DA RAT the Welcome to the forum mat

daver here. St. louis, MO. metro area
5 hives all made it so far this winter
started with and split it the next year with a new queen.
split those two the following year, new queens added, and bought a package. the package was the one that never developed as fast as the other two splits. They made it so far in a single deep over winter. But here in MO. we know that winter can come roaring back. I did take the the weather break as a good time to add pollen paddies to help out in the long run. I was lucky enough to spot one queen and some fresh brood as well. If all goes as planned I will split all four strong hives and add new queens to the splits, and possibly the grandparent hive.

 

Hello daver110 and welcome to the forum. Sounds good that they made it through the winter for you.

 

hi daver110 :wave: I'm glad your bees survived the winter y'all had, it sounded like a doozy!

 

Kirk (a.k.a. Angelwood) here from Central Indiana, USA.
My wife & I are just getting started: have constructed our hive; got our veil, smoker, & hive tool; have inserted the foundations into the first brood boxes; just getting ready to paint 'er all up nicely; and we're waiting for our first nuc to arrive sometime near the end of next month.

I am a biologist and ecologist by education & training and am currently teaching biology & environmental science.
I welcome the exchanges that will happen here and expect to learn a great deal my first time 'round.

 

Hi,

Patrick here, just trying to get started using TBHs in Memphis, TX. I had extracted one feral hive, but it swarmed after two weeks. I am building another hive and have another extraction this weekend.

 

Hello Patrick and welcome to the forum :wave:

Good luck on the next extraction and I hope they stay for you this time!!

We sure do love pics around here.........hint hint :lol:

 

Welcome... Hope you have pontoons on those TBH hives in Memphis right now.

Are you high and dry, or is old man river working on you, too?

 

:lol: wrong Memphis there Iddee, he is in TX not TN. He probably wishes the mighty Mississippi would turn his way.

 

OOPS!!

 

I don't suspect the Texas Panhandle is likely to be flooded anytime soon. The excellent thing about the Panhandle is you need not climb tall trees to retrieve swarms and the constant gail force wind don't allow a swarm to fly very far.

however.. watering bees in the Texas Panhandle is not my favorite bee keeping experience.

 

Thought I would bump this back to the top!
I see that there have been quite a few new members signing on over the last few weeks.
Feel free to introduce yourselves, yarn a little, let us know where you're from. :wave:
(it makes a difference if you're asking a question, different locations = possible different answers).
This is a friendly forum, no attitudes, lots of respectful opinions, and even a few members with a pretty good sense of humour! :mrgreen:

 

Just like to say a thank you to the forum and members and put a ditto to PerryBee's words above.

I just got my bees home Mon. night and it sure has been an adrenalin rush to actually go into their home. A newbee like myself has to try to put together all the info we have read and heard and try to mesh it with what is before our eyes. Some of us have to try to get it all in focus through the blur of veil and the sweat running down our tri focal glasses! Eggs? what eggs; I dont see no stinking eggs!

Actually everything did seem in order but the spaced out 9 frames have a lot of burr comb between the top bars and that makes real bee grabbers when sliding them back together. That is not going to be easy to clean up to get proper spacing as there is some drone brood in it. A quick look showed no apparent queen cells but the frames are getting quite full so we put another deep of wax foundation on top of each one along with a frame feeder and closed back up.

Frank

 

Next time in, if they aren't drawing the top box, move 2 or 3 frames up into it and place empties in their place. It will make them start using the top box.

 

a snip..
Actually everything did seem in order but the spaced out 9 frames have a lot of burr comb

tecumseh:
I was wondering Iddee if Crofter understood 'the rule' concerning the number of frames for comb vs foundation???

 

Tell'im. Even if he knows, someone who doesn't will read it and thank you.

 

Don't be shy! I see I rather got some criss cross of topics going also, but Tecumseh nudged it over onto the general beekeeping forum! Thanks.

Frank

 

Hi--I've been keeping bees for 2 years, have 2 hives in Sharon Springs, KS, USA. I look forward to learning a lot from you more experienced keeps.