# My Apiary



## Boardrida20 (Sep 2, 2016)

Not to bad for my first year and starting with 1 package and 1 overwintered Nuc. So far have harvested 65 ish LBS of honey and may have another 30 at the end of this flow!

Thanks for looking... Not sure why the photo uploader is so terrible on this cite. Photo posts flipped..


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## MikeJ (Jan 1, 2009)

Nice. Sounds like you payed attention to them. (can't give a thumbs up, my javascript is off )

How DO you keep the rocks on?


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## jcase (Jul 30, 2016)

Boardrida20 said:


> View attachment 35677
> 
> 
> Thanks for looking... Not sure why the photo uploader is so terrible on this cite. Photo posts flipped..


How is bee keeping down under?


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## Boardrida20 (Sep 2, 2016)

I find that its an easier approach to hive management when its suspended like this... There is a lot less lifting but much more pushing. 

The rock is was the hardest part to figure out( I'm glad you noticed). I simple glued a magnet to it and it holds the whole thing together.

Its like the flow hive but inverted. I'll just put a tap on the top of the hive and be able to let it flow up at the end of season.... 

Hardest part seems to be getting the bees used to working upside down. They tend to keep flying up to the ground and not returning to the sky...


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## MikeJ (Jan 1, 2009)

Boardrida20 said:


> I find that its an easier approach to hive management when its suspended like this... There is a lot less lifting but much more pushing.
> 
> The rock is was the hardest part to figure out( I'm glad you noticed). I simple glued a magnet to it and it holds the whole thing together.
> 
> ...



Takes training. Need to teach them to use their flight instruments and not just rely on their eyes


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

When you are flying upside down the controls are backwards. Forward to climb, pull back to descend. May take the bees a little bit of adjusting.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Any idea what is the mite load in there?


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## MikeJ (Jan 1, 2009)

Hmmm, since I do not see any screen top boards on he may have trouble getting a natural mite drop count.

But seriously - Beepro does have a point. I have had a few hives that really produced BOOMER crops - then promptly died from mites 
I am guessing though that, since your getting such good results, your probably on top of that.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Got that right! No other option other than knocking down the mites for the sake of the
big fat winter bees later on. Whoever got out of winter with lots of surviving hives is either lucky or
they have lots of resistant bees going in this Autumn. My latest on mites mgmt post going into 3rd season here 
http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?332871-Constant-mite-removal-management/page4


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## Boardrida20 (Sep 2, 2016)

beepro said:


> Any idea what is the mite load in there?


I treated the package hive in June with MAQS as they appeared to have many on the drop board. I didn't see any in the overwintered producing hive until later in July so I waited until mid august to do a MAQ'S treatment for that one. Hoping to really take them down for the fall and early winter. I put a strip of apivar, per 4 frames, in each nuc at the same time as the august treatment. I also re queened the OW producing hive early august, as they went queenless probably due to my squashing her. This resulted in a bloodless period which is when I threw in the MAQ's in. Hopefully this will lend to lower numbers.

I built a vaporizer I plan to use in December when brood less. I'm in northern NY when is the best time to do this? I'm don't want to wait to long... Should I do a early and late winter treatment of OA? I haven't done an alcohol wash yet but plan to in October to get a better assessment than the drop boards. I used to be super concerned about not killing bees until I started working in the production hive that was packed and in the nucs where every frame or super you put back kills like 10. 

-Pete


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

To minimize killing the worker bees, I will use one corner of the hive box to slide on the center of the box I'm holding. This will
push many of the bees away when putting the box back on. Slow down when you almost at the closing point to avoid squishing the bees allowing them more time to clear the gap first before closing. 
Many in your area will do it in Nov. You have to watch the weather so that you can complete the treatment before the snows are there. If the queen continue to lay it will never be a brood less period in your area. In that case, I will help them along by putting the cap frames inside a mini fridge incubator I have. If you don't have an incubator then you can brush off the bees on the cap brood frames then put these frames into another strong hive. Then you can treat without the cap broods. This way at least majority of your hives can be treated. The one not treat you will need to use other form of treatment other than the oav.


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