Cautiously optimistic newbie!

[E&MBees]

Next step is to be diagnosed with bee fever. You’re certainly showing the symptoms

It’s chronic, with symptoms worsening over the winter before improving slightly again in the spring.
Have you started skip diving yet? Cellotex for insulation, dummy boards, solar wax melter. Wood for stands, ekes, clearer boards.

 

[BoothBees]

I'm already making a shopping list.

I felt like I at least needed bees before trying to buy more stuff. That box is ticked!

The bees are actually quite nice and don't bother us, even when we're close by the hives. It took a while to train our "flinch and waft reflex" away.

 

[BoothBees]

It's now three weeks since I took delivery of the bees.

In that time I've attended a beginner course with my local association and even got my wife on the course with me. She's hooked on bees. That'll make inspections a lot easier!

I took a lot away from it, reinforcing some of what I already knew and letting me ask questions on the parts I wasn't clear on. I've got more tools in my arsenal now as a result, some of which I'll probably use (nucleus method for artificial swarming) and others I very likely won't (shook swarm for comb change).

The two colonies I bought are on national frames and I use Langstroths, so I've already started a Bailey comb change. I managed to identify the queen in both hives, ensure she was in the top brood box, and put the queen excluder in. That was Sunday so I plan to see how they're getting on this Saturday or Sunday.

I'm quite pleased with how it's going so far and need to work on hives and frames for the next four nucs, which are due some time in May (going on June).

 

[BoothBees]

The two colonies I bought are on national frames and I use Langstroths, so I've already started a Bailey comb change. I managed to identify the queen in both hives, ensure she was in the top brood box, and put the queen excluder in. That was Sunday so I plan to see how they're getting on this Saturday or Sunday.

Quick update on the Bailey comb change:

Both colonies are doing well. The bees are drawing the new frames nicely and there are BIAS in the new brood box, which was great to see.

One of the colonies is so strong I wouldn't be surprised to be doing a split or two next year.

I've got my other 4 nucs on the way this weekend from Modern Beekeeping, which I'm eager to get on site and into their hives. That'll put me up to 6 colonies.

 

[enrico]

Quick update on the Bailey comb change:

Both colonies are doing well. The bees are drawing the new frames nicely and there are BIAS in the new brood box, which was great to see.

One of the colonies is so strong I wouldn't be surprised to be doing a split or two next year.

I've got my other 4 nucs on the way this weekend from Modern Beekeeping, which I'm eager to get on site and into their hives. That'll put me up to 6 colonies.

If you want honey then a strong colony is what you want! well done

 

[BoothBees]

I love having two hobbies I can combine. Photography and...

 

[BoothBees]

Just a little update.

The colonies I bought are doing well.

One of them is very strong and we've got a super of honey being capped. It's full as far as I can tell. I wasn't expecting that this year.

Another colony is not far behind.

We had one colony start swarm preparations late into June, so I did an artificial swarm and have been checking them for queen cells. I plan to leave them with just one.

I also got my hand on some black bees just to be able to compare them with the others.

So I planned for two colonies, then decided on four, and now I have eight. Bee Maths.

I also made my first proper rookie errors in one inspection... I forgot to tighten the cuffs and had a bee go up the sleeve. It didn't sting and just came back out. I then noticed one on the inside of the veil... I hadn't zipped it up!

Between my wife and I we've had three stings so far, each caused by not spotting a bee where a hand or finger was about to go, so not really any fault of the bees.

 

[BoothBees]

Why did nobody tell me what a pain in the behind bees are?

I went to do an inspection at the weekend on 7 colonies, already 1 too many, and now I have 10. Some of the little sods were prepping to swarm, so yet more manipulations done. I only wanted 6 hives.

In good news though, at least 4 of them have produced a good amount of honey in the supers and are capping it. I'm really pleased for a first year!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I went to do an inspection at the weekend on 7 colonies, already 1 too many, and now I have 10. Some of the little sods were prepping to swarm, so yet more manipulations done. I only wanted 6 hives.

Be strict and recombine all the splits. My general rule of thumb is if the original queen is in her second or third year and is performing well, I keep her.

 

[BoothBees]

So I did a thing…







I didn’t know I’d get this far this year.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Well done. It’s the best honey you will ever taste. Keep a jar back. I have one, or two kept for every year.

 

[BoothBees]

Tonight one of my hives swarmed. I'd previously done an artificial swarm, but they decided to swarm anyway with the newly emerged queen.

The good news is that we spotted it on a nearby post, managed to grab and cage the queen, and the bees marched merrily into a nuc. The entrance is currently open whilst they march in, and I'll be heading back later to close it up.

Can I position the nuc anywhere I like and will the bees orient from that position? (It would be at the same apiary site.)

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Can I position the nuc anywhere I like and will the bees orient from that position?

yes, as long as you do it within 48 hours of the swarm leaving

 

[BoothBees]

yes, as long as you do it within 48 hours of the swarm leaving

Brilliant, thank you. I'll pop the entrance open later today.

 

[BoothBees]

I’ve already sold a jar.

The other legal info is on a secondary label. (On the back.)

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Nice label

The other legal info is on a secondary label. (On the back.)

What we've done for years (SWMBO wanted a plain label on the jar) and I think the extra fiddle with the second label is worth it, even though it costs a few pennies more (and it keeps the ayatolla off my case!!)

 

[Erichalfbee]

ayatolla

?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

SWMBO

 

[Erichalfbee]

SWMBO

Yes I presumed that. Just wanted to make sure.

 

[drex]

I think Mrs JBM is beautiful and a Saint for putting up with JBM and his blooming bees. I know my wife is for putting up with me and my pass times.