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Author Topic: I have a problem.....  (Read 2697 times)

Offline Echium

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I have a problem.....
« on: May 25, 2011, 06:46:08 pm »
I am really upset right now.  I ordered some queenless packages to strengthen a week hive and also to put with some queens I had ordered.  The queens were supposed to arrive today but they didn't.  The packages arrived a few hours ago, and they are in HORRIBLE condition, the worst I have ever seen.  One of them has more dead bees than live ones.  They all have between one and two inches of dead bees on the floor.  I don't know what to do, because the queens are not here and I feel very bad making them sit in these boxes full of dead bees.  I want to put them in hive boxes, but without a queen, what would happen?  Any advice would be appreciated.

Offline hardwood

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Re: I have a problem.....
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2011, 06:54:13 pm »
You should contact your supplier about the dead bees!

Scott
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

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Offline Echium

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Re: I have a problem.....
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2011, 06:58:22 pm »
I did contact them, and left a message.  In the mean time, I am just trying to figure out how to handle this situation.

Offline AllenF

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Re: I have a problem.....
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2011, 06:59:53 pm »
Put all your packages with your weak hives.   Then you can do splits later when queens arrive.

Offline Echium

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Re: I have a problem.....
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2011, 07:06:18 pm »
If I do that, do I need to newspaper combine?  Will there be any problem with all the extra dead bees being thrown in the mix?

Offline AllenF

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Re: I have a problem.....
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2011, 07:08:57 pm »
Newspaper combine yes.   Make sure you have syrup with them and a hole for them to exit the hive.   The bees will clean out their dead just fine.

Offline Larry Bees

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Re: I have a problem.....
« Reply #6 on: May 25, 2011, 07:11:28 pm »
Newspaper combine yes.   Make sure you have syrup with them and a hole for them to exit the hive.   The bees will clean out their dead just fine.

What is the newspaper combine?

Offline AllenF

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Re: I have a problem.....
« Reply #7 on: May 25, 2011, 07:13:00 pm »
Newspaper combine yes.   Make sure you have syrup with them and a hole for them to exit the hive.   The bees will clean out their dead just fine.

What is the newspaper combine?

How To Do A Newspaper Combine Of Two Beehives

Offline Larry Bees

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Re: I have a problem.....
« Reply #8 on: May 25, 2011, 07:17:10 pm »
Newspaper combine yes.   Make sure you have syrup with them and a hole for them to exit the hive.   The bees will clean out their dead just fine.

What is the newspaper combine?

How To Do A Newspaper Combine Of Two Beehives

Thanks a lot! That was a quick reply! I had never heard of that, but I'm new to all of this.

Offline AllenF

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Re: I have a problem.....
« Reply #9 on: May 25, 2011, 07:21:04 pm »
There is just so much to learn.   But it is all good and fun to do.   Everybody is still learning here.

Offline Echium

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Re: I have a problem.....
« Reply #10 on: May 25, 2011, 07:28:59 pm »
I just thought of an idea....tell me if this will work.  What if I grab a queen from one of my hives (it's a queen I was going to get rid of anyway) and put it in a cage, and then dump all the packages together in one hive with the caged queen.  Will that work well until I get the queens I ordered?

Offline iddee

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Re: I have a problem.....
« Reply #11 on: May 25, 2011, 08:35:35 pm »
Yes, it will work well. Be sure to add a feeder.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

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Offline Kathyp

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Re: I have a problem.....
« Reply #12 on: May 25, 2011, 08:37:46 pm »
get some pictures of the packages you got and the conditions.  you may need them.
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline annette

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Re: I have a problem.....
« Reply #13 on: May 25, 2011, 11:05:21 pm »
Just a small note!! When I do the newspaper combine, I spray the newspaper with a little sugar syrup just to mask the scent of the hives. Not even sure where I learned this, but this is what I do. It works well every time.

Good Luck

Annette