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Author Topic: Day 1/2  (Read 2926 times)

Offline Steel Tiger

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Day 1/2
« on: May 02, 2013, 11:04:03 am »
 Got the bees last night. When the nucs went into the hive bodies, I put the empty feeder and 3 empty foundationless frames in as well for the trip home. One of the frames from the nuc was broken so the guy gave me an extra frame to replace it. Just told me to rotate the broken one out after the brood hatches.
 I grabbed the first hive off the back of my truck this morning and heard nothing. I grabbed the second hive and a bee came flying out from somewhere and flew away, I checked my entrances on both hives and they were still well sealed. Maybe it survived the 3 1/2 hours drive under the hive. The second hive was buzzing.
 I took the hives to the field, got them on the stand and opened the entrances. Naturally I forgot the entrance reducers in the house.
 I stood back about 5 feet in front of the hives to observe. The hive that was quiet, I only saw 1 bee emerge, carrying a dead bee. The hive that was buzzing, the bees slowly started coming out, sat for a couple minutes then started flying around in circles. They not only checked out the hive, they started buzzing around me. I decided that I didn't want to be used as a landmark so I went to the house to grab they food and reducers.
 When I got back, quite a few more were flying around and one was at the entrance with it's butt in the air. Even though they didn't seem aggressive at all, I suited up (jacket and veil) and opened them up. The quiet hive looked great. That was the hive with the broken frame and the frame was sitting completely down. I decided to move a couple empty frame between the full frames and set the broken one up the best I could. I'll go out later with a nail or screw and fix it so that it stays up. This was the hive that had what looked like a cluster of cups, I looked at it closer and it's burr comb build off the side of the other comb with some drone cells pointing down. There was larva in them.
 Even after messing with the hive, they still didn't seem interested in checking out their new home. I went to put them back together and I realized I left the inner covers in the house.  :roll:
 The second hive was pretty active. I took the cover off and had a stare down with a thousand bees. I filled their feeder and was going to put one of the empty frames between the full frames but when I started lifting the empty, it already had comb started that was about 3 - 3 1/2 inches long and 1 1/2 - 2 inches wide. I empty frame next to it had bees festooning on it. I left those frames alone, put the pollen patty on and closed up.
 They bees have been in the hive for about 14 hours, 3 1/2 was driving time and they're already filling frames. They're also tiny and very dark. I'll go out this afternoon to put the inner covers on and try to remember my camera to take a few pictures. After that, I'll leave them alone for 2 days, then check on their food. I was rushed because I woke up an hour late and was worried that they were going to overheat. The back of my truck is black and you know how fast that heats up when the sun hits it.

Offline 10framer

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Re: Day 1/2
« Reply #1 on: May 02, 2013, 12:30:11 pm »
tiny and very black has my attention.  can you post some pictures? 

Offline hardwood

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Re: Day 1/2
« Reply #2 on: May 02, 2013, 12:45:27 pm »
Drone cells pointing down has mine!

Scott
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Offline 10framer

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Re: Day 1/2
« Reply #3 on: May 02, 2013, 01:06:59 pm »
Drone cells pointing down has mine!

Scott
had to go back and re-read to find it. 

pointing down would more likely be queen cells.


Offline Steel Tiger

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Re: Day 1/2
« Reply #4 on: May 02, 2013, 01:58:35 pm »

Tiny black bees. When I say black, I mean very dark although I seen several the were almost solid black with small bands of gold around them.



 This frame was completely empty last night. When I fed them about 14 hours after putting them in they had one piece of comb built. This is two hours later. Five more comb added. The one 2nd from the left was the first one built. I'm guessing since there are a lack of drones, they'll be building drone combs  If they keep building like this, they'll have a super added by next week. They started working on another as well but I don't want to disturb them anymore more than I have to.



