Strategic Growth of a Beekeeping Operation (Ashby Miller)

[@Ashby_Farms_NC]

Bruce! This video turned out great! Just wanted to thank you again for having me as a guest! I’m looking forward to many more of your guests and your series of “intentional beekeeping”!!!

[@brucesbees]

Yes it was fun. You did a great job my friend!

[@Jason-xu6pi]

Wow, great to see you over here on this channel. Growing with the quickness.

[@brucesbees]

Yes Ashby is definitely going to do big things in the beekeeping world.

[@taylorboysoutdoors]

Good conversation 👌 Fellow NC Beeks, appreciate it Greg, Ashby

[@jwill1182]

I had the pleasure of being able to go and learn from Ashby last week. As a beginner beekeeper, I try to absorb as much as I can. I've been fortunate to have some wonderful people to learn from. Ashby was patient and took the time to explain the “why” behind the process and how it would set the colonies up for the future. Great Video!

[@brucesbees]

Yes. I think Ashby is going to do great things in the beekeeping world.

[@beekeepinggarden165]

Fabulous interview 🐝 I follow Ashby channel sometimes really good Beekeeper 👌👍👍💪🐝🐝 Great interview Bruce 👍🐝 Thank you Sebastian Uk

[@brucesbees]

Thanks Sebastian. I enjoyed it! I am impressed with Ashby and what he is doing.

[@Ashby_Farms_NC]

Thanks for watching!

[@stevenaamos]

Not being afraid to fail is the most important trait in innovation...really hoping that there is a sustainable solution with VSH Queens. Glad that Ashby and Cori are on our team! Hope that I get a shot at some of those first year cells/queens!

[@brucesbees]

Absolutely.

[@KajunHomestead]

Love this video, Lots of great info and Ashby seems to be a great guy, he's channel is great also. Thanks for sharing Bruce you do a great job on these interviews.👍👍👍👍

[@brucesbees]

Thanks for checking in. I am definitely impressed.

[@QueenVeesHoney]

Heck yea! I’ve spoken with Ashby on the phone before and is very knowledgeable and a great guy!

[@brucesbees]

He is great. I am impressed for sure.

[@Ashby_Farms_NC]

Thanks Jeremy! Your channel is great too!

[@tonyfox5422]

You both have great content. I like the intentional beekeeping mantra. I like with Ashley how it just comes out. Great one hour.

[@brucesbees]

Glad you enjoyed it. I am definitely impressed with Ashby. He will do big things in the industry.

[@hopesadler4000]

Great video and information, Bruce and Ashbey! Thanks.

[@brucesbees]

Thanks for checking in Hope!

[@Ashby_Farms_NC]

Thanks for watching!

[@gregmcmath-ov3zj]

Awesome information! Thank you both!

[@brucesbees]

Thanks for checking in!

[@WildwoodsBeekeeping]

Good interview Bruce, lots of good info here! Good job Guys!

[@Ashby_Farms_NC]

Thanks for watching!

[@brucesbees]

Thanks for checking it out Grayson!

[@dans844]

Great discussion gents! I’m new to beekeeping this year, starting with 3 colonies hoping to end the year with 6 or more. Hearing about your journey was inspiring. Thanks for sharing.

[@brucesbees]

Keep learning, be international and don’t give up and you will be able to reach your goals, whatever they are.

[@Ashby_Farms_NC]

Go get it! You can do it!

[@rtxhoneybees]

Best thing I heard was near the end "we grafted 48 bars of 16 and got 7 cells...go fail, go screw up for a whole season". I've got not excuses left!

[@Ashby_Farms_NC]

Go screw up!!! That what I tell my kids!

[@brucesbees]

Yep. That took away any excuses. Just gotta fail until you get it right.

[@josephfydenkevez8839]

Bruce, this was a great Thanks

[@brucesbees]

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for checking in!

[@Ashby_Farms_NC]

Thanks for watching!

[@fuzzynuggetsbees]

Great video with very helpful insight. Thanks to you both!

[@brucesbees]

Thanks for watching!

[@Trinityoaksfarms]

Enjoyed the conversation

[@brucesbees]

Thank you.

[@duanevonbargen7516]

Great show tonight Bruce. You seem to touch on some really thought provoking topics. Thanks

[@brucesbees]

Thanks. Hope to continue to keep things fresh and interesting.

[@sonofthunder.]

enjoyed that....thanks guys

[@brucesbees]

Thanks for checking in. I am impressed with Ashby. He is doing great things.

