Beekeeping | Honey Bee CSI Blog

August 12, 2010

A LOOK AROUND ONE THE BEE YARDS TODAY

We had some decent weather this afternoon. I left the warehouse and hit one of the bee yards.

I suited up, no smoker needed today the girls were busy and did not pay any attention to me. They were on a flow. Goldenrod bloomed a few weeks early this year. The girls were on it. Pollen baskets were bright yellow and coming in full.

This yard had about 22 colonies. 18 of them are going to need a third super this weekend. This particular yard to close to a few large pastures that have not been mowed for a few years. Lots of blooms going on in out there. Looks like a rainbow when the wind blows.

The honey in this yard is darker than it was last year, but never the less, the girls are packing in surplus honey.

I hope the rest of the yards are doing this well.

Most the local keepers I have been talking with are predicting a short crop because of the weather and the early blooms. One of my commercial customers says he has half the crop he had this time last year. I hope it gets better for him and his bees.

I will be checking the rest of the bee yards this weekend and on Monday.

Have a great evening and I hope your season is going well.

Filed under: Just Bee Stuff — Tags: Alternative Beekeeping, Beekeeping, Beekeeping Boot Camp, Beekeeping Bootcamp, Beekeeping Equipment Sale, Bees, commercial beekeeping, Honey, HoneybeeCSI, New England Farms Beekeeping and Apiary Management Winter Seminar and Training Series, Russian Bees, Vermont Beekeepers Association — admin @ 6:18 pm

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January 10, 2010

“New England Farms Beekeeping and Apiary Management Winter Seminar and Training Series with Ross Conrad”

“New England Farms Beekeeping and Apiary Management Winter Seminar and Training Series presents Lunch with Ross Conrad”

Ross Conrad

Ross Conrad, author and beekeeper will discuss CCD and Organic Solutions in the AM session, in the afternoon session, Ross will present Apitherapy, the products from the hive for healing and health.

Ross will also be available discuss his book, Natural Beekeeping. Copies will be available for purchase and there will be a time set aside for signing.

January 30, 2010 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

10:00 AM CCD & Organic Solutions

12:00 noon Buffet Lunch with Ross

1:00 PM Apitherapy, Products from the Hive for Healing & Health

$25.00 per person, includes lunch and breaks, door prizes, a portion from each participant fee will be donated to the Vermont Beekeepers Association for the New Beekeepers Scholarships. Reservations are requested. Participants will also receive discounts from the sponsor on the day of the event. Seminar sponsor and location is New England Farms, 31 Main Street, Granville New York 12832. 518-642-3270 email newenglandfarms@aol.com. See www.newenglandfarms.com for directions, reservations and discount information.

Filed under: Classes and Seminars — Tags: Apitherapy, Beekeeping, Bees, CCD, Colony Collapse Disorder, Honey, Honeybees, Natural Beekeeping, Organic Beekeeping, Ross Conrad — admin @ 4:28 pm

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“New England Farms Beekeeping and Apiary Management Winter Seminar and Training Series With Kirk Webster”

The New England Farms Beekeeping and Apiary Management Winter Seminar and Training Series is happy to announce lunch with Kirk Webster.

On January 16, 2010 10:00 am – 3:00 pm, Kirk Webster, author and beekeeper will discuss his operation in respect to the changes involved in modern beekeeping in the Northeast and his work to maximize co-existence with Varroa.

Kirk Webster

10:00 AM New Beekeeping in the Northeast

12:00 noon Buffet Lunch with Kirk

1:00 PM Making Varroa into an Ally

Filed under: Classes and Seminars — Tags: Bee Culture, Beekeeping, Bees, Honey, Jirk Webster, New England Farms, Russian Bees, Seminar — admin @ 4:18 pm

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November 9, 2009

An Afternoon with Kirk Webster

Kirk in his Honey House

It was a nice warm day in Vermont on October 21st. I called my good freind Kirk Webster, up towards Middlebury, and told him the glass honey jars he ordered had come in. He was extracting the last of his honey crop and was not able to pick up the order for a few days.

A good excuse to get out of the warehouse, I loaded the truck with Kirk’s order and headed North to deliver it for him. I got there around 10:30 am to find Kirk hard at it in the honey house.

Kirk's Honey House is on a trailer and portable

Kirk has his honey house set up for a one person efficient operation. He bult his honey house on a trailer. The entire house is portable.

I was impressed with how he fit so much in there and still have room to get around. Kirk uses an automatic Walter Kelley super lift, a Walter Kelley uncapper. His uncapping tank was custom made by Kelley also.

Kirk's Honey House is set up for single person operation.

He runs twin Maxant extractors both piped in to a series of 4 custom made Kelley settling tanks.

All of this in a Honey House 8 feet wide by 24 feet long.

After he finished the mornings work, we unloaded the glass honey jars. Then Kirk said something that was music to my ears, “Lets have lunch” Oh boy, this old Italian is always ready for lunch.

We drove about a mile to Kirk’s house where we had a great lunch with tea and honey.

Kirk operates twin Maxant extractors

The best part of the day was that I got to sit and talk Beekeeping with Kirk for over two hours. You can not buy that kind of networking. A plus Kirk agreed to present a beekeeping program in the New England Farms Luncheon Seminar Series.

I hope that he is not able to pick up his next order for a great repeat day.

Filed under: New England Farms — Tags: Beekeepers, Beekeeping, Extractors, Honey, Honey Tanks, Honeybee, HoneybeeCSI, Kirk Webster, Maxant, New England Farms, Pat Imbimbo, Walter Kelley — admin @ 9:16 pm

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July 13, 2009

Hostile Takeover of A Honeybee Colony

The winter stayed long in the Adirondacks and Green Mountains this year. At the end of March beginning of April I started to make my rounds to our apiaries. We loaded the truck and trailer with the tools and equipment needed for the day. The first two apiaries looked pretty good. It was a nice sunny day still cool, 48-50 degrees. Bees were flying a little.

We removed the hive reducers, wire and the wire off the 3/4″ top entrances and pulled off the winter wraps. Some were just tar paper others were insulated hive wraps.

Most of the colonies had signs of life at the front door, others I listened to with my stethoscope for the buzz. They all had signs of winter cleansing flights at the front door and at the top 3/4 inch entrance.

Died On Top of the Frame

One colony died off because they did not move over two frames to the winter stores. (more…)

Filed under: Honeybee Investigations — Tags: Beekeepers, Beekeeping, Bees, Dead Bees, Hive Invasion, Honey, Honeybee, HoneybeeCSI, Mice in Honeybee Hive — admin @ 7:21 pm

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