This gal just had to help out—I lent her my suit. After we got the bees all set I helped her do her report on bees for her school. Kids and Bees, what could be better?
Bees from swimming-pool floats.
Swimming pool bees in the box.
The swimming pool bees, now serving as trap-out bees.
Hi,
I am a first-year backyard beekeeper. I ordered my beginning beekeeping material about a month ago. Since that time, I was introduced to the backwards beekeeping method; I like it. I have already prepared my starter strips (got some beeswax from a friend who is practicing the backwards beekeeping method).
My question is this, when installing my package bees, do I need to worry about the bees taking to the starter strips? Should I have a couple frames with foundation placed in the hive just in case? I'm a little nervous about installing my bees without any drawn out comb. My friend gave me one fully drawn out frame of honey comb, I plan on putting that in the bottom box when I install my bees.
What do you think? In your experience, do package bees generally take to the starter strips without any drawn out frames? My bees arrive on the 24th, so please help me!
Thanks,
Derek M.
I got a call from our veterinarian in East Pasadena to tell me that there was a swarm near their office. When I got there the bees were in a mass on the ground in the parking lot of an adjacent abandoned office building.
It was a cinch to get them. I just put the nuc box on the ground next to them and opened the hole. They all crawled in to the amazement of myself and the vet office folks who came over to watch. I waited about an hour--there were still a few stragglers hanging out on the front of the box. I sprayed them with sugar water, scooped them up with a dust pan and tossed them in the box.
I taped up the box and rushed the bees home. We'll see if they take to their new digs. A big thanks to Kirk for being such a great teacher!
Best,
Erik
I wanted to share some photos and notes on my bee experience yesterday and today.
I drove to Orange last night with a friend in a borrowed pickup truck to get the two hive boxes from David, who said he couldn't keep them anymore. He fired up his smoker, and I was sure he was going to ignite them! But they did calm down and survived all that smoke. I taped the screen borrowed from Kirk on top of the box. After some prying loose, we were able to carry it out to the pickup bed.
He also had a new swarm that had just appeared the day before. This being my first hands on experience, I wasn't planning on taking the swarm and told him that might be better left to a pro.... but there it was, this sweet heart shaped mass at the top of the jungle gym, vibrating like the whole thing was one breathing organism, which in some ways is true.
So we lifted a cardboard box up to it and swept them (albeit clumsily) into the box and taped it shut. It was then loaded into the truck and I covered it all with a sheet. I put the box cover in, which had a cluster of bees on it. Four of them actually survived the long drive home!
This morning Kirk came over to help me do a proper setup. Unloading in the dark last night was not very precise and I wasn't prepared for 2 hives! He showed me how to set the starter strips in the frames and load the box.
We then added a new box to the very crowded and angry original hive, and set up the swarm w/their starter box and a bag of sugar water and a yummy looking pollen patty for dessert. I am so thankful that Kirk was able to come over on Easter sunday and help my start out right! And I'm really looking forward to this new ongoing experience with the bees!
Bee well and thrive...
--Kacy
I think I just became a beekeeper today thanks to Kirk. I feel giddy and my heart feels warm and fuzzy. I caught "bee fever" a week ago. I didn't learn about this in medical school but it's serious and needs immediate treatment. I read about improved pollination of fruit trees with bees (I have about 30 new trees in my backyard orchard) and wanted some of these little workers. I bought a hive, veil, gloves and smoker at LA Honey last week and went to my first Backwards Beekeeping meeting at Farmlab last weekend. It was fun to see so many people who also had the fever (maybe it's harmless).
I wasn't sure if I was ready but thought I should get as much experience as possible first. Luckily Kirk had a "doozie" of a cut out today and he invited me along. I admit I was nervous. I wasn't sure what to expect. I hadn't even used any of my gear yet (that's the reason I didn't know I had two right sided gloves and that I had already lost my smoker!).
When I got to the Pasadena home, Kirk and Deborah had already tied in the comb and put alot of bees into the new hive. The bees were all over the hive, slowly crawling in and flying all over. I could feel a little breeze when one flew next to my head. The old bay window had been home to the 70,000 bees for 5 years per the homeowner, Robin. The window had fallen over so there were bees on the ground and up at the top of the window.
After sweeping in as many possible, the hive was left next to the window to allow them time to enter the hive. Robin wanted to keep the bees and luckily, so did his neighbor. His neighbor, her young girls and their friends watched the whole event excitedly through their window. They ooed, awed and squealed at times as the bees were swept up. He gave bee lessons to them as he worked. They had great questions and were eager to learn. Kirk saved some honey comb dripping with fresh honey for them to eat later for a special treat.
Now I didn't mention that as soon as I got to the cut out, Kirk said he had a surprise for me. He knew of a swarm in Silver Lake and had his nuc. They were mine if I wanted them! “Ummmm.....sure!” To be honest, I was thinking "ooo, this is happening so fast, what am I getting into?"
After the cut out we went to catch the swarm. The owner pointed out the two balls of bees. They were so cute. One was a small softball size up in a bougainvilla hedge and the other a baseball size on the ground. Maybe there were two queens. The swarms looked very round, soft and wonderful. Kirk gently placed the swarm attached to a twig on top of the frames and the bees just crawled into the nuc. So easy! I scooped up the ones that were left on the ground and in a few seconds they were in too. With a few shakes by Kirk the other swarm was in the nuc.
The nuc was taped up and I held the humming box with a sudden sense of pride and well being. It was a bit strange. I was smiling like a fool. Kirk took a picture as I cradled the nuc like a baby. It took all my will power to stop listening to their buzzing tonight. I hope they like their new home.
--Roberta
