Ordered my packages today

[swampcat]

I ordered two packages for March, today.. wanted a couple of queens but they aren't going to be selling queens that early.. When they do I should be able to have enough bees to split out of my packages and make more splits..
Well thats the plan anyway for now.. still building equipment. I hope this works out, I'm all excited about it..

[pokeyjeeper]

Good deal March is too early up here most years study up on how to make queens your self and graff that swarm queen of yours that is what I’ll be doing come spring

[swampcat]

Nov 14, 2017 20:31:59 GMT -5 pokeyjeeper said:

Good deal March is too early up here most years study up on how to make queens your self and graff that swarm queen of yours that is what I’ll be doing come spring

PJ, my plans are to crowd the bees and let them make swarm cells, I'm retired and will have time to keep a good eye on their progress. I am building lots of nucs now 5 frame and 2 frame along with 8 frame hives.
I don't know how its going to work out but I'm looking forward to giving this idea a try, or bust..

I planted all my fields in greens this fall in wide bed rows, they should be in bloom early spring, the middles of the rows are sowed in clover. I'll be feeding heavy too, for the build up. Later I'll be working buckwheat to bloom in the dearth times.

I'm not thinking honey for the first year, just multiplying bees for the next season..

[pokeyjeeper]

That should work just keep an eye on them so they don’t swarm on you look up fat bee man on YouTube with you making you own wooden ware I know that you can make a queen rearing frame the fat bee man has videos on how to do it I will let my bee build up and then split them when the queen cells are almost ready and let the new queen take over when I get going I’ll post pictures but I’ll be at least a month behind you

[bk]

Nov 15, 2017 4:00:15 GMT -5 swampcat said:

Nov 14, 2017 20:31:59 GMT -5 pokeyjeeper said:

Good deal March is too early up here most years study up on how to make queens your self and graff that swarm queen of yours that is what I’ll be doing come spring

PJ, my plans are to crowd the bees and let them make swarm cells, I'm retired and will have time to keep a good eye on their progress. I am building lots of nucs now 5 frame and 2 frame along with 8 frame hives.
I don't know how its going to work out but I'm looking forward to giving this idea a try, or bust..

I planted all my fields in greens this fall in wide bed rows, they should be in bloom early spring, the middles of the rows are sowed in clover. I'll be feeding heavy too, for the build up. Later I'll be working buckwheat to bloom in the dearth times.

I'm not thinking honey for the first year, just multiplying bees for the next season..

Will be interested in how your two frame nucs work out.  A beek in my area tried two frame, but had no success - might be our northern weather / situation.  I just know how fast things can change in a five frame.  Might be easier if I didn't have my job and could be a bit more on top of my bee situations.  Keep us posted. 

I'm trying to decide if I should make the move to eight frame langs.  (My back says yes, my head is having second thoughts.)  Thinking eight deeps for brood and eight mediums for honey... but still thinking.

Wise to not expect honey the first year.  Concentrate on raising bees.  And know that there aren't many mistakes you can make as a beek that the bees can't fix.  

[shawn]

Hey as an outsider, so to speak, you guys are nuts but I do enjoy reading and learning about your bee adventures, so please keep it up. I have what I believe to be a strong stomach but bugs of any kind, especially in a swarm or group, "bug" me if you know what I mean?

[swampcat]

Nov 15, 2017 20:35:54 GMT -5 shawn said:

Hey as an outsider, so to speak, you guys are nuts but I do enjoy reading and learning about your bee adventures, so please keep it up. I have what I believe to be a strong stomach but bugs of any kind, especially in a swarm or group, "bug" me if you know what I mean?

I know where your coming from Shawn, when the bees get thick and mad around me, its hard not to just run off.
I have made a few mistakes about not wearing the proper equipment or going in with out gloves.. After the swelling went down, I haven't made that mistake again..

BK yeah I'm in a hot area for bee farms, Fat Bee Man is in the northeast section of Georgia I believe. I've never been there or met him.. Just North of me about 75 miles is a bee farm, I've done business with and where I bought my packages for spring. They have some interesting video's out on youtube, Barnyard bees, there are some on making splits thats got me all inspired. One was about buying a package and 3 queens, then splitting the whole thing to four nucs..I don't think I could do that, it seems to require a few frames of honey and drawn comb.. but maybe next season..

[swampcat]

Nov 15, 2017 20:19:37 GMT -5 bk said:

Nov 15, 2017 4:00:15 GMT -5 swampcat said:

PJ, my plans are to crowd the bees and let them make swarm cells, I'm retired and will have time to keep a good eye on their progress. I am building lots of nucs now 5 frame and 2 frame along with 8 frame hives.
I don't know how its going to work out but I'm looking forward to giving this idea a try, or bust..

I planted all my fields in greens this fall in wide bed rows, they should be in bloom early spring, the middles of the rows are sowed in clover. I'll be feeding heavy too, for the build up. Later I'll be working buckwheat to bloom in the dearth times.

I'm not thinking honey for the first year, just multiplying bees for the next season..

Will be interested in how your two frame nucs work out.  A beek in my area tried two frame, but had no success - might be our northern weather / situation.  I just know how fast things can change in a five frame.  Might be easier if I didn't have my job and could be a bit more on top of my bee situations.  Keep us posted. 

I'm trying to decide if I should make the move to eight frame langs.  (My back says yes, my head is having second thoughts.)  Thinking eight deeps for brood and eight mediums for honey... but still thinking.

Wise to not expect honey the first year.  Concentrate on raising bees.  And know that there aren't many mistakes you can make as a beek that the bees can't fix.  

BK, I am thinking like you are, I had 10 frame boxes for my first hive. I noticed how the bees built in it. They filled out the middle 6 frames quickly, I put on a super and they moved up. That bottom deep was never completely filled. It was a screened bottom, might have had something to do with moving the brood up.

Since I am starting over from scratch, I am building most of my boxes as mediums, and only 8 frames. I'm thinking the bees will work the smaller boxes better and they will be much easier for me to handle.
It seems keeping a strong disease free and pest free hive has a lot to do with keeping all the frames covered in bees.

I am putting screened bottoms on the hives I'm building, but I am going to set them on a flat board to block air drafts. My plan is to lift the hive on a spacer for oxalic vapor treatments, that way I won't have to open the hive for treatments.. just close it up lift it on the spacer and run the wand under the screen. another reason to keep the size down to something I can manage.. thats just my thoughts on it, but I know everyone has a way and there are many ways..

[pokeyjeeper]

Cat if you move them outside frames in one and put the one that were there on the outside the girls will fill them bees sometime don’t like to build on the outside so you have to trick them

[swampcat]

Thanks PJ

I'll keep that information filed back for the future.