Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: DayValleyDahlias on April 24, 2008, 06:56:09 PM

Title: Inspection Intervals for New Packages
Post by: DayValleyDahlias on April 24, 2008, 06:56:09 PM
Hi All,

Now that i know the 2 packages I hived have laying queens, what would the next inspection interval be?

Thanks, S*
Title: Re: Inspection Intervals for New Packages
Post by: bassman1977 on April 24, 2008, 08:04:09 PM
I suggest every week or every other week as a newbie.  You can get familiar with the hive that way.  This is what I did.  Once you go on your second year, you can do it a lot less.
Title: Re: Inspection Intervals for New Packages
Post by: DayValleyDahlias on April 24, 2008, 09:43:15 PM
Thanks, this is my second year...Have had a successful nuc for one year!  This is my first experience with Springtime packages...what fun!
Title: Re: Inspection Intervals for New Packages
Post by: annette on April 24, 2008, 11:56:28 PM
Sharon
I think it depends also on what you find when you are inspecting. Example: If it looks like it is getting close for placing another super on the hive when you do an inspection, then I would probably check again the following week. If there is plenty of room and all looks good, I would probably wait 2 weeks. Probably anywhere from 1-2 weeks or anytime in between.

Annette

Just noticed the new flower. Very beautiful. Also a dahlia?? Oops, of course not.

Title: Re: Inspection Intervals for New Packages
Post by: JP on April 25, 2008, 01:30:44 AM
Quote from: DayValleyDahlias on April 24, 2008, 06:56:09 PM
Hi All,

Now that i know the 2 packages I hived have laying queens, what would the next inspection interval be?

Thanks, S*

Go in and inspect when you feel the urge to learn from them and study them, just be careful not to interupt significantly what they are doing.

Check for eggs, brood, queen if you want to see her, just have lots of fun with it.

Your bees will give you clues that you are intruding too often, let them get their work done, but slip in as unobtrusively as you can.

Be carefull you don't smoosh any or damage combs, this pee'd them off and gives them extra work to do, but hey they are fantastic workers after all.

Be careful when putting back the top cover.

Now is the time to really enjoy your bees, while you still just have a couple of hives. Once you build up your apiary, you will not be able to explore as much, so enjoy.


...JP
Title: Re: Inspection Intervals for New Packages
Post by: DayValleyDahlias on April 25, 2008, 02:18:43 AM
Thanks for the sage advice...Looks like my little beeyard will only ever have 4 hives for now, and that is working so that they all do well.  It was so cool to see the queens, they are marked so this sure helped.  Plus the frames are still light and not glued down, making removal so easy.  Also not have billions of bees on the frames sure makes inspection easy.  It was cool to see bits of pollen packed in some cells and the lil babies all curled up in there...

Amazing!
Title: Re: Inspection Intervals for New Packages
Post by: annette on April 25, 2008, 01:16:31 PM
How sweet and I know just how your feel!! That happy feeling when things are looking peaceful and right.

Wonderful day
Annette
Title: Re: Inspection Intervals for New Packages
Post by: DayValleyDahlias on April 25, 2008, 08:30:11 PM
Amen to that Annette, Amen!

P.S. That is a sunflower!
Title: Re: Inspection Intervals for New Packages
Post by: annette on April 25, 2008, 10:42:46 PM
Yep!! Silly me.

Take Care and let us know how the inspections go.

Peace
Annette