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Thursday, March 28, 2019

Beekeepers Are Scrambling

Beekeepers Are Scrambling
It's Red Alert For Beekeepers
Sharpen Your Skills
Hi, we are David and Sheri Burns from Long Lane Honey Bee Farms, www.honeybeesonline.com. Our phones are ringing off the hook. Beekeepers are scrambling. Why? Many are frantically trying to buy beekeeping equipment and bees. Others are finding out, after they purchased their new equipment and bees, that their city requires beekeepers to complete a beekeeping class offered only by certified master beekeepers. Beekeepers are also panicking to find the time and equipment to deal with making splits or catching swarms from overwintered colonies.

When you are in a state of red alert it's hard to enjoy the moment and even to keep everything straight in your head. In this newsletter we want to help you enjoy your passion of beekeeping and to keep it SIMPLE!

Sharpen Your Skills

Hi, I'm David Burns and I'm a certified master beekeeper, certified by the grandfather of master beekeeper programs EAS, Eastern Apicultural Society of North America. When I first started beekeeping in the early 90s I didn't know up from down about honey bees. I thought I did until my bees arrived. Then I realized I was in trouble. I made so many horrible mistakes. It was embarrassing.

I want you to avoid mistakes and embarrassment. I coach and mentor 200 beekeepers through a partnership program I started several years ago known as BEETEAM6. This group of beekeepers can call me on my personal cell phone, text me or send me emails when they have questions. Their input has allow me to understand the struggles and limitations beekeepers face every day. When I respond to assist them I always keep it simple and precise. Beekeeping can quickly become complicated and very confusing. Before I share some tips on how to simplify beekeeping, let me invite you to come see us this Saturday.

THIS SATURDAY
SOCIAL HOUR (Noon - 1pm)
SAT. MARCH 30TH 
PRIOR TO OUR ONSITE 
SPRING MANAGEMENT COURSE(1pm- 5pm)
There is still room to sign up for the Spring Management Course This Saturday. Click Here
Honey Tasting
Mead Sampling
David's Special Coffee*
Refreshments
*David will be roasting, grinding and making his special coffee in a French press for this event. This coffee will be Yirgacheffe grown in Ethiopia at an elevation of around 6,000 feet.
Come join us for this special social hour before our Spring Management Course. You do not have to attend the course to enjoy social hour. EAS Certified Master Beekeeper, David Burns will be mingling and answering your beekeeping questions.
Once your bees survive the winter, knowing what to do next is crucial. When to split? How to prevent swarming? When to add supers? Join us for this exciting spring class.

Last weekend I spoke in Chicago and spent the day with a couple hundred beekeepers. I quickly discovered that the majority of beekeepers present were either starting this year or have kept bees less than a year. At these events I am asked many questions which reveals to me that most beekeepers are so confused. So many new beekeepers are so frustrated because they cannot get a simple, straight forward answer.

  • How Do I Treat For Mites?
  • Should I Use A Queen Excluder?
  • When And What Should I Feed My Bees?
  • What Kind Of Hive Should I Start With?
  • Which Type Of Bee Is Best To Start With?

Beekeeping appears complicated because there are many different opinions.

I've spent my whole life presenting information so I learned at a young age it is essential to keep your information simple so your audience can not only understand what you are communicating but can apply it to their lives. Here's my tips:

1. Start With 2 Hives.

2. Take A Class.

3. Do Not Search For The Perfect Package, Nuc Or Queen. Become A Better Beekeeper.

4. Feed Your Bees Whenever You Do Not Have Honey Supers On The Hive.

5. Test For Mites Every 30 Days.

6. Use Non-Chemical Approaches To Mite Control Unless Your Levels Rise Above Acceptable Thresholds.

7. Feed Your Bees In The Winter.

8. Help Your Bees Raise Lots Of Brood In The Fall To Survive Winter.

9. Monitor The Laying Pattern Of Your Queen Every 2 Weeks. Replace Her When She Shows Signs Of Failing.

10. Do Not Stress Out, Enjoy Beekeeping.

We Are Passionate About Beekeeping

Sheri and I have dedicated over a decade of our lives helping beekeepers. We do not have other jobs. We make our living by training beekeepers and selling equipment. When you take one of our classes or purchase your beekeeping equipment from us, we are so thankful as this allows us to continue to offer our knowledge and skills to the beekeeping community. Our world needs these precious pollinators. Honey bees play a major role in the balance of nature. We believe what we do is huge, much larger than just offering classes, bees and equipment. We are passionate! Please support our efforts. Thank you.

