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Subject:
From:
"Michael L. Wallace" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Discussion of Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 10 Jul 1996 19:18:41 -0500
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At 10:04  7/9/96 -0700, you wrote:
>I've got two questions for the list:
>
>First, does anyone have suggestions for enticing bees to draw out foundation
>into comb?  We're in the middle of a heavy blackberry flow here in Western
>Washington State, U.S.A., and my bees are bringing in a full and capped western
>super every 12 days when they are given comb.  I have nine colonies.
>
>Now I'm out of comb and have given them some boxes of foundation, which have
>been largely ignored.  Are there any tricks to making them draw it out, other
>than the "hurry up and wait" method I've used in previous years?  I would like
>to have more boxes of comb so I don't have to extract so frequently, and to
>increase production.
>
 
I know that it's tempting to want the bees to draw comb quickly, because it
means potentially more production.  However, to try to force them to pull
wax, right now, is self defeating.  You say you're in the middle of a flow.
If you want them to pull wax right now, they will have to consume stores to
make the wax.  Plus, you will be taking bees away from the storing process
to make wax.  For right now, keep extracting and rotating the supers you
have, until the flow is over with.  Then, once it's over, you can
artifically stimulate them to pull wax by feeding them sugar or corn syrup.
 
>Also, last year I got some honey around blackberry time which had a distinctly
>light green color to it.  The taste was mild and very good.  I have heard that
>purple loosetrife (sp?) can produce this, but most of it has been eradicated
>here by a noxious weed control program.  Does anyone know what else could make
>green honey?  Another keeper in my bee association who doesn't live far away
>also had green honey.  We have a booth at the state fair every year with a
>honey display and the variety of different kinds and colors is really amazing
>considering they are all produced locally.
>
 
Can't answer this one.  Haven't ever seen green honey.  However, just last
night we extracted bright yellow honey (maybe clover?).
 
>Thanks!
>
>Kris Bruland
>Member of Mt. Baker Beekeepers Association
>Bellingham, WA  U.S.A.
>
 
 
Cheers,
 
 
Mike Wallace
Sar Shalom Apiary
McKinney, Texas   USA
"Out of the heart, the mouth speaks."

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