Well I got my NUC yesterday (cloudy all the way home from where I picked it up) and put them in. Never could pick out my queen while moving and de-burring the frames, but the hive seems very happy and is going about their business today. It was 5 frames so I tossed 4 foundationless ones on the sides.
Today they are quite happy and still have some bees in the old NUC that seem to be clearing stuff out of it it?
Happy Bees
Installing my NUC
I didn’t get any photos or pictures really during the install process except one my wife took from a bit away (no jacket for her yet).
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I’ll bet I saw you there at Cheyenne. I picked my nuc up @ 7:00 sharp yesterday. Drove back to Casper and used the truck parked by the fence as a wind break and transferred them around 10:30. The wind was blowing pretty good with a temp of 73. We had a strong chance of thunderstorms forecasted so I decided to take a chance and get them in their home before any storms hit. All went pretty good and surprisingly they were still pretty gentle after the long trip. Had to travel another 28 miles past town to place them. This is my first hive so I think it all went well. Good luck and keep us posted.
I just missed you as I got there about 7:20 and then headed back to Scottsbluff. Sadly I didn’t bring enough tape to keep the lid of the NUC down firmly so I had a few dozen bees escape on the trip home - live and learn!
It was windy and about 60F, but chances of storms as well. I gladly had a good wind break with where my hive is at so I got my girls all moved over as you saw. At the end of the day it just got cool and misty.
Looks like I have some wasps somewhere nearby (I will try the orange soda with raw chicken trick), but the bees seem to keep kicking them off the hive when they go for the entrance. I can see why a smaller entrance is good now.
Here is a video from today. A lot of activity at the entrance. I have no reason to worry, but is everything looking good?
I went by my nearby goose pond (which is mostly empty today so I can clean and refill it tomorrow) and saw a dozen or so bees getting water from what was left…they will have more than they know tomorrow.
Like I said I’m a newbie, but everything looks fine to me. I went to check on mine yesterday since it got down in the 30’s Saturday night and they were all still in the hive staying warm. I put my ear to the hive and did hear a little buzzing so I went ahead and left. One thing I did do that I hope is ok was to put the excluder between the frames and the top feeder. I read where a guy said he did that so the queen couldn’t get to the feeder and possibly drown in it. Hoping that was a good idea. I also have a pollen pattie on top of the frames as well since we don’t have much in the way of flowering going on here yet except for some dandelions. As for water, I have a river about 1/4 of a mile from the hive.
Went out and watched the girls this afternoon. They are bringing in pollen like crazy! I was really surprised they were working already. I figured it would take a few more days for them to get settled and start working. Got to admit, this is really fascinating to watch them doing their thing!!!
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Yeah I have been watching mine a lot too. Just watching them come and go, watching them fight off the occasional wasp, etc.
Today I saw several coming back with pollen, which is great! We have a LOT of flowing plants in our hills around my place.
What made you to decide to go with a top entrance?
We have a lot of mice around here and other things, so after reading @Michael_Bush page Bush Bees, Top entrances and doing some of my own thinking and other reading and discussion here on the forums I just decided to go for it. I cut 2" wide on the bottom side of my Inner using a dremel tool and then rough cut some wood to block the factory bottom entrance that came with the bottom/Deep I have.
Watch your roof for comb buildup. I’ve read where sometimes when the girls have access up there they like to build comb there too.
Well since the cut is on the bottom side of my Inner I then put a chunk of scrap wood over the hole in the Inner to keep them out of the roof area. In the future I will put a jar up there and try to get some honey.
