Digging into the Small Hives, Finding the Bottom Line 👈 April 29, 2020

[@johnoliver9885]

I don’t have a single reason to own that hive hoist BUT I WANT ONE!

[@suzanneguiho4882]

Thank you for this video. Your presentation helped me to further understand the distinction between strength of the cluster, understanding better the positive signs and the red light signs and how to react. Your evaluations are detailed and logical. Gives me a grasp of certain criteriae to use when assessing a hive. Great! Thank you for your generosity at sharing of the knowledge that you have.

[@lesnik4625]

Уже более двух лет смотрю и учусь на ваших видео. Спасибо!

[@ThatBeeMan]

Great video! Nice to see you do a good old fashioned inspection from time to time. Enjoy the nice weather we have!

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

That Bee Man at Faith Apiaries I know what you mean! Working outside the hives and around them does not tell us everything we need to know, Lots of spot checks and digging downs

[@jeffsea6490]

Good one Ian your smoker and you have a *love-hate relationship* with your smoker. Agreed, nothing desensitizes honeybees better than smoke.

[@mikeshaw8744]

Air down your tires. Improves traction and increases surface area. It's an old 4x4 mudding trick. Helps in the sand too. You probably already know being a farmer.

[@matthewsweeney2577]

Fantastic info!

[@karriespigener4241]

You have the most informative videos. I am so glad I found you. Wish I had found you in December then I wouldn't be in trouble with a HUGE hive I have they may split any day! I should have split them in Feb. I'm in Texas so I am trying to get my timeline and weather to match up with yours!

[@mememmine997]

At point 22:57 you opened a week hive that had two to three frames of drawn frames that had no eggs or stores on them. The next frame was stores then frames of eggs and larvae. My question or comment is why did you not put one of the frames that had no eggs in it that was not being used into the middle of the brood nest to give the Queen more cells to lay in and grow the brood count faster. Did they have enough bees to cover another frame?

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Meme Mmine Never, ever will I interfere with the nest as laid out, unless equalizing or splitting. I do not believe in disruption of the brood nest dynamics at play

[@mememmine997]

a Canadian Beekeeper’s Blog I get that point, I do it to build new comb in the flow in strong colonies. I Dont have the flow you have it's longer but not as strong as yours. I find.the bees jump on the new foundation and before the cells are 1/2 drawn out the Queen is laying in them. So it's not slowing her down. Only having 46 hives, I understand I do things you may not need to do. I just wish I had the farm area you have access to. I thank you for all your video efforts, I have enjoyed each of your beekeeping videos and I have learned much about beekeeping from you. I have adopted some of your feeding practices ”pails and patties” thanks for all you have done for us little beekeepers.

[@zongshunliang9928]

excellent brood they going to strong lol , good colony

[@CuriousCreature]

Really like the explanation of what you are looking at and follow up. My 5 all made it.

[@gibbsadventures12]

Great video, excellent description on how the queens are working.

[@alanwatts9232]

If practical, perhaps you could engineer up a half-track arrangement for your truck. You could bolt it on in early winter and take it off late spring.

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Alan Watts That would be a dream

[@farmer998]

do you think maybe those that were small might have on the verge of a starve out when coming out of the shed and just catching up bout now ,. and what about putting them on top of a strong colony with excluder ,for a week or two . hope your kicking butt with your you tube funds because you are putting out a lot of valuable information that you spent money learning but giving away free many many thanks

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Jimmy Gallop Nothing is for free ;)

[@decaturridgebees8761]

Looking good Ian!

[@dimonkurskiipchelovod5765]

Very good. good luck.

[@bub1683]

A true coffe lover, told my wife I saw u drinking true the beejacket mesh ..hahaha

[@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork]

Thanks Ian! And yes, "If you're not getting stuck you're not trying hard enough, and if you do get stuck make sure it's worth pulling it out." That is driving in mud to a T!!!!!!

