I just completed an oxalic acid treatment on the 5 hives my neighbor and I are keeping.
Last year I tried “natural” control by powdered sugar sprinkling. Then 1 treatment with mite away strips $$.
We lost 3 of the 4 hives over the winter.
All hives have varroa mites, you just have to control their numbers.
Love to watch the busy bees.
For Mites try laying a paper towel with vegetable oil on it, damp not dripping, on top of frames. Bee’s will tear it up and drag it out of hive, getting some oil on the mites and suffocating them. when they have removed the towel just do another one. Works in Missouri. i hope that helps.
Thanks for that tip!
Nice setup Bob
Did you build your bee frames. How many are in the hive?
A nuc (5 frames of bees) costs $165 near Seattle. I have never seen a swarm in 50 years here.
Yes I build all the frames and the horizontal hive from mostly scrap wood. I did buy one sheet of plywood and insulation. The hive will hold 28 frames. That one hive can be 5 hives all in one hive box. Two 2 or 3 frame Nucs, and three 6 frame colonies. It has Layens frames with the Langstroth width so when I open the roof lid no bees are open to the outside air. The only bees that are distributed are the frames I remove for inspection.
The hive trap is about 5 feet lower now. This morning the bees were flying back to the hive 5 feet to high and circling around then finding the hive. Now they are flying right in and landing on the hive board. I closed the opening up some because I noticed robber bees were coming in a stealing the new hive resources. Everything looks good now. The bees are happy that I am helping them. The bees were letting me get very close the opening. No warnings bumps of stay away Bob. It looks like I have some very nice bees.
Thank you Yehovah, my prayers are answered.
In my yard I have more scout bees checking my other trap. I have only hung up two of my three traps. I still need to finish all my frames for the horizontal hive.
I like this finding wild swarms of free bees. My traps are 6 frame and the frames are 12" deep. No foundation on the frames. I am letting them make there own from scratch. My horizontal hive can handle 15" deep frames if I want to use deeper frames. Right now the extra space is for queen cells. I plan on raising queens to sale or just set up small two frame Nucs and let them swarm on there own or sale them.
Roy is liking this, he will never have to pay for bees in His cherry orchards. I have a place for my bees and he has bees to pollinate his orchards. This is what I call a Win, Win for us.
Bob
I am out at the swarm trap and horizontal hive waiting for the sun to set. It is 08:07 pm.
The last of the foraging bees are making there last run for the day. They brought in a lot of resources, lots of pollen. Some of it was dark red in color and lots of yellow and orange.
New up date 7/04/2021.
I had to go into my frames on this hive that has 6 frames and straighten out some cross comb. Half way down each frame they cross of to the other frame. I was unable to pull frames so I just hoped a prayed I did not hurt the Queen. They seem to be okay.
My other swarm trap hive down by the apricot tree is 250 feet away.
Last night I moved to the horizontal hive. I piled a lot of twigs sticks and dry grass in fount of the open of the hive. Hope the foraging bees the next morning would due a orientation flight around the hive in the morning. Head out and find their way back to the new location. Some of the bees did as planned. The others head back to the original spot where the hive was. Knowing this might happen I placed a different swarm trap hive in it place. The bees sure act different when they realize their queen is not in the hive. You can talk in how they are flying around the hive. I will not walk up to these bees with out my veil on my head. They were upset.
Tonight I will move them back back to the new spot and place the hive openings facing touching ramps so the lost foraging bees can find their queen again. I will place a lot of twigs, sticks and dry grass around the opening again. This usually works. If they go to the apricot tree again there will be not hive.
I asked Yehovah for His Name that He would direct His bees to there new home, by His word, in Yeshua Name.
No stressing in my life, I give it all to Almight GOD.
More pictures of my new horizontal hive and more frames building.
From my back porch I can watch these bees.
This new hive has Layen frames but the top bars do not touch. There is a 1/8 gap between them I also will have top boards covering them. This hive horizontal hive has a new design twist to it that I have found no one doing. I will beable to place a super box on top by removing the top boards for just extra honey collection. But in the winter it will be a extra warm insulated hive for my colonies. This hive will beable to hold 5 colonies of bees.
Do you see it. The old chicken tractor frame is looking back at you with it black eyes.
Bob
Here is how the swarm hives are set up right now.
This hive was at the apricot tree stranded last night, now it is at the horizontal hive.
Guards at the entrance watching me.
This is the hive trap I put up last night. Lots of bees looking for their queen. I will move it to the horizontal hive after night has come.
The sun has set this day is over and the New day has started.
Bob
Up date: July 4th 2021 @ 10:45 pm.
Most of you in the USA are in bed after todays celebrating the day of America’s independence. The rest are of will celebrate your independence day on a another day in your country.
The transition went well. I think the 30 mile a hour wind helped put the Queenless hive to bed. I moved it and both hives are entrance to entrance facing each other. When I opened the hive up, some bees moved into where there queen is at. Maybe they will all do a night march back into their hive.
I really piled the twigs, brush, and grass around the hive. Hopefully the Bees will get the message they are not in the same place.
The last time I did this I did not move the hive this far from where it was at.
Yehovah’s bees have a nice new home for them to winter in. That will be the next step. The opening is just inches from where they are now.
Bob
Here you go Bob! Seems you got a update for us!
I too plan a more detailed rewiew of our bees soon, need to make some pictures…
Ever heard of David Attenborough? This is his brother speaking…
Yes thats the sound l like to hear… Our limes are about a week past bloom.
Do try picking some flowers for tea. You will not regret it. The wing goes with it.
Im glad Sir Attenborough hass a susscessor 
Ha, forgot to mention. This tea is a equivalent to a liquid sauna. It will make you sweat like a horse. Good for clearing toxins and fighting a cold, not good if you are doing some sports or if you plan to go on a date
Do they dry well so I can save them for later?Sweating enough as is right now 
The ones on the picture are dryed. They store for months.
Been a bad year for bees. On all levels. Zero nectar for all spring due to constant rain. None of my queens returned from a mating trip and even when l bought one the other day l still see no eggs so must be something wrong…
On the other hand, l always sayd honey is a side product of bees for me. Proof is right here
Been making our bedroom lineing and for all internal wood finish l only use a mixture of linseed oil and bees wax. It deepens the colour and makes a smooth yet non reflective surface.
Sad, you have had a bad bee year. Next year will Bee better. Cool finish on the wood I like it. All natural ingredients.
Bob
My uncle does beekeeping on the property, this is his idea for trying to get any swarms that happen. Hollowed out a log and will I guess glue or screw it back together. His last bees died a few years ago, those were ones he brought back from Mississippi so maybe the colder temps and elevation change was too much for them.
He has new local bees now and they are so docile, I can walk right up to his hives and not worry about being stung or buzzed at.
Things that make me go “Huh?” Beekeeping edition:
I came across this new video today, from the guy who cuts dead accurate boards from a log using a chainsaw freehand, an entirely different approach in how to keep bees well! 
Our queen went awol also. Trying to find local nucs. In west central Missouri.
You beat me to the punch
I know nothing about bees but Youtube had this video I watched a couple days ago and was just about to post this tonight
