Hive no 2

[Headfry]

Ted Hooper, my bee keeping bible, yes I have the book too :-)
to note: guard bees will often let other bees in if they carry nectar or pollen with them, even if they are not of that hive.
Try to get in empty handed.......don't!!!! an all out attack will follow.
I like to think that what I can smell is the romance of the hive, soft and warm - my girls!

ok, so you can get stung, and ouch it does flipp'in hurt, but hey ho! thats the way of it :-)

TGR- you will make a great beekeeper, of this I am sure. The bees left to their own are really good at looking after themselves, even in a hive. So, there is not much to go really wrong- the worst thing are the nasty diseases that are about these days, your local bee inspector can help with advice and checking you hive for you. Don't let this put you off, Swarming is one other little thing to try and curb if you have people living/working near your hive.
Try and get on a course, and become a much needed beekeeper.

[trebellangeminired]

Hives etc arrived!!!

Dear bee-keepers of the vine,

My first 2 hives were delivered today along with a library of beautiful bee related books and enough equipment to start a business. I am so blessed but I feel as though I have a huge responsibility too, not only to my bees (yet to come) but also to the family of the man to whom it all belonged. I expect he will always be there in spirit, watching over my shoulder and no doubt shaking his head at times! I hope I can eventually make them proud.

I have joined the local bee-keepers group and I am hoping to make contact with a local mentor soon and follow them through next year, aquiring my own colony spring/summer 2010 at the latest. Soo exited and scared at the same time. However small they are, the burden of care remains the same.

Will bore for England about this I suspect!

[Headfry]

Trebellangeminired...... Well done, the fun starts now!
He could also look over your shoulder and smile! Pleased to know that someone is not only looking after his hives, but using them for what they were made! He will be there in times of doubt and I feel very sure that all you do will make him proud.
Dont be scared, When you start with a swarm both you and your bees will grow together! A swarm can look quite small in a hive. It wont be like opening a fully established hive!
Funny old thing is bee keeping, they are after all just bugs! but if you let and love them, boy do they get under your skin! I have 3 pets, 2 cats and my girls! I treasure my bees as you would a family pet! (see my messages of panic last week when I thought they might starve) It is a 'burden of care' but not one that brings you down, their world is so fascinating, I spend hours watching mine.
Many many happy days to come.

[Plot17B]

Hi TGR,
Welcome to the fold! We need as many new keepers as possible right now so good to hear you're taking the mantle up. :-)
And never worry about being a newbie. I've met so many keepers of 20yrs plus standing who during local group inspections, have been faced with new and strange bee behaviours and are baffled themselves! I'm a newbie too but spending time with other keepers is a great way to watch & learn how to (and sometimes how not to!) look after your girls. Let us know how you get on.
Cheers
P17B

[Headfry]

Plot17b

my hive is brood, excluder then 1 super which as I mentioned I am going to clear and take off.

Want to treat and feed my girls

Will there be enough room in just the brood chamber for them all?
there are a lot of bees?

Worried ......again!

[Plot17B]

Hi there HF,
oohh...well, the girls will need about 2/3 to 3/3 a super of stores to overwinter on apparently. So, if there's that much space in the brood box of drawn comb which they can immediatly store syrup/honey into, then cool. If not, I'd leave a block of fondant on the top in the empty super so i) they can store it if they can else ii) they'll just take it as needed off the block.
But if a full brood chamber, then give then a framed, drawn super to store into.
I've done the experiment again BTW and they really wont take my medicated syrup with an excluder on. But you do need to have one on with fondant as the fondant will melt and drip down between the frames, thus killing anything underneath (egg/larvae). The girls do take fondant through an excluder though....it really is syrup which my girls love but hate the excluder for. Funny little things. :-)

Have you reduced down the entrance yet? I think I'm going to do mine but not sure if it's too early..... (wasps have all but disappeared now). TTFN
P17B

[trebellangeminired]

Hi TGR,
Welcome to the fold! We need as many new keepers as possible right now so good to hear you're taking the mantle up. :-)
And never worry about being a newbie. I've met so many keepers of 20yrs plus standing who during local group inspections, have been faced with new and strange bee behaviours and are baffled themselves! I'm a newbie too but spending time with other keepers is a great way to watch & learn how to (and sometimes how not to!) look after your girls. Let us know how you get on.
Cheers
P17B

Dear P17B

Thank you for your words of encouragement. I'm looking forward to the challenge and will keep you posted, no doubt with a barrage of questions too!