New Beginners Onsite Course

This year we held several new beginners courses. However, several have called and want to come to our training center and take a beginners course. Even though we are finished with our beginner courses for the year, we have decided to see if we are able to find enough interested students. If you are interested in this Basic Beekeeping Course in April, call us and let us know. 217-427-2678

Or you can take our Online Beginners Course by clicking here.

What Are You Missing By Not Being Part Of BEETEAM6?

David assists 200 beekeepers around the country by taking their calls, emails or text when they have beekeeping questions. He also sends out teachings and private video lessons to BeeTeam6 members.

What are you missing? Today, David will being sending BEETEAM6 members information on Oxalic acid for mite control. Is it a worthwhile treatment option? Is it safe? Is it too hard on bees? Does it really work?

You are also missing out on being able to have a certified master beekeeper on the other end of your phone. There will be struggles. You will see things that confuse you.

Join today for 6 months and this will carry you from April through September. Wouldn't it calm your worries to know you have an EAS Certified Master Beekeeper a phone call away?


Bees & Kits Left??

There is still time to get started. This kit comes painted, assembled and ready to go. Kit includes: a screen bottom board, two deep hive bodies, a honey super, and a package of bees with a mated queen. It also comes with a total of 30 strong, wooden frames with beeswax coated plastic foundation. Also includes:
Cloth hat and veil combo, hive tool, smoker, and a queen excluder.


We Open At 10 a.m.
Central Time Today
Give Us A Call

217-427-2678


Long Lane Honey Bee Farms located in east central Illinois
www.honeybeesonline.com

David & Sheri Burns
217-427-2678
Business Hours:
Tues. - Thurs 10 a.m. - 4:30
Friday & Saturday 10 a.m. - Noon

GIVE US A CALL TODAY!

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Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Which Is Better? A 3 lb Package or a Nuc?

SPRING HAS SPRUNG
(4:58 p.m. central time today)
Wake up and smell the flowers
The weather is just starting to warm up,
and our bees will soon be out on spring flowers.
SOCIAL HOUR (Noon - 1pm)
SAT. MARCH 30TH 
PRIOR TO OUR ONSITE 
SPRING MANAGEMENT COURSE(1pm- 5pm) 
Honey Tasting
Mead Sampling
David's Special Coffee*
Refreshments
*David will be roasting, grinding and making his special coffee in a French press for this event. This coffee will be Yirgacheffe grown in Ethiopia at an elevation of around 6,000 feet.
Come join us for this special social hour before our Spring Management Course. You do not have to attend the course to enjoy social hour. EAS Certified Master Beekeeper, David Burns will be mingling and answering beekeeping questions.
Spots are still available for this ONSITE SPRING MANAGEMENT COURSE. 
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER. 
Once your bees survive the winter, knowing what to do next is crucial. When to split? How to prevent swarming? When to add supers? Join us for this exciting spring class.

What Your Bees Wished You Knew
Give your bees your best. Your best is going to be limited by what you don't know about beekeeping. Don't be fooled, it isn't as easy as it may look. Our Online Beekeeping Course is a course designed for the new beginner. From the comfort of your home at your own pace. Watch these instructional videos anytime. Earn a certificate of achievement.


Beekeeping Conference
This Saturday David Burns will be a keynote speaker at the Will County Beekeeper's Conference in Joliet, IL. There is still time to register for this event.


Which Is Better?
Package or Nuc?
David has just produced a new YouTube video on the pros and cons of starting with a 3 pound package of bees versus a 5 frame nuc. This video also demonstrates how to transition from a Winter-Bee-Kind to a Spring Burns Bees Feeding System. Click on the play button below.

FRAME PROP
ORDER NOW
Your hands are full when you inspect your hive. You are holding your hive tool, and most beekeepers wear gloves making it even more difficult to handle everything. Our new Frame Prop allows you to prop your frame up on top of the hive so you can look for the queen or easily catch her. Only $15 with free shipping.

Spring Tips, Tricks and Essentials

These are some common issues beekeepers face in the spring?

- Swarm prevention. All healthy colonies swarm in the spring.

- Diseases caused by excessive spring moisture

- Making splits

- Rotating hive boxes

- Dealing with a worn out queen

- Catching swarms

- Spring nutritional needs of the colony

Swarm prevention requires a tremendous amount of effort. You must inspect your colonies in the spring every two weeks and carefully search every frame for the possibility of swarm, queen cells. If you see cells on the lower half of the frames it usually means they will swarm soon. 50% of your colony will leave with your queen. The 50% left behind will use only one of the queens in the queen cells. This will decrease your chances of having a good honey production due to the reduced workforce.

While swarm prevention is impossible, it can be reduced by making splits, pulling out several frames from your overwintered colony with eggs or the queen and starting a new hive before they swarm.

