This is a link to the first of two videos of a talk given by Mike Palmer (a highly respected beekeeper from Vermont) the other video is also available at the same place. These videos give plenty of 'stuff' to think about and pick through.
This is a link to the first of two videos of a talk given by Mike Palmer (a highly respected beekeeper from Vermont) the other video is also available at the same place. These videos give plenty of 'stuff' to think about and pick through.
It's just occurred to me that it might be nice to briefly outline why I think people reading the Scottish Beekeepers Forum might be interested in a talk by a commercial beekeeper from the US.
-Palmer raises 1500 or so queens each year (some for sale and some for himself) in an area with harsh winters -he says himself that there's no point in starting queen rearing until around about the 10th of May.
-He's at the forefront of an unofficial movement to encourage people to produce their own locally reared queens rather than buying in from the Southern States.
-Actively pursues a method of rearing queens (and nuclei) in the summer to overwinter and then use/sell the following Spring.
Any of this sound like the sort of beekeeping that you pursue/wish to emulate?
This is exactly what i do, and truly believe it to be a good way forward, also read most of the posts by Mike on other fora.
He was quite interested in coming over to the UK to do few talks, be good if he would.
Sent him a couple of pounds of heather honey last year, he sent back some fresh maple syrup...very nice stuff.
I was totally inspired by Mike's video - the first in this thread. So much so I split my least productive colony into nucs each with a queen I had grafted from my best stock - pretty much what he advises. Now all being well I'm going to have 4 nucs to sell this Spring.
Need to watch the others now - thanks for posting the links Prakel.
Pete - what fora does he post on?
Last edited by Pete L; 28-02-2013 at 12:39 AM.
Excellent news. Thanks for the heads-up.
Looks like he's going to be busy with a series of interesting sounding lectures
http://www.honeyshow.co.uk/lecture_convention.shtml
I can already imagine the blood pressure of a few extreme-insulators rising at the thought of 'Keeping bees in frozen North America' being presented to the British public.
Bookmarks