 This is the cluster of odd cells pointing down. Looking at the photo, they seem to be pointing in all directions. There are larva inside.
« Last Edit: May 02, 2013, 02:22:38 pm by Steel Tiger »

Offline buzzbee

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Re: Day 1/2
« Reply #5 on: May 02, 2013, 07:39:07 pm »
When you decided to put emptied between the full frames were the full ones brood? If so I would put them back together and not split the brood nest. They like it consolidated so they can manage it better.
The bee at the entrance, butt raised ,was likely fanning pheremones to identify the colony. Don't put too many empty frames along side each other or they may build comb crosswise across the frames making it difficult to remove without damaging the new comb.
Looks like they are ready to build their new home. :)

Offline Steel Tiger

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Re: Day 1/2
« Reply #6 on: May 02, 2013, 08:02:29 pm »
When you decided to put emptied between the full frames were the full ones brood? If so I would put them back together and not split the brood nest. They like it consolidated so they can manage it better.
The bee at the entrance, butt raised ,was likely fanning pheremones to identify the colony. Don't put too many empty frames along side each other or they may build comb crosswise across the frames making it difficult to remove without damaging the new comb.
Looks like they are ready to build their new home. :)
Each box had 3 empty frames. Only 1 frame is between filled frames, the other two are on the outside. The one drawn frame that's between the empties has nectar, honey and pollen. When I went out to place the inner covers, there were only two bees checking out the feeder in one of the hives, none in the other hive. They're on their own for the next two days, then I'll check the feeders. If they're still not interested in them, I'll consider pulling them out and replacing with 2 more empty frames if they're working on the frame next to the feeder. If the frames are still empty, I'll leave the feeders in, but may empty them.

Offline Georgia Boy

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Re: Day 1/2
« Reply #7 on: May 02, 2013, 08:33:36 pm »
Very cool Steel Tiger,

My first was a pkg and they are going like gangbusters. On Saturday have to decide whether to add my next medium box or not.

On Monday I will be getting 2 Nucs from the Fatbeeman in Lula. Excited about that. Like you I worry about them over heating on the  ride home. It a little over 2 hours back. I was thing about leaving the board out of my screened bottom board for ventilation on the way back but don't know if it will be too much wind.

Anyway glad you got your bees. Good luck.

David
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Offline Steel Tiger

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Re: Day 1/2
« Reply #8 on: May 02, 2013, 08:47:55 pm »
On Monday I will be getting 2 Nucs from the Fatbeeman in Lula. Excited about that. Like you I worry about them over heating on the  ride home. It a little over 2 hours back. I was thing about leaving the board out of my screened bottom board for ventilation on the way back but don't know if it will be too much wind.
  I had to take two have bodies with me and the frames from the nucs were transfered at the place I bought them. I had no board for the screened bottom board. I folded up window screen and taped it over the entrance and just had the hives facing my tailgate, pressed against it to a huge volume of air wouldn't be hitting them. When I unloaded the hives this morning, there were about a dozen or so "dead" bees in the back of the pickup. 45 minutes later, all but one was crawling around or flying, looking for the hives.

Offline Georgia Boy

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Re: Day 1/2
« Reply #9 on: May 02, 2013, 08:57:40 pm »
Mine on Monday is byob (bring your own box) also. How did you hold the hive together? I was thinking about a ratchet strap around the whole hive to hold it in place. I plan to turn and duct tape the my entrance reducer to block the hive entrance.

Thanks for the tip about the tail gate.
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Offline Steel Tiger

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Re: Day 1/2
« Reply #10 on: May 02, 2013, 09:14:41 pm »
Mine on Monday is byob (bring your own box) also. How did you hold the hive together? I was thinking about a ratchet strap around the whole hive to hold it in place. I plan to turn and duct tape the my entrance reducer to block the hive entrance.

Thanks for the tip about the tail gate.
I taped the bottom board to the body. The first hive I put 2 pieces on the sides and back. The second hive I just used 1 piece on each side and it was plenty strong enough. I used Gorilla Tape, if that makes a difference. I didn't bring the inner covers, so no worries about plugging any entrances. Then I put them side by side in the truck, popped the covers on, and used 1 strap to hold them down. I brought extra straps in case I felt the were going to slide, but they didn't budge an inch on the way there.



 This is how I taped them.

Offline buzzbee

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Re: Day 1/2
« Reply #11 on: May 02, 2013, 10:04:58 pm »
You can always take a piece odf screen  and cover tyhe tops of the box and leave it coverless. Then remove the screen and cover with the regular top when you get home. That way you can mist them lightly with a sprayer bottle every so often if it's warm.

Offline Georgia Boy

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Re: Day 1/2
« Reply #12 on: May 02, 2013, 10:10:36 pm »
Cool thanks.

Maybe worried about nothing the way our weather has been here in Georgia lately. Wet and cool. Not good weather for spring build up. And with our flow on the guys here are worried about the honey crop.

Thanks again

David
"Give it All You've Got"
"Never give up. Never surrender."