Werner Gysi’s modified springtime method of; Swarm Control, Varroa Control, and Queen Replacement: He calls it SMC, sustainable mite control (everyone has to have a three letter acronym!) Timing: is when the dandelions are in full bloom. This will vary from one beekeeper to another due to the microclimates of the bee yard locations. Dandelion… Continue reading Werner Gysi’s Modified Method
Just found this short video on another site and thought it worth posting here. It beautifully shows; 1. how docile and non-aggressive a swarm is, 2. how bees tend to walk uphill when they are swarming and how this can be used to hive them, and 3. the queen walking along with the rest of… Continue reading An Easy Swarm Catch
February 2018 Update Here is a PDF of the fondant recipes that Dave had at the meeting yesterday. Fondant recipes Cheers, Bronwyn Original Post Here are two fondant recipes. The first is the one that Dave Johnson shared at Sunday's meeting and brought samples of. The second is one that I found on my computer… Continue reading Fondant Recipes for Winter/Spring Feeding
At the last BCHPA AGM in Richmond, Dr. Dewey Caron did an excellent presentation called "Reading the Brood Frame" about how to determine what is going on in your colony's brood nest. I came across this eXtension website where you can practice your brood frame reading and collect useful data for a scientific study at… Continue reading Practice Your Brood Frame “Reading”
Some good links that I've found for those of you with a woodworking shop who might like to build your own bee stuff. Langstroth; http://www.michiganbees.org/beekeeping/in-the-beekeepers-workshop/ Top Bar Hive; (Phil Chandler's design) http://www.scribd.com/doc/168332145/How-to-Build-a-Simple-Top-Bar-Hive and the videos to lead you through it; http://www.davesbees.com/hives.html Phil Chandler's design is a good one but it is meant for England's… Continue reading Winter Projects – Build your own equipment
West Kootenay Beekeepers 