Girls finally home

amymcg · May 23, 2005, 02:04:49 PM

Well I finallyhave my bees home. I can't quit watching them. :D

This was a 4 frame nuc installed into a deep. I put 3 boardman feeders inside on top of the frames and put another deep around them and covered them up.

Even though it has been cloudy and raining a little every day, they are out and about and I noticed today that some are bringing in a bright yellow pollen. I took a peek today at the feeders inside and they are all down about an inch and a half so I think they will be just fine. Cold nights here right now and we're expecting some heavy stuff tomorrow.

My top deep was kind of warped when I put it together, so it sits kind of wobbly on top of the other one. I put a rock on top of the hive so it wouldn't wobble all the time. This leaves about a 1/8 inch gap at the back of the hive between the deeps. Should I put some duct tape on this or just leave it?

Nothing seems to be going in and out of it.

Michael Bush · May 23, 2005, 02:22:59 PM

The bees will seal it with propolis, unless they can sqeeze through. They'd need at least 3/16" to squeeze through.

amymcg · May 23, 2005, 07:23:43 PM

I think it's just a little too small for them. .

Thanks Michael

Jerrymac · May 23, 2005, 07:32:11 PM

I have a pollen collector and the little openings for bees are 1/8 inch tall and tapers from 1/8 to 3/16 inch wide. I have a plastic queen excluder with 1/8 inch wide openings.

Jerrymac · May 23, 2005, 07:33:57 PM

Oh and I thought I had closed a hive up once. There was a slit I swear was 1/16 (Yes one sixteenth) wide, and the girls were squeezing through it.

Apis629 · May 23, 2005, 09:14:04 PM

Are you sure the bees you saw wern't just bees from other colonies trying to invade yours?

Jerrymac · May 23, 2005, 09:29:34 PM

That's what I thought at first, then I found and watched where they were getting out.

Michael Bush · May 23, 2005, 10:06:43 PM

>Oh and I thought I had closed a hive up once. There was a slit I swear was 1/16 (Yes one sixteenth) wide, and the girls were squeezing through it.

They can get through #6 hardware cloth (1/6th of an inch) but not #7 hardware cloth (1/7th of an inch) unless some of the wires are slightly bent. They never get through #8 hardware cloth (1/8th of an inch). The queen and the drones can't get through #5 hardware cloth (1/5th of an inch).

thegolfpsycho · May 23, 2005, 10:08:59 PM

Come on... your from Texas for hecks sake. Everything is bigger there.. the tall tales, the gaps in the supers, the bees squeezing out the gap... bahahahahahahah

Jerrymac · May 24, 2005, 12:08:11 AM

But that is 1/8 top to bottom and side to side.

If it is 1/8 wide and longer than that I guess they can.

Jerrymac · May 24, 2005, 12:09:53 AM

I guess my measuring devices are bigger also :D