We are David and Sheri Burns from Long Lane Honey Bee
Farms and honeybeesonline.com. I am working hard coaching 200 beekeepers across the nation. They email, call and text me for issues or worries they have about their bees. I'm also working hard to produce video just for them and to write informative articles. We have a few open spots if you are interested, just click here.
Dutch white clover (Trifolium repens) is loved by honey bees.
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Sometimes people try to plant specific plants around their home to help bees have an abundance nectar source. Honey bees will go to areas where there is a large amount of flowers such as white clover. A few plants around your home will attract a few of your very young bees learning to fly, but the true foraging team is out to bring in the mother load of nectar and will likely fly over what you plant.
In my video today (link provided below)I'll examine several common floral sources around most homes. In my video I will also tell you about a poisonous plant around your home that you may not realize. But just remember your bees will fly over most of what you plant and find a field of dutch clover.
If you are like me, you cannot bring yourself to mow down the most loved flower by honey bees, dutch yard clover. When you mow down your clover you are destroying the main floral source honey bees rely on in the summer. To help your yard look purposeful rather than deserted try mowing around the edges of clover patches so it looks organized.
It doesn't matter what you plant if you are lacking the beekeeping knowledge to maintain a healthy hive. False information, assumptions and bad advice is causing many beekeepers to lose their colonies. Many books cover broad topics but may not focus on specific issues you will face as a beekeeper.
Consider taking our New Beginners Bundle Course. Knowing what beekeepers wrestle with the most I put together three classes that will equip you with the tools and knowledge you need to be much more successful in your beekeeping endeavors.
This bundle is for 3 of my top courses:
1. Basic Beekeeping
2. A Day In The Apiary
3. Getting Your Bees Through The Winter
These three courses will give you the information you need to be successful. The basic course will ground you in the fundamentals. The Day In The Apiary will show you what to do out in the bee yard. Getting Your Bees Through The Winter will help you prepare your bees for winter. Save money when purchasing these courses as a bundle. When you order this course you will receive an email with the video links that you can watch in private, on your schedule, on most devices. Still not convinced? Read testimonials from some of our students by clicking here.
We Have Queens Available. Click Here
Here Is Our Brand New Beekeeping Video. In this video David looks at flowers bees like and he follows a small hive that is attempting to replace their queen. Watch this hive over six weeks to see if they will kill their queen or keep her. Click on the play button below.
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Be Prepared To Feed Your Bees This Fall
This fall your bees will need fed. To survive winter, you need lots of bees of winter physiology. Bees in the summer only live around 40 days. Winter bees, those raised in the fall, will live 6 months. If you fail to feed at the right time your colony may not raise the number of winter bees needed to survive the winter. Plan ahead and get your feeding systems in advance. I started feeding as soon as the nectar flow stops here in Illinois which for me is around August 1st.
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Three Essential Beekeeping Tips:
1. Check and control mites. Perform a mite test every 30 days and use Green Drone Comb, powdered sugar dustings, screen bottom board and breaking the queen's brood cycle to control mites.
2. Give your colony room to expand. When 5 frames are drawn out in a box, add another box.
3. Slide the entrance reducer to allow 1/2 of the entrance to be open to aid flights in and out.
4. Do not harvest honey unless it is capped over. Harvesting frames that are not fully capped may result in fermentation of your bottled honey giving it a nasty vinegar taste over time. Your customers or friends will not be happy.
5. Make sure you have supers on hand now in case you need to add additional supers. Always have one they are working on and an empty one they can go into. Otherwise, you might miss capturing the honey flow.
6. Control Small Hive Beetles with beetle traps. Otherwise, beetles can slime and ruin your honey supers and cause your hive to abscond.
7. Do not split your hives now. It is too late in the season.
8. Only feed from the top, not the entrance. As the season progresses entrance feeders can increase the chance of your hive being robbed and killed. Only feed from the top.
9. Purchase your harvesting equipment now. Knives, buckets, strainers etc.
10. Be prepared for your bees to become slightly more defensive the larger they become and the hotter it gets. Fall colonies are much more difficult to work than smaller, spring colonies.
Sheri and I work hard to provide packages, nucs, queens, equipment and classes for the beekeeping community. We pride ourselves in meeting the needs of our customers. We appreciate your business.
Sincerely,
David and Sheri Burns
Long Lane Honey Bee Farms
217-427-2678
New 2019 Hours:
Monday Closed
Tuesday 10am - 2:00pm
Wednesday 10am - 2:00pm
Thursday 10am - 2:00pm
Friday 10am - 2:00pm
Saturday 10 -2:00pm