2019-04-20: Hiving two packages of bees.

I had a couple of years with no bees.  First, I did not find out that they had died over the winter a couple of years ago until it was too late to order new bees.  Then, it sort of slipped my mind last spring.

So, this year, I ordered two packages from my usual supplier, Nature's Nectar.  I had one package each of Carniolan Honeybees and Italian Honeybees.  I did not really care which bees I got, but I usually do not get two of the same subspecies.

This was the first year that my packages were plastic.  I like the old wood and metal screen ones better, since I can see the bees easier.  I also would learn that it was easier to spray the bees with sugar water through the metal screen compared to the plastic packaging.

It was about a two-hour drive home, but the weather was mild; the bees probably did not get too hot.

I picked up the bees at 0915, but they suggest that you do not hive them until the evening.  So, they sat in the cool garage for most of the day.  I sprayed them with sugar water once to feed, calm, and cool them.

Finally, 1800 arrived, and we were ready to hive the bees.

I have the two packages of bees, and I'm wearing my bee suit.  If you watch other people's videos, they often don't wear a bee suit.  The reason is that the bees do not have a hive to protect, so they tend to be more docile.

Here I am with my helper, Vaughn.  I'm having some difficulty uploading the videos, so I'll outline the steps that we did:

1. The syrup-soaked bees will be "poured" into the center of the bottom (and--at this time--only) hive body, so we removed the center four or so frames.
2. Plug the entrance with the entrance reducer on the smallest setting and block that temporarily with a wad of prairie grass.
3. Soak the bees well with syrup from the spray bottle.
4. Use the hive tools to pry the metal can from the package.  (This is the syrup the bees ate during their trip from CA to MN and then from Stillwater to me.)
5. Once the can is out, spray the bees some more.
6. Remove the queen's cage (she is transported separately) and set it aside.
7. Knock the bees to the bottom of their package by striking the package against the ground.
8. Pour the syrup-soaked bees into the hive.
9. Leave the mostly-empty package near the entrance so the bees can eventually get into there (the bees will probably push the grass out of the hole over the evening).
10. Take the wood cork out of the queen's cage, and replace it with a mini-marshmallow.
11. Put a pollen patty on the top of the frames for the bees to eat until they can bring in a good supply of pollen from plants.
12. Put on the inner cover (the board with an oblong hole in it).
13. Put the feeder pail over that hole so that the bees can feed from that until they are able to bring in nectar from flowers.
14. Put an empty hive body over the pail.
15. Put the outer cover over the empty hive body.

The next step, which we will probably do tomorrow, is to check the queen's cage.  Ideally, the marshmallow will have been eaten by the bees so that the queen can exit the cage and start laying eggs.

Beekeeping Reboot.

For the last three beekeeping seasons, I have been using five medium hive bodies for my hive's brood chambers.  It doesn't sound like much, but having to deal with a five-box hive is more time-consuming than I thought it would be.  So, this year, I bought new hive materials that would allow me to move to a hive that is comprised of three deep hive bodies.

My bees arrived yesterday, so I was busy last week getting the hives assembled and painted.

I purchased unassembled hive bodies and nails from Mann Lake, Ltd.  Below is a picture of some of them assembled.

Here is one primed and with the hole in place.

Here is a shot of one of my "employees" painting a hive body light blue.

I also ordered new outer covers, inner covers, and screened bottom boards.  I decided to try black foundation for the frames this time.  It is supposed to make it easier to see the eggs and small larvae.  Below is a picture of an empty, assembled frame.  Below that is a picture of the foundation that will go into those frames.  Below that further are the assembled and painted pieces on our lawn, airing out.

Lastly, pictures of the assembled, painted, labelled hives.  They are on their stand and ready for bees.

Hiving Two Packages of Bees on April 10, 2016

I have photos and videos yet to be posted.  Hiving the Carniolan Honeybees and the Italian Honeybees went well.  They each seem to be taking to their new home.

New bee arrival date; hives ready.

