My number one suggestion when people ask how they can help the bees
Let’s 🐝 real we’ve all been there. When your elbows deep in bees and your smoker either won’t stay lit or won’t stay lit for a long time 🐝 Here are some tips to lighting your smoker and keeping it “lit af”🔥
🔥 Use dry and flammable materials. In the past I’ve used pine needles but found the creosote build up too much with it. Cardboard I found burned too quickly. My current go to’s are burlap from old coffee bean bags and pine shavings.
🔥 Start with tinder then add fuel. I usually start with a small ball of newspaper and once that’s flaming good and hot then I add my fuel of choice.
🔥 Add the fuel slowly and make sure there’s enough of it. Adding too much fuel all at once can smother the fire before it’s even started. Make sure the fuel added is smoking strongly before adding more. Final point, make sure you fill (but don’t pack) your smoker.
🔥 Pump those bellows and keep pumping💨 Don’t stop when you see the first wisp of smoke keep adding air until a steady smoke appears (thick enough that you can’t see/barely see the fuel anymore).
🔥🔥🔥Bonus tip: Throw out those matches and BBQ lighters 🗑️Get yourself a propane/butane torch. Having a strong hot flame when first lighting your smoker goes a long way in its sustainability
And remember practice makes perfect! Happy beekeeping! 🐝🔥 #beekeepingtips #beesmoker #happybees
@ontariobeekeepersassociation queen rearing course in 15 seconds. This past weekend I made the trip down south to attend this year’s queen rearing course. Huge shout out to hosts Raquel and Esther at @chatsworthhoney Couldn’t have asked for better weather for it. Was great to meet with like minds, learn something new, get our hands sticky and meet some beeks I’ve only known through social media @gis_bees
We’ve all been there😅 #iykyk #beekeeping #justtakemymoney #beekeeperslife
It’s the little things😅 Happy Mother’s Day to all my fellow Queen Bees 👑 Managing both hives and households since the dawn of time⏳
#realtalk Shoutout to all the SO serving up reality checks 😅 #smallbusinessowner #beekeeping #dreamer #iykyk kyk
The sound of 100% survival rate. With any luck 2024 beekeeping will be a busy one 🐝
Day 30 of #31daysofbees2023I know I’m very late to the game but figured it would easier to explain if I had actual videos than just pictures and text. How do I winterized my hives? Contrary to most beekeepers in Ontario I do not use winter wraps for me bees. Instead I use a regionally specific method to the Upper Ottawa Valley. They are referred to by different names (winter boxes, snow boxes, ice boxes etc.). Designs vary slightly but the idea is generally the same. How it works ⚒️ ❄️ Outer covers are removed and hives are placed in the boxes. Boxes can hold anywhere from 1-4 single brood hives. There are also designs boxes built to hold double brood hives. ❄️ A piece of square plywood is placed to sit on the top of the landing board/hive entrance and rests on the outer wall of the winter box. This is to ensure entrances stay clear for the next step.❄️Hives are then surrounded and covered in pine shavings. Boxes are filled right to the top.Why this method?💧Better moisture control🔥Better insulation🌡️Better temperature regulation❄️Higher survival rates (typically)📈Faster brood build up in the spring. By the first week in May when I take out the hives from the boxes there will be 8 frames of brood in each hive#31daysofbees2023 #winterization #goodnightbees #thatsawrap
Doing day 15 and 16 of #31daysofbees2023 in a 2 for 1 package. Wild card and favourite way to eat honey. My most asked question at markets right now (thanks to a viral post all over Facebook). Is it okay to use a metal spoon with honey and the answer is….💯 YESSS! Using a metal spoon on honey will NOT compromise the integrity of your honey in ANY WAY. Anyone debating that is spreading fake news🚫📰 Most utensils now are made with stainless steal. Not the more traditional reactive metals such as silver or tin. The spoon’s contact with honey is so short that there is no time for any sort of reaction to occur. Still don’t believe me, google honey extractor (the machine most widely used in the world today to extract honey from the frames). All made out of stainless steel. In fact most commercial honey processing facilities contain extraction equipment made out of…you guessed it, stainless steal🤔 So if metal was truly bad for honey why is it used at all? The only time metal becomes an issue with honey is if it’s in direct contact with it for an extended period of time. This is due to honey’s typical low pH (honey is actually acidic on the pH scale) so my suggestion is just don’t leave the spoon in the jar🤷🏻♀️#31daysofbees2023 #crystalizedhoney #metalandhoney #honey #metalspoon
Day 4 of #31daysofbees2023 Your Favourite Bee picture who can choose just one? #31daysofbees2023 #beekeeper #bees
It’s Day 3 of #31daysofbees2023 and today’s topic is your favourite tool. This one I discovered thanks to @rushingriverapiaries If you’re a new beek and nervous about marking your queens I HIGHLY recommend you get yourself one of these. Able to use both bare handed or with beekeeping gloves. It also makes a great spur of the moment queen cage. How it works👑 find the queen 😉👑place canister over the queen 👑push up on the back handle slowly to close the gate at the top👑slowly push up the handle on the side that pushes the sponge pad to the top of the marker👑 ensure that the queen is lined up horizontal in-line with the gaps in the gate 👑mark your queen with the appropriate colour for the year 🔴🔵⚪️🟢🟡The gate at the top acts like a queen excluded so as you push up the sponge the attendants around the queen when you catch her will be able to fit through the gate but not the queen herself. If you’re new to queen marking and want practice, try using it with drones a couple times before the real deal Happy marking 🖊️ #31daysofbees2023 #queenmarkingcage #queenmarking #beekeepingtools
