Take The Right Steps Now For Winter Prep

We are David and Sheri Burns from Long Lane Honey Bee Farms and Honeybeesonline.com. Have you seen the big write up on our family business in the August edition of the American Bee Journal? They wrote a 6 page article!!

This beekeeping journal has been around since 1861. If you'd like to subscribe to this monthly magazine contact: info@americanbeejournal.com

Start Now To Get Your Bees Ready For Winter

This is our popular class on how to get your bees through the winter. 

Register Now! We are located in east central Illinois. Take the trip and take a class with us on how to get your bees through the winter. You need to start making winter preparations as early as August.

"Get Your Bees Through The Winter" August 18 1:00am- 6pm  Price: $69

20 seats are taken but we still have a few more spots available! 

Secure your seat now by clicking here to reserve your spot with a credit card.  It may be summer but so many beekeepers lose their hives in the winter. Don't become another sad statistic. 

Last Beginners Class For The Year Oct. 14, 1pm-6pm. Almost full. Our basic classes are very thorough. You'll learn about basic honey bee anatomy, biology, bee stings, honey and other resources from the hive, common pests and diseases such as how to deal with varroa mites, hive equipment and how to use each piece, seasonal management, how to harvest honey, how bees make honey, wax, and what they do with propolis.  This class will inform you of the important role honey bees play in pollinating our food and how honey bees are vital to a self-sustainable lifestyle. Learn from EAS Certified Master Beekeeper David Burns as he guides you through the entire process of keeping honey bees. He'll show you how to install a package of bees, how to inspect a hive, what to look for and how to manage your colonies for maximum honey production. (Check on legal issues, registration and permits through your local town board, and your state Department of Agriculture). 

Sign Up Now

Winter-Bee-Kind Winter Feeding System For Sale Now!

Our WINTER-BEE-KIND insulates the top, provides upper ventilation and comes filled with carbohydrates and protein for the bees to eat should they need it during the winter. Each candy board also has protein embedded into the candy sugar to give the bees the protein they need in their feed as well. This WINTER-BEE-KIND board insulates, ventilates and feeds your bees as a single unit. This is an emergency winter feeding solution, that should only be used when it's too cold for bees to continue flying, which is typically when daytime temperatures are consistently below 50 degrees.

We use a special insulation that is backed with a thin layer of metal to help reduce condensation in the hive. It has a special upper vent which also serves as an exit and entrance for bees(increases cleansing flights) as well as a place to help excess condensation escape. The WINTER-BEE-KIND also comes with a recipe on how to make our candy so that you can refill your candy section when needed, usually about once a month, depending on how much honey is in the hive.

Order now! We begin shipping around November 1st (not on) and only when the weather is cool enough to ship. Click here to order now.

Easter Apicultural Society 2017 Was Great!

My week in Newark, Delaware at the Eastern Apicultural Society conference was great. It was so fun seeing old friends and teaching new beekeepers. I enjoyed teaching three classes and testing new Master Beekeeper candidates. It is so awesome to observe how hard they work and prepare for three grueling days of testing to try to become certified master beekeepers. I encourage all beekeepers to make next year's EAS conference:

AUGUST 13-17, 2018
HAMPTON ROADS CONVENTION CENTER
1610 COLISEUM DR, HAMPTON, VA

FEED IN LATE SUMMER AND FALL

It is essential that we feed bees in late summer and fall. Don't trust fall nectar flows. Our feeding board is perfect for fall and spring. Holes are lined with screen to make changing jars easy. Feeding your hive will speed up drawing comb.

Our Burns Bees Feeding Systems have been a huge hit over the last three years. They are available for 10 or 8 frame hives, even 5 frame nucs. Order now.

Start With Two Hives For Next Spring

There's an old saying that says 2 is one and one is none. Applied to beekeeping this could mean that if you have two hives but you lose one you still have one. But if you start with one and lose it, you have none. Starting with two hives allows you to equalize your hives and even swap resources between hives as needed. We offer our popular Freedom Kit, 2 hive kit. Check it out now.

Your Bees May Do Some Strange Things This Fall. I Noticed Pollen Piled Up Under My Hive Already. Do You Know What Causes This?

Knowing what to do and when is the tricky part of beekeeping. Let me be your mentor. I have a special mentorship program called BeeTeam6 where you can call, email or text me concerns or questions you are having about your bees. Plus you receive a weekly tip and a weekly 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 not have the extra peace of mind by having someone you can consult. Read more...

