# Video blog your pollination service



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Is there a reality show in here somewhere? Or short documentery? Or an educational series video set?


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## Heintz88 (Feb 26, 2012)

I'll be the star!! Who needs a video?? Put pallets on semi, cover, strap down, and go home and crash.


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## Ben Little (Apr 9, 2012)

I was only inquiring if someone could show a more in depth video of what larger scale beekeepers do to get ready and go into pollination . Or maybe share a link to a video if you had one.

constructive criticism would be good on here, not sarcasm .

Thanks


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I don't know if any such videos you seek exist, but you could look at Keith Jarret's videos feeding Nutra Bee.

What is it you specifically want to see?


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## Ben Little (Apr 9, 2012)

I would like to see how most beekeepers judge their hives for pollination strength and the process that is involved to get them to that state , I have raised bees , but only for Honey crop , not pollination, I have taken courses , but I find courses are very rushed and only show certain parts of pollination readiness .
I am trying to make a plan as to how I can get my bees to a certain strength before they go into Blueberries in mid May - June . I will be getting 100 NZ 1 kg packages and I like to be prepared for everything , so I am trying to gain as much knowledge on pollination strength building and placement of hives in crops as possible  I am also trying to see different size operations and what they use for loading/unloading , because I am going to use a 16' flat deck truck and hopefully towing a trailer with my L3800 Kubota on it . That is my setup , good / bad or otherwise .

Me suggesting videos is probably a bad idea on here I guess.

Thanks


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

Ben did you make it to the mile to go work shop that when on at Madinah Ohio. There was some great info there. Kim was talking about doing some CDs or something. You might touch base with him. 
David


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## Ben Little (Apr 9, 2012)

I live in Nova Scotia, nowhere near Ohio  who is Kim ?


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I don't think your request is out of order. It would be a nice thing to see and wouldn't be beyond someone's ability to produce, if there was enough demand.

Kim is Kim Flottum, editor of Bee Culture. Medina,OH is where Bee Culture is from because the Root Company is from there.


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## Heintz88 (Feb 26, 2012)

https://www.gnb.ca/0171/10/0171100010-e.asp Found this link with a quick google search. I wasn't aware of canadian beekeepers getting good prices for pollination services? Can you give more details with your contract and size of the job you are wanting to complete? We start judging our hives this next week for california. Right now were hoping to see a 9-10 frame, because we just assume that during the trip out there some of the bees will be lost or die. These hives get a mark so we know they're ready for consolidation. Then the pallets get cleaned and counted so we know how many semis are needed. I've been trying to get my boss to get the FB, twitter, website up and running so i can start doing all these videos. Been to busy for that.


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

I know there was a couple of Cadadian's there. sqkcrk than for the add of info. 
David.


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## Ben Little (Apr 9, 2012)

145.00 for blueberries 

after getting the 100 packages I should have 135-140 in spring and then splitting for 40% increase in july.

standards for blueberries is 4 frames of brood 2 honey and pollen , but I want to be around 5 frames of brood in double deeps by mid may .


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

Ben Little said:


> I was only inquiring if someone could show a more in depth video of what larger scale beekeepers do to get ready and go into pollination . Or maybe share a link to a video if you had one.
> 
> constructive criticism would be good on here, not sarcasm .
> 
> Thanks


So it is fine to help a hobbiest keep his hives alive. But, now you are asking for a blueprint for running a business and a how to. If you call the local plumber or electrician and say I would you tell me how to be a plumber what would he say? I am not trying to be be a jerk but, there is a learning curve you need to stumble through. You can do it by working for a commercial guy or learn it on your own but, you need to do it. Not watch a blog and go out and do. Find a local commercial guy or mentor and work your way into his good graces and work for him as a volunteer for a year. You will learn. Then you will see why we dont want a bunch of videoer's out there clogging up the works and pissing off the farmers etc. There is no short way to learn this and be successful. 

