IDIOTS' CORNER - Newbee, out and proud!

[Dusty Rhodes]

Dear Newbees.


Many of us submit meek posts to this Forum, afraid to look stupid and raising the eyebrows of experienced beekeepers. We hear the "Tut" of those who have been around for decades and know it all. (Not that they do: as soon as they open their mouths, someone contradicts them!)

Some of them make snide remarks about us messing with our bees, because of our anxiety, when often we are trying to build a body of experience.
(To be fair, some don't and are very welcoming and patient with us.)


Brothers and sisters, we have a right to sound stupid!
We have a right to get it wrong!


So, let's stand up and proclaim our ignorance!


They have there, "What clever thing I did in my apiary today".
(What is demaree, anyway? Thought it was a form of sugar.)

We can have our "Idiots' Corner".

And I'm happy to start with two stupid questions:

1) I got my nuc 2 weeks ago; the first week was cold, this week hot.
How long can I expect before they draw out the added 6 frames (14 x 12) and I need to put on my first super?

2) Doing my inspection today, they'd built wild comb on the bottom of some of the DN frames; no problem. Some broke off and I removed it. Has eggs & larvae. What do I do with it?


Answers, please, O Wise Ones.


Dusty.

 

[enrico]

None of you are stupid and I apologise for all of us old hands who make you feel so. I was in your shoes thirty years ago and I remember them only too well. No forums then to help me!. There is no set time for anything, just keep an eye on them. The wax goes in the dustbin in a sealed bag
Keep it simple
E xxxx

 

[Luminos]

Very well said, Dusty Rhodes .
Fortunately, plenty of experienced beeks on here who can manage to share their knowledge AND be polite.

Enrico - IMO you're one of the ones in the knowledgable and polite category

 

[protheroe]

i normally add a super once they are on the last couple of frames.i have added supers with 4 frames left to draw but they dont seem to move up until the bb is mainly drawn out.As a nuc expands say to 7 frames of brood, theres a rapid expansion with the ammount of brood hatching so they will quickly finish the bb and then move up,but these are just my observations

 

[oliver90owner]

1) an absolute age if dumped in a full hive with a full set of frames with foundation and it is cold!

An age if you keep removing the wild comb - they will rather build that than start new foundation.

It will acually depend on several factors and comb built is not necessarily a measure of colony strength.

You should be aiming for more bees, that means as cosy a brood nest as possible (no cavern) so the house bees can service as many brood as possible. More bees means more comb building, which requires warmth and lots of bees. You do not want most of your house bees drawing comb for storing sugar syrup that they do not need. Foragers will forage if there is a flow.

It is all a balancing act. Feed enough, only if they need it; give enough space to draw and no more; Block off that space below the deep frames to avoid wasting energy, and time, building wild comb - unless you intend leaving it on until you change out those frames.

Possibly won't need a super this year, or it might be on by end June, just can't tell. It may depend also on the strain of queen.

I often find I need to remove store frames from small colonies (splits that are building up) before they are transferred to a full hive. My nucs are 6 framers and I look for brood on most all of those frames, before shifting them - when they are foraging well and have a good honey arch above the brood they don't need full frames of stores. They do need careful monitoring if the weather goes sour for a few days. They start as 3 frame splits in poly. Be prepared, be observant and they will do as well as the conditions allow.

RAB

 

[suechick]

Hello Dusty,
I'm a newbie too, muddling through.
In comparison to last year I can do a bit of bee talk and keep my bees alive.
Personally i do find it quite hurtful when you ask on line for info and advice and then persons unknown take a verbal pot-shot.
Not sure if a certain .5% of bee keepers don't actually want new people to come and join in and learn this art form/science.
I'm going to keep asking question anyway, some one nice always comes out of the woodwork to help.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

So, let's stand up and proclaim our ignorance!

.

Somemof the more experienced ones can be downright ignorant too you know!

 

[ultreen1]

Well said dusty!
I dread posting on this forum waiting for some "let's stop and think about this" remark!
So I try not to post and ask google my question!
I'm still getting to grips with all the abbreviations! TBH stands for "to be honest" in my world!

 

[Stiffy]

Well said dusty!
I dread posting on this forum waiting for some "let's stop and think about this" remark!
So I try not to post and ask google my question!
I'm still getting to grips with all the abbreviations! TBH stands for "to be honest" in my world!

I don’t think many (if any) on this forum sets out to try and be rude, one man’s rudeness is another man’s being blunt and to the point.

