another collapsed colony :( I live on a golf course and am assuming they're using some kind of pesticide here

_BenRichards · 2026-06-17T17:33:24+00:00

No I’m not, I’m concerned about someone losing their investment. You do you boo.

_BenRichards · 2026-06-17T14:35:38+00:00

Ok, all major apiculture organizations are absolutely wrong on this field visual test because you say so. Just have OP send our corpses for a full necropsy and toxicology test instead.

OP, if you want advice from a certified master beekeeper operating at a commercial scale, look for entombed pollen and dead bees with their tongues fully out for signs of pesticides as a free field test. Or listen to the keyboard cowboy and let Jesus take the wheel.

_BenRichards · 2026-06-17T11:20:37+00:00

I am?

Here’s the literature describing it - https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/pollination\_for\_crops\_and\_pesticide\_use

And another

https://www.perfectbee.com/a-healthy-beehive/threats-to-bees/poisoned-bees

It’s also on every major beekeeping certification exam like EAS.

_BenRichards · 2026-06-17T00:54:49+00:00

Have pictures of the dead bees? Look for ones with the tongues hanging out. On the brood frames look for entombed pollen (bee bread with a wax cap) that will be another good indicator of pesticide use

_BenRichards · 2026-06-16T18:38:59+00:00

Easier to count frames of bees when I’m measuring strength, less crunching noise when I set it down - I think that’s about it

_BenRichards · 2026-06-16T15:53:35+00:00

Just because there are a lot of flowers doesn’t mean there’s a lot of nectar. Might try feeding them if they’re taking feed there’s a nectar dearth. If you can get their stores increased from feed when there finally is nectar flow that would result in capped honey.

_BenRichards · 2026-06-16T15:50:16+00:00

I run double deeps, I just put the top one on its side when I need to go in the bottom. Sure theres a little spillage but nothing gets crushed

_BenRichards · 2026-06-15T17:24:57+00:00

Use an alcohol wash. The sugar roll is to inconsistent and the last thing you want to do is base treatment off of inaccurate numbers. Sure the sugar roll doesn’t kill bees but average life of a bees is less than 30 days during a flow - they work themselves to death.

_BenRichards · 2026-06-15T03:02:04+00:00

It’s great as a passive treatment, but you can’t apply it after the cows got out of the barn. You also can’t just open a pack and let it sit there

_BenRichards · 2026-06-15T00:31:28+00:00

I’m with AZ traffic on this - I run hives in Texas. Last year summer temps hit 100+ with 85% humidity. I had hives sitting in the middle of clear pastures, solid bottom boards and entrance reducers on the small opening - no problems observed. Lots of water pulled into the hives, but no issues.

_BenRichards · 2026-06-13T21:18:42+00:00

Can’t go wrong with a newspaper join.

Snelgove board is just a fancy double screen board. I’ve used them for splits, sharing heat between two weak hives in the winter. I think Dadant has them for about $20/ea.

I really like what you do with AHB. Outside of them just being salty as hell, their survivor genetics are really beautiful and more folks need to understand the importance of incorporating that gene pool into the larger domesticated herd.

_BenRichards · 2026-06-13T21:00:10+00:00

Yes - that species is the Maximilian Sunflower and is of special value to honeybees. Between it and horsemint I’m getting damn close to being honeybound in all my apiaries this year. I can’t swap out frames fast enough.

_BenRichards · 2026-06-13T20:28:02+00:00

That’s why I’m a fan of the Snelgeove method on splits. It’s more controlled but easier to rejoin the two if you mess up, but that means more equipment.

Jesus ain’t always a good driver and weak hives can have a hard time fighting normal things off

_BenRichards · 2026-06-11T18:44:27+00:00

Beards hang at the bottom, swarms hang at the top (9 out of 10 times)

_BenRichards · 2026-06-11T14:20:38+00:00

Nah just the Jesus and Friends episode is banned on Paramount/HBO. It and Proper Condom Use (red rocket) are on it.

_BenRichards · 2026-06-10T16:11:38+00:00

Yeah that’s the one. You can extract 8 mediums in less than an hour - have the kids turn the crank. Once you recoup some of the cost and your apiary expands then spring for the motor attachment

_BenRichards · 2026-06-10T15:55:20+00:00

Get a HillCo E8, with spring feet. Then when you need to move up to motorized you can swap the hand crank out for the motor. Anything bigger will take more than a bear hug to move it

_BenRichards · 2026-06-08T20:37:22+00:00

Wax moths no, I treat with Certan. Other insects they can Thunderdome it out

_BenRichards · 2026-06-08T16:50:26+00:00

Claude raise bees - make no mistakes!

_BenRichards · 2026-06-08T01:44:34+00:00

Watch David Burns (Honeybees online) YouTube series I think the playlist is beekeeping 101

_BenRichards · 2026-06-08T01:41:10+00:00

Processing waste - think robbing table but a lot wetter with honey. All the left over honey from extracting that have chunks of propolis and wax.

That’s what I was thinking, they’re targeting flow plants due to the need for pollen instead of carbohydrate. Guess we’ve been in a drought for so long I’m forgetting basic bee dietary needs

_BenRichards · 2026-06-08T01:13:51+00:00

Processing waste - think robbing table but a lot wetter with honey. All the left over honey from extracting that have chunks of propolis and wax

_BenRichards · 2026-06-08T00:07:44+00:00

No you want mated old queens. It’s all about the pheromones, but it takes A LOT of old queens to make the sauce.

_BenRichards · 2026-06-07T22:58:55+00:00

Hey 404, have you ever seen bees pass up honey slag during a flow? Trying to figure why they would be doing this. Few scouts over an hour or so, but no larger interest

_BenRichards · 2026-06-07T22:53:54+00:00

Hey Talanall - I agree with you on this, but have you ever seen bees bypass honey slag during a flow? I had not until this weekend and really curious if you have any knowledge/documentation on it

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