They've arrived - My Bee's

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They've arrived - My Bee's
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joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Sun Jun 17, 07 8:55 pm Post subject: They've arrived - My Bee's

I've just taken delivery of my nucleus of bee's - They have been installed in their nuc at the bottom of the garden and a number of the little madam's are already out and flying

They were supposed to arrive at 8pm however due to a very fine evening - they wouldn't go into bed and were all sat in the entrance sunning themselves until Linda sprayed them with water to make them go inside

So I'm all excited - they've got to stay in their nuc for a couple of days while they all orientate and then I can transfer them into the full size hive

The dog - being a dog and decidedly stupid thought it was a good idea to go and give them a sniff - She soon shifted when they started buzzing at her and we've got them in a part of the garden we can section off quite happily.

I can't quite believe I am now a beekeeper!!!!

Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Sun Jun 17, 07 8:57 pm Post subject:
Bloody brill Jo - I'm so envious of you. Enjoy...and report back here so we can share!

frewen

Joined: 08 Sep 2005
Posts: 11405

Posted: Sun Jun 17, 07 9:01 pm Post subject:
Fantastic - too scared of bees me - but really pleased for you

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Sun Jun 17, 07 9:01 pm Post subject:

Mary-Jane wrote:

Bloody brill Jo - I'm so envious of you. Enjoy...and report back here so we can share!

Ditto. Let us know how it goes.

Mrs Fiddlesticks

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

Posted: Sun Jun 17, 07 9:09 pm Post subject:
ooh that is exciting! And what is the Queen's name, pray tell?

Gervase

Joined: 17 Nov 2004
Posts: 8655

Posted: Sun Jun 17, 07 9:49 pm Post subject:
Ah. That reminds me - in my 'to do' tray is a set of plans for a National Hive. I think I need to go and see Private Harker* down at the timber mill. * not his real name, but he's a dead ringer for the character played by John Tams in the Sharpe series.

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 07 5:44 am Post subject:
Congatulations--good luck with your bees p.s. Always remember the bees haven't read the textbooks or been to the beekeeping classes

alison
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 07 7:22 am Post subject:

Gervase wrote:

Ah.

That reminds me - in my 'to do' tray is a set of plans for a National Hive. I think I need to go and see Private Harker* down at the timber mill.

* not his real name, but he's a dead ringer for the character played by John Tams in the Sharpe series.

Daniel Hagman was John TAms character, Daragh O'Malley played Patrick Harper. (Yes, big Sharpe fan here)

woodsprite

Joined: 20 Mar 2006
Posts: 2943
Location: North Herefordshire

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 07 7:25 am Post subject:
Great news Jo, the army of bee bores grows ever stronger!

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 07 8:34 am Post subject:

Mrs Fiddlesticks wrote:

ooh that is exciting! And what is the Queen's name, pray tell?

Well we had that debate last night - We've decided that as we are members of the Brigantii moot - she would have to be called Brigid

I've been down there this morning and put the feeder on - they were all busy coming out of the nuc and orientating so I stood there watching them all spiral up and away - I've a feeling I'm going to be wasting an awful lot of time watching them - they just fascinate me

Next stage is to move them out of the nucleus and into their proper hive - very nervous about doing that because I don't want to loose the queen in the process - She's quite new and has only been in lay for about 3 weeks so is still quite small but she is marked

FiddlesticksTim

Joined: 28 Dec 2004
Posts: 104
Location: West Oxfordshire

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 07 12:12 pm Post subject:

Quote:

Next stage is to move them out of the nucleus and into their proper hive - very nervous about doing that because I don't want to loose the queen in the process - She's quite new and has only been in lay for about 3 weeks so is still quite small but she is marked

Hi Jo,

Congrats on the new arrivals!

Don't worry too much about moving the frames from the nuc to the hive. Having done it a few weeks ago, it was a nice thing to do. The Queen (nice name, by the way!) will most likely be well protected by the other bees in the middle of a frame. Keep an eye out for her, but don't worry if you don't see her, just go as steadily as possible and you'll be fine.

I'm envious of bees at the end of the garden. We'd like to have a hive there, but we feel the neighbours of Fiddlesticks Towers are likely to be less enthusiastic!

In the meantime, our girls are doing well at the beefield and I popped on another super yesterday. Biggest triumph was keeping the smoker alight for more than 10 minutes. Worst moment was my glasses coming off in the bee veil (I was looking downwards!) whilst holding a frame of bees!

Tim

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 07 12:19 pm Post subject:

FiddlesticksTim wrote:

Worst moment was my glasses coming off in the bee veil (I was looking downwards!) whilst holding a frame of bees!

That happened to my O.H. and he really is as blind as a bat without them

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 07 12:32 pm Post subject:

I haven't had a chance to have a look at our girls for a couple of weeks due to weather etc. but they're very busy. I was in the veg. garden yesterday morning looking at the peas and two of them settled on me, one on my shoulder and one on my head. The one on my head was OK but the other climbed up and got tangled in my hair, whereupon she panicked and stung me on the ear. Very painful, but no swelliing. I've been stung a few times before but it's never really hurt and I'm assuiming it's because it was in the head area where I've never been stung before.

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 07 12:32 pm Post subject:

FiddlesticksTim wrote:

Worst moment was my glasses coming off in the bee veil (I was looking downwards!) whilst holding a frame of bees!

Oh don't tell me things like that - I can see that happening to me

Saturday we went to a bee meeting to learn about Queen Rearing as the local association is trying to encourage people to raise their own Queens rather than buying them in as the local bee's are well behaved and very prolific building large colonies very swiftly in the spring.

The look on all of the newbies faces must have been a picture due to the way Duncan handled his bee's - we've spent the last few weeks learning to do everything in a slow and deliberate way whereas Duncan being a very experienced and confident bee keeper did everything super fast throwing the frames around any old way

It was really interesting though - I had a go at cutting a Queen cell out of a frame and putting it into an Apidea - I just hope she survives my handling

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 07 12:35 pm Post subject:

mochyn wrote:

It hurts on the head

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