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Author Topic: When you get package bees  (Read 2578 times)

Offline Finski

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When you get package bees
« on: April 05, 2010, 04:09:14 am »
When you get package bees, restrict the hive room so that you leave only so much frames what bees can totally occupye. The hive starts to raise brood and tnew bees start to emerge 3 weeks later. Half of old bees will be dead in that moment.

After 4 weeks new bees emerge so much that you may add frames.

4 lbs bees occupye one langstroth box=10 frames.   2 lbs occupye 5 frames and 3 lbs  7 frames.

Why I know that? Package bees are like swarms.

The best result I got with swarms when I put 8 lbs bees in one hive.

The threshold of good build up is that the colony occupye the whole box. So the need is 4 lbs bees.
For smaller amount of bees restrict the room to proper.  Don't over ventilate the hive.

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Offline luvin honey

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Re: When you get package bees
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2010, 01:32:57 pm »
Thanks :) I'm about to install a package and this is helpful. I will just convert it to topbar guidelines...
The pedigree of honey
Does not concern the bee;
A clover, any time, to him
Is aristocracy.
---Emily Dickinson

Offline AllenF

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Re: When you get package bees
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2010, 09:25:54 pm »
What is that wire used for that's run in and out of the bee hive in your pic?

Offline Bellavista2

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Re: When you get package bees
« Reply #3 on: April 05, 2010, 10:09:08 pm »
Man  your bees sure have adapted to the cold. So is that a solid divider on the left side? Are the side panels on  your bee boxes just 1/4'' thick? the recessed part? Just wondering about the cold. I've got a hive that's barely hanging on and was considering consolidating. There in two deeps with 20 frames most of them still full of honey. Your Thoughts would be welcome 

Offline buzzbee

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Re: When you get package bees
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2010, 11:51:15 pm »
What is that wire used for that's run in and out of the bee hive in your pic?
Finsky lives in a very cold climate and puts a small bulb in the hives to raise temps to increase brood rearing.

Offline Finski

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Re: When you get package bees
« Reply #5 on: April 06, 2010, 01:38:37 am »
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Wires are 15W terrarium heater cable for spring build up.

This hive brought 80 kg honey.
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Offline Bellavista2

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Re: When you get package bees
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2010, 01:52:00 am »
Ah a heater so the thin boxes wouldn't matter so much. So what about the left frame solid or what?

Offline Finski

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Re: When you get package bees
« Reply #7 on: April 06, 2010, 02:11:24 am »
Are the side panels on  your bee boxes just 1/4'' thick?

The wall is foamed plastic andvery insulating. The thicknes is 30 mm = 1,25"

Quote
There in two deeps with 20 frames most of them still full of honey. Your Thoughts would be welcome 

If the hive has too much space and food, it wastes its energy. The hive needs all energy to keep brood area warm over night and rainy days.

The hive need all the time 2 full food frames and the rest are for brood. In good days bees forage pollen and store it just next to brood.

If the brood area is too full, it makes early swarming and swarming is poison to honey yield.

You may give food frames later to the hive, to nucs or to swarms. It depends what you will have.
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Offline Bellavista2

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Re: When you get package bees
« Reply #8 on: April 06, 2010, 11:23:29 am »
Finski   Thank you That's a very helpful answer.

Offline The Bix

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Re: When you get package bees
« Reply #9 on: April 06, 2010, 01:26:05 pm »
If you have deep frames with honey available, does it make sense to install your package with a couple of honey frames?

Offline Finski

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Re: When you get package bees
« Reply #10 on: April 06, 2010, 01:42:11 pm »
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How heat accelerate brood rearing.

If we measure  the brood area of 10 cm radius, 10 cm x 10 cm x pii 3,14 = 314 cm2

Then if heat add the radius to 15 cm, the area will be  15 cm x 15 cm x pii 3,14 = 707 cm2

So the brood area  in one frame is  2,25 bigger.

But the whole brood area is a ball.  Lets look the rise of volume of brood area.

4/3*3,14 * pii3 10x10x10 = 4 200

50% more to radius

4/3*3,14 * pii3 15x15x15 = 14 100

The bigger radius has 3,4 fold volume compared to smaller radius.

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Offline Finski

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Re: When you get package bees
« Reply #11 on: April 06, 2010, 01:48:13 pm »
If you have deep frames with honey available, does it make sense to install your package with a couple of honey frames?

Two frames honey is 5 kg food/sugar.  If you valuate that all together stores are that size, it is enough for one box colony.

If the colony is 5 frames, one full  food  frame is enough, all together calculated.
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