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Author Topic: New bee keeper from South of france  (Read 5926 times)

Offline Michael Judd

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New bee keeper from South of france
« on: June 12, 2009, 02:56:10 am »
Hi,
I am Michael from near nice/Cannes in France.
I have just got (in May) two hives in my garden.

There is so much to learn. my bees seem to be rather hot and a lot of them on the front porch.
In my panic to find answers i found beemaster.com.

Michael


Offline fermentedhiker

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Re: New bee keeper from South of france
« Reply #1 on: June 12, 2009, 08:20:44 am »
Welcome to the forum.
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
--Douglas Adams

Offline Schoon

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Re: New bee keeper from South of france
« Reply #2 on: June 12, 2009, 09:46:55 pm »
Welcome Michael.
Bobby

Offline 1reb

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Re: New bee keeper from South of france
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2009, 01:03:55 am »
Hello and Welcome Michael
There is alot of great information on the forum !!
The members here are willing help and answer your questions, all you need to do is to ask
Johnny

Offline Michael Judd

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Re: New bee keeper from South of france
« Reply #4 on: June 14, 2009, 06:42:37 am »
Hi all of you
I want to thank you for welcoming me.
I Joined as I found the site by accident when I thought I had a problem with hot bees  !!

There were many outside on the front porch.
I opened a small gap between the supers/deeps and the problem seems to be solved.

Also wondering if a queen excluded is needed.  I have been reading the forum on this.
It would seem that it is not necessary and possibly detrimental.

I think I will remove the excluder from the hive that is least populated and see it that changes anything the following week.

Hope I am doing the right thing.
Thanks for your welcome
Michael

Offline Cindi

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Re: New bee keeper from South of france
« Reply #5 on: June 14, 2009, 11:22:02 am »
Michael, welcome to our forum, so great that you so inadvertently found us, by wanting those answers to your hot bees.  We have so many members coming to us from different parts of our world, it is a beautiful thing.  Stick around, this will be the place to tell your stories, tales and experiences, you will meet some new friends too, we love new members.  I have read your other posts, we have those rules that keep our forum safe and so family friendly, I saw there was some conversation about links and stuff.  There was no intention to be mean or anything like that, sometimes words can come across a little more strong than really intended, nothing was meant to sound like that.  It is important that all new members understand the simple rules of our forum, so that, as I said, it can be 100% safe to hang out around here.  You will see, as you read and get involved here, that is a very pure and beautiful place to spend time.

I can recall when I first joined the forum some years ago, it was a time when the Moderators were sorting out some stuff.  This first time that I came into the forum (or may have been the second time) there was some pornography that showed up on my computer screen.  I almost cried, I felt insulted and was very angry.  I told one of the Moderators.  As I said, it was a time when they had some really big issues here that were being sorted out, and this crap had snuck in.  Since that day, (the issues were quickly sorted out, we have a wonderful group of Moderators that keep us safe), I have never, ever had any reason to not return day, after day, a safe place in our place of cyper.  Eeeks, I am ramblin'....you will see that there are a few of us (not many), but a few that tend to ramble on.....I be that ramblin' gal.

Anyways, Michael, as I said, please do stick around.  Each and every one of us as members makes this forum complete.  We are a group of people, as like what you said about yourself, think so many times of others before we even begin to entertain the thought of thinking of ourselves.  You will love to spend time here, trust me, I know first hand.  We have a wealth of knowledge here, sitting right at our fingertips, only to push a few buttons, to get a message, question or whatever out, and get that mountain of answers.  Thank you for find us Michael.  Have that most wonderful day, to love and live, to enjoy, health.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Michael Judd

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Re: New bee keeper from South of france
« Reply #6 on: June 14, 2009, 12:00:55 pm »
Cindi,

What a lovely , sweet message.  Thank you so much.

I am sure that my little misdemeanor is now over and forgotten.

I see that you are a record breaker on this site too - Well done.

BTW the site I was trying to send to the English lady living in France is a very useful dictionary English /french Spanish/Italian.  I find it so useful as although I speak French I am not a native so I do not know all the "bee" words. ( in each language.)

