Splits, Swarms, Queens and More - May '23

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Sunday morning, first cup of coffee and Bobs video 😃

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi Nathan. I'm looking forward to bee business vlog #100. 😃 You are staying very busy.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

@@bobbinnie9872 lol, thanks!

[@kvadrad1]

I love how easy and friendly interaction between you and your crew is, they must respect you as a boss. One of the most important factors in successful business in my opinion

[@wpankey57]

I always appreciate your guided tours through your yards. Though just a hobby beekeeper, I still learn a lot from your videos.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thanks.

[@rajbeekie7124]

Awesome job, having a surplus of nucs, etc. is a great problem to have. Love your bee updates.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thanks.

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

73%, I'd take that in my hoppy yard. I used to think bluebirds were getting my queens, but they aren't around much any more. Later in the season worse it is. Maybe dragon flies. Bad tasting honey, don't hear that often. We don't have Mountain Laurel in Oklahoma - not many mountains. lol Thanks for the video Bob, always great content!

[@gregcundiff]

Oh my goodness that's a lot of Nucs. I can't even comprehend how much time and effort it would require to manage just the nucs, not counting the colonies too! Great work Mr. Binnie and Crew!

[@GEEZBEEZ]

Enjoy the interaction with your crew. Nice to have quality people around you. Thanks and take care.

[@thehappycamper5575]

Very exciting to see such an explosion of growth. We looking forward to your video about soap making. Thank you for sharing.

[@dadu63]

Another good sunday morning video from bob binnie and crew. Thanks for sharing!

[@AmbrosianBeeCo]

This year I set me OCD aside and did not have organized rows of pallets. Different orientation and position with each pallet and averaged 92% acceptance with cells. My first year to try - was pleasantly surprised.

[@garybeez]

Great to read, this year i will be doing it the same way

[@butlerbees6639]

Thank you for the quality videos Bob.

[@nate-408]

I love your videos you are incredibly helpful and full of great info. Thank you for sharing. Next time I come through, I'll stop by and see you guys for a chat.

[@jeffreyhoskins8955]

Great video

[@brentbeutler9670]

I agree 100 percent with mating success on a pallet. If we are putting cells in singles and have the equipment free we sometimes put kitty corner colonies on top of double screen boards that have side entrances, this puts one entrance on each side of the pallet but then we deal with drift with reorientation after we remove them.

[@ehsanpartovi]

Excellent video as always. Thank you Bob ❤

[@beebob1279]

Great video and a reminder about Mountain Laurel and Rhododendron. Our black locust is in full bloom and it hasn't rained since it opened last week. We usually get thunderstorms that ruin the black locust as soon as it blooms. The tulip poplar just opened also. I couldn't get to the hives this weekend (work to do) so I'll be checking throughout the week after work. I appreciate the reminder about watching for inbreeding. It's a good thing because I'll forget about that.

[@framcesmoore]

Ha Bob I have to say I really enjoy every video u make I wish they were longer I wish u the best bee keeping season. Our flow is really messed up here we had freezing weather and just knocked the socks off my bees and the flow it jus killed the buds and it has never came back my bees are not working the suppers they are filling the brood nest only. very little coming in. My bees just killed all the drone and the old bees I guess, when the freeze was over I had just mountains of dead bees in front f my hives they went from all so strong and beautiful down to 3 -4 frames of bees they are comming back but the flow is not. I had never seen anything like it. I sure hope you get a good flow on something that u can use. Thanks for the video I look for them every sunday and I miss them when u do not put one up. God Bless and have a great week

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thanks Frances.

[@2timbukk]

Hi Bob I see the seat/toolboxes that your people use and they look handy and also look good for gardening. Do you have the plans and dimensions to build one of those? Thanks again for the awesome and educational videos that you keep making!

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thanks. Each one is a bit different with no standard dimensions. Basically just a short box with feet.

[@Bluegrass45]

Enjoyed, reminds us of working in the tobacco fields together having a good time. Looks good!

[@stevesoutdoorworld4340]

Thanks for sharing Bob and that's a great problem to have Too Many Bees!😁

[@bobbinnie9872]

Yes, but sometimes it's overwhelming.

[@danbrewer]

Great video, love seeing how busy you guys are. What do you do with the honey you don’t want to harvest?

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thanks. We leave it on the bees.

[@Xray.71]

Sundays with Bob and new vids from Randy Oliver. Those nucs that swarmed on you, did they leave a queen cell and some bees behind? Was there enough elapsed time for moths/beetles to take over them? Have a good Sunday Bob!

[@bobbinnie9872]

We caught most of the colonies right after they had swarmed so they were still in decent condition.

