# Help I'm stuck in hippy triangle and could use experienced local advice



## StingerMcStung (Apr 27, 2015)

I realize this is your commercial section, but all my potential mentors (except one I don't want to overextend) :don't treat, live and let die, put herbs in the hives, and drive copper wire into the knotholes to "keep the energy from leaking out." (really)

all 4 of my purchased nucs came through the first winter, with queens laying (one has a lousy brood pattern.)

My question is to those familiar with my general area, regarding timing of patties/splits/making nucs//re-queening/supering and pulling supers including treatment timing?

I mean months not exact dates, but something to keep me in the ballpark.

If what I'm asking, is verboten trade-secret stuff, my apologies. If not feel free to PM me.

I'm taking classes at Davis, but they don't honey super and are more queen specific (which is cool, but I'd like kiddo to taste some blackberry honey this year.)
)

Thanks


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## Georgiabeeman (Dec 10, 2015)

First of all lets get you to the bigger picture. The season is taking off soon now and if your nucs have overwintered well lets go ahead and do mite treatments. Now because your new I would suggest Oxalic acid treatments. This can be expensive so maybe look up the dribble method as it would be much cheaper. 
Now early on as the temperature rises I would feed these nucs heavy with sugar water. Staring out you could use a 50 / 50 mixture of water to sugar to get them going strong. Make sure your nights are about 41 degrees for at least 3 days when feeding. You don't want to have to much moisture in the hives. 
As you are feeding these nucs will expand brood pretty rapidly. Convert you nucs to full size hives this year and give them fresh frames of wax to expand. Once they get all the new frames pulled out your queens should have plenty of room to grow brood and add a nice work force. To allow you for Black berry honey check your season our season in Ga is around June to July depending on the heat wave. I recommend pulling honey after each flow so you can experience the full flavor of each blooming season. I am sure now that I have added to your post many others will also add you some nice advice. I will fill in the blanks as this post goes on. Remember you are new and the information you are fixing to get can be overwhelming and very opinionated. One last thing requeen that bad laying one. She needs to go! Hope this all helps. Gabeeman


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## Norcalkyle (Apr 23, 2015)

My hives are in northern Sonoma county. Swarms start march first typically. Pollen should be coming in regularly right now. I treat with oav late July and late October. Splits should be done late march/early April .


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

My version of this bad queen might turn out to be a 
good queen later on. Coming out of winter the mites are
still there with an expanding hive. What you will see is
a spotty laying pattern when it is the uncapping of the infected
larva. This is a good sign of being hygienic or vsh too. What I
would do is to hive this queen in a small nuc for later evaluation. In
a smaller mite free environment she may lay in better pattern that what is
going on right now. Later on if she is the same then you can requeen or just
combine the bees with another hive. Because I have evaluated all of my previous season's queens before and during the winter itme I have no doubt that they are good laying queens. Now that some have spotty laying pattern means that the mites are there too. Since Spring queen is hard to come by at this time, unless you get them from HI, let's give this queen another chance before killing her. A small nuc will hold her well for now.
For the flow timing, you will see the yellow pollen and nectar coming from the wild mustard now. The box wood and magnolia should be in full bloom as well. Follow by almonds and peaches by the 3rd week of this month. Then pears, cherry and apples and berries by mid-April through May to give you a ballpark of things. Each year is different so time yourself by checking out what is blooming each year out there.


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

I find the braided copper wire helps capture the most leaked energy


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

Ian said:


> I find the braided copper wire helps capture the most leaked energy


Only if you re-braid it into a pony tail, otherwise the negative ions leak back into hive.


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

i've found that calibrating the braided copper with a divining rod is an excellent way to ensure that it is working properly.


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## MTN-Bees (Jan 27, 2014)

Anyone tried it for Varroa control?


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## msl (Sep 6, 2016)

IIRR Warre said it needed to be in a french braid for varroa control


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Probably works. Has just about completely eliminated tracheal mites and passenger pigeons.


MTN-Bees said:


> Anyone tried it for Varroa control?


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

squarepeg said:


> i've found that calibrating the braided copper with a divining rod is an excellent way to ensure that it is working properly.


Yeah but you've got to make sure your divining rod is calibrated first. As you are well aware only the wings of a silkworm can be used to calibrate a divining rod. I tried using unicorn eyelashes to calibrate mine one time and the dang thing sent me 30 seconds into the past. It took me a month to quit repeating what I just heard myself say.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

If the copper wire technique results are somewhat lacking .... there are more ... mmm ... _innovative_ techniques here ...

http://www.beesource.com/forums/sho...John-Harding-and-I-have-found-the-answer-quot


:digging:


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## Matt903 (Apr 8, 2013)

I think Georgia Bee Man gave you some good advice there. Is there a bee club you can join in your area? Maybe one where folks don't use copper wire? Don't worry, my first mentor put crystals on top of his hives, "to draw in positive energy from the air, and channel it to the bees." So I know how you feel.


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## StingerMcStung (Apr 27, 2015)

And here I was hoping I could get away with a copper braided man-bun on each hive 

Thanks for the replies (including the funny ones)

I guess it's just a trial and error, learn as you go type of thing.


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## Flyer Jim (Apr 22, 2004)

You might find some thing here.

http://www.californiastatebeekeepers.com/links-affiliated-clubs.html


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## Eric Walls (Feb 8, 2013)

Hippy Triangle? Sounds like where I'm from, the People's Republic of Portland, Oregon. A person in a local club here made a bee scratching post so the bees can scratch it like a cat, and hope it would cause the mites to drop off.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

StingerMcStung said:


> And here I was hoping I could get away with a copper braided man-bun on each hive
> 
> Thanks for the replies (including the funny ones)
> 
> I guess it's just a trial and error, learn as you go type of thing.


Funny ones? I thought everyone was serious. I'm 63 and when I get in the bee yard I get energy from somewhere. I always figured I was absorbing the energy radiating from the hives.


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## texanbelchers (Aug 4, 2014)

jim lyon said:


> Funny ones? I thought everyone was serious. I'm 63 and when I get in the bee yard I get energy from somewhere. I always figured I was absorbing the energy radiating from the hives.


I thought the energy was from the Triple, Venti, Half Sweet, Non-Fat, Caramel Macchiato.


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## SWM (Nov 17, 2009)

Don't waste your time braiding copper... I've tried them all and you can't beat solid #6 copper for keeping the energy IN and the mites OUT. Just beware that the energy field created can sometimes draw the unexpected. I once observed an apparition of Lorenzo Langstroth in one of my yards equipped with copper.


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## bfriendly (Jun 14, 2009)

Randy Oliver's web site scientificbeekeeping.com should give you plenty of RELEVANT reading material about treatments, etc. Also timing should be similar / or just a little earlier in your location.

In that area you will have a super early season with a (likely) summer dearth june-sept. You may find the best bee locations are closer to town, where people irrigate their yards and water their gardens through the summer.


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