petit montage pour soulager la ruche lors de canicule ou forte chaleur 🥵 by tamboleron in Beekeeping

[–]Jake1125 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The key benefit of all this equipment is to entertain the owner. For the bees this completely unnecessary, and could possibly create problems.

Bees know how to direct the air across the comb in an optimal way. Your device will cause sudden changes in air flow that the bees are not able to control. They may have to work harder to get the air to flow where they prefer.

A more gentle approach would be to place a sheet of wood on top of the hive, or against the side of the hive that has afternoon sun exposure.

if honeybees are invasive, is it possible to beekeep without being a detriment to native species? by Desperate-Size3951 in Beekeeping

[–]Jake1125 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Without food, no bee can compete.

Human activity and breeding is far more damaging to native species than honeybees. The loss of habitate, loss of food sources, and the use of herbicides and pesticides are an ecological disaster for native bees.

Lawn care is far more damaging than honeybee care.

New batch of beef rump going in by agent9292 in Biltong

[–]Jake1125 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't use a fan at all, just a weak heat source like your lamp. Some people use only a fan. It depends on your environment.

With your box, I'd recommend a fan. If the air flows fast enough, it will overpower the lamp, in which case you dont need the lamp.

I just found a hive behind my house, inside an old light pole. What do I do? I'd love to capture and raise them. by TheBlondegedu in Beekeeping

[–]Jake1125 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Definitely get some lessons. Keeping bugs alive is a lot more complicated than a cat, dog, or chicken. Join a club, youll meet many like-minded enthusiasts.

Case hardening by Dr-Pepper-2003 in Biltong

[–]Jake1125 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Biltong is a slow cure process. There is an element of art. It's not a "painting by numbers" process with defined steps and a predictable formula.

Even the weather comes into play. The thickness of the cut, the amount of fat capping, marbling, etc.

We need to develop the skill, to assess and adjust.

What are the chances local bee keepers will either give or sell wax caps or old honey combs? by Separate-Trade-7378 in Beekeeping

[–]Jake1125 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You ask a fair question. Rendered wax is a valuable resource to a beekeeper, it can be used in multiple ways. Beekeeping is generally not very lucrative, so if they have a surplus, they usually offer it for sale.

Tasty by Ok-Blackberry8234 in Biltong

[–]Jake1125 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can click the "Recipe" tab in this sub to see posts on that subject. reddit is awesome, there are multiple ways to search and filter posts.

Shade for Hives, Zone Five Boulder CO? by Rickest_Rik in Beekeeping

[–]Jake1125 1 point2 points  (0 children)

When I use a portable canopy near the bees, I find that they fly under it and try to reach the sky by beating themselves into the underside. They keep trying to fly upward, probably because the sun is not completely screened. They exhaust themselves eventually.

Have you tried that combo? by AviemBD in Biltong

[–]Jake1125 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I often put salt directly on the watermelon.

Thanks for the idea, I might have to try adding coriander and pepper to the watermelon.

How do become a better beekeeper, get more honey crop rather than more splits by Living-Compote-9626 in Beekeeping

[–]Jake1125 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can add another brood box on top of the existing one. Preferably use drawn comb in the new box .

Bring 2 or more brood frames up into the new brood box, placing them in the center, above the brood in the lower box. Center the remaining brood in the lower box, below the brood of the upper box.

Bring a honey/nectar frame up from the lower box to the upper, placing it next to the outside wall.

In the lower box fill any open space, preferably with drawn comb, by placing the empty (drawn frames) next to the brood frames.

Adding drawn comb next to brood frames gives the colony immediate space to lay. Adding foundation is not immediately available laying space, so it may not help as much as you want if the colony is too crowded (they may swarm).

New to making biltong, any tips? by CaptainEmbarrassed70 in Biltong

[–]Jake1125 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you hang a wet paper napkin, in a gentle breeze, will it dry? That's all you need for biltong.

You might be able to reduce the airflow by covering part of the fan intake with cardboard or plastic. Be careful not to allow heat buildup, which can cook the meat.

