The Bee Forum

[Knucklehead]

There are quite a few beekeepers on the forum. I thought this would be a good place to collect the bee wisdom.
We recently had a hive vacated by the bees. When we broke it down there was a big spider web like thing in the middle, but I don't think it was spiders. There was no honey and nothing in the brood chambers. It's possible the other hives robbed the honey, but is that big web thing what drove them out and what made it?

 

[bonehead]

this could get interesting. i will have to watch this. we can always use more bees around here.

 

[johnlee1933]

this could get interesting. i will have to watch this. we can always use more bees around here.

And we're not recruiting sons of bees. The world has enough of them.

 

[Chicken]

from my experience on delivering fertilizer to massive fields,,,, i see some farmers employing the use of bee hives,

but the mass majority of them do not,

 

[Jitterbugdude]

That big spider web thing was probably the remnants of wax moths

 

[Knucklehead]

Thanks JBD. I looked him up and that sounds like the culprit. How long have those things been a problem? We just got back into bees last year and it seems like there's all kind of new critters to worry about.

 

[Mrs BeeKeeper]

Was the comb on the frames damaged?

 

[Knucklehead]

Was the comb on the frames damaged?

I'll have to ask my father. He and my brother-in-law pulled it apart while I was gone.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Wax moths move in to a weak hive. They are not the cause of the bees demise. Something else weekened it like Varroa mites or maybe small hive beetle or even an old and weak queen. Believe it or not people hspray BT on their frames and it kills the worms.

 

[Ishi]

You need the correct strain of BT for wax moths. Certan is legal in Canada.

http://www.beeworks.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=18

 

[Jitterbugdude]

No you do not (technically). Certan is the only officially approved BT treatement (in Canada). I've used regular ol' BT on a frame of wax moth larva and they were all dead within about 24 hours. I would not recommend using it on an active hove though.

 

[Ishi]

I have used it on 2 year comb that I hid not have a hive to out then on. The next spring I hived a swarm on that comb and they did fine.

 

[chillardbee]

A quick fix for wax is to put the super in garbage bag then into the deep freeze for a couple of days. A strong hive will shouldn't become infested w/wax moth unless somethings weakening it and the list of things that can do that is long. you guys also have the SHB down there, as if there wasn't enough to worry about. Anyway, if you start up your hive, try to get a local bred queen with your package of bees or nuc and by all means stay away from australian stock unless you like buying new bees year after year.

 

[Southern Planter]

When i was a kid Sears sold a breed of bees called Midnight Bees. Am I the only one left alive who remembers them? I would love to raise the little critters again in my orchard.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

I believe they are still sold by some bee breeders. I think they are a cross between Carniolans and Caucasians.

 

[Southern Planter]

I believe they are still sold by some bee breeders. I think they are a cross between Carniolans and Caucasians.

By jove you're right. After reading up on the Carniolans my next question is why "excess swarming" is a bad thing? We used to keep a new hive next to the existing one so the swarm would move in and poof free new hive.

I remember a two or three year old girl stuffing a rose and her arm to the elbow into the hive "to feed them" and they did not sting her. They were very gentile, very productive little bees.

 

[Knucklehead]

There is a beautiful hornets nest about 25 yards from my deer hunting stand. How and when do I collect the nest without killing or being killed?

 

[Boboro]

On a very cold day take downthe hive and nail it to your livein room wall. They will love livin in the house. Ask me how I know.

 

[Knucklehead]

On a very cold day take downthe hive and nail it to your livein room wall. They will love livin in the house. Ask me how I know.

How do you know?

 

[Ishi]

There is a beautiful hornets nest about 25 yards from my deer hunting stand. How and when do I collect the nest without killing or being killed?

Wait for some freezing weather they do not over winter in the nest.(I think) The workers die. Some queens might be in there. But if they are like Yellow Jackets the Queens over winter under dry bark. Think wood pile.