Handful of elementary newbie questions..be gentle :)

[Bill Warren]

Ok, my first year of beekeeping on the horizon. Located in maine, and the weather all spring has been fantastic. My 3# box of italians with queen should be arriving in a couple of weeks. I just have a few questions that I haven't found exact answers for in my books or in searching these threads. Any advice would be great.

ok..here i go.

1. is there a good link for introducing the new bees and the queen to their new home?

2. I have 2 brood chambers and 2 supers, should i start with both brood chambers on bottom, and just 1 super on top?

3. I think i'm going to go with a top feeder if i can find one locally. should be all set there.

4. (this sounds foolish..but) does the hive just stack on itself without anything fastening it together? wind won't knock it over?

5. my top board under the cover has a rectangular hole in the top (heat to escape i'm sure) but doesn't have a passageway horizontally for it to escape. should i cut a small opening? and if so, does that mean the bees can come and go out of the top?

I guess that's it for now, but more to come I'm sure. Hopefully there are others out there with the same questions that this could help too.

Thanks a ton in advance!

Best Regards,
Bill Warren--Maine
wgwarren@adelphia.net

[peggjam]

"1. is there a good link for introducing the new bees and the queen to their new home?"

MB will be along to give you a link.

"2. I have 2 brood chambers and 2 supers, should i start with both brood chambers on bottom, and just 1 super on top?"

Start them out in one box only. Hive set up as follows: Bottom board set on nice flat surface, hivebody with ten frames, hivetop feeder, cover. You can put the inner cover between the hivebody and the feeder.

"3. I think i'm going to go with a top feeder if i can find one locally. should be all set there."

You will need to modifiy your feeder so the bees have a way to climb up to get the feed.

"4. (this sounds foolish..but) does the hive just stack on itself without anything fastening it together? wind won't knock it over?"

Yes they just set on top of each other, within a few days the girls will have them glued together to shut out drafts. You should set a block or large rock on the cover to keep it from being blown away.

"5. my top board under the cover has a rectangular hole in the top (heat to escape i'm sure) but doesn't have a passageway horizontally for it to escape. should i cut a small opening? and if so, does that mean the bees can come and go out of the top?"

No, don't cut any holes. You can prop the cover up alittle with small shims, and this would give the bees a top entrance, which will keep the skunks from being a problem if you close off the bottom entrance.

"I guess that's it for now, but more to come I'm sure. Hopefully there are others out there with the same questions that this could help too."

You will have more, trust me.

"Thanks a ton in advance!"

Welcome to beekeeping!!!!!!

[Michael Bush]

>1. is there a good link for introducing the new bees and the queen to their new home?

I don't know one off the top of my head. Basically you feed the bees so they will be calm and fly less, spray them with water or light syrup so they fly less, remove the middle three frames of the box, pop the top, shake the bees down to the bottom of the box, remove the can, remove the queen shake the bees into the hive, spray the queen lightly with water or light syrup, pull the stapleon the cage, holding it down so she doesn't fly out let the queen loose in the hive. Put the frames back in gently. They may have to settle as the bees move out of the way. Put the lid on. Go sit on the couch, have the drink of your choice and calm back down.

Makes you feel a lot like pandora when you open that box.

>2. I have 2 brood chambers and 2 supers, should i start with both brood chambers on bottom, and just 1 super on top?

Start with one box. Don't add more until it's 80% drawn and filled with bees. Better yet put them in a five frame box to start and move them to the ten frame when they have four of those drawn.

>3. I think i'm going to go with a top feeder if i can find one locally. should be all set there.

I hate them all. My favorite feeder is a rapid feeder from www.beeworks.com (http://www.beeworks.com)

>4. (this sounds foolish..but) does the hive just stack on itself without anything fastening it together?

Sort of. The bees glue EVERYTHING together.

>wind won't knock it over?

It knocks some of mine over every couple of years no matter what I do. Usually all in one piece like a tree falling. smile.gif

>5. my top board under the cover has a rectangular hole in the top (heat to escape i'm sure)

Not really, although you can prop the top and make it that. It's there to prevent condensation and to allow you to blow some smoke in when opening.

> but doesn't have a passageway horizontally for it to escape. should i cut a small opening?

A notch is very nice. It provides some ventilation and a top entrance.

> and if so, does that mean the bees can come and go out of the top?

Yes. That's the best. If you want you can screen it so they can't. I have nothing but a top entrance. I closed all the bottom entrances.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopentrance.htm

[Sasha]

Just one advice,whatever you do with bees do it calm and easy without hurry,the bees will like you much more .If you are nervous you are in trouble.Just do it slowly and patiently and you will do it fine

[xC0000005]

Bill - Regarding #1 - Wrote this last night. It might not cover everything, and but it's step by step.
Hiving a Package (http://www.msnusers.com/xC0000005-beekeeping/Documents/Hive.htm)

[Bill Warren]

Thank you everyone for your words of wisdom. This has answered the questions so far that i was apprehensive about. Talk to you soon smile.gif

Bill Warren

[Bill Warren]

xC0000005,

Linky no worky :(

smile.gif
Bill W.

[xC0000005]

Try this -
http://www.msnusers.com/xC0000005-beekeeping/Documents/Hive.htm
Linkified URL - Hope it works. (http://www.msnusers.com/xC0000005-beekeeping/Documents/Hive.htm)

[peggjam]

Still doesn't work.

[xC0000005]

What error do you get? I can click it. Lousy MSN groups. I probably don't have the access set right.

[peggjam]

It says I anin't aurthorized to view this site.

[drobbins]

keeps wanting us to login

Dave

[xC0000005]

So much for "public" access meaning public. I'll find some place to host it. Sorry.

[Bill Warren]

if you'd like to email it to me i can put it in my webspace and drop a link in the morning.

bill warren. smile.gif

[xC0000005]

Ok, changed providers, seems to work from a non logged in account. Dial up will be slow (and I resized these to be smaller).

Hiving A package (http://home.comcast.net/~jasonandradonna/)

[Bill Warren]

oh sweet. that looks great. i will read it this morning. thanks!

[Joshua2639]

xC0000005--

I have read hiving instruction from a few dozen different sources. Your list was the most enjoyable to read and you had some good tips unseen on most others. It also was easy for my 10-year-old cousin to read. We are getting a late start, 1st week of May, but we plan on using your list on our first hiving day.

Thanks

[xC0000005]

I'm glad you enjoyed it. What is up there is a skeleton that I'll be fleshing in over the next few weeks. (If anyone takes a better picture and wants to mail it to me, I'd be delighted with better pictures o the queen in her cage.)

[xC0000005]

I made a few minor updates. Removed attack of the commas, re-ordered to make things slightly easier. Also corrected some horrendous formatting.