Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: Lost one up in Maine  (Read 1337 times)

Offline reinbeau

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 2504
  • Gender: Female
Lost one up in Maine
« on: October 26, 2008, 08:58:34 pm »
We just got home from checking the hives up in Maine, taking off the Miteaway II, and giving them all some comb to clean up and bring down into the hives for the winter.  Unfortunately we lost one up there, it's one we got from up in Buckport two years ago, they were weak and they got robbed out.  There was the beginnings of wax moths in there, so I brought the frames home and tossed them in the freezer.  The other three hives up there are doing from fine to gangbusters, I think they'll winter through well.  So now we're down to eight, although that'll drop to seven when the weak one out back dies, which it will.  Gives us room to expand again next year!

We've decided no more package bees, they just don't do as well as the nucs we've purchased, and we're really pleased with the bees we got from Beeline Apiaries up in Hudson, NH.  We'll definitely be buying from him again this spring!

Offline Brian D. Bray

  • Heavenly Beekeeper
  • Heavenly Beekeeper
  • Galactic Bee
  • ********
  • Posts: 7369
  • Gender: Male
  • I really look like this, just ask Cindi.
    • http://spaces.msn.com/thecoonsden
Re: Lost one up in Maine
« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2008, 10:31:52 pm »
Local bees are always a better option, local feral is even better.  As you've probably already learned, it takes 2 years for a hive of bees to aclimatize to an area, if they survive that long.
Life is a school.  What have you learned?   :brian:      The greatest danger to our society is apathy, vote in every election!

Offline DayValleyDahlias

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1629
  • Gender: Female
    • DayValleyDahlia's Blog
Re: Lost one up in Maine
« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2008, 08:31:45 pm »
That is sort of my plan.  I am hoping to catch some swarms, and do some swarm catching!  Not gonna spend over $200.00 on 2 packages of bees...at least that is my plan today!

 

anything