[@stufarnham]

Ian, an old guy like me could really use a hoist like that. Do you rent it out? Can you drop it off in Walla Walla, Wa? My strongest hives continue to devour patties despite a good pollen flow. Stu

[@zongshunliang9928]

i watch 6-7minutes and i wanted to sleep, now i going back to watch haha

[@irishcoffee6894]

I use a bit of cartboard to start up the smoker but the rest is filled up with cow manure (of course really dry) It lasts for about 4-5 hours.

[@tiborcsizmadi4796]

Dosen't matter what Ian use's in his smoker....He forget's it half the time anyway ...lol

[@sbb1236]

This was one of your best videos yet!

[@paulbunyan1682]

Ok, at about 23:30 you have a box with not many bees but it is packed with brood that is rimmed with larva and eggs. What happens if you have a freeze? How do they keep the brood, larva and eggs warm? I live in northern Michigan and my hives are struggling with very little brood, lava and eggs, but it has been very cold and wet this spring (a lot like yours has been).

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Paul Mallon Yep! They are gambling , all in. Running out of time

[@paulbunyan1682]

a Canadian Beekeeper’s Blog Mother Nature rolling the dice, all in. I have enjoyed and learned from your videos. Thank you for your answer.

[@richardnoel3141]

Ian , gréât video as usual. What are your first trees out? Salix ( willow)? I see white in the trees at 16 minutes, top left. Love your efforts to get the bees to the pollen. You know too many in one area is a big problem on a nutrition level! I struggle here with that, but not on your scale obviously. Our spring flow just ending here! 👌🏻💯🐝

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Richard Noel yes you are seeing poplar trees, but low land willow are out aswell

[@richardnoel3141]

a Canadian Beekeeper’s Blog thank you! Great to see! Onwards and upwards!!

[@wrfarms9741]

Have you looked into high flotation tires similar to what the lime spreader trucks use?

[@irishcoffee6894]

Ian, you NEVER close up the entrances of the hives when you move them ???

[@peterlightbody8443]

Well that was interesting setting up the boom , why not buy an extra smoker leave one in each truck.

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Peter Lightbody Lol, we try lol

[@rajbeekie7124]

Peter, that would take away the common comment, "I forgot my smoker."

[@karenfifelski9146]

I love your videos. They are so helpful! I'm wondering when do you treat - since the weather should be about 50degrees?

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Karen Fifelski Now

[@muhammadhasanbotirbekov8439]

Maashallaah It is good.

[@flyingpigpreserve8562]

What do the Bees do that are left behind? Are they accepted in other Hives? I heard you say they'd find another Hive. Just trying to understand process better. Love your Vlog and your Bees. Stay Safe and Peace Be With You ☮️

[@decaturridgebees8761]

Yea, they find a new colony to join. Happens all the time in big operations like this. It’s also something you can use to your advantage if you ever have a week colony. You can swap places with a strong colony to even them out

[@francben1649]

Suggestions: keep an extra smoker, fuel and hive tool in each truck you use. Also use your furry microphone.

[@researcherAmateur]

Ian thet spring makes you look younger.. this summer thet will come to early makes me older for shore

[@scottpierson7495]

Ian just a question for you? when doing splits and moving queens I’m now moving a Queen for the third time, do you find they kind of go into a panic mode, and build up quicker when you do this. Just don’t want to mess her up. I’m planning on grafting from her. Just curious? Thank You

[@campdavidsonfunctionaltrai8583]

Why add pollen paddies if you see pollen coming in? I pulled some honey just to get my gear cleaned up and my bee's ignore the empty super frames with honey so I expect them to ignore the pollen as well and the pollen attract beetles so I don't want to add more.

[@decaturridgebees8761]

Beetles aren’t a problem up north like they are in the south. Weather can go from 60’s to 40’s fast so having that supplement on there helps.

[@paulchristu996]

Guessing you tried to open feed or use a dump box to get honey frames cleaned. Scratching off the caps will encourage that.

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

As I mention in the vid, to help maintain diet during weather issues

[@campdavidsonfunctionaltrai8583]

I put together your three 6 frame nuc's with 2 screens and 2 supers this year. What a cool idea, thanks for that one. your work online helps a ton. thanks Mr!

