Beekeeping

[CloverKnollFarms]

Nice to see your apiary thriving!

Any insights as to why you have had such a large number of swarms this year?

All the best,

Peter

I chalk it up to being a blessing. No idea...

 

[Torvy]

My guess is given the earlier drop in bee populations, nature is rebounding.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

They said Michigan is having the worst year, in two decades. Everything I've read is that this year has been one of the worst.

 

[Torvy]

Would you want to live in Michigan?

Maybe in the UP.

We are so small scale, but our one little hive is doing well. Wife stacked a half-height addition to the hive to expand it. I guess we'll extract more honey in July.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Would you want to live in Michigan?

Maybe in the UP.

We are so small scale, but our one little hive is doing well. Wife stacked a half-height addition to the hive to expand it. I guess we'll extract more honey in July.

I lived there for 25 years... And still go there to work on the farm.

We will go into winter with 14 hives... Next year I'm shooting for 20

 

[Torvy]

I've only been a couple miles in (Sturgis) to check it off my list.

My younger boy went up to MI on vacation this past week with his gf family.

I wouldn't mind the geography, but you'd have to pay me a lot to live there...rather like California, Oregon, Washington, etc.

 

[drumminj]

Got stung for the first time on the finger yesterday. Man that hurts!

 

[ning]

Got stung for the first time on the finger yesterday. Man that hurts!

Three weeks ago I got stung right behind my fingernail, left first finger. Most of the finger looked like a cooked sausage for a week!
Three days ago I got stung on the pad of my right second finger and it was only somewhat swollen for two days.
They both felt the same at the time but I found it interesting what a difference in reaction there was there.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I get stung a lot. Maybe 10x per year, with a suit. Good therapy for arthritis

 

[BackRoad]

Wait...how are they getting to you while wearing the suit and hood?

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Wait...how are they getting to you while wearing the suit and hood?

The fencing veil still allows for them to sting my bald skull sometimes. I need to wear a ball cap underneath

 

[drumminj]

Wait...how are they getting to you while wearing the suit and hood?

Also (potentially) no gloves. That was my scenario.

 

[Torvy]

The fencing veil still allows for them to sting my bald skull sometimes. I need to wear a ball cap underneath

Wife had some find the gaps by her wrists and ankles.

 

[ning]

Wait...how are they getting to you while wearing the suit and hood?

I got stung through leather gloves this week - though I usually don't wear gloves. I was expecting angry bees so I did, and I'm glad too..

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

I also get stung quite a bit. I can go a dozen inspections with no stings then a dozen stings in a row. About half the time it's my fault. Half the time the girls are just jerks.

 

[drumminj]

Random book recommendation to throw on this thread: "the backyard beekeeper" (I have the 4th edition). Only halfway through it at this point but I'm finding a lot of useful nuggets in it.

Plus it's spiral-bound and has a lot of color photos in-line with the content which is nice. Seems to be totally focused on langsroth hives vs any kind of top-bar or horizontal hive if that's a factor for you.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Swarm #10 today.

This year has been double what we see in a typical year

 

[Torvy]

I'm told ours are "Italian" bees. Supposedly calmer than some others.

I can't verify if they are from Italy, TX or the country in the Mediterranean.

 

[ponytug]

I'm told ours are "Italian" bees. Supposedly calmer than some others.

I can't verify if they are from Italy, TX or the country in the Mediterranean.

Have you asked? "Parli italiano?"



Congratulations on calmer bees.

All the best, Peter

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Until they mate with local bees, then you have mutts