# New from Missouri



## GreenbirdAcres (Apr 15, 2017)

I caught a swarm in May of 2016. Now in the spring of 2017, I bought a second hive and I'm trying to trap another swarm. I enjoying learning more about and from bees. I have found two other hives in tree cavities within 200 meters of my apiary. I'm pretty sure one of them was the source of my first swarm. My job keeps me pretty busy, so I'm more of a passive beekeeper than I'd like to bee. This forum looks like it is run very well. Thank you for providing it.


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Welcome!


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

greenbird
Any reason you have Missouri usa as your location instead of something a little more spicific. There is a pretty big differance in mo wether depending on what part of the state you are from and when you start posting things that are happening, it is easier to see what is coming to other places in a couple of weeks if you are more northern or southern part of state.

But that said, welcome from rosebud mo.
gww


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## herbhome (Oct 18, 2015)

Welcome, Greenbird!


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## GreenbirdAcres (Apr 15, 2017)

Hi, gww, I'm just north of I-70. The bees are in the central dissected till plain. We are restoring about 12 acres to native prairie/savanna plants and structure. Quite a contrast to your Ozark habitat.


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

Greenbird


> Hi, gww, I'm just north of I-70. The bees are in the central dissected till plain. We are restoring about 12 acres to native prairie/savanna plants and structure. Quite a contrast to your Ozark habitat.


Yes, colder and proby windy for you. Trees bloom first here. Sounds like I got more trees. Good luck.
gww


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## Marti (Jun 29, 2014)

Welcome!


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## carrie palmer (Apr 17, 2017)

Once you have caught the swarm and hived it don't forget to feed them. Most fo my bait are on flat roofs or sheds low pitched


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## GreenbirdAcres (Apr 15, 2017)

Thanks for the reminder, Carrie. I needed it. I've place the swarm trap on a right-of-way. Should have good visibility. It's also somewhat shaded. I found a great read, called "Bait Hives for Honey Bees" by Thomas Seeley, Roger A. Morse, and Richard Nowagrodski. https://ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/1813/2653


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## Scott W (Apr 17, 2017)

Greenbird, I have had amazingly healthy hives all my 5 years of beekeeping--no beetles, no wax moths, never lost a hive over winter never gone queenless. I'm not SURE why I have had such good results. But I do some things that might be part of it. 
1. I AVOID opening up my hives unless there is a compelling reason. I don't inspect just to inspect or to see what's going on. I don't do ANY "routine" inspection. (Of course I treat for varroa mites routinely.)
2. When I do open the hive, I don't scrape propolis off the frames. I don't "clean" the frames up except to remove comb that is out of place and must be removed.
3. I have planted a bunch of stuff that is aromatic: oregano, russian sage, and anise hyssop. I THINK these produce chemicals that varroa destructor mites don't like. They bloom during the dearth and the bees love them.
4. I make sure they are sheltered from the northwest winter winds. I used to steal discarded Christmas trees, but now I have made some windbreaks out of 2x4s covered in good tarps that I take down when the weather warms up in April.
5. I am no closer than a quarter or half a mile to a corn or soybean field. When those are sown, chemicals drift that cause sublethal damage to bees. I have known MANY folks who tried beekeeping close to a corn or soybean field, and the hives end up weakening and dieing or absconding. Now I tell folks to not waste their time.
So those are things I do that are different. Hopefully you have a mentor to guide you on the basics.


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## GreenbirdAcres (Apr 15, 2017)

Thank you for the excellent advice, Scott!
1. In my first year I fought the temptation to do all of those hive inspections. It just seemed a little odd to go ripping apart the girls house on a regular basis. I appreciate how you articulate "compelling reason." Could you elaborate on this. There is probably something I'm not thinking of. I've been completely ignorant in treating varroa mites (I have the literature on it and other resources). Since you reminded me, I'm going into more proactive mode.
2. Seems obvious:thumbsup:
3. Nice tip on plant influences. I never knew that they could potential repel mites. We have been working hard for about 8 years on planting trees in the savanna portion. We've planted about five acres of former soybeans and about an acre of former fescue to native prairie plants. The plantings were a "pollinator" mix of 15 forbs and two grasses of local ecotype. There is always something blooming in the prairie from spring through fall. We hope to make that happen on our small piece. Every little bit helps. Missouri has lost all but one half of one percent <1% of its original native prairie. And people wonder why our grassland bird and pollinators have been tanking.
4. I worried all winter (a mild one) that I hadn't done enough to protect from winds, but the hive was on the south side of a hedgerow. I'll do more next year using some of your advice.
5. Ah... good ol' corn and soy. We live in Saline County, MO. It has about the highest corn production in the state. Monsanto and Dow love us. This has long been a concern of ours. Somehow we are lucky to live in a bubble with very no production for about a 1.5 mile radius. I would still like to check the honey upon first harvest for Glyphosate and the "cides." Do you know of any kits for this?

I really appreciate the advice. Thanks for taking the time. I have no mentor here, but I'll keep my eyes peeled. We have a pretty public lifestyle and home is our solitude and sanctuary. Never thought of inviting one of those crazy beekeeper types to visit. I'll need to work on that.


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## Scott W (Apr 17, 2017)

Greenbird-
I think the only time I opened the brood area of a hive for a GOOD reason was when I was splitting one hive into two and needed to spot some queen cells to make sure each split would get at least one queen cell. EVERY other time I opened the brood area of my hive it was for one reason: worry. And in every case it turned out to be totally unnecessary. During honey making season, I open the tops on a somewhat regular basis to see how quickly the supers are filling, but I think that is not very disruptive.

Treating mites is imperative and easy. In early August, open a foil pack of Apiguard and put it in the top of your hive. It's jellied thyme oil. The bees hate the smell, but it really knocks the mite population down. Close up the hive real tight when you do this. Slide a solid bottom in if you have a screened bottom board, close any upper openings. You want the fumes to stay concentrated. Usually you will need to add a little one or two inch spacer to raise your cover a bit so it doesn't actually contact the foil pack. You want room for the bees to walk on top of the jellied thyme oil. Put a few pieces of candy up there to entice the bees up there. 

Apiguard's own instructions say to put in one pack for two weeks then follow up with another for another two weeks. But I have had very good results with just one pack for about 10 days. I leave it in until it has all disappeared-evaporated. Using two packs over the longer period would be totally fine. 

The best time to treat is late summer when there is little brood. The Apiguard can only kill mites sucking on adult bees--so any mites still in the brood can't be killed.

The mites transmit a virus (deformed wing virus). If the mite population rises to 5% of your bees, it triggers an epidemic of DWV and it really weakens your bees. The oldest and best beekeeper in my county lost 1/3 of his hives this winter because he had high mite levels last year. 

Some folks will do various things to measure mite levels. I don't do that. I just treat routinely in August. After two weeks, assuming you plan to use just one pack, open the top of the hive and yank the empty foil pack out--bring a pair of pliers. It will probably be glued in by propolis!

I will reply further later. Gott go.


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