no need to change out.

[@bobbinnie9872]

We leave them in all year. If they are near or against the wall, where we normally have them, the bees just use them for storing honey after they stop rearing drones.

[@teeky-rh9lz]

How do u make those buckets.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Check out this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJu4m61-edaIqqM

[@walterverheyen1263]

Here in Belgium we are tought to winter big colonies. I went your way, and have a much higher survival rate since I winter small colonies. Yet they keep saying I am wrong, unbelievable, but whatever. Small colonies in winter is what I want. I winter 5 frame nucs without any problem.

[@TexasBeekeeper]

Great video Bob. Lots of good tips in here. Appreciate you taking the time to share.

[@HardAssetsFTW]

Bob - can you give a brief explanation for overwintering in single deeps? I am learning and want to make sure I give my colonies the best shot to make it through winter. My current set up is: 1 deep and 1 medium over the top. Most of the mediums have 8-10 frames of honey. Any info would be appreciated. thanks and God bless.

[@evangelosmakris6449]

Hi Bob, thank you for the excellent videos. Have you noticed any differences in bees, when keeping hives in the shade?

[@bobbinnie9872]

Yes, we are more likely to have beetle issues if the colonies are in shade and the colonies tend to be a bit more "testy" when they're in the shade. In some shady locations I've had in the past they made a little smaller crop than other yards around them. I completely avoid yards that are in full shade. I like to see a minimum of one half day of full direct sun and plenty of light the rest of the day. A full day of sun is best in our area.

[@agmakr87]

Thanks Bob!

[@OutdoorsandCountryLiving]

So you will leave your landing board and entrance wide open? No entrance reducers? Looks like most are doing really good. Good crew you have. Thanks for sharing!

[@bobbinnie9872]

We only put reducers on small colonies, especially if they're in a windy spot. 95% of our colonies have no reducers. Keep in mind that all of our entrances are 3/8 inch and not 3/4. Mice generally cannot get in a 3/8 entrance. Thanks.

[@OutdoorsandCountryLiving]

@@bobbinnie9872 that makes sense. Thank you and have a blessed week. - Tom

[@blackcreekorganicfarm296]

Thanks for the update interesting how you prepare for winter in america

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Enjoyed it Bob, thanks for taking the time to do these. I learn a lot from seeing how you do things.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thank you Nathan. I enjoyed your interview with Cory. Good questions. You could have been a news journalist.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

@@bobbinnie9872 I appreciate it. I’d like to get back to visit with you again this winter if you’ll have me.

[@bobbinnie9872]

@@DuckRiverHoney Absolutely.

[@ADRYAN-farm]

Greetings from Romania! Thanks for the vlogs Respectfully Adrian

[@bobbinnie9872]

👍

[@michaelfike7542]

I noticed your bees don't glue the frames down like mine. You really have some nice colonies. Goldenrod is almost in full bloom here and you can smell the stinky feet smell around the hives here in north west alabama.

[@bobbinnie9872]

I was just in Alabama yesterday for the state convention. It was looking good over there.

[@littleblacklab1]

I really enjoy watching your videos.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thank you.

[@VENAL]

As always Bob, Very nice videos. I have always wonder how come you move those frames all together? Here in Albania, Europe, right now its nearly impossible to move one frame yet all together. Do you have any trick applied or just it is like that?

[@bradkendrick1127]

Solid hands on information decision making in real time! 🙏

[@bobbinnie9872]

🙏

[@robertstwalley3662]

Curious, why not open feed if so many hives in the yard need buckets?

[@bobbinnie9872]

I have open fed in the past, and it does work if done properly, but I don't do it at present for a few reasons. If there are any other bees around I don't want my bees rubbing shoulder to shoulder with them if I can help it because of possible disease and mite transfer and I don't want to be feeding another beekeepers colonies in case they have honey supers on and of course the extra cost. I also like making sure that the lighter colonies get more and the heavy colonies get less so they don't plug out too much. In a nutshell, I like more control.

[@allsmilz7234]

Thanks for sharing valuable content Bob 🍀👍

[@bobbinnie9872]

👍

[@arnoldfarmsbeesandhoney]

Anyway you could expand on the pesticide problem? Did the hives get sprayed directly? Or did they get on the flowers after being sprayed?

[@bobbinnie9872]

There were noticeable numbers of dead bees on the ground and the colony size shrunk overnight. I'm not sure what they got into. We didn't see anything suspicious around us.

[@arnoldfarmsbeesandhoney]

@@bobbinnie9872 Thank you sir. I have a farmer here in town wanting me to help him pollinate next year. Would you need to move your bees before he sprays pesticides? Or would you ask him to spray late in the evening and just take the loss? Last question, will bees get into pesticides that were sprayed the previous day?