So I am really hoping that Beemaster will approve it and send it to her.

Any way thank you so much for such a kind welcome

Happy smiles to you
Michael



 

Offline Natalie

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Re: New bee keeper from South of france
« Reply #7 on: June 14, 2009, 02:49:54 pm »
Cindi is one of a kind, you will find she is very sweet and helpful to all.
You will meet alot of nice people here and learn alot.

Offline annette

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Re: New bee keeper from South of france
« Reply #8 on: June 14, 2009, 03:34:51 pm »
Welcome Michael

I live in Placerville California and started beekeeping in April 2006 with one hive.  Now I am up to 4 hives, have caught a swarm this year and also assisted in a cutout of bees in a shed.  I have accomplished so much in such a short period of time because I have so much help here on this forum.  I was virtually alone with the bees when I started beekeeping, and when I finally found this forum, then I started to figure things out and get the necessary help I needed.  I had many obstacles with the bees, many disappointments, but I learned along the way and I feel I am getting better and better.

One thing so great about the forum, is you post your question and you instantly receive so many answers.  You will quickly learn also who the really experienced beekeepers are.

The people who run the forum are a truly great bunch of people and you will find this out as well.

Keep us informed how things are going.

Annette from beautiful Placerville California

Offline Michael Judd

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Re: New bee keeper from South of france
« Reply #9 on: June 14, 2009, 04:18:36 pm »
Annette and Natalie,

Yes things have sorted out.  Mr Beemaster sent me a lovely message and I believe we are friends now.

I am so excited about my bees. I heard about bees less that 12 months ago from a friend of one of my daughters. I resolved to keep bees.
Now I have 2 hives. I bought the hives and painted them and took the bottom deep with 5 frames to a professional beekeeper  ( 400 hives)
Two long months later I have them here in my garden. They arrived 1st week in May.

They seemed to expand into the remaining frames very quickly. So much so that a month later I put on a second deep/super. I put on a queen excluder between the deeps/supers as well.

I now see this may have been a mistake as the bees are in one hive not going up there much and in the other are there to a small extent. ( the development on one hive is behind the other) So this and the fact that I am wondering if they are getting too hot are my current projects in this forum.

Of course I have pressure from my wife to have more and more hives  hi hi  All on account that we saw a TV Programme about a teenager who had 8 hives on top of a small house in Central London and I have a huge garden.

I love the welcome, thank you all so much, I have got here and am so excited about continuing as I am certain that my babies will be pleased if they think that I know what I am doing.

Lovely to talk

Michael

Offline asprince

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Re: New bee keeper from South of france
« Reply #10 on: June 14, 2009, 06:57:44 pm »
Michael, I would remove the queen excluder and let them expand into both deeps. Deeps are generally reserved for brood and shallows or mediums above the excluder for honey.


Welcome,

Steve 
Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resembalance to the first. - Ronald Reagan

Offline Natalie

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Re: New bee keeper from South of france
« Reply #11 on: June 14, 2009, 07:01:29 pm »
Michael I am also new to beekeeping this year.
I am glad to hear your wife likes the bees also, I am sure you will get more. ;)
I have 10 hives, 6 langstroths, 3 topbar hives and 1 modified kerkhoff hive (2 queen hive).
I have no idea what your winters are like in France but here alot of people overwinter in 2 deeps, if you are trying to overwinter them in 2 deeps you should remove the excluder.
If you need 2 deep brood boxes then you need them to move up into them and build it out.
The only time most people use the excluders is to keep the queen out of the honey supers.

You can also take a couple of filled frames from the bottom box and move them into the upper box (keeping them in the same position) to lure them up.  Replace those now empty slots in the bottom box with empty frames or foundation, whatever you are using.
You are just switching a couple between the boxes.
After seeing this advice given here on the forum I tried it a couple of times already and it worked great for me.
The bees moved into the other box and they also filled out the empty ones I put in the bottom box very quickly.





