Got my first colony of bees!

[cinnamon]

I meant to get bees much earlier in the season but some personal life issues got in the way. Hopefully they'll do fine.

I got the nuc on Monday evening, so I put them where the hive will go. I know I'm supposed to leave them to settle down and orient themselves for a few days.

My question is, what is the best weather to move them to the hive and what time of day? I see they were very busy yesterday morning with glorious weather and sunshine. But today they're not very active, the weather is a bit cold, overcast and windy, but no rain - yet (July summer weather in Scotland for you!)

Should I wait until the evening when they've settled down and not foraging? Or wait for a nicer weather within the next several days?

Currently they're in a poly nuc from Maisemore and they'll be going into a poly hive (again from Maisemore).

Thanks in advance for your responses.

 

[Davelin]

Don't open them if there's thunder in the air, they hate it.

Best done on a hot afternoon when they are flying. They'll very quickly figure out the new entrance if it's in the same place as the old.

 

[enrico]

It is good when they are busy but it doesn't really matter. Whatever you do try and make absolutely sure you have moved the queen. Try not to leave her in the nuc to be knocked in unless you have to! Be gentle and methodical and all should go well. Good luck for the future
E

 

[Brigsy]

Fun times!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Poly Hive]

Congrats. I am 50 miles away so our conditions are similar.

Bit cool to day but so is the rest of the week so I would transfer them over tonight.

Put a foundation frame next to a wall then the nuc then the rest of the frames of foundation unless you happen to have some comb.

Good luck and which local assoc are you joining?

PH

 

[cinnamon]

Thanks Davelin, Enrico and Pete!

I just checked the weather for the rest of the week - as you say, it's getting worse. So I best do it this evening when they're all tucked in.

Good luck and which local assoc are you joining?

PH

I know I said I'd be in touch previously but lots of stuff happened and my head was all over the place.

I joined Peebles BKA. They were the closest one that held a Beekeeping course at the time. I think Borders one had theirs after I found out. I am at their apiary every Sunday, weather/personal life permitting.

Two of our members won prizes at the Royal Highland Show this year. Not that I took any part in it but yay

 

[Swarm]

Ignore the weather, it's not that bad. If they need more space, they need more space.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Swarm's right.
An assistant and a fishing brolly are two things to consider keeping in your bee shed

 

[Millet]

Swarm's right.
An assistant and a fishing brolly are two things to consider keeping in your bee shed

I tried that but after several hours the assistant was screaming the place down to get back out.. , joking aside i have a fishing brolly and all are like it that has a point that can be pushed in the ground, good ones also have guide lines like a tent that will stop it blowing over in the wind.

 

[cinnamon]

Phew! Just in time! Right before the awful downpour started, I got the bees into the hive. All 6 frames were bursting full. So added 6 more frames to fill the brood box. Put the roof on. I'll check on Monday - first sign of weather improving and possibly add a super if they've drawn the other 6 frames.
On another note, I'm surrounded by very large amount of rosebay willowherb (~ 1- 1.5 acres?). I hear they are supposed to be great for both pollen and nectar. So crossing fingers I'm off to a good start.

 

[Swift Nick]

Good luck with the transfer, I got 2 nuc's 10 days ago and hived them a week ago.
Are you dummying down the hive with just a few extra frames of foundation? Or are you filling the hive with frames? I filled mine but tonight back tracked and just left two frames of foundation per hive, as the weather is cooling off, so I thought they would be better with less space.
Are you feeding the colony? I have been for a week with 1:1 syrup, but they are filling the brood box with syrup, so I think tonight may be their last feed until autumn.
Just a few comments from my past weeks experience.

 

[cinnamon]

Hey Nick - congrats on your new hives Exciting, isn't it!

No dummy boards. I added 6 frames of foundation. All brand new. I figured they're in a poly hive in summer (despite the bad weather) so they shouldn't have too much problem keeping it warm. I gave them about a litre of 2:1 sugar syrup when they were in the nuc box when I got them on Monday evening. Today it was all gone. I only realised (duh!) that I don't have a rapid feeder for the hive on Monday when I got the bees, so I ordered them straight away on Monday night but they've not arrived yet.. but seeing how all 6 frames were filled to the max, I think they have enough, at least for a day or so before the feeder arrives.