[@bobbinnie9872]

@@arnoldfarmsbeesandhoney I'm not an expert on all the chemicals out there but I know that some need to be avoided completely and some can be OK if sprayed at night. A few years back I decided I would never do watermelons again because of the endless bad experiences and then had a farmer say he would only spray when it first got dark and because he was a friend I decided to try one last time. I had zero issue and pollinated for him several years with the same result. Some chemicals seem to break down fast and some persist and need to be avoided, even a day later.

[@arnoldfarmsbeesandhoney]

@@bobbinnie9872 Thank you for your reply sir.

[@dianetaylor6751]

Ha! Had a guy from Minnesota tell me he was moving back home from Northern Indiana to Northern Minnesota a couple weeks ago cuz he could not deal with the doom and gloom (no sun for months) ... and wind!!!!! Winter is most definitely relative. Stop by any winter time you like Bob and crew. It will be a brutal awakening here off the southern tip of Lake MI. Goldenrod flow is in general our best flow here. Started kinda puny with just pollen and little nectar. But after 4in rain it's wonderful. Bees still expanding.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi Diane. I spent six years in Alaska and some time in North Dakota. Young Bob handled it Ok but old Bob wants nothing to do with it. I hope you have a lovely winter up there. No sarcasm meant.

[@dianetaylor6751]

@@bobbinnie9872 My dream job was in North Dakota. Hubby is from Florida. Would not move there with me. He barely handles Indiana winters. I hate the heat and love the cold.

[@peterlightbody8443]

Interesting , lot of work , where do you see yourself in the long term , in 10 years time , doing less, down sizing the business , what's the plan . ?? Peter 🇦🇺

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi Peter. It would seem likely that in ten years I would not be able to do the bee work that I am doing now. With the right help things could continue with the bees so we'll see. At this time the outfit has dropped from a high of 2800 colonies 8 years ago to 1600 at present. Our honey packing and retail store could easily persist and grow with less input from me with good help. The short answer is that I don't have a for sale sign in the front yard just yet. Not a great answer, I know.

[@peterlightbody8443]

@@bobbinnie9872 Thanks for reply , very quick , if and when the day comes , will be time to start taking notes for the long awaited book , you always reply , love to meet you one day, take care Peter 🇦🇺 , dont forget the ""seth " video.

[@time2fly2124]

do you worry too much about that black mold that happens in the glass jars? seems like after about 2 weeks the bottom of the jars are totally black.

[@dadu63]

I run single deeps for winter. Just got done checking on em and most of em were real heavy. Thanks for sharing Bob!

[@solivaguswayfarer]

Great video Bob! Like the genetics of your queens and those brood frames ☺️

[@markspc1]

Pleasure to watch your videos Bob, you sure know your bees.

[@MinnesotaBeekeeper]

Mr. Binnie do you have a preference on what side you put drone frames on? East, west, north, south? I noticed that some of your hives have none in, maybe some have 2 drone frames? Thank you sir.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Although it may make a difference (i don't know) we don't worry too much about which side. The bees seem to get to them when they're ready no matter where they are. We actually like one in each colony but don't always get it done with newer colonies before winter. Two frames would be where we combined a drawn comb of any kind from a dud with a colony that may have still had an undrawn foundation. It will eventually get sorted out later.

[@rodrigogabrecht7945]

🤗✌👍✌✌✌💖

[@heavymechanic2]

Hey Bob, most of the videos I see are based on Italian needs, I switched to Carniolan and its completely different. My clusters are small and I been feeding a little extra thin sugar and pollen patty after the dry summer to get new colonies ready for winter. Two colonies requeened in late summer, its possible the small cluster may not make it through winter. Also made some NUC boxes in September to overwinter. I'm just north of you in Virginia.

[@bobbinnie9872]

The cluster size that Carniolans can overwinter with can be surprising. In our area four healthy frames of bees with a good queen can generally make it.

[@heavymechanic2]

@@bobbinnie9872 Thanks BOB, last winter I had a colony overwinter in a single Medium box with little care and the wind chill was brutal. I grafted off that queen to build up my outfit. I also buy a few queens to add different genetic strains for open mating. I really like your channel with all your knowledge on different subjects.

[@christophersublett1037]

Quick question for you Bob. I have a double deep that is heavy at the top and very light at the bottom. I feel like I should switch the boxes and feed 1.5:1, or 2:1 to get the weight where it needs to be before the end of the month. Would you take that approach, or just leave them as is and put the feed to them?

