I agree with that.. but I think you serenade your bees when nobody is looking... those bees know you .

It's hard to dispute calming bees with a man who has a bee standing on his hand as he's handling the frame the queen is on, while not wearing any protective gear.

That tells me so much about your integrity. I'm sure it is more expensive to keep everything varied year to year but those bees are calm because of a good handler and one who knows how to raise them.

I captured a wild swarm and they are mean as heck! I wasn't planning on starting a hive, they just moved in lol. Headed over to your website now! Thanks for sharing

I agree with you about the genetics and a lot of other beekeeping information. Not everything mind you because we are beekeepers. I live outside of Birmingham, AL. I have my own stock and in the past I bought three Nucs from a beekeeper on the other side of Penitentiary Mountain which is, as the "crow flies", about three miles from my bee yard. I also purchased three Nucs from a beekeeper in Wetumbka, Al. located about seventy-five miles from here and this coming Friday I am going to pick up three packages from a beekeeper in Anniston, AL. located about fifty miles from here. No organism can come up with a handful of diverse genes out of the blue, they have to be imported from outside the local area. I enjoy your videos. Keep them coming. Thank you.

I am beginning to think just mosying around your bees every day a few times and when you get in their flight path when they are bouncing off your bald head they aren't angry they are just trying to get the pollen in the hive. I love my little fuzzy blond bees.

I've mentioned before that I'm allergic, and keep my distance. I just want to thank you for your wonderful explanations of why you do what you do. I may keep my distance, but I'm a BIG honey bee fan, and can get close and learn through people like you and Mr. Dunn. I like a "Beekeeping For Dummies" approach, so I can learn the reasons things are done. Thanks again.

That totally makes sense, about needing drones in nucs.... Thanks. Also like the tar paper idea to keep grass away from hives. Awesome!

I agree! My grandpa always make sure his weren't same lines as well. His bees were not aggressive. 😁

Another great video with lots of good information. I'm brand new to this and will be getting my first bees in May. You teach us a lot with all your videos, I've learned more from you then anyone else. I'm just not sure why the haters show up to chime in, they don't have to watch what you produce and if they are so much better at it why don't they start their own channel and stay off yours. Just want to say thanks for all do, I greatly appreciate it.

dave thanks for the great info. i put 4 frames of brood and bees in my dwindling hive to boost it before spring gets here.

Thank You Dave getting my bees in August I keep watching and learning

Love your videos! They make me anxious because I’m worried they’re always gonna sting you but this makes me feel a lot better!

What he's saying makes sense especially about queens AND drones. In order to broaden the "gene pool", both would be needed. If the "gene pool" is allowed to stagnate, then who knows what undesirable traits will show up? I've been watching these videos and been thinking about beekeeping both for honey and pollination of fruit trees.

Our bees are aggressive. They haven't been touched until this year after about 10 years. Your statement would explain a lot. :) I inherited the single hive with medium super. It swarmed early and we split it up. I guess I'll go catch some swarms to put into the mix. :)

Thank you David I would love to have bees 🐝 But live in Plymouth Mass And live in a condo

I want to learn more about how to string those old frames. My 96yr old dad had some that I inherited. Love the natural comb. My new bees started building some free form . I did remove it, but still have it covered in a bowl in my kitchen......maybe I can string it into one of these frames?.....

Thanks again David. Very interesting. I now don't have to be afraid about the different kinds of bees in my hives. I have some kaukasian but also some locals which are very determined to gather AND PROTECT. if they mix....... I keep you informed about how the new queens do.

Thanks for the tips. I've been thinking of trying something similar. Only my second year.

I really learn a lot from your videos, thank you.

*The secret is to be sweet. ;P*

David I use Mann Lake 4.9 plastic frames and put extra wax on mine and have no problems with getting them drawn. Another good video David

Thanks, can not wait for the new web site !!

We are so excited to be subscribed to your channel. We are beekeeping also and are learning new things from watching your channel.

Nucs are allways calm anyway

Don't forget to BEE yourself!

This B- man would be good to learn from. I would take a workshop & even without one, this stuff is information- rich.

Nice to know.

