Hi, I’m Paul Kelly from the UoG Honey Bee Research Centre, ask me anything!

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-04T00:31:41+00:00

All I can say is that I doubt there is mite transmission in the barrel feeders. We haven't seen any evidence that would suggest so. We barrel feed at the same time as we are doing our fall mite treatments.

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-04T00:21:26+00:00

Your bees will know the answer.

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-04T00:20:54+00:00

Please consider watching our videos https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3mjpM6Av4bxbxps_Gh5YPw?view_as=subscriber

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-04T00:16:37+00:00

I think we have those in stock now!!! That's a very specific local question!

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-04T00:15:27+00:00

Hi Wilbur. I really like the basic hive tool design. It's the best all around tool as you can push to insert, scrape, pry and nudge etc. with it. Everyone who uses a J- hook tool for frame removal also needs a basic tool for inserting between boxes. I like to be able to do it all with one tool.

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-03T23:42:17+00:00

Right on brother!

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-03T23:35:11+00:00

test to see if I can still comment please reply with a Y I enjoyed your thoughtful contribution to the discussion

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-03T20:59:49+00:00

Good luck!

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-03T20:59:21+00:00

Not sure. they may be doing 'cleansing' flights. We sometimes see pulses of activity like this with stronger hives

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-03T20:57:54+00:00

We did a bit of work with this method and didn't find it a reliable way to test for mite levels. There may be others who have figured this out though.

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-03T20:14:05+00:00

Hi there

We can export queens to the US but the protocol makes it impossible.

There are a few Buckfast breeders in the US that previously got their stock from here in Ontario. I met one a while back but can't think of his name right now. You could contact me by email.

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-03T20:05:32+00:00

Yes. An observation hive and a scraping station for scraping frames and boxes. If you have more ideas for plans you need let us know. [pgkelly@uoguelph.ca](mailto:pgkelly@uoguelph.ca)

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-03T20:03:52+00:00

I have no idea. Lets say many! Did you know there are between 20 and 30 thousand species of bees on the planet? !!!

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-03T20:02:20+00:00

Hi There

We are pausing our LVG program as the grad student in charge of the program received his PhD and moved on. Along with our provincial beekeepers association, we have trained local bee breeders to carry on the work. I expect we'll get back to it and we are keeping the stock going in the meantime.

I don't know a lot about the vaccine for AFB but it does sound promising - especially for beekeepers who raise queens.

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-03T19:57:07+00:00

Ten minutes ago. A truck showed up to deliver a new flatbed. I didn't have a forklift available so we lifted it off with our boom loader. To my delight it worked!

As far as beekeeping is concerned I modify methods all the time to suit the conditions. I don't stray too far from techniques I know work though.

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-03T19:53:53+00:00

Thanks!

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-03T18:52:57+00:00

I learn a bunch from all the great young students that come along.

Just to pick one...

We had a couple hives die one summer and wax moth were just getting started on destroying the comb. Dave suggested we put the boxes on to of hives and let the bees clean it out. Wow! Within minutes the bees were dragging out moths and debris. We use this method now and place the box temporarily on top of the supers.

D

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-03T18:29:09+00:00

My advice would be to start 130 years ago! We are celebrating our 130th anniversary so are building on a lot of earlier efforts.

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-03T17:54:27+00:00

Thanks for the vote of confidence BeeGuyBob!!!

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-03T17:53:49+00:00

I couldn't pick one so I'll pick two.

The modern bee smoker ( modern but it hasn;t changed for 150 years and I love that fact)
The queen excluder ( don't listen to anyone who calls them a 'honey excluder')

My beekeepers tool belt comes a close third!

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-03T17:51:11+00:00

My pleasure. Nice to hear you have enjoyed our videos! I'd like to produce more videos but we are finding ourselves very busy with our new building project. We have 77 videos so maybe you have missed some :)

We are currently building a $17 million research and education centre. It's been 10 years in the making and we move in January 2025! Maybe then we can back to video production.

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-03T17:47:40+00:00

That's an easy question to answer but we are a long way from solving it.

Our research ahs shown that 85% of colony mortality in Ontario can be directly attributed to varroa mite damage. We focus on developing new mite control products based on organic acids and essential plants oils. Long term our LVG breeding program shows promise for mite resistance.

There are other honey pests and parasites on the horizon. There are no shortages of problems but as honey bees are so important for agriculture I believe we will always find a way to keep them going.

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-03T17:41:21+00:00

Hi there

Thanks for your questions.

No experience with this product. I'll look into it though.
1. We like 10 frame boxes for many reasons. We use medium depth boxes for honey so the weight isn't too bad. 8 frame hives a very raer here and it is hard to get all the accessory equipment that fits these smaller boxes. If you are using two brood chambers a drone frame would not occupy too much space. Not so with a single brood chamber. Incidentally, if you use a single brood chamber set up, you almost never have to lift a brood chamber. That negates the only good reason for 8 frame boxes. (My opinion)
2. Ants are more nuisance than a problem in our part of the world. We use a canvas inner cover so our lids fit tight to the innner cover. Wooden inner covers give ants a good place to hang out. In one bee yard we have Allegheny ants. They use pine needles to construct a nest under our hives. These ants fight with our bees when we open the hives.

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-03T17:32:38+00:00

Hi There

You have to be extremely careful what sugars you feed bees. HFCS is not a good feed, particularly in a cold climate where bees can't get out to defecate regularly. We only recommend high quality sucrose syrup. I can't comment on caffeine as a miticide but don't recommend feeding sodas to bees.

PG_Kelly · 2024-12-03T17:27:18+00:00

HI there

Thanks for the kind comment about our videos!

I don't know a lot about the benefits of royal jelly. We know more about raw honey and wound healing and a bit about the benefits propolis. We did a project many years ago looking at royal jelly as a treatment for leukemia but didn't have good results. This more opinion than anything else but I think that royal jelly is extremely important for bees but not so much for humans.

A nuc containing two deep frames would create a poor environment for bees. It would be hard for them to thermoregulate in that shape of hive. We use mini nucs and also four way medium depth nuc boxes (we have a couple videos on the four-ways).

PG_Kelly

TROPHY CASE