Posts in category Beekeeping

New Products – The Ultimate Hive Stand

Feb15
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Tim Arheit

Honey Run Apiaries now carries The Ultimate Hive Stand.  With snow on the ground today we haven’t had a chance to try it ourselves, but it looks like a well though out stand.  It’s lighter than the concrete blocks, and more rot resistant than the old pallets we  tend to use.  It’s easy to assemble and gets the hive off the cold wet ground.   It’s available for standard 10 frame, 8 frame and beemax size hived and has an optional frame rest built in.

In addition to looking great and the long list of features and benefits the manufacturer claims, I’m betting it will help with skunks by making them bare their underbelly and should be easy to trim around with the weed wacker.  It’s perfect for the hobbyist with a few hives in their garden.  I’m looking forward to the warm weather and trying it on our queen cell builders.  The extra height should make them easier on the back to work with.

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Unseasonably Warm Weather

Feb08
2012 1 Comment Written by Tim Arheit

We are just a week into February and we have yet to have the really cold weather one expects in Ohio for January and February.  We really haven’t had a prolonged period that has been below freezing.  Last week we had a few days in the upper 40s and even a day that broke the 50 degree mark.  It’s still winter, right?

While the bees are doing well, I’m beginning to become concerned that the bees will use their winter stores up too quickly and starvation will be a real issue come March.   It’s still too early to worry too much, but come March 1st I’ll have to make a point to check hive weights, and recheck them every couple weeks.

The forecast for the next 10 is much the same with highs in the 30s, except of course for Saturday and Sunday when I don’t have to work the day job and planned on working in the unheated garage.  Isn’t that always the case?

Posted in Journal

Long Break

Feb02
2012 2 Comments Written by Tim Arheit

It’s been entirely too long since I’ve had a change to post any updates here.  Beekeeping and life in general was just too much to do and have time to update the website.  My wife complains that I can never say no… and I suppose it’s true to a point.  I’m now also secretary of the Ohio State Beekeepers Association.  Not that I really needed more to do.

The past 3 days have been unseasonably warm with temperatures around 50 degrees.  The bees have been flying heavily and only one inactive hive was seen at the house.  It’s still much to early to tell how well the bees faired over the winter, we still should have a good 2 months of cold weather.   Time will tell.

Posted in Journal

Cold April

Apr20
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Tim Arheit

This has had to be the most consistently cold April that I can recall in the past many years.  The next 4 days aren’t looking much better either though it’s actually on the warm side compared to the past few days with highs that only were in the mid 40s.


Typically we would have nearly half our mating nucs out in the field and would be on our 3rd grafting cycle.  But we are only on our first cycle and if it stays too cold or wet this weekend it may be a complete bust.  Interestingly this was the first time I’ve every had customers call and ask if we could delay package bees because of the cold weather.

I just hope this cycle breaks soon…

Posted in Journal

Swarm Removal on the Ohio State Association Website

Feb13
2011 1 Comment Written by Tim Arheit

The Ohio State Beekeepers Association website is getting a bit of a face lift with new content, event calendar and more.  And we are happy to announce they have added our swarm removal look up to their website. (Ok, I did have a hand in it since I’m also their new webmaster).

This does mean however that if you also sell honey, bees and supplies you can safely link to the state associations website swarm removal page without redirecting your clients to a potential competitor.  Though honestly if anyone considers me a competitor I’m flattered,  I don’t have enough time in the day to compete with anyone and my queens, nucs and honey sell out well before the demand runs out.  Frequently this means I’m searching for other reliable sources I can refer my potential customers to because I don’t have the stock or inventory to help them.

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Beekeeping in Style

Feb11
2011 1 Comment Written by Tim Arheit

So what do you picture a beekeeper wearing… a boring white suit of course, often dirty and stained up with propolis and dirt.  I’ve mentioned to my wife before that I though there might be market for more stylish suits, particular with all the new hobbiests starting beekeeping these past few years, many of them women.  So what should I see in the latest issue of Bee Culture?  Colorfull bee suits offered by Blue Sky Bee Company.   Guess I’m too slow again.   Still might be market for suits with patterns, and I don’t see a jacket being offered yet.

My daughter would love these suits (she’s a style freak).  But for myself, I’ll stick to my jeans and boring white jacket, if a wear a suit at all.