In some climates, spring rains can cause excessive moisture around the hive. This spring moisture can increase the chances of such problems as European foulbrood, chalkbrood or nosema. Make sure you are able to provide a dry location for your hives in the spring and allow plenty of ventilation within the hive.

Rotating your deep hive bodies is only necessary when the complete colony has moved out of the lower deep. Do not rotate if any portion of the brood nest area is located in the lower deep hive body.

Some queens do not lay well coming out of winter. Be sure to monitor the eggs in the spring to ensure you still have a prolific queen. You must have a fast building up of bees in the spring. If she cannot lay sufficiently, your hive will fail to build up in numbers.

When your healthy, overwintered colonies swarm, you must have an empty hive ready to place them in. Make sure you have a swarm catcher hive ready. Otherwise, you will lose 50% of your hive. You will need to shake the swarm into a new hive to save it.

Finally, feeding bees in the spring is so vital to their future health. We recommend you add a teaspoon of pollen powder to a quart of 1:1 sugar water and feed from the top.

New Beginners Bundled Online Course

This bundle includes 3 of our top courses designed to help new beekeepers:

1. Basic Beekeeping
2. A Day In The Apiary
3. Getting Your Bees Through The Winter

1. The Basic course will ground you in the fundamentals. 

2. The Day In The Apiary will show you what to do out in the bee yard.

3. Getting Your Bees Through The Winter will help you do the right things all year to prepare your bees for winter. 


Save money when purchasing these courses as a bundle. Still not convinced? Read testimonials from some of our students by clicking here.

What If You Pick Up Your Package But You Cannot Install The Bees Because The Weather Is Bad?

What do you do when you need to install a package of bees but the weather is bad? You waited all this time to start beekeeping but now the weather doesn't look too good when you need to install your package. You are hearing mixed reports on whether you should keep them in their package...Read Full Article

Private One To One Lessons With David

David has traveled around the country to train one on one with various instructors in his sport. Now, you can train one on one with David. It's a private class. Private beekeeping lessons are tailored to your specific needs. You can choose from 30 minute sessions up to 4 hour sessions. (If you plan to travel through our area, why not schedule a private lesson?) These private lessons make great gifts! Choose the amount of time you prefer. 
 
Once you make your selection, you can call into the office or leave notes in your order as to what specific needs you'd like David to teach you. Also, you are welcome to bring a friend or spouse or others at no additional cost (limit 3 others).  CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Only A Few Hive Kits With Bees Left

If you are still on the fence on whether to start beekeeping this year, now is the time to make the decision.

This kit comes painted, assembled and ready to go. Kit includes: a screen bottom board, two deep hive bodies, a honey super, and a package of bees with a mated queen.

It also comes with a total of 30 strong, wooden frames with beeswax coated plastic foundation.

Also includes:
Cloth hat and veil combo, hive tool, smoker, and a queen excluder.



We are David & Sheri Burns

Long Lane Honey Bee Farms located in east central Illinois
www.honeybeesonline.com

David & Sheri Burns
217-427-2678
Business Hours:
Tues. - Thurs 10 a.m. - 4:30
Friday & Saturday 10 a.m. - Noon


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Thursday, March 14, 2019

Join Us For Coffee

We are David and Sheri Burns from Long Lane Honey Bee Farms and Honeybeesonline.com. Only 6 days until the first day of spring. Heavy snow in some parts of the US makes it hard to believe. I've removed my winter-bee-kinds and have started feeding my colonies 1:1 sugar water containing my new ingredients with very positive results.

SOCIAL HOUR (Noon - 1pm)
SAT. MARCH 30TH  1pm- 5pm
PRIOR TO OUR ONSITE 
SPRING MANAGEMENT CLASS 
Honey Tasting
Mead Sampling
David's Special Coffee*
Refreshments
*David will be roasting, grinding and making his special coffee in a French press for this event. This coffee will be Yirgacheffe grown in Ethiopia at an elevation of around 6,000 feet.

Come join us for this special social hour before our Spring Management Course. You do not have to attend the course to enjoy social hour. EAS Certified Master Beekeeper, David Burns will be mingling and answering beekeeping questions.

Spots are still available for this ONSITE SPRING MANAGEMENT COURSE. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER. Once your bees survive the winter, knowing what to do next is crucial. When to split? How to prevent swarming? When to add supers? Join us for this exciting spring class.

NEW BEEKEEPING VIDEO!!!
For over a decade David has produced YouTube videos on beekeeping. His newest video is a basic "How To Start Beekeeping". This is NOT a basic class by no stretch of the imagination. Basic classes take hours to fully cover all there is to know to keep bees successfully. However, this video is a way to help people wrap their mind around what steps to take to pursue beekeeping.