As one who has been burnt a few times on here I really value the advice given and feel no one should be afraid of asking questions on this forum. I have learnt though that what ever advice is given it is me that makes the final decision.....good or bad.
Although it may be off putting and come across as rude the “let's stop and think about this" remark is usually trying to get the poster to think about what they are asking, rather than expecting a reply straight away, after all it is your hive and to be frank your problem.

Yes it can be hard with a full hive of bees trying their best to rid themselves of the dope trying to mess up their lovely ordered hive but many of the problems need sorting when you have it open.
I believe you just need to step back and think about what will happen if you do x, y or z and will it achieve the outcome you are looking for.

Well that’s my take on it and I am sorry if I have offended anyone .
S

 

[Poly Hive]

I have posted the lets have a think more than once and no doubt will again.

Why do I do it? To try and get the questioner thinking. Why should I bother, well because others helped me enormously in my early days, and I am trying to repay the time they gave me, and they made me think too.

If there is just a pat answer given every time who learns what? Ask any teacher and I hope they would say by making the pupill think then the next time they will think first and not knee jerk react.

There is a very simple answer though to posters that you find annoying and that is to go to your control panel and place them on ignore. Top left on the home page, User CP, click on that and on the left hand side there is a heading Settings & Options, and a sub heading of Edit Ignore List, click that and add the offender to your list via the box on that page.

PH

 

[ultreen1]

I don't think anyone is rude on here either.
Patronising an condescending yes!
The let's stop and think is a good way to start a reply...as we should stop and think! However, sometimes what comes after it is the issue!
Don't get me wrong I like coming on here I read things, laugh and learn!
I've been on the receiving end of a comment which I thought was uncalled for!
But hey! Maybe I'm sensitive!

 

[Poggle]

I kinda stopped posting on here due to the amount of posts I saw belittling newbies or just someone getting a question correct. I got it for making a simple mistake in counting and that was when I thought "Nah, waste of time asking anything". I have had (not from here) "beeks" saying "What? You've been doing it a year and you still know bugger all!!!"
Anyway, I had a look in my hive at 12 noon today along with two other people who had never done bee keeping, we saw sealed brood, open brood, no Queen cells, no drone brood, Capped and open honey cells. Looks like my hive might be on its way now the heat is upon us. Was I wrong to to let two others who were not bee keepers anywhere near to the hive, albeit suited up with my "Know bugger all" experience??

 

[beebreeder]

Or get a thicker skin like most of us have, it makes it harder for the bees to sting through! LOL I don't think many on here are intentionaly hurtfull, a few get fed up with the same questions being repeatedly asked when the forum has a good search function. Don't forget we are all from different walks of life and parts of the country, what is harmless banter to one is an insult to another

 

[Swarm]

All of us were new at some stage, whether it was decades or years ago. No doubt we were all excited as well. You can think something through and come to a conclusion but a little reassurance from others (Enrico springs to mind) goes such a long way.

 

[karl moss]

Agree

I do see posts on here that i believe are rude and sometimes arrogant,just do what you would do in any other situation Ignore them, and use all the good advice that most posts contain, personally i have made nearly all of the mistakes i see on here and some even more stupid

 

[MattC]

swarm cell or supersedure cell?

OK, a question and a picture from a first year beekeeper 'idi*t'. What is this- supersedure or swarm cell, or something else? What should I do with it? It appears to be empty- no grub/egg etc. No other queen cells anywhere else in the colony. This was a swarm hived towards the end of last summer, the colony took a long time to build intially but has now got up to 7-8 frames brood in all stages and seems to be doing well.

 

[Swarm]

A play cup.

 

[VEG]

if there is no larvae in it then it is a play cup an upside down one lol

 

[oliver90owner]

I have posted the lets have a think more than once and no doubt will again.

PH he was referruing to me, I think. He was a bit upset when I pointed out his post about his '5 week old nuc' was misleading as it was likely 8 months old, not 5 weeks!

Maybe he was either simply not telling the truth (there is a word for that) or just unaware of telling all, that his so called new colony was expanding, was not really that surprising and likely not down to his expertise.

But hey! Maybe he's sensitive!

Here is the quote about his '8 month' old nuc: Inspected my 5 week old nuc. Very pleased to see they are expanding. Lots of eggs and brood of all stages.

 

[enrico]

It might have only been his for five weeks and someone else's before that!!!
Just a thought!!