Queen Bee Drama | Installing Honey Bees in Alaska

[@eiselbay]

I just wanted to tell you that this sustainable simple living is a beautiful thing. My dad passed away yesterday and I discussed this at length with him. He said "If you can try and find a way to live closer to the land and provide for your family by homesteading you will be living a very special life" Thank you for bringing joy to my life watching your videos during this tough time. My wife and I are in the process of looking for land to begin our homesteading journey in Alaska.

[@ciaobella8963]

I'm so sorry for the death of your father. It sounds like you and he had a good relationship. I'm sure you will build a homestead and make it a success. Just days before my father passed away we had a conversation about where I wanted to live, and that's rural Italy, where I am living now. The conversation we had about it and his encouragement was the blessing I needed and will never forget. I wish you and your wife all the best in your coming adventure.

[@eiselbay]

@@ciaobella8963 Thank you for the kind words and encouragement.

[@BigDsGaming2022]

condolences

[@tammysmith6421]

Big hugs to you, hope you find the land of your dreams and there are plenty of people in the homesteading community that would help you out

[@Ladypuppy510]

Gladiak many heartfelt virtual hugs to you and yours.

[@vraellar]

please show us more of your more light hearted humorous sides as this really made the video for me! You guys give off a more serious vibe sometimes but now that I know you can be goofy, I want more! haha. Best of luck with the bees this year!

[@patronklful]

In conditions of Ukrainian winters (sometimes -20 Celcius, but not this winter) we used to keep our bees on root seller till March. Wish you good luck!

[@bloonaddictx]

patronklful my grandpa used to do this, too! We are from Ternopil. :)

[@tomgraham2987]

My uncle use to keep bees and he had a bee hive made of plexiglass. He kept it in his house, it had a clear glass tube that stuck through the wall to the hive. It was so cool to watch the bees going in and out of the hive through the tube and working in the hive.

[@LeeLynn-vq8yq]

How did he harvest the honey? Or add supers?

[@donhepler294]

I had bees for 20+ years, and I never thought about stapling the queen cage. Good job. I think I would wear coveralls instead of jeans, though.

[@mimib6955]

First off I want to say that I am no expert in this area. Just researching a lot. But you might want to look into having the hives different colors. I don't remember where I read it, but I do remember they said this way they know which hive to go to. Love your channel. Thanks for sharing! Stay well.

[@LazyDogsRanch]

A tip for getting the bees to move when you're putting the inner cover and top back on - give them some smoke, and that should drive them away from the edge, letting you get the cover and top back in place while minimizing crushed bees.

[@alaskafootprints]

That's amazing. I love these start to finish videos. It really feels like an education. So interesting!!! Thank you!!!

[@crystlangel]

I just binged watched about 30+ hours of videos beginning with your move from Oregon. Thanks for uploading! These videos are so informative and allow me to live vicariously through you during this shelter in place. So motivated to get my garden ready!

[@michaelvasquez5761]

crystlangel welcome to the family!!!

[@ChasingTravelAdventure]

Doing the same!!!

[@pinkwhore669]

I have also been watching for to many days in a row now 😅 i live in Louisiana, it's almost 9pm and 80 degrees outside. Watching all this snow is amazing

[@LiveAboard]

I know that bees are life giving and very far away from me...but every time one flew close to the microphone of the camera...I flinched! So realistic! Great sound quality!

[@CmoreAnts]

I love it when you put the date, time and temp on the videos. You two seem to have acclimated to low temps really well.

[@farmandforage8851]

The way you said "I got stung... kinda sucks" 😆

[@barrybri]

It's best to place the queen cage with the sugar side up so the exit doesn't get blocked by dead attendant bees.Place the queen cage offset from the hole in the inner cover if you are placing a feeder over the hole to prevent syrup from dripping on the cage and drowning or freezing the queen.You can add an empty hive over the inner cover and place the feeder near the hole with a couple of ~3/8"-1/2" wood shims under it so the bees can access the syrup.Under your cold conditions,I would place the stranglers left in the wood bee package in the empty hive above the inner cover and remove the wood package when you check the queen cage after a few days. Good Luck!