[@Xray.71]

@@bobbinnie9872 I did a split, a buddy gave me a queen cell to put in there. I’m 100% there was no queen prior to making the split….. what would be some scenarios why they would build complete queen cells? She was supposed to hatch on Friday and the only reason why I paid attention to this split was I had to replace the top in order to feed them so I could see the cells from the top. Thanks!

[@jasongaritan3904]

I'm a professionnal beekeeper in France si I love these videos because the basics are the same but here in France we use different bee boxes, so we work juste a little differently. But these video are really interesting !

[@robertstwalley3662]

What is the design called of the boxes your helpers are using, I am not sure I have seen them used before on your channel. I am always looking for an edge as a one man show to get through the bee chores in a timely manner. thanks for all the videos, it is such a reassuring time to see "real" beekeeping in action, the good and the bad, keeping it real is very valuable to novise folks like me.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thanks. The stools we are using are basically a box with two chambers, on its side, with feet. Nothing special.

[@goldenbee9978]

Thanks for the content what has interested me for a long time. over what distances are your bee colonies distributed? what routes do you ride in a normal week? Next week I'll start my first queen breeding series using your method, I'm very excited!!. Greetings from Allgäu, Germany

[@bobbinnie9872]

We currently have forty-three yards which are all within a few miles of a highway running south to north. The range from one end to the other is about forty miles with an increase in elevation of about 900 feet. This provides a difference in bloom times of around 2 to 2-1/2 weeks which is very helpful because with some jobs it can take two or three weeks to work from one end to the other. In the spring we start a specific task in the south and work our way north and after the summer solstice we do the reverse. Good luck with the queen rearing.

[@goldenbee9978]

@@bobbinnie9872 thank you very much!

[@babybeeapiaries8667]

Maybe this isn't the video to ask this question to you on, but here goes. I have a good problem each year. My hives overwinter very well for me in PA. I can't travel south as I am a Sideliner. My hives are too big before I get to the point that I can make my own queens or split them and they make their own queens, just not enough drones yet at that time. The only thing I can think to do is buy queens from the south so that I can make the splits and not loose my hives to swarming and still make a very large honey crop. What are your thoughts on this Bob?

[@bobbinnie9872]

We have to do the same thing. Our first queens for nuc production and splitting begin arriving mid March which is at least two weeks before we would feel comfortable using queen cells.

[@tommychew6544]

You're describing problems I'll make sure to never get myself into. Nice to see how you do it though, the heat in the kitchen was too much for me so to say! Love the easy flow of your videos though.

[@RyanPardoe]

Good to see old Johnny Corncob working hard!

[@MerrittHoney]

I’m frustrated with queen acceptance on pallets with cells as well. On a different note: Have you ever tried a 12v syrup pump with an accumulator tank? I’ve been using a semi trash gas pump for a few years and although it works wonderfully, it would nice to have a set up ready to go while working the hives.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi Ron. Would this be an air pressure tank?

[@MerrittHoney]

It’s a pump/tank combo. 5.5 gpm pump with 2 gallon tank.

[@dianetaylor6751]

Happy Mother's to Mrs Bonnie. And the mom in me wants to send your female beekeeper a care package of home cooked food.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thanks. She chooses to skip some lunches. She tells me she has hardly evening meals though.

[@MichaelArnold0919]

What do you do with the "terrible tasting" honey? Do you save it to feed back to your bees next spring?

[@bobbinnie9872]

We try to isolate as much as possible it in brood nests and don't try to save it.

[@richardmeyer6021]

Do you make and sell your own nuc boxes? If so, how can they be purchased?

[@bobbinnie9872]

Yes we do. At this moment we are out of our own pine boxes and we're selling cypress nuc boxes made by someone else with HDO bottoms and tops made by us. If interested please call our store at 706 782 6722.

[@tristonosborne5537]

Hi Bob I’ve been thinking a lot about hive preparation before a spring flow to reduce swarming and achieve a higher honey yield. Have you tried re queening your hives with a queen cell a few weeks before your spring flow starts to kind of break their thoughts of swarming to keep them in an emergency growth behavior. Thank you. Your videos are the best.

[@aidanquick3151]

I'd be interested in your thoughts on this question as well Bob. More from a brood break, varroa control aspect, but same timing, before the flow. Thanks

[@MeadApiaries]

Bob, explain your concern with inbreeding with consideration to bee polyandry.

[@atlas4225]

I can't help but wonder... A bee hive in nature would have the brood above the honey. I don't believe you typically use queen excluders, but have you ever tried or heard of under-supering while also using a queen excluder essentially trapping a mated queen inside the hive?

[@bobbinnie9872]

My experience is that the bees store their surplus honey above the brood so I have not tried to put supers on the bottom of the hive. You can trap a queen inside the hive with an excluder but it also traps drones inside.

