Buying Bees

[misfitmorgan]

I called yesterday when i got home. THey said bees did ship late monday afternoon. So i called the post office to make sure they didnt have them...nope. This is not looking good. That means so far they have been in the mail for 4 days.

 

[misfitmorgan]

ok so this is odd....a Man called me because apprently the Post Office gave him my package bees today. Luckily he is honest and called me as soon as he noticed a package extra. Apprently with bees they dont check the address or names they just want them out.

The man also lives about 7 miles from my house so i will just go pick them up from his house after DH gets off work. He said there is a lot of dead bees in the packages though....so i hope my queen is alive still.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Fingers crossed you can still hive them quickly! Can you get your hands on a couple frames that are drawn?

 

[misfitmorgan]

i only have the few i shared before with anything on them. 10 Frames with plastic foundation...and then the few center frames with wax/old combs in the middle area...definitely not completely drawn but its a start for them.

These middle three are on the super/medium frames though(7 other frames are deep frames)...so my options are:
1 Use the wax started super frames, in the Deep and hope for the best
2 Give them the naked plastic foundations on deep frames
3 Swap the deep to a super and put them in a super instead of a deep
4 Take the super frames apart and put the foundations with wax into deep frames and tack them to the top so the bees can draw the bottom out.

 

[Maggiesdad]

Since they are already compromised, I would start them in the super, that wax is just what she needs. In six weeks you could put the deep on under it (Warre style) and let them work down into that.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I would start them in the super, then when ready, add a deep to the top, and then another deep when they are ready. At this point, maybe the super on the bottom will be empty and you can take it out. The sooner the queen gets laying, the better their chances of making it the 3 weeks before brood hatches.

 

[misfitmorgan]

Since they are already compromised, I would start them in the super, that wax is just what she needs. In six weeks you could put the deep on under it (Warre style) and let them work down into that.

I would start them in the super, then when ready, add a deep to the top, and then another deep when they are ready. At this point, maybe the super on the bottom will be empty and you can take it out. The sooner the queen gets laying, the better their chances of making it the 3 weeks before brood hatches.

i will plan on that then, thank you both.

 

[Latestarter]

Have to concur with chooks... start with the super, partially drawn frames in the center spots. Then after she has the hive established cover the super with a new deep and let them move up into it. They really prefer to move up vice down, hence part of the reason folks swapping deep positions in the spring when the ball is way up in the top of the upper deep. with the super on the bottom and then 2 deeps on top fo that, by next spring (or earlier) that bottom super should be completely empty and you can pull it.

 

[Maggiesdad]

They move up consuming honey over winter, but this time of the season they want to thicken the honey band and push the broodnest down to slow the queen's laying. Plus they like to build comb down. Put it under, and by fall the medium will be full of honey and the broodnest will be in the deep where you want it.
Print this out and tape it to the landing board so they will be sure to know what to do...

 

[Maggiesdad]