Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => HONEYBEE REMOVAL => Topic started by: JP on January 24, 2009, 05:46:25 pm

Title: They're Getting Ready!
Post by: JP on January 24, 2009, 05:46:25 pm
Calls starting to come in more frequently now that the weather is warming and the bees are gettin' at it. Queens are a laying!

Went on a call a little while ago, turned out to be a colony in that neighborhood (Harahan, Louisiana) somewhere, that liked the spilled root beer on the garbage can as much as the guy that loves rootbear. They saw them yesterday and today. Some even found their way into the kitchen as she had the door open.

A lady called me a few minutes ago from Harvey with an established colony in a two story.

My hives are gettin' at it pretty good too. Its a coming. Swarm season right around the corner, my favorite time of the year!


...JP
Title: Re: They're Getting Ready!
Post by: bailey on January 24, 2009, 05:59:39 pm
mine are bringing in nectar already, i am planning to look at possibly starting some splits tomorrow.

are you seeing drones jp? if so i will really be splitting tomorrow!

bailey
Title: Re: They're Getting Ready!
Post by: fermentedhiker on January 24, 2009, 06:04:11 pm
You guys are killing me  :shock: I'm under a foot of snow and I had to go out to the hive and chip the ice away from the entrance so that they can do their cleansing flights if it ever warms up again.
Title: Re: They're Getting Ready!
Post by: JP on January 24, 2009, 06:36:42 pm
mine are bringing in nectar already, i am planning to look at possibly starting some splits tomorrow.

are you seeing drones jp? if so i will really be splitting tomorrow!

bailey

Not seeing drones in my hives just yet. The one I did last Friday had swarm cells and a fair amount of capped drone brood as well.

Sorry FH, you get the snow, we get hurricanes, oh well.


...JP
Title: Re: They're Getting Ready!
Post by: Cindi on January 25, 2009, 12:41:33 pm
JP, you go!!!  Wow, it is the weirdest thing when I hear of the colonies already getting busy, as in your state.  Soon we will have pictures of you and your swarm catching work, yeah!!!  Missed that all this wintertime.....We don't have to worry about any swarmy stuff until about the end of April, moreso, into May, so we have a long ways to go yet.  The bees haven't yet even ventured out for any cleansing flights.  This has been an extraordinarily cold winter.  I will be feeding pollen patties in a couple of weeks to give that kick start of brood rearing.  I will check the colonies soon, on the next nice day, smiling, whenever that will be.  It will be just a short 1 minute inspection to see how their supplies in the top box are (2 deep boxes for winter here) and to give a pollen patty that will cover about 6 frames, it will be a big one, one that will hold them over for a while, it also helps to keep the warmth in the hive, and it smells so nice, the bees will love me, smiling.  have that wonderful day, awesome life, attract great health.  Cindi
Title: Re: They're Getting Ready!
Post by: JP on January 25, 2009, 12:52:47 pm
Cindi, I can't wait for the swarm calls to roll in, by far the most wonderful time of the year. Dealing with swarms is pure fun, I am in an area that sees a lot of this, so I am getting very excited just thinking about what this season will hold.


...JP
Title: Re: They're Getting Ready!
Post by: Cindi on January 25, 2009, 07:57:50 pm
JP, ooooh ya, I hear ya!!!  I can't wait for the spring to come, the days are already at least an hour longer.  We put the turkeys to bed around 4:30 now instead of 4:00 and they all get in the AM earlier, yeah!!!  The wonders that the leaving of winter bestills.  JP, have that great time this year, like I said, you be the Swarm King, and pictures I know you shall bring to your followings....have a most wonderful, awesome day, attract beautiful health.  Cindi
Title: Re: They're Getting Ready!
Post by: BEEMAN on January 25, 2009, 09:31:00 pm
On days of at least 40 degrees my bees are flying like gangbusters. They have
been bring in yellow pollen since about the beginning of December 2008. I noticed that the wild flowers have begun blooming earlier this year than in past years. Normally they don' start blooming until early February. My hives are doing great for this time of the year, even a hive that was empty late last fall and a swarm moved into it in mid December. I quickly check that hive yesterday and it is full of bees, one deep and three honey supers on it. Bees all the way to the top honey super. I hope this is an indication of a good swarm season in southern Louisiana. BEEMAN
Title: Re: They're Getting Ready!
Post by: annette on January 25, 2009, 11:07:31 pm
Cindi, I can't wait for the swarm calls to roll in, by far the most wonderful time of the year. Dealing with swarms is pure fun, I am in an area that sees a lot of this, so I am getting very excited just thinking about what this season will hold.


...JP

This year I am getting onto a swarm list and hopefully I will get called and not freak out.
Title: Re: They're Getting Ready!
Post by: JP on January 25, 2009, 11:11:35 pm
Cindi, I can't wait for the swarm calls to roll in, by far the most wonderful time of the year. Dealing with swarms is pure fun, I am in an area that sees a lot of this, so I am getting very excited just thinking about what this season will hold.


...JP

This year I am getting onto a swarm list and hopefully I will get called and not freak out.

You can only get on a swarm list on the condition that you must, absolutely must catch the queen from a swarm and place her on your red umbrella and have someone take a picture of you holding the red umbrella with the swarm on top, ok?


...JP
Title: Re: They're Getting Ready!
Post by: annette on January 25, 2009, 11:25:54 pm
Uh Yeah sure!!!
Title: Re: They're Getting Ready!
Post by: JP on January 25, 2009, 11:46:16 pm
Uh Yeah sure!!!

(http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/9382/dscn2024eh1.th.jpg) (http://img292.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscn2024eh1.jpg)

If only this one was red and you were holding it Annette!


...JP
Title: Re: They're Getting Ready!
Post by: Brian D. Bray on January 26, 2009, 07:52:42 pm
I've got a 5 frame deep nuc that I plan on using as a swarm catcher.  It's the only deep I have.  If, and when, I catch a swarm I'll be putting medium supers on it so I can build it up and then move the supers off and add a queen.  I'm going to call it my grower hive.  Over winter is the 1 deep and 2 medium 5 frame supers.
Title: Re: They're Getting Ready!
Post by: annette on January 27, 2009, 12:18:31 am
Uh Yeah sure!!!

(http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/9382/dscn2024eh1.th.jpg) (http://img292.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscn2024eh1.jpg)

If only this one was red and you were holding it Annette!


...JP
Dream, Dream, Dream
Title: Re: They're Getting Ready!
Post by: JP on January 27, 2009, 01:50:53 am
Uh Yeah sure!!!

(http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/9382/dscn2024eh1.th.jpg) (http://img292.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscn2024eh1.jpg)

If only this one was red and you were holding it Annette!  (http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/5706/index2ek7.png) (http://imageshack.us)



...JP


...JP
Dream, Dream, Dream
Title: Re: They're Getting Ready!
Post by: DayValleyDahlias on January 27, 2009, 02:29:14 am
Oh wow, I can't wait for the multitude of swarm photos from you J.P.

Annette, I am hoping to obtain some swarms as well..what will we do with them???  Hahaha
I remember last season when I freaked about a swarm, I kept running in an out of the house to go online...help help help
Title: Re: They're Getting Ready!
Post by: annette on January 27, 2009, 02:40:23 pm
Oh wow, I can't wait for the multitude of swarm photos from you J.P.

Annette, I am hoping to obtain some swarms as well..what will we do with them???  Hahaha
I remember last season when I freaked about a swarm, I kept running in an out of the house to go online...help help help
I am answering this question on the topic I just placed