Another way to learn is to get this ebook. http://www.25hives.homestead.com

Now maybe someone might disagree with me and I am ok with that. but, the SOHK is the way to do it. (School of Hard Knocks)


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## Ben Little (Apr 9, 2012)

No problem , PLEASE DISREGARD THIS THREAD !
I am used to doing everything by myself anyways .

BTW I have advertised for a mentor for over 2 years and no one will take me. There is only hobbiests around my area, 1-2 hour away are the only commercial beekeepers. I have offered to work for free and I know I would probably just be in their way because they are already efficient at what they do. There is NO Commercial course where I live . 
I don't want people to give me every single trick of the trade , I have taken expensive courses for this reason. I have read many different books and watched many videos .

All I can do is ask questions and hope for a good answer . 

If there was a dvd out to buy for commercial beekeeping , I haven't found it yet.


Please forgive me for even mentioning this , consider the thread void .


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## HarryVanderpool (Apr 11, 2005)

Ben, please don't be bummed out over folks giving their view of beekeeping reality.
I totally agree with Eastside that beekeeping is not "a job" that you can quickly learn or even partially learn and then burst to full strength as a sucsessful beekeeper.

Here is one thing that you almost never hear of but HAPPENS ALOT!!:
One thing that you do not read about on Beesource or anywhere else are first hand accounts of folks that went from 2 hives - 500 hives and then completely lost their hind end. It happens more that most people know.
"HEY! Two hives is sure fun; 500 hives will be 250 times more fun!!"

I met a really nice fellow several years back as we were moving hives into a certain crop. Boy did he look like a sharp outfit. New truck, new forklift, sharp equipment, etc...
Then I later hear that he got into it somehow with the broker (???) and long story short; next thing I hear is that he lost ihs truck, forklift, bees, wife, kids, house, ....

Nobody ever starts a thread saying, "I wished I would have become a beekeeper first".
I reccomend that for those that have a job, KEEP YOUR JOB! if you have 2 or 4 hives, double every year if you want to grow, but the main thing is to grow your knowledge as a beekeeper along with your hive numbers.
Most people GREATLY underestimate the shear amount of knowledge, information and experience that it takes to do this job really well, year after year.
And after saying that; how many times have we heard of large outfits in one area or another having problems?
It can be really tough.
We learn beekeeping by study and then application and in the fielld.
Here is my opinion of beekeeping after earning a couple of shingles in my lifetime:
To become a sucsessful beekeeper requires AT LEAST as much study and internship as a medical doctor.
Unfortunatly the profession is just not viewed or presented in this manner.

I wish you the best of what ever you want to do in life. 
But all Eastside was trying to say is that if you want to become a sucsessful beekeeper, it isn't going to be fast or easy.
And remember also, that there are lots of folks that have an outward appearance of being a beekeeper, but really suck, BIG TIME!
You don't want to become an "Imitation Beekeeper".
Best to ya!


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Ben Little I remember your pain. My first love was bees and I desperately wanted to stay on the land and bees seemed to be a low overhead, compared to the price of land, way of building a farmer life. I was fortunate in having commercial beekeepers around me who mentored me and let me work off my extracting and loaned me tools at time. I know your level of impatience, wanting to learn in an information desert. There was no internet with wannabes spouting every exciting and new discovery to them. Cranky old men here to talk to each other and fortunately, those who want to be teachers. 

I follow your posts as I can remember being you when in my twenties. If an old beekeeper won't tell you how to build a pallet to load from the side, talk to a local truck driver. Create a flow chart on a wall and break down the tasks required to haul your bees.

Ask those questions individually, that way your questions are not this amorphous mass that people skip over because it is just too hard to answer. Then, what if you misunderstand or are incompetent and blame them when you fail to follow their directions. Their way is just what works for them, it may not be the best way for you. 

Be prepared to take with a grain of salt the reactions of some who seem to think that beekeeping is an arcane art only properly passed on to an apprentice or son who before they are taught anything have to scrape 4000 frames free of wax and rewire them at minimum wage or less. I worked for him myself when trying to break into the business. 

