Last Year I Started Beekeeping - So Exciting - Page 30

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThePigeonKid 

Will the queen be ok? The rubber band is what was holding the cage that she is in?

I'm pretty new at beekeeping but if I understand, the rubber band is what you were using to suspend the queen cage in the hive for the workers to release her.  If that is the case I would worry that if the queen cage fell then it would be possible that the candy end could be blocked where they couldn't free her.  I checked mine after 3 days to make sure she was free so you should be able to check to make sure that she is free but I would spend too much time in the hive.

I really enjoy reading this thread!  

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgtmom52 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Chooks 

I checked on my bees yesterday (from the outside, I didn't open up the hive) and I had a bunch of bees (like 40 or so) hovering around the front of the hive again.  And a bunch more congregating at the opening.  I haven't seen that since the day I installed them 2 weeks ago.  Some bees were still coming and going for pollen, but these others were just hovering.  Things settled down in the evening and everything looks normal this morning with bees coming and going for pollen.

 

I'll be opening up the hive again either this afternoon or tomorrow to see if I need to add another hive box yet.

 

If it is very warm outside, bees will often hang out on the outside of the hive or on the porch "fanning" to air condition the inside of the hive. 

It was about 82 or so outside.  Good to know it's normal.   It's been cool at night still so I haven't pulled the plastic board out of the screened bottom board yet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Chooks 

It was about 82 or so outside.  Good to know it's normal.   It's been cool at night still so I haven't pulled the plastic board out of the screened bottom board yet.

Go ahead and take that board out now.  Ventilation is very important in a bee hive just like in a chicken coop.  The bees will keep it warm enough for the brood inside.  I use screen bottom boards on all of my hives and never put in the solid boards.  I don't even put them in for the winter and it gets plenty cold here with lots of snow.

Condensation inside the hive will kill brood and bees.

Ventilation prevents this from happening.

I keep a SBB and and a ventilated attic on my hives year round.

Okay thanks - I'll remove the board when I inspect the hive tomorrow.  I just wasn't sure the hive was strong enough yet.

This is good info!  We will remove our board as well.  

Just one hive here still.  

Debating whether to badger the guy who promised us a nuc into delivering.... or to just go with the guy who so kindly got us the bees we have ~ he said he may have another split for us.  I know we need at least two.  Does it matter where they come from?  Is it better to have them come from different places so that the genetics are different?

As I type this, I'm realizing that I need to pursue both, so that I get at least ONE more hive.  But I'm still curious about the genetics. 

I don't think it matters where you get your hives from.  Both of mine came from the same place but at different times.  I believe it is so that you have 2 hives to compare so if something goes wrong with one you know can spot it.

Thank you Jeannie.

DH checked the hive this morning, there was comb built on all frames in the medium 10 frame super we have them in.  We did not expect this and quick added another 10 frame medium on top wondering.... does something go in between the supers?  We didn't put anything in between the supers.  

2nd week inspection today.  The 5 NUC frames are all filled with brood.  Saw the queen and lots of larva, both capped and not capped.  They were drawing out one of the other frames.  The other 4 they haven't done anything with, so I did not add the next hive box yet.  I removed the bottom board also.

I did my first hive inspection today.  The queen was out in both hives. here are some pics: