I swear every time I get to the point of thinking I?m close to figuring things out, I?m quickly humbled. I?ve been grafting and only been having about 25% success on mated queens. I?ve tried to look on the bright side and realize that the few new hives I have are hives I didn?t have weeks ago.
Today one of my newer Caucasian hives had superceedure cell. I wasn?t surprised considering her lackluster pattern. Population had taken a step back, so I took the second off and set it to the side. Then I had to run the kids down the road. When I got back, a robbing frenzie was on. I knew better than to leave that box out. It didn?t have but a bit of nectar on the frames, but darn was it a frenzy. I closed off all hives and am now inside having beers and kicking myself for being an idiot.
Beekeeping literally has saved my life. It brought an energy and joy I haven?t had in a long time. I had no idea what I was getting into when I started, but I can?t quit now. Despite my crap grafting results, the queens I have had come back mated are rockstars so far. Have some of y?all that have been doing this for longer than 3-5 years had days you want to quit? I look back and I?m so much further ahead than I was just 6 months ago. I?m going to keep grinding, but I need some encouragement :wink:
My first thought is how many people are too insecure or afraid of failure and won't even attempt grafting. And you know as well as I do most will only tell you about a high percentage success and neglect to speak of the learning curve. Increase is success.
Yeah it?s funny I never see videos of poor results. I?ve thought of doing videos of how bad I am.
The best thing I know to do when I get frustrated with them is to just stop the rat race, and sit, and enjoy watching the bees again. It reminds why I wanted them in the first place.
> Have some of y?all that have been doing this for longer than 3-5 years had days you want to quit?
I have not thought of quitting but I have made mistakes which I took as learning experiences. Hang In there and continue on! You have all your friends here for support. We are all individuals but as a group make a strong colony, working and striving together to be better beekeepers. .
Yesterday morning going through the mating yards checking results I was joyful. Going for a drive around the countryside in the afternoon spot checking production yards I was joyful with the level of activity.
Today am pulling honey and am miserable. Not for lack of crop, but for the heavy fullness of the boxes and acknowledgement of the long slog of work ahead to process and to flog it all.
Quote from: TheHoneyPump on July 29, 2021, 10:19:46 PM
Yesterday morning going through the mating yards checking results I was joyful. Going for a drive around the countryside in the afternoon spot checking production yards I was joyful with the level of activity.
Today am pulling honey and am miserable. Not for lack of crop, but for the heavy fullness of the boxes and acknowledgement of the long slog of work ahead to process and to flog it all.
Well I suppose that is a small price to pay compared with the realization of accomplishments from hard work and well thought out plans well in advance, all coming together! lol.. Congratulations Mr HP!!
Quote from: BurleyBee on July 29, 2021, 08:42:57 PMthe queens I have had come back mated are rockstars so far. :wink:
That's fantastic....congratulations!
I get what could only be called a grim satisfaction out of bee keeping. After 25 years of bee keeping I've found taking the bad with the good is just part of the hobby. I met my goals this year and doubled my hives from three to six but now am looking at a larger honey crop than I'm used to and extracting in the Florida summer heat. The weather man is calling for a 105 degree heat index all next week. Why do I do it? It's a challenge, keeps me entertained and I have a love of honey and working my hives.
Working in Florida heat...
Yep, I have to get up at dawn/6 am to work a big hive. By 9 am it's too hot/bright.
I picked up a used freezer for the garage. Saved many a nuc by freezing frames with SHB eggs that got a 3" toehold in a frame.
When the honey frames come out, they go in that freezer for 48 hrs. That means I get to rest another 2 days. Some frames I have in tubs this year, had a good crop and not enough comb-honey boxes...waiting for more.
I'm sorry for you folks who have extractors, I tried a friend's once...I agree it's a slog. Cut comb is so much easier!
PS - The chest freezer doesn't seem to cost much to run. We've kept an eye on the utility bills since we got it. Doesn't seem to make any diff.
I have a freezer for everything that comes out of a hive for 72 hours at least if I have room then 48 is the rule. I have a walkin freezer on my wish list, Probably like all my wife's cook books " It ain"t gonna happen".
Quote from: paus on July 30, 2021, 03:18:37 PM
I have a freezer for everything that comes out of a hive for 72 hours at least if I have room then 48 is the rule. I have a walkin freezer on my wish list, Probably like all my wife's cook books " It ain"t gonna happen".
I recently bought a small chest size freezer for this dedicated purpose. It is a 7 cf. It holds 11 frames across X 3 and six to 7 on the side. A total of about 40. I really like it...
The most unique set up I have seen comes from Ian Steppler. He has a dedicated Refrigerated Reefer trailer "18 wheeler type" for storing his comb. Outstanding idea for his large commercial set up.....
