Last Year I Started Beekeeping - So Exciting

[sgtmom52]

What should I see at this point? It's been 5 days since I last checked. I want to make sure I know what to look for just in case there is no queen.

I would expect to see them drawing comb, storing some of the sugar syrup and pollen in cells and the queen should be starting to lay eggs. Make sure that you keep feeding them as they need a lot of food to draw comb. My swarm has been taking over a quart of syrup per day for the past few days.

 

[madamwlf]

Unfortunately my hive isn't anywhere near as big as your swarm. They are taking syrup though. The baggie is definitely smaller. I may wait until Friday. My well feeders will be in Friday and I don't want to remove the baggie and need to put a new one in.

 

[chigger bait]

Any one have any trouble with bears bothering your hive?? We are getting 3 nucs this weekend to start us off and we were told that we will need to put an electric fence around the hives for protection.

We have an old stray sow with cubs that comes into our area when the mass crop on the mountain is totaly gone and the wild black cherries and black berries are at their peak production.

On our river property in the South-Western end of Virginia, in Washington County, on the Holston River, I would like to put some hives there because of all the sourwood in those woods, but there is also black bears on those river "knobs" (small mountains) thick as theives.

If I ever put hives on there, I would have to have a strong charger and fence around the hives.

 

[Sooner]

This is what I had after three days. The hold in the middle is from removing the queen cage.

 

[alabama49]

Do any of you sell your beeswax or is that something you have to keep in the hives?

 

[chigger bait]

This is what I had after three days. The hold in the middle is from removing the queen cage.

Are you feeding them any sugar syrup?

 

[madamwlf]

I am so relieved now. I decided to go looking in my hive. I'm glad I did. They had drank all the syrup from the baggie so that got replaced with a new one.

The Queen Lives!!!!!

I was so happy to see her. There has been lots of activity going on. Comb being drawn, I had some cells that looked capped. There were other cells that looked dark. I'm assuming those were brood cells. Bees with pollen. It was so fascinating to see. No more stressing!!! For now at least. Hive #2 shows up next week.

 

[sgtmom52]

I am so relieved now. I decided to go looking in my hive. I'm glad I did. They had drank all the syrup from the baggie so that got replaced with a new one.

The Queen Lives!!!!!

I was so happy to see her. There has been lots of activity going on. Comb being drawn, I had some cells that looked capped. There were other cells that looked dark. I'm assuming those were brood cells. Bees with pollen. It was so fascinating to see. No more stressing!!! For now at least. Hive #2 shows up next week.

That is great news! I checked my hives at my house today and the new swarm that we caught on Saturday has already drawn a lot of new comb and the queen is laying already.

One of my other established hive is thinking about swarming on me.

. I'm going to keep checking them for the next few days and if I can find the queen again (saw her briefly today) I will try to do an "artificial swarm" split to keep them from swarming. In the meantime I have a bait hive out with swarm lure just in case. There is brood in at about 14 out of 20 frames in this hive and the hive is packed with bees.

This is the frame that tells me they are thinking of swarming. Uncapped swarm cells at the bottom and a supersedure cell at the top right.

 

[sgtmom52]

Do any of you sell your beeswax or is that something you have to keep in the hives?

I get some wax from my hives in the form of cappings after honey harvest however I use it to make candles. I don't really have enough to sell wax blocks.

 

[madamwlf]

Okay, is the supersedure cell the one that looks like it is a chunk sitting in the right hand corner??? What is it exactly? Also, when can I take the entrance reducer off?? Your somewhat close to me and I thought I saw you didn't have any on your hives.

That is great news! I checked my hives at my house today and the new swarm that we caught on Saturday has already drawn a lot of new comb and the queen is laying already.

One of my other established hive is thinking about swarming on me.

. I'm going to keep checking them for the next few days and if I can find the queen again (saw her briefly today) I will try to do an "artificial swarm" split to keep them from swarming. In the meantime I have a bait hive out with swarm lure just in case. There is brood in at about 14 out of 20 frames in this hive and the hive is packed with bees.

This is the frame that tells me they are thinking of swarming. Uncapped swarm cells at the bottom and a supersedure cell at the top right.