Hiving my first package tomorrow. . .

[MarkR]

I'm picking it up in the morning, then installing it in the evening.   So I'm psyched!  Don't think I'll sleep much tonight.  Time is moving too slow.  Okay, I'm babbling.

Mark

[ZuniBee]

Mark,

I know how you feel. I get mine in a week and time is already going slow!

Where are you getting your bees?

[MarkR]

Hey Zuni,

I'm getting them from Glen Clayton, down in Shipman VA.  How about you?  Dadant?

Mark

[Mici]

congrats ;)
what else can i say!

[MarkR]

That'll do.  Thanks!

[ZuniBee]

Yes, I'm getting mine from Dadant. I couldn't find any other in VA.....

[beemaster]

Mark:

Here is a quicky post I did a while a go - it really works for me, especially the screen removal, rather than shaking the bees through that little hole on top. No reason to play PONG with the bees when this method speeds up the move from package to hive. Good lucky and happy beekeeping

http://www.beemaster.com/inst2004.html

[Brian D. Bray]

For releasing packages I just remove the queen cage and the feeder can, turn the package upside inside a super and place a can feeder beside it.  I come back the next day and remove the package, refill the feeder and put frames in the space that had been occupied by the package.

[MarkR]

Thanks John and Brian for the great advice.  I had wondered why people didn't just cut the screen off one side of the package. 

It helps that I have an experienced friend coming over to help.  Geez this is like Christmas Eve used to be like.

Mark

[2-Wheeler]

Cool Mark. I should be doing my first installation in about a month.

Here is a link to a movie of my wife, BeeGood's first installation last year.
http://home.earthlink.net/~davidbroberg/bees-short.rm

EDIT: If you can't use the Real Video format, try this version:
http://s150.photobucket.com/albums/s93/2-Wheeler/?action=view&current=bees-short.flv

There is also a great video on YouTube showing an installation. This guy makes the same mistake my better half made (letting the queen cage fall inside).  But he never misses a beat, very relaxed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ek7dDtZ0lK8

Enjoy.

[AllanJ]

I was at dadant today.  Been a few years since I have been to Lynchburgh.. what a freaking mess that place is now. There are about 14x rt29's going through the place in every direction :)   I can't imagine what Dadant is like when they have their 1 day bee pickup. Anyway, great people and great service.

[nepenthes]

Thanks for that video it makes things so much easier for me now!

[pondman]

I was at Dadant in Lynchburgh last year an they told me it's a mad house when packages arrive. If you think that theirs not much room to park now. They said cars are parked everywhere to pick up their package. Very nice people to deal with an very helpful. I go there twice a year.

[MarkR]

Yeah, Alan, Lynchburg is starting to be up their with Charlottesville and Fredericksburg for unpleasant traffic situations.  I try to avoid all of them if I can.  A little harder to avoid Charlottesville for me as I have to drive across town to work.  Fortunately I think I one of only a handful of people moving around at 6:00.  Hey, don't forget to call down there this week, cause they'll bring orders up to the meeting Thursday night.

Well, almost time to go pick them up.  Where the heck is the happy dance smiley?

Mark

[MarkR]

WOW!!  What a rush!  Put them in the hive around 2:30.  And now things are starting to settle down.

Mark

[ZuniBee]

Congratulations Mark! I have 8 days and a wake up and I get mine. Can't wait. Glad it went good for you. From your post I take it that it was well worth the wait!

Jay

[buzzbeejr]

great to hear things worked out mark, I had a lot of fun emptying my first box too. I still had to prove to myself though that i could open that darn can from the box because were my teacher got them from they were smashed in, i couldn't get the first open dad helped,dads box i tried to open,same thing, opened a box today to put into observation hive, It opened easily. And all i went out in was pants and a t-shirt no suit.

[MarkR]

Hard to get much done today, I keep wandering out just to watch the comings and goings.  Tomorrow I bring a chair.

Mark