[GaryG74]

Welcome to BeeSource! A lot of Beeks leave most of the honey the first year so the hive will be strong through the winter. That said, depending on weather, nectar flow, etc. you may still get some honey for your personal use. If you get a chance and do get a crop, a free sample from your bees may help with the neighbors also. Good luck with your bees and you'll learn all sorts of things through the different forums.

 

[greathorned]

Welcome, and remember all things need a home ...KIds....HoneyBee's...you. If there is one thing I have found is that so many people will tell you they are allergic to Bee's, but most really are not. One way you can quickly disprove if the child is really allergic Is to ask what type of epi-pen they keep on hand, and what type of medication. If the child really is allergic, they will gladly share that information. When I broght bees to our sportsman club I was told that one of our senior members was highly allergic. When I asked him he said that he wasn't allergic at all...he just had a drink one summer and he swallowed a bee which stung the inside of his throat, and was rushed to the emergency room. So take with a grain of salt.
Place the hive facing southeast as far away on property as possible that hopefully gains a great deal of morning light, and be proactive with the family next door as much as possible.
With regard to 90 pounds the first year, they likely will produce that much in the bottom two brood chambers, but that all get left for them for the winter. It unlikely they will produce enough to get up into a medium super for you to remove any excess.
To remain "Natural", treat in the Fall, and again next spring with 3-4 weeks worth of ApLifeVar (3 wafers). that means that you will need to order 3 packages from like Brushy Mountain or another supplier.
Welcome, and good luck.

 

[Ennui]

It could be said everyone is allergic to honey bee stings to some degree or another. There just happens to be that small percent who are allergic to the point of anaphylaxis. While some people exaggerate to give valid reasons to their fears, some don't. It's never something I'd want to see put to the test. If you want to go the extreme nice route, have the kid get a prescription for an EpiPen and reimburse the family.

Simple and already mentioned precautions would be to keep your hive away from that side of the property and give it a visual barrier (out of sight, out of mind) and so bees will have to go up before heading in that direction.

We have been reading a few books and we would rather not do so much pharma drugs.

Nothing says you have to treat your bees as all. Many are treatment free with success and others fail repeatedly and either start treating or abandon the hobby. The choice is yours. Whichever way you decide, I'd suggest doing so responsibly. Learn the signs of problem, perform mite checks, weigh your options and choose a course of action in an informed (as much as possible manner). I feel no method should be done blindly and we have and will make mistakes. It's part of the learning.

 

[Ma And Pa Nature]

Thank you for the warm welcome and your advice. Right now we just hope our bees make it through.

 

[Ma And Pa Nature]

Thank you so much for all your helpful advice and suggestions. I will ask them about an epipen... I was actually thinking of asking them about it. Our hive is in a very good place... not easily visible and facing southeast. Right now they are getting lots of sun exposure but as the season goes forward, they will also be able to get some shade. And thanks for the advice on the ApLifeVar. We will look for it and purchase some. I do believe they sent us some bees with mites on them. As soon as I can spot them, we will, sadly, destroy it... unless one can somehow pick off the mite with tweezers. (Don't laugh too hard with that statement... I hate killing anything and if I can find a way to avoid it, I will.) Thankfully, our bees have been very gentle... no stings. I was out there with no veil and they didn't bother me a bit. I did get a veil a few days ago though... I know its just a matter of time. With all this said, at the moment we are just praying that our bees make it at this point.
Thanks again for your wisdom.

 

[Ma And Pa Nature]

Thank you so much for the warm welcome. Your advice on the epipen is a very nice suggestion. And thank you on the advice concerning keeping the bees as natural as possible. I think I had spotted a few bees with mites on its back. Next time we open the hive (in a few days) we will be looking out for the bees with mites and probably destroy the bees unless there is another way.
Thanks again in taking the time to welcome us

 

[greathorned]

Also, not sure how far south in PA you are, but over the border here in NY, we are fully feeding the 1 to 1 sugar water (to build wax and brood), and have them on Pollen patties (as very little has bloomed). If your bees are drawing comb that is very important right now. The sugar water is heavily relied on to build wax, to lay eggs and rear the brood. As there likley is pollen flow in your area, skipping the pollen patty is OK, but the suagar water is imperative to get them off to a good start. Feed them that untill they stop taking it, sometime into May or early June.
Cheers

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Welcome MPN! Please do not kill a bee just because it has a mite. There are many ways to deal with Varroa, screened bottom boards, sacrificial drone comb, powdered sugar, etc.

 

[Michael Bush]

>Next time we open the hive (in a few days) we will be looking out for the bees with mites and probably destroy the bees unless there is another way.

All bee colonies in the America's have mites. If we destroyed all the colonies with mites there would be no more bees. There is always another way.