“Bees being taught to pull a string” (cross post). There is a short video of bumblebees being taught to pull a string to access a sugary treat. There is also a linked article that is an interesting read.
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Has anyone ever noticed their bees having a preference for entering and exiting the hive on the edges of the opening, rather than either the middle or across the whole entry?
Since removing the reducer I had been using over winter a few weeks ago (that restricted entry and exit to one side only) I’ve noticed the bees have a preference for using either end of opening when compared to the numbers that seem to be passing through the middle.
I have noticed the bees used the left side whilst building numbers and in JeffHs’ favourite video, City Of Bees it shows circulation of air in one side out the other, in on the left and out on the right.
Now with large numbers of bees in my hive I notice they use the whole entrance and the fanning bees are all on the right.
Is this left right combination normal or just a coincidence?
I’m not sure if it is normal or a coincidence. Before I put the entrance reducer on I had started from a 4 frame nuc only a couple of months prior so didn’t really notice and can’t recall. The hive is strong and there seems to be a slight preference for the right side at all times of day, so perhaps it does relate to air circulation. (coincidentally, when I restricted the entry I restricted it to the left side)
E. eximia Yellow bloodwood.
Whilst I didn’t see any bark it will be tessellated.
Grows easily from seed and as your picture shows a great specimen tree even better as a group of 5 or 6
Edit: Or E.terminalis but the tree’s form leans toward it being Eximia
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Thanks @busso i definitely agree it looks more like the eximia. And from a search it looks like it is used as a street tree in Perth.
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Noticed tends to be side they are building
Picking up the last nuc I ordered tomorrow from Gf. These are going into the Flow bb. Setting up out the front away from the other two colonies. It will be interesting to see the comparison between the 3 different colonies, am assuming they are all Italians as neither supplier can give me a specific strain. I was told these latest are bred on Rotto.
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In WA I’m pretty certain we can only legally have Italians. Over east they are permitted a couple of different varieties I think. I’m happy to be corrected though.
We have acquired a swarm today. They are in the brood box in a roofed area (was chook shed, half height wall with chook wire up to the roof on 3 sides, open one side). This is under trees & has protection from the elements and from the easterly winds. It is sitting on a galvanised drum to avoid termite issues. I have fenced it to avoid sheep disturbing the hive.
Now to wait for them to start work.
How long should I wait before I inspect their handiwork?
I installed the ‘coreflute’ under the brood box. When is this needed? in Summer / Winter?
We do not get extreme cold here but we do get extreme heat (>40°C) during Summer.
What is the recommendation on the use of the ‘coreflute’?
Out walking the dog and I’ve seen yet another swarm in the bush. If anyone wants to collect it send me a private message. It’s up near Wanneroo.
It is in an easy and open location
It is the third one in a matter of weeks I’ve seen.
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I had the coreflute board in all winter in the top spot to help minimise heat loss. I will soon shift it to the lower spot to help in improving ventilation duriing the warmer / hotter weather coming our way.
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34 degrees in Toodyay today .Bees quite active.
Found these videos quite helpfull might be worth a look.
http://www.uoguelph.ca/honeybee/videos.shtml
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Hi Folks,
Went to an all day training course today at the Dept of Agriculture.
He has never had a swarm because he rotates supers making room in the brood box,
I have the lesson on thumb drive.If you email me I will send you a copy.
Cheers, Colin.
cste7784@bigpond.net.au
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How does this work. Does he make a super a brood and a brood a super? Or is it just rotating frames from super to brood?
busso
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Hi Busso,
He adds what he calls a rotating super and rotates every 2 weeks.
It seems a bit envolved for me I think I will just make sure I split the hive when it needs it.
Over crowding is the thing to avoid.
Cheers Colin
This is what I’ve been doing (or at least something similar). I rotate frames between the brood box and my hybrid super - making sure the queen is not on the rotating frame. It has resulted in a few drones being trapped above the queen excluder but so far everything else seems fine. Before I put the hybrid super on I took one of the flow frames out of the super and put in a standard frame and was using that spot to rotate the frames through.
Thanks for that. Perhaps won’t be applicable to my set up.
My aim is to have have 2 hives with 2 brood box’s having 12 frames X wise switching the flow hive between the two. LOL Others here had these moderate aims but already whispers are out that perhaps 7 or 8 hives is modest. Now busso is laughing out loud.
Edit: In this post “Others” is fictional and any inference to posting by Skeggs or any other member is coincidental .
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Sounds like you are doing a good job Snowflake.
His idea is. From bottom to top.
2 new frames in brood box
2 capped brood into rotating super
2 unripe honey into super
2 super frames out.
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