Not a virgin king anymore

[scoobee]

Hello everyone, well I finally did it, I got my first time bees today. My supplier wanted me to get there as early as possible, got my son and myself up early and headed out. Turned the key to the truck, truck wouldn't start. Not a good start. Raise the hood wiggle some wiires still won't start. Slam my fist on the air filter top truck starts, go figure. Get there and finish the paper work(check) and move to where she had the nuc with five frames.
                   Have you you ever went to do something and have the feeling that everything at that precise time was right in the world, well I did. She got her veil on and asked if we were going to wear one and I replied, " naw, I didn't come here to get stung". She pulled the first of five frames out loaded with bees. We both located the queen with the blue dot and transferred it to my hive box. Then the rest of the frames no problem. Strapped it up and came home without a hic up.
             Because of a bad neighbor we carried the hive thru the house and set it up at the hive site. Unstrapped it, took off the tape and that was that. 1 or 2 bees came out the holes of the entrance reducer but that was it. While we were gone, my wife brewed up some syrup, which if you ever tasted it, its probably the equivalent of 4 mountain dews and I took a pitcher of it to the hive. My wife asked me if I was going to wear my bee suit or veil and, feeling one with the world said no. I got to the hive to find a lot of bees coming and going and flying around. I took the top and inner cover off and poured the syrup in and had know fly-bys or anything while I was doing it.
            So in closing, know that I have and  will always appreciate you all and your advice and support on this forum and am now possibly an official BEEK.  :-D

[CVBees]

 X:X  *golf clap*  Congrats I know the feeling while waiting for my Nucs on mothers day a local nursery offered me a cut out which I did and feel great that my "first" bees were feral and I did the cutout myself.  I am still going to pick up my nucs but I wanted to say I share your pride.

Nice avatar too

CV Bees <--- active duty Sailor

[iddee]

No smoke, no veil.......

You will be a beek before long. Just ask the doc if he can give you something to relieve the pain and itching from 30 to 50 stings, which came all at once.

Hope you don't have a bad reaction from your "instant education".

[scoobee]

I see your point  Iddee, and it was probably a little careless I agree. I'll be more careful for now on. But as far as the doctor goes, I am medically disabled and all the dr does is keep scheduling appts for me to come in and take my weight, blood pressure then collect his pay. I don't have reactions to bee stings but if I get that many then the dr will actually earn the money he's taking. Plus. I have to give myself an injection everyday so I'm used to a sting.

[slacker361]

my bees from a nuc were very gentle until the brood hatched, then i think it was the first time they ever saw a human, and they didnt like it one bit, bee head butts and they just were not happy to see me

[bee-nuts]

Eat honey and not corn syrup or cane sugar and you might not need those shots anymore.  Honey is already broke down to simpler sugars and can be directly absorbed into blood without all the insulin.  At least this is what I have read.  Im no doctor but they only know what they have been feed to believe anyway.

[iddee]

My friend of 64 years just passed away. He gave himself shots daily from the age of 7. He kept bees all his adult life and ate honey every day.He could eat all he wanted of it, but still had to have the insulin and would sometimes have to eat sugar type sweets to raise his sugar count.

Each diabetic is different. Some can take honey, some can take sugar, some can't take either.

[scoobee]

Thanks folks for the info concerning the benefits of honey and I agree there are so many. However, without getting into medical discussions, I do not take insulin nor do I have diabetis.

[Ollie]

Use the smoke, if you're OK with out a vail that's fine, I don't use one either but I do have one handy just in case a hive gets a little peeved half way through inspection. but the smoke you should have, it could be the difference between one sting and fifty stings...

[Thymaridas]

Also, as the hive builds up their behavior will start to change a bit. The guards will dart at you more and "bump" you. They just want to let you know that they know that you are their. This will happen slowly and you will get used to it.

Also they might land on you. Most will take off again quickly. I personally think that most of my stings have come from the ones that land on me and stick around a bit. It seems to me that they are walking around on my arm or leg (I usually wear shorts and a tee shirt working my hives) to find just the right spot, then boom. They get you.

When you get stung, don't go crazy. Keep your movements slow and scrape out the stinger with your fingernail or hive tool and keep going. If you get crazy, more will sting you in the same spot.

If it gets too "hot" just slowly back up a bit. They have what I call a "hive range." That is the distance they investigate. Step out of that range and they leave you alone. Work up your courage and slowly move back in and finish up.

And just to be encouraging the more often you get stung the less it will bother you.

Have fun!

[Kathyp]

If it gets too "hot" just slowly back up a bit.

or run, and squeal like a girl.  that's what i do  ;)

congrats on your new adventure.

[Scadsobees]

FYI, "Not a virgin king" = dead drone  :shock:

Those small well fed hives are usually pretty docile.  As you gain more experience it is pretty easy to gauge the mood in the hive and when to continue and when to run and squeal like Kathy  ;) . Congrats on the new endeavor!