A BEE thread....for those interested in beekeeping.

[RavenStorm1977]

I'm loving all the pictures...I want to get ready this year before getting bees next year. How is everyone coping with the sudden return of winter? Hope everybody is OK

 

[Deb B]

I'm loving all the pictures...I want to get ready this year before getting bees next year. How is everyone coping with the sudden return of winter? Hope everybody is OK

When I inspected my two hives on Sunday, both had queen cells so I started two new nucs with the frames with the Q cells and gave the parent hives some empty drawn comb back. Now I'm wishing I had just made one nuc from the frames. I'm not sure there's enough bees in each of the nucs to make it through this little cold snap and keep the queen cells viable.

Time will tell!

 

[sgtmom52]

 

[1muttsfan]

 

[joannefiddler]

Hi I am in the info gathering stage of my beekeeping journey! I hope to place my hive (s) out near my chicken coop which is a converted 4 stall horse stable. I see many carpenter bees around the coop/stable and wonder if they present a problem for honeybees. Thanks in advance for any info!

 

[sgtmom52]

Hi I am in the info gathering stage of my beekeeping journey! I hope to place my hive (s) out near my chicken coop which is a converted 4 stall horse stable. I see many carpenter bees around the coop/stable and wonder if they present a problem for honeybees. Thanks in advance for any info!

Honey bees will co-exist with almost any other bee or wasp unless the other tries to enter the honey bee hive. Typically this only happens in late summer or fall and a strong hive will drive away or kill the intruder.

 

[Amiga]

Honey bees will co-exist with almost any other bee or wasp unless the other tries to enter the honey bee hive. Typically this only happens in late summer or fall and a strong hive will drive away or kill the intruder.

I have heard there is something you can add to the hive entrance to help discourage invasions. Do I remember that correctly?

 

[sgtmom52]

Quote:
You can use an entrance reducer to make the entrance smaller so the guard bees have less area to protect.

 

[joannefiddler]

Thanks for the quick response! Let me try another question. ..in looking at bee suits, I see some with a sort of built-in safari style hat and veil and others that just have a sort of curved hood, with no apparent built in hat. Do you have an opinion on suit styles?

 

[sgtmom52]

Thanks for the quick response! Let me try another question. ..in looking at bee suits, I see some with a sort of built-in safari style hat and veil and others that just have a sort of curved hood, with no apparent built in hat. Do you have an opinion on suit styles?

I have tried the helmet with the veil and didn't like it as I have a small head and it didn't fit well. I also had a jacket with built in hat like this one
Also didn't care for this one as the hat was big and hit things.

I now have a jacket like this one are really like it.