Drought - (Building a Bee Business #61)

[@jamesvanraden5333]

Keep your chin up we went through two years of drought spent over 36,000 on feed and new bees because of the stress of no nutritional pollen due to the plants being stressed. this year things are getting more normal again we made it but it was stressful it only takes one good year to carry you through many bad ones. I’ll pray next year is a bumper crop for you.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks James, where are you at?

[@michaeltabors2193]

Praying that y’all get rain soon. God will provide.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks!

[@GutherFarms]

I’m glad you got the rain! I’ll pray for a good soaking for you!

[@DuckRiverHoney]

👍

[@MikeBarryBees]

That was the big dilemma early on with the SMR and then VSH when Dr. Harbo and Dr. Harris were trying to incorporate the genetics commercially. That balance of not treating and measuring where the bees were. Commercial operations, understandably, couldn't make that jump over that gap that's required. Now the USDA is coming to the small organizations and our club is starting to participate. But even in my small operation, they came late with the cells and I couldn't introduce cells after spring had started. It would've killed my production by 90%. So I can now relate to the reason the big operations just couldn't allow that gap in their management. Hopefully next season they come calling early in February. Glad you're making and talking about drone flooding yards. Not talked about enough. It's key when lining up genetics. Never hear folks talk about how the queens out-fly drones from their own yards.....Take care Nathan!! We're going to speak only short term adversity over this season. Abundance to come next season and for a few more subsequent seasons!!

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Mike, it’s always great to hear from you!

[@t5rider07]

Drought here in the Wichita area for most of the year, finally “upgraded” to Moderate Drought conditions. Somehow, our bees still made it work and have made do w/ what rain we have received. Really appreciate your videos and the perspective you consistently provide, it helps us identify our blind spots as we keep moving fwd.

[@skipsandvig8888]

That heat with low humidity, you are probably still sweating the same but it’s evaporating . Be careful not to get dehydrated in those conditions.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I drink a lot of water.

[@illumi-Nate]

Got to pray for rain....it's same drought here in my part of Ohio... golden rod as far as the eye can see though, so I'm thankful for that

[@DougMassengale]

You don't have to get massive losses when you are trying to go treatment free. Go ahead and treat the bees that are loaded, you already know they aren't resistant so treat and use them. The ones that show good resistance need to be breeders either in your drone yards or to be grafted. They will work their way in gradually it won't come all at once. I haven't treated for 20 years. I started with Buckfast bees because they were already resistant to Acarine.

[@nancynolton6079]

I hear ya with the dry weather - same conditions here in York Co PA. I'd created an aster bed area for the bees to enjoy and this year I'm watering it due to lack of rain. Garden getting watered to keep it going as well. Thankfully our temps are not as bad as yours but they have been high too. Everyone up here is all excited about the goldenrod and aster bloom but I keep trying to tell them that without rains those blooms won't have much if any nectar but since they "see" flowers they are convinced there will be nectar. During droughts perennial plants will be sending food stores to the roots not into seed production when conditions are not favorable for seedling success. The seeds that are made will be small and probably less viable. At this point even if it does rain it may be too little too late. I just shake my head and figure those that don't feed now will be looking for a nuc come spring from a starved out hive. Our "chances of rain" have only amounted to cloudy days. Beekeepers need to understand the relationship between weather, bloom and the bees and how that looks when it does and doesn't shows up in the hives. Had enough honey this year to extract, leave some for the bees and put the rest in the freezer to add back to the late season nucs who will need some feeding to get them up to weight so starting that now. Thankful for the bounty. Also had some extracted honey/sugar syrup left over from last winter so feeding that back to the bees as well. Winter brood nests are in production now and want them fattened up now that mite treatments are done... will do a rounds of OA in October. Here we have about 4-5 weeks left to get the hives up to overwintering weight and about a week to get them reduced down to overwintering size/configuration so going to be a busy week and robbing has increased greatly when hives are opened. Have the bee inspector coming out in two weeks so the State can give its blessing to the small scale operation of queen and nuc sales. Hoping and praying you get moisture and cooler temps. Just keep pumping that sugar on 'em Nathan!

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Thanks Nancy! I planted a large bed of zinnias and cosmos for my daughter and it has done very poorly. Hopefully some will start blooming since we got a little rain.

[@nancynolton6079]

@@DuckRiverHoney I'll bring some yellow california poppy and bachelor button seeds to the EXPO for her to try next year! The bees love 'em.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

That’d be great!

[@brems321]

I consider this the rain dance video. God bless. 1.2 inches in Nashville. Last reading was Aug 18 for .01. Over a month since the last drenching. Huge relief

[@DuckRiverHoney]

We finally got some. It’ll help, but I’m afraid the damage is done.

[@johnsevereide9311]

Enjoy your videos, I'm in North Central Wyoming, what are your migratory lids made of, been using pine boards but need something that will perform better, keep up the good work.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Mine are 3/4” PVC. So far I really like them.

[@johnsevereide9311]

@@DuckRiverHoney are those the lids Bob makes? He uses HDO,, can't get that here,

[@DuckRiverHoney]

@johnsevereide9311 I’ve got some of Bobs lids but I prefer the PVC ones from Midway Bee Supply, an Amish maker.

