So I hived my very first package this morning. I know your suppose to wait till evening, but i couldn't. I got the call yesterday morning at 7:15, from the nice postal lady to tell me she had my "swarm". So they had to sit in my barn all night. I work 24 hr shifts on the ambulance and it was my shift. So I got home, gathered my supplies, glance at my books and headed out. So I didn't remove one frame to facilitate dumping them and I didn't juice them with syrup 30 min before. But the queen is in and I dumped as many as I could over her and carefully replaced the covers. Then I set the box in front of the entrance. Within 30 min they were up at the house (100 yd), walked down to the yard an hour later and the sky was alive with buzzing bees.The entrance seemed to be busy with coming and goings. My feeder is in place and the entrance reduced. Now to wait the 3 days before I open it, its like Christmas!
So did I do ok???
If no one got killed or injured during the process and you still have bees, then yes you did fine.
Feels good huh?
Not even a single sting. Although the wife just complained she got a buzz by at mach 1.
It feels wonderful!!! :-D
The addiction starts.
Congratulations! I installed my first two packages Saturday. I checked this evening to see if the Queens were free from their cage, and they were. Yay!
So, now I call my husband to give me an update on them when he comes home for lunch! Yes, so starts the addiction:) Good Luck :-D
Already collecting pieces for my next hive. Got the deeps, made the screen bottoms boards. need to order foundation, hoping to aquire a swarm from somewhere. I'm hooked. 8-)
Feels good doesnt it.....
Welcome to the club. We've all been bitten by the same "bug".
Lidna
So being the proud papa of3 lbs of daughters, i'd thought i'd update. Everything seems to have settled down alot. A steady streams of comings and goings. About 1/3 of the syrup is gone and the ones leaving seem to have a destination. They leave, fly out about 15 feet and go vertical another 20 feet. Two more days and queen check. Am I obcessing?
yes , but we all did it, I still did this year , but not as much as last year...lol wait till you harvest your first honey....
I can't wait,maybe i'll get a handle on my allergies. I'm also keeping a journal.
it worked for my wife, no problems with allergies and she had it horrible.. she still got a little last fall , but not nearly like she use to...
Three day queen check made woo hoo :-D I didn't think it was gonna happen, had rain on and off all afternoon, Finally cleared around 700 p.m. So I fired up the smoker and headed in. I felt like the man in my veil, glove, homemade jacket, and smoker. Good news queen has been released. Inspected outter frame,and kinda slid inframes out a little. Didn't see queen, but didn't expect to,untill I do a detailed inspection. Front some beautiful white burr comb between the two center frames. I guess thats good. Closed it bad up and do think I killed any bees.
I guess I wait a week and go back in right?
on a side note the rainy weather put them onto the syrup. Left for work yesterday morning with just of half a qaurt jar, tonight less than a fourth. I'll have to get my next jar ready for tomorrow, as more rain is forecast.
I'm still doing right???
Hey Joe! Whaddaya know!
I was wondering if you got your bees yet! Welcome to the distraction. I know in a few days you're going to be dreaming about bees. No, I don't think you're obsessing. If you find yourself dressing in yellow and black, eating nothing but honey, and eyeing that sweet, sweet flower...
I on the other hand find the rain making me sleeeeppyy...
naw i don't look good in yellow. I am gathering items for my next hive. I might luck out on a swarm. :-D
Did you push the frames together tight where the queen cage was? Often, the spacing is too wide because of the queen cage and the next thing you know, you have some comb hanging between the frames, the foundation is ruined, and the colony will be set back when you clean things up.
I hate when my bees dont know how to build the comb right.... I think Ill put wifi in the hives so they can look up on you tube how to do it :shock: :shock: :shock:
If you can't make them yourself, see if you can get someone to help you make the 5 Frame Nuc boxes designed by DCoates. You might not get a big swarm, and they do better in a smaller box. Get the hive too. When the bees start busting out, they're going to need the hive.
http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/downloads/ (http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/downloads/)
i've got the plans for the dcoates nuc boxes. just gotta cut some out.