Category: Uncategorized
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Whidbey News Times – Asian Hornets
“My major concern is that we’ve already taken a hit with the tracheal mites and the other mites and of course insecticides,” Niles said. “This just adds another issue to have to deal with.” With only two confirmed sightings, Niles said he doesn’t know how big of an issue the hornets will be, but he…
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Asian Giant Hornet, aka: Murder Hornet
A Wonderful animated infographic made by my good friend Rick Holman at https://rickolafh.com/ on the Asian Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarinia), aka: Murder Hornet, known for it’s love of eating honey bees and other insects. More info can also be found at: https://agr.wa.gov/…/insects-pests…/insects/hornets/trapping
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Whidbey Bees Orientation Flights
Honey bees getting out on a wonderfully sunny cool day taking orientation flights
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Bee-ing A Bit Bee-hind
Last year we started harvesting honey about July 5th – this year, we’re behind. Like last year, the blackberries bloomed early but this year, after they bloomed, cooler weather set it ..so the bees just couldn’t forage like they did last year. So, honey is a coming – but it may be a couple weeks…
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Removing Honey Bees From A Tree
Had fun but worn out helping a fellow beekeeper remove bees from a tree today. Owner of the property had an excavator removing trees when they came across a tree they accidentally snapped that contained bees. Saved as much brood as possible, placed the bees in a hive. Still lots of bees hanging 25 feet…
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Candling A Queen Cell
Last queen of the batch ..just wanted to make sure she’s viable and sure enough, she’s moving around and it looks like she’s trying to chew her way out.
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Bees on a gorgeous day!
We haven’t too many of them …mostly rain or clouds with a few good days in between. By May we usually have nice weather …well the bees had a good day today!
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Squish Happens
A great bumper sticker for beekeepers. A bit of dark humor but completely true, “Squish Happens”. I always feel bad, even in a colony of 60,000 bees when a single one gets squished. But it happens and I gotta let it go. http://www.cafepress.com/mf/79764574/squish-happens_bumper-sticker?productId=880567570
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Winter Is For Woodenware
With the bees all snuggled in their beds hives I get some time to read but in these dark days when there is not much time to do things outside, I tend to spend more time in the shop getting ready for the next year. I’m building hive boxes and covers and comb frames and…
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Making a moisture quilt box (quilt board, moisture quilt)
I’ve seen it called by different names, a quilt box, quilt board, a moisture quilt – but they all are the same thing, a box that absorbs moisture from the hive so that it doesn’t drip down on the bees and vents the moisture out holes. Rusty on her blog, The “Honey Bee Suite” had…