Inspecting My Nucs with FatBeeMan Bees

Today (3 weeks after we hived his 2 lb packages) we checked on the progress of these colonies.  Note we put these in six-frame nucs that left room for a one gallon frame feeder.  In a portion of our nucs we added a pollen patty to determine whether it improved colony development (it did).  In a few of our nucs we ran out of feeders to let them fend for sugar on their own thanks to a healthy flow.

How We Assemble Frames With Our New Toy - VIDEO

 

After spend the morning with Don the FatBeeMan several weeks back, I saw some of his equipment and methods for building boxes and frames, including his nifty pneumatic stapler.  Wanting to stay ahead of the curve I purchased an inexpensive compressor and stapler set up from harbor freight tools.  The set up cost me about $100, but makes putting together frames a snap.  And versus assembled frames from our supplier Mann Lake (when bought in bulk) I can put together ten frames in about five minutes and save myself $7.00 per box.

We Visit NYC for Eight Installations - VIDEO

I think I have mentioned that my brother Ben is taking on some bee responsibilities in the Metro NYC area (especially Connecticut) as our new expansion area for the Georgetown Honeybee Company.  To establish a beach head we ran a Zozi promotion to get the word out.  We got eight hits on our urban beekeeping promotion.  However some are a little unclear about a trade area, and we ended up WAY outside NYC metro, logging in 370 miles over 12 hours of installations on a Sunday.

Our Newest DC Apiary/Nuc Nursery

Here is our latest apiary in a secluded site in Anacostia.  It was meant to be a site for 10 package installations of some of the bees we got from FatBeeMan,  but we got a little overzealous with our purchases and thus these nucs represent 20 package installations.

Kim Flottum Speaks to Urban Beekeepers

Bees have gone urban! But luckily there are plenty of city-dwellers looking for a part of that sweet beekeeping action. Kim Flottum, author of The Backyard Beekeeper and editor of Bee Culture magazine, spoke Monday night about the explosion of urban beekeeping and what hobbyists can do to ensure the trend doesn't fizzle out, but builds enough momentum to drive a movement.

Small Cell Bee Nucleus Colonies (FatBeeMan Stock) Available Soon.

We will have a limited number of 5-frame, deep small cell nucs of Don's bees (The Fat Bee Man) available for sale by (tentatively) the beginning of May.

These bees have been raised on Mann Lake PF-100 frames also used by Michael Bush for his small cell colonies.

These colonies will be sold in Brushy Mountain Bee Farm cardboard nuc boxes for pickup in Georgetown, DC.

Please email me at jeff@dchoneybees.com if you are interested in reserving one.

Jeff.

Pollen Smackdown: Honey vs. Allergies

You probably don’t need one, but here’s another reason to buy LOCAL honey. All you allergy sufferers should take a spoonful of honey everyday to combat your symptoms.

Our Visit with Don the FatBeeMan

Kaitlin and I drove 10 hours to Georgia last weekend to pick up 45 packages from Don of his well-regarded and treatment-free stock.  Noteworthy is the small cell foundation the bees are raised on...4.9 mm.  While unproven, there is a belief that work brood raised on small cell is more resistant to varroa mites and hive infestation.

Honeybee Swarms! VIDEO

They say that a swarm is an indication of a very healthy hive.  Well I must be doing something right as they seem to be popping up with many of our hives!