Building a Bee Business Vlog #24

[@johnl302]

It was 107 degrees last week in Arkansas, two weeks straight over 100. Its only 92 today....what a blessing. I feel your pain and frustration. I Had 2 go queenless and 1 drone layer and 1 abscound, having to combine too. Only my hobby 15 hives, not my lively hood like you are trying to build. I did check some swarm traps I havent checked since May. 3 of 5 caught swarms...maybe a terrible mess of comb when I bring them home, but may at least get 3 laying queens. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord.

[@chuckgross6024]

You can always make more money, but you can't make more time. You know, about that bee space theory, you may be on to something. I notice I get some bur comb holding my boxes together, too. Never gave it much thought to think if it was just the plastic or both. Moving on to the heat! Whoa, did we have a scorcher this week here in Iowa! I'm a welder, so I can take some heat, but holy moly, the 100° Temps with our Iowa humidity took the heat index to 115° for a few days. 🥵🥵 today (saturday) was crisp, uper 70s weather, and a nice north breeze. It's so refreshing to feel that! Congrats on your new connection with the food bank!

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Chuck! Our weather finally broke last night, much better temps ahead this week. Time to work!

[@BucksBeesS.C.]

Thanks for all you give. I know you are busy. Been a blessing to alot of us. And good luck with mites and beetles.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks!

[@michaelshelnutt3534]

I really, really appreciate your videos.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Michael!

[@westforkfarms4270]

I enjoy watching your honesty and path to your goal. Not every day is success and sometimes I hear frustration in your voice, on those days get in your truck, turn on some good jam and ride around awhile to clear your mind and re-focus. You got this and I am right behind you except I just starting.... Keep your head up and hammer down.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks!

[@AdamWStrickland]

Hey Nathan. I've had great success requeening with nucs W/O caging the nuc's queen. Saves time and another visit. Keep up the good work

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks. I’ve had mixed results without caging the queen.

[@randallcarter-carterhillho2277]

The one more thing deal you talked about is spot on. I have learned the hard way that it will lead to burn out and take the fun out of it. When i started growing i did well over 1000 wood frames and wired bees wax frames. Got old on a hurry.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

There’s always one more thing to do Randall!!! It’s a disease.

[@russellkoopman3004]

Yaah, Randall, when bees start cutting in to family time, then it is time to figure out how to free up some time. That is called wisdom right??

[@randallcarter-carterhillho2277]

@@russellkoopman3004 absolutely correct!! I used to buy cheap. Now i buy to save time and reduce heavy lifting.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Wisdom in action!

[@GEEZBEEZ]

Thanks for all the good information. Sugar prices are crazy and stock is down. I wish they would get some at conferences for better pricing and bulk. Good luck with your treatments. Take care.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Garry!

[@robotron7]

I've done a little research on the burr comb between boxes filled with plastic frames. The culprit is the bottom bar thickness and Mann Lake got that issue figured out. Anything less than 1/4" thickness stimulates bees to continue attaching the bottom of the frame to the top bar of the frames in the box below. I think MannLake uses 3/8 thick bottom bars, so bees are more willing to accept it as the end of the comb on the frame. By the way, the main contributor to that research was the publication by Dee Lusby of Arizona. I hope this helps.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Interesting, thanks!

[@claybunner1059]

I feel your pain!! The heat the mites and queenless hives. Sugar at Walmart just went up .40 a 10 lb bag here in Virginia. I’m building a bee business also but you are way ahead of me. I have 32 hives right now but will probably have to combine some for winter. I am hoping we get some rain soon because there is a soybean field about 1000 yards from my hives that haven’t bloomed yet. That would help boost my bees into winter I hope. Thanks for putting your intro music back on it just screams Duck River Honey when I hear it!😊

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Clay!

[@russellkoopman3004]

Yah, I love his intro music also. I hope he continues using it.

[@daverowden-RowdyBeeFarms]

I don’t have hive beetles problem thus far. I had mass burr comb issues with plastic frames also, not sure why the do that. Looking forward to fall temps and deer hunting season. Thanks for the video like always.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Dave!

