#Honeybee #Beekeeping #QueenRearing #Bees #Florida #zone9garden #zone9b #zone9 #Apiary #Beekeeper #Grafting #Swarm #SwarmTrap #OxalicAcid #Varroa #SmallHiveBeetle #SHB #Langstroth #MasterBeekeeper
My name is Chuck Cook and I am a University of Florida Master Beekeeper In Jacksonville, FL Hardiness Zone 9B. Being a Master Beekeeper only means that I am experienced enough to know I don't have a mastery of anything. The bees continue to teach me every day. Join me on my beekeeping journey. Please engage in the discussion by leaving a comment.
Please check out and visit my website at http://www.chuckshoneybees.com for more details about me and contact information.
[00:00:00] Introduction: Catching Four Swarms and Two-Queen Hive Experiment
[00:00:30] Identifying Swarms: Pollen, Larvae, and Absconding Risks
[00:01:25] Early Morning Swarm Trap Collection: Red Headlamps & Water Spray
[00:03:39] Swarm Trapping Tips: Ventilation, Location, and Lure Vials
[00:05:16] Two-Queen Hive Setup: Maximizing Honey Flow
[00:06:50] Evaluating Swarm Size for Vertical and Horizontal Hive Splits
[00:13:50] Queen Status Check: Brood, Eggs, and Honey Bound Concerns
[00:16:56] Preparing Vertical Two-Queen Hive: Removing Bottom Board and Adding Hive Scale
[00:21:39] Setting Up the Vertical Split: Queen Excluder, Entrance, and Brood Box
[00:23:59] Finding and Marking the Queen in the Swarm
[00:30:59] Transferring Swarm to Nuc Box: Checking Frames, Adding Lure, and Shaking Bees
[00:35:14] Adding Follower Boards and Documenting the New Hive
[00:39:18] Setting Up the Horizontal Two-Queen System: Bottom Boards and Supers
[00:39:50] Checking on Previously Introduced Queen: Caged Queen and Temperament
[00:42:55] Queen Search Continues: No Eggs Found in Re-Queened Hive
[00:50:24] Transferring Frames from Questionable Hive to Stronger Swarm
[00:51:59] Finding and Marking Second Swarm Queen
[00:55:22] Adding Egg Frames and Assessing Queen Behavior
[00:58:55] Assembling the Horizontal Two-Queen Hive: Queen Excluder and Super Placement
[01:03:23] Setting Up the Remaining Swarms in Nuc Boxes
[01:04:04] Finding, Clipping, and Marking the Third Swarm Queen
[01:07:11] Moving Bees to Three-Frame Nuc and Adding Queen Excluder Entrance
[01:09:37] Finding and Marking the Final Swarm Queen
[01:12:21] Adding Crayon Wax and Repairing Wonky Frame
[01:15:53] Final Thoughts: Observing Bee Behavior and Future Plans