[@JT-py9lv]

My sister lives in the inter-mountain west. They have 50 hives. Right now during the lock down, they have my nephew building 50 more hives. Man, I sure appreciate all of their hard work, and the honey that they share with me.

[@lindacox8156]

More incredible skills you have learned!! This was fascinating to watch you with the bees!!! You didn't seem worried at all about getting stung and you had bees all over your jacket!!! You are AMAZING!!!

[@funky0monkey1]

thank you for giving me the breaks I need from studying for medical school with all your videos! i love how I get to live vicariously through you guys and dream of the outdoors 😂 videos I look forward to: homey and high-quality content with fun personalities

[@blukatzen]

Congratulations on your new bees, may the ladies produce well for you! When I was at one of my older garden centers that I opened, I was working on a busy May Saturday, after Mother's Day. I had brought a thicker jacket, and of course, when it warms up, I take things off and at the end of the day, put the jacket back on. I did not see that there were 2 little sisters at rest in my jacket, and they gave up their lives to protect themselves. I had on layers, and did not feel the stings. (for some reason).. I went home, and took off my clothes to change into sweats..my "cozy clothes" as it were. As I was taking off my top, and bra, my husband came walking by and saw that I had 2 bruises on my back. He took me into the bathroom for more light on the matter, and took out the stingers. I did not feel a thing! I still have 2 marks on my back, and have not gotten stung since. I have been stung by a wasp on my finger, which was quite painful. Hope when there is enough honey that you learn (if you don't know already) to make Mead. Did you know that the Lithuanians have a Goddess to the bees? Her name is Austeja. She is the wife of Bubelas, the bee god. Here's hoping you make Mead! Good luck with the hives.

[@loraineleuschke4186]

I am so allergic. I almost have an asthma attack watching you guys or anyone with bees, but I have to watch. They are so very interesting and so very important to our planet.

[@sarahpierce714]

I love the info about sunrise/sunset and the temperature. It's crazy that you already have such long daylight hours in April, and yet it is still barely above freezing with deep snow. Really fascinating to see what the seasons are like for you guys!

[@TheGr8fuljoe]

“...Well I'm a king bee, baby Buzzing around your hive...” I love you whacky Alaskans

[@valeriepowell1736]

wow dude..lol

[@gwilliammaggs]

Russian bees are very hygienic bees, which means they clean each other of the parasitic varroa mites, which is a problem in our hives. A very good trait with the varroa mite being such a nuisance. Usually a noisy hive means they are Queenless , good to put the new Queen in anyway. Look after yourselves in this crazy time, Run the snowmobile to the hives to compact the snow so you don’t hurt your self.

[@tessiecabanas1174]

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[@tessiecabanas1174]

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[@tessiecabanas1174]

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[@HHeirloomIA]

I host bees on my place and get honey once a year as "rent". The owner/beekeeper sends his bees to California in the winter as pollinators for the almond groves. They are already back, installed early April. Happy beekeeping! 🐝💕

[@Daydreameruk]

This was a really interesting watch, Thankyou for showing what went well and the bits that didn’t. Really liked this.

[@alitbong]

I came from Indonesia / Bali. The view was pretty cool, it seems. I have never felt snow, if I was there maybe tomorrow I would immediately have a fever or severe flu. God bless you.

[@colinharris7287]

when placing hive board or boxes place the middle of the box or board on top of a corner and slide it in place gently this helps to avoid damage to your bees

[@tnwhitley]

Anyone else anxious while watching her wishing we could help & wanting them into the hive quickly? 😃

[@socallars3748]

Wow. I think I'll just buy my honey. You are one tough lady! You guys never fail to impress.

[@greeneyedgirlina]

The first 2 minutes, watching you 2 and Bandit walking to/fro the hives, I laughed so hard, I was crying. That belly laugh added some years to my life. Thanks for sharing that with us. You both trying to film and instruct made a sketchy situation even more dramatic, I’m sure.

[@pennyhouser4637]

I appreciate your careful documentation of weather and dates, good way to research your homestead. 🐝

[@spkgrl]

So excited to see your progress through the spring on your property!