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2011 Beginning Beekeeping Workshop

Jan31
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Tim Arheit

The Northwest Ohio Beekeepers association will be giving a beginning beekeeping workshop January 19th at the OSU campus in Lima, Ohio.

This workshop is designed for people who would like to get started in beekeeping, those who have had previous beekeeping experience and want to get back into beekeeping, or those who just want to know more before taking the plunge.

Topics covered will include basic honeybee biology, races of bees, package bees versus nucs and where to get bees, how to start a hive, new and used equipment, keeping bees in a residential setting, feeding, inspections, swarm control, disease and pest  management, producing honey and other hive products and overwintering. Information on package bee, nuc and equipment vendors will be available at the workshop.

When: February 19st from 8:30AM to 4PM

Cost: $25 – Includes book and one year membership to the association.

More details can be viewed here:  2011 Beekeeping Workshop

Posted in Events

Petition to Ban Clothianidin

Jan19
2011 1 Comment Written by Tim Arheit

Not long ago in a bee sized version of the Wikileaks leak,  a beekeeper “leaked” an internal EPA document to the public the clearly shows the pesticide “Clothianidin” is toxic to bees.  Yet in spite of their own findings they chose to ignore the facts and instead based their decision to allow the sale of this pesticide based on a small flawed study.  This study assumed, among other things, that bees can’t fly more than a few hundred feet.  Even my 2nd grader was able to find this flaw in the study.  They also assumed that bees only will visit the closest flowers to the hive (also false).

Is this the cause of CCD and vanishing bees?  Probably not, but widespread use will have significant negative impact on the honeybee population and is just another problem commercial beekeepers struggling to stay in business have to worry about.

So Fresh and the producers of Vanishing of the Bees have started a petition urging the EPA to ban the sale of this poison that threatens bees.   You can view the petition and other information on the EPA memo and CCD here:  Petition to Ban Bee-Killing Pesticides

Big Jump in Packages and Queen Prices

Jan16
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Tim Arheit

Packages and queens typically go up in price a dollar or two each year which is expected due higher costs in materials, labor and fuel/transportation.    This year however, package prices are up big time.  10% or more in some cases equating to 5 to 10 dollars per package.  It’s the biggest jump I recall since I started in 2000 and certainly exceeds 2010′s inflation rate of 1.5%.  Queens seem to be up as well with many larger operations charging $25 for a queen, but I don’t have good numbers to compare with last year to see how much they went up by.  Let’s also not forget the increase in shipping prices.  UPS went up more than 4.9% this year.

So why the big increase in prices?  I don’t have the contacts to really say but my guess for the increase beyond the usual is due to increased demand with more beekeepers starting up every year and packages from Australia not being allowed in this year.  In addition Georgia and many of the other package producing states had a rough season last year.

For now I’ve made the decision not to change my queen or nuc prices for this coming year, but it’s looking like I’ll have to make a significant adjustment next year with the increase in equipment cost and labor.

Unfortunately though we’re subject to increases in prices for the packages we get trucked in for local pickup for our customers.  Details on packages are posted here.

Pepsi Could Help Beekeeping

Jan11
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Tim Arheit

With your vote, Pepsi could help out beekeeping.   The following was received from the Ohio State Beekeepers association about a sophomore student who is in the running to get a beekeeping grant:

My daughter, Nicole, has been beekeeping with a mentor since she was 9 years old.  She is a Sophomore at Aurora High School, and has had a booth at the Hudson Farmer’s Market for the last three years.  She recently heard about a grant project that the Pepsi Corporation has put together, and submitted an idea for a grant.

Nicole would like to help the local farmers by putting beehives on their farms and orchards.  She currently is working with several farms in the area.  Nicole’s idea is to do more.  She has been asked by quite a few of the farmers at the Market to provide hives for their crops and would like to be able to help, but as you know, this is costly.  We are hoping Pepsi can help.

I am writing to you and all the area societies to ask for help.  Pepsi only gives the grants to those who have received enough votes from their peers to reach the top ten in the voting.  We need votes from people who realize the need for increasing the honeybee population and the need to get young people involved in beekeeping.

Can you please check out Nicole’s idea at www.refresheverything.com/savehoneybees.  You will see that she is dedicated to this project.

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