Our Members

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jcbbsadmin
Site Admin
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon May 01, 2017 12:15 am

Our Members

Post by jcbbsadmin » Thu Feb 11, 2021 8:52 pm

Once you have registered and have been approved, please post a reply to this message and tell the group about yourself.

We would like to know how many years you ave been keeping bees and how many hives you keep. For the brave, you are also encouraged to tell us about your trials and success at over wintering. Have you ever intentionally tried to raise queens? Which methods have you tried? What were your results? Anything that you would like to share with us is welcome.

jcbbsadmin
Site Admin
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon May 01, 2017 12:15 am

Re: Our Members

Post by jcbbsadmin » Thu Feb 11, 2021 9:19 pm

I guess I should kick this off. I've been keeping bees for about 7 years now. Last year I had 10 hives spread across 4 locations. 5 of them did really well while the others just held their own. I was left wondering if the slow hives might benefit with a new queen, especially if I was able to generate one from my hives that were doing well? I haven't attended any classes in queen rearing, and have only tried the OTS method once several years ago. I still remember the bees laughing at my notched cells as they fixed them and raised more worker bees.

I have read up on grafting and have some cell cups and bars, and a cloak board ready to go. However a knee replacement slowed me considerably last summer.

Every time I have proposed this project in the past, I was met with a fair bit of skepticism. I'm betting that between us we can find a way to make this happen for the good of ourselves and other club members.

Jeff C

willywarthog
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 2:42 pm

Re: Our Members

Post by willywarthog » Fri Feb 12, 2021 7:17 pm

Hi, my name is Billy Head and I live next to Chengwatana State Forest out of Pine City. I'm 66 and retired.

I kept bees way back when it was easy in the '80s and then went to Ethiopia as a missionary. There I had the good (or bad) fortune to try getting honey out of African bees while they tried to be sure I paid a heavy price. But, never could stop liking bees and beekeeping.

For the last five years I've been trying to figure out how to keep bees here again. Main changes in 40 years are varroa and viruses from them, short lived queens and the push to try and winter small hives, what we know as nucs.

Last summer I decided to raise queens and make nucs for Spring queen needs as well as increase. Raising queens was the easiest part. Good nucs and mated queens in a larger quantity is the challenge and expense.

I have about 25 hives and at one point had another 50 nucs. Now it's February and -20 so things are looking hard for the weaker bees.

Looking forward to collaborating on this so we can have better access to better bees to stop the cycle of buying bees from far away and then doing it again the next year.

Tjstueber
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2021 10:10 am

Re: Our Members

Post by Tjstueber » Mon Mar 01, 2021 10:32 am

I have been beekeeping for 5 years. Have only wintered over hives my 3rd winter and know this winter I have 3 out of 4 hives still alive as of a week ago.
The only queen rearing I have experienced is splitting a hive with swarm cells or I have etched the frame so they would build queen cells and then splitting the hive ( I think it would be a walk away split).
Always willing to learn more
Tammy

JeanT
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2021 12:58 pm

Re: Our Members

Post by JeanT » Mon Mar 01, 2021 7:05 pm

Hi fellow beekeepers, I am Jean Thompson I have bees in the Carlton and Wrenshall area. I have had bees for the past 5 summers. I started after the first Symposium. I have 8 total hives in 4 different locations. I have yet to successfully over winter any hive. This winter I thought I had a chance with 6 hives alive and well fed before the cold snap. Alas I have 1 left with two others that I haven't been able to get to. Time will tell.
I have watched videos and read about queen rearing but have not done any actual work to create queens. My bees have always requeened on their own, some hives way too often. I am willing to learn and assist in any way possible to help our Northern Bee Keepers cause to create northern queens.
Looking forward to be part of the team.

Farmhand671
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2021 8:22 am

Re: Our Members

Post by Farmhand671 » Tue Mar 23, 2021 10:01 am

Hi All I have been beekeeping for over 20 years. In that time I have kept bees over a couple of time, If they didnt live I would just buy 2 new packages every year. I decided 3 years ago I needed to start managing my bees and try to over winter them because the cost of buying every year was getting to be to expensive. Since then I overwintered seven of ten hives the first year and not so good last winter 3 of 10. My management was a bit poor last fall failing to take the time to treat all my hives for mites. This summer for two of the survivors will be the third summer so its time to requeen and make splits. My goal is to have a ready source of quality queens that benefit myself and the club members.

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