[@Victor-cj1pc]

love you bee videos, I'm a beekeeper from Germany.

[@mobile_noble4026]

Very interesting! We had some satellite bees-a bee keeper placed some them on our property, but ended up taking them back because they wintered better than the ones on his place. Now I want some 😉

[@KATBIRD1026]

When I had bees I found that packaged bees were easy to work without protection or smoking... As the hive became established with time they become more defensive and protective gear and smoke required..

[@serenagomez3864]

Love the bees - they almost become like a pet! You are great with them! They are quite a study.

[@lisaporria7307]

If you haven't heard of the warm box method, look it up. We are trying that this coming winter in the hope of having our hives survive over winter. Good luck!

[@johnnyfeathers2567]

You guys are awesome, you do everything...I’m such a fan and I love your videos..

[@shelleyguerra2536]

I've been watching your videos during quarantine and noticed that there hasn't been any Ivan Chai in your herbal tea jars. It's made from fireweed leaves and I only found out about it a couple of years ago. We have a ton of fireweed here in SE Alaska and wondered how much grows further north. Love your videos! Keep them coming.

[@horizontalbees3480]

That is so nice that honey bees can be keep in Alaska!! Thanks for sharing!!!

[@KhmerMinnesnowta]

Self-sustaining during this pandemic is great. Bees Happy. Greeting from Minnesota!

[@nestorsalvador9236]

Hopefully I will too some day

[@foresthoney5828]

I am very scared of bees so watching this was a stressful experience but also very informative. I wouldn't be able to do it but I find it really cool to see how you do it.

[@juanitadafler7233]

A gentleman in Alabama that has a great channel is 628DirtRooster Bees. I'm sure he could give you advice if you need. My father had bees but lost them when we experienced -28 degrees in Ohio back in the 70's. He really enjoyed it and loved going out rescuing swarms.

[@tjs114]

I think the suggestion of building a small "greenhouse" type structure to help during the winter is a good one; but I'd check to see if I could find some Canadian or other Alaskan beekeepers learn from their mistakes.

[@wolfecache1200]

Are you guys really beasting a box full of bees thru knee deep snow? Yall Are So Hard Core. I love yall.

[@lafuite85]

Bonjour, j’aime vos vidéo et votre simplicité dans cette belle nature un vous entour avec des paysages magnifiques, je trouve votre poulailler super. Continuer comme ça

[@AnAlaskaHomestead]

I’m fascinated by bee keeping. Maybe one day. What are your intention with the hives other than personal consumption? Ha loved the beginning of the video.

[@SimpleLivingAlaska]

My Alaska Dream honey, and we really enjoy beekeeping so far. They help with pollinating the garden but in general we don't typically have an issue with that. There are many things you can take from the bees but we would really just like a small amount of honey to replace our commercial sugar consumption but we know they need it as well 😀

[@johnmccormick175]

Interesting video and what a capable lady...thanks for sharing.

[@silverviking33]

before you go for the queen, you might try to douse them with a spray of sugar water. it stop them rushing out when you take the can out.

[@Ottawajames]

Saskatraz Bee is a pretty new bee that was developed in Saskachewan Canada to be clean, cold-hearty, mite resistant honey producers with a gently temperament. They would probably be well suited for Alaskan climate.

[@MeBeingAble]

Need to take good care of the bees in the cold & especially the snow. Raise them or cover them so they dont get snowed over & suffocate. 5.3:1 sugar:boiled water in a pot with a lid stirred every few minutes. Should dissolve over half an hr - winter feed. Got off a bee keeper

[@SeanInAlaska]

I am pulling for you guys and the bees this year! This is so cool!

[@belladonna4076]

That was good to watch, i'm learning. You guys are so Amazing and so busy all the time. Great team work.

[@KAKALaundryKh]

2.6k Like. Fantastic vids 👍❤️🙏 Best wishes 👍🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@paulineparker3662]

I enjoyed your lesson on bees, although I would be petrified. My favorite is clover honey. Take care

[@sin46ned]

It's wonderful that you are bee keeping!