Quote,
Have some of y?all that have been doing this for longer than 3-5 years had days you want to quit?
2 years ago I lost 12 of 13 hives due to ant poison. This was late fall when the hives should have been going gang busters on golden rod. I was really frustrated because this meant that I would only have 3 hives ready for BeeFest. I was expecting to have 15 hives for the event. Trust me I thought about quitting but it didn?t last very long.
Jim Altmiller
Quote from: BeeMaster2 on July 30, 2021, 05:14:50 PM
Quote,
Have some of y?all that have been doing this for longer than 3-5 years had days you want to quit?
2 years ago I lost 12 of 13 hives due to ant poison. This was late fall when the hives should have been going gang busters on golden rod. I was really frustrated because this meant that I would only have 3 hives ready for BeeFest. I was expecting to have 15 hives for the event. Trust me I thought about quitting but it didn?t last very long.
Jim Altmiller
I have had some very hot hives just couldn't work them. Ran over 2 hives with the truck, trees fall and destroy hives, 24 stings to the head, been stung in a private area :shocked: horses destroyed hives, spring, summer and winter losses just to name a few things. But never thought about giving up.
In a nutshell " IT TOOK ME TOO LONG TO GET HERE TO QUIT" but yeah it's crossed my mind. LOL
Quote from: Beeboy01 on July 30, 2021, 08:06:28 PM
In a nutshell " IT TOOK ME TOO LONG TO GET HERE TO QUIT" but yeah it's crossed my mind. LOL
This is the normal thinking I have!
I tried to quit, didn't work. But did downsize.
Quote from: BurleyBee on July 29, 2021, 08:42:57 PM
Have some of y?all that have been doing this for longer than 3-5 years had days you want to quit?
My fifth year and too little honey this year again (Bad weather).
Will I quit? Never. I learned so much this year, on my mistakes.
Doing nucs too early.. robbing.. Left frame out of hive.. robbing.
Eggs didn't hatch on time (Nicot).. got just one cell out of 20 first round.
Starving loses on out-apiary this winter.. will not happen again.
You grow with your bees, on mistakes.
I learned so much theory, I can't even speak with local beekeepers anymore.
I designed my own hive too, and am aiming for 250 colonies (Sue Cobey lesson)
Quitting is not an option. Local queens and bees is only way to go.
C'mon people, you have all info you need just by learning from Mike Palmer.
Fantastic teacher. (Ok maybe not amitraz part, but the rest is perfect).
Want to quit?
Nah, no way. Even though I can only do 1/2 of what little I used to do, even though I consider myself a half crippled old fert, even though I cannot lift a hive body, even though I have a crushed vertebrae (wedged disc) in my back, even though I am held together with titanium screws in my bones, oh well, just gotta laugh and keep plugging away. I am Blessed! Humor is intended, its ok to laugh at my condition. Had been around bees since birth, 1950's and I would not know how to cope without my lil buddies I see every nice day. Bees and Van go together very well, perfect fit, I tell ya.
Now, relating to grafting: grafting improves with each attempt. Little things are adjusted that make big improvements in percent success rate. Such as (my previous errors improved) placing larva holder next to the larva to be grafted, rejecting larva that you bumped or rolled. Each graft reveals your ability to improve providing you pay attention to detail. You will get better.
Van
I wouldn't like to say I enjoy hearing about other beekeepers problems, but it is reassuring that I'm not the only one who couldn't make a "success video". Enjoy watching them for their instructional value, but they can give unrealistic expectations. I've not had some of the problems that y'all have had. My mistakes are mostly bad beehive management or absentmindedness. For instance, I just pulled some honey from my backyard apiary. Forgot to finish zipping last couple of inches in front and around hood. Started pulling frames and, of course, the girls found the openings right away. I headed for the brush to lose the hangers on and empty my hood of bees. Only got 3-4 hits on the head. Could have been worse.
On a brighter note, my 3rd attempt at grafting was successful! By my standards, anyway. 9 out of 16 cups are being drawn out. I plan to us Jester nuc boxes for mating nucs since I don't have anything better to use at this time.
Quote
On a brighter note, my 3rd attempt at grafting was successful! By my standards, anyway. 9 out of 16 cups are being drawn out.
Congratulations!
Quote from: Bob Wilson on July 29, 2021, 10:02:53 PM
The best thing I know to do when I get frustrated with them is to just stop the rat race, and sit, and enjoy watching the bees again. It reminds why I wanted them in the first place.
Good advice Bob. A few weeks ago I had a 4 frame nuc that raised a new queen. She made it back from mating and was laying like a champion on July 9th. The next peek in 11 days later showed zero eggs or young larvae, and 4-5 capped queen cells. She just disappeared...frustrating!