I can't wait until I get my package from you.

Raising Calm Bees

hes runnin a great beesnees

Been trying to check on my package bees the last two days. I say trying because they have been aggressive. I believe this is because the first batch of brood is hatching. Granted a storm is moving in but wouldn't you protect your offspring if you knew your existence depends on it. Ill give them a few days to transition there workforce around before I go in again.

Thanks David, for another good video. I have learned a good bit watching your videos, you cover most everything well.

That makes so much sense, thanks...

Hey David - I always learn something from your videos! I did get my feeders onto my hives a few weeks ago but I wasn't able to film that day. I'll be cracking them open again in a week or two and will be sure to share those awesome feeders with my viewers.

thanks for the info, very helpful

Could be a idea to have a beekeper a while away from you and just some times swap packages. He get on and you get one and then you get more genetics in both yards.

Just Curious: If you have calm bees, are they still as ferocious when it comes to defending their hives from other bees / wasps etc???

Could you share how you make/attach your starter strips to your frames? Thanks for all the good info for us new beeks!

This is very helpful!😀

I could second the notion of deep inbreeding leading to bad tempers. I've seen it with dogs and chickens. They also tend to progressively lose body almost to dwarfism when compared to the original stock ( dogs and chickens that it is).

Very nice

Two or three frames of bees just can't get scary even when they roar. That's the secret...Split when you get to 4 frames..

Why no sugar water for the honey yards?

What about buying mated queens? That way they’ve had the benefit of alternate drone input, without importing the drones themselves.

What is your opinion of addind apple cider vinegar to sugar water to make closer to ph of natural honey?

*If I order queens can we wait to ship? I'm not going to know until about a week ahead of time, when I'm to pick up my packages.*

How many split can be made from one hive in a year.

Are you sticking with one type of bee breed or all different. Ie Italian carnniola....

Maybe I could use an extra large upholstery sewing needle through the comb....

I need some advice quick! I collected a wild swarm on a tree branch last night and the weather dipped down into the low 40's last night. I want to put them in my hive, but afraid to since the temp outside is currently 45. Should I leave them until the weather warms up or put them in the hive ASAP?

Banyan Bees: we do this... Me: why are they purring? Just kidding. You know your stuff. Excellent videos. Oh wait ....do I hear buzzing? Oh s.....

Good video!

Ooo very nice

What should I usa on my bee hive to protect against the elements???

Thanks for a great video.

How can I encourage genetic diversity with only one or two hives? We have 6 hives in 5 locations.

Dave, I find your advice really helpful but can I just ask you to please hold the frames still when you are filming? The first few minutes you are trying to show us a frame and you keep moving it so its hard to see what you are pointing. Hope you don't mind me saying that. Thankyou again for the vids.

Will the pollen go bad. During the year.

true just keep zebra fish in a tank for a while and they will come out with deformed backs

1 free pollen feeder with every bag of pollen?

David , when will I get my package of Bee's. I am in Minnesota and my friends are already started from local suppliers. Can't wait to get started..I love Italian. the one adaptive to urban climates here and produce more honey. It is about management ( what Diversity?) That is what University of Minnesota taught me in the seminar last week..They do recommend a mentor for the beginners. You the best..

Sorry for my english from start 😁 how good you thing is that pvc frames? In my country 80% of beekepers avoid it and say are toxic for bees and honey... I personalyy try 3 frames and all of them are full construct in 3-4 days... But i put a small suport of wax on it whit painting role...

Thanks !

When will you have queens available again?

Hi, could you also do video's/a channel on the honey producing bees? I would find that super interesting!

Great video! Maybe you can answer a nagging question. Drones fly only a short distance to a DCA, say one mile. They need to spend lots of time on sight waiting for a virgin to come by, so they cannot afford the energy expenditure to go farther and still get back. But the virgin flies much farther. Say, 2 to 3 miles, to find a DCA. She only needs to stay on site a matter of minutes to get impregnated, so she can afford the energy cost required to fly that far and back. This is all good, because in this way, the virgin passes over the drones from her own colony, thus avoiding in-breeding. Is this not accurate? I think getting new drones into your apiary improves genetics for far-away virgins flying to DCAs close to your apiary. In a similar fashion, I would hope that apiaries 2 to 3 miles from mine would import different drones because they will be the ones my virgins will be mating with, and, thus, causing a variety of genetics to come back to my apiary.