Queens! 

Our next batch of queens will be available to be shipped out on August 15-16. This may be the last month we will have queens available. Check out availability at our queen center.

What Will This Hot Weather Do To My Bees?

Wow is it hot! Right now in my bee yard the heat index is 115 degrees (f). Bees are fanning, bringing in water and trying to stay cool. The humidity level doesn't help either.

Hi, this is David and Sheri Burns from Long Lane Honey Bee Farms. Thanks for reading our blog today.  Excessive hot and humid weather changes colony behavior. Instead of concentrating on hauling in nectar, foragers are forced to bring water into the hive to be used to cool the hive.  The humid weather slows down the colony's ability to "dry" the nectar into honey. But the worst thing for me is having to wear a bee suit and stand out in the heat. I just will not do it. Also, bees are more defensive as the colony becomes larger with more honey to protect and as it become more humid and hot. You must begin using plenty of smoke if you must open your hives. Wear plenty of protective gear too. Your hive is not the small, little hive you started with. They are much larger in number and in stored honey. If you can, wait until there is a break in the heat to inspect your hives.

Are You Getting The Right Beekeeping Advice? 

Are you sure you can trust the beekeeping information you are getting? I want to help you by being your mentor. For less than $5 a week, I'll give you my personal cell phone, my personal email so that you can call me, text me or email me when you don't know what's going on with your bees.

Let me calm you down!  I can teach you in 3 minutes what it took me 3 years to learn. Sometimes it's hard to get other beekeepers to help you. They might be afraid you will steal their honey sales. Wouldn't it be nice to have a Certified Master Beekeeper to review your pictures or videos and answer your questions. Just today I spotted a beekeeper's queen on a photo she sent me. She was so excited.

Why not purchase this for your friend or loved one? Click To Become A Member 

What You Do In August-October May Determine If Your Bees Survive The Winter

Don't wait until it's too late. It may be too late to make corrections to save your hive if you wait till September. We are offering these classes to help your bees have a better chance to survive the winter. We are offering these classes in August so you have enough time to take the necessary action to help increase the chances of your colonies surviving winter.

What about wrapping a hive, green houses, heat lamps, winter feeding, wind blocks, how much honey to leave on?

Do you understand vitellogensis and the role it plays in overwintering bees?

In this class we'll teach you how to go into winter with healthy young bees rather than trying to overwintered old bees with viruses.

We have the same class being offered on two dates:

Register Now

August 6th 8:30am- 1pm Spots Still Available Sign Up Now

August 20th  8:30am - 1pm  Spots Still  Available Sign Up Now

I know it is summer, but these classes will sell out soon.

At 12:01 a.m. August 1st, our Winter-Bee-Kinds go online. 

Winter-Bee-Kinds

Count Down

Online In 10 Days!

PLEASE NOTE, orders will be shipped out starting November 1, in the order they are received. In other words, if you order your WBK this week, yours will ship the first week in November. However, if you order yours on September 1st, there will be hundreds of orders ahead of yours so you may not get your order until December. We do our best to stay caught up but the popularity of our WBKs is overwhelming. Thank you. To order online go to: http://www.honeybeesonline.com/winter-feeders-and-solutions/

SEE YOU AT EAS

I'll be teaching next week near Atlantic City, New Jersey at Stockton University in Galloway, NJ. We have over 350 new beekeepers signed up to take this course. I'll be teaching along with my good friends Jon Zawislak and Steve Rapasky. If any of you are interested in attending, there still may be openings.  Attending EAS makes benefits you because it helps me keep up with the newest and latest scientific discoveries in beekeeping. I plan to produce podcasts and video blogs while I'm there.
For more information: EAS Click Here

WE WILL BE CLOSED FOR VACATION FROM JULY 25 - AUG. 4.  ANY ORDERS RECEIVED VIA THE WEBSITE DURING THAT TIME WILL BE FILLED AFTER AUG. 4

OUR CURRENT SUMMER FARM HOURS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE HOURS

ARE MON- THUR 10 A.M. - 3 P.M. 

Wondering how to extract honey? Watch our video: https://youtu.be/Y0tHuimTurk

David and Sheri BurnsLong Lane Honey Bee Farmswww.honeybeesonline.com

LESSON 61: WHICH IS BEST: A NUC OR PACKAGE?

