Last Year I Started Beekeeping - So Exciting

[3forfree]

Do you make your own hives, or buy them.

 

[sgtmom52]

Do you make your own hives, or buy them.

We use Langstroth Hives and buy the woodware and assemble it ourselves. We did make some from purchased lumber and found that the cost was not much cheaper and it took a lot more time, esp. the screen bottom boards, inner covers and telescoping covers. It is much easier for us to go to our local supplier and pick up what we need then assemble it. Unless you get your hive equipment locally or from one of the few companies who don't charge shipping, you will find shipping is the major expense.

We also use wooden frames with wired wax foundation. We used to use Pierco plastic foundation, but don't like it as much as the wax and are phasing it out of our hives. Once you build a few frames and learn how to wire, wax and embed the wires it is easy and goes pretty fast.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Still. No. Bees.

Bumming out here. Got a call from the Bee Guy about 8pm on Wednesday night saying they weren't ready and wouldn't be ready 'for a bit'. The UP side is that I've been learning loads from you great people, and I'm super ready. Got my Honey-B-Healthy made and here are our supers:




I know, too many supers, too few bees. Either we were feeling very optimistic, or the guy we bought them from was a very good salesman. I'm going with the latter. (There are more in the house too).

 

[chigger bait]

Does any one use attic boxes on their hives?

I found they keep the hives cool in the summer, thus no bearding up during the hot summer months and dry during the winter providing ventalation and removing condensation.

 

[madamwlf]

My bees came today and we got the hive all set up. We decided to release the bees a different way this time since it was time for the kids to get out of school and we have a few that walk down the driveway behind the hives. We put the queen in as usual. Instead of dumping the bees in, we removed 5 frames and placed the bee box inside the hive. In a few days I'll go back in to take the box out and put the frames back in.

Could someone tell me what is up with the bees on the first hive?? I'm not sure which hive they even belong to. Which leads me to my next question. Since the new hive is really established yet, do other hives allow or adopt bees that have established yet? Should I worry about the new bees taking over the other hive since they are really weaker? Should I move the new hive? Thanks!

 

[madamwlf]

Here is my theory. Now it's just a theory since I'm still quite new to this. We investigated the bunch of bees on the side of the first hive. Found no queen or anything special. I think they smell the syrup in the box. The white super is the top feeder that has syrup in it. I'm just surprised the members of that hive didn't attack them.

 

[chigger bait]

I'm just surprised the members of that hive didn't attack them.

I would say they are just the bees from the same hive then.

Just looking for another entrance to the feeder.

Unless you see them going to the other hive.

Yesterday I was out working in my garden, which is 20 yards down wind from the 4 hives of my Russians,

One of the old ladies popped me right between the eyes.

Both of my peepers a swelled to just slits this morning..

I think the wife has some human type of Benadryl she gives to the dogs, somewhere around here.

 

[madamwlf]

Wow, did I kill the thread???

The bees are gone from the side of the hive now. Not sure what was going on. It was really neat though, I saw a worker bee on the side with the others and it was doing a little dance. It was awesome to see. We took the bee box out of the second hive. Left the queen alone. We'll be going into both hives this week to see how things are going.

 

[sgtmom52]

We had a busy day ~ 2 swarm calls.

The first was an easy one ~ a nice swarm about 7' up on the side of a garage. I collected it with the bee vac, took it home and put it in a nuc for the night. Tomorrow I will be taking it to a new beekeeping couple and putting it in their hive to get them started.



The second swarm was a bit more difficult. It is a large swarm probably 30 to 40 feet up in a poplar tree. As we couldn't reach it we set up a bait hive with some old comb and swarm lure and hope that the swarm may go into it tomorrow.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Still no bees.