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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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From:
tim moran <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 27 Mar 2006 22:57:03 -0500
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I make my own pollen substitute and place it in the beeyard with a bunch of 
popsicle sticks or little branches for the bees to work from. As the stuff 
is quite loose, the bees end up mostly covered with it. They return to the 
hive shamelessly ungroomed. Perhaps a neighboring beekeep is feeding 
similarly.
   The bees seem to feed on the loose powder better than patties when I 
place them side by side. Since they are also homemade, the bees simply  may 
not care for my cooking.
  Had great success overwintering in poly nucs from Betterbee. Ten of eleven 
survive, and are into accelerating brood rearing. Most of these were not 
very large. they consumed very little stores. I am thinking there are 
advantages to raising late-season queens, overwintering small colonies in 
these nucs, and having a vigorous, proofed queen to take things through the 
major nectar flows.
  By the way, By "late-season" I mean mid August to early September. Without 
sufficient drone presence, poor mating success pretty much trumps any good 
genetic traits, doesn't it?
Also, I do believe well-mated queens can be counted on later than early 
September. As Bob Harrison says "all beekeeping is local." I'll add that 
every year is different, and all good farmers intimately understand their 
environs.
May all of us have a great beekeeping year

Tim. 

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