Second Package - Arrived/Installed smoooooothly

[beemaster]

Hi Everyone:

Today the Bees from Hardeman Apiaries arrived, I picked them up after work and installed them just now - all went as well as the Austin ! hive went. I'll say one thing, Hardeman sure isn't cheap with their staples and they even through in a horizontal cross piece on both sides to keep the box square and safe during shipping.

I hadn't mentioned before that the bees were order through EBAY from a third party who bought the bees in bulk and sold them at a fare profit. The bees were $65 plus $16 shipping - a very fair price for 3lbs. with marked and clipped queen.

There was a one week delay related to major hive loss due to a tornado in the area, so one week was totally understandable. The bees are very happy to be out of the shipping cage and into the new quarters - and John AKA Beemaster is TWO HIVES STRONG again :)

I did not film this adventure, there really wasn't anything new to show - it was a pleasant and stingless event, I couldn't ask for better weather, etc..

So just as a side note, if you choose to install bees the Beemaster way (same install video if you saw it already)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a4a-Tw-qFI  just be sure you get ALL the staples holding the screen slats out before trying to install the bees using my method - it is pretty fool proof, just be sure that you don't leave behind any snags to catch the screen when you are ready to dump in the bees.

It is really awesome to have two hives again, now I'm just awaiting hive bodies and frames (plus a few tools I ordered) and UP SHE GOES, both full and heavy of honey - thanks all for following :)

[Shizzell]

I have a question, how did you lose your other hives?

Jake

[beemaster]

Well... I only had on hive, from a swarm, it seemed to Winter well and I saw cleansing flights in March, then when the weather broke (late here in Central NJ) and I saw NO ACTIVITY. This was 2-3 weeks after the cleansing flight.

I went into the hive, found less than a handful of dead bees, none buried into the cells, no clusters, etc. The number I saw cleansing was many times greater than the handful I found in the hive. Some people would say it was Colony Colapse Disorder, I call it 100% loss of my beeyard.

I had a hive abscond on me (it was also a swarm captured hive) this was last September and it was too late to restart that colony. Over the Winter, wax moth got into that hive box and destroyed everything - I literally had no wax let and 4 inches of manure/compost at the bottom of the box.

So I have plenty saved frames to get both these hives started, new mediums and frame/foundation coming and hopefully better luck this season.

[shakerbeeman]

Mine were supposed to be mailed the 7th. Still waiting and the postman made his pass today. All the work putting up electric wire to keep the bear away and I am getting a bit anxious to have my bees.