Hello from Memphis, TX

[gmcpcs]

Hi,

I just started in the world of beekeeping with what I thought would be a simple Top Bar Hive, and a cut out from the old Memphis Jail. I ended up over two days doing the cutout, with all my family involved, and hived up the bees. They stayed about a month, then they all swarmed one afternoon and went someplace else, leaving nothing but empty comb behind.

I had another opportunity to do a cut out from a shed, so I built another hive, and while I was waiting to get that done, the bees swarmed to a bush in the yard from this shed, so I went over and captured the swarm by cutting off the branches and dropping them into a big bucket. I thought these would be good to go in the old hive, so I sat the bucket down by the entrance, and watched them start going in and out. The next day, they were still in the bucket, going in and out some, when that afternoon that whole swarm just decided to take off and go someplace else.

So back to the shed cut out, I went back and it was relatively easy, as it was in the outside wall. They had a lot of honey stores, but not much filled brood comb. I collected all those, and put them in the new hive. I had more losses than expected though. I went back later and installed a feeder, and made sure I had water available via a converted chicken waterer hung in a tree. I also ordered a queen online. (first time buying a bug in the mail) I went to put the queen in last afternoon, and there were not hardely any bees in the hive alive, but a lot of them were dead on the bottom. I went ahead and cleaned it out, and set the queen in there, to see if any would stick around. I also put a good top bar of brood comb near the cage, so maybe the queen will lay when she gets out.

Some particulars: I did both the extractions with a bee vacuum I built, and the second extraction I must have had it too high, also with the fresh honey, some of it was sucked up into the bees, so they were sticky.

We are also in the most driest year on record for our area, total rainfall is less than a half inch for the year, and it isn't even July yet! We also have a string of days over 100 degrees...

My questions that I am still trying to get answers for...how many bees can support a hive? Can a queen start from just the few tender bees, and maybe some robber bees coming into the hive and being captured overnight?

Would building my top bar hives out of plywood, (very old plywood, I would say 30 years or so, so the outgassing should be done...) be a problem with bees not staying?

Does the heat and drought significantly affect bee survival?

Anyway, Thanks for the forum, I will start my searching and reading :)

Patrick

[AllenF]

Welcome to the forum.  You need a bunch of bees to make a hive.  A thousand or more.   A queen can not make it with just a few bees.  And with the age or the wood.   I got hive bodies older than I so it done matter.    

[mikecva]

Welcome to the forum.  - Mike

[cowboygourmet]

Heat and dry conditions definitely affect bee survivability.  Food sources etc.  by the way,  I used to know a fellow from Memphis by the name of Jay Ed Campbell.  He was in the Insurance business and a good friend.  Is he still around?

[vmmartin]

Howdy and welcome.  Sounds like you have had a rocky start but hang in there.  As you learn and practice, things will improve.

[jaseemtp]

Welcome fellow Texan, I agree with vmmartin.  lessons learned the hard way are not soon forgotten.  Good luck and if  you are not part of a bee club I would look for one.  It can be an excellent support group for you.
Jason