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

[Amiga]

Can someone here help me? We're working on building our chicken coop (we're renovating a very old wooden playhouse that was built on site) and today when we went outside the roof of it was SWARMED with bees, and it really looks like they're trying to get into the roof and build a nest! I'm pretty sure they want to stay here because I had seen a few honeybees flying around lately (and haven't seen them before). The only pest control I could find to remove them alive (I really don't want them harmed, I know how important they are!!!) wanted $480!!! No way we can afford that....Is there anyway to discourage them?

I live in Dunnellon, Florida, if there happens to be ANYONE local that could help!!

How is that going?

There is a group, the Marion County Beekeepers . . . might they be helpful?
http://alachuabees.org/marion/

 

[Amiga]

Yesterday I got the queen cage out of the hive, it was only attached on one side. As expected, the little "door" on the queen cage was wide open, and the hive was busy and seemed content, so I reckon she is doing fine. I did not want to disturb them any more than I had to yesterday.

I saw no bees anywhere around the feeder, so I pulled that out.

 

[joannefiddler]

We had hoped to begin beekeeping this year but are getting a late start because we had friends flooded out in storms some weeks ago and that put everything else in life on hold. We have finally got our top bar hive in place, but now I'm finding that bee packages are sold out everywhere I look. I've contacted our local extension bee guy, and although there are folks with nucs available, they don't fit into a top bar hive. Is anyone aware of packages available to ship? Thanks in advance!

 

[1muttsfan]

Yes, nucs do not work well in a Top Bar hive - here's why

http://www.goldstarhoneybees.com/sh...w+to+get+bees+for+your+Gold+Star+top+bar+hive

 

[joannefiddler]

Right..I actually had hive built from goldstarhoneybees plans lol. They are out of bees too.

 

[Amiga]

We had hoped to begin beekeeping this year but are getting a late start because we had friends flooded out in storms some weeks ago and that put everything else in life on hold. We have finally got our top bar hive in place, but now I'm finding that bee packages are sold out everywhere I look. I've contacted our local extension bee guy, and although there are folks with nucs available, they don't fit into a top bar hive. Is anyone aware of packages available to ship? Thanks in advance!

Would you be willing to take in a captured swarm? That is happening in some parts of the world right now - swarms, I mean.

In fact, look above to see the person in Dunellon who desperately wanted to rehome the bees in her chicken coop.

 

[joannefiddler]

I would love a swarm, but I am not experienced enough to perform a capture and sadly I'm far from the gal in Dillon.

 

[1muttsfan]

You may be able to find some more local beekeepers who do swarm captures, worth checking out.

 

[Amiga]

Do bees tend to form a very small cluster at the hive entrance on rainy days, ordinarily? This is the first rainy day since they got here, and this is what I saw this evening.

 

[sgtmom52]

Do bees tend to form a very small cluster at the hive entrance on rainy days, ordinarily? This is the first rainy day since they got here, and this is what I saw this evening.

It is called "bearding". I compare it to hanging out on the front porch on a hot or rainy summer's night. It can get hot inside the hive and some of the bees will hang out outside where it is cooler. Some will be "fanning" at the entrance to cool down the inside.

These are a couple of my hives tonight.