Author Topic: Are you ready for bees season (Read 5010 times)

lively Bee's · « **on:** March 09, 2007, 10:39:17 pm »

I have my stained my 50 new supers, 30 deeps, and 20 nuc
I turned, and planted 8ac of clover 2 ac of alfalfa. to day
trees are in bloom and it sun is shineing

Looks like its honey makeing time

weeeeeeeeeeee

Kirk-o · « **Reply #1 on:** March 09, 2007, 10:42:55 pm »

Well it looks like you are ready to go :-D
kirk-o

reinbeau · « **Reply #2 on:** March 09, 2007, 10:57:10 pm »

Hubby (Woodchopper) has been painting the supers, tops and bottoms of the two hives we're putting over at Mum's this season. We've already got what we need to set up the three hives in Maine. I'm getting excited! :-D

Michael Bush · « **Reply #3 on:** March 10, 2007, 09:50:52 am »

I have 60 bottom boards to cut down, put entrance blocks on and dip. I have 330 boxes to dip and assemble. I have 500 frames that need to be cut down for width, have a bevel cut on the, be assembled and branded. I have 1,000 foundationless frames that need to be assembled and branded. I have 500 PermaComb I need to wax dip. I have a few nucs to put together. I have about 20 or so inner covers, slatted racks, etc that need to be cut down to ten frames. I need to build about 12-8 foot long hive stands. I need to build 60 new tops. I need to build 100 combination top/bottom/feeder to put nucs on top of the hives. I need to build about 100 inner cover/jar feeders.

I'm so far behind.... but the weather has not been cooperative.

lively Bee's · « **Reply #4 on:** March 10, 2007, 10:17:52 am »

:shock: wow michael I hope you get it ready. I hope every one has a good honey year.

nepenthes · « **Reply #5 on:** March 10, 2007, 11:43:25 am »

Yea I hope every one has a good honey year too, I hope I can get the bee equipment I need by the first WED of next month!!!! :shock:

Apis629 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 10, 2007, 12:41:37 pm »

I'm harvesting today!

The hive hadn't seen any attention in two years and has two mediums and two shallows completely capped.

All in all, I'd say I'm just about ready for the new year. I put together three new mediums and all thirty frames, repainted two old supers, and scraped off two queen excluders.

Understudy · « **Reply #7 on:** March 10, 2007, 02:10:41 pm »

Quote from: Michael Bush on March 10, 2007, 09:50:52 am

I have 60 bottom boards to cut down, put entrance blocks on and dip. I have 330 boxes to dip and assemble. I have 500 frames that need to be cut down for width, have a bevel cut on the, be assembled and branded. I have 1,000 foundationless frames that need to be assembled and branded. I have 500 PermaComb I need to wax dip. I have a few nucs to put together. I have about 20 or so inner covers, slatted racks, etc that need to be cut down to ten frames. I need to build about 12-8 foot long hive stands. I need to build 60 new tops. I need to build 100 combination top/bottom/feeder to put nucs on top of the hives. I need to build about 100 inner cover/jar feeders.

I'm so far behind.... but the weather has not been cooperative.

Great now I feel like a complete slacker.

All that work looks like it would interfere with the time I spend eating bon bons and watching Oprah.

Michael, that looks like a hell of a project I hope the weather clears up for you. Did I mention it has been sunny and warm in south Florida.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

tillie · « **Reply #8 on:** March 10, 2007, 09:12:49 pm »

Gee, Michael, all that work to do makes me appreciate even more the time you give to all of us with our questions over and over.

I spent today painting my hive bodies and that seemed like a lot to me - and I only was painting equipment for 4 hives - and I know you don't paint yours and still have that long list of things to do. You are an amazing beekeeper role model for us all.

Linda T

BeeHopper · « **Reply #9 on:** March 11, 2007, 10:22:56 am »

I'll be pacing the floor of my porch which is full of tops, bottoms and everything in-between till April 21st, the day I go and pick up the girls. The 2 colonies I have overwintered are doing well. :-D

Cindi · « **Reply #10 on:** March 11, 2007, 11:28:40 am »

Wow, isn't getting ready for the spring an awesome job. Michael, I think that you need to find more stuff to do (LOL).

I have painted one side of 40 Langstroth boxes, now I need to paint the other 3 sides, I just have to turn them all around. It is so nice to put out clean boxes each year. Something that gives that warm and fuzzy feeling.

My husband is building me a honey house this spring. He is getting sick and tired of all my stuff in his garage and how now and then if he forgets to close the door in summer, that the bees find their way in and then he has to deal with me and my bees. His biggest issue was trying to figure out how big to build it, which he has. He didn't want it too big cause then everyone will think that I have room to store their stuff in it. Good luck....I will sic the bees on them if they try.

