# Check out my beard!



## mistergil (May 24, 2007)

Okay. Here's a close up of one on a ttbh, carns. Looks like a town meeting .


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

I see that the girls in the first pic have a welcome mat. I'm sure that they're full of hopitality when you go for a visit.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

"That's not a beard, this is a beard," Crocodile Dundee

"Tales a bunch of bees to make a honey crop," Me

Strong production colonies the day after the first harvest, and before re-supering.


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## BjornBee (Feb 7, 2003)

Billy, your not allergic to poison are you? 

As a side question, does anyone have any knowledge as to whether drones hanging out indicate a possible swarming event. I never really gave it a thought before, but do notice some drones hanging outside as well in the photo. Could this be a sign of swarm potential, or just a normal thing?


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## Billy Y. (Feb 1, 2005)

BjornBee said:


> Billy, your not allergic to poison are you?



Huh??


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## BjornBee (Feb 7, 2003)

Billy Y. said:


> Huh??


I'm not sure if thats poison in the grass around your hives. But it looks like it. Just a casual observation and comment.


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## BULLSEYE BILL (Oct 2, 2002)

Yeah, there is some short poison IVY there, but we have it everywhere it seems. I use a lot of roundup around my yards.

Rat got ate up with it last year, I'm sure that Billy knows it as poison IVY.

What we don't have is poison OAK


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## Billy Y. (Feb 1, 2005)

Yea, I got that stuff in all my yards it seems. Never seem to get it though so don't pay any attention to it.

So what did you think of my beard? Cool huh? 

And that's not playing fair taking beard pics right after the harvest Mr. Palmer!


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## Parke County Queen (May 22, 2006)

*Michael's hives*

Hey Michael,

Looks like your hives could use a coat of paint!!


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Parke County Queen said:


> Hey Michael,
> 
> Looks like your hives could use a coat of paint!!


Yeah, they're well used. It's what's inside that counts. I'll put up a photo maybe tonight of a hive that's held together by propolis and duct tape.

Just bought 1700' of 1x12 pine to build new boxes. Cost me $340 plus 444 miles in my truck. Thought I might take part of the winter off, but now I have lots to do.


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## Maine_Beekeeper (Mar 19, 2006)

*Holy Nucs!*

These are my two colonies 'Albania' and 'Bleta' that I purchased from Gilman Mucaj May 1, 2007 (Bleta12 on Beesource)
Holy honey- holy bearding! This is the afternoon we pulled 2+ supers off each. (Sept 8) I thought first year colonies weren't supposed to make any honey!

In case you are wondering about the equipment, I am trying to switch from Deeps to mediums. My current setup for anyone on deep equipment is one deep and 2 mediums for winter. My own nucs are about half and half on deep equipment and medium equipment. Once you get started with one thing, it is so hard to give up those combs/honey. Switching is not as easily done as said.


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## bleta12 (Feb 28, 2007)

Yes, I know personally some of the bees on Erin,s picture, their mother was reared in the summer 06 and overwintered as a head of a 5 frame nuc.
According to Brother Adam, the queens that are reared in the summer and go through the winter, the next season are superior to the queens reared in the same season. It takes some time for the queen to express herself.
I have seen this over and over. 
The bees overwintered in these nucs are the foundation of the whole operation, they have less problems, require less attention a produce a lot.
Their mite lode is lower than the big hives.

Gilman


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## allrawpaul (Jun 7, 2004)

Great pics! Hey, will those colonys quickly swarm if you dont get some supers on em in a hurry!


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## Matt Guyrd (Nov 28, 2007)

*Is that a drone?*

I have not worked with bees yet, so please forgive my noob question.

Mistergil (or others)...in your picture, about 3/4 across and down about 1.5 inches is a larger bee with a predominately black abdomen. Based on my research and readings to date, I would surmise that this bee is a drone. Is that correct?

Thanks!
Matt


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## PerryBee (Dec 3, 2007)

Correct !


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## Matt Guyrd (Nov 28, 2007)

Do the queens leave the hive too (other than mating flights)?


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