[@tonyfox5422]

In uk, if a colony is varroa resistant but has a high varroa count, then a half treatment just to knock back the mites is the recommended action. Just giving them a helping or supporting action. Then the bees get on top the varroa again.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks!

[@russellkoopman3004]

This last week we got a taste of that southern heat and it wasn't pleasant. LOL We hit a heat index of 114 F here in MN on Tuesday and it was miserable. Today we had a high of 76 with low humidity and it was wonderful. Have a great week Nathan.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Russell!

[@EagleNestApiaries]

Great video! Hope we all get a little break here soon with the weather.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

👍

[@meloneycrews]

We think the same about the plastic frames!! Seems like my hubs changed clothes a minimum of 3 times a day the last month..this is worse than most Florida summers! It’s been a brutal one this year and doesn’t seem to be over…still have 100-105 temps next week too🥵be careful out there! Nathan we have absolutely enjoyed your videos this year! You are always in our prayers💕💞

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Meloney, I appreciate that!

[@farmermike7052]

I liked your idea of purchasing a quantity of sugar from the grocery store. The extra cost will easily be made up in time saved. Every time I buy a cart load of sugar at the store I get the strangest looks. Onetime a lady asked if I owned a still.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I got that question a lot! It’s a lot better loading the truck off a pallet at the back door.

[@3Beehivesto300]

It’s so dry in west central Louisiana there are forest fires and there will be no fall flow. I will be feeding 300 hives.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Rough down there this year, good luck!

[@t5rider07]

Thanks for taking the time to produce and post these videos Nathan. We really appreciate your perspective and not only showing us your processes but also explaining your thought processes along the way. We always find something to consider during our journey to build a bee business. We are paying $.58/lb for 50lbs of sugar here in SE Kansas at Sam's Club, who always seems to beat Walmart or Costco. I don't much care for paying membership fees to those businesses, but since we began keeping bees, I find it more palatable for the oil (for the Freeman bottom boards...because SHBs!) and the sugar. But I know as we grow, I'm going to have to figure out a better solution to 50lb bags and 5 gallon buckets. 🙂

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks, I appreciate it!

[@KajunHomestead]

I see you use the entrance reducer I use , Dang it! , I was gonna market it lol.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

😂

[@brianbennett4374]

Thanks for sharing 👍 I appreciate you sharing your time and info 😊looking forward to the next one

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Brian!

[@TomSeel-u4t]

Nathan I wish you all the best, I've heard for years buy your equipment and build your bee's. It is sound advice but it sometimes takes a little longer to get there.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Agreed, it’s about managing risk.

[@amfarmsllc5624]

I am growing too and bought 400 frames from ML along with a lot of other stuff. I had just bought out another person so those 400 frames got me to where I needed to be. ML free shipping compared to Acorn shipping just does not make sense to me. I am at 80 good hives right now but I am completely out of deep frames etc. You spoke about Jim and I bought all his mediums he sold not long ago. Since I am in SC it was not too far for us to pick up.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Good deal, thanks!

[@rtxhoneybees]

I watched with great interest as you went into that high mite load colony. I have a high mite load colony that is crazy gentle. I raised queens off of them in the Spring. I am finding that the daughters' colonies are mostly low mite load colonies but are still gentle. I think the drones have greater influence but even that doesn't explain why those daughter colonies have less mites than the others in the same yard.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Nucs will generally have lower counts than mature hives.

[@3Beehivesto300]

Keep a roll of heavy trash bags. When you come across a lot of beetle larvae dummy into a bag. Keep it off the ground.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Good idea!

[@nszucs1]

I have had a lot of the same lessons learned this year! Take so much more time and effort to get a late July split ready for an Ohio winter compared to a one frame May split. Make hay while the sun shines! Going to stop with the late season splits if I can.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Ditto, thanks

[@CCCRApiary]

I feel your pain, I have had enough losses this month.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Tough month

[@paulhicks7991]

as far as frames go, i've started putting taking a queen marking pen and putting a dot(or some sort of mark) to indicate the year i put that frame in Thanks for the vid Nathan, been really enjoying this series.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Paul!

[@tommychew6544]

Great video, always like hearing how things are going.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Tommy

[@MFB7000]

I put Grubex around my hives this year. Hive beetle problem is gone

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I’ll probably try that next spring.

