Successful Package Installation Hooray

DayValleyDahlias · April 12, 2008, 11:39:00 PM

We left the house at 0630 and traveled up to Vacaville, took about 2.5 hours. The ride was so pretty as the wild flowers and green grasses are going at it.

Had a mini seminar by the owner of Honeybee Genetics. Really helpful as he had a mockup. Very patient guy.

Just plopped them in their new homes, did it the beemaster way by opening the sides. Installed queenie first though. She is in a plastic cage which I hung with telephone wire. Worked well. Spritzed them with a bit of syrup, not much, very pretty gentle bees!

Thanks to beemaster & everyone here for al the grand advice

Sharon

annette · April 13, 2008, 12:03:56 AM

Have a wonderful time with your new bees and let us know how it all goes. You had great weather to do it in.
How is the swarm doing these days??

Annette

buzzbee · April 13, 2008, 12:13:11 AM

Congratulations on a good install and many happy "beeturns" !! :lol: :lol:

Bigeddie · April 13, 2008, 12:49:21 AM

Quote from: DayValleyDahlias on April 12, 2008, 11:39:00 PM
We left the house at 0630 and traveled up to Vacaville, took about 2.5 hours. The ride was so pretty as the wild flowers and green grasses are going at it.

Had a mini seminar by the owner of Honeybee Genetics. Really helpful as he had a mockup. Very patient guy.

Just plopped them in their new homes, did it the beemaster way by opening the sides. Installed queenie first though. She is in a plastic cage which I hung with telephone wire. Worked well. Spritzed them with a bit of syrup, not much, very pretty gentle bees!

Thanks to beemaster & everyone here for al the grand advice

Sharon

Glad the installation went well. Real simple once you do it, all that fretting for nothing. :)

I'm jealous of your weather, we just got another 5 in. of snow last night. :'(

rdy-b · April 13, 2008, 01:34:50 AM

;) :lol: 8-) RDY-B

DayValleyDahlias · April 13, 2008, 01:56:06 AM

We were 23 degrees above average temps here! I couldn't imagine snow...so warm for us...GREat for the bees. Thanks for the great help and encouragement!

JP · April 13, 2008, 04:40:07 AM

Cingratulations!!! :mrgreen:

...JP

blckoakbees · April 15, 2008, 02:44:36 AM

Hi,

I picked up two packages and a queen that day also. I am wondering if you were there about nine. I had my daughter with me. The owner was very helpful. I am excited to see how the Russian Bees do as I have only had Italian Bees before.

Glad to hear all went well.

DayValleyDahlias · April 15, 2008, 11:23:57 AM

Heya Blkoa...

We got there around 10, Taber was explaining queen installation to a woman and a fellow (he said he was having a rock concert in his back yard and would the bees mind ). Were you there then?

We placed the bees in that eve, I see there are a fair number of dead bees on the ground in front of the hive at this point. I have heard that a percentage of bees do not make it. They have taken about a gallon of syrup since Saturday.

Hope your bees are doing well!

Sharon

Alan Forbes · April 15, 2008, 01:01:06 PM

Hi Sharon:

I'm glad all went well. Did you get the Carniolans? With all the flowers in bloom, do you think you needed to feed them? I'll be picking up my package next week and want to make sure I provide for them.

DayValleyDahlias · April 15, 2008, 01:16:29 PM

Well,

I am just going to follow the directions given me. Steve Taber said the moment the bees find a natural food source, they will stop taking the syrup. I installing them on all new small cell foundation so there was nothing there for them and they will have to build up on their own. So, I am feeding, and have a "que sera, sera" attitude at this moment!

Scadsobees · April 15, 2008, 03:04:37 PM

Congratulations! Those first bees are so exciting! I'm itching to do a first inspection on mine, maybe this week!

My experience is that they will take syrup as long as you give it to them unless there is a huge flow on. But that doesn't hurt any while they are still drawing out the brood nest. Once the brood nest is drawn out and the supers on, then you will need to stop for sure. You just want to make sure that the brood nest doesn't get plugged up with all that syrup. They may or may not tell you when they don't need it anymore...

Rick

DayValleyDahlias · April 15, 2008, 04:34:06 PM

Thanks Rick.

I will keep that in mind!

tillie · April 15, 2008, 06:52:19 PM

Wow, Sharon, sounds like a smooth and really good experience....hope the rest of bee season goes just as well for you.

Linda T in Atlanta where my dahlias are sown in peat pots!

DayValleyDahlias · April 15, 2008, 07:26:31 PM

Thanks Linda T! I hope those seeds sprout for you, they are SO pretty!

Kathyp · April 15, 2008, 08:02:56 PM

it takes some time for the bees to do the orientation to the hive, and to find food sources. better to feed and get them off to a romping start. they probably won't die if you don't/didn't. :-)

DayValleyDahlias · April 15, 2008, 10:17:01 PM

Yup kathy, they have their delicious sugar syrup concoction atop their hives... ;)

Brian D. Bray · April 16, 2008, 11:02:46 PM

I'm expecting my daughters package of Old World Cariolans either this weekend or next. I'm actually hoping for the last weekend of the month as this coming weekend has SNOW forcast down to 500 elevation. I'm at 152 Feet elevation but the accompanying cold may make the bees recluster for about the 4th time this spring. Everytime it snows I end up with a touch of chill brood as the bees recluster and leave some of the new brood uncovered. Every snow sets the hive build up back a bit.