 

[BenLatimer]

Good luck with the transfer, I got 2 nuc's 10 days ago and hived them a week ago.
Are you dummying down the hive with just a few extra frames of foundation? Or are you filling the hive with frames? I filled mine but tonight back tracked and just left two frames of foundation per hive, as the weather is cooling off, so I thought they would be better with less space.
Are you feeding the colony? I have been for a week with 1:1 syrup, but they are filling the brood box with syrup, so I think tonight may be their last feed until autumn.
Just a few comments from my past weeks experience.

Just stopped feeding my nuc (now in hive) after two weeks.. seems they were just filling cells with sugar syrup.. and the wax they were drawing out started getting filled with syrup also..

 

[Swift Nick]

Just stopped feeding my nuc (now in hive) after two weeks.. seems they were just filling cells with sugar syrup.. and the wax they were drawing out started getting filled with syrup also..

That's exactly where I am at with mine, I think my main objective is to get the hive up to strength for the winter, so vacant cells for eggs are needed, especially as the queen will start to slow down. I plan to stop feeding now, feed again with 2:1 feed in the autumn.

 

[Swift Nick]

Hey Nick - congrats on your new hives Exciting, isn't it!

No dummy boards. I added 6 frames of foundation. All brand new. I figured they're in a poly hive in summer (despite the bad weather) so they shouldn't have too much problem keeping it warm. I gave them about a litre of 2:1 sugar syrup when they were in the nuc box when I got them on Monday evening. Today it was all gone. I only realised (duh!) that I don't have a rapid feeder for the hive on Monday when I got the bees, so I ordered them straight away on Monday night but they've not arrived yet.. but seeing how all 6 frames were filled to the max, I think they have enough, at least for a day or so before the feeder arrives.

Cinnamon,
You did well to get them in before the rain. I agree it is exciting getting your first bees, I have had these nuc's on order for 7 months. I managed to tempt a cast swarm in early May, so they ended up my first bees. Thanks to the great summer so far & some helpful advice from a guy at my local BKA, these are now a full hive with one super 75% full, second super added.
It will be interesting to see how you get on, having got nuc's at similar timings. Although there are differences in hives & locations.
Best of luck with your bees,
Nick

 

[MartinL]

No dummy boards. I added 6 frames of foundation. All brand new. I figured they're in a poly hive in summer (despite the bad weather) so they shouldn't have too much problem keeping it warm. I gave them about a litre of 2:1 sugar syrup when they were in the nuc box when I got them on Monday evening. Today it was all gone. I only realised (duh!) that I don't have a rapid feeder for the hive on Monday when I got the bees, so I ordered them . . .

At this time of year, you need to be very careful. If they have all that space inside and you're slopping sugar syrup all around, it's going to me open season for the Jaspers!

I'd close the entrance down to minimum and (if feeding at all), remove feeder ahead of the better weather.

 

[Millet]

I have four frames of semi crystallized honey that i can not be bothered faffing about with so the nucs are getting that if they need it, i have sugar mixed and at the ready but the wasps seem to magically appear as soon as syrup is used and the last thing i want is the two weaker nuc's coming under attack.

 

[drex]

Feeding is a balancing act. Whether it be from natural foraging or sugar syrup. In this area, at present there is plenty of forage, and provided there are enough foragers in the hives I would not feed. Recently made up 5 nucs for new home bred queens. Each had 2 frames or thereabouts of stores and were strong, so I did not feed. If they do not have enough income they will not draw comb, if too much will store it, decreasing laying space for queen

 

[cinnamon]

Well I can't feed them in the new hive, as I still haven't received the feeder in the post! So much for Amazon Prime... that said, the seller is probably not Amazon itself but one of private sellers.

From the looks of it, there were plenty of stores in the initial 6 frames, so by the time I get to inspect it, they should be fine. Initially I worried about them not finding forage because they've just been brought in and new to the area, but there's plenty of wild flowers in the field next to me. The farmer left it go wild for some reason...

The initial advice I had from my BKA was to feed them until they've drawn the new 6 frames once in the hive and stop feeding. If I don't receive the feeder by tomorrow, I'll need to drive about 25 miles to a Thorne's.

On a different note, I was looking up some apps for keeping records. Anyone have any recommendations? I found one that sells for £4.99 on the app store. I didn't want to spend the money without a test drive. So all recommendations are most welcome.

 

[Swarm]

See how they get along drawing wax with the stores they already have, it will free up cells for laying. One suggestion I would make is to remove the twelfth frame in favour of a dummy board. You will soon find it very hard to fit twelve in once they give the hive the propolis treatment, plus removing a dummy board is easier and you won't roll bees.
Nice photo, the bees look happy, have fun.