The bees now arrive on April 18, 2015.  The distribution center is Nature's Nectar in Stillwater.  Pick-up day is very busy, and Nature's Nectar used to have certain times that you could arrive--depending on your last name.  If you are far enough away (as I am), I think you can show up whenever you are able.

The hives for spring 2015:  Langstroth (Hive A), a Kenyan top-bar hive (Beta), and another Langstroth (Hive B)

The hives are ready to go.  I had to (or decided to) throw away many frames after my bees died during the winter of '13 - '14.  I believe that they just died from a cold snap and not from any diseases.  There was some rotting of the bees and many of the frames were, I though, no longer useful.

So, I'll need to order about 100+ frames, I think.  Both A1 and B1 need new frames.  Also, as I might show you in an upcoming post, I think that Beta is going to also use those frames.

I have some pollen patties from the first season that I had the bees, 2013.  They've been in the refrigerator since then.  They may still be good, but I don't know how to determine that, frankly...

I'm also struggling with how I'll feed syrup to the bees in Beta.  I may have to use an external feeder and just hope that A1 and B1 leave that syrup alone once they find their own syrup in their hives.

The hives arrive.

On April 1, 2013, my pallet of beekeeping materials arrived.  Commandeering our van, I picked them up that week.  It was like Christmas in April for me.

At the beekeeping course (see previous post), it became clear that I wanted to label all the woodenware that I would be using.  Some diseases that bees get can be transferred by intermixing the hive parts.  Also, some of the hive inspections that I would be doing in the coming months and years involve rotating the order of the hive boxes.  So, I wanted to number them.  Over time, the numbers would be out of order in any given hive, but I would still be able to track my "hive reversals."

Box A-1 and its 10 labelled frames.

The frames should be--depending on the source one reads--rotated out every 3 - 5 or 5 - 10 years.  That is, the old frame with the comb attached to it should be removed and not used again.  The wax could be collected and used in candle-making or other activities, I suppose.  The old frames and comb and foundation should be replaced with new.  So, my labeling system has the hive letter, then the frame number, and finally the last two numbers of the year that I started using them.  All the frames that end in "-13" will be rotated out in the years 2018 through 2023.

The inner covers of boxes A and B, and a box of frames beneath them.

The inner covers shouldn't need to be rotated out as I don't think that they will get old or concentrate any pesticides or toxins like the wax of the comb might.  But, I still wanted to keep track of which hive they are covering.

Hive with just one box on it.

Above, you can see one hive.  It only has one box on it.  If you haven't seen a Langstroth Hive before, it can be a bit complicated.  Mine, above, has a black plastic stand.  Starting at the top is a telescoping outer cover (it is the "lid" with painted white wood on the bottom 2/3rds and the metal covering on the upper 1/3rd).  The large, painted box is one of the medium hive bodies.  It has handles on all four sides.  You can see the front handle.  It is the recessed part of the large panel that is facing the camera.  The parts below the hive body include an entrance reducer, a screened bottom board, and a regular bottom board.

Assembled hives, each is four boxes high.

The hive on the left in the photo above is facing away from the camera.  I need to block up that opening in the back, as the bees won't be able to use it.  And, I don't want any mice or other animals setting up residence.  The hive on the right in the photo is facing toward the camera.  You can see the small hole in the from near the bottom.  This is the "entrance reducer" set on the smallest opening.  When I first install the bees, the hive will only be one box high.  The number of bees will be relatively small (5 - 7 thousand bees), and they (1) don't need a large opening and (2) won't be able to defend a large opening.  As the season progresses, I can steadily open up the entrance reducer to allow for larger openings.

The two hives, both facing camera now, and labelled.  Still four boxes high.

Above, the hives are labelled and assembled again.  The holes in the front are drilled to 1" diameter.  There will be corks in them at various times.  They serve as additional ways into the hive when the hive is growing and strong.  They will also allow for a winter opening (as the bottom entry will be all but closed, and it will also have a mouse guard on it).

As of today (4/20/13), the ETA for my two packages of bees is May 1, 2013.  There is still snow on the ground today and it is quite cold (low 30's, Fahrenheit).  Some people are getting their bees today in the Midwest.  I'm interested to see how their installations go...