First off, super stoked on life, driving up tomorrow to pickup my 2 packages of bees. My first hives! Have some KTBH setup and I am sure they are gonna love all the snow we have here in Montana, it was 33 and had 4 inches of snow on the ground where I live, but at least the hive site (different town, moving soon) has no snow. But nothing I can do.
My only real question is in regards to when they are first installed: I have the standard 1 1/4" and 1 1/2" bars for them, and was wondering when I first install them, should I just have exclusively 1/4" for 10 or so bars, and then once they start finding nectar later on place in the 1/2"? I think I am going to place a follower board the first week, give them less dead air space to heat until they get a little bit of comb on. And thinking of using 1/4" bars for the first month till stuff really starts to bloom up.
If anyone has any input on combinations of starting package bar arrangements, I will be happy to hear it.
My only real question is in regards to when they are first installed: I have the standard 1 1/4" and 1 1/2" bars for them, and was wondering when I first install them, should I just have exclusively 1/4" for 10 or so bars, and then once they start finding nectar later on place in the 1/2"? I think I am going to place a follower board the first week, give them less dead air space to heat until they get a little bit of comb on. And thinking of using 1/4" bars for the first month till stuff really starts to bloom up.
If anyone has any input on combinations of starting package bar arrangements, I will be happy to hear it.