Thread: My little homestead

hmmmm......maybe for hive 2 next year?

How was the honey?

Originally Posted by Lista

How was the honey?

It is good...super sweet and is unique from store bought....truly, I can't describe it...but it is so good and love it on pancakes!

I ended up getting a total of 5 quarts...and that was with them only filling the frames less than 1/2.

That hive started out super strong in Spring but seemed to lose momentum.....not sure why. I did an inspection and it seems the queen is not laying as she should...I do know we are in mid summer now and according to locals it is typical for the population to start waning as they prepare for winder but I still think I will re-queen that hive in the fall..

Bothe my hives were varroa mite free in early spring...by the end of the nectar flow here in Alabama (around early June) both were over run with them.
I discovered the problem when I stood watching them one day. I noticed a good many crawling on the ground and since they seemed to be from varying ages I was concerned. I scooped up a few and looked more closely and discovered their wings were deformed...that is an indication of a mite virus.

I figured out this is likely the reason my honey box was starting to be emptied by the bees...

I treated both hives using Oxalic Acid and a vaporizer...this is not harmful to bees and is very affective in killing mites....sure enough the next day the bottom board of the hive was covered in mites...treated 2 more times 7 days apart and then gave them 2 rounds of antibiotics...

Today I inspected and they seem to be doing really well..I see no more indication of deformed wings and one of the two hives' queen is laying like it's Spring again; at this time they significantly slow down...

Anyway...1 and 1/2 years in and my hives are still alive and well...

Where do the mites come from?

The varroa mite can be spread to other areas in various ways:
By hitchhiking on infested honey bees and contacting uninfested bees
By honey bees from stronger uninfested hives “robbing” honey from weaker mite-infested hives
By hitchhiking on other flower-visiting insects
By the movement of infested managed hives or recently used beekeeping equipment to other areas

They are a now common parasite....imported from either Asia or Brazil. They have done extensive damage especially now among feral bees...there are several known an successful treatments but have to be done 2 to 3 times a year to keep the viruses from taking out the hive...

Originally Posted by Quest

The varroa mite can be spread to other areas in various ways:
By hitchhiking on infested honey bees and contacting uninfested bees
By honey bees from stronger uninfested hives “robbing” honey from weaker mite-infested hives
By hitchhiking on other flower-visiting insects
By the movement of infested managed hives or recently used beekeeping equipment to other areas

They are a now common parasite....imported from either Asia or Brazil. They have done extensive damage especially now among feral bees...there are several known an successful treatments but have to be done 2 to 3 times a year to keep the viruses from taking out the hive...

That's interesting...could that be the reason that the wild honey bee populations were declining?

Originally Posted by krystian

That's interesting...could that be the reason that the wild honey bee populations were declining?

Yes it very well can be one reason..I suspect the other is chemicals, and probably even more so, that the FDA would rather pretend is not a problem...

Bees groom themselves and each other and in a strong hive they can keep themselves relatively healthy I have been told by many reputable sources...which is why my case seemed odd...my hives were VERY strong yet succumbed to what seemed to be a major invasion quickly...since treating them they are thriving again...

Wow - oops - didn't catch the post I was commenting on...let's see if I can figure it out

Originally Posted by Lista

Have you seen this video? It's pretty inspirational.

This is amazing!!