26 October 2008

With all the people posting on beemaster thought I should do a little update.
I have been doing a lot of work with the fire dept. since I have been layed off form my job, I am going to start the fire academy in February. As far as beekeeping everything is going fine here.
I am going to get a better camera tomorrow so I hope to post some new pictures soon

Sunday 7 September 2008

Today I went out to check the girls in the nuc to make sure they had enough feed and this is what I found. I don't know what these flowers are but once I figure it out I am going to try and make it spread because they really love it
Not my best video just my first

Saturday 6 Sept 2008

Since the last time I updated I have done a few things I added a new flower garden for my bees. We did the first area in seeds for butterflys and hummingbirds, The second area was Aster, Slvia, and a few others I can't remember the name of. I also sowed a small area of greens some for us to eat and some I will let grow till they bloom.

I also started working on 5 frm nuc boxes for next year. Today not doing much of anything because it is raining

31 Aug 2008

Yesterday inspected new nuc was going to do my 3 hives but it was just to hot and humid. Went and checked on 3 hive this morning notice they were bringing in alot of yellow and dark orange pollen, The yellow is more than likely goldenrod and the dark orange maybe marigold

25 August 2008

Today not much going on raining here. Gave nuc feed.

Bought a 5ft peice of 1/8 wire or #8 wire $16.85 you would think the stuff was gold

anyway now I can build my feeders for my hives and screen bottom boards

Yesterday afternoon I set out 2 vitec bushes don't really know how it is spelled but they are in the crapemyrtle family.

Also had somekind of bee war going on at one of my hives, but they were beating the attackers

Sunday Aug 24 2008

Today I begin my new blog and my first blog. This is a way for me to keep an account of my beekeeping successes and failures. And if anyone get help form it, that would be a plus. Yesterday, I completed building new hive stands and started moving hives 3 feet at a time till I get them where I want them. (Bottom right picture)

This is not my own design and the height may be higher than most people like them at 20" but for me, I thought it was a very good design for 2 reason with the hive on the stand if and animal such as a skunk or opossum places its paws up to look at the hive it exposes it underbelly to the bees, bad for them. and the space between the front rail and back rail is just right to place rack in between while working on them. Bottom left picture is a pictures of my 3 hives sitting on new hive stand after their first 3 foot move on the journey of 75 feet to the wood line. Center right picture is their final destination. As you can see there is a little bit of clean that needs to be done in this area before they get there. Top right is a picture of the new nuc I got Friday I added another deep to the top and a top feeder. My goal is to have this built to a full hive of bees before winter, and I think it can be done always think positive. Top left picture is of one of two new vitex bushes I got in a barter deal for some dried tobacco yesterday. We use tobacco to help control mites and hive bettles. They can't take the tobacco smoke but the bees can. Today I need to set out the bushes and move bees another 3 feet. For the rest of this week hope to build 3 top feeded for the rest of my hives. Plans for winter are building nuc boxes and deeps for expansion in 2009. Anyway thats it for today. I hope I learn how to do pictures better before next post