On The Edge of Starvation

a Canadian Beekeeper’s Blog

[@Алтаец]

Поздравляю Вас с началом нового медового сезона 2024. Я выставил своих пчёл 7 дней ранее. Погода стоит +8 градусов Цельсия. Жду наступления тепла. Пчёлы летают, радуются. Россия, город Владивосток.

[@toddknecht2106]

Awesome! You must bee all warm and fuzzy inside! There’s absolutely nothing like listening to the bees first flight of spring!

[@sweethoneyluv]

Thanks for all your videos Ian.

[@Ms.Bee-Haven]

Looks like a beautiful big Newfoundland dog in the background! ❤️🐝🐝 and dogs in Illinois

[@mikekehoe7692]

Looking good Glad to see your bees outside wish you a bountiful harvest

[@gavinferguson]

so glad to see you happy and your bees back outside

[@martprice7726]

It’s what makes your channel so interesting. How bees can survive in that shed without daylight with my bees now any queen that hasn’t been laying as dwindled almost to nothing so your hives must have brood in them. 🐝

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Or no brood. Winter bees are locked in a state of perpetual lifespan (related to bees anyway)

[@MinnesotaBeekeeper]

Dust mask. One of my staff (Casey Dame CGI artist) coined the phrase, "safety first or stupid will get you".

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

😂

[@jamestownsendjrtbees3226]

Glad to see your bees flying again! The shit is unbelievable. Everything around my house gets covered early spring.

[@edreiner6483]

My father used to open up corn silage silos when he was farming and the mold would give him sweats and shivers for a couple days . It's nothing to trifle with

[@corniefehr1722]

I overwinter in a bee barn with the same pallet design you use. I have also been dealing with piles of dead bees under the pallets. My plan for next winter is to put closure build simple closure panels that tuck under the front of the 2 x4 risers for each pallet front to prevent the bees from crawling in from the front edge. Since the pallets are snug together side by side and rows are back to back it should only require 20% closure panels in relation to the overall number of pallets. I think it will keep the air fresher in the shed through the last two months.

[@beekerthebeekeeper4217]

The buzz of the bees 🐝🐝🐝🐝is a beeutiful sound again to hear

[@dcsblessedbees]

Ian, I'll bet you feel good! 🥳 WoW that pump is WORKING hard! It's started, now go to work.🤣 Close it's great to see them outside, probably be a good idea to wear goggles also. Blessed Days buddy...

[@jackwaau]

Consider the 3M 7500 mask and the 2091 P100 filter. It will seal better than the disposables. It is also more comfortable to use and easier to breathe. There is an exhaust port.

[@joelgillespie1412]

I have one of these and for someone that already has trouble breathing since high school. It is the best!

[@rodbeckstedt8588]

Yes sir, we had a couple warm days and it was great to see all the flight. Actually seen a little pollen from dead nettle coming in.

[@jaibusby673]

nice video my friend, as I love to wait to watch your another season as I winter in the south hemi-sphere and do not care about my corporate lose till next manuka season, or even then good luck and can you show me your flooded hives down the river already

[@mikehill9888]

I see the hives are up on a good high area. Thanks for the nice high spot video

[@10peteo]

Well that's a beautiful picture, mid to hight 50s for the next week, Woo-hoo. Time to build swarm bixes out of the old wooden ware. Be blessed.

[@sinisterhipp0]

Fun observation. 2:13 The syrup pump was hardly working because the level of tank was above empty ibc. 2:19 the level of IBC is same as the storage tank so now pump gotta work.

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Ha I didn’t see that !! :)

[@sinisterhipp0]

Maybe build a platform for the storage tanks.

[@dsummerscm]

A yard of busy bees really is the best sound in the world! Don’t blame you one bit for wearing that mask. That bee dander is brutal on the lungs.

[@tomkingsley4398]

Great public service announcement about the mask. Who knows what toxins, molds and fungus you are keeping out of your lungs. Thanks for sharing!!!

[@triciayoungson1665]

Ian can’t you put fondant on bottom board at rear leaving enough room for them to get housekeeping done

[@Scheetzhoney]

Do you feed all the dead bees to the chickens?

[@3Beehivesto300]

Does the bee grave yard grow a good garden???

[@JohnVanlenthe]

Hello I have been watching the channel for 8 months.just wondering what the purpose of the insulation blanket on top of the hive the hive is thanks enjoy all of the content

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Cut the cold wind drafts

[@jamesmcnally2519]

Glad to see! Go GO GO!

[@MerrittHoney]

After 5 months of holding it, them girls gotta poop! 😂 Would bulk feeding those mega yards help? I’ve heard of guys putting out whole totes. New truck deck looks great!

[@lambbrookfarm4528]

Well, I'm a whole different scale, mainly small, very small, but I have bees hungry and light as well. We are getting the cold snow that has swept across the continent starting tonight. we are expecting 8-14 inches of mixed precipitation. Natural pollen just started coming in, but the weather has been cool and cloudy. Spring is coming, the tree buds are saying so, Hang to the riggin.

[@hootervillehoneybees8664]

Probably less work overall them all beeing strong like that don't need to keep equalizing just add second box take your split done . I think everyone of us non migrater bee keepers came out light. Made me perfect my fondant recipe.. thinking I might just start bee fondant buisness.

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Does it have starch in it?

[@keithfaithful3989]

Thanks for the info on the mask! Not meant to offend. You are an inspiration!

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Not offended at all :)

[@МаксМаксимов-ж8н]

Красота, а у нас прошла гибель, погибли от 50 до 100процентов у многих под ноль, у самого только 2 улика осталось😂

[@pbest5040]

Thank goidness. After 6 months in the dark , we're "Free at last" !!