So don't fly off the handle! There is much you can learn here, but you have to carefully phrase your questions. Not pushing far afield on borrowed money is good advice. And everyone who went off to pollenate a crop did it for the first time once. I really envy you the adventure. Go for it.


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

I find commercial beekeeping is way more then just keeping bee's. I think anyone wanting to grow needs to read the http://www.25hives.homestead.com. The beekeeping is about 25% of the job. It is trucks, forklifts, nail guns, compressors, hydraulics, wooden-ware, frames, foundation, wax, honey, queens, Sugar, HFCS, Meds, DOT, licensing, weigh stations, Permits, finding place to keep the hives etc. Playing in the hive is the easy part (sort of). It is not something you can learn from a book or a volume of them because is is so many subjects to cover. 

I short cutted some of it because I have a great mentor. He has 2 guys that work for him and I do it by myself. I have thrown a lot of money at the problems and have a good job that allows me to do that and still feed the family. This quote says a lot coming from a legend like harry.



HarryVanderpool said:


> I reccomend that for those that have a job, KEEP YOUR JOB!


You need to get through the learning curve and build up phase. The only short cut is to buy out a commercial guy and hope he is willing to talk you though the first couple years. I spend in excess of 20k a year some years have been 3x that to get to the 300 hives. I am probably going to dump close to another 100 into it for the honey house and cowen or the like extracting equipment. I am still a sideliner. I can't quite call my self a commercial beekeeper because I get my income from my day job and out of respect to the guys that have way more years into it then me. 

Don't take out loans to get yourself built up. Build up with spare money or profits from your smaller operation. Last thing you want is to hurt yourself and cant do this physically anymore and cant pay the debt. Or worse yet become allergic. Don't think that can't happen. You want to be in this with very little debt. It is not a business that you can sell very easily for anything more then pennies on the dollar.

I also hope to retire someday and do the bee's as something to keep me from driving my wife crazy ( I drive her crazy now) with my bills paid by my 401k's and investments But, to pay the bills outright is a whole other ball of wax. I respect anyone that can do this and make a living at it with no other means of income. It is a tough way to farm.


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## MikeTheBeekeeper (May 18, 2011)

I would think that's a good idea. Too bad I don't have a large operation.


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

>>video blog <<

Hey Ben! Your right on the money with that! My beekeeping experience isn't what your looking (pollination) for but I will tell you that the very THING your looking for is the same THING most every beekeeper I know is looking for, even those "professionals".

I keep a running bee blog, I document everything I do, and you would be baffled to know the interest I have with it. Who am I ? Just another beekeeper doing the same thing everyone else is doing.
Do you know what Beekeepers get from reading my blog? Exactly what your searching for, simply a different perspective on things. Where else can Beekeepers get this from? Nowhere... Except in chat rooms like this and the few blogs and YouTube videos available out there. 

The only other way to gain that insight and perspective is by working for someone, we all know how practical that is


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

Ian said:


> The only other way to gain that insight and perspective is by working for someone, we all know how practical that is


I let people come help me all the time. They usually get tired and want to sit down or have to leave. They rave about how much they learn but, I find it hard to find someone that wants to learn my business. I have a mentor that I learned from and he was a blessing. I would not be the beek I am now without him. He is my best friend and a father figure to me. I am one of the lucky ones.


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

Mentors are priceless, but they contribute in more than just one way. 
Ben is not looking to go work for someone because of the obvious. He is looking for tips and advice to help him get along. Definitely the harder way but that's his way as was mine and most beekeepers I know. It's hard for guys to drop everything, work for a guy at minimum wage and then start everything back up again. And only to find yourself in that same spot. 
Mentors are more than just a boss who complains when you can't keep up, a mentor is someone who takes the time to show you the details of a project and teaches you how to react. That can be done 2000 miles away.