[@atlas4225]

Bob. You are amazing! I have trippled my apiary this year having digested much of your content followed to the extent I feel capable. I would not have thought it otherwise possible. Thank you. I do now recognize that drawn comb will be my limiting factor with such development. Do you by any chance have thoughts on drawing comb faster, more reliably... I already super at 80% drawn below and feed 1.3 parts water to 1 part sugar and offer a small portion of polin substitute regularly. Not enough to peraist past 5 days to keep small hive Beatles down. Again, thank you for what you do and passing along the wisdom

[@86offroad]

Too many bees, need to ship some to Stepplar. Lol

[@whoeverit9087]

It's about 72% Queen return.

[@joeybrannon8626]

I saw one of your videos of when you were making the skids that you use for holding your 4 hives. Could you send me the link to that video, and do you sell those?

[@bobbinnie9872]

We usually don't build them to sell because the material we use makes them too expensive for most people. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aIPWm5tpocd3prc

[@filipvernica258]

For swarms I use 3/4 inch plastic pipe I screws two pieces of wood In pipe up an lower about 18 inches I put the frame on each side of the pipe close to and screw the frame on frames , lives gap like 4 inches between the frames ,make like cross , I reach up over the swarm and slow go in the swarm , live in for few minutes and fish/lift up and in box and don’t shake the bee will fly back, so I suggest to unscrew the screw and replace with other once, you can add second piece of pipe if too short I don’t put more than two frames, I think will be heavy ,but you try that. Good luck…let me know how works.

[@maragrace820]

Black locust bloomed way back in Atlanta. maybe 1-2 months ago

[@fr13th49]

Could be the reason for losing queens be the same color of the hives(those on pallets) and no markers as weeds or trees or bushes etc near them to get queen orienting back?

[@bobbinnie9872]

Could be some of both although I've had plenty of mixed colors in the past with the same type of results.

[@beesintheweeds]

Hi Bob. I’m curious why you all are caging the queens when doing your splits. Thanks!

[@bobbinnie9872]

Normally we would but in some cases we didn't have enough replacement cells ready and will need to come back another time.

[@donotcare330]

When are your guy's hive parts store going to be up and running again? Thanks!

[@bobbinnie9872]

Our store is open and you can call anytime to order, 706 782 6722. If you are referring to our web site the old one doesn't allow for bee supply orders online but we're working on a new and modern one that should be great. It should be ready in a few months and I will definitely announce it when it's ready.

[@bamabeesqueens]

Did you make queen stool can you show a little about it.

[@bobbinnie9872]

We did make them. They're basically just a box with feet. I'll try to show them better in a future video.

[@lenturtle7954]

So if the queens fly 1/2 a mile to find drones how do they know which direction to fly do they hear the drones ??

[@bobbinnie9872]

Sorry, I wish I knew more about it. The drone congregation areas and how the queens find them is interesting to me.

[@Dougarrowhead]

I've never had mtn laurel honey. I would like to try some.

[@bobbinnie9872]

If you could you wouldn't forget it.

[@Peter_Gunn]

I sure would have bought the old queens you killed. Would be nice to have some of them Bob Binnie genetics.

[@basilisziogas2431]

Hello Mr Binnie... In the first yard I see deep-medium combination... What is your opinion for this system??? From a Greek beekeeper I wish you the best!!!!

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hello to Greece! We have both two deep brood box hives and single brood box. The deep and medium in this video is a single brood box with an excluder and extracting super. They were only recently started and will remain that way until next year when they may become doubles. Both systems work, and I like both, but they need different management techniques. Colonies started late have a much better chance of making honey for us this year if they remain single brood chamber.

[@basilisziogas2431]

Hello.. Sorry for my late response... Every combination is powerful as long as you have new high quality queens with low tendency to swarm... Here in Greece swarming is a headache... Yes we have the perfect climate, large honey crops but swarming is a biiiiig issue... All the best for you!!!

[@andrewklahold2880]

Locust honey is really good, is very light in color, and then fall I get clover and buck wheat

[@Swampsquash]

Bob, do you happen to have any plans for those seats for working queen nucs? I really need to build one, I'm too big for 5 gallon buckets, they keep breaking lol

[@Xray.71]

Jegs sells low seats on wheels. 5 gallon bucket fails at 125 #’s…… so unless you’re tiny kid a bucket won’t work for most of us lol

[@bobbinnie9872]

Sorry no. They're basically a box with feet.

[@Swampsquash]

@@Xray.71 haha ya I know, but I never learn my lesson

[@andrewvandervelde2488]

“Mothers Day” Sunday today in Canada… and in Georgia… the ‘Queen Mothers’ in Bob’s yards are exploding with productivity!!!

