Beekeeping

[djplong]

I'd only paid some passing attention to this thread - but I remembered that my wife was interested in beekeeping. I showed her the videos for the Flow Hive and she got *very* excited over it. Apparently she'd had some discussions with others in 'beekeeping circles' as she had an answer for MY primary question - where would you get the bees?

We ordered one. 'Excited' doesn't really describe my wife. She's *giddy* over this!

 

[bonnie]

Look at this nuc hive! Work of art. Looks like he's sold some other ones for less than $200 in the past (this one is $400 or make offer).

 

[Denarius]

Look at this nuc hive! Work of art. Looks like he's sold some other ones for less than $200 in the past (this one is $400 or make offer).


View attachment 75789

I was just at his shop today! He makes great stuff.

 

[bonnie]

I was just at his shop today! He makes great stuff.

I'd love to see his other work. What else does he make?

 

[Denarius]

I'd love to see his other work. What else does he make?

He has an online shop via square: Eco Bee Box LLC - Murray, UT
I think most of the stuff I've seen in the shop is online. He makes massive top bar style hives that use langstroth frames, as you saw mini boxes, and a bunch of other interesting stuff.

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I like the metal hardware he sells for your boxes. They allow you to lock the boxes together, which is great when I need to move the hive in the back of my Model S. You also can very quickly build boxes with the right size wood without having to saw different joints into them.

 

[bonnie]

Thanks for the link - nice stuff.

 

[bonnie]

Morning inspection. Temps here are already in the 80s & I am so glad I bought an UltraBreeze suit ... kept it from being a sauna while working. (I might not have fully suited up, but I was moving one hive a short distance & (understandably), the girls were not all that thrilled with me.) So pretty, though. Pollen, a little honey, eggs, nurse bees, drones. I saw the queen, but she wasn't feeling photogenic today.

 

[Denarius]

Beautiful girls Bonnie!

I did inspections yesterday.
Moving a hive... It turns out that the rear lift gate automatically closes at about 30, I don't know the exact speed since I was watching the hive in the rear view mirror.

 

[woof]

How a bee sting saved my life

Ellie Lobel was ready to die. Then she was attacked by bees. Christie Wilcox hears how venom can be a saviour.

BBC - Future - ‘How a bee sting saved my life’

 

[bonnie]

For those of you in colder climes, avert your eyes.

A morning hive check indicated that nectar flow is ramping up here in Northern California. Glad I put a few honey supers on last week - there were quite a few capped cells, but didn't get a picture of that (well, not one in focus).

 

[FlasherZ]

For those of you in colder climes, avert your eyes.

A morning hive check indicated that nectar flow is ramping up here in Northern California. Glad I put a few honey supers on last week - there were quite a few capped cells, but didn't get a picture of that (well, not one in focus).

I did an inspection yesterday and found some white-tips... first super went on one of the hives. 'tis the season!

 

[GasDoc]

Installed two packages today.

Using this local guy for the first time. Really convenient, only twenty minutes away.

But there was no candy in the queen cage?!? I left the cork in, put the queen cage in the center of the hive and plan on going back in a few days to free her. I suspended the cage screen side down so the other bees can feed her. She didn't have any attendants with her.

How long should I wait before I free her?

 

[bonnie]

Installed two packages today.

Using this local guy for the first time. Really convenient, only twenty minutes away.

But there was no candy in the queen cage?!? I left the cork in, put the queen cage in the center of the hive and plan on going back in a few days to free her. I suspended the cage screen side down so the other bees can feed her. She didn't have any attendants with her.

How long should I wait before I free her?

Do you know how long she was in the package before you picked it up? If they just put her in there when you picked her up, about two days. If they packaged the bees a day or two ahead of time, prob not a big deal at this point. I'd put a little grass (pesticide free ) in there, not super tight. Just let everyone do their thing.

Do you have a frame of brood/pollen/honey from another hive that you could move over to give it all a kickstart?

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Just curious - was in 'Beekeeper Mike'? He's right in your neighborhood.

 

[GasDoc]

Do you know how long she was in the package before you picked it up? If they just put her in there when you picked her up, about two days. If they packaged the bees a day or two ahead of time, prob not a big deal at this point. I'd put a little grass (pesticide free ) in there, not super tight. Just let everyone do their thing.

Do you have a frame of brood/pollen/honey from another hive that you could move over to give it all a kickstart?

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Just curious - was in 'Beekeeper Mike'? He's right in your neighborhood.

Yes. I got these bees from Beekeeper Mike. Last year I drove up north to Nobel Apiaries.

When I asked if he could mark my queens, two days ago, he said the bees were already packaged up. So I know they've been together for two days already.

I've got them with some brood comb and capped honey that my bees from last year left when they absconded or died over the winter. Hopefully these girls will fare better.

I suppose I'll wait for the next good weather day to open up the hive and free the queen. I should let them settle in a bit so they don't get too stressed, right? Supposed to rain tomorrow anyways.

 

[FlasherZ]

Installed two packages today.

Using this local guy for the first time. Really convenient, only twenty minutes away.

But there was no candy in the queen cage?!? I left the cork in, put the queen cage in the center of the hive and plan on going back in a few days to free her. I suspended the cage screen side down so the other bees can feed her. She didn't have any attendants with her.

How long should I wait before I free her?

There are times I've gotten queens without candy in the cage. I just pull the small wooden cork and stuff a small marshmallow in it for them.

I'd wait 2 days before dropping the queen in, if you choose to do it without candy.

 

[Denarius]

If they were packaged together I've always immediatly released my queens. I run foundationless and bees always start to build comb off of the queen cage, which throws everything out of whack. So I release her and pull the cage out, I haven't had an issue so far.

 

[nursebee]

Longtime beek here, wanted to go commercial.
The first profitable year I had ($19) I had to spend a lot (10K) to get there.
Not a good beesness plan.
Took a few years off, had some shoulder work done.
2 Packages coming in next few days.

 

[1208]

Never been into beekeeping but it has been a real buzz reading this thread.

 

[GasDoc]

I did my first cutout today. Two members of the local bee guild volunteered to help me tip over a statue in my backyard and cut out the hive.

I was expecting a bigger hive as I've seen bees going in and out of this base for years. We found a smallish hive of brand new looking honey.

The combs and bees are now in a Langstroth box set in the original location of the hive.

 

[bonnie]

That looks like work!

How many hives do you have now?