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

Ben follow Heintz88's advice on post 3 except that make sure you unload the bees before going home to crash  I think you are over analyzing your situation. Feed your bees syrup and patties. Sure you want 5 frames of brood instead of 4, so what. Everybody wants to do a good job. Let me ask you this. What will you do if you only have 3? I know you are starting out, and I have a pretty good idea of what this type of venture costs. I know you need to rent everyone of your hives to generate revenue to pay bills, never mind yourself. That is your situation. So think about how you want to handle that, if you have hives that do no meet grade. You can equalize your hives, this takes time/money. This is something we do a lot.

As far as grading hives, in the spring we grade them looking from the top down, because all the bees are usually in the top box. Duct tape is used to indicate the strength. We place it on the top box starting from the left side. As the hive gets stronger we place it more to the right. Extreme left would mean one frame, extreme right 9 or 10 frames depending on how many frames you run in your box. In the middle would mean 5 frames. We grade them constantly while feeding syrup and patties. Then we know what we have more or less at all times. Based on this knowledge we can figure out how we will deal with the weak ones. We can boost them, switch positions with a strong hive, remove them from the pallet so we are only taking the good ones or simply do nothing. The choice will be yours but by grading this way at least you will know colony strength.

Later in the season for our second pollination we grade the hives by looking beneath the second box. We tip it forward and look below. There should be bees in the bottom box. Top box should be full. We grade again based on number of frames occupied by the bees. Stronger hives go to Alberta for canola pollination. They make some honey there. Weaker ones stay home on cranberry pollination. This allows us time to fix the weak ones. Often it is/was a queen issue. No honey on cranberries but because they are close to home we can baby them and feed, keep them broody so that after our second set we can divide the better ones before winter.

Good luck.

Jean-Marc

Later for our second pollination


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## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

I bet Ben could learn something from a video of Mark loading and strapping his bees, as well as unloading in the blueberries (at 2 o'clock in the morning.... might be tough to video). I'll see if I can take a little video come March.... staring Mark of course.


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## Crabo (Jan 17, 2012)

Ian said," Mentors are priceless, but they contribute in more than just one way."

This is how my wife got into the business. One of the beekeepers that helped mentor her, made us a good deal on their equipment when they decided to retire.

She worked for free basically, (hotel rooms, gas, and meals), and got an education in a few short years where otherwise it would have taken her years to learn by herself. This has expanded to where she has a network of experienced beekeepers who want to see her succeed in the business.

It is also cool to get more than one mentor if you can. Being able to look at techniques and practices from different angles can be very beneficial, and keep you open by working with different people.

It does not matter what skill you are trying to learn, GOOD mentors are invaluable.


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

Mentors are important.

But, I see newbies (maybe, no on this thread) are always looking for a tech way to shortcut everything. Kids nowadays want everything handed to them and don't want to learn the correct way. They think you can learn from you-tube. You cant get there quickly it takes time and you cant learn from a video. There is stuff that you just cant teach ie listening to a hive and knowing from the sound if it is healthy or not.

And there is no way to film loading at night to make it worthwhile.


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## Joel (Mar 3, 2005)

I stand with Eastside and Harry ( Harry always seems to have an accurate moral compass in his briefcase). This isn't the "fun time" of hobby beekeeping once it becomes your "business". The risks are huge, the rewards hard earned and the experience just takes time. Have you priced 2 million of insurance, made a back up plan for when you are sitting on I-95 with an axle bearing gone or a truck puking antifreeze all over the freeway, the temps will be 80+ in an hour or two and even with good nets your bees are escaping by the hundreds or overheating? Keeping bees today is a paradigm shift from what I did 21 years ago and it is constantly changing. It's no longer just about the field work, it's hours of research, plotting the next course and keeping up. Every professional I know works like it's their last day on earth and not too many can keep the pace. Until you've been on the road with a load of bees for 18 or more hours straight after a few hours of loading with an unload still to do you really have little concept of a full days work. I love what we do but many, many days it can become the "job". If you have to be back at work on Monday save your vacation days. You'll need to work the bees on their schedule of fail. I say these things because like Harry and the others, I want you to realize what it takes to be a success and to live your dream. No day is better than the one you own and a bad day working bees is better than any day I ever worked on someone elses clock. Not easier, just better.
Vance makes good points - break it down into small bites and keep it simple. Plan for the worst and be prepared because at some point it will happen and the worst with 150 hives of bees on a trailer on the freeway is like any other worst on roid rage if you fall short in your planning.
Paul Mitchell did an article recently for Fast Company or Inc, don't remember which, where he said part of his philosophy was to let it happen! Good advice I think. Stop looking for your mentor, do what you love and that person will be there. Good Luck and make a million!