[@beguileme8201]

The weather has been crazy. I won't get off on my cloud seeding tangent. I wanted to say, the Opossum segment was sweet. Thanks for letting the little guy go.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

👍

[@saintjohncoleman8602]

I don’t have as many hives, 24 this year, and I keep a hive tool on a magnet on each hive. I know it’s overkill, but I’m failing safe and not transferring any problems hive to hive. I’m never looking for a hive tool! Thanks for the videos. I like your red pin idea. Zero tolerance for aggression!

[@researcherAmateur]

Imagine having that drought almost every summer. That's when the caging queens method saved me a lot of money. I get fat long living bees who gorge themself with pollen after emerging (80 -90 days if I need) who prepare everything for the new brood. Polish the cells for brood, sourand it with bee bread and honey crowns. They just stay in the hives waiting for better times and me to release the queens.. raise the new generation and perish. The queens lay like mushin guns in those prepared frames.. than l change them with new ones. In all my years l was never a happier beekeeper than when I started to cage queens and put oxalic strips at the same time. Best treatment ever and no feeding for half of summer draught

[@3boysbees]

Keep up the great work!

[@DuckRiverHoney]

👍

[@paulhermes9817]

Great video, getting my hives ready for winter now that I've pulled honey. Lost rwo hives to robbing

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I use a 6” x 3/8” entrance reducer all year.

[@researcherAmateur]

Me too.. actually almost all beekeepers around me are always on 3/8 bottoms with 15- 20 cm long entrances. That way they can propolize it to an even smaller size if they need ...

[@nedheadwyoming]

In a dearth here in northern wyoming. So many huge grass and sage fires.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Luckily we don’t have the fire pressure you get out west.

[@russellkoopman3004]

Last two year we had a bad drought where lawns died (beyond dormant) and had to be replanted. Got 1,400 lbs of 6 hives, in 2023 the 9 hives made 2,100 lb of honey. This year rain all the time and wind and my 12 hives made 1,400 lbs. I'll take a MN drought over this wet soggy year. Difference I suppose is that our temps in the drought were in the 80's and low 90's with cooler nights giving plants time to recover. With all the rainy days my bees all swarmed no matter what I did.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Swarm rate is a big part of average yield.

[@russellkoopman3004]

@@DuckRiverHoney True, but the couple hives that didn't swarm this year the biggest yield was just over 200 lbs this year and the last two years the non-swarming good hives made over 300 lbs.

[@markarnill3437]

I live in uk down in Devon can’t prodick the weather change so much

[@Steele_Wings]

I have never been able to pop a hive off the bottom board early in the morning. It is full of old bees and come at you fast. I do that around noon.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I need to do a bunch more this week. 😐

[@hootervillehoneybees8664]

We're in epic goldenrod flow south east Michigan is going strong id expect over hundred pounds this year

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I’m glad you’re doing well.

[@tonykanavil]

Dallas got some rain last 2 days

[@benjamindejonge3624]

Same here in southern Spain already for the second year in row

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Very good to hear from you. Where specifically are you located?

[@briand4279]

Nathan , What material do you make your migratory lids out of?

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I buy them. Made from 3/4” PVC.

[@briand4279]

@@DuckRiverHoney That sounds interesting. Who makes them and where are they available?

[@jasonseaward8506]

I know here in the city in southern Ontario Canada, we dont have any pollen to speak of. The pollen baskets coming in have been so tiny its pitiful lol 😢.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Rough. That won’t help set them up for winter.

[@taylorboysoutdoors]

The tropical storm was a blessing and a curse 🤬 10 inches in 2 days then 6 more weeks of hot dry. 2 wet spells followed by 3 dry spells her in NC piedmont

[@DuckRiverHoney]

Wet spring and droughty summer here.

[@douglasrush5060]

Doug in Denver.....What Flutters???

[@alexjenkins433]

Hi Nathan, Alex from North queensland Australia. How do you mix/dissolve you sugar in the drum??

[@DuckRiverHoney]

With a trolling motor.

[@alexjenkins433]

@@DuckRiverHoney cool, I saw bob binnies assistant doing that on one of his videos too.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

It works pretty well. I’ve got a video on my feed setup that shows it in detail.

[@alexjenkins433]

@@DuckRiverHoney Thanks best of luck in the dearth

[@grantsimpson9211]

If you don’t clean off the mite boards when you check them aren’t you looking at the same dead mites the next time you check them. I just scrape them off with a 6” putty knife only takes about 15 seconds.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I check mite levels on the first drop and last drop, not in between.

[@russellkoopman3004]

Was that an assassin bug in the begining? That is what popped up in my head. LOL from an entomology glass I had.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

It was a jumping spider but I never could nail down which one.

[@illumi-Nate]

Put some Peppermint oil in that syrup ..promise u won't be let down

[@DuckRiverHoney]

I’ve considered it. Would love to see some research on it.

[@HARRYBEES-c9u]

Yes WE NEED RAIN

[@DuckRiverHoney]

👍

[@markarnill3437]

This year better but still not as good as 3 years ago didn’t take anything off my bees last year

[@jamesbarron1202]

I guess extended OA is legal now. I saw Kamon using a new OA strip product this week on his channel. I know they’ve used those for years in New Zealand. He never mentioned it being legal for use now. At least your not getting triple digits everyday like we do in Texas. Couple that with drought and that’s tough. We finally broke the triple digits last week. I’ve had a half inch of rain since May.

[@DuckRiverHoney]

That’s a tough drought! Varroxsan is legal now, depending on state.

[@dcrosco1458]

I love that you think you know how bees should be that makes me laugh. They will be mean if they want to EVEN if you requeen them. CONTROl is an illusion.