[@masonh2260]

The nucs are definitely a huge help I went from 8 to 75 colonies this year and a large part of it was because of my nuc battery. I'm trying to get to around the same numbers you mentioned 250 or so and nucs will play a large role in that. Have you tried diatomaceous earth in those traps it's not liquid and doesn't go bad it kills beetles and larvae too.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

It wets out here in our humidity.

[@hootervillehoneybees8664]

Cell starter keep adding brood keep adding mites .. I see same thing in mine I use apivar for that problem.. lasts 60 days. Trick I've used during dearth set my nucs out in high grass .. knocks the smell down way less robbing.. mating nucs I try keeping those in high grass.. trick I learned from one of my mentors.. that oil trick works well wondered why you had a level out .. thought man likes his boxes level I guess.. sounds like you need trip up to torch lake Michigan deepest lake.. has wild trout and salmon.. muskie and small mouth state record came from torch lake.. we have great small mouth fishery most lakes have them.. torch lake grows them big . Lk st Clare most the smally move up into the st Clare river in Aug . I could go on and on I use to fish alot before bees .. I have lots 120 pounds sense I got into bees . Most people come in the spring and they fish lk st Clare 80 fish days are common. My son fishes a lot bass tournaments so does my dad. We can definitely show you around.. Russians have come a long way . Same DNA but they are fine tuning them. Production is amazing.. the daughters from my breeder hybrid.. I'm working on sugar deal direct from pioneer sugar I have ton coming hopefully won't need it this fall goldenrod and loose strife really turned on yesterday like a light switch.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks, I’d love to fish up there some day. I’ve thought about a family trip to Minnesota as well to do a canoe camping trip.

[@billymiller1954]

Nathan, regarding your new customer, the food bank, how did you price your honey for them? How did you approach them? Thank you !!

[@nunyah64]

Do you have a Walmart distribution center close by? They will generally give you busted bags of sugar and such! We’ve used the center in London Kentucky for several years I know a couple folk that works there! I drop off a large trash can and they fill it! Just a thought!

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks!

[@masonh2260]

Also sugar is a killer for me too. I was getting sugar for .38/lb now I'm paying .56/lb and trying to find it in any quantity is really tough.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

That’s still cheap.

[@taylorboysoutdoors]

That one more thing is a real issue with any Family/Work relationship

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Agreed!

[@bobbyprice7119]

Thanks for the videos. Great advice. What kind of OAV tool do you use and which one would you recommend for a small operation. I have 10 hives. Thanks again and best of luck to you.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I have a ProVap EZ and an InstantVap. The InstantVap would be good for a small operation.

[@ADi-HiDef]

as I understand it all / most colonies start uncapping brood in the face of a massive infestation, the problem is they do it far too late and by then they are at the point of collapse, the trick must be to encourage the bees to engage in the uncapping earlier on in the infestation. thanks for the videos Nathan, I'm learning along with you and enjoying every minute. all the very best!

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks!

[@johnl302]

😂

[@ADi-HiDef]

@@DuckRiverHoney I think it was one of your videos with Cory Stevens I learned that little tit bit. I gotta say as filmer /editor and bee keeper myself it's pretty impressive how you combine the two and come out with quality thought out, well edited videos, I doff my cap to you sir, All the best.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I appreciate it!

[@windyridgeapiaries]

Thank you Nathan! There are always challenges, but you will conquer them. Hit 'em hard! BTW... I spy a mite on an unfortunate girl in that infected colony... At 17:14, on the feeder cover just above the rubber strap. Sigh. -Jeff

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Jeff! I found that mite, will get her next time.

[@chuckgross6024]

Wow! Good eye!

[@eddybarker5072]

Hang in there Nathan…..another 3-4 weeks and the Summer heat will be behind us.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

👍

[@BeeGeeTheImp]

Nuc battery or nuc batteries? Good question.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

What do you mean Barry?

[@haroldmarsh5156]

Just one more thing... trying to grow,,, having growing pains

[@dcsblessedbees]

I am finding I don't really loose in many cases, so much can be used in so many ways as long as you are on top of it.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Hives are rental homes. One renter leaves, move another in.

