Fume board

[cowgirl8]

Since I've found that I have more honey ready, i'm going to try something new, a fume board. Well, most everything is still new to me at this point, but I had a friend who just tried it and said its worth it.
I made my own board but while at Dadant yesterday, I picked up some Honey Bee Gone.. I almost made my own, but this wasn't that expensive so I went ahead and got it. There was another type of spray, but Dadant doesn't carry it anymore because they said that someone opened it up in the office and spilled it. They said it smelled really bad but the one they now sell smelled like almond extract. I had watched some youtubes and heard some say, 'This stinks."
Anywho, after lunch i'm going to try it out...

 

[cow pollinater]

The fume board is the only way to go. I still use fischers bee quick but I have heard that the new stuff works okay.
I know a guy that uses essential oils and has his own little mix that he claims works great and also knocks down the phetoric mites but I've always been scared to try it because two of the oils in his mix were looked at early on for varroa and shown to be pretty hard on the bees.
Make sure you leave plenty for the bees. We're supposed to have a warm winter and they can burn through quite a bit more than they do in a cold winter. You can always pull it in the spring if they don't use it but if they need it and don't have it they die. Italians will need one full super of stores, carnis can get by in a story and a half just fine.

 

[cowgirl8]

It did work great! Smelled like almond extract and wasn't too bad. Got 2 1/2 gallons of honey.
I left them one super of honey. I'm going to put the one I just emptied back in and see how much of it they can fill back up. If they fill it back up, i'll divide it with the other 2 hives I have that are just beginning to grow...THey have honey, but if I can get away without having to keep food out for them over the winter, that would be great... I have no idea what breed of bees I have...One is a swarm, one is from a fella who got out of the bee business and I suppose I could call and ask him. The other hive is a trapout and I think they are Russians.....(not really, they are just mean) Next year, i'm going to replace that queen..