I have my first real bee mentee!!

erbs honey · May 04, 2017, 12:57:53 AM

I am so glad to be a mentor-I sure appreciated mine!
We have eight hives and a bee tree, and have not bought a Queen in 3 years, always leaving our bees to make their own. We live very rurally, and I am not aware of any beekeepers within 4-5 miles, but that certainly doesn't mean there aren't any. Then there's feral bees - so our bees are probably mutts by now - they are also not as nice as they used to be. One hive is downright hot. Our three hives in our top apiary are pretty docile, I opened them up just to say hi this evening (it was still sunny and relatively warm) and they just looked at me like Captain's Kilroy!
My mentee just got two packages of Italians, and they are so sweet and docile and calm and pretty (and no mites evident on the baseboard). I'm thinking of buying some Italian Queens and requeening a couple of my hives. What'ya think?

Captain776 · May 04, 2017, 04:31:57 AM

Congrats on Mentoring.

That is one of the recurring Recommendations when you start reading about Beekeeping, is to try to have a Mentor.
I fully agree with that.
I have the Owner of the Bee Farm where I bought my 3 NUC's and the head Professor of the Entomology Dept at Chiang Mai University that are just a call away.
I participate in The Fat Beeman live chat Sat from 8 to 9:30
Read all I can here on this Forum and it us a great place to be able to get questions answered plus probably the same as all of you when you started..........read all you can find and ask what you are unsure about

Thanks

Bruce

Sniper338 · May 04, 2017, 12:30:40 PM

Requeening shouldnt hurt anything. It'd calm the hives down eventually, then also potentially get a better laying queen, thats bred for mite resistance... right?

erbs honey · May 06, 2017, 12:49:39 AM

Quote from: Captain776 on May 04, 2017, 04:31:57 AM
Congrats on Mentoring.

That is one of the recurring Recommendations when you start reading about Beekeeping, is to try to have a Mentor.
I fully agree with that.
I have the Owner of the Bee Farm where I bought my 3 NUC's and the head Professor of the Entomology Dept at Chiang Mai University that are just a call away.
I participate in The Fat Beeman live chat Sat from 8 to 9:30
Read all I can here on this Forum and it us a great place to be able to get questions answered plus probably the same as all of you when you started..........read all you can find and ask what you are unsure about

Thanks

Bruce

Thanks Bruce! And now that you mention it, I might have seen you on the Fat Bee Man's channel when I've watched it a few times. ...You do that EVERY Saturday?

Captain776 · May 07, 2017, 10:42:47 PM

Quote from: erbs honey on May 06, 2017, 12:49:39 AM
Quote from: Captain776 on May 04, 2017, 04:31:57 AM
Congrats on Mentoring.

That is one of the recurring Recommendations when you start reading about Beekeeping, is to try to have a Mentor.
I fully agree with that.
I have the Owner of the Bee Farm where I bought my 3 NUC's and the head Professor of the Entomology Dept at Chiang Mai University that are just a call away.
I participate in The Fat Beeman live chat Sat from 8 to 9:30
Read all I can here on this Forum and it us a great place to be able to get questions answered plus probably the same as all of you when you started..........read all you can find and ask what you are unsure about

Thanks

Bruce
Thanks Bruce! And now that you mention it, I might have seen you on the Fat Bee Man's channel when I've watched it a few times. ...You do that EVERY Saturday?

Yes for the last 3 weeks on Sat evening 8-9:30

tycrnp · May 08, 2017, 12:36:03 PM

It is difficult to find a mentor. I am going to try to attend a different group's meeting next week and see if I have any luck.

Captain776 · May 09, 2017, 12:43:08 AM

I don't have a mentor, per se, but I do have 2 good go to people.
The head of the Entemology Dept at the University here does research with bees and she is going to come to my house and go through my 3 hives with me when she gets back from Japan and the Owner of Supha Beefarm where I get my bees is 69 yo and been playing with bees since she was a little girl and I can call her anytime.

GSF · May 10, 2017, 11:05:26 AM

This forum was my mentor, plus over at Bud's when that was going on. Thanks again to everyone who helped me, even the BEEMASTER (as in beemaster dot com)helped me.

erbs honey · May 31, 2017, 01:52:54 AM

Quote from: tycrnp on May 08, 2017, 12:36:03 PM
It is difficult to find a mentor. I am going to try to attend a different group's meeting next week and see if I have any luck.

That's a great idea! Good luck!

Captain776 · June 06, 2017, 10:34:08 AM

Quote from: GSF on May 10, 2017, 11:05:26 AM
This forum was my mentor, plus over at Bud's when that was going on. Thanks again to everyone who helped me, even the BEEMASTER (as in beemaster dot com)helped me.

Agreed, same for me

BeeMaster2 · June 06, 2017, 12:28:12 PM

Beemaster is still my mentor. I try to read every post and I learn something new every day.
Thanks Beemaster and everyone that adds to the info on this site.
Jim

Mech · June 06, 2017, 09:42:22 PM

I am an info reading junky.
Anything that interests me I read and research the heck out of it.
Having a mentor to help me on my hives would just be WOW.
I mean it's like 3 seasons and I'm just now learning to easily being able to spot my queens.
That doesn't even really touch on my need for help on pests.
You all are fortunate to have or be able to mentor some one.
Once I get this down a bit I'd love to help pass it on.
I think it's really cool to help out anther like you are doing and hopefully one day I can help.

tycrnp · June 07, 2017, 09:31:26 PM

Quote from: Mech on June 06, 2017, 09:42:22 PM
I mean it's like 3 seasons and I'm just now learning to easily being able to spot my queens.

I can only spot my queens when they have a big dot on their back!

Lol!!!