View Full Version : Yippee!
Well, I did it...I hived my first package bees this evening. Since I don't have a suit yet, I used a tyvek painting coverall and a mosquito net veil and my rubber coated garden gloves. I'm sure I looked a sight! I'll do the next two packages in the morning. What fun!!!
Thanks to all of you whose posts I've read that helped me to get to this point. Now I'm looking forward to getting some experience. I love my bees!
Mabe
ps...my bees are my 50th birthday present to myself
oregonsparkie
04-07-2005, 10:12 PM
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
smile.gif smile.gif smile.gif smile.gif :eek:
Sourwood
04-08-2005, 01:54 AM
I hived my first two packages this week too. I was amazed of how easy it was and with no stings. Look forward to my next three coming in may.
Lesli St. Clair
04-08-2005, 06:21 AM
I had nucs last year. This will be my first year with packages. They may arrive tomorrow, in fact. the nucs were easy--move the frames, shake the extras into the hive, put the nuc in front of the hive for stragglers. No upset bees at all. In fact, they were probably too happy to be let go to care much about giant human.
I'm hoping my packages will feel the same!
Did you spray them with sugar water before you hived them?
I sprayed with sugar water about 30 minutes before hiving and then as I was hiving them. Seemed to take their minds off of being shaken out of the box, but there were still lots of bees in the air. I think tonight I will wait a bit later since they calmed down really well at sunset.
This morning the hive looks pretty calm. I had put a beemax top feeder on last night after most of the bees had exited into the hive. Am feeding 1:1 by volume. Hope that's right.
I might try putting an empty super on top of one hive tonight with the package upside down on it and then cover since I'm still a bit nervous about my one cork queen cage and letting her loose so quickly. I might marshmallow the other and compare the results.
I hope we'll look back on these first experiences years from now and smile.
Michael Bush
04-08-2005, 08:10 AM
The first full day they don't fly a lot (once they've settled down from the intial installation). They mostly cluster and get organized.
Michael and all,
Thanks for being so on top of all of these newbee questions. You must get the same ones over and over and over....