Episode #92 2024 1st Swarm Check

Opened up my hive from my very early swarm catch in Southern Illinois, and ran into a little bit of a problem. How I repaired the Cross combing problem.

[@ScouseJack]

Love the "Set them straight and early" lesson 🙂

[@strugglingbeekeepermarkcot9642]

Great video my friend I hope someday to have a top bar hive. Hope you have a great week.

[@user-br2bf1hl6n]

John I really appreciate the time and effort you take to explain beekeeping to us. I have learned so much from you. Building my own Top Bar hives now and following as close as possible to your hives. Southern Wisconsin and figure roughly 3 weeks behind your weather season. Best wishes as always, D

[@simplytopbarbeekeeping2107]

Thanks for your comments. One of the reasons I started making the videos was to remind me what to do and what not to do L O L. There’s a lot of good KZbin videos of people building and working their hives. Since I did not have a Bee mentor locally, that’s what’s helped me the most past six years.

[@kitrobbo1696]

Thanks John ❤ the idea of foundation starter strip I will try that for sure being leagaly blind I need all the help I can get and let the bee do there own thing l also have a large vegetable garden and exploded this year with the bees in the garden biggest harvest I’ve ever had. Thanks again John and looking forward to your next video. Cheers, Keith

[@simplytopbarbeekeeping2107]

Are you by chance located in Australia?

[@kitrobbo1696]

@@simplytopbarbeekeeping2107 Yes John Warragul Victoria where are you regards keith

[@simplytopbarbeekeeping2107]

@@kitrobbo1696 I am in Southern Illinois in the United States about zone six. The reason I asked I went with my wife to visit her penpal from grade school. We flew into Sydney, then to Adelaide and drove to Milang. You have a beautiful country, and we met a lot of great people. We also went to kangaroo Island and toured a bee Farm of the isolated bees to kangaroo island. After that, I’ve been keeping bees for the past six years.

[@kitrobbo1696]

@@simplytopbarbeekeeping2107 I am glad you enjoyed your trip in Australia

[@danditangen]

I am getting my first two sets of bees this year. I decided to do top bar for many reasons. I'm very excited. Is there a particular episode you can direct me to that gives me tips on how to keep my bees in the top bar. I have waxed the bars, and I have some wax foundation, I'm just not sure if that's good to put in. Nobody around me does top bar so I can't get any comb from them. Any advice and episodes you can give me would be great.

[@simplytopbarbeekeeping2107]

I’ve never installed a package of bees into a new hive. Fortunately, I’ve been able to catch swarms, which have a 98% success rate of installing. They are full of honey and pollen and ready to find a home. I do believe you’re on the right track waxing the top bars is important to get the bees started on their comb. Making the hive smell like an old hive helps so much maybe putting the foundation in the bottom and then later taking it out. Old black comb is great for this. next year of course you’ll have more supplies helping with this. A couple of frames of wax always helps. Especially having young brood tends to help the hive stay in the new box. Maybe in your case, you should put some screen over the entrance install the Bees and you need to make sure the queen goes in that’s the secret. Leave the screen on after closing up the hive and may be feeding them 50-50 sugar water for two or three days to get them Established may also help. Then open the entrance and let them forage. You’ll learn Bees. Don’t follow a set of rules that we make. Here is a video of catching a swarm and installing in a new hive. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZLcnYKnp5d6jrcsi=o3IVve8kdXNsB6WH Hope all goes well for you, you’re starting a very addictive hobby lol.