[@Ashby_Farms_NC]

Thanks for watching!

[@danschneider9219]

It seems like it takes the younger beekeepers to take hold of getting the VSH train rolling. It's been here for a while now thanks to Harbo and Harris.

[@Ashby_Farms_NC]

I’m trying. No guarantees when it comes to Mother Nature!

[@nancynolton6079]

LOL Bruce you are all over the place (in a good way) but beeing more intentional might make everything less chaotic. Focus on one area at a time and learn to do it well then go on to another area using the successful proceeds to finance the next venture. I didn't know where my beekeeping was going to take me when I started but the bees told me what it was going to bee when I fell in love with the process of increase and sharing the love of bees with others. So now I sell early nucs and teach beginner beekeepers in addition to raising a small number of queens for folks who roll 'em or find themselves queenless for whatever reason. The bees pay their way and its still fun. Have run upwards of 45 hives at peak season. Ashby wish you great success as you go all in.

[@Ashby_Farms_NC]

Thanks for your kind words!

[@brucesbees]

Sounds like you are hitting your stride!

[@jonhatchcirclejfarms1628]

Hello Bruce,

[@brucesbees]

Hello!

[@jeffreyhoskins8955]

I don’t k know how I missed this video but glad I went back an found it I’ve been trying to keep up with what’s happening with the ubo spray every since Cory done the chat with caril Wagner Im hearing it’s going to cost about $20-$25 a hive but me personally I don’t think that would be to bad as long as you’re only testing the ones you want to bread from the only thing I guess I’m thinking about is if we should still Alcohol test an treat the rest for at least a few years an see where it goes from there What’s your thoughts I have a lot of feral bees but no beekeepers within 10 miles from me

[@brucesbees]

Yeah I’m not really sure. I too have just started getting serious about testing over the past year or so. I believe it never hurts to test and see what you have. If you have the time and ability to do it I think it is a great idea.

[@davidlewis4179]

Bruce I'm going to be 71 this month. I still haven't figured out what I want to be when I grow up. 😂🎉

[@Ashby_Farms_NC]

Your giving me hope!!!

[@brucesbees]

Lol

[@carlsledge3868]

UBO is the bees ability to smell varroa mite poop just inside the capping and it's almost always at 10 o'clock on the cell wall, the foundries mite doesn't poop until the cell is capped and hides in the larval jelly behind the larvae, once the cell is capped she lays a male egg, it hatches and feeds and poop where the foundries mite does, she begins to lay female or fertilized eggs and they mate with their brother, they all feed on the larva's fat body and poop in the same spot, when enough poop accumulates the VSH bees can smell it and uncap the the cell breaking the mating cycle of young mites when they uncap the cell and drag out the infected pupae and discard it outside the hive, once fertilized a foundries mite can lay around 24 eggs, they must feed on a nurse bee between going into a cell.

[@jeffbrooks6491]

How far should a nuc mating yard be placed away from your drone yard? Is it true drones will not mate with queens within their own yard?

[@brucesbees]

I am not exactly sure how it all works. I think they will if they have to but prefer to fly a distance away. I think the best thing to do if possible is to have some drone producing yards within a half mile to mile away from your maying yard in different directions. That having been said I do not have that luxury and my bees seem to get mated pretty well. They are probably mating with feral stock at least to some extent. But overall they do well.

[@3Beehivesto300]

Spicy bees 🐝 3 times a year when you visit you bee yard eliminate the most aggressive hive you have in a yard. After a few years…

[@brucesbees]

That’s a thought. I would rather eliminate the most spicy queen. Some of the more aggressive hives have been really good Products’s for me. It is getting better though but I have a few that I have identified that still need an attitude change.

[@davidlewis4179]

I'm wondering if I should go treatment free... Three of the four apiaries around me are treatment free and I don't know about the fourth one. Locally these 3 apiaries are run by Amish beekeeper who raise their own queens for survival and gentleness. I call my spicy hives pissy hives. The pissy hives are the ones that a bee jacket is useless. I've watched one of my Amish beekeepers re-queen his colonies by pinching the old queen and rubbing the old queen over the new queen cage to improve her acceptance.

[@brucesbees]

I personally tried that and it didn’t work out well for me. I think a better approach is to work towards mite resistance with testing and genetics. Treat when needed and slowly work towards achieving that goal. But each person has to do their own thing and I am still trying to figure it all out.

[@davidlewis4179]

​@@brucesbeesNew York State has approved the use of slow release OA. So my plans are to try it this season.