Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: Hi - Colleen here - New hobby beekeeper from the Ozarks  (Read 3982 times)

Offline baudercook

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 7
  • Gender: Female
    • Into the Ozarks
Hi - Colleen here - New hobby beekeeper from the Ozarks
« on: April 24, 2007, 11:31:23 am »
Hi,  I am brand new to beekeeping.  My husband and I left the big city of Atlanta a year ago and moved out to the Ozarks, where we are enjoying the peace and quiet, oak forest and garden.  I am a webmaster by day and have lots of hobbies the rest of the time.  

I installed my first package of bees yesterday. Wow, the first time to use any of the equipment was truly daunting.  It was the first time I had ever seen a queen cage and I couldn't figure out how to remove the cork - so unprepared!  I did ream it out a bit.  Then there were hundreds of bees left in the cage.  So, I worried about them all night.  This morning I went out and found that the bees at chewed down to the candy in the queen cage and I managed to brush the bees that were congregated outside the cage into the hive.  Now, I think they are settling in.

So, the next question I have is, is there a technique to keep those dozen inquisitive bees from following you all the way back to the front door of your house?


Offline Cindi

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 9825
  • Gender: Female
Re: Hi - Colleen here - New hobby beekeeper from the Ozarks
« Reply #1 on: April 24, 2007, 03:37:32 pm »
Colleen, welcome to our forum.  YOu will love your visits here, lots of wonderful people, giving wonderful advice.  Listen to the comments, many will follow.  Have a wonderful, beautiful day, good health wishes for all.  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 buzzbee

  • Ken
  • Global Moderator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 5930
  • Gender: Male
    • N Central Pa Beekeepers Facebook Page
Re: Hi - Colleen here - New hobby beekeeper from the Ozarks
« Reply #2 on: April 24, 2007, 06:33:21 pm »
When the bees have settled in and get to work gathering pollen and nectar they will probably not be as interested in you.
Welcome to the forums and your new hobby. have fun and enjoy learning!

Offline beeginner

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 107
  • Gender: Male
  • The swarm I hived
Re: Hi - Colleen here - New hobby beekeeper from the Ozarks
« Reply #3 on: April 29, 2007, 12:34:49 am »
Well hi sooo your in the ozarks well I am to. Im just over in Moutain view ar not to far away. One ? are you gonna register your hive. If it was me I sure woud it can be a really good thing and + you wont be breaking the law lol. This week or 2 ill have 5 hives. But when you register the state insector will come out and look at your hives to make shure thay are ok and there is nothing fishey about them. The state bee guy as I call him is the one that is helping me and is helping me with ever I work for him he give me all my stuff so it works at really good for us. But have fun with your hives and stay cool.

Offline DayValleyDahlias

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1629
  • Gender: Female
    • DayValleyDahlia's Blog
Re: Hi - Colleen here - New hobby beekeeper from the Ozarks
« Reply #4 on: April 29, 2007, 12:49:58 am »
Hi Colleen,

How exciting and what an adventure for you...Your new place sounds grand...Good luck withthe bees, I am brand brand new myself, and find this forum priceless...Enjoy the fun.

Sharon

Offline baudercook

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 7
  • Gender: Female
    • Into the Ozarks
Re: Hi - Colleen here - New hobby beekeeper from the Ozarks
« Reply #5 on: May 02, 2007, 06:03:02 pm »
Hi BeeGinner,  yes I am going to register my hives.  The only thing I am concerned about is the 3 mile rule. Apparently, if there are registered bees within 3 miles, you have to get some kind of permission to keep your hive.  I am playing it cool.  Since my 2 week old hive has been slurping down the syrup at one quart or more a day, I started wearing gloves and veil.  The odds were that I would be stung before long. I got my first sting, as soon as I carried the new package from my car.  I barely placed by thumb on the screen and zap! It was a good lesson.  My husband watches the hive through his binoculars ...too funny.

