talkingamoeba
02-19-2008, 07:33 PM
Hello everyone! I started with bees in 2005 with a swarm from the next valley over. The owner of the tree where they clustered called me after he had already Blackflagged part of them (including the queen as I found out too late), a local beekeeper showed me how to hive them and a beekeeper was born. The laying worker didn't do much for hive survival-they ended up being robbed out. While trying to figure out that hive I noticed bees coming and going from the window frame of one of our 2nd story windows, they swarmed shortly after and I hived that swarm, missed with the next one they sent out, and hived the third swarm they sent out. None of these survived the winter despite the sufficient stores the last 2 swarms had.
In 2006 the house bees sent out 3 more swarms and I hived all of them. The first and second swarms were doing well but the 3rd, an after-swarm I believe, was not so I did a newspaper combine with the second and third swarms. All seemed well going into the winter and both hives were active during our warm 2007 January, but were dead in April. One hive had less than a couple hundred dead bees lying on the bottom board and plenty of honey the other had quite a few dead bees in the combs, head first as though they starved, but had bunches of honey left.
In 2007 the house bees put out 2 swarms and I hived both, but the first left the day I hived them. The other only completed drawing and filling one deep body. They were still alive as of last thursday and I'm hopefull that they are still around come spring. I also ordered 4 packages of Buckfasts for early May delivery, and I'm anxious with the anticipation of another year with bees.
Sorry to be so long winded but wanted to give a hello and a little about what I've got going on. I'm reading Natural Beekeeping for ideas as I use no man-made chemicals in the hives or on my farm ground, gardens, and woodlots. I'm hoping to learn enough to help what appear to be survivor bees (they are in the house wall anyway) to live in my hives. Thanks for your time.
In 2006 the house bees sent out 3 more swarms and I hived all of them. The first and second swarms were doing well but the 3rd, an after-swarm I believe, was not so I did a newspaper combine with the second and third swarms. All seemed well going into the winter and both hives were active during our warm 2007 January, but were dead in April. One hive had less than a couple hundred dead bees lying on the bottom board and plenty of honey the other had quite a few dead bees in the combs, head first as though they starved, but had bunches of honey left.
In 2007 the house bees put out 2 swarms and I hived both, but the first left the day I hived them. The other only completed drawing and filling one deep body. They were still alive as of last thursday and I'm hopefull that they are still around come spring. I also ordered 4 packages of Buckfasts for early May delivery, and I'm anxious with the anticipation of another year with bees.
Sorry to be so long winded but wanted to give a hello and a little about what I've got going on. I'm reading Natural Beekeeping for ideas as I use no man-made chemicals in the hives or on my farm ground, gardens, and woodlots. I'm hoping to learn enough to help what appear to be survivor bees (they are in the house wall anyway) to live in my hives. Thanks for your time.