OTS vs Grafting Queens, 2019

Grafting 2019! I mainly like to use OTS Queen rearing by Mel Disselkoen, but I had to try my hand at grafting also just to see what that was all about.

Day 1 after grafting, they are starting to take.

Again the festooning.... love this!

The finished product with bees cleared away.  I liked grafting but you need to have somewhere to go with the cells right away or keep them in an incubator.

A beautiful new queen from a graft!

Love these brood patterns from OTS Queens and definitely love my Dadant Smoker.

More 2019 grafted cells!

2019 mating nucs by the Siberian Iris's

Skunk cabbage blooming. I waited along time in the marsh on a 40 degree day to catch these pictures of bees on skunk cabbage.

Capped honey frames ready for extraction

Pickle bloom

New Queens always make me smile!

Big fat Goldie Queen

Native bees had a sleepover on the sunflower. They awoke when the sun warmed them and flew off later in the day!

Honey and more honey.

Predator 3 feet in front of the hives.

Dill bloom, bees seemed to like the pollen.

Birds-foot Treefoil bloom. More popular in Michigan's UP, but can be found around here.

Put my hand right on this little buddy taking it out of the barn!! Thought it was a frog at first.

Tennessee 2019

Garden Swarm

Buckwheat in bloom planted by landowner at this 20 hive apiary

Bellying up to the bar.....speaking of mead.....

Nuc past ready to be picked up!

In May and June, I can do bees from dawn till dusk!

Queen in box, the others march right in.

Beautiful May swarm :-) May is my favorite month.

My daughters pickles went crazy with the help of honey bees for pollination!

Anise Hyssop! The bees love it!

When you forget to put in a frame and they make a whole frame of drone comb that you can cull :-)

Varroa mite on Drone larva

Grafted cells in the incubator. Chicken egg incubator works well.

Ants attacking this hive

Checking if grafts took.

Cherry Bloom

What not to do!!!!