[avalonweddingsbcs]

Got my first 4 hives set up last week... bought two hives from a guy that were already producing and got two packages that i put out on Wednesday..

here's how my day went..

I own a 7 acre wedding facility.. Roses, flowers, etc... property is 400 ft wide, but 7 acres deep... Bees are at the back, wedding area is in the front...

I checked on the producing bees and saw that there were two queen cells, and I thought I would try my hand at splitting a hive to see if it would work.. i had all the parts for a new hive, so i thought.. why not..

So my wife and i decided that if we did it QUICKLY, i could go after church and check really fast to see if the queens had hatched and if not i had the hive in the van and we could put the new hive out and put in a couple of frames from the old hive...

but it's spring in texas... while getting my stuff out of the van (including the new hive), a bride drives in to pick up a portrait that I had done.. ( im also the photographer..) she was a bit early, but thought it would take a minute.... it turned into a 45 minute conversation... Then another bride drives up and we start talking about their wedding, and that turns into another 45 minutes... so they leave, and my wife and i walk back out to the hives and then i think... 'oh CRAP"..

Did i mention it is spring in texas? 94 degrees with a heat index around 101... the wax foundations in the new frame were melting.... one collapsed and broke into pieces just by touching it...

So my wife is wanting to help me get into ' the suit', and im wanting her to start the van and put the new hive in the office, so we had a 'discussion'... and i then put the suit on (She won) and then i felt the heat...

I decided to check all the hives, and it took about 20 minutes...

i do not sweat... dont know why, but the males in my family do not sweat a lot...

I was dripping sweat... my shirt was soaked... my glasses were have covered in sweat, and i was sweating on the veil, which i then could not see out of...

found that one of the queen cells had opened, didnt know if any others were alive, and could not find the original marked queen... So i put it all back in disgust, and loaded everything up in the van...

Also found that one of the packages seems to have mostly joined with the others.... one of the new hives only had about 2 frames with bees, and a marked queen... no eggs, no real new comb making so i dunno..

and i had a 1 gallon chicken watering can outside their hives filled with 1:1... they've ignored it for 3 days... it's how i used to water my bees back in the 70s, but today i actually put in the frame watering thingys..

yes, i know high noon is not a good time in texas for looking at bees,... but it was supposed to be a quick peek... from now on it's dusk inspection time...


how on earth can someone do this all the time in texas? I'm a native and even i think it's nuts... and when we have yankees at weddings here, and they gripe about it being so hot ( in march) i laugh.... cause its cold to me... I saw someone last week here saying that it had finally just got above 50.... just crazy to me...

later..

 

[honeydreams]

Welcome to beekeeping. Now when you do it at dusk all the bees will be at home. and that brings out other problems. I live in the Pacific North west temps hardly ever get above 80 I still sweat.

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Wow, we are lucky it is cool in Florida to the South of Tejas. I think the southern temps just teach another lesson - suit up and sweat or learn to work the bees without bundling up. I do not usually pay attention to what students are wearing at my workshops, but in posting the pictures I see most are in shorts and t-shirts. Check it out at americasbeekeeper 2010_Gallery

 

[avalonweddingsbcs]

went to denver in january... got to -20... gas lines froze... but i was bundled up and thought it was ok...

but the people at the local pub said they open their windows at 80 and think it's too hot...

only time i've ever really seen snow more than 1/4th inch... although it did snow here three times this winter..

 

[honeydreams]

anything over 75 deg is too dang hot. I love living 20 miles away from Mother Natures AC.

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

When I lived in Okinawa, Japan 80 degrees was freezing!

 

[devdog108]

Yes it was, I lived in Okinawa for a year and a half and jeez.but Okinawa was NOTHING compared to southern Thailand........you will get used to doing what you need to in a pair of shorts. I bought some from good ol'e wally world that have draw strings on the legs. The fall just above my knees and are my work shorts. If they are buzzing about at knee height, I will go ahead and tie them so their are no "crawlers". You will build up courage to wear shorts, then no gloves etc. I have been tagged in the back of the knee 1 time this year doin ginspections in shorts. You may want to look up magnet-man and the ultrabreeze suit if you are overheating. I hear its worth while.

 

[Chick]

Southeast Texas is something else. We are about 3 1/2 hours South of Bryan, and it is hot. I put on my coveralls to go in a hive about 4pm Saturday. 30 minutes of work, and I was overheated and soaked. But, I am heat intolerant from overheating while working in the hay field so much. And this darn humidity is a killer.

 

[mothergoosemagic]

My family members FOUNDED Texas, and yes, it's too darn hot. That's why I live in the mountains of Virginia, about 20 miles from where Stephen Austin was born.

Like they say around here, Southern by birth, Virginian by the grace of God.

 

[DavidBee]

I'm in Georgia and the temps are already in the 90s. I quickly found out that the jacket and veil are HOT and you can't wipe sweat out of your eyes. I now leave the jacket and veil in the garage and just move slowly and gently when working with the girls. They seem to understand. I do, however, tuck my pants legs into my boots. I will risk a few stings, but not a bee crawling up my leg.

 

[arthur]

Funny, R. Weaver and B. Weaver seem to do fine.

Reminds me of when I set a super (with foundation) on top of a blowing AC unit next to my hive. Actually it wasn't blowing at the moment I set it down. But it soon was.

I'll be darned, foundation doesn't do well with hot air blowing all over it.

You only make these mistakes once.

 

[linbee]

I live in South Texas, and yes, it is hot and humid, but I wouldn't dream of trying to tend the girls without protective clothing. I think as cranky as we get with the heat, the bees get crankier. But I wouldn't trade the heat for the cold. We always say our August is like January up north - you just stay in the house!

 

[beekeeper1756]

Working cutouts or anytime I'm wearing my suit. I keep a big styrofoam cup of ice water in the truck with a straw.

I unzip my veil just far enough to stick the straw through so I can get a drink of ice water. Sure does help.

 

[StevenG]

I have my bees in 4 separate yards... I don't wear a suit, but jeans and ls white shirt, veil, no gloves. It hit 92 this past weekend, with high humidity. I know, no biggie... I wring out the sweat band between apiaries, when i change my ls shirts, as they are simply soaking. Oh, did I mention I have 4 shirts, and change between apiaries so I have a dry one on when I start? I also take along a gallon jug of ice water which i drink profusely... Helps to take along a towel to dry off the torso also... sigh, the things we do to keep bees. :lpf:
Regards,
Steven

 

[Hambone]

The hotter the better. I work a couple yards and sweat like a pig. Which means I have a lot of male dominance pheromone on me when I get home and the wife can't tell the difference between Chuck Norris and Hambone at that point.


Ok…the sweating like a pig part is true.

 

[Kingfisher Apiaries]

Welcome to Texas. That is why we have swimming pools. :applause:

Kingfisher

 

[Kingfisher Apiaries]

I should have clarified. All Texas beekeepers should have a swimming pool!

 

[NasalSponge]

First put on a bandanna, that will keep the sweat off your brow and glasses. Next don a Ultrabreeze jacket without a shirt underneath and a pair of shorts and you can go for hours in the heat.

 

[summer1052]

Ah, another learning opportunity! And, lesson learned, eh?

I moved to south TX after 40 years in the Denver metro area, which is not as cold and snowy as people think, but it gets its share. I have to say, minus 20 is a rare and unusal situation in Denver. I remember it happening about once every 8 years or so.

I work my bees in the 10:00 range, and then again about 6:00. Bees don't like the smell of sweat, so I suit up and sweat anyway. I drink LOTS of water, and take lots of breaks.

I STILL think it beats shoveling snow. Anyday.

Take care,
Summer