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Sadly, the hives I started last year died out because of defective queens (the female bee that lays the eggs). I have since learned more and found that many people had queen issues last year. The commercial companies that raise queens can be rough on them, putting them in the little bitty cages after they are mated for up to a year waiting to be shipped. Needless to say, that can cause problems. There are also genetic issues.
So this year I'm starting anew with some great stock from a SMALL keeper in this area. Two hives are already looking good, and I've got four more to come. These are SMALL CELL bees. That means that they are raised in the natural size comb cell that bees are inclined to make. Believe it or not, man has increased honeybee size by enlarging the honeycomb cell diameter (which is done by printing the desired cell size on bees wax used for encouraging the bees to build comb in the right place). Bigger is not always better. It appears that bigger bees are generally not as healthy.
It is unlikely that I will get much honey this year, but I will get pollination, which is critical for your veggies. |
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