tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834831.post1596214864862377538..comments2024-03-27T18:07:43.918-07:00Comments on Daniel's Pacific NW Garden: Pollinating Pawpaw flowers. 5.4.15Daniel Wachenheimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11009166706587141830noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834831.post-52887835064771509922015-05-09T19:21:16.344-07:002015-05-09T19:21:16.344-07:00We must have been!
It's interesting watching ...We must have been!<br /><br />It's interesting watching them on their first day. They do look different from the Italian bees - these new bees seem to have a darker body. I saw some sharing the same flower today, some large flowered purple Allium.<br /><br />Having now set up both Warre and horizontal top bar hives, I'm curious about what I think of the Warre. It's a little confusing to me, but I think the Warre might work out better that the horizontal top bar. The horizontal, if they get cross-linked honeycomb, I can't think of anything to do about it. The Warre has removable boxes. If the box with the queen in it gets cross-combed, that should not carry over to the lower boxes. <br /><br />The Warre also has a place for mites to fall under a bee-excluding screen, which might make for better hyguene. We'll see.<br />Daniel Wachenheimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11009166706587141830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834831.post-62677913484305792712015-05-09T19:21:15.419-07:002015-05-09T19:21:15.419-07:00We must have been!
It's interesting watching ...We must have been!<br /><br />It's interesting watching them on their first day. They do look different from the Italian bees - these new bees seem to have a darker body. I saw some sharing the same flower today, some large flowered purple Allium.<br /><br />Having now set up both Warre and horizontal top bar hives, I'm curious about what I think of the Warre. It's a little confusing to me, but I think the Warre might work out better that the horizontal top bar. The horizontal, if they get cross-linked honeycomb, I can't think of anything to do about it. The Warre has removable boxes. If the box with the queen in it gets cross-combed, that should not carry over to the lower boxes. <br /><br />The Warre also has a place for mites to fall under a bee-excluding screen, which might make for better hyguene. We'll see.<br />Daniel Wachenheimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11009166706587141830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834831.post-15746109533793282012015-05-09T18:02:15.166-07:002015-05-09T18:02:15.166-07:00No way! We must have (once again) been at the sam...No way! We must have (once again) been at the same place, just moments apart! I'm assuming you got your bees from Bee Thinking? Same here. I'm so eager to get your feedback on how these bees compare to your Italian (i think you have Italians, yes?) survivors ...<br /><br />Meanwhile, i'm so sorry to learn that you were ill over the winter. I hope the therapy of your magnificent garden returns you to full vigor very soon. You really have created quite a little slice of heaven there.<br /><br />Warre hives are so fascinating to me. Have you seen the link of the fellow harvesting honey out of the Warre? I'll find it for you and send it in a separate note. :) Dinner awaits!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834831.post-28923529070459034272015-05-09T07:05:42.562-07:002015-05-09T07:05:42.562-07:00Nice to hear from you!
The main thing I did was f...Nice to hear from you!<br /><br />The main thing I did was feed them several times through the winter. Their comb emptied of honey and pollen, and I think feeding helped.<br /><br />I'm not sure I like the horizontal top bar hive. They cross-comb like crazy, then I don't get access to the combs for any purpose. I was ill and could not maintain as closely as I wanted. <br /><br />I have a new Warre hive that might work better, might not. Not sure how to set it up yet.<br /><br />One hive suffered colony collapse - not dead bees, they just all disappeared.<br /><br />I am picking up a new box today. These will be Carniolan-Russian mix, supposedly more adapted to local climate than Italian bees.Daniel Wachenheimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11009166706587141830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834831.post-73284882328422706382015-05-07T08:52:19.348-07:002015-05-07T08:52:19.348-07:00Good morning, Daniel! It's your Ridgefield ne...Good morning, Daniel! It's your Ridgefield neighbor here. I see you've been as busy as your bees lately! Clearly, i have a lot to catch up on.<br /><br />Just thought i'd send you an update - our two top bar hive colonies didn't even make it into winter. :( But it was a very educational year, and we'll soon pick up a new package to try again.<br /><br />Since your colonies survived the winter and indeed, seem to be thriving), i thought i'd ask what you did differently last year, and also, did the bees "clean up" the old, icky comb? And did you treat at all last year? We're pretty committed to being treatment-free, and we had such a varroa problem last year that i'm wondering if a treatment-free approach will even be possible for our area. Unlike last year, this year, we're starting with supposedly treatment-free stock, so that will hopefully make all the difference.<br /><br />Cheers for now, and happy beekeeping!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com