[@jerryinman4324]

Can you tell me where you get your Jar's for your honey ? I am having getting jar's that are a good price Thanks Jerry

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Gamber, Berlin, specialty are a few.

[@sentimentalbloke7586]

14 cases a month? That's a heap of bottling. I hope that you enjoy bottling honey lol

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Well, I like not being broke…😆

[@sentimentalbloke7586]

Yeah I know the feeling, it seems that you are forever dipping your hand into your wallet to make withdrawals but rarely to replenish supply.@@DuckRiverHoney

[@chuckgross6024]

^^ 😀 😂

[@chuckgross6024]

Oddly enough, the bottling part of honey work is the most enjoyable part for me.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

It’s tedious for me, but necessary. Luckily that is probably the easiest job to replace with high school kids. It’s a lot harder to find beekeeper labor.

[@robinfreed6828]

Here in North Texas I buy 50 lbs bags of sugar at Costco. Paid $34. Per bag two days ago. During July the bags were $29.99 each. For me this is a better price than Walmart. I hope you have a Costco nearby.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

It’s over an hour drive to a Costco, and I don’t have a membership…

[@TN_Goldens_Apiary]

Walmart is cheaper than the Costco in west nashville.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Interesting, thanks

[@jedsackett5255]

When you do a series of oav treatments , how many grams do you use and how many days apart do you do them?

[@DuckRiverHoney]

The label is the law. 🤨

[@jedsackett5255]

@@DuckRiverHoney Well I was asking because I don't have any oxcilic acid.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

The legal dose is 1 gram per brood box. The latest research indicates that is much too low to be effective. Up to 4 grams per brood box is more effective, but not legal.

[@srae1503]

What material are your blue inner covers?

[@DuckRiverHoney]

PVC

[@flowerstreetfarmbees]

I've got a question. I'm intrigued by how you use OAV as a mite monitoring tool. Are there any studies that show correlations between oav mite drop counts and alcohol wash percentages? Is there any way you translate your hard mite drop count to a hive percentage?

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I’m not aware of any studies, but I have been told by a scientist how to determine if I really am finding resistant colonies with this methodology. But I haven’t done it yet.

[@rtxhoneybees]

Bryan, I am going to chime in on this. I use the same method as Nathan. If you use the estimate that 20% of the mites are killed with a treatment and you can estimate the strength of your colony, you can figure out what your mite load is. An example would be 50 dropped mites is 250 mites. 250/20000 is 1.25%. Hope that helps.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

@rtxhoneybees thanks Phillip!

[@3Beehivesto300]

Do you have a video on your hose reel?

[@DuckRiverHoney]

No but I’ve a couple requests.

[@joesullivan2887]

I’ve only been following your channel here and there but I think you may regret having all medium boxes/frames. Definitely makes things easier having uniform equipment but selling nucs is a huge part of many commercial beekeeper’s business model. Sure you’ll have a few folks buy medium nucs but everyone wants 5 deep frames. Just my opinion as someone who started with the goal of honey but transitioned to queens and nucs

[@DuckRiverHoney]

It’s easy to go from mediums to a medium and a deep. Thanks.

[@FOXHAVENHIVES]

I blasted a hornet with my torch the other day.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

🤣

[@originalwoolydragon8387]

Hey Nathan, I was looking around your website (good job, by the way; I know the pain of setting up my own website too.) Are you out of honey to sell? There's no tab to purchase; just for the wish list.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I’ll get some more stock bottled and then turn it back on. I’ve been filling wholesale orders and put the site on the back burner.

[@originalwoolydragon8387]

Okay, just making sure you know. @@DuckRiverHoney

[@cherylhurley7401]

Try talking where where newbees can understand what you are talking about

[@DuckRiverHoney]

LOL! I’m finishing year four of beekeeping.

[@jeffcotton2235]

Your videos lately seem to be with you looking at the glass as being "Half Empty". Try to be more upbeat and positive instead of continually focusing on the negative.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I’m actually a very optimistic person. But it’s August Beekeeping in Tennessee. Lots more losses and problems than fun stuff right now, so that’s what you’re seeing.