| Introducing Queens “101” |
| Tutorial Page--Answers to some of our most Frequently Asked Questions. |
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4) Lastly, gently press the queen cage into a nice frame of hatching brood, (see picture above) to make sure that there are young bees in close proximity at all times to care for the new queen. Queen cages simply placed between top bars and not placed on the brood itself can be ignored in cold weather if the bees have not bonded to the new queen prior to her release. The nurse bees will chew through the candy and release the queen in 1-2 days. We recommend not checking the hive for about 5 days, this is to assure that the hive has accepted the queen and gives her time to start laying . Immediately close the hive once you observe that the queen is in fact laying eggs and wait another ten days, by that time the queen should have a nice pattern laid and you should be able to find capped brood. Finding capped brood you should again close the hive and leave the hive alone for another ten days, by this time her young bees will be hatching and you can now work the hive as you normally would, without fear of disturbing her production.
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Many of you have asked about how we treat for Varroa Mites. Our new recipe is as follows: 1 Pint Tea Tree Oil + 4 Pounds Thymol Crystals + 1# Menthol crystals +21# powdered sugar +3# Crisco shortening = mite treatment In order to make this treatment we warm the shortening in the kitchen oven until it is liquid. Then we pour the liquid shortening into our mixer along with the Thymol and menthol crystals. Once the crystals have melted we add the Tea Tree oil and sugar. It is then mixed until smooth and creamy. I Thymol crystals top, Menthol crystals bottom in preparation for patty making. |
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Above picture shows the little mixer we use and the finished consistency of the patty mixture. |
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This final picture shows how we place the 4 'dollops' of the patty mixture on the topbars of the brood chamber. |
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We medicate the hives beginning in fall after the honey has been pulled and throughout the early winter. We apply four golf ball sized 'dollops' of the new medicine patty to each hive on the brood chamber topbars , we check them every 10-14 days. The patties stay potent a longer time than the coasters. So, only add more as the patties are consumed by the bees or dissipate. The thymol patties work the best when there is a light honey flow in progress and the bees are very active in the hive. Remember all of our hives are on screen bottoms and we rarely encounter temperatures above 90 degrees so if you are treating on solid bottom boards or are in the south where temperatures could exceed 90 degrees be very cautious as the thymol and menthol are very aromatic and could overly disturb the colony. We have been using this safe and natural method of treating for varroa mites since last season with very good success. |
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