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

Nobody is asking you to film your work while your busier than heck. Nobody is asking for your business blue print. Relax. He is asking if any of those resources are available. 

I get a lot of inquiries about my Ezyloader. I can type or talk all day about this machine but it's not until they actually catch a ride with me to the yards or view my YouTube vid of the machine in action do they really understand what it's all about. 
And yes I'm busier than the average working man, but guess what, it took me 5 min of filming and 10 min of editing to make this available for others to view. 
There is a beekeeper registered in this forum groupby the name of Greg which is from the Dakotas (I think) He uploaded a short walk around his honey house while in process. It's a two 120 Cowen two C&B seperate set ups, very impressive. I bet Most Beekeepers viewing that vid watched it for the details in his set up, where he put his man power and all those million little details you get from actually observing the job site. When it's physically impossible to visit these set ups, viewing them on YouTube is the next best thing.


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## BeeGhost (May 7, 2011)

When I started out with that first package I thought ok, dump package in, let bees be bees and I will see the honey crop at the end of summer. I read the books
So everything should be easy...........WRONG!! I was posting like a mad man on here for help with keeping a fresh caught swarm in the hive after I had to scrape it off thefence
twice!!! The book never mentioned to put a frame of larva in with a swarm to lock it down!! Reading books is alright, something to do while on the toilet anyhow.
But asking people on this site and absorbing it all has been more of a blessing to me than any book.........its up to date and real time from beekeepers big and small.

Ya sure, some of the top dogs on here can be gruff, but don't let fear stop you from sending them a private message asking a particular question!! If they answer back, be ready to learn and
not say "well the book or video said to do it this way"..........if that happens you will hear something you don't want to!!

I have sent private messages to some people on this site and everyone of them answered back. If for some reason they didn't, I chalked it up to being busy, or just not wanting to waste their
free time answering a question, which is fine with me!!

I consider this site my mentor, a lot of great info on here from a lot of great people. BUUUUUUUUTTTTTT, you have to be willing to fail to learn the right way as well.

Trust me, ive failed a lot in the last 3 years, but I am also learning each and everytime!! And although im not going to expand as much as you are going to in a short period of time, I will get there
someday!! A lot can change in just a few years, I started out with the goal of producing honey.........and although I love the golden liquid, I have more interest in queen breeding and raising nucs!!

So read between the lines with some of the responders on here, they are not setting you up for failure, they are just letting you know failure can happen!!


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## Ben Little (Apr 9, 2012)

Thanks everyone. 
I will only be travelling around 1-2 hours for pollination , I am not leaving the province of Nova Scotia because of border laws prohibiting me from doing so . I believe that PEI is open for pollination , but I am not going that far , even so it is like a 4 hour drive to get there for me. 

I appreciate any help I get from this site .


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## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

Is there another reason you would not pollinate in PEI.... other than the distance (4 hours sounds like a short hop in these parts)?


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## Ben Little (Apr 9, 2012)

Just because that's what I want to do , the border is open and that's fine , but there is closer Beekeepers to the island than me , I am in an area where there isn't a whole lot of major farming , the nearest big blueberry operation is about 50 minutes away .
I would rather do NS pollination .

The connection bridge between the island and NS has an inspection area if you are importing your bees for pollination and I thought it may be more work than it was worth . within the province is no issues .


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