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

[tmoore8595]

I'm happy to report that my bees seem to have made it through the winter! This was my first year with them, and I've enjoyed them, but keeping alive through the winter was something that concerned me. I guess I was overly paranoid. I've seen them flying about when we've had warm snaps. I didn't feed them anything, either, but they did have two full honey supers going into the winter.
I'm eager to pop the top on their hive to see what's going on in there, though!
When do you all do your first hive checks? I'm in TN, if that helps. I don't want to open them up too early

Any calm, sunny day when the temperature in above 50 degrees.

 

[rebrascora]

Congratulations on over wintering your first colony. A good rule of thumb for when to open up a hive is a calm, sunny day when you are comfortable outside in a T shirt. Not that I am advocating inspecting bees without protective wear but just that this is an easy way to figure out if it is warm enough.
Do think about what you want to achieve by opening them up though and have a clear plan? If it is just curiosity, then try to restrain yourself..... I know,,,, it's really difficult!
You can tell a lot from just sitting near the entrance (I hunker down under the entrance so that they take off and land over my head and it is a great vantage point) watching and listening to the bees coming and going. Put a board on the ground under the entrance and examine the debris they drop out. Assess roughly what percentage of bees are returning to the hive with pollen and what colour, and find a pollen chart for your area so hat you can identify which plants they are working. Breath the scent of the hive. If the hive smells sour there is something wrong (possibly nosema) and you may need to open it up and see. If there is no pollen going in, then you may want to check for queen rightness. If they appear and sound industrious and happy? If so, then I would let them get on with it and not disturb them by opening it up.

Of course, if you are in an area where there is early nectar flow and you are worried that they may need more room then you may well need to lift the lid and check, but have your super ready, so that you can put it on there and then if they need it rather than come back in a few days when you made it up. Every time you open the hive, you cause the bees extra work.... heat and nest scent is lost and propolis seals are broken.... so try to only do it when it is essential.

Regards

Barbara

 

[xoxocammyxoxo]

This website talks about design/layout. It also says you should plant bee-friendly plants that are native to your area. The best reference would be a local botanical garden to find out what plants are native and attract bees. Hope this helps!

http://thehoneybeeconservancy.org/act-today-2/plant-a-bee-garden/

Excellent, thank you. I will have to look that up later when I get a chance. On top of my original concern of my toddler playing with them and having to move, I spent some time outside and realized that I'm the only one that has flowers (over the past couple years we've been here) and so there wouldn't be much for the bees anyway. They would probably have to fly long distances because no one around here really does anything with their yards. So it will just have to wait.

 

[3goodeggs]

My husband checked our hive last weekend, it was on the to do list, but he did it last weekend mainly because a beekeeper friend was available to help him.
They were looking for queen cells. He said there were plenty of drone cells, but he did not see queen cells.
So my question is: Why make drones? Would our queen leave our hive queen less?
They are amassing around the opening, but it is spring here and they are very busy and loaded with pollen... But should I get the nuc box out and set it nearby just in case?

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Mostly I want to open the hive to see what kind of mess they've got going on in there. Last year we had an issue with them building comb over the frames and glueing them together. So, who knows what they've been up to since I last checked them. I have sat at the entrance. They've been pretty busy when we've had warm days, and they smell like beeswax and honey, so no sour smell. I did notice quite a few dead bees on the bottom of the hive and on the ground in front, but I'm guessing that's normal? Everyone flying in and out looks good, but I haven't noticed any pollen yet (but I also haven't spent much time looking at them-just enough to see they still alive and look alright).
I'll leave them be for now. I don't think there's any immediate need to open them up.

 

[Lapeerian]

Phew, I made it! Read through the entire thread from the beginning. Gleaned lots of good info. Hubby is interested in keeping bees, got started in our research mid-February. Actually found someone within a hour from us that is downsizing, offering complete hives for $300. Bottom board, 2 brood boxes, 1 honey super, inner cover, top cover, all the frames with wax/honey/brood and bees included. Bees are Carniolan or mixed. Hubby is going to the Geneva conference this weekend, then will likely check out the hives before reserving 2 to get us started. Also joined the local Southern Tier Beekeepers Association. Now to just wait for the snow to disappear to ensure our selected spot is prepared.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Ok so, question. I want to have bees but I've come to the conclusion that starting one now in a place I rent just to move it later isn't a good idea. So, an alternative I was thinking of is...

What flowers can I plant in my garden to promote bees coming to my property?

Rosemary is a HUGE one and grows almost anywhere. Anything that flowers a lot is great. Lilacs, lavender, clover, etc.

My husband checked our hive last weekend, it was on the to do list, but he did it last weekend mainly because a beekeeper friend was available to help him.
They were looking for queen cells. He said there were plenty of drone cells, but he did not see queen cells.
So my question is: Why make drones? Would our queen leave our hive queen less?
They are amassing around the opening, but it is spring here and they are very busy and loaded with pollen... But should I get the nuc box out and set it nearby just in case?

As I understand it..........Drones are needed for mating. A virgin queen has to choose a drone to mate with in her first flight. Then she never leaves the hive again unless she swarms.

 

[1muttsfan]

And drones do not mate with the Queen from their own hives, they go off and mate with other Queens, the Queen from their hive goes off and mates with drones from other hives. That is how genetic diversity is maintained. So hives produce and support drones that are not a direct benefit to themselves, but overall benefit the entire bee population. Another interesting facet that shows how bees are community creatures.

BTW, the drones are booted out of the hive at the end of the summer, and not allowed back in, so the hive does not have to feed them through the winter, preserving its resources. Each hive has to produce new drones each year.

 

[mak1]

And drones do not mate with the Queen from their own hives, they go off and mate with other Queens, the Queen from their hive goes off and mates with drones from other hives. That is how genetic diversity is maintained. So hives produce and support drones that are not a direct benefit to themselves, but overall benefit the entire bee population. Another interesting facet that shows how bees are community creatures.

BTW, the drones are booted out of the hive at the end of the summer, and not allowed back in, so the hive does not have to feed them through the winter, preserving its resources. Each hive has to produce new drones each year.

If queens mate with a drone from her hive her brood pattern will be really bad. In that case they do a supercedure .

 

[Happy Chooks]

And drones do not mate with the Queen from their own hives, they go off and mate with other Queens, the Queen from their hive goes off and mates with drones from other hives. That is how genetic diversity is maintained. So hives produce and support drones that are not a direct benefit to themselves, but overall benefit the entire bee population. Another interesting facet that shows how bees are community creatures.

BTW, the drones are booted out of the hive at the end of the summer, and not allowed back in, so the hive does not have to feed them through the winter, preserving its resources. Each hive has to produce new drones each year.

I knew about them being kicked out in fall, but did not know about mating with drones from other hives. Thanks for sharing.