But when I walk out in the yard with the kids, and we see the bees working all over the clover, or sit and watch them hit the landing board loaded with pollen, it makes it all clear why we keep bees :happy:
Yes good advise Bob.
Austin I have had this happen also. I know I did not roll her as I was gingerly careful in placing the frame back. I did mot use a lot of smoke either as I have heard bees will sometimes supersede a queen if we over smoke. Maybe because she was just getting going (established) and they decided to supersede her in our interpretation? Mystery to me! 😊
Quote
Good advice Bob. A few weeks ago I had a 4 frame nuc that raised a new queen. She made it back from mating and was laying like a champion on July 9th. The next peek in 11 days later showed zero eggs or young larvae, and 4-5 capped queen cells. She just disappeared...frustrating!
Adding: Last season I was going down the nuc line finding and marking new established laying queens. This one new queen in this session was a beauty, light colored queen with text book pattern, eggs, larva, and capped brood. I had already marked others in nucs in this line ahead of her but for some reason as soon as I released her back onto the same frame she was balled!.. With odds already against a queen returning mated, I hate loosing one in either of these examples..
Edit: Looking back at my notes it was two seasons ago.... not last season...
i have had this happen to 2 queens this year. rescued one and caged her til they accepted her. the other not so lucky. i'm thinking as clumsy as i am likely i stressed them too much and that's what triggered the reaction. never seen this before
Quote from: Ben Framed on August 02, 2021, 12:15:08 PM
Adding: Last season I was going down the nuc line finding and marking new established laying queens. This one new queen in this session was a beauty, light colored queen with text book pattern, eggs, larva, and capped brood. I had already marked others in nucs in this line ahead of her but for some reason as soon as I released her back onto the same frame she was balled!.. With odds already against a queen returning mated, I hate loosing one in either of these examples..
Were you holding the queens when you marked them? Could the previous queen's scent been transferred to the next queen? That and the smell of the paint could have had the bees confused.
Quote from: cao on August 03, 2021, 12:39:56 AM
Quote from: Ben Framed on August 02, 2021, 12:15:08 PM
Adding: Last season I was going down the nuc line finding and marking new established laying queens. This one new queen in this session was a beauty, light colored queen with text book pattern, eggs, larva, and capped brood. I had already marked others in nucs in this line ahead of her but for some reason as soon as I released her back onto the same frame she was balled!.. With odds already against a queen returning mated, I hate loosing one in either of these examples..
Were you holding the queens when you marked them? Could the previous queen's scent been transferred to the next queen? That and the smell of the paint could have had the bees confused.
I think you have nailed it Cao. The previous queens scent is probably the answer in my case! Thanks!!
Cao I have taken in so much information since I obtained my first bees in spring 2018 that I can't remember it all lol. I posted of that happening here under the topic heading: "Unexpected Results".
I had to go back and refresh my memory.
Reply 4. "Thanks Mr Van, I did not use a marking cage as I gained the courage to do it by hand a month or so ago, thanks to Devan Rawn and his clear and well made video SHOWING and explaining how to properly handle queens. However, this question about the marking cage and scents does bring up a good question. I had marked a few before her, I am 99.9% sure that I did not hurt her but was wondering if it is possible that the other queens scents, did indeed transfer to her from my hands? I do believe that either paint or, and other queens scents, along with HP explanation, along with yours just about rounds it off?"
Phillip
Good new is my robbing frenzy came to an end and after checking hives, all is well.
Then I checked my queen cell starter Nuc. Was really pleased with how grafting went. I checked cells and was puzzled that there was only 1/10. Then I look at the frame next to cell frame, and there?s my beautiful marked Caucasian. I busted out laughing at what an idiot I am. I have no idea how I made that mistake, but lesson learned! I went to the hive she came from and what do you know, queen cells everywhere. So I broke that hive down into several Nucs :cool:
Thanks for all the stories yall. Building more bottom boards and lids today. Sure didn?t like the price of the 4x8 I purchased, but it?s still cheaper than buying lids and BBs. Lumber prices have been steadily falling, so hopefully 4x8 will continue to fall as well. Wanting to build some double screen boards to overwinter smaller colonies.
BurleyBee my first graft, which really wasn?t grafting. I used the nicot system. Thought I did everything right, (I thought), including inspecting for rogue cells I must have missed one because, like you my cells were killed also. What I found was a rogue virgin that hat hatched just before my cells were to hatch. Bummer lol.
Been doing this for about 8 years. Neve have I wanted to quit. Yeah, beekeeping is joyous, satisfying, meditative, zen, humbling, heartbreaking, and frustrating and so much more. I have always said, though, that I'd be doing this for the rest of my life, and I can't imagine not keeping bees. They keep me as well (keep me from going bonkers). I love my girls.