Hey Ian thanks for that wonderful presentation, it was clear enough for me as a beekeeper in a tropical location as I was able to extrapolate what is applicable in a tropical environment. Our nectar season is quite short and I have been trying to find a strategy to advance the build up process before the nectar flow to maximise on my harvest and I think this will work. Thanks again

I am so glad to hear you mention the desert concept with the lack of diversity. It is something we all need to be aware of as farmers. So many farmers I speak with in my area refuse to acknowledge this fact. We have to be honest with ourselves in order to understand the system we are working in and the effects we are having. Another excellent video!

Ian, Sir, I have attached a queen excluder to the bottom of a standard box. Place that box facing the hive entrance. Shake frames of bees into that box. You will find the queen real easily as she can't go thru the excluder. It usually takes me under 2 minutes to find the queen, works well. Thanks for your videos!

Wish I could have been there in person instead of being stuck in bed with a broken back! It looks informative and fun...big pout!

Ian It’s the 18th of January 2020. You recently have posted two Vlogs being very stressed about your speaking ability. I watched this talk and I think you did a good job here. I would have asked if everyone understood your graph. Explain what it represents and ask if everyone understands it. It’s a key reference you use several times. It’s key to understanding what health level you need for your hive and the time critical needs of the hive. As you grow the number of hives you will hit a wall where the needs of the hive demand more of your time than have to give. Stress that you can’t grow the number of hives you have unless you innovate. You need a short cut where you ensure the hive gets what it needs when it needs it. Here’s how I avoid outstripping my available time with the demand of the hive. I love the reference where you’re the surgeon that is critical to success. You’re only needed for one thing hire some mussels to prep ahead of you and close when you’re done. Well done.

“You can’t manage what you can’t measure.”

Ian, you’re excellent speaker in the yard doing work and explain it.

Just rewatched.. EXCELLENT!

Forgot to mention. Packing tape, taped around the sides of the box provides a slippery surface that the bees can't climb and therefore they go down thru the excluder. It helps.

As for protein, just seems like it's better to put a few pounds down on each hive for spring as an investment for summer. I'm sure it pays dividends when it comes to healthy bees and the harvest afterwards.

Отлично.Спасибо.

So would you say five minutes per hive should be a standard to shoot for when checking hives from the top?

Ian Hello. Thanks for the wonderful info. I am Joseph from Korea. One quick question, Could you tell me how to make protein for nurture breeding?

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Ian I was wondering how you over wintered your bees before you used your climate controlled building. I'm in mn and have been losing a lot of hives. I wrap the boxes and they have plenty of honey. Any advice would be great. Thanks

Ian, I'm having trouble getting built up to the point of not having to borrow resources from production Hives to build nucs , cell builders, and build numbers and account for winter losses which aren't a problem with strong hives, just my nucs or weaker hives mainly, but if I had enough bees I could do sooo much more ,so much easier, especially making more.How do you get over that "hump" to get out of this cycle?If I had 100 strong hives in spring I could split them and have 200 but I having a helluva time getting to 100, due to droughts,heatwaves,warm winters etc.an stealing to try to help others or make more. I don't see how you grow to a reasonable number to have enough to spread around?Buying in is only way I can see getting to number I can really do something with without taking years upon years .What's your thoughts or advice on this?

Hello Ian. Can you please let me know what size frames you have? Thank you. Excellent videos.