Help. I am a newbie and don’t have a lot of time to research- I work full time nights and have a 2.5 yr old and 9 month old.
I’ve been waiting a couple years to do this bc I was always pregnant.
I installed my first package of Bees this past Sunday.
I just went outside and I saw what looked like my Queen outside the hive!
I think she is my Queen- please help see pics
I got her back inside the hive where my baggie of sugar water is but it kind of looked like some of the other bees were trying to hang up on her and attack her.
Also, if you just installed the package on Sunday, you only want one box for the hive. Once most of the frames are completely drawn out (80%), add the second box. Honey will come next year provided the bees survive winter 2017/2018.
I cannot be the only one thinking that if you don’t have the time even to ‘research’ the difference between a Queen bee , drones & workers, or a species of wasp, do you really have time to responsibly keep bees?
I am not being personal. What happens to regular inspections & recognising problems/pests & diseases?
Hi Shannon - respectfully I echo Kirsten’s thoughts, and would like to suggest that you find a local mentor, or maybe even someone who’d be willing to manage your hive for you this season. That way you can gather experience while ensuring a better shot at success. You’ll always get great info and advice here It’s just that there’s so much more to beekeeping that can only be learned through hands-on work.
Definitely keep checking in here though - as @Anon noted, your Flow super should not be on yet. NO supers should be on such a new colony yet, but there are added problems with putting Flow supers on too early: bees will regard it as unwanted extra space and propolize the Flow frames, and it could become a small hive beetle haven.
Well put @Eva. I would just like to say that I noticed yesterday that many of my posts have been a little messy, perhaps incoherent & long at times…I have a very ill family member for the past 4 nearly 5 months & I’m not getting a lot of sleep. My brain is a bit jumbled, so apologies if difficult or otherwise to read.
Thanks Eva. It’s at times like this that you are reminded that each & every days is special & the time you have with the people around you just cannot be taken for granted.
I knew someone (with a lot of time on their hands) would not be able to resist commenting like this.
After three years of being pregnant and popping out two kids all while working full time nights, THIS- attempting my first HIVE is going to be MY thing. Something for me.
In 2014 while pregnant with my first child, I took a beekeeping class with my husband. I also took a test and have my certificate.
When I saw this wasp…the other day…it definitely did cross my mind that this was not my queen however I decided to use this forum as a quick resource because I knew there would be some people kind enough to give some quick educational responses (unlike yours).
I practice anesthesia for a living. I’m a smart cookie. Very fast learner. If I can handle anesthetizing people for a living, I might be able to handle beekeeping. Just a thought.
I will NOT be able to spend hour upon hours obsessing over my bees like some people do, but I think I may be able to have sufficient time to at least learn and enjoy.
Because I work nights, I sometimes have downtime where I can research etc in between Csection and epidurals.
I also really enjoy teaching my 2.5 yr old about the bees and the fact that she can already identify the “bee house” from a distance, the bees, etc. she knows the bees make honey.
You may not agree or think it is the wisest choice that I don’t have all the time in the world, but at least post constructive commentary.
Today is Fruday the 21st. We have a great Wx forecast for today on the Westside here. Maybe climb to the mid 60’s (our first).
I just picked up four new Nuc’s last Saturday. Three will replace my winter losses n gaining by one colony. Mites were extremely viscous last Autumn n early winter but that’s learning n history.
Over on the West lots of stuff popping into bloom… Our bees only getting a small wack at fair to good foraging because of our long cold wet winter on this side too. I did bring my Flow-hive n a 5 frame double Nuc thru winter strong n successfully.
My sweetheart n I use to work up in the Forest @ Salmon la Sac north of Cle Elum. We enjoyed your side of the Cascades … Just a little snowier n colder up there until Summer moved up into the Cle Elum valley. What city do you live near ? Miss that job but my wife M.D. has advanced so we stay n home (no more Mtns or living in nature)…
I know on that side Spring n Summer comes in fast. Sounds like you’ve got your girls thru… How many colonies do you have (1 or more?)… My new Nuc’s are smaller than last year so hived them on the 15th but going to keep my nose out for two week n give them a chance to stabilize, work n set up good house keeping. I have top-feeders that hold couple gallons of syrup so they’re good for few days. They usually drink down a quart or so if no flowers but we are scoring nectar n pollen so guessing seeing that come in the syrup usage maybe less. I did barely pop the tops to confirm that fast yesterday n pulled the SBBoard sliders … The board sliders tells me a lot quickly without ripping n opening the hive between big pulling frame inspection.
Ok, that makes sense about using the super as a housing for your feeding system. Thanks for clarifying. Glad to hear also that you got some bee-ducation before starting out. Please understand that Flow supporters get a lot of guff from some beekeepers who don’t like/understand/appreciate the technology - and the people Kirsten pointed out who got into beekeeping on the Flow bandwagon only to ditch their hives when they found out it was learning & work to keep bees don’t do us any favors. I’m glad you posted & hope you see why it raised some initial questions.
There’s loads & loads of incredibly helpful info on this forum, and always helpful responses & support. I hope you’ll use it to your bees’ advantage - and check out Woodworking and Other Hobbies if you are ever wondering what else people do with their time
It’s just that there’s so much more to beekeeping that can only be learned through hands-on work.
. Good luck n teach that little one about the bees as you can.