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

[Beekissed]

I love your thinking behind it all....makes perfect sense.

I've got some light turquoise paint on hand already and I think that's what I'll go with, but I'll keep that oops paint idea in mind...I've never seen oops samples being sold before, so I'll have to stop by HD and see what they've got. I'd like to amass some different, pretty colors of paint for upcycling furniture and flipping it and for small projects like this. Paint is so expensive now!

When I make the next box to stack up on this one, I'll have to decide what other color I want to paint it to keep things pretty and interesting. I have some pretty yellow on hand and may do the extra box with that. The lid will be covered with flashing, so that doesn't matter much.

 

[chickiechick12]

Following this feed. PIcking up my bees at the end of April. Super excited!!!

 

[mamahmendez]

Following this feed. PIcking up my bees at the end of April. Super excited!!!

We just picked up our first Nuc today. We will likely be getting a second later in Summer. It is so exciting.

* TIP - Important for Pick Up I Didn't Know About
I asked our Apiary when the best time to transfer our bees from the Nuc to the Hive would be (even though they gave me info on that with my hive). But, the "pamphlet" doesn't cover WEATHER!!!!
We are expecting scattered thunderstorms tonight. Therefore, the Apiary advised me to place my Nuc in the location the hive is, open the bottom hole and leave it tonight. The told me to transfer the bees to the hive in the morning. They said the bees would be more relaxed because of the changing weather patterns they were currently sensing. I knew that bees sensed weather changes but I didn't realize they would effect them so much and so far in advance. It is 80 degrees, sunny and windy here with NO clouds in the sky. We are following the advise of the Apiary. They said they noticed the bees change temperament today from last night I can't wait to get to know our hive a little better so that I can read the weather patterns and temperament changes.

I will be ALWAYS checking the weather before going to our hives in the future. Simply things like this can make it that much easier for everyone and thing during feeding, hive checks, and harvesting.

I will post pics of hives and Nuc transfer later. I am very happy with the Apiary we ordered from and how our bees are behaving now. They are just peacefully flying in a out of their nuc. We can hear them buzzing what seems to be calmly in there!

 

[mamahmendez]

Well....got that stand apart to see what it's made of. It's some kind of composite, but I think I can seal it up and use it for a few years without too much trouble by painting it well in side and out. I'm also amazed at how sweetly a deep frame fits right down into this box, like it was made for it!

I'll have to add a back and a bottom to it, can use the drawer tracks to support the frames, and can extend the top to give me a little overhang and wrap it in metal to protect it. Just a few tweaks and I should have a mighty cute looking beehive! I can even use the Lang frames if I please, but I'm still wanting to use Lang frames modified into a top bar hybrid.

Will post a pic when I get it all done and set up for baiting.

Are you using lemongrass for bait? If not, what are you using?

 

[harmesonfarm]

love it! i'll be following this

 

[Beekissed]

Are you using lemongrass for bait? If not, what are you using?

Yep...and old comb if I can get my hands on some from a local beek.

 

[mamahmendez]

Yep...and old comb if I can get my hands on some from a local beek.

That is what I was going to try... I was told it isn't very likely you will have bees in your hive, but WASPS!
Did you hear/research this?

 

[Beekissed]

Yep, I sure did.

 

[mamahmendez]

Yep, I sure did.

Darn! I have enough wasp nests around my house. And these wasps are HUGE! I don't want another one for sure.

 

[Beekissed]

Darn! I have enough wasp nests around my house. And these wasps are HUGE! I don't want another one for sure.

No, no! I meant I had researched using the old comb. I've not heard one comment in all that research about the bait boxes attracting wasps. Not even a little side warning about it and I watched a lot of vids, read a lot of how-tos and not a word about wasps. I'd say "no worries".

Guess what I saw today? All over the peach trees, along with many other kinds of bees...I've never seen so many varieties on one tree!

Can you see her?

Small, dark honeybees all over that tree....could be I might have a chance to bait in some of those bees, huh? Gotta get that hive built....

Here's a pic of how neatly these frames are going to fit down into this little upcycled hive body....just need to build me a ledge in there to hold my frames.

Hope to work on this thing tomorrow and get it mostly scrapped together and painted. I still need to get my frames and some bait material after that.