They have some other benefits as well: adjusting their worker population to the nectar flow, they can cut off brood production quickly. They're great foragers for pollen, and they seem to resist diseases and parasites a bit better than Italians.
I think there was way more than three pounds of these busy little workers. Even my friend on the right here felt it was a lot of bees. And we couldn't get them all to come out of the box. I had to leave some there and hope they would go in the hive before dark. They were well behaved and I only got stung once, just as I was leaving and gathering up stuff. I forgot to wear my garden boots and wore my tennis shoes instead. A bee got caught between my suit and my sock right where they meet.
{Memo to self: wear boots next time!}
To prepare for the bees, we needed to elevate the hive in some way. So we used these pipe fittings and added legs to the bottom board frame.
Next we put each leg in an old can and added some vegetable oil. Any ants that climb up the can and into it will meet their end in oil rather than climbing up the leg and into the hive. I removed the entrance reducer after I installed the bees, but in the winter, I'll either put it back or add a mouse guard. Before the grass starts growing up around the hive, I need to put some weed barrier and pea gravel underneath so we don't have to upset the bees a lot with weed whacking or mowing.
I can hardly wait to get back out there and check on them! Hope they settle in and like their home and queen. Tomorrow I hope to show you how I added wax strips instead of wax foundation so they could draw their own comb.
It's hard to believe I started preparing for these bees two years ago when I took my first class. Kind of makes me want to celebrate a little! Despite the bee sting, I'm smiling!
How I miss keeping bees!!! Seeing your post brought back so many wonderful memories. Nothing like the excitement of getting them in the mail and settling them in. I'm sure they will do well and be so happy to go out foraging again. They are small wonders of God's creation that never ceased to amaze me and bring joy.
ReplyDeleteCindy
Congrats on getting your bees installed! We usually place our hives on a board across a few cement blocks. Found it handy to strap the hive to the board (running the strap trough the cement blocks) to help prevent tipping from wind or animals. We had a hive on a hill on a farm that had the lids blow off on a storm, even with a brick on top! Wishing you all the best with your ladies! I saw a few of the girls in the plum tree blooms yesterday!!
ReplyDeleteI am so happy for you!! This is very exciting. Can't wait to see how it all goes.
ReplyDeleteTwo years? I hope it's not that long before I can get my bees! I just got my first bee book though and haven't had time to check it out yet, so at this rate... it might be two years *laugh*!
ReplyDeleteI think a big celebration is in order! It's always exciting to see plans come to fruition!
That's neat! I was talking to a few master beekeepers in the area. I would love to have bees but I'm afraid my son would be allergic. My kids have various allergies. I was also told I would have to have an electric fence around my hive because of bears. I haven't had a bear problem and I have chickens and other critters and feed with molasses. But the bee master said in six months time the bears would find me. Sigh.. So I will wait until I have the means to put a hive in another location safely from my house and children.
ReplyDeleteYou are not going to regret it one bit! Grap a cup of coffee, sit and watch them in the morning or afternoons. They are great teachers on how we should all work and live.
ReplyDeleteHow exciting!!!
ReplyDeleteThat is exciting, I found a blog a few weeks ago that had bees and I am interested in learning more.....who knows maybe in two years I'll be getting my first bees?? I have many other plans that I am in the middle of currently so I am trying to take one step at a time.
ReplyDeleteThats awesome that you do that ! We have bee farms around here and I love going to their road side stands and getting fresh honey mmm yummy ! Great post and photos. Have a wonderful buzzy day !
ReplyDeleteOh this is so exciting and really neat.I look forward to seeing all of the progress with them.
ReplyDeleteWe're on our third year of bees. At first I was like okay it's cool and let hubby take care of them but the first time I opened up one of the hives it was like OH WOW!
ReplyDeleteGood LUCK!!
We're hoping to get into beekeeping eventually, but we're not quite ready yet--I saw an notice in the paper for meetings of local beekeepers group, I plan on attending a few meetings this summer. My brother-in-law has bees and they make the best honey--I can't wait for us to be able to harvest some, as well! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteSo glad the bees have arrived. I can't wait for updates!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to the new beekeeper! Oh, that lovely honey! Now you will be livin' the sweet life! ha
ReplyDeleteEnjoy!
