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Offline Beecharmer

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Another newcomer
« on: March 07, 2005, 09:30:16 pm »
Hello,

I completed a two day course at a local Ivy Tech given by the Indiana Beekeeping School.  It was very informative and I am learning every day from the group e mails - very like this one.  We bought our hives and nucs at the class and will be receiving the bees this spring.  I have been reading as much as I can on the subject and can't wait to get the bees.  There is a beekeeping group that just started about an hour away and I hope to attend some meetings.  I spoke with the gentleman that started the meetings (Don Meier) and he has 300 hives.  He offered to let me have some hands on experience this spring.  I am anxious to learn anything I can and will be bugging everyone with questions galore!
"Outside of a good book, a dog is a man's best friend: and inside a dog, it's too dark to read."  Groucho Marx

Offline Horns Pure Honey

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Another newcomer
« Reply #1 on: March 07, 2005, 09:52:29 pm »
Its great to have you aboard! Dont be afraid to ask any questions, bye :D
Ryan Horn

Offline Beth Kirkley

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Another newcomer
« Reply #2 on: March 07, 2005, 11:21:57 pm »
With what you're learning, you may be able to teach many people here yourself. :)

Welcome aboard, and ask away!

Beth

Offline indypartridge

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Another newcomer
« Reply #3 on: March 08, 2005, 07:41:32 am »
Hi Beecharmer,

I took the same class when it was offered in Indy, and am excited about getting my bees in the spring.  Maybe we'll meet when we pick up our nucs.

Offline beemaster

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Another newcomer
« Reply #4 on: March 08, 2005, 08:21:46 am »
Glad you made it to the forums Beecharmer :)

Picking the brains of the members is one of those things we all like to do. The accumulated experience of the members is staggering.

Just yesterday I started Spring feeding my 2 hives (C1&C2 - C is for colony) C1 was much heavier with honey but the bee count in both were very good. C2 needed the food more, but having it top-feeding to both hives is a good way to increase their survivability until the weather really breaks here.

Yester was a beautiful 71F degrees and today we are getting 3 inches of snow - lol. I have seen many a Spring-time when all looked great early in the month of March, only to turn to tragidy by the end of the month when food stores run low.

I looked over the bees which filled the top frames of the hive (I didn't pull any frames) but looked with my high power 3.5X glasses and the bees looked very good!

So, as we move down the final stretch to Spring, I'm pretty confident that I'll be okay :) I hope we all have better success that some previous seasons which had long drawn-out Springs and low food supplies.

Again, welcome aboard and enjoy the forums - it's great to have you with us  :D
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Please enjoy the forum, and if it has helped you in any way, we hope that a small donation can be made to support our FULLY member supported forum. You will never see advertisements here, and that is because of the generous members who have made our forum possible. We are in our second decade as a beekeeping forum and all thanks to member support. At the top right of every page is a donations link. Please help if you can.

Offline beandoggle66

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Thanks for your website
« Reply #5 on: March 08, 2005, 04:56:35 pm »
Hey Beemaster,

     I have been reading your website and have found much valuable information. Keep it up. I am a newbie and will be starting two new hives here in April. I am clearing out my back woods of logs and will be making a place to house the hives.

    I especially enjoyed your writing about using Tai Chi while doing beekeeping and keeping your movements continuous. Interesting to experience Tai Chi and how you really do use muscles that one doesn't use that often.

     Two questions I have for you. When queen cells are developed and you keep an eye them to see when they hatch out; what do you do when they hatch out if your new queen is still fertile and active? I have heard some say they use the new queens to start new hives, or kill the older queen and replace her. How hard is it to start a new hive and use the queens that hatch out?

     I am from Ohio and I know that your weather in NJ sounds like Ohio weather, 60-70 degrees one day and snowing the next. I am pretty excited about this new hobby and can't wait to see honey being produced.

Thanks for your input and information.

Dan.

Offline beemaster

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Another newcomer
« Reply #6 on: March 08, 2005, 05:11:42 pm »
Hi Dan:

Thanks for all the kind words about the site. I'm really please that it is helpful :)

Ideally, if you are raising a new queen, it is best to get the frame her cell is on OUT of the mother hive. The workers tend to call the shots MOST of the time, if not the existing queen can also be a factor.

By removing the frame with a workers and moving it to a nuc, observation hive or full super (along with a few extra frames of food and brood) you are starting with a queenless hive and those workers will tend the new queen with great care.

Having additional frames allows for better protection because of the added bee count, plus all that extra storage space and brood starts the hive off in the right track.

You need to reduct the entrance so they can protect the hive better and an internal feeder would be ideal to help boost wax production.

This is something that you and I would be doing probably in mid to late JUNE when the mother hive is built-up strong and can afford to be robbed of frames of brood and food. Replacing those frames with new foundation and even feed them unless a very strong nectar or pollen flow is about.

The whole idea is to cause the least disturbance to the original and spin off hive. You want both hives to be functional as soon as possible and feeding and entrance reducers really help your bees to put their time and effort into comb building and brood rearing rather than guarding.

More soon - Just got home and wanted to write you. Again, welcome to the forums and thanks for the kind words.
NJBeemaster my YOUTUBE Video Collection

Please enjoy the forum, and if it has helped you in any way, we hope that a small donation can be made to support our FULLY member supported forum. You will never see advertisements here, and that is because of the generous members who have made our forum possible. We are in our second decade as a beekeeping forum and all thanks to member support. At the top right of every page is a donations link. Please help if you can.

Offline beandoggle66

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« Reply #7 on: March 09, 2005, 11:30:26 am »
Thanks for the info Beemaster.  I will continue to read your website and learn more.