Hello

[UK Fisher]

Hi All,

I am new here and new to beekeeping too, just thought i would pop in and say hello.

I have just collected and hived my first 2 nucs.

On hiving the nucs i found 2 queen cups which i took off the frames, i was told to look for them from my nuc supplier, so had an idea they would be there.

I am very happy with the nucs, being full of brood at all stages and honey stores etc. Managed to find the queens, both numbered, but i didn't take too long studying the frames as i just wanted to get them in and settled.

I also saw amongst the capped brood a few cells which seemed to protrude slightly further out than the capped brood, not in a "queen cell" way but i think it is more than likely drone cells. I will keep an eye on them, but am sure they were drones. Any info on this would be appreciated.

I did take a few photos of the frames as well so as i can have a good long look later on the pc screen.

Everything seemed to go well, no stings even though i didn't wear gloves, ( arthritis in hands), so am hoping that i am on my way into the fascinating world of beekeeping.

I have been reading through the forum and there is a lot of info on here for a beginner like me. I have been reading and thinking about keeping bees for a quire a long time now, and hopefully with a little help here and there i can look forward to some honey next year,,,,maybe .......

Thanks

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Welcome Jazz - yes they sound very much like drone cells - like a normal brood cell but protruding a bit, as opposed to the significantly larger queen cells.

Queen cups by themselves are fine - at this stage referred to a play cups - you only need to be alert when eggs/larva/jelly appear.

 

[thurrock bees]

Hi and Welcome to the forum, i personally would not worry about a honey crop as yet, i would start thinking about getting them ready for winter, i know its early but a swarm/nuc on 5 frames need to do a lot of work now to get ready for winter. Beekeeping can and does take a lot of time and prepration but its a very rewarding hobby.

 

[barratt_sab]

Welcome.

You might get some honey this year, you never know. We got 1/2 jar off one colony in our first year and it was the best honey ever (at least we thought so). We used to let visitors look at it...

Take a look at Huntsman's post in this thread:

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=11122

for a link to a photo of drone brood.

 

[madasafish]

Welcome. Forum has been a great help to me. as a last year beginner

 

[Midland Beek]

Well ... credit to you for not wearing gloves. Having colonies that do not ever require the wearing of gloves is something to aim for.

 

[UK Fisher]

Thank you all for the welcome,

The cells are drone cells and Monsieur Abeille description suits them very well as does the pic in the link barratt_sab put up.

I agree with thurrock regarding not worrying about honey this year,,,,i am not planning on taking any until next year, i am sure the bees could do with it a lot more than me this winter.

Regarding the "no gloves", my arthritic hands are bad enough when doing fiddly jobs without gloves, when i tried to use the heavy duty bee gloves i purchased it was much worse, almost no dexterity at all ....

If the bees start to "play up" later when there is a lot more of them i will have to try and find gloves that are a lot thinner and softer, latex gloves would be ok, but i doubt they would stop even the weakest attempt at stinging my hands.

Do you all use heavy duty gloves, or has someone got an answer to my glove problem,,,,,,

Jazz

 

[nosmoking]

Welcome UK Fisher. My first year as well and I'm in Hampshire. Good luck.

 

[tonybloke]

Thank you all for the welcome,

Regarding the "no gloves", my arthritic hands are bad enough when doing fiddly jobs without gloves, when i tried to use the heavy duty bee gloves i purchased it was much worse, almost no dexterity at all ....

If the bees start to "play up" later when there is a lot more of them i will have to try and find gloves that are a lot thinner and softer, latex gloves would be ok, but i doubt they would stop even the weakest attempt at stinging my hands.

Do you all use heavy duty gloves, or has someone got an answer to my glove problem,,,,,,

Jazz

Welcome to the forum Jazz.
regarding gloves, a lot of Beekeepers ( me included) wear thin Nitrile gloves, ( available at garage supplies, motorfactors )at about £6 a hundred.
rgds, Tony

 

[drex]

Or long cuff "marigolds". They can still sting through, but probably do not get full dose. In my second year and I seem to no longer react.

