[kaveman]

On the way home with two packs of bees #1 do we need to stop the entrance with grass to keep bees in for a few days or do we need to just allow them free rein being we have a lot of things blooming and #2 a lil confused about the sugar water recipes out there....what ratio do we need to use- how much sugar to how much water.....all opinions welcome and thanks in advance....the Barefoot Belle

 

[Durstlight]

You can put some grass into the entrance to slow them down a little. You can also wait until dusk to hive them ( they will atleast stay in over night) or if there is rain in your local forecast in the very near future you can hive them in the rain (they won't fly much due to the rain) I have learned that if they want to abscond they will no matter what u do. I have had a package abscond over a week after hiving it. Any of these things might help though. As for the sugar syrup you want to mix a 1:1 ratio this time of the year, one part water to one part sugar. Hope this helps and have a Blessed season!

 

[spreerider]

for spring feeding i give 2 parts sugar to 1 part water, i have never kept them in after moving them they will reorientate when they first fly out and figure out where they are.

 

[JRG13]

1:1 to encourage comb drawing, 2:1 sugar to water is more for getting them to increase stores, and it's by weight, not volume. A 25lb bag of sugar will make 5 gallons of 1:1 almost on the nose if you're in a rush, basically dump bag of sugar in 5 gallon bucket, and hit it with some warm water til you're at the 5 gallon mark. A scale works wonders, but if you find a container you can mark it for your fill line of sugar, then final volume after adding water.

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

To expand on that sugar syrup recipe a bit. I feed 1:1 this time of year because it most closely mimics nectar and encourages comb building, which is what you need in a package situation. The actual physical recipe is 1 pound (16 oz.) of sugar to 1 pint (16 oz) of water. Expand that to whatever quantity you need.

HTH

Rusty

 

[kaveman]

Thanks ya'll....,very excited to enter into this adventure with my hubby....

 

[Vance G]

Are you bringing home these bees in the hive they are living in or are you talking about a package of bees? Either way I would reduce the entrance down to an inch and a half wide until the bees are well established. If they were moved more than 3 miles to their present location, you don't need to block them in. If it was a short move, just lightly obstruct the entrance so they have to take time coming out and reorient to their new location. Sugar+water= syrup no need to be really technical. mix a quart jar full of sugar with a quart jar of water and you have good spring syrup 1:1. In the fall double the sugar.

 

[reidflys]

you'll never forget the beggining.
It will go great
all the best

 

[kaveman]

Kenny here. Thanks for the help. We managed to get both packages installed. Our biggest problem wa about 100 or more bees that escaped while in the trunk of the car.


Thanks again.
Kenny

 

[Michael Bush]

If you install them just before dark, there is no need to confine them. The ones that are flying need to get in...

 

[frankthomas]

kaveman.. have fun! Lots of great advice here though you have to sort it out a bit as there are many ideas out there. I am entering my second year with 2 hives that look like they have survived their first winter. Read/ watch as much as you can find. YouTube has a lot of good stuff. Find other bee websites. This one, bushfarms.com/bees and honeybeesuite.com have been my favorite on line sources.

The most important thing I learned this past year is educate yourself as best you can. Then make choices about strategies and methods and don't sweat it. I about drove myself nuts worrying about making the 'right' choice. Pick a method that makes sense to you, that is doable and go for it. You and the bees will sort it out and you wlll gradually find the best solutions for you and your bees.