Beekeeping at Five Apple

Show notes, posts & links at https://www.patreon.com/fiveapple Free sugar block recipe mentioned is here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/feeding-bees-in-31022420 Quilt gallery post mentioned (a weekly bonus-post for patrons of the show) is here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/31101477 About the podcast: Leigh Knott keeps around a dozen-ish hives at 3000' in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. The apiary is managed for bee health and vigor —free of chemical-treatments and without buying/catching replacement bees since 2010.

None of this would be possible without the generous donations from THE RECORDER CREW! i didn’t get the chance to add an intro and wrap up but will get better at all this. :-) Mark started with bees in 2010 and has been fully chemical free since 2013. He maintains upwards of 30-50 hives outside of Charlotte NC in Locust. Find him on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/flatwoodsbeefarm/https://www.facebook.com/flatwoodsbeefarm Thank you all for telling your beekeeping friends about the podcast and leaving reviews on Apple Podcasts! And to the Patreon supporters: Huge gratitude! Please consider becoming part of the Farm Crew at:  https://www.patreon.com/fiveapple          

Show notes are available to everyone and include link to the online article I read from -- you can find it here:  www.patreon.com/fiveapple

Show notes will be posted and available to everyone at: www.patreon.com/fiveapple

Book Review Part 2 - Selection read from Chapter 3 "Tolerant Stock." Continuation of last episode's discussion of the excellent book "Keeping Bees Alive: Sustainable Beekeeping Essentials" by Lawrence John Connor (Wicwas Press, 2019) And some GREAT news! The recorder is a go thanks to incredible support from: Deborah in Georgia, Michael in South Carolina, Jeff in North Carolina, Michelle in North Carolina, William in Minnesota, Herbert in Mississippi, and Joan C. THANK YOU ALL for the generous funding of a recorder with which I can do interviews to share on this podcast!  with huge gratitude,  Leigh questions or ideas for the next episode? Email me at blueridge714 [at] gmail [dot] com or send a message from the Five Apple Farm: Bees, Honey & More page on Facebook.

Discussion of this interesting book by Wicwas Press.  (Part 1 of 2)  THANK YOU to contributors to helped get the new interview recorders!!! Other ways to help: Tell a beekeeping friend or beekeepers organization about the podcast.  Write a review of why you like the show and give it a great rating on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.  Thanks to every one of you for listening! Leigh blueridge714 [at] gmail [dot] com  

Some random chat about what I’m reading and studying for a future episode; stress free alcohol wash hack from Jeff; bee barn teaser; missing Kevin; the usual wanderings.

Taking the simple feeding of sugar syrup for hives you find too light to make it....and complicating it with things to tweak? Guilty. Part 1.

About that NC Journeyman test. Winter prep: building population vs adding weight.

Random items from the conference, geeking out on gut microbes...

Selections from Norman E Gary, chapter 8 of Hive & The Honey Bee (Dadant). Also: The observation hive I’m trying out: https://www.etsy.com/listing/19583341/indoor-full-size-bee-keeping-observation Michael Bush on Observation hives: http://www.bushfarms.com/beesobservationhives.htm

Gadget Garage with nice robber screen and other handy things (thanks Jeff!) https://youtu.be/xWA49Oy5Skw Photo of the Z fold hardware cloth robber screen similar to what I use — especially on all nucs: http://thebeehivejive.com/2017/02/22/make-simple-robbing-screens-now-get-ahead-summer/ Thanks for listening! Leigh

I’m happy to report good news on the two hives that had EFB. Also: Late summer is a critical decision/action window for your hives. Some things to consider, plan and prevent...

Top bars, natural comb, podcasting errors, hives without a Queen (apparently), queens from swarm cells — Listener Mail edition. First part recorded in the morning, 2nd part late at night....you may notice the different energy tone, haha! ;-) Thanks so much for listening! Leigh

Continuing with the reading of a selection on Summer and Fall bee plants.