Bee Hives

[Pickelfarmer]

Lastley, my wild hive died. I found the queen dead today, along with most of what was left of the workers. Kind of a sad ending.

Talk later, take care Leechmann

That sucks, You can see what I mean about smushing her into the comb now though. Its not coool but it sometimes gets the hive going again..Good luck this summer with your hives leechmannn, and I hope all of them do good for you.

[leechmann]

ut two medium honey supers on each hive about 4 days ago. I just had to take a look this evening. I just took a peek in the top super. It appears that the bees are really pascking the honey in the first super and are busy drawing the comb out in the top super. Picklefarmer, I think it's on. How are you doing?

[Pickelfarmer]

yeah I think your right. I think the early honey flow is starting. I got 2 supers on each of my hives and the strong ones are starting to store a little honey in the supers. I think however that in my area we need alot of rain to keep things going. Wait until the honey flow really starts.You won't beleave how fast they can bring in the honey. They can make up to 25 pounds a day on a good flow. My suggestion is to have at least 2 empty supers on your hives at all times. Make sure they have alot of room to store honey.

[Jameson]

How far will the bees travel from their hives?

I noticed this Spring honey bees working over a couple of apple trees, and yesterday the bees were working a blooming clover field. If I were to try and find their hive, how far might it be?

[Pickelfarmer]

How far will the bees travel from their hives?

I have heard they will travel as far as 2 miles from there hive to find necture, but I think this time of year with all the stuff out there blooming they don't fly that far. I would guess that the bees you see around your house are located within a half mile or less... Of course thats just a guess.

[leechmann]

I checked my hives that are located in town today. They are really working the first medium super. There is honey on all 10 frams, they are all drawn out. I hoppe they start drawning out the top super. It is new foundation,I afraid there is going to be a bunch of bees standing in line waiting to dump thier necture and they will have no where to put it. What are your thoughts picklefarmer?

[Pickelfarmer]

yeah I guess I didn't think about you having all foundation and no drawn comb for your honey suppers. They will draw it out as needed but yeah it will cut into your honey crop this year.I'm sure it won't hurt you to much but next year you'll be set. I once heard that it takes 2 pounds of honey to make one pound of wax. I'm not sure if thats true but if you figure there is about 1 pound of wax per comb and 10 combs per box thats 20 pounds of honey. So for every full box of honey you get this year just think...... You could have had 20 pounds more per box no don't think that or you will drive yourself crazy. Like I said its going to cut in a little but you'll be alright.

[leechmann]

Ok, I'm not going to think about that. I do have some drawn out frams on about half of my medium supers. But also bought and build some new ones. It's just like you said. If I can get them all drawn out, next year I'll be in great shape. So for this year, the plan was to put two supers on each time I need supers. 1 will be a drawn box of frames and 1 will be new foundation.

I built some swarm traps yesterday. They turned out pretty nice. Have you ever put them out in hopes of catching a swarm. They use lemongrass oil to attract the bees? I post a picture when I get them painted up.

[Pickelfarmer]

Wow Swarm traps.. That sounds pretty cool. Yeah post some pics of them for sure. Are they like those round cardboard ones you can buy?? Can't wait to see them.

[leechmann]

[img:center]

Here's a swarm trap similar to the ones I built. I made a little lip on mine, kind of like a bottom board. I also put a slot along the bottom for the entrance. The ones I built are alot like a nuc box with an entrance. I have mine built and primed. I going to paint them tomorrow. Then I post some pictures.

[leechmann]

Picklefarmer, I had a bee emergency tonight. My buddy called me at about 9:00 this evening and said I should come to his place and look at the bees. He said they were in a tree about 60 yards from my hives. He said there was a ball of bees as big as a basketball. At this time it was raining cats and dogs. I told him that I was going to get a hive box ready and when the rain quit I would come out. So I went out there and we snipped the branch off the tree and shook the bees into the box. I then put a screen over the door and brought them back home with me. I hope we got the queen, chances are that we did. I also put a queen excluder between the bottom board and the hive box, so the queen can't get out. The only thing I wish I would have done is feed them. I'll squirt somme sugar water through the screen tomorrow and then pull the screen the following day. Let me know what else I should do, or make some changes. Man, it was pretty exciting.

[Pickelfarmer]

WOW, thats pretty cool. Sounds like you did all the right things. If you don't have any holes or cracks that the queen can get through you should be good to go. I wouldn't worry about feeding at all. I would give them (2) brood boxes to make sure they have ALOT of room and make sure you keep your eye on them. They will Explode on you very fast. Make sure you give them plenty of honey suppers. I cought a swarm a few years ago and they made over 150 pounds of honey. It was a big swarm but man did they produce. Of course they died that winter but thats another story...

[leechmann]

Picklefarmer, you won't believe the day I've had. I came home this morning to check on the swarm hive. It was still real wet outside and I had blocked the doorway of the hive with window screen. I had placed the branch of the tree that I had cut off by the hive. I then decided I'd better get rid of it as the bees may smell it and want to return to it. I saw a few bees on it so I shook it real hard. Low and behold the queen fell out of there. Oh my gosh, I picked her up and pulled the window sceen open and she walked into the hive. I though whew, that was lucky. She spent all night outside. I headed for town and then thought, oh no, she is below the excluder and can't get into the hive. So, when I got home from work, I had to pull the screen. Some bees came out, not bad. I lifted the deep box off and there she was, below the excluder. I turned the excluder over and she was walking around real nervous. Then it happened. She took off and hovered right in front of me. I saying go back, go back then she joined the group of bees in front of the hive flying. I lost track of her. I put the boxes back on with out the excluder. I put two deeps on and the bees all went back into the hive. They are working like mainiacs. I don't know if the queen made it back in or not. All I can do is hope.