Offline Michael Judd

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Re: New bee keeper from South of france
« Reply #12 on: June 15, 2009, 01:09:59 am »
Oh Steve and Natalie,

Thanks so much

I will do that

Michael

Offline Michael Judd

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Re: New bee keeper from South of france
« Reply #13 on: June 16, 2009, 06:59:13 am »
Natalie,

I have done that now
I removed the excluders and also swapped a frame in each hive from top to bottom.

I have two hives and both have 2 supers.

I do not know about winter too much yet as I have at least 3 or more summer months.
We have a very mild winter here. It will just about freeze in the early morning a few times. and on the odd occasion it may actually snow but in most cases the frost and snow will be well gone by mid morning. I will take local advice when the time comes.

I am thinking ahead as I will probably get an other 1/2 hives to give me flexibility.

I am going to post my next problem in the main area you may have a comment.
Thank you for your help
Michael

Offline beegrlAK

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Re: New bee keeper from South of france
« Reply #14 on: June 24, 2009, 02:25:25 am »
Hello Michael, I noticed many beekeepers in France when I visited there.  It was one of the reasons I decided to keep bees!  It is very cool here, I would love a warm french summer.  Best of luck with your two hives........
This link is to my family homepage:
http://web.mac.com/thomja/iWeb/Site/Howdy.html

Offline Michael Judd

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Re: New bee keeper from South of france
« Reply #15 on: June 25, 2009, 11:21:23 am »
Hi Thank you for your message. Sorry about my late reply I had to go to London to see my Mother for a few days.

It is nice and warm here 25 to 32 deg in summer and -1 to 15 in winter
The important thing might be that we have a short winter- say from early November to end February. (Which must be a lot different from you.)
Most days are long and sunny.
It rains here a lot (normally) in fact 25% more than London (1000Miles to the north)  but importantly only 30 % of the time.

So it rains hard and the sun comes out.

The bee keeper who I got my queens from lives at 1000 meters above sea level ( I am at 250 ) so he is much colder and has regular frost in the winter.  He has 400 hives all in different places.

any way I am undergoing my first year and hope that things go ok.  There seems to be much less pollen entering the hives as it is past the high spring flowering season. but my colonies seem to be growing quickly.

so i hope I have answered your questions

Bee happy
Michael

Offline sparks

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Re: New bee keeper from South of france
« Reply #16 on: June 25, 2009, 11:48:31 am »
Michael,

I envy you for being in a place where in only a few hours or even sometimes minutes you can experience a totally new country/language/way of life.  Don't get me wrong, I love my country (at least for the time being) and we have our diversity of culture and all that, but somehow I have found Europe very exciting to visit.  We will be back in the fall, this time along the Mediterranean.  Sounds like your bees are just beeing bees.  Welcome to the group and I hope that you find the online experience pleasant.

Chuck Sparks (in central Texas where it is really HOT)

Offline Michael Judd

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Re: New bee keeper from South of france
« Reply #17 on: June 26, 2009, 02:44:29 am »
Chuck,
Thank you for your message.
Yes, I am a true European in as much as I like the diverse cultures and  big differences all within a comparatively small area. I feel that I am privileged to be able to live here in the S Of F although in the 18 years since I moved here it has got a lot more crowded - probably due to cheep air travel and the internet.
I used to travel a great deal to the USA and in particular to Dallas & Houston so I think I know a little bit of your country and its heat.
Of course the internet brings us all together on this wonderful site.
I read a couple of text books on beekeeping after I had decided to keep bees - and nearly gave up. But the discovery of this site and the conversations and information available is incredible. Information is one thing but confidence is the most important.  I gained this after a few conversations.

So you see I am having a good experience here.

I have to look into pollen flows as my bees although growing in number etc seem to be bringing less pollen into the hives. The flowering season here is sort of over during the high summer.

Also an interesting thing I noticed is that a lot of people on this site are finding swarms. I thought that that would be rare.  So I am wondering if there is a connection between this and the fact of the disappearing syndrome.

Michael

 

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