Nathanael Szobody

pollinator
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since Apr 25, 2015
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Recent posts by Nathanael Szobody

Joylynn Hardesty wrote:Oh, good! No need for emergency feeding of sugar. Here, a newly started hive might starve over winter without help. Sugar isnt a good solution, but dead bees is a terrible outcome.



Yikes. This is swarming season here though, so I would trust there's a natural way to sustainability that behavior in the local ecology.

It's funny though because I'd prefer not to feed them sugar. My mom is intolerant to sugar, and she reacts even if honey isn't 100% nectar. She's a living honey purity tester!
2 days ago

Joylynn Hardesty wrote:Is your weather turning into spring or fall?



We're turning to "fall", which here is just the end of rainy season. There are some fruit trees that produce in the middle of dry season "winter", like mangos. So I think nectar will still be available.
3 days ago
They were super busy the first couple days; I saw a lot of pollen going in. Then the third day I thought they had absconded again because the entrance was deserted. But I put my ear up to it and there was quite a humming going on. Making comb I presume? Now, few days later,  there's low activity at the entrance. A bee leaves or enters maybe every 20 seconds or so.
4 days ago
I'm a beekeeper again. A swarm moved in and they are busy busy. This time I'm taking the do-absolutely-nothing-for-quite-awhile strategy.
6 days ago
I purchase fresh milk from local nomads (i live in Africa). The pasteurized it before selling,  but all their containers are inoculation with yogurt bacteria. So when I bring it home I just let it sit out on the counter and get world's best yogurt in a couple hours.

I'm thinking all one would have to do to replicate this situation is to avoid washing containers with soap; just rinse well.
6 days ago
I once planted three varieties of heirloom potatoes in my mother- in-law's garden and she's been harvesting them for four years now. She leaves them grow where they sprout and has plenty to eat.
1 week ago
I would ferment veggies in it.

Since it's likely not airtight it would release gas during fermentation,  and the flip top would allow pouring off the fermented juices into cooking magic while retaining the solids in the jar for snitching on while you cook.
2 weeks ago
Nice going Nancy! I usually let the water soak overnight first. You know it's strong enough for soapmaking when an egg floats in it,  but for cooking you likely want it much more concentrate.
2 weeks ago

Mike Barkley wrote:No. Install the frames with foundation. A swarm will still move in. If you capture a swarm somewhere else just place them on top of the frames with the cover removed. Add the cover once they get inside. Working with no foundations is more suited for experienced beekeepers.



Of I had only known...
2 weeks ago

Mike Barkley wrote:Sounds like you didn't have much choice except to remove the burr comb from the lid if you ever wanted to access the inside again. Bees can work extremely fast filling empty spaces. It can become a tangled mess that only a bee can appreciate. Frames & foundation are for human needs not for the bees needs.

I suggest removing the old comb from the floor. Melt it down & use a paintbrush to add a thin layer to the artificial foundations. Then install all the frames back into the hive. Don't beat yourself up over forgetting. Consider it a lesson learned the hard way & move on. It seems there is plenty of bee activity near you so I think you'll have more soon.

About honey harvest ... since I don't know anything about your seasons or pollen availability throughout the year just remember that is the bee food supply. Harvest very sparingly & only after they are well established with a large honey supply.

Good luck. You got this!!!



Thanks for the encouragement Mike. Would it make sense to leave 4 frames or so without foundation so a swarm can choose?
2 weeks ago