The following questions are answered in this Webinar recording:

TOPIC 1: CATCHING SWARMS

IDEAL PLACEMENT OF SWARM TRAPS

“My question is about capturing wild local bees. I saw in your videos that you put up swarm traps near the forest. Is any wooded area recommended for catching local bees? The place where I’m planning to put my hive has some forested areas nearby. Is that ideally where I’d want to go looking to catch a swarm? What do you look for in an area where you’ll set a swarm trap that will make it ideal for catching a swarm?”

— Heather, Oregon

LOWER PLACEMENT OF TRAPS

“Any tips for locating, baiting, orientating swarm catchers at a lower (sic safer) elevation off the ground? After dropping a couple of boxes and nearly falling one time...”

— Kim, Missouri

HOW TO CATCH SWARMS FROM YOUR OWN HIVES

“On catching swarms: how do you catch your own hive’s swarms — just get lucky?”

— Kim, Missouri

HIVE AS SWARM CATCHER

“Regarding swarm catching, in addition to the swarm trap, what are your thought on if I use one of my new insulted hives. I thought maybe I could use the propolis, lemongrass with the slow release tube along with frames with fresh foundation and see what happens.”

— Phyllis, Montana

SWARM LURE — HOW TO ADD TO THE HIVE

“Where should I put the slow release tubes with lemongrass as I have no comb to press it into?”

— Phyllis, Montana

FEEDING SWARMS

“You mention in your videos you don’t feed your swarms but would consider it if the weather is particularly bad thus preventing the bees from foraging, to prevent them from starving. What if you’re a new beekeeper who’s caught a swarm but don’t have any drawn comb or honey frames. What do you do?”

— Phyllis, Montana

SWARMS / BEEKEEPING IN VERY ARID CLIMATE

“I would like to get a hive going but am wondering the best way to do this in a very arid climate? The bee population on my property and most of New Mexico has declined a lot.  Many of the wildflowers no longer bloom because of our severe drought, however, I do plant flowers and water whenever possible.”

— Deborah, New Mexico

 BUYING BEES — IF NO SWARMS

“Is it a good idea to purchase bees if you can’t get a swarm?”

— Deborah, New Mexico

TOPIC 2: HIVE MANAGEMENT

SPRING INSPECTION — TIMING

“When do you know if it’s time for the spring inspection and wintering the bees? Is it based on temperatures, i.e. spring 60 degrees, fall after the first frost? What other factors should I consider?”

— Phyllis, Montana

FEEDING IN THE SPRING — HONEY

“The winter has been very severe here in Ontario and I am concerned the bees may run out of food as the cold weather is expected to continue.  Would you recommend that I open the hives on the next warm day and insert a frame with capped honey into each?”

— Paul, Ontario, Canada

FEEDING HIVES

“On the question to feed or not to feed a non-native hive, nuc, small or weak swarm — what is best to do, and how to tell if we should feed, and if we do need to feed, what is the least destructive? And when is the least destructive?”

— Kim, Missouri

BEE NUTRITION — PROBIOTICS FOR BEES — BEE BREAD

“It seems I recall that you mentioned giving probiotics to your bees — either in Keeping Bees With a Smile, or possibly on your website.  Do you have a particular product you'd recommend?”

— Deb, Nevada

TRANSFER from LANGSTROTH to LAYENS — WHEN?

“I am planning to build the Insulated Layens hive for this coming season.  I also have access to a good nuc including an heirloom queen and plan on getting one (or maybe two) for this spring. Should I leave the nuc in its 5 frame hive for the first season and winter it over in its hive?  I have a 5-frame deep box that I can use as a super to try to avoid a swarm.  In the next season, can I then convert the Langstroth nuc to the Layens as shown on the plans with the simple jig?  Alternatively, should I let the nuc swarm this season and try to capture the swarm and move it into the newly made Layens hive?”

— Maury, Maine

HOW OFTEN TO OPEN THE HIVE

“Do you have the same “sequence of operations” picture as shown on p. 278 of Keeping Bees with a Smile but for the Layens Hive with 20 frames?  As shown, this “sequence of operations” states that the opening and closing of the hive is done somewhere between every 7 to 14 days throughout. Elsewhere, in several places, it is stated that the hive should be opened only once or twice throughout the year. Which is correct?”

— Maury, Maine

CALENDAR OF LAYENS OPERATIONS — FOR MISSOURI

“Is there a good source for a calendar or bee yard duties for the Layens hives, to at least give a heads-up about what to do and when here in Missouri? Most calendars (and honestly, advice) are all for the vertical hive keeping!”

— Kim, Missouri

SPLIT — EASY METHOD FOR BEGINNERS

“Bees are quite numerous, it may be good to make a split of the colony a bit later in the spring.  What method to split a strong colony could be used by a beginner?”

— Paul, Ontario, Canada

SPLIT — SUCCESSFULLY

“How do we tell when it is time to split a hive? After the sping and a nice nectar flow? What are the visual clues that a hive needs to be split? Once split — should we feed?”