[@beatle8585]

Hello from Russia. Already active bees.i have sleepy yet ))))

[@dougcampbell740]

Another great video you guys! Good luck with them this year. It's hard to imagine the first bee keeper deciding to put bees in a controlled environment for harvesting their honey isn't it?

[@justpatty7328]

You've added great content here! Thank you from a future bee keeper 😊

[@Kouga1]

You should check out the Flow Hive! The process is less messy and harvest about 4 gallons of honey on tap!

[@bookswithb2684]

Wow, thanks for sharing. This was so interesting to watch.

[@lararosevelt545]

Love your videos, one of my favorite channels. Can't wait to find out if the accepted the new queen.

[@gibbsadventures12]

A great bee keeper to follow for all kinds of information "a Canadian Beekeeper's Blog" this person really knows his stuff and has a lot of good videos to check out. Good luck with your bees this year.

[@Pipscape]

I second the recommendation. Canadian Beekeepers Blog is one of the very best channels for cold weather beekeeping. He is running a commercial operation, but much of what he teaches applies to hobby beekeepers, too.

[@lplp2021]

We (my family and I) are new subscribers but have been watching your videos for awhile. We live about 45 minutes from Cottage Grove so we feel like we are your neighbors still :) I am an avid gardener both food and non-food. I learned how to garden, can, preserve, and make a LOT of my own food when I was a single mom for financial and health reasons. Seeing your garden grow feeds my soul. We have a 30'x40' section that we are going to transform into a large garden for us, part of it is on a small slope so we will tier it. Watching your processing videos I giggle because I have my grandmothers "Squeezo" which is a handcrank version of your grinder. I have gained many shoulder muscles with that thing LOL. We (me in particular) absolutely love seeing what you are doing up there! Hope to hear back and take good care of yourselves!

[@Takiyasdevil]

I was wondering, what kind of protection against bears do you have/want for your bee hives and if bears are even a threat (which I'd imagine possibly so. I'm from the Eu, so I don't know much about Alaska)? :)

[@savvy1803]

Thank you for sharing .

[@jurisvitols3245]

Great video. Learned a great deal about bee keeping. Obviously there is a lot to know. Do more videos with the bees. Love this channel.

[@ignaciaforteza7731]

Great Scot you are brave with all these bees! Enjoyed the education life of this video. Your first time? No wonder Ariel-e, your name means “the lion of God”. Bless you.

[@boboallan1]

Great content once again!!! Would love to have seen more of the family-friendly outtakes.

[@josephfydenkevez2129]

nice video, I too keep honey bees but may I make a suggestion. You should alway remove a end frame first so it gives you move roo. to pull out frames and more importantly so you don't kill the queen by accident. Please keep up the good video and good videos coming

[@afriedli]

Queen Bee Drama - reminds me of the 'popular' girls in high school :-)

[@markomara3398]

Love your vids. We live in the riverina in New South Wales. We have bought our first box and getting ready for our first bees

[@micbic008]

good work,, just a quick tip - you wont to put the pollen Pattie rite over the cluster they will be able to eat it in the cold then try to save some stores for your new packaged bees

[@jfinnall]

I saw where a beekeeper up north closed off the hives during the night in early winter and then covered all of the hives with bales of straw. The thought being to help them maintain heat during the winter. But of course other issues with humidity and such might also be effected. I have also wondered about a small pole building that the sides could be removed when not desired. There must be a method to insure their survival over the winter. They are such an important pollinator you really need them not just for the honey.

[@oralgal2002]

You should plant some flowers around the bee hives and on different area of your property the more you plant the happier the bees will be.

[@denisekeeth4595]

OMG!!! That was horrifying to watch!!! I'm allergic to bees and wasps and I felt the pain when you said you'de been stung!!! Stay safe.

[@brendabest9086]

You're learning as you go along Ariel . AWESOME JOB 👍 Best of luck you 2 😊

[@josegascon9643]

I installed my packages this past Saturday here in Wasilla. 2 dual queen colonies. I also had some colonies overwinter. Good luck with them this year!