I then went to my buddies house to see if it was my hive that swarmed. My hives looked pretty strong, so I don't know if it was mine or not. Then I looked over by the tree where I captured the swarm last night and there was another swarm. Very small, just about 300 bees and a queen. I took my swarm trap over there and put some secret lure on there and the bees ran off the log they were on and into the trap. The queen ran over the worker bees to get in there. I was thinking this is crazy. So I decided to leave them there for a few days.

I looked up and 15 yards away there was a huge swarm in a small pine tree. It was similair in size to the one I caught last night. I got in my truck and hurried home to get another hive box. I called my buddy and told him to bring the video camera. We met back there in a hslf hour and the swarm was gone.

I couldn't believe it. So I'm talking to my buddy, our wifes and kids are running around. I look over in front of one of my hives and I see a small ball of bees on the ground in the grass. I walk over there and there is a queen and 25 workers and a drone or two. I watched them and showed the kids what the queen looks like. I didn't know if that was the new queen that needed to mate or what. I left them alone. I place another swarm trap there in case they decide to swarm and leave.

Can you believe this? It's been crazy.

[Pickelfarmer]

So how did it all turn out leechmann?? Sounds like a VERY interesting day.

Yeah it seems like once you have bees you start to notice things like swarms hanging in trees and what not. I think swarms are kind of atracted to be yards because of the smell the hives put off. I have found several swarms around my be yards in the past that I know didn't come from my hives.

Well good luck hope it all turns out good for you.

[leechmann]

Things are going good, I think. The swarm hive is very strong. Lots of bees coming and going. I think I'll wait a few more days, then go in there and see if the queen came back. If she did, then great. If she didn't, I have that other quueen with about 200 hundred bees in a swarm trap, maybe I can combine them. We'll have to see in a couple of days.

How are things going for you and your bees? This rain should help keep things green. I've noticed that the clover has bloomed now. That should be great for the bees too.

[leechmann]

[img:center]http:// [img:center]

Here's a couple of pictures of the swarm traps I built. I caught that little swarm before I had a chance to get the fancy paint job going. I bought the paint at Fleet, from the oops bin. It's pretty ugly, but not bad for what I'm trying to acomplish. What do you think Picklefarmer. I'm going to put them out tomorrow if the weather cooperates.

[Jameson]

Is this a honey bee?

[Pickelfarmer]

No I don't think it is. Not 100% sure but I don't think so. I know there are other bees out there that look like honeybees and I think this is one of them.

[leechmann]

I am not an expert, and I do agree with Picklefarmer. I read somewhere that there are approximately 500 different kinds of bees. Picklefarmer, how are your bees doing?

[Jameson]

Thanks for your replies. Going from my memory of Picklefarmer's "Queen" pic I thought I was seeing honey bees in the field. However after comparing my pic, I have to agree, not a honey bee.

Thanks again.

[leechmann]

Well' I just did the first inspection of the hive, that I captured the swarm in.They are doing great. They are just packing the honey in, and drawing out new comb. Most of all, I saw the queen in there. She is very skiddish though. Just as I spotted her, she ran to the bottom of the frame and around the other side. At least I know that from the other day when she flew away on me, that she came back to the hive. Pretty darn exciting. Now, if she would just start laying eggs.

[Pickelfarmer]

Cool good to see the queen returned to the hive.

I've just been kicking back now and watching the honey come in. Got one hive with almost 2 suppers of honey already.

[toughguy]

Very cool thread. I don't think you'll ever catch me doing this but it's fun to read about and the pics are very interesting. Keep em coming. Thanks.

[leechmann]

Well, I can believe what happened today. I caught another swarm in the same tree as the first swarm that I caught. That tree is looking pretty branchless as I cut the branch every time I capture the swarm. It took three attempts tonight, as I didn't have any help. It was tuff to hold the branch the bees were on and cut it off at the same time, without shaking the branch. In the end I think I got it. The bees that were left outside the hive finally quit going to the tree and were trying to get in the hive. So, I'm pretty sure I got the queen. Time will tell.

Yeah Picklefarmer, I added supers again today. My Bees are working the the third box on most of the hives. Good to hear your bees are doing well too. Talk Later.

Good to hear from you too toughguy. If you or anyone else has any questions, feel free to ask. Picklefarmer is the resident expert, and I'm the new guy with lots of enthusiasm. And I can't spell very good. lol

[Pickelfarmer]

Picklefarmer is the resident expert

Oh no you don't.. I am no Expert by any means. And yes please, If anyone else has any experience with bees please feel free to join in. Or post any Answers/Questions. I have enjoyed reading this topic as well and looking back there is alot of info stuffed into these pages.I don't know everything about bees (Like Anyone does??) I just have been around them a long time And have learned from my experience with them. Others may have had a totally different expereince with them that they could share with us. So by all mean please post any thoughts you have on this topic.