— Kim, Missouri

GOOD AGGRESSIVE BEES — REQUEEN?

“One of my hives is very industrious, productive, numerous, clean and relatively resistant to Varroa.  On the other hand they are fairly aggressive when the hive is open (although so far, not to the point of stinging people walking by).  Should the hive be re-queened?”

— Paul, Ontario, Canada

WEAK HIVE — REQUEEN?

“In my second hive the bees are completely different, rather lazy, not so numerous, cleanliness not as good, low resistance to Varroa. Would re-queening in this case be advisable?”

— Paul, Ontario, Canada

COMBINING SMALL HIVES

“Combining small hives: I tried two small hives in the same long box (one was a small volunteer swarm and the other a fall nuc). The small swarm got robbed, even after squeezing down the hive and opening. And eventually, both of the colonies vacated. What should I have done in a dearth?”

— Kim, Missouri

WINTER FRAMES FOR CLUSTER

“Page 278 of Keeping Bees with a Smile shows “The sequence of operations” from first opening the hive in the spring to preparing them for winter.  It shows nine frames with two division boards on each side.  How do you know where to put these frames for the cluster?  Also, do you leave the space on both sides of the cluster empty or do you fill it with insulation such as wool?”

— Maury, Maine

PREPARING HIVE FOR WINTER

“When we have a winter such as the one we just experienced in Missouri, should we do anything different to prepare our hives than to place an extra single frame of honey on either side of the brood nest?”

— Kim, Missouri

SOUTHERN CLIMATE

“What special precautions would we be advised to take in the warmer climate in southern Alabama?”

— Clay, Virginia/Alabama

TOPIC 3: EQUIPMENT

SOUTH — INSULATED HIVE BETTER THAN REGULAR?

“We will be in Southern Alabama keeping bees. Is the insulated hive model still more recommended than the standard Layens plans?”

— Clay, Virginia/Alabama

HIVES — HOW HIGH OFF THE GROUND?

“How high do you have your hives off the ground?”

— Phyllis, Montana

FOUNDATIONLESS FRAMES

“If I don’t want to use starter comb and have the bees draw their own so I can either have raw honey comb or extract the honey and melt the wax for other uses or reuse the comb. Should I leave the guide wire on the frames on? Or take it off?”

— David, New Jersey

FOUNDATION NECESSARY?

“Is foundation necessary in the wired frames of the Layens hives?”

— Clay, Virginia/Alabama

DIVIDER BOARD — WINTER

“When wintering the bees, I believe you leave a small gap under the divider board. Is that done all year or only in winter? If all year, what’s to prevent the bees from going underneath and creating natural comb during the season flow? I read in Keeping Bees with a Smile I should push the divider board all the way to the bottom. I’m a little confused and am hoping you can clarify.”

— Phyllis, Montana

ENTRANCES

“Why do your hives have multiple entrances but all but one seems to always be closed?”

— Clay, Virginia/Alabama

HIVE ENTRANCES  — VENTILATION — MOUSE PROTECTION

“Keeping Bees with a Smile shows pictures of a slot for opening. Yours have three round entrance discs shown on the front of the hive box, near its bottom acting both as a landing platform and air intake? Where does the ventilation exit the hive?  On different types of hives you use a quarter or half inch slot all the way across the face of it and at a higher level to serve both purposes. Why is it not necessary to do that here?  Also, do you need mice protection with this, and are they all closed all winter?”

— Maury, Maine

TOPIC 4: HONEY

PLANTS FOR DARK HONEY — ASTERS, GOLDENROD

“What are the best flowers/plants to plant nearby for dark, rich honey. Is there a resource that you recommend for how different plants affect the honey produced?”

— Clay, Virginia/Alabama

PRESSING vs. EXTRACTING

“Do you prefer pressing over centrifugal extractors for quality or do you use both?”

— Clay, Virginia/Alabama

EXTRACTOR — HOW TO CLEAN

“I have your extractor and was wondering how to clean it. I saw that I can leave it outside when done and allow the bees to clean some of the honey.”

— Phyllis, Montana 

TOPIC 5: MITE CONTROL 

DRONE BROOD REMOVAL FOR MITE CONTROL

“How do you feel about drone trapping for mite control?  I’d like to not “mess” with the bees too much, and would love to not use any chemicals for mite treatment, but wondered your opinion on this.”

— Deb, Nevada

MITE TREATMENTS — PACKAGE BEES

“I will be getting my first package of bees this April.  I’m excited to get started!  I want to do as much Natural Beekeeping as I can, but wondered about use of any mite treatments if I find mite numbers are excessive.  Seems like Mite-Away strips might be my best choice as far as least toxicity.  I’m thinking I may need to do more intervention the first year but once I see they’re strong, leave them to manage things on their own beyond that.”

— Deb, Nevada

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