My 1st bees

[grahambee]

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=3679&stc=1&d=1302379253

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=3680&stc=1&d=1302379507

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=3681&stc=1&d=1302379507

Got my first swarm of bees today. It arrived in a basketball court in Portsmouth and was closed off. The council even trained there CCTV on it until john swarm guy from Portsmouth could come and removed it and helped me set them up in my own hives.

I've read alot of books and attended several courses but now the hard work begins. Would like to say a big thanks to John for supplying this swarm. They are quite light and stripy, I am happy to finally have my own bees.

 

[Silly Bee]

Excellent, now you can learn how to worry about them,

I assume you shook them in.

 

[Tom Bick]

Nice job Graham next although we don’t all have to comply nail the frames through the sidebars into the top rail on each side less chance for the two to come apart.

 

[grahambee]

I assume you shook them in.

Yes would like to have see them walk in but was geting late

 

[VEG]

Well done now the worry begins lol

 

[BKF Admin]

LOL Tom,spoken like a a person who makes hives for a living.
I never even noticed until you posted it..

 

[Firegazer]

I guess they were nailed from the flat side through to the bevelled side, so you could only see the nail-head on one side?

That's how I do mine, after GWW showing me how.

FG

 

[grahambee]

These were the first frames that I have made up, I was shown how to do this by someone at my local beekeeping association.

@Firegazer, Thats how mine were done.

 

[Tom Bick]

Don’t think you will have any problems Graham its just better to nail through both sides of the side bar into the top bar the nails sort of locking both together.

 

[grahambee]

its just better to nail through both sides of the side bar into the top bar the nails sort of locking both together.

Thanks for that, I'll keep that in mind for the future frame building
I did glue the top rail to the side bars.

 

[Mike a]

Congrats Graham

 

[Tom Bick]

Thanks for that, I'll keep that in mind for the future frame building
I did glue the top rail to the side bars.

If that’s the case they are perfect and perhaps and will withstand a direct hit lol. Great job with the bees.

 

[dolbz]

Congrats. And it's so true, now you will worry about them Enjoy!

 

[Moggs]

Well done Graham. Welcome to the wonderful world of beekeeping. Just a small point, although a swarm won't prove to be too curious, I'd advise alternative footwear when you do any serious hive inspections. Bees love to investigate and climb up and up (and up!) into dark places. I wear rigger type boots

 

[Silly Bee]

Well done Graham. Welcome to the wonderful world of beekeeping. Just a small point, although a swarm won't prove to be too curious, I'd advise alternative footwear when you do any serious hive inspections. Bees love to investigate and climb up and up (and up!) into dark places. I wear rigger type boots

Yup, found that out the painful way lol

 

[Chris B]

I can almost smell that lovely new cedar hive from here!

That's the only downside of using polys - no cedar fix.

 

[TBRNoTB]

Nice job Graham next although we don’t all have to comply nail the frames through the sidebars into the top rail on each side less chance for the two to come apart.

On closer inspection it looks like its a belt and braces job!

 

[grahambee]

Thank you for your comments and suggestions
popped down today and put a feeder on with 1 to 1 syrup
a lot of bees were flying around orientating themselves

a couple of quick questions:

how long does it take for bees to draw comb for the queen to start laying?

with it being such an early swarm is there a possibility they will swarm late in the year?

i am sure there will be plenty of questions now i have some bees

 

[Tom Bick]

a couple of quick questions:

”how long does it take for bees to draw comb for the queen to start laying?”

Not long at all but it all depends on how long they were out of the hive they take with them three days supply of honey and if housed reasonably soon after leaving the hive they will put it to use on drawing comb.

“with it being such an early swarm is there a possibility they will swarm late in the year?”

Yes

 

[MJBee]

how long does it take for bees to draw comb for the queen to start laying?
[/QUOTE)

The 14 x 12 box of foundation I put on top of a National brood had an arch of part drawn cells with eggs in them within 3 days!! The cells just have to be started and the queen will lay in them and the workers then have to play catch up as the larvae develope