The New Beginning

[paus]

On my soapbox again advocating DSBB with oil pan.  I went through some big hives today did not see a SHB, there some cockroaches in the shavings in the top board. but lots of SHB in the oil.

[Seeb]

glad to hear the oil pan method works - I've set up my new hive with one

[Acebird]

     SHB
Now that's another matter and we have to do something mechanical.

What is the season for SHB?

[FloridaGardener]

Over 70 degrees.

[Seeb]

What is the season for SHB?

Over 70 degrees.


Oh dear!

[FloridaGardener]

@ Paus - so your DSBB is a tray under the screened bottom board, with an additional screen on top of the tray to keep bees browsing in the hive trash from getting stuck in the oil? 

Do the SHB really go through the two layers of #8 mesh?

Is it too much trouble to uplink photos?  Would appreciate - Thanks.

[Acebird]

Over 70 degrees.

That's almost all year long down here.  I better get moving.

[Acebird]

Update: They are here to stay!
I got my ventilated jacket last night so this morning was first trial.  There is about 3 medium frames of open brood and they are drawing out 4 frames in the box below.  I did not see the queen and hopefully I didn't lose her.  I have some foundation so I will put that in empty frames and switch that with empty frames in the hive.  Seems like I have to work this hive like a horizontal for a while.  They are all over to one side.
What a difference a ventilated jacket makes.  No stings.
Fingers crossed.
OH BTW old dog learned new trick.  I had a video conference meeting (zoom) with my siblings last night on my birthday.  It was fun!

[Seeb]

Happy Birthday Ace!  I love my new ventilated jacket too - congratulations on your new hive

[Ben Framed]

Happy Birthday Ace! I love my ventilated jacket. You will especially need it in Florida when you require protection. I would suggest bringing a fan along as well allowing the vents to do their job more efficiently.

Phillip Hall

[Acebird]

I would suggest bringing a fan along as well allowing the vents to do their job more efficiently.

Phillip Hall

I went without a shirt.  I sweated more when I was up north with the other jacket.
Hey I saw the queen on the second intervention!  Right on bottom of the inner cover just mozing around without a care in the world.  On the first inspection/move I did not see one hive beetle but on the second I saw two.  What oil do you put in the tray?  How often do you empty it?
The move went really swell.  I saw bees in the top two boxes so I put them on a piece of plywood and the bottom board with the cover.  Then just slipped a hand truck under the plywood, tipped the hive back and walked it to the new location about 50 ft away.  That left 3 boxes back at the old location.  On the second intervention at the new location I replaced 4 empty frames with foundation in the bottom box.  I went back to the old location and grabbed each box one at a time with hundreds of bees on them and set them on there side next to the new location.  In ten minutes these boxes were empty and there is only 15-25 bees left at the old location.  It didn't take them long to find the active hive.  All is good.
My plan is to let this hive build up to 4 boxes and do a walk away split.

[CoolBees]

Happy [belated] Birthday Ace, and congratulations! That's too awesome!

[jtcmedic]

Congrats on the bees. It is hot keeping bees in Florida drink lots of water.

[FatherMichael]

Sounds like you've got a good start!

[Kwalt]

Awesome!

[Seeb]

Ace - I buy a gallon of food grade mineral oil to soak all my wooden ware each year [wooden spoons, chopping boards, tools, etc] then strain it back into the jug and reuse the next year - so now that I have bee's again, I have plenty to put in the SHB tray as well.

[yes2matt]

Well Phill I have this thing about treating bees.  I don't know how that is going to go with the inspector.

We met the inspector last year. Seems a good guy, to me.

I asked him if there were many folks in FL who purport to keep bees treatment free. And he gave the typical roundabout yadayada about "what's the definition. .. even putting them in a hive is a treatment ..." and I said so whatever about the definition is anybody doing it? and he said "not successfully."

So you might just have to work hard to demonstrate that you are successfully keeping the bees, and have documented mite tests etc to show you're doing your diligence, ya know.

Anyway, I'M GLAD you are back in the game. If you welcome the bees they will stay with you.

[Bob Wilson]

Congrats Brian! I am enjoying the story, and very glad they stayed. Have you thought about placing a few baited boxes around the yard? Where you catch one swarm, you will often catch another. The season is young, and you might not even need to split to get a second and third hive.

[Acebird]

Have you thought about placing a few baited boxes around the yard?

I don't have anything to bait it with but the boxes are set up next to the new hive.  I was thinking of sacrificing some brood but down here it will just draw a whole bunch of beetles.  I am going to keep watch on the foundation I put in the hive.  If I can catch it before they put honey and pollen in the cells that might work.
Also I did not want to leave boxes where the swarm came because I did not what to encourage the bees to hang around that area.

[FloridaGardener]

Ace, I suspect this is why beeks in NW Florida can go treatment https://bee-health.extension.org/varroa-mite-reproductive-biology/

High humidity.