Offline beeginner

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 107
  • Gender: Male
  • The swarm I hived
Re: Hi - Colleen here - New hobby beekeeper from the Ozarks
« Reply #6 on: May 16, 2007, 11:50:47 pm »
LOl thats funny. Now on the 3 mile thing if the person says its ok then you good but if not well you will need to move the hive out of the 3 miles. If you only have one hive thay shud not care to much.  But just hurry up and get registerd. You take care

Offline Cindi

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 9825
  • Gender: Female
Re: Hi - Colleen here - New hobby beekeeper from the Ozarks
« Reply #7 on: May 18, 2007, 10:18:28 am »
Colleen, hope you enjoy our forum, it is a wonderful place to spend some time, full of good advice and stories that people tell about their beekeeping experiences.  Our host, John, (and his other partners who work so hard here) have done a wonderful job of keeping this a great place to be.  Have a wonderful day, enjoy your trek into the exciting and mysterious world of bees.  Great life, great 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 Kathyp

  • Global Moderator
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 20363
  • Gender: Female
Re: Hi - Colleen here - New hobby beekeeper from the Ozarks
« Reply #8 on: May 18, 2007, 01:19:41 pm »
Quote
My husband watches the hive through his binoculars ...too funny.

my husband was the same.  just in case, i got him a nice jacket with the zip on hood.  sure enough, just after i hived two packages, red cross sent me away.  next thing i knew i was getting cell phone pics of him checking out my hives.  now they are our hives :-D
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline beemaster

  • Site Founder
  • Administrator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 6457
  • Gender: Male
  • It is my pleasure to bring the forums to you.
    • http://www.beemaster.com
Re: Hi - Colleen here - New hobby beekeeper from the Ozarks
« Reply #9 on: May 18, 2007, 01:34:48 pm »
Howdy Colleen:

I'm not always the first to say hi when new members come into the forum, but I sure get around to replying to messages as they are posted :)

I know you'll have fun here, we all really learn and make friends and it's a lot like getting out of the city - you step back and enjoy the friendliness and quiet here.

I'll mention my short bee package install video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a4a-Tw-qFI which has had over 650 views at youtube - sweeeeet :) It is one way to install a package and keep the bees in the hive with the least effort - it even covers those queen cages and what to do and not to do with them :)

So, enjoy your new hobby, ask lots of questions, read plenty and never be afraid of thinking a question is silly - none are, it is how we all learn. Very nice to meet you :)

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 Moonshae

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 988
  • Gender: Male
Re: Hi - Colleen here - New hobby beekeeper from the Ozarks
« Reply #10 on: May 24, 2007, 04:37:57 pm »
Welcome!

I'll mention my short bee package install video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a4a-Tw-qFI which has had over 650 views at youtube - sweeeeet :) It is one way to install a package and keep the bees in the hive with the least effort - it even covers those queen cages and what to do and not to do with them :)

I use this video to show everyone at work (who have seen these boxes of things from betterbee coming in like crazy, and are full of questions) how docile and manageable honey bees are. I've yet to have a person see it and not comment on the bee crawling on your nose!
"The mouth of a perfectly contented man is filled with beer." - Egyptian Proverb, 2200 BC

Offline beemaster

  • Site Founder
  • Administrator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 6457
  • Gender: Male
  • It is my pleasure to bring the forums to you.
    • http://www.beemaster.com
Re: Hi - Colleen here - New hobby beekeeper from the Ozarks
« Reply #11 on: June 23, 2007, 07:09:55 am »
I think that "bee on the nose" clip was inspired beyond me - it adds a touch of humor that wouldn't be there otherwise - lol. The count is well over 1500 views and there are now several other videos there - I'm enjoying the time I get in front and behind the camera, and the editing keeps getting better too!

Here is the latest video to date: forum members gathering in Lake City, Florida which was a great time for us all :)

To see all the Beemaster Videos - click here: www.youtube.com/njbeemaster


P.S.

Colleen: The best way to keep bees from following you is  to stand still just a ways from the hive, the easy get bored if the object the are tracking stops. I'm sure it is partly or mostly their vision and how they preceive objects - moving objects "Contrast" with the background, as where still objects "Blend in" with it. So stand still, let them buzz you a minute and they will go away.

Now.... if you just inspected the hive or did a removal or something, chances are they are on your clothes, that is a different beast - it often takes an act of congress (or at least someone else to shoo them away) cause you can't see everywhere on your body before walking into the house.

Try the standing still thing, it works. Some workers do get a bug up their butts and will be annoying for a while, but most simply fly away :)




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.