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Author Topic: Package bees  (Read 1479 times)

Offline colbees

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Package bees
« on: March 19, 2013, 11:59:23 am »
Hi everyone my bees dies over the winter :(, and i will be buying a package of 3,000 bees in the spring. Is it possible that i could take half of the bees in the package and make a new hive? Or do you have to have 3,000 bees for the colony to start up? Thanks
A swarm of bees in May is worth a load of hay; A swarm of bees in June is worth a silver spoon; A swarm of bees in July isn't worth a fly.

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Re: Package bees
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2013, 12:08:02 pm »
Are you sure you're not buying a 3 pound package?  That's really the norm.  A 3 pound package is probably somewhere between 9,000 and 12,000 bees....give or take. 
As for splitting a package.  My rookie opinion would be that it's challenging enough to get a package to survive, the last thing you would want to do is make it twice as hard for them.  Not to mention, 1 package comes with 1 queen, so if you split them, you need another queen.

Good luck.  :)

Offline sterling

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Re: Package bees
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2013, 12:22:53 pm »
You would be better off letting them build up then splitting them with a new queen for the split.

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Package bees
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2013, 12:35:09 pm »
I would make a strong split later instead of splitting it when they have nothing.  "Critical mass" makes a lot of difference.
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Offline rubeehaven2

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Re: Package bees
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2013, 06:37:18 pm »
I'm no expert, but I wouldn't split a new package.  Perhaps you can put out a swarm trap or two and build up a little in that way.  (If your lucky enough to catch a swarm!)

Good luck!

Rich

 

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