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

[1muttsfan]

I have heard that the best way to deal with a bee caught in your hair is to try to immediately slap it to death before it stings you, as stinging is almost guaranteed, and the bee will die after anyway. They apparently really dislike being caught up in hair. Which brings up the image of a beekeeper slapping their (them?) self around the head. Imagine having a beard!

Thanks on the hive, I spent the whole day Saturday building it as my bees came unexpectedly soon - my first time building a hive and thank goodness everything came out as planned. My cat helped a little with the painting

 

[OHhappychicks]

In my area, bee packages come out right about now. Many places have a bunch of customers already lined up, so you may have trouble finding one that has bees available. Check with some local beekeepers in your area.

I'm trying to not jump the gun, and be patient. One of the women I work with has bees. This is her second year. She has a friend that helps a gentleman in our area that collects the swarms. She said she would get me one. She said they haven't had any calls yet. That was last week. I forgot to ask her on Monday, but she would have told me. I just don't want to miss a chance at bees this year. I really would not like it if I have to wait until next year!! It has taken me 3-4 years to get to this point. My hive is ready and waitin'! My DH knows someone about 2 miles from here that has bees. He has relations in northern Ohio and he when he visits, there is a place on his way that he picks his bees up. He told DH he would pick us up some if we wanted. I may have DH go there to ask him about it.
Regarding the placement of our hive, it is the same here. East gets the most morning sun until about 11am, then the hive will get a little sun the rest of the day. It is going to be under a tree where it will be shaded from hot sun. Same here with the winter. I believe this will be a good place for it. The cedar thicket behind will block the prevailing winds and it should be a little protected from north winds in winter as it is at the bottom of the hill. I'm getting anxious!

 

[OHhappychicks]

Checked the queen cage last night and the queen had exited, they had started building comb on it and it was completely covered and filled with bees, so I put it on the floor of the hive and left it there for now. Bees have been very docile so far; only sting was from one caught between my legs when I took a step forward. Can't say I blamed her.

The weather has been very cool and rainy, so they have not ventured out much; they do have access to syrup inside the hive, and the bees looked fine in the hive. So far so good!

You built that??!! Thats very nice!!

 

[Happy Chooks]

I have heard that the best way to deal with a bee caught in your hair is to try to immediately slap it to death before it stings you, as stinging is almost guaranteed, and the bee will die after anyway. They apparently really dislike being caught up in hair. Which brings up the image of a beekeeper slapping their (them?) self around the head. Imagine having a beard!

Thanks on the hive, I spent the whole day Saturday building it as my bees came unexpectedly soon - my first time building a hive and thank goodness everything came out as planned. My cat helped a little with the painting

My hair is super thick and really curly, trying to get anything out of it accurately is not easy. Plus, with the buzzing of a really ticked off bee in your ear, all rationality leaves your head and you run like hell. I think I'll keep my hair in a pony tail when working outside.

I love your cat's help.

 

[1muttsfan]

You built that??!! Thats very nice!!

Thank you!

My hair is super thick and really curly, trying to get anything out of it accurately is not easy.

Me too - I have been keeping mine braided.

 

[Deb B]

Thank you for that fascinating and great info!!! I didn't know that. How far away do you have to be to mow? We are setting our hive in the back of the yard, so we mow there. We are also going to lay a newspaper/mulch perimeter around it, about 4x4 area. Will that "bee" (sorry couldn't resist!

) enough room? Also another question. I've read that you should set your hive facing SE. If we set ours SE, it will be facing the cedar thicket and mostly shade, but if we set it facing E, it will get good morning sun. Will this be sufficient, or does it really matter? I'm not going to face it N for obvious reasons, and S or SW it will get the rain and wind from that direction. It is pretty protected from the N wind and from the prevailing sw winds as it is down at the bottom of a small hill, with the cedar thicket behind it. It will get dappled sunlight thru out the day. But E sounds to me the best. What do you all think?
And the picture in my mind of someone trying to outrun bees on a lawn mower, well,

, that had to be pretty funny to watch!!

My hives are on a mulched area and sit back about 2 1/2 feet from the grass line. We mow (straight across the front) right up to the mulch on a riding mower. They don't seem to care...never been stung doing it. Sometimes, since you are in the flyway, I have a returning bee fly into me. But it just goes on about it's business and doesn't sting. Just make sure the discharge from the mower is facing AWAY from the hive.

And they hate the weed wacker......I do put on a suit and gloves when I week wack along the mulch line.

Facing you hive to the east or southeast in a spot where it will get morning sun is recommended. Remember that they keep it pretty warm in there (in the low 90s), so unless you are in a really warm climate, shade isn't that necessary. In fact, there is now some evidence that in areas where there are Small HIve Beetles, the beetles are worse in hives that are shaded when compared to those in full sun.

My chickens love to scratch around the hives and eat anything in the soil around the hives, but they seemed to have learned to stay away from the front of the hives. I haven't seen my chickens eating bees, with the exception of them eating drones that get kicked out of the hives in the fall. Somehow, they know the drones won't sting.

 

[1muttsfan]

The sun had come out yesterday afternoon when I got home from work and the bees were very busy flying in and out. I walked up to about 2 feet from the entrance and watched them for a while, they payed no attention to me apart from the one that flew into me on the way home - and she just bumbled along her way. I will have to mow or weed whack around the hive occasionally, thought that maybe early or late in the day before they started coming out or after they were up for the night would be best.

How often does the syrup in the feeder need to be changed? Does it spoil?

 

[Happy Chooks]

How often does the syrup in the feeder need to be changed? Does it spoil?

Mine was never around long enough to spoil. I always brought mine in at night though, because if I didn't, it would leak and bring ants. So I just got in the habit of taking it out every morning, and bringing it in in the evening when I did my chicken chores. If it still had sugar water in it, I'd put it in the fridge overnight.

 

[OHhappychicks]

Another question. We haven't set our hive out yet. It is sitting in our front room. Should we go ahead and set it out while we are waiting on bees? I just didn't want other "things" to get in it. Will things get in and eat the wax sheets we have in the frames? I know when it first was given to us, it was sitting in the barn and bees started to come around it. It wasn't cleaned up yet. Will bees get in it, just by it sitting there?
Oh, Almost forgot! I talked to an insurance agent today. I was in his office and I noticed he had honey for sale. I asked him if he kept bees, and he said yes, he had 120 hives!!!!!! He said the winter was bad on them. I told him I was looking for a swarm. His brother just happens to be the county person who gathers swarms! He is getting 5-6 calls a week, so I told him if he would remember me, I'm looking for a swarm. He said he definitely would!! YaaaaY!!!

 

[1muttsfan]

Good news! Hope they call you soon.

My feeder is inside the hive, in the center section, not really all that easy to remove regularly.