THIS POSTED in 2009:

Hello from Long Lane Honey Bee Farms, and welcome to today's lesson in Beekeeping, as we look at the best way to start up a hive, whether it be package bees, a nuc or buying an existing hive. Don't know what a nuc is? Then read on. Today's Blog/Lesson will be a lot of fun. I'll show you some questions from the master beekeeper test and you can see how well you would have done. Plus, information on our upcoming class and photos from the EAS meeting in Ellicottville, NY.

Before we get into today's lesson, let me say that so many people have signed up to receive these lessons directly as Emails. It's free, and you can unsubscribe any time. Use the link below to add your email so that every time we create a new lesson, you'll be sure to receive it right into your INBOX!


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You can easily unsubscribe at any time and it's free. Since these lessons are free, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that it does take money and time to put each lesson together. We receive alot of "thank you" emails and phone calls, telling us that these lessons have helped beekeepers greatly.
We welcome your donations toward producing more free lessons. You can send your donation to: Long Lane Honey Bee Farms, C/O Free Lessons, 14556 N. 1020 E. Rd, Fairmount, IL 61841
And don't forget to sign up for our classes we are offering in a few weeks. We still have a few openings. You can register online at: www.honeybeesonline.com/classes.html On this link, we have maps and directions.

I made it home from a week in Ellicottville, New York attending the Eastern Apicultural Society (EAS). Wow! What a jammed packed week of super lectures, demonstrations and new and helpful information on beekeeping.
Being able to attend workshops of the most well known entomologists in the country was very informative. Almost all of the speakers were more than approachable throughout the week, and needless to say, I picked a few brains. I was really impressed with the Holiday Valley Resort. It's really designed for golfers and skiers, but it quickly became home for over 400 beekeepers.
Here's Dave Tarpy giving an outdoor class on queen rearing and grafting. Dave is extremely intelligent and has an effective way to translate his knowledge down to the average beekeeper.
As I told you in my last communique, I've started my journey on becoming a master beekeeper. I studied long and hard and did the best I could. This master beekeepers certification used to be associated through Dr. Morse with Cornell University, but was taken over in 1981 by the Eastern Apiculture Society under the direction of Dr. Clarence Collison.
It is a very vigorous and thorough program. I tested in all four areas hoping to pass at least one my first year, and did better. I passed two! And only missed the third one by 6 points. This will give me 51 weeks to study up and try to pass the other two sections next year. (These are various pictures taken from the convention).

Let me give you a few questions from the written test to give you an example: "The retinue of attendants that form around a queen first occurs: (Multiple choice answer)
a) within the first 24 hours after a virgin queen emerges from her mating flight.
b) when the queen begins to lay eggs.
c) after the queen begins to lay eggs.
d) just before the queen is ready to take a mating flight.
e) when the queen is 3 weeks old


The answer is: D

"Individual cells and tissues within the honey bee receive oxygen directly from the:
a) Blood
b) Air Sacs
c) Tracheae
d) Spiracles
e) TracheolesThe answer is: E

"The ovaries of worker honey bees have _______ovarioles.
a) 51-100
b) 2-12
c) 100-129
d) 28-50
e) 130-180
The answer is: BHere's a picture of Gary Reuter who works with Marla Spivak on the Minnesota Hygienic Queen. Gary is a swell guy and always a lot of fun.
Here are a few of the True or False questions from the master beekeeper test. See how you might do:

Queens infected with nosema disease cease egg-laying and die within a few weeks of infection?
The answer is: TRUE

The principle component of the alarm pheromone associated with the mandibles is isopentyl acetate.
The answer is: FALSE (the correct answer is 2-heptanone)