[@bobbinnie9872]

We have doubles with light bottoms and we're just feeding them as is. The bees will sort it out OK.

[@fr13th49]

What will do with the queenless colonies? Any advice? I got 2 colonies with many bees left quenless.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Depending on where you live it may be best to combine them with queen rite colonies or shake the bees out and let them go int other colonies. There is a saying among beekeepers that is "Take your winter losses in the fall".

[@joshuafreeman889]

Hello Mr. Binnie, I got a question. When selling my honey I have people ask me what kind of honey I'm selling. How do I know what kind of honey my bees are making?

[@bobbinnie9872]

It takes a little experience to tell one variety from another but after awhile you can. Simply watch for what they are working on heavily when the supers are filling up.

[@cindydotson5686]

I run my bees in two mediums. I am not going to feed sugar syrup this year because I left a full super of their honey on. So they will go into winter with three mediums. Do you think that would be a problem?

[@bobbinnie9872]

No problem if they are heavy enough and don't need continued stimulation to have enough bees for winter.

[@thehappycamper5575]

Hi Bob, I've noticed that you are predominately using feeding buckets, are you moving away from the 1.5 gallon frame feeders? Thanks for posting another great video.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Although we're now using buckets more because we're not moving around so much we still do use division board feeders occasionally. I used to keep one in every double deep. Not so much anymore.

[@jarrodjordan5468]

Coming into my first winter with 2 hives on southeastern Massachusetts. Any ideas or opinions on single or double brood chamber up this area?? Will I be better off trimming em down to one? Thanks.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Either one will work. I know of several beekeepers that overwinter in singles outdoors in Canada. They need to be prepared well and there is a bit of an art to it. Doubles provide more food so may need less attention in late winter and usually have a little larger cluster depending on how they were managed in the fall. If they're strong and full of bees in a double now I would leave them that way.

[@rajbeekie7124]

Those brood patterns are beautiful. I live in St. Paul, MN. Yes, we do have really cold winters. Going in to winter, I am looking for a solid 10 plus frames of bees.

[@bobbinnie9872]

We're lucky we can get away with less.👍

[@plainsimple442]

Hi Bob, wondering why you started Nucs in mid-summer?

[@bobbinnie9872]

We build nucs spring through summer without stopping. Summer nucs will generally become colonies that will replace colonies sold in the fall (we sell hundreds each fall) and restart individual empty locations that went bad for an assortment of reasons in spring and summer.

[@michaelshelnutt3534]

Bob, do you have any issues with late season swarming due to the stimulation from feeding?

[@bobbinnie9872]

Very rare.

[@kelvinmugo9268]

Hello Bob, I am Kelvin from Kenya, Africa. I have been considering feeding my bees sugarcane juice as the most affordable option for me. This has been inspired by the fact that I see lots of bees crowd around sugarcane process areas. What do you think about it?

[@bobbinnie9872]

Bees will generally collect anything that is sweet in a dearth period. Even things that not good for them. In our area sugar cane juice would be a bad idea because it has indigestible elements that could cause problems in winter when the bees cannot get out and defecate for extended periods of time. In your area that may not be the case and it might be OK. Before feeding all of your colonies with that you might want to try one or two and see what happens first.

[@kelvinmugo9268]

@@bobbinnie9872 I will definitely try with two colonies and once I get the results, I will be in a position to make the next move. Thank you Bob for always sharing beekeeping content that's rare to find anywhere. I am now able to rear my own queens through a video you shared sometime back. Thank you once again!

[@watsonrk1]

Just what I was looking for!

[@bobbinnie9872]

👍

[@earlybird906]

Hello Mr. Bob, I was wondering how do you overwinter the bees in a single brood box, if you have a few caped brood frames in the middle, after the brood hatches out and there isn't enough food source on those frames and if the bees form a cluster on those frames they wont be able to survive due to lack of food source even if they have honey on the side frames (as the cluster doesn't move from side to side) so do you just keep feeding them until they fill up the brood frames or is there another way you manage it? Thank you for your educational video's.

[@bobbinnie9872]

As the brood nest shuts down in late fall we feed syrup until there is the equivalent of approximately two open frames. Of course this empty space may be across a few frames. As long as the cluster is not tiny or small the bees will continue to move stores around, even on only slightly warm days. Small clusters are the ones that can suffer and we may choose to put those over a double screen board for the winter. You may find our video 'Overwintering Nucs on a Double screen Board" interesting. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3qVaWSAZqulkKs

[@earlybird906]

@@bobbinnie9872 Thank you so much for respond.