[@Abed-Almanam-abo-haenh]

Hello, how to get a good bloodline from the mother of Baqvast? Is it shipped abroad?

[@bobbinnie9872]

There is a bee researcher in this country that went "The Republic of Georgia" to get semen. That is where the Caucasian bee is from.

[@lestertoclo6884]

Hello sir. Got a question here. How do you create large colony 2-3 deeps full of bees and how much time does it take?

[@SRS1918]

Bob, what do you guys use for Varroa treatment? I've found Apivar to be really expensive, and looking for a cheaper option. I've got around 450 hives.

[@bobbinnie9872]

We use Apiguard in early August and oxalic vaporization ti winter. Worked out good for us last year.

[@cai876]

What type of smoker do you use?

[@bobbinnie9872]

Dadant 4x10 with finger guard and heat shield.

[@cai876]

@@bobbinnie9872 Thanks! I'll give one a go :)

[@rodrigogabrecht7945]

🤗👍💝

[@homkl1423]

شيء جميل جدا وعمل متقن كل التوفيق والنجاح الدائم

[@b.p432]

Im considering buying a caucasian breeder from Shibu Raj. Im curious what your thoughts are on his queens.

[@bobbinnie9872]

He seems to do a good job. We're getting a few more in a couple of weeks.

[@tjjastrem127]

Wish you could send Ian some bees

[@maragrace820]

mountain laurel? what is that?

[@bobbinnie9872]

Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Kalmia_latifolia

[@andrewvandervelde2488]

Furthermore… in Canada… the Robins, Hummingbirds, Orioles have showed up from the ‘ Deep South’ these past few day… Where would we be without ‘Mothers’? We’d be in a sad state of affairs!

[@taylorboysoutdoors]

Wow, I don't feel soo bad about all my swarming now lol

[@bobbinnie9872]

Glad I could help. 👍

[@dougstucki8253]

I suspect that the lower success rate is likely the result of queens returning to the wrong hive and get balled by the hive they go into on accident. I bet if there was more randomness to the layout, or different colors on hives, you might see more queens return.

[@bobbinnie9872]

We have tried that and much more. There is something about pallets that hinders success a bit. Our best luck is actually with nucs on the ground.

[@mendezsacher9422]

Why do you feed the bees, even though your bees are strong and have a good density, not to be mixed with the original honey?

[@bobbinnie9872]

We of course don't feed colonies with honey supers on and the feed buckets seen in this video were put on one month ago when there wasn't any nectar coming in. We don't feed into boxes that will be harvested for honey.

[@mendezsacher9422]

@@bobbinnie9872 This is good. I am a big fan of yours and what I mean is because the cell consists of two floors. When does the fog stop?

[@bobbinnie9872]

@@mendezsacher9422 We're actually not feeding anything now. If there isn't a flow we usually feed until the brood nest is drawn out. When the nectar started we stopped but there are still some empty buckets from the past showing up in the videos.

[@brucesouthernsassapiaries8316]

The bloom cycle this year has been strange to say the least.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Totally agree!

[@michaelshelnutt3534]

Ever considered selling those old queens instead of pinching? Seems like a missed income opportunity.

[@bobbinnie9872]

I've thought about it but haven't wanted to deal with it at a very busy time.

[@Drewjober]

Could someone make mead with that mountain Laurel honey?

[@bobbinnie9872]

That's a good question to which I don't know the answer.

[@dcsblessedbees]

M.R.E. the only thing good in them is the freeze dried fruit pack and calling it good🤢Oh 😳Seth.🤣😂 Hey Bob have you ever tasted Hawthorn bloom honey? I have a crazy Hawthorn bloom just started yeasterday and got me interested in info on it.

[@bobbinnie9872]

I have not tasted that as far as I know. Is it good?

[@dcsblessedbees]

@@bobbinnie9872 No idea yet, I just noticed the shrub/trees putting on a big bloom this year so maybe I'll find out. Putting supers on tomorrow to get them bees working.😁

[@noureddinemekdad6705]

Minute 8 of the video is the same all over the world

[@bobbinnie9872]

👍

[@mikeconley3031]

Them is sum big nucs !

[@kathyhathaway8823]

What do you do with the Mountain Laurel honey when you get it in your colonies. I would love to get some to use as a gag gift or get some to give to family an tell them this is what my bees are making an ask them to try it an ask who will tell me the truth about me making any money from it GREAT HONEY. LOL HAHA . Thanks Mr. BOB

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi Kathy. We just leave it on the bees.

[@TheIrfanxz44]

Never heard, or tasted terrible honey. There’s no such a thing All honey is amazing.

[@bobbinnie9872]

I don't think you would care for Mountain Laurel. Very bad.

[@ricksutton2902]

I'm the first