[@glockky1]

Gotta be a farmer to realize how dangerous that dust is. I’ve about died from breathing hay dust in the barn.

[@hootervillehoneybees8664]

Dried pollen dust really gets me

[@TambovP4elovoD]

Прекрасно жужжат! 👍👍👍

[@wadeturner2665]

Ian, what is the syrup in those two large tanks that you were pumping into the tote? And do you have a tanker truck deliver to fill those tanks? I know there are parts and pieces of how you feed in various videos over the years, but I would like to see a video that covers everything. What you use, how long you can store it in those tanks outside, how do you mix it if you need to thin it down, do you use different concentrations at different times of the year, do you pump or gravity feed to fill your pails, how do you store the pails when you aren't feeding, etc. The whole show. On a hilarious side note that shows the difference in scale, I mixed 180lbs of sucrose into syrup last. It's going this morning.

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

:)

[@aaronparis4714]

Best sound in the world

[@moosibou]

Running out of food. Not really surprising. I recall you lamenting that you hadn't put them in 2 weeks earlier in the fall. If you're getting a headache after sweeping the dead bees, your filtration is probably not fine enough. You may need a respirator rather than a dust mask. You might also consider what your transferring when you touch the dead bees with your bare hands. I've had many instances where I've handled frames or dead bees and then inadvertently rubbed my eyes. Apparently I have some sensitivity to the propolis, or possibly bee venom in the dead, or maybe the dander as you said, but it definitely causes some itching and discomfort for some time. Hard habit to break, though. Also, in the pottery, we never sweep the floor because it creates airborne dust containing silicone. Maybe consider using a large shop vac instead of a broom.

[@jasonseaward8506]

Its not often you see a boss pushing a shovel, you are my kinda boss, willing to get your hands dirty. Ive seen somewhere that theres health benefits of dead bees like old recipes and stuff lol

[@lomavistabeeco]

Wouldn’t it be a hoot if you reworked a Zamboni into a gigantic vacuum and be done with that shed in 5 mins instead of pushing a broom for a while? 🤷🏻‍♂️ Best wishes for another successful bee season!

[@ke6gwf]

Just need a large, self-emptying Roomba lol

[@eem8039]

Hi Some 2% of the honey remains in the intestine as poop so we can technically can find out how much poop the bees produce the whole winter

[@larryjungwirth7493]

How can your bees be flying in 8 degrees when mine do not come out of the hive until 45 to 50 degrees. What's up anyway?

[@barbeonline351]

You don't have the time, but for this end-of-storage "pollutant" exposure, you might want to try sinus irrigation before bed. Maybe your wife can help with the setup/prep so you just have to do the rinse. Otherwise that dander/mold just takes up residence on the mucous membrane and waits to be absorbed. You can do a junior version in a steamy shower with inhaling some of the splashing water and blowing it back out. The masks have a particle size limit that mold can beat. And as for your N95 masks, get the check valve variety. All the protection (if not greater), but much more breathing comfort. I pay $25 (US) for a box of 20.

[@richardrbrynerjr.7912]

Wow! There`s an ancient tincture to grow hair using bees, you could bee rich$$ Or composting them bees would bee better than bat droppings$$

[@claudesully]

I wear this mask because I am an intelligent person with common sense....🤓

[@thomasluthi7543]

Hi Jan I d suggest a real gas mask ... Like we use here for formic acide and oxalic treatment... Works a charm

[@siamakarya]

درود رفیق❤❤❤❤

[@barkersbees]

Well that makes complete sense

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

😂

[@barkersbees]

@@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog any chance you received a package? I know you’re busy, it said it was delivered but just was wondering if you got one by chance or did it get lost haha

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

I sure did and I appreciate your gifts and the kind note, we should touch base sometime

[@barkersbees]

@@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog oh man. I would freakin love that! Haha a phone call from you or something would be freakin sweet! I’m glad they found you. Thank you for all you do for us beakers all over the world

[@بشارإسماعيل-غ6ي]

0:23 we 30°

[@AsleRebbestad]

Why do you Ian and other also in US and in Canada call it honey in the frames?? Its dried fermented sugar from the feeding. If you where not feeding sugarsirup it would be. If you do not like to call it sugar.....just call it food.......

[@deannelson9565]

Because he doesn't pull 100% of the honey off the hives

[@Allan79789]

Canola nectar crystalizes in the comb. Bees don't have enough moisture available in winter, to make use of it. Whereas the syrup feeding stays in liquid form.

[@robertmabry6998]

Because it is honey...they aren't carrying the syrup from the feeders to the comb using tiny ladles. The fact they ingest it, add enzymes, and evaporate excess water makes it honey.

[@AsleRebbestad]

@@robertmabry6998 In Norway we call them sugarframes. And we take out excess sugarframes in the spring to prevent sugar to be mooved up in to the first super. we leave behind max to sugarframes and keep them in position 1 and 10. Honey is produced by the bees from nectar and "honeydew" not from sugar.

[@robertmabry6998]

@@AsleRebbestad what is nectar and honeydew made from in Norway? Here in North America it's made of sugars. Bees will make honey from sugar syrup along with naturally collected nectars.

[@dtompsett]

I'm surprised you don't use a vacuum... park it outside, bring the hose inside, suck up the bees. Dump that nasty particulate outside.

[@stuffnsuch631]

A central vac would probably be just the ticket

[@researcherAmateur]

I know a guy doing instrumental insemination. He says he wears a mask all the time because of drone hair flying around the room

[@azizgholikhani856]

I am a beekeeper with more 10 years experience . I am new comer . I am looking for hiring a company . unfortunately havent found yet . May I help me .