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.
Mike palmer: The sustainable apiary
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?
Oh yes!Originally Posted by prakel
Thanks for the elaboration prakel, it sounds interesting and I'll check it out later when I'm back in mission control.
Watched it this morning at 5.30am - nice fast internet connection, I wonder why! I thought the talk was superb - full of info of relevance to we who keep bees in northern climes. Some of it re package bees doesn't apply but this is a guy who knows his stuff and doesn't push airy fairy hippy b****x. Highly recommend watching it.
another couple of Mike Palmer videos (yes, he is a great influence on the way that I now approach my beekeeping):
Building cell builders.*
http://youtu.be/uUSMXpeuUFE
Part of a class at the 2012 Eastern apicultural Society Convention.
http://youtu.be/E_AcGcQFc9w
*edit: to fully appreciate the trick behind the 'shaker box' used in the 'Building Cell Builders' Video, watch:
http://youtu.be/I7OsNW1XsQU
Last edited by prakel; 29-01-2013 at 09:33 AM.
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.
It would be great to see him here in the UK and I'd certainly be in the audience no matter how far I needed to travel.
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?
The main one with some very interesting posts is Beesource.
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