How To Start Beekeeping
The Perfect Spring Feeding Approach 
In a perfect world we would not have to feed bees. We do not live in a perfect world but we do believe we have the perfect spring feeding solution. The Burns Bees Feeding System is a unique way to feed packages, splits or struggling overwintered colonies.  Here's why it is so effective:

1. Bees are fed from the top. During late winter or early spring colonies still cluster when outside temperatures drop below 50 degrees (f). Whether you are feeding a new split, nuc, new package or a struggling overwintered colony it is best to feed from the top. During cold snaps bees will not break cluster to go down to an entrance feeder. However, our system feeds the top of the cluster where the heat helps keeps the sugar water warm.

2. The feeding holes for the jars and pollen patties are screened. This means when you change out your jars or patties all the bees are held below the screen.

3. Since our feeder has two jar holes and one pollen pattie slot, you can also cover or open these to control moisture in late winter and early spring. 

4. Save them for fall as they are a great way to feed your bees in the fall too.

5. Available for 10 or 8 frame hives.


Burns Bees Feeding System Video


ONLINE COURSES FROM YOUR HOME
Beekeepers around the country have been enjoying our online beekeeping courses and it is so rewarding to sign certificates of achievements every day. 

Save the travel expenses of hotels, gas and food. No juggling schedules. Study at your own pace, when you have time. Study in the comfort of your home. Our Online Courses:






Knowing What To Do In The Spring Can Be Confusing?
Knowing what to do and when is the tricky part of beekeeping. You may not realize that it is harmful to rotate the hive bodies in the spring if there is any brood in the lower box. When can you rotate? Let me be your mentor. I have a special mentorship program called BeeTeam6 where you can call, email or text me concerns or questions about your bees. Plus you receive regular tips and instructional beekeeping video. Even if you are not keeping bees yet, this is perfect to help you gain the education you need before you start. Or if you are starting this year, why gain the extra peace of mind by having a Certified Master Beekeeper to consult. 
 
FIND OUT MORE
We are glad you are keeping bees or thinking about it. Thank you for supporting our family business for all your beekeeping needs.

Sincerely,

David and Sheri Burns
Long Lane Honey Bee Farms
217-427-2678
www.honeybeesonline.com
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Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Join Me This Saturday


Join me this Saturday from 1pm - 6pm. Come take a class with me. I'm an EAS Certified Master Beekeeper, David Burns. I've taught beekeeping classes for over a decade. You've seen me on YouTube, now join me for the afternoon on March 9th from 1pm-6pm. This is my last Beginner's class I'm teaching onsite for the year...LAST CHANCE. You can save shipping by picking up your beekeeping supplies at the same time. CLICK HERE NOW! 3 Spots Are Still Available. We are located 35 miles east of Champaign/Urbana, Illinois.

Sign Up Now. Join Me In Our Training Center As Shown Above.


COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR ONLINE COURSES

Q - Will I receive a certificate once I complete one of your online classes?
A - Once you complete the worksheets and send them to us you will receive a certificate of achievement.

Q - How long do I have to take an online course once I purchase one?
A - There is no time limit. Take as long as you wish. It does not go away.

Q - Do I have to sit down and take the course with other students online?
A - No, we provide you with video course links that you can watch alone at your convenience.

Q - Am I required to watch all the videos in one sitting?
A - No, you can watch the videos at your own convenience and even start over if you wish. You can go back and review the videos as many times as you'd like.

Q - What devices can I use to watch the class videos. 
A - All modern devices that can play online videos should work fine, such as smartphones, computers, tablets etc. 

Q - I've kept bees for a few years. Which class would be best for me?
A - Always start with the basic beginners course because there are aspects you may not know.

Q - What are your credentials to teach about bees?
A - I started beekeeping in the early 90s. I was certified as a Master Beekeeper in 2010 after being tested by the Eastern Apicultural Society of North America. I've written articles for the American Bee Journal, Mother Earth News and several books. I regularly speak at conferences, and have over 3 Million views on my beekeeping YouTube channel.  I've raise queens, and have sold packages and nucs and beekeeping supplies for over a decade. 

Q - How many online courses do you offer?
A - 6 and the 7th one is in the works. The six classes are:
1. Basic Beekeeping 2. Spring Management 3. Getting Your Bees Through The Winter 4. A Day In The Apiary 5. Queen Rearing and 6. Advance Beekeeping.

Q - Can I receive a discount if I purchase all 6 classes?
A - Yes, You can purchase all six courses and save $85

Q - I'm ready to take some classes. What do I do next?
A - Choose a class below and click on the link:








Long Lane Honey Bee Farms
www.honeybeesonline.com
David & Sheri Burns, Fairmount, Illinois
217-427-2678
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