[@aknightowl17]

I also installed mine as well on Saturday in Wasilla, only one and my first year beekeeping. It's fun to see others watching this channel doing the same things. Good luck with your hives.

[@josegascon9643]

@@aknightowl17 Thanks

[@nataliamorsci3315]

How are your bees doing? It's been a while since you had an update on your bee hives. Thank you for the interesting channel.

[@TheBombson]

queen bees traveling on airplanes makes me love humanity

[@beezapapiculture9418]

Waaaaaa!!🤩 I’ve just discovered your channel! IT’S awesome!!!!😆

[@redblanket2285]

Top of the morning from the land of enchantment. BEES wow

[@rayeaglenz]

Yes, bee suggestions, closer to your house, place a hoop house over them, or move them into your empty green/hoop house for the winter :)

[@torceridaho]

really cool. always wondered how this was done. thanks

[@watermanone7567]

Excellent video: I had three hives many years ago and a neighbor a mile away sprayed his corn with seven which killed my hives. Wish I tried it again. I only got stung once and it was my own fault. Thanks for the great video's.

[@sylviafoust9545]

You did a great job! I'm really impressed!

[@stropolimadness3867]

I would definitely move them into the greenhouse for winter

[@adolfocortes5721]

Best videos on KZbin What a great working team. A.Cortes. San Antonio Texas

[@jonabriggs8829]

You guy's need some Snow Shoes for that Snow,LOL

[@farmandforage8851]

Laughing out loud from the intro. Love it!!🤣

[@StephenShreds]

Maybe put a green house over the hives when winter comes again

[@TheBombson]

that sounds so cool I want it to work

[@howiesalliss9718]

When it warms up they will fly to the plastic and die,

[@StephenShreds]

That's why it would only be for winter usage

[@LeeLynn-vq8yq]

Even in the winter their chicken house had a lot of moisture. Holding moisture around bees is a fatal decision.

[@czh2432]

Love you two! Subscribed, liked, and notifications set!

[@skrtskit1521]

Very interesting. Hope all goes well for you this time around.

[@keithcarter4086]

Thank you for this video so much. Captivating! I'm so looking forward to follow ups. Thumbs up!!!

[@charlettenitzsche4160]

I installed a few nucs last April too. But, I live in southern Illinois and the temp was about 65 or so. I can't imagine doing it in the snow!

[@sentimentalbloke7586]

The bees are over where the food is, there is no point them staying near a dead queen, because the feremones arnt being released any more.

[@stevenholton438]

Sentimental Bloke pheromones

[@kenshores9900]

Like the guy the commented before me. Maybe putting some kind of moveable structure over the hives would give you 10-20 degrees difference. Just a thought.

[@jptucsonaz8503]

Ouch! That looked painful, sorry about that... I am not an expert, but I have an idea here after watching your process... Wouldn't it be easier on the bees and you to set the frames, then set the flat board (with the hole, then cut both screen sides and set the transport box they came in on its side, then set in the food can, then the "riser (hollow) foam, then the top? Seems like the bees would transfer themselves into the hive on their own & a couple days later you could remove the empty transport crate... The misty background was pretty to look at. Funny, both the dogs & you gave new meaning to 'butt deep' in snow. 15 hours of Sun... looks like planting will be soon. Enjoy...

[@davewilliams6172]

Ariel took one for the team lol...that is why we use full body suits, mind you our Welsh Black Bees can often be a little more aggressive. Next time you want the bees off the frame, just smoke them...kind of Bee Herding lol, they will move away and you will hear far less crunching when the top goes on. Looking forward to seeing the colonies develop over the next few weeks and months. Hope all goes well, you are doing a grand job!

[@stephaniehartmann250]

I really love all your videos... but this one had me flinching the entire time! I’ll stick to mason bees! 😂 Have a great weekend, can’t wait for your next video!!

[@piledriver141]

😊👍 glad you could get a new queen so quick

[@saa8458]

Very excited for you guys getting your new bees. 🐝 I am sure you have investigated but have you seen the Slovenian AZ hives it protects the bees more and yourself. Just thinking that in the depths of winter it could help with reducing bee loss. Thanks for the video 😊