Why do you have only nuc boxes

when they slide the frame back into the box, don't some bees get crushed in there?

All I can say is my extended forecast here in Ohio sucks! My packages will be here on the 17th and it is supposed to be cold rainy and overcast. I think i'm going to be in trouble.

Any idea how many generations you can go for w descendant generations before the genes go more aggressive again? (Or a range?)

Interesting feeding tool... What is it?

Hey I know this is a old video but my bee's are so bad now

Ok the queen is released, why do you have the queen box attached

Ha David I have bought packages 1000.00 worth every year since I started bee keeping., I would lose 1/2 of them every year I was trying to build up my yard now I am trying to build up without spending so much money, self e fish ant bee keeper I am not there yet this year I bought queens hoping to build up the yard that way by doing splits and trying to make queens like u do I even trying different breeds for the area I live in I have russian carnies and itatians to see who does best here. 2 year ago I bought 10 packages of russians lost all but 2 during the winter last year I got carnies 6 nucs and 4 packages that is 10 more I have 4 all the rest died during the winter I bought mutt bees and they all died I bought itatians and lost them as well. I think some of it depends on where u get your bees from, I guess u need to tell us where u get your packages and the breed u have I live in virginia, that would really help I like your videos thanks for making them my bees are calm but I do wear a veil just in case and blue rubber gloves like the doc wears so my hand do not get sticky my first hive tore me up 1 day and I had another hive tear me up about a week later so now I just wear protection. they were in a bad mood that day has not happened but them 2 times but they hurt me bad. Thanks again and u have a wonderful day

Excellent

The Queen Lays All The Eggs What Do All The Other Bees Do

Help ! Pls. advise... I'm a newbie with 2 newly purchased queens and no brood. Buy a frame or two from a neighboring beekeeper ? ASAP ? TIA ! What if I can't find anyone - will the queen survive with 5 attendants, honeycomb and drawn comb ?

What was the bee with the big red dot on its back? Another queen?

How do we purchase package bees?

With humans it seems to work the other way around

Where is this pollen from. Showing towards the end of your video.

Hi Dave, is it to late in the year to buy a package from you?

how do i get them to draw out a new super? I have had it for two years and still cant get them to touch those frames.

I would like to keep bees I live in a middle of a 20 plus Apple orchard I am curious if the bees will be affected by the orchard worker spraying the orchard during the summer?

Hello david. I was wondering if you have the measurements for the mini nuc top feeder?

cin ya feed pollen ta wild/feral bees? thank ya fer the video

Where is the best place to buy pollen from and where do you buy your package bees from

Maintaining genetic diversity has all sorts of benefits, but claiming it's the reason your bees are so docile seems like a bit of a stretch. The highest genetic diversity will be found in wild bees and they are far from calm. More than likely you're getting you bees from somebody who is selecting for the calmest hives and eliminating the aggressive ones (as I would imagine all of the big bee suppliers do). Crossing your bees with ones that have been bred for non-aggression would help maintain yours that way despite the occasional wild genes that would make it into your gene pool.

What does it draw out imply?

I was wondering what you do if you get a mean hive? I've heard some people say in my area there are a mix of Africanized bees in with regular bee hives.

Is that red spot on your queen a veroa mite

do you have your hives and feeders mounted good in case of high winds?

I have installed a package and the bees are very aggressive I need to wear protection also they will chase me no desire to mess with them now. not sure if there is any way to change the aggressiveness.

We haven't seen ur honey yard.. please Dina vedio on that..

For some reason beekeepers, unlike any other animal husbandry experts or breeders in the world, seem to ignore the other half of the genetic equation... the drones. To much emphasis is placed on the queens alone.

What kind of bees to you bring in? do you still import calm breeds or just any hive?

You breed queens. How are drones bread?

Are Cordovan Queens/bees super gentle?