SO STINKIN' AWESOME!! I am so excited that you finally have your bees! I was wondering why you hadn't gotten Italians (like everyone else) thank you for educating us! Oh man...someday...someday I, TOO, will have bees!!
ReplyDeleteSo cool Amu! Maybe next year I will have my own colony :o)
ReplyDeleteMy husband and son are taking a bee keeping class in May. I am curious what hive you bought and through which company. I have been researching and it can get overwhelming.
ReplyDeleteAmy, the ant-prevention is brilliant. I do have a few questions:
ReplyDelete1) Do you build your own hives?
2) If not on # 1, where do you buy them?
3) Do you clip a wing on your queen at first or sometime during the season to keep them from swarming?
4) How many pounds do you harvest each year, per hive (not counting the brood chamber, of course)? Thanks!!
My hive came from Brushy Mountain Bee Farm, but I'm thinking we may try making our next hive. This cost wasn't so bad, but the shipping is very costly. There is a place that is closer to us (less shipping), but the items were more expensive, so in the end it was about the same.
ReplyDeleteI didn't clip a wing on the queen, and not sure if I will. I need to research that more before I decide. I'm quite the novice and will be learning a lot as I go. Also, I don't know how much honey I'll actually get to harvest - it will depend on how much they make this year and then I'll need to determine how much I need to leave for them for the winter. However, if I were to extract from one super, I understand it's around 40 pounds each. By the way, this is an 8 frame hive, not a 10 frame. I'd rather add more supers that I can actually lift!
Oh how I LOVE honey. How exciting to have a hive!
ReplyDeleteYour blog came highly recommended by Cheryl at Prairie Flower Farm. I happily follow now.
Nice detail in your post.
ReplyDeleteWishing you much success in beekeeping.
Congratulations! You will never regret having bees. You will get to know your hive like your children. We have had the same hive producing for 11 years and extract about 60lbs off of three supers on a 10 frame hive. Try spraying your suit with Bee Quick if you feel uneasy when you do have to open the hive. I think that it is all natural. Also, put honey or benedryl cream on a sting as soon as possible. You never know which bite is going to cause you the greatest discomfort. For me it was a sting on the thumb!
ReplyDeleteSara, thank you for the great information. I'll be making notes of all that you just mentioned!
ReplyDeleteCongrats. I am allergic to some types of wasp stings, so I am a little leery of bees too so I could never keep them.
ReplyDeleteI love that you have bees now! We are working toward that end, a little at a time. Fortunately, there seems to be several wild hives near our garden.
ReplyDeleteIn case your ears have been burning, you are featured with three other bloggers on my blog today.
Here is a direct link:
http://theprairiemaid.blogspot.com/2011/04/ladies-of-net.html
If I don't stop by tomorrow, praying you and your family have a wonderful Resurrection Weekend!
Blessings,
Cheryl
Wonderful post! Gave me something to think about as I am researching now and hoping to get my 1st hive early next March.
ReplyDeleteI am so excited for you!!
ReplyDeleteHow fun! Congrats on the new neighbors!
ReplyDeleteYay!! Congratulations!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is great! I would love to have bees, but we only have 1/2 acre, so I'm not sure if we could support a hive. We visited my husband's aunt a couple years ago, and I loved seeing her bees buzzing through the meadow!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the Bees.
ReplyDeleteHow exciting!! I really enjoyed this post, and it made me even more excited about what will be taking place here a week from tomorrow . . . our first package of honeybees will be arriving! After these few rainy days pass, I'll be setting up our hive and making the last few preparations for the bees. What a fun adventure this has already been so far!
ReplyDeleteI hope that your bees do very well for you. Have fun! :)
hello! where did you order your carniolan bee package from? being in the northeast i wanted to try these bees for their cold hardiness. in my area all i could find was a package of italian bees with a carniolan queen...
ReplyDeleteJo, I got my bees from Koehnen and Sons; I was impressed with this company through and through. You'll find them here - http://www.koehnen.com/index.html
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! Our first ones are coming in a couple of weeks and I am excited! I still have some preparing to do though.
ReplyDeleteI've wanted bees for years and finally have a home where I could have them... but our neighbors are fanatical about spraying for clover and dandelions. I'm afraid they'd end up dying. :(
ReplyDeleteJust discovered your blog today, and I'm really enjoying it thus far. Thanks!