Just cracked open a hive with capped cells. Looked and looked for the queen. Finally found her after hearing a faint piping sound. Whenever I have heard piping in the past it was a shrill high frequency sound. This was lower frequency but had the piping behavior of a pipe, another pipe, a pause, then repeat. I could even see the queens body/wings vibrating as I heard the sound so I know it was her. I have read piping=virgin queen in the hive. This queen had a slim abdomen. I thought at... Do only virgin queens pipe ..read more

I received a couple of Olivarez Italian queens this spring, and they are so dark that look closer to Carniolans or Caucasians. It says on the crates "IT." Has anybody else received similar dark Italians? Some sort of a boxing error or can Italians be that dark? I'm used to seeing light Italians, but perhaps I just haven't lived long enough ..read more

I was looking at doing a Demaree on some fast building colonies and then learned about rolling Demaree. For those looking for a clearer explanation than is offered in the confusing hour and a half video I found this page that... Better explination of rolling Demaree ..read more

For several days, thousands of bees flying, but don't seem to leave the area. Suck down a quart of sugar water in a few hours almost daily. Great calm weather yesterday and they barely sucked down 1/4 the quart all day. Thousands of dandelions in my back yard, but nary a bee on any of them and none on my water feeder, yet they are flying around the hive area by the thousands. Not bearded like they are going to swarm. What am I seeing ..read more

Visiting family near Raleigh and would like to locate a nuc or two (I’m inspected and cleared to move within TN). I’d prefer Russian / Carnie or some other dark variety, but wouldn’t turn down Italian at this point. Thanks, Joe ..read more

I understand that we often split our hives in order to prevent the urge from swarming, essentially an artificial swarm. Why do you move the queen and brood from the original box? When they swarm on their own they don’t take brood with them, then why move brood during a split other than to boost the population of bees in the split ..read more

So I'm pretty new to all of this I learned.to trap swarms from a good friend and have been pretty successful. I'm gonna keep a couple foru self and sell the rest couple questions What should I ask for them i know there not as valuable as an established colony What are some good avenues to sell I've posted on Craigslist and the ot some light interest don't really have a Facebook. Eny help would be appreciated. Colt ..read more

I only started fooling with bees last year pretty green with it all. I was talked into trapping swarms by a good friend and was successful last year and so far this year off to a great start. Colt ..read more

I tried this for the first time this year, 8 hives, 2 nucs, all had frames with bees under the whole. None had a box of empty frames under the top board. Worked like a freaking champ. 10 for 10, all queens out when I checked 5 days later, all queens active and laying 10 days after that. Very fast, take the top off, set the cage on the top of the frames exposed thru the hole in the top board. No messed up comb, you don't have to pull frames to get the cage out. I can't imagine why... Placing queen cages in the hole on the top of the top board ..read more

Did a c/o the other day. I gave them 2 deep frames of leftover honey from a dead out. Is this enough ? We are just starting dandelions. Or should I still feed 1:1 ..read more