You seem to be off to a good start with a good attitude. Read Ted Hooper and join your local association, and your bees will be so much more rewarding.

Welcome and enjoy

 

[Headnavigator]

Hi and welcome!
C'mon, stings are supposed to be good for arthritis - or so I'm always being told. Can't say I've proved it yet though!
Similar problems in hands, blue nitrile gloves work fine for me. I see you're in Hampshire, Scats and other ag suppliers stock them. If the going gets tough you can put them on top of leather gloves or marigolds for a bit of extra protection.
Good Luck, all the best with your bees, enjoy them!

 

[chickendave]

Well ... credit to you for not wearing gloves. Having colonies that do not ever require the wearing of gloves is something to aim for.

For the first time this year on most of my inspections I have not warn gloves this season and to my surprise very few stungs, but I must say it takes a bit of getting used to, plus a lot less crushed bees and a whole lot more feeling
If you do need to where gloves the nitile gloves are great plus you can always double them up for extra protection and welcome to the wonderful world of beekeeping enjoy

 

[Elaine]

I don't wear gloves - but I might if I had a lot of hives in an apiary - as bees being creatures driven by smell are not going to appreciate my hands smelling of "that hive next door". If wearing the nitrile gloves it's easy to change gloves between hives. As my bees are at home, I can just go and wash my hands between hives. So far (having got our bees in early May) - we've had one sting between us - and that was a week ago, when it seems everyone's bees were bing a bit bad tempered!

 

[UK Fisher]

Thanks all for the welcome and the replies.

Must admit i never thought if the blue nitrile gloves, and a friend of mine works in a garage,(have to talk nicely to him).

"C'mon, stings are supposed to be good for arthritis"

I hear the same all the time now ,,,will soon know if its true,,,,ill be the only madman in hampshire who dips his ungloved hands into his beehives every morning and tickles the queen to get a reaction from her workers.... just to get arthritic relief...i can picture it now on local news channel....."local man conducts his own arthritis/bee sting trials..." or "local man stung to death for agravating queen bees every day" probably more like it.

Regarding weather and beehive inspections, if after checking long range forecast your inspection falls in amongst some horrible wet weather, is it best to put it off until weather passes or if possible do it a day or two early before weather arrives (like next week).....

Jazz

 

[oliver90owner]

is it best to put it off until weather passes or if possible do it a day or two early before weather arrives

As in most of beekeeping, it depends.

If queen cells were suspected to be started, (swarm season), it is folly to delay - or they may be gone before you get there for the next inspection.

It doesn't rain all the time (usually) in the high season, so there is often the opportunity - and you certainly don't make decisions days early, just because the weather men say.

Observing the weather, forage, last inspection details will soon give you a feel for when to go in early, or are able to leave them a few more days. The other thing, of course, is to only check the bare essentials. In and out in a couple of minutes if no supers are on.

RAB

 

[UK Fisher]

Thanks Oliver, all makes sense, probably just my "newness" worrying too much.

Only thing i cant totally agree with is "It doesn't rain all the time (usually)".......joking of course.

 

[madasafish]

I don't wear any gloves in our garden (6 hives) but sometimes do at our Association apairy where some colonies can be very difficult. There I wear nitrile (if weather good and bees only a little nasty), Marigolds - bees generally nasty or Marigolds with nitrile on top - bees really pinging, following and climbing up/down trousers / looking for chinks in veil and stinging hands on contact.

Two layers make most stings of very short duration - any movement between the layers throws out the stinger.. Less tactile than one layer but far better and easier than leather in my view - and easier to clean.

I have arthritis in one knuckle joint .. Stings make no difference.. Pain comes and goes ...but is less than when I started beekeeping last year.

(stings to date since starting 53+: 5 from wasps, 48 from bees)

 

[user 6228]

Gloves stop you flinching when a bee walks on to your fingers or flying just blunders on to your hand. So really the gloves are to protect the bees from you not the other way round