The commercial production of apples requires cross-varietal pollination.
The answer is: TRUESacbrood infected larvae are unable to molt from the larval to the pupal stage.
The answer is: TRUE
One essay question asked to give a detailed explanation of how to use the "Demaree Technique."
The lab testing contained tables set up with various medicines, real infected frames of various diseases and tables with beekeeping equipment. The microscopes were set up with various pests in which we had to identify pests such as a male mite versus a female mite. So as you can see, it is a pretty thorough test.
I have the highest respect for EAS. I believe it is one of the best beekeeping organizations that I know of, and I would highly recommend that all beekeepers attend the EAS. LESSON 60: WHICH IS BEST? A NUC OR A PACKAGE OF BEES?
People are already calling us trying to reserve package bees. This year, everyone sold out faster than normal and left many beekeepers disappointed that they did not secure their orders earlier in the year. It happens every year. So let me give a brief run down on the proper way to make sure you purchase bees in time for a great spring.
There are three options: Packages, nucs or to purchase an existing live hive. Now, let me give you the pros and cons.
A) A Live Hive. This is probably the most difficult to purchase. Very few beekeepers want to sell a good, live hive. For example, one hive can earn me around $500 per year in producing nucs, queens and honey. So why would I want to sell it for half that price? So when a beekeeper wants to sell, the big question to ask is why? If the answer is understandable, like maybe the beekeeper is moving or has become allergic to bees or passed away, then that may be a good deal. However, when you purchase a live hive, you are also purchasing all the existing problems such as small hive beetles, tracheal mite, varroa mites, wax moths or diseases such as nosema, American Foul Brood or European Foul Brood or deformed wing virus, just to name a few.
Never purchase a live hive until it has been thoroughly inspected by a state apiary inspector and given a clean bill of health. This might be a good approach, but you have to find a beekeeper willing to sell a hive, and then make sure it is a clean hive. Remember, American Foul Brood can live on equipment for up to 80 years! Never buy used equipment if you are a new beekeeper!
B) Packages. Packages have been the way beekeepers in the North have received bees from the South for over 100 years. Southern beekeepers shake bees out of their hives and into screened cages. Sometimes it may take shaking bees out of three different hives to equal three pounds. Then, a new queen, in a separate cage, is placed in among the bees along with a can of either hard candy or sugar syrup. But there are some concerns. Let me list a few:--Will the queen be healthy and properly mated.
--Since they are from the south, could there be a chance of Africanized genetics, making a
more aggressive hive?
--Shipping stresses, such as too much time in the package and excessive temperatures can weaken both
the bees and the queen.
--Some packages/queen cages are medicated with chemicals that has been shown to effect
both the reproductive ability of drones and queens.
So, while this is the "industry standard" and has been for a century, it is not risk free or fail safe.
C) NUC. What is a NUC? A nuc is a short expression referring to the nucleus of a live hive. The nucleus, or nuc, usually contains four or five frames from a complete hive. Those frame include brood in various stages and frames mixed with honey, pollen and brood. The queen has already been accepted and is the mother of all the bees including the brood in the frames. Below are two lists, the first will be the advantages of a nuc, and the last will be the disadvantages.
Advantages of a nuc:--The frames are from a proven, successful existing hive.
--The queen is released and has been laying among the frames for some time.
--You receive the existing frames of comb, honey, pollen and brood. You do not have to
wait for the bees to draw comb.
--Since nucs are picked up, there are no shipping stresses.
--It is easy to transfer the frames into your own equipment.
Disadvantages of a nuc:
--Are not usually available until June.
--You receive comb from another beekeeper that could contain pests or diseases.
--More expensive.


In conclusion, any of the three above options can work and work quite well. If you work through the pros and cons, then you can see which options is best for you. I'm not afraid of starting with a nuc or a package. But, I would be very nervous about buying someone else's live hive. I probably like the idea of packages better, because I can get a two month head start. Some say that time wise, a June nuc will be as far along as an April package in June. But that is not entirely true. An April package will be weeks ahead of a nuc by the same time in June.

In my opinion, there are as many chances to be taken by buying nucs as there are packages. Nuc providers are not above small hive beetles, mites or diseases. When we sold our nucs this year, they were inspected frame by frame by our state inspector. They passed with no problems. But state inspectors do not inspect for Nosema or Tracheal mites. So I'd say the playing field is pretty even as to which is better, a nuc or a package.

That's it for today's lesson and I hope you've enjoyed our time together. Our next lesson will be about how you should manage your hives now that summer is heading into fall. We'll talk about combining weak hives with strong ones, and how to treat for mites and how to feed hives that are low in stored honey for the winter.

Today I received many calls from folks thanking me for these informative lessons, and we do enjoy sharing our knowledge with you. We also want to thank you for your business. We realize you could purchase your beekeeping supplies from the "big-boys" so we appreciate you supporting a hard working family business.


Here's our contact info:
PHONE: 217-427-2678
EMAIL: david@honeybeesonline.com
WEBSITE: http://www.honeybeesonline.com/

Until next time remember to BEE-Have yourself!

David & Sheri Burns
Long Lane Honey Bee Farm
Fairmount, Illinois (Central Illinois)