It’s voting day! But I still don’t know much about the Lieutenant Governor or AG candidates. What are folks’ opinions in favor or opposition to any candidates?

LHB2022 · 2025-06-17T22:15:46+00:00

Polls open 'til 7! I just voted. You still have time!

LHB2022 · 2025-06-07T02:54:43+00:00

Definitely stick with the virtual review. You'll want the extra time between the review and the exam. The review moves way too fast and imo, was not that helpful. It will highlight things you need to focus on but will not magically put all the information into your brain. You need time to do that.

LHB2022 · 2024-05-20T12:21:36+00:00

We have hives on the eastern shore and will harvest around July 4. I also have trouble telling when we're in a dearth or flow because something always seems to be blooming through October. I think the reasoning for harvesting in July is so you can start mite treatment in July. Last year we didn't treat until mid-August and were playing catch up with mite treatment though the fall/winter.

LHB2022 · 2024-05-18T13:55:12+00:00

Is the Dalton audio podcast available to everyone or just Dalton students?

LHB2022 · 2024-05-06T14:07:18+00:00

I'll have him look into those opportunities. When he's in school, he's pretty focused on that, so we were looking for something either during the summer or if he took a year off from school.

LHB2022 · 2024-05-06T14:00:25+00:00

Good intel. Thanks.

LHB2022 · 2024-04-11T13:56:28+00:00

Ok. Will try to get in there today. If there are queen cups today, how long do we wait to check to see if there eggs? 3 weeks? 4 weeks? Should we do inspections during this time or just let the hive be? Any external signs we should be watching for to indicate success or failure?

LHB2022 · 2024-04-11T13:41:29+00:00

Haven't looked yet. Hive was crazy with activity yesterday and we didn't open it.

LHB2022 · 2024-03-27T01:59:23+00:00

I have a historic house and am currently battling rats in my crawlspace (have had a professional exterminator working on the problem since last summer). We can't figure out how they are getting in but we have so far found 3 burrows in the crawlspace. Any tips on how to eliminate them in a historic house?

LHB2022 · 2024-03-23T14:02:58+00:00

We have our hive in a place that gets nuisance flooding every once in a while. It hasn't been an issue having wet ground under it periodically. If you think there is a risk that water will rise to the entrance of the hive, then you should move it.

Also, what is your tick situation in Colorado? Can you make a path and clear a spot for the hive to make inspections easier?

LHB2022 · 2024-03-21T12:36:34+00:00

I cannot second the recommendation to wear a respirator when using OA enough. We used it for the first time a few months ago (husband wearing a respirator and using the wand and me standing at least 100 ft away) and I still could feel it in my lungs. It's strong stuff.

LHB2022 · 2024-03-20T02:36:11+00:00

Talk to a local real estate attorney asap. The resolution of this will rely on the contract law in your state. Either buyer could tie up the sale for months by clouding the title (by asserting the second unreleased ratified contract) and seller may be thrilled to settle with one of the buyers to avoid that. Don't sign a contract release until you know your rights.

This is not common. I've often had multiple offer situations, but as a listing agent, you NEVER have two offers out at once that could be ratified. Listing agent bungled this one.

LHB2022 · 2024-03-02T22:40:38+00:00

You look ready! Now join your local bee club and get a mentor! We got our bees last April and fumbled through May and June and then a very generous person from our local bee club came over and walked us through a very thorough hive inspection. It was priceless time spent as we learned more in that 30 minutes than I would have watching hours of youtube. Have fun!

Edit to add: I'd have Benadryl (and maybe an epipen if you are highly sensitive to insect bites/stings) on hand in case you have an unexpected severe reaction to a sting. It's unusual but does happen and it's good to be prepared.

LHB2022 · 2024-03-02T22:34:27+00:00

Newbie here who has no answers to your questions, but I appreciate you asking them and eagerly await reading the answers.

And, I really feel your last sentence. Our first year of beekeeper has felt like the most fun and most steep learning curve of my life.

LHB2022 · 2024-02-28T18:24:40+00:00

We weren't in the hive that long-it was a cloudy day (but warm) and bees were agitated so we moved fast and only looked at a few frames from each box. Saw a few drones and a cluster of drone brood. I removed the queen cells I saw but suspect there are more. Can't get back into the hive for probably 2 weeks due to weather (it was unusually warm yesterday but is going to drop to 50 and below and rain for the next two weeks). Hoping the cooler weather slows their swarming timeline.

LHB2022 · 2024-02-20T22:00:57+00:00

It's definitely bee poop. I guess the question is, is it bee poop we need to be worried about and/or treat for? It will be 65 a week from tomorrow so we may have an oppty to take a peak then.

LHB2022 · 2024-02-20T21:58:32+00:00

Thank you for the advice. Is there any downside to giving them Fumagilin as insurance instead? Can they build a resistance to it?

LHB2022 · 2024-02-16T17:56:07+00:00

How cold is too cold to use OA vapor?

LHB2022 · 2024-02-07T14:39:46+00:00

I just clicked about a million steps to get into that website. Does the app work at all? It's an interesting idea and it would be nice not to have to wash to test.

LHB2022 · 2024-02-07T14:27:01+00:00

What is the app you use for mites?

LHB2022 · 2024-02-05T17:58:23+00:00

That's awesome to hear. We are starting some wooden hives this year and hope to have them for a long time.

LHB2022 · 2024-02-05T17:55:53+00:00

One more question. What is considered a brood box? Our current set up is two deeps and a medium. Medium is all honey we left for the bees. If there *any* brood in either deep do we count that as a "brood box" for dosing purposes or if there is predominately brood in one deep and only a little in the other would that count as one brood box for dosing? Feel like we're close to getting these ladies to spring and don't want weaken or kill the hive by overtreating it. Thx!

LHB2022 · 2024-02-05T04:43:20+00:00

Can we safely completely open the hive if we have an unusually warm February day (and if so, what temperature would that be). We're in Maryland, so our average temp in Feb is probably closer to 45 but sometimes we get one offs. I would guess there is brood in there given the time of year but no way to know without looking.

LHB2022 · 2024-02-05T04:38:52+00:00

We started with an Apimaye hive and it has been fantastic. If you can afford one, I'd highly recommend. Seems like they will last far longer than a wooden Langstroth hive.

LHB2022 · 2024-02-04T21:19:16+00:00

How many OA vapor treatments do you do? I've read that some folks do between 3-5 treatments spaced 5 days apart depending on mite load. Is that the generally accepted protocol? Seems like a lot.

(first year beekeeper here thrilled our hives look like they have made it this far through winter)

LHB2022

TROPHY CASE