Cool, it has begun

[JackM]

Well, picked up my packages yesterday am.  I was most impressed that a whole flipping semi load of bees was there on pallets.  That was a lot of bees, not sure how many packages on a pallet, I guess 250+.  Interestingly, I only saw 3 loose bees.  The packages were leakproof.  I just put them in the car and half way covered them with rubbermaid containers....the hum/buzz was a little unnerving at first.  It was quite cold, down near 40.  They were buzzing up a storm.  I warmed the car up good and brought them home.  

By the time I got home they seemed less buzzy, content sounding buzz even over the earlier one, and the heat emanating from them was impressive.  Also I noted smell, bees have a odor.  Never knew that.  Course they sorta just smell like honey, but downwind from the hives I can smell them.  So I learned they like the warm car.

Being a rookie, I purchased a pullover light bee jacket for later, but I was warned to wear my full suit to do this.  Made sure nothing could get up my legs.  Had my sugar syrup made up before I left so it would be warm, put some in a spray bottle, went and got both hives open and ready.

The first batch was the Italians.  I fumbled a little getting the dang can of syrup out, but finally managed, but by then the bees were climbing back up.  To heck with it, and pulled the queen and got my first taste of playing with bees.  No real bumping, but checking out my breath, I did not notice any of them trying to sting me.  Okey dokey, get the queen cage on the bar and shake the package into the hive.....then it started to hail, so I just covered the hive until it passed.  Got most of the bees out, but still just put the package box in the top part of the hive to keep it from the weather, put in the feeder and can of syrup, and closed the hive.  About an hour later I thought I may have heard the queen cage fall to the bottom....hope she is okay.  They only followed me for about 10 feet and felt I was not a risk any more.  

Second batch was the Carniolians.  Also the darn dog (big black newfie) managed to get outside and would not leave me.  About the time I opened the package to get the queen, he got nailed almost right away several times and felt it was indeed better to go into the house for now.  LOL.  This bunch was right away more aggressive than the Italians.  (Later, I walked by the hives while the were active and no issues at all, not even butting.)  The first package took maybe 10-15 minutes, I was done in 5 minutes on the second one...

Left them alone completely for about 3 hours, by then the sun would break through and it would radiate such nice heat and the hives would get lots of flying circling bees orienting.  Went and watched them several times finally getting a pair of binoculars to watch them from 4 feet away.  They were not foraging, just flying around learning their new environment.  Some were fanning.  Part of this was I wanted to keep an eye on temp when then decided to stop flying.  That was around 46 degrees, at 48 they were flying.  They shut down for the night well before sundown, even though the sun was still out.  (cold front moved thru)

So today I go check the feeders and put candy in the queen cages.  I have heard so many opinions on when and how, I just will do what the folks I got them from said to do, which I am doing.  So if you do different, that is cool, but I gotta make my own mistake here folks, so this is what it will be.  I can only fit a quart feeder in my hives at this point in time, so I will probably have to check frequently.  There are lots of flowers tho all around, trees, fruit trees, decoratives, alders are all pollen right now (my poor allergies).  

Now, when I get in there should I see any signs of building comb?  As I inspect the queen, how do I know if they have accepted her, will I really be able to tell between aggression and tending?

Anyhow, so it was cool.  No stings yet to test out the arthritis stuff, need to settle into my new pets first.

edited to remove offensive slang

[CBEE]

We were all wondering how ya made out. Sounds great :-D  An awful lot depends on the temps. It has to be warm enough for them to work and build comb. At 40 deg they probably wont even take any syrup unless they are balled up on the can.

[G3farms]

Sounds like you done good.

What do you mean by giving candy to the queen??
Did you pull the cork out of the candy end of the queen cage??
Yes most times you can tell the difference between aggression and tending to the queen, trying to ball the cage and biting at the screen vs. sticking their tongue through the screen trying to feed her. Their sound of their buzz and actions also will be signs.

[JackM]

Ya take out the cork and put in marshmallow.

Cold this morning, 36

[G3farms]

There should have been candy in the cage to start with!

[Intheswamp]

Great post, Jack!  Congratulations!!  If they cluster right below the vent in the inner cover and the jar is sitting on top of the vent hole then the cluster itself *might* warm that immediate area around the lid enough for them to take the syrup.  Seems the little nuc I started with back in December would take syrup pretty much through the cold days...and they stayed clustered right beneath the jar.  Do you have #8 mesh wire over the vent hole or is it open?  I use the #8 on the top side of the inner cover and sit the jar on it.  I'm using 1-piece lids (not lid/ring combos).  With the lid/ring mason jar tops you can turn the lid part upside down and this will place the feed holes closer to the screen and bees so that the bees can reach it better....the lid actually "sinks" toward the jar in it's standard position thus moving the feed holes further away from the bees.  Just a thought.

Best wishes and keep us posted!!! ;)
Ed

[Poppi]

Candy was in the queen cage...  you don't even have to poke a hole in it unless its very hard...  the whole marshmellow thing is for a quick release...  not a good idea even though the bees have been with the queen for a couple of days...  not worth the risk...  just put the queen cage in with the package and let 'em have the 2 or 3 days to get settled then make sure the queen was released.  Make sure you don't put the candy side down... 

[Kathyp]

these cages might have been corked on both ends.  i have gotten them from the same people and i remember at least once they were corked.  don't ask my why....

today has been nice.  did you get your boxes out? 

one hint on those queen cages.  if you need to release her...and there is no rush...i'd leave her either a few days, or until they release her,  it's much easier to hold the cage down between frames and pull the screen off than just to remove the end plug.  be sure to be down in the hive and just let her walk out onto the comb. 

[JackM]

Well I just did like the place told me to and took out he cork and stuffed in a marshmallow and hung the cage back at the top of the middle frame.  Gave them fresh syrup and closed up, used the little left that had not been used and they open fed on that.  They were bringing pollen to one queen, and bringing in pollen to both hives.  Much more tame today with warmer, well fed, and a home.  Did not notice any wax but did not really inspect.  Did not seem to be attacking the queens at all, more like kissing the wire.  Worst that can happen is I loose a hive.  That is life and sometimes I get stupid beginners luck. 

So they used a quart per hive in 24 hours, plus when weather permits I will open feed as soon as they get active with warm syrup.  Yes they must have been clustering on the syrup to warm it??????  Using the small quart sized chicken feeders with rocks.  No drownings so it works fine.  Anyhow, having a blast just blundering along. 

Again I cannot thank those that post videos enough for the help they have provided me.  Just the speed of the motions.  I scooped up a handful to move them, I had on kitchen dishwashing gloves, and don't think any tried to sting, they just sorta went with the flow, it was cool. 

Oh ya, I used the light duty jacket today.  I got some pretty mellow girls I think.  So in a week I will check how they are doing and look at comb.