[@AmericansBee]

How is it you never have your smoker? Do you only have one????

[@ironlion805]

I forgot my smoker--part 87

[@cyrilpatterson8324]

Hi Ian, love the videos, I see you relocating during good weather, are you concerned about your potential foraging bee losses or is it minimal at this time of year?

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Cyril Patterson Looking to increase forage availability

[@professortrog7742]

Would it help to have gravel poured in the ruts?

[@Don.Challenger]

So, you have a coffee maker in the back of your cab? And, as to your ever errant smoker, have you ever played around with using a water mister instead (some of the bee youtubes swear by it - or do you think you'ld swear at that idea?)

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Don Challenger I believe in a whofpht of smoke lingering in the air of a yard that is being worked

[@80Ragincajun]

How much does it cost you to make your paddies. Meaning about how much is the cost of each pattie?

[@badassbees3680]

Why do you think some come through so strong and some so weak? I had to help some just like this that are jamming now...

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Baddest Bees Too many circumstances for us to see, not all of them due to the hives fault

[@jtlearn1]

Ian, Does intermittent foraging due to weather induce swarming? Many beeks say that hives wont swarn on a honey flow. Is that true? Our New Jersey spring has been very intermittent for forage and lots of swarm cells even after tapering. (My day isn't complete without my daily Stepplar video update! Thanks Ian!

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

jamie learn I believe so. I also believe supplement helps curb that. But swarming also has to do with inflow , warmth and time of the year

[@decaturridgebees8761]

Just my opinion, but most beekeepers are smart enough to put supers on for the flow. The bees have a place to move all that nectar. I think that’s why they say bees won’t swarm on a flow. Don’t put supers on and see if they don’t swarm

[@donbearden1953]

Decatur Ridge Bees, I’m just a hobbyist and usually have 5 hives with 2 nucs as backup. I’ve had them swarm during a flow with supers on. I think it’s the population of the hive along with the time of the year, just a natural survival instinct.

[@jtlearn1]

I've put supers on after splitting and during the cold and most still built cells. So They have lots of room and there is no flow yet.

[@kennethfriedrichsen7079]

How long do you keep the comb? Or how often do you swap out the old frames?

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Kenneth Friedrichsen One frame typically

[@farmer998]

you should set up a paypal page so we could send you a few dollars for coffee .

[@SmallScaleFun]

What type of queen do you use in this yard?

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Small Scale Fun Carniolan

[@SmallScaleFun]

@@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog Thank you !

[@Imkerei2024]

Which trees you prefer

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Bee Keeper Poplar , willow, maple will be soon

[@3Beehivesto300]

What do you use for smoker fuel?

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Justin Landrum Burch bark , oat bark

[@atriciaursine541]

Colocar legenda facilitaria muito para mim é até mesmo para outros

[@spicyflyhoneybees1478]

I'm curious as to why you would put the poor performing colonies in your mating yard?

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Michael Hardman After the queen is killed off so we can drop a fresh queen cell inside

[@zongshunliang9928]

It's not as good to come early as to come 来得早不如来的巧

[@zongshunliang9928]

@Yo Mamaexcuse me , i don't know who you are ok , by the way i don't have coronavirus issue you should ask America they have a lot people coronavirus . man not funny , if you say I am, I just want to say what my shit,I'm not infected

[@zongshunliang9928]

@Yo Mama kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4HGnJ5sYs9jm8l9n this link video below I have reminded, pneumonia virus, Wuhan, China, at that time you have not started to break out, so who is the infection? The coronavirus infection in 2019 was very strong, and many of you were infected without obvious symptoms.

[@zongshunliang9928]

@Yo Mama you so funny , not good to communication

[@Digger927]

#quityerbitchin.and.go.get.it

[@munibungbeeking1719]

Bit of a smudged screen but I still watched all 27 and a half minutes they say smoke follows beauty.

[@Keeponfalling]

What type of queens do you use in this yard?