The weather outlook isn't promising from now on, so I will probably have to wait now until the spring to get some hands on experience.

Hope your girls are well and ready for the winter.

Best wishes,

[Headfry]

Thanks Plot17b
I don't have a drawn out super! (taken over a year to get just the one drawn out )
I want to treat them with apiguard and feed them if needed.

This time last year, they were just in the brood chamber with an empty super on top containing Apiguard and a rapid feeder...all worked really well.

In late Autumn I removed super and put in candy - again this seemed to work well, against all odds my tiny little cluster of girls came through the winter and when inspected by Bee Insp. they were found to be in fine health.

This year I have many more bees, and they are spread in Brood chamber and a super.

If I remove the super to take the honey, where will all the bees go???
I am worried that they will not have enough room in just the brood chamber?

I intend to put on an empty super with food and Apiguard?

very confused now.....

I have done the course, but its now that you really need a mentor- non around where I am

[Plot17B]

Mentors are ace if you can track one down. Agree! Have you chatted to someone from your local group? Or the inspector? They always seem to be really helpful. I'll PM you the name of a local expert in the Stratford-on-Avon group. He's always great for help and what he doesn't know ain't worth knowing.
Also, wasn't clear from the above - have you a second super to pop on top without frames to use? That gives the girls space should they need it and gives you room for the feed/drugs.

After some monumental phaffing around, I've now got x1 brood box, x1 framed super, then x1 excluder, then x1 empty super box with the two feeds. Then glass quilt & roof. As I've had a sudden decline in numbers, they have contracted down into the brood box so I'm still worried at their desire to walk through the framed super to get to the food.

There really aren't hard and fast rules to follow are there....

P17B

[lainey lou]

If all is well and I find her then this year she will wear a red crown (red mark on her throax) to denote that she is a 2008 queen, and I will be a very happy Headfry.

how on earth do you mark a bee Headfry?

[Headfry]

Lordy its hard!

you catch her in this little plunger type thingy.
push the plunger up thus gently trapping her against the mesh end.
using a special paint marker, put a little dab on thorax!

I will try and find a copy of 'How it went for me' think I posted it a while ago now!
It never goes as the book says- that I do know.

[lainey lou]

cor blimey!

[trebellangeminired]

I might have a colony!!!

Dear Headfry, Plot17b, Crichmond, beesontoast and beekeepers of the vine,

I might have a colony!!!

I’ve been having trouble getting to the teaching apiary of my local beekeepers and OH was talking about this at work. One of his colleagues told him about an elderly beekeeper who he helped with his hives. To cut a long story short, a meeting was arranged for this afternoon and colleague, OH and I spent a couple of very pleasant hours with a very kind couple and their bees. He opened one of his hives and went through the whole process. Before we left he showed me a nucleus hive and said if it survives the winter in good condition I could have it! I would pay for it of course but how fabulous to have the possibility of a colony for next spring. I am so utterly thrilled I had to share with you.

Today was also the first time I had come up close and personal with bees in and around their hive. It was brilliant. They were so quiet and lovely to watch going about their bee business. He loaned us veils which gives us an idea of which type we prefer to buy. He even gave a taste of his small honey harvest, still on the comb. Absolutely wonderful.

We have a lot of work to do now preparing the hive but lots of time to do it in.

Can’t wait

[Plot17B]

Dear Headfry, Plot17b, Crichmond, beesontoast and beekeepers of the vine,

I might have a colony!!!

Brilliant news for you.
Fingers crossed it all comes good in the spring. Plenty of time to prepare too, and work through you new pile of books.

Really chuffed for you.
P17B

[Headfry]

Well done TGR, that is fantastic news!
Sounds like you have also met some lovely people, this is a nice side effect of bee keeping.
You get to meet some wonderful people along the way.
I will keep my fingers crossed for you.
ROLL ON SPRING!!!