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Author Topic: 1st Hive  (Read 5864 times)

Offline Recurve

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1st Hive
« on: November 16, 2013, 01:18:01 am »
Hi all new beekeeper here from Western Australia

We got our hive about 2 weeks ago new boxes and a caught swarm. Today was the 2nd time inspecting the hive, we could see larvae and what I believe is capped brood. I was not able to spot the queen but seeing eggs and larva she must be doing OK





Can anyone tell me what to expect come winter time for the Perth area climate, most I can find that discuss winter is for America and our winters are completely different? Do bees here work all year round ?

I look forward to learning a lot from you all
« Last Edit: November 16, 2013, 06:07:07 am by buzzbee »

Offline Oak

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Re: 1st Hive
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2013, 01:43:40 am »
Welcome Recurve,

It's great that you caught a swarm, they will fill your hive really quickly, much easier than a cut out. Sorry I don't know much about the WA beekeeping climate.

(not enough posts to upload a pic yet)

You will have to make nine more posts or ask a mod to OK them.

Regards



Offline hollie

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Re: 1st Hive
« Reply #2 on: November 17, 2013, 04:15:21 am »
Hi Recurve - Welcome!
 I'm near Donnybrook - colder than you in winter, but mine do work thru winter when the weather is sunny. I'm pretty new to beekeeping; so far hives have all made it thru each winter- a little depleted in number in spring or late spring. I have rugged them a few times when we had a week of frosts, but don't usually have to feed or do anything special. If I fed thru cold winter weather, wud probably be a stronger hive in spring, but I am a hobbyist, so do what I have time for.I have always made sure the hives were sited to gain the sun early and are not in the shade really. I made the mistake of leaving one in a shady position in the garden and it really was hard work to bring them back to a healthy hive
As you are on the coast you should be OK and there should be enough forage on sunny days. Any bush nearby? Capeweed flowers early on many farms.
Good luck with your bees.
Hollie.

Offline amun-ra

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Re: 1st Hive
« Reply #3 on: November 17, 2013, 04:35:05 am »
recurve look at your pic borrom left cornerbout 1/3 from bottom
of pic looks like the queen to me???
Every day the sun shines and gravity sucks= free energy

Offline Recurve

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Re: 1st Hive
« Reply #4 on: November 17, 2013, 06:46:25 am »
Hi Recurve - Welcome!
 I'm near Donnybrook - colder than you in winter, but mine do work thru winter when the weather is sunny. I'm pretty new to beekeeping; so far hives have all made it thru each winter- a little depleted in number in spring or late spring. I have rugged them a few times when we had a week of frosts, but don't usually have to feed or do anything special. If I fed thru cold winter weather, wud probably be a stronger hive in spring, but I am a hobbyist, so do what I have time for.I have always made sure the hives were sited to gain the sun early and are not in the shade really. I made the mistake of leaving one in a shady position in the garden and it really was hard work to bring them back to a healthy hive
As you are on the coast you should be OK and there should be enough forage on sunny days. Any bush nearby? Capeweed flowers early on many farms.
Good luck with your bees.
Hollie.


Thank you for the answers we get very little if any frost here so it is good to know we do not have much to worry about come winter time. I may have made a small mistake with my location as it gets some shade from the afternoon sun I thought this would be a good idea at the time now I am not so sure.


recurve look at your pic borrom left cornerbout 1/3 from bottom
of pic looks like the queen to me???



To be honest I have looked at the pics I took and have thought I spotted her in every one  :-D I guess with time I will learn

Offline bernsad

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Re: 1st Hive
« Reply #5 on: November 17, 2013, 05:11:03 pm »
Afternoon shade is fine, it will help to keep them a bit cooler during summer.

Offline Recurve

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Re: 1st Hive
« Reply #6 on: November 18, 2013, 03:53:55 am »
Afternoon shade is fine, it will help to keep them a bit cooler during summer.

Excellent that was my thinking at the time thanks

Offline hollie

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Re: 1st Hive
« Reply #7 on: November 19, 2013, 02:22:17 am »
Hi Recurve
Sorry if my reply about sun was ambiguous:I try to site the hives where the sun's changing angle (Summer to winter) will give some shade in summer but not in winter. I also move them across into the place that has some shade for summer, over a few weeks - just a few meters at a time - if necessary.  As I have only a few hives it's not a problem to do this. Pretty hot down here in summer, so afternoon shade is a necessity. Also water close by in a dam, so I don't have to provide extra; however you might like to do that if the neighbours have a backyard swimming pool nearby! (Helps for good relationships.....  :-) )
'The Bee Book - Beekeeping in Australia'. by Warhust and Goebel is a pretty good book (2013). Also 'Practical Beekeeping in Australia and NZ' byChapman-Taylor and Davey (1988) has been especially useful to me: latter  is in the State library system. Really worth looking out for and I recommend it.
Cheers
Hollie

Offline ozebee

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Re: 1st Hive
« Reply #8 on: November 28, 2013, 10:11:34 pm »
Hi to the WA beeks!  We need some of your presence on www.swarmpatrol.com. Newly launched site for swarm collections. We would love to see you on the map to balance out all those on the East Coast!!

 

anything