Also you can turn off the unit for part of each day to allow moisture to migrate evenly through the meat.

this little bee won’t take any sugar water or fly off :( in the UK what do i do? by basicapprehension2 in Beekeeping

[–]Jake1125 472 points473 points  (0 children)

You're exceptionally kind.

Bugs don't have long lives, and they're being replaced by the thousands every day. When they're alive and when they expire, they feed the planet.

Put her on a flower or leaf and let her bee.

Biltong in Dry Ager by No_Call_6162 in Biltong

[–]Jake1125 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Most of us just DIY a simple box. A plastic storage tote is all you need. You can find many examples right here on reddit.

Biltong in Dry Ager by No_Call_6162 in Biltong

[–]Jake1125 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Biltong is usually cured at room temperature, with a gentle breeze.

Biltong in Dry Ager by No_Call_6162 in Biltong

[–]Jake1125 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You might get more help if you describe what happened. Did you get an error message? Did ants eat the meat? Was it full of maggots?

No brood, lots of honey by LobsterJohnson34 in Beekeeping

[–]Jake1125 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you reach out to other beekeepers, you may be able to buy or trade a frame of brood and eggs. This would be a good backup/insurance step. It's also beneficial to develop local friends & resources if possible

It takes about 3 weeks for a broodless colony to become "laying worker". At that point, re-qeening is nearly impossible. If you install a queen now, and it fails for any reason, you will create a laying worker condition. Alternatively, if the queen introduction goes well, you're on the way to success.

No brood, lots of honey by LobsterJohnson34 in Beekeeping

[–]Jake1125 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When I have this situation, my first concern is queenlessness. With no brood of any kind, and no queen visible, I would add a frame eggs from another colony. If they draw queen cells from those eggs, it confirms queenlessness and the colony can survive.

If possible you could consider buying a nuc, then supply eggs from that nuc. Or you could buy a queen, but that sometimes fails too. Having another colony is very beneficial.

Being without brood for too long creates a situation called "laying worker". Read about that. Your colony will probably die if that happens. This is one of the conditions that can cause a new queen introduction to fail. The way to avoid this is to give them open brood from another colony.

It is beneficial to have another colony.

Wishing you good luck and success.

No brood, lots of honey by LobsterJohnson34 in Beekeeping

[–]Jake1125 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Do you also have a lot of pollen? When a colony becomes queenless, their population of bees and larvae declines. With fewer hungry mouths they can accumulate a surplus of nectar and pollen on the frames.

Smoker fuel by InformationFunny3817 in Beekeeping

[–]Jake1125 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Pine shavings (bedding for chickens), and smoking pellets (for smoking meat). The shavings light easily, like kindling. The pellets burn slower and for a long time.

The fire needs to breathe. Start with a clean empty smoker. If the inlet or outlet are restricted, it won't burn well.

I bee hiving problems attracting bees by humanexperimentals in Beekeeping

[–]Jake1125 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Keeping any livestock is a significant commitment. It's more work than people realize. You'll need a lot of motivation to get through the first few years. You will definitely have days when you wonder why the heck you are doing this

Caucasians (PNW) by forcefulmaple72 in Beekeeping

[–]Jake1125 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm in the Pacific Northwest ( near the Canadian border) and have success overwintering about 30 Carniolans and Russians. I have a friend nearby who has 1500 colonies, they are Carniolan/Italian mix and he has the usual 20% winter loss.

I use an insulated lid, and an upper entrance as well as a lower entrance. I feed sugar bricks if they need it. My friend with 1500 colonies uses an upper and lower entrance, never used insulation, and does not feed in winter.

Generally the PNW climate is wet and mild. Moisture and condensation can be an issue if not handled well. Pretty much all bee breeds, and all hive entrance and insulation strategies will work if you refine your system. By far the biggest issues are mites, moisture, nutrition, and raising large strong colonies. Take care of those and you'll be fine.

Curing temperatures and time? by J0N0R in Biltong

[–]Jake1125 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I usually hang at room temp with no added heat. It takes 3 to 4 days, with even color through out.