# Rats.



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Went yesterday to check on a hive in an out yard I had put a queen cell in since they had been queen less.

Found the cell torn partly down and no new cells made on the frames of brood and eggs I had given then two weeks ago. No signs of a new queen seen either. A bunch of capped cells with those bullet shaped caps when you have a laying worker in the hive.
Kare commented it was to bad we were going to loose them since there were a whole lot of workers in there.
No queen cells left to work with I told Kare we didn't have to loose them with out one more try.

They were Number five on the stand so I parted the top box into a second deep and carried it off into the field. Returned and did the same with the bottom deep. Then I slid number 4 colony into the spot just cleared. 
Resat the bottom board in the # 4 spot removed all the frames from one deep cleaned it up and sat it in place # 4. Removed several honey frames from what is now #5 to half fill the new # 4 box then went into the field to shake bees off the frames to finish filling the new #4. With that finished I emptyed the second deep, cleaned it up then placed it atop the bottom deep. 
Once again in the new #5 colony I removed 4 frames of mostly eegs and some brood for the new # 4 colony. With that finished I shook frames empty to refill the new # 5 colony and close it up.
Went back in the field and finished shaking all the bees from the frames to refill the new # 4 colony.
The new # 4 colony was taking in the returning foragers that had been orginaly from what has now became the # 5 colony. 
Bees shaken from the frames were returning to the new #5 colony where they had orginally been from. the New # 5 colony is a strong colony that is queen rite so the laying worker(s) in it will behave once they return. The new # 4 colony is farily strong and with out laying worker(s) so they should build queen cells from the eggs I provided and all should be well once again.

Checked the honey supers there in that yard also. Not a drop of honey in any of them. They had how ever started drawing out the cells deeper since they were 8 frame honey supers. We pulled them all just the same as the Golden Rod is starting to bloom. some places more than others.

 Al


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## Farmerwilly2 (Oct 14, 2006)

I thought you was gonna say you had rats in a hive.


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## mare (Aug 31, 2006)

is the golden rod not a good thing for them to make honey out of?


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## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

is the golden rod not a good thing for them to make honey out of? ..................... from how I under stand it , its the taste


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## indypartridge (Oct 26, 2004)

mare said:


> is the golden rod not a good thing for them to make honey out of?


Goldenrod is a great thing for them to make honey. Some years we have good flows, others years, not much at all. While the honey is curing, it has a very pungent smell - like wet, dirty socks. If there's the slightest breeze, you'll be able to smell your hives 100 yards away.

Many northern beekeepers harvest before the goldenrod bloom, and then let the bees have goldenrod honey for winter stores. Once in a while we get an unusually strong fall nectar flow and we'll pull some goldenrod honey. It tastes fine (not like it smells!).


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## mare (Aug 31, 2006)

indypartridge said:


> Goldenrod is a great thing for them to make honey. Some years we have good flows, others years, not much at all. While the honey is curing, it has a very pungent smell - like wet, dirty socks. If there's the slightest breeze, you'll be able to smell your hives 100 yards away.
> 
> Many northern beekeepers harvest before the goldenrod bloom, and then let the bees have goldenrod honey for winter stores. Once in a while we get an unusually strong fall nectar flow and we'll pull some goldenrod honey. It tastes fine (not like it smells!).


interesting--thanks


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

We don't harvest the honey made with golden rod. Our customers don't care for the strong taste or the darkness of the color. I don't care for the cost of reliquidfying it as it seems to granulate really fast. Some lots I did only took days.
Best to let the bees to have it all, fill up their deeps for winter and we only have to feed one gallon of syrup in the fall so thay can get their fumidil B.

I was told by a ag extention professer at Michigan State the strong smell isn't from Golden Rod at all. she said it was from the fall bloooming Asters that bloom at the same time.
I don't know who is right but I love to smell that smell as the girls are getting ready for winter storing lots of honey.

 Al


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