Hello. First post. Just wanted to say I was a little nervous after I had placed an order for two packages from R Weaver and later read a few slightly negative older reviews however everything has gone very well so far.
My packages came only a week after projected shipping date (which the website says to expect and it was a very cold winter anyway) and in very good shape. Only a few bees were dead on the bottom- nothing like the inch that I read can be expected. I installed them May 5th and the bees have filled a foundationless 8-frame deep with perfectly straight comb and the brood laying pattern is solid. I haven't seen any supersedure cells at all- just worker and drone capped cells. I am a first year bee keeper, but everything looks like the pictures of a healthy hive and so far the bees have been fairly gentle and tolerant of a beginner. I've been able to change the sugar syrup, check the tray underneath the hives, and watch them a foot or two from the entrance without them paying any attention to me at all. I suppose it will still be awhile before the queens offspring get to the foraging age though, so I will be watching to see if anything changes on that front. Enjoying the new hobby so far.
My packages came only a week after projected shipping date (which the website says to expect and it was a very cold winter anyway) and in very good shape. Only a few bees were dead on the bottom- nothing like the inch that I read can be expected. I installed them May 5th and the bees have filled a foundationless 8-frame deep with perfectly straight comb and the brood laying pattern is solid. I haven't seen any supersedure cells at all- just worker and drone capped cells. I am a first year bee keeper, but everything looks like the pictures of a healthy hive and so far the bees have been fairly gentle and tolerant of a beginner. I've been able to change the sugar syrup, check the tray underneath the hives, and watch them a foot or two from the entrance without them paying any attention to me at all. I suppose it will still be awhile before the queens offspring get to the foraging age though, so I will be watching to see if anything changes on that front. Enjoying the new hobby so far.
