Mentoring by Phone

[Brian D. Bray]

I got 5 calls this week from three of my beekeeping students.

One called with what he thought was robbing out of his excess equipment.  When I went over to access the situation this turned out to be a swarm taking up residence so we created a hive out of some of the equipment, made up anothe bait hive, and I gave him detailed instructions on moving the hive from his equipment area to his intended bee yard. Described how to move a hive a short distance (50 ft) and force bees to reorientate to hive and that there would be some overnighter bees that would return the next day.

My yonger brother called about the splits he had made on his own, he thought they were possibly being robbed.  I informed him that the split he had brought over to my house was made up entirely of drone comb, this was an oops lesson.  We then decided to move his recently made nucs to a new location, away from the strong hives, where he was setting up an outyard.

I got a call from a student up in the Cascade Mountains (5000 ft) about a poisoned hive.  His father had sprayed a plum tree while it was still in bloom and one of his 4 packages had been working that tree.  Told him to delay spraying trees until the flower petals were well on the way to falling from the tree, indicating the pollenation period was over for the tree in question.
advised him check the poisoned hive for quantity of bees, if there was still a queen, and to shake out any uncapped stores to remove the poison from the hive.  Discussed how to prevent poisoning from cascading through the other three hives and nursing poinsoned hive back to health if enough bees survived and the need to prevent the other hives from robbing that hive out. 

Got a second call from the caller number one, he had about a 1/2 cup full of overnighter bees.  return to the original location of the swarm and then taken up residence in the bait hive.  Gave him three options; do nothing, move the bees to the hives new location, or move the bait hive next to swarm hive.

Got a second call from caller number 3, who now had a 2nd hive showing signs of being poisoned from either robbing the 1st hive or from pollinating the plum tree.  Learned that there was a queen and 2 frames of bees and brood left in the 1st hive.  That hive was reduced to nuc size with reduced inch entrance.  For the 2nd poisoned hive the advice given was the same as originally given for the 1st poisoned hive.  Hive was reduced back to one box as super had only been on for a few days and uncapped stores were shaken out. A temporary, limited, feeding program was institued for both poisoned hives.

All together I spent about 3 hours on the phone and 1/2 a day in the field helping my students. 

[iddee]

""and 1/2 a day in the field helping my students.""

Barefoot?? You said you couldn't get your shoes on.    :evil:  :-D

[Brian D. Bray]

""and 1/2 a day in the field helping my students.""

Barefoot?? You said you couldn't get your shoes on.    :evil:  :-D

Boots.   I can slide my foot down inside a pair of barn boots when I can't get my shoes on.  Besides the 5 calls were over 3 days.

I've 2 more calls from my students since.  Even when my health let me go out and help on a personal level I can still help over the phone.