Bees - native and honey

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Comment by Lissa on September 8, 2016 at 16:56

Good advice you have received. I always make sure mine are well shaded in summer.

Comment by Christa on September 8, 2016 at 16:47

Thanks everyone for your help, we have moved the hive back a bit so the back and sides are shaded by the jaboticaba tree.  Ian can sit on the back verandah and do a roll call each day.

Comment by Susanne on September 8, 2016 at 12:32

I've lost hives in thick pine boxes when they were positioned in an area that received summer morning sun continuing after 10:30am.
Both were when we also had an extreme heat wave over a weekend when I was away from home.
On my return I put up a patio umbrella to shade the hives but the damage was done. The weakened hives eventually died out, succumbed to syphid wasp attack.
I now place all my hives in full to dappled shade, north easterly facing if it can be managed. If they are in a more open area I ensure that they have a shade structure over them.

Enjoy your new pets, they are a delight.

Comment by Rob Collings on September 8, 2016 at 11:02

Congratulations Christa! Good idea putting the styrofoam on top. Watch out for the western facing side once the sun's angle lowers from above. I lost a hive a few years back despite having a styrofoam (overhanging) lid on top, as the western facing side coped too much heat... the tree which protected the hive in the years before died and lost all it's leaves earlier that same year.

Comment by Christa on September 8, 2016 at 10:43

Thanks Jim, I don't know too much about  T.carbonaria bees except what you can read from books and internet.  We have just had a look at them now at 10.30 and the morning sun is still on the box, so we may have to put a piece of foam and a brick on top on it, and take  note of when the shade covers it.  I was told that I could move them a little if the position was not right.

Comment by James Raymond (Jim) Gill on September 8, 2016 at 9:16

Have had T. Carbonaria hive located for past 2 years in shade all day between clumping palms and entrance facing South. This does not seem to be a worry for the hive as there is a lot of activity when the air temp warms up and previous splits have shown the hive to be full.

Comment by Lissa on September 8, 2016 at 8:53

Your pups sound like heaven. Nothing like having young things gambling and enjoying life around you.

The snake is a worry :/

Comment by Christa on September 8, 2016 at 8:21

Thanks Lissa,  that sounds right. Just keep them from extreme of midday sun and hot afternoon sun should be the main thought.  I don't budge much unless I am warmed up as well.

The dogs are the same, they look for that little bit of warming sun to lay down.  They managed to get hold of a straw fishing hat belonging to a friend and we found them sitting on the table with it with a memorable look on their faces " did we do good" , they had completely mangled it.  My advice for every senior person who is losing their flexibility, is to invest in or just watch a puppy enjoying it's youthful adventures. They are like chooks checking everything we do in the garden and we often find them laying on the straw in the sun on top of one of out wicking tubs.  When we pull weeds they take off with them, hosing is the best fun catching the water, bees and butterflies are to be chased.  We are trying to keep them away from the big carpet snake at the moment who is hiding in the shed, but they can smell it.  

Comment by Lissa on September 8, 2016 at 7:43

Nah. My two hives are facing east though (in the backyard) and are in the shade by afternoon. They won't budge out of their hives unless they get good and warmed up.

Congratulations :) Everyone should have a SNB hive. Such easy little pets to keep. How are the pups??

Comment by Christa on September 8, 2016 at 7:31

NEW NATIVE HIVE  Well we succumbed to more pets.  Now the owners of an oath hive which we bought from Zabels near Toowoomba.  This morning we have to set it up on a star picket and the instructions were - entrance facing north east and to be in the shade by 10 am.  We are a bit worried about that 10.00 am shade.  Do all of you beekeepers follow the same 10am rule.  Seasonal changes would make that a bit difficult I would think. 

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