After the honey harvest last year I put the still moist supers in his garage. My son-in-law went in to work on his bike and came out just as fast as he went in. Many was he in terror. This is a guy who thinks that he is so tough, biker type. (But one of my favourite men in my life, other than my husband). He thinks that he is deathly allergic to bees (little does he know he's not). I have tried to tell him that it is usual for the area to have some swelling and itching.

I have kept the bees two years now and he hasn't been stung yet. I am sure that one day he will, and then I will baby him, put a cool cloth and benedryl cream on the sting. This will make him think that he will be okay and he won't freak out. Such a funny dude. Have the best of the day and let's all get to work for our bees. Cindi

Billy The Beekeeper · « **Reply #11 on:** March 11, 2007, 12:41:00 pm »

Quote from: Michael Bush on March 10, 2007, 09:50:52 am

I have 60 bottom boards to cut down, put entrance blocks on and dip. I have 330 boxes to dip and assemble. I have 500 frames that need to be cut down for width, have a bevel cut on the, be assembled and branded. I have 1,000 foundationless frames that need to be assembled and branded. I have 500 PermaComb I need to wax dip. I have a few nucs to put together. I have about 20 or so inner covers, slatted racks, etc that need to be cut down to ten frames. I need to build about 12-8 foot long hive stands. I need to build 60 new tops. I need to build 100 combination top/bottom/feeder to put nucs on top of the hives. I need to build about 100 inner cover/jar feeders.

I'm so far behind.... but the weather has not been cooperative.

How about u send some of that my way rofl actually im gonna order a new hive here soon for swarm season but im hopin to get to atleast 4 hives this summer maybe even 5 and I also Hope Everyone has a Good Honey Year!!!!! :D :mrgreen:

papabear · « **Reply #12 on:** March 11, 2007, 05:26:24 pm »

This will be my first year to make honey. Hope it's good

randydrivesabus · « **Reply #13 on:** March 11, 2007, 09:19:09 pm »

it was pretty exciting to see bees at my surviving hive today. i was worried i lost that one too since i hadn't seen any action in quite a while. i also haven't been home during daylight when it's been warm for a while.
i saw a couple of ladies checking out the chicken scratch in front of the chicken house so i went over to the hive and it looked pretty active. i don't think there's anything blooming yet though.

SteveSC · « **Reply #14 on:** March 11, 2007, 09:36:37 pm »

Today I painted 20 new supers I made the other day. I have 300 empty fames that need to be scraped and cleaned. I have 200 new frames that need to be put together. I got a deal on some foundation this winter so all 500 frames will have foundation put in ans put in supers ready for the bees. I have three 5 frame nucs coming in 3 weeks...I'm ready for those. I have 20 supers with drawn comb ready for the hives - I wish I had 100 drawn comb supers. I'm not completely ready but I'm getting there...

I thought this was going to be a leisurely hobby - I think the bees are keeping me.... :-D :-D

Michael Bush · « **Reply #15 on:** March 11, 2007, 11:00:48 pm »

I started "frying" some of the hives in two parts bees wax and one part gum rosin. They look gorgeous and smell even better. :)

Cindi · « **Reply #16 on:** March 11, 2007, 11:18:25 pm »

Michael, OK so your lingo is new to this mind. What are you talking about, frying the hives? Best of days. Cindi

Michael Bush · « **Reply #17 on:** March 12, 2007, 12:09:41 am »

http://entomology.unl.edu/beekpg/tidings/btid1995/btiddc95.htm#Item4

Like this. Mann Lake sells paraffin and gum rosin for this. I used beeswax and gum rosin instead. The wax is about 250 F (121 C) and I cook them for about ten minutes. They bubble just like frying donuts or "Freedom" fries.

BEE C · « **Reply #18 on:** March 12, 2007, 05:17:55 am »

I was wondering how bb were dipped in wax or coated...that would be really good for out humid climate eh cindi? Let me know when you build one ill bring my boxes over... :-D
michael, you certainly have a lot of work to do before the season, good luck with your expansion!
steve

Michael Bush · « **Reply #19 on:** March 12, 2007, 07:28:18 am »

>I was wondering how bb were dipped in wax or coated

bb? Bottom Boards? I will boil them the same as the boxes.

Cindi · « **Reply #20 on:** March 12, 2007, 11:29:06 am »

Michael, wow, what a set up. It would be a great apparatus and method of preserving wood for sure, but I would guess that to warrant that type of elaborateness one would have to run quite a large number of hives. Wonder if there could be a way of "painting" wax and rosin on instead of dippping. I didn't read the site too deeply, just glanced, I have added it to my favourites to peruse later on. Best of the best day. Cindi