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Thread: newbie beekeeping

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Western Ny
    Posts
    269

    Default newbie beekeeping

    Hey guys, i know many of you keep bees so I thought I'd ask this question here since I can't seem to get the beekeeping forum to work for me (technical difficulties on my side.)

    Anyways I caught a swarm today, they were starting a hive in the walls of my house while I was in the middle of siding. Anyway I found the major cluster of them, swept them in a box and put them into a beebox which my neighbor so graciously lent me (the smoker and suit too). I know very little about keeping bees, ok next to nothing. I heard that if the bees are fanning that means the queen is here, is this true? Because the bees were fanning. My neighbor gave up after loosing his bees 2/3 years. Should I have done something to clean them? Also which box or boxes of frames should I use in this case. He gave me one he called a deep and one smaller. The bees are in the smaller one now.

    Any comments or suggestions on where to place my new box, and info on winterizing would be good too.

    I know my chances here in western NY are slim to none that they will survive but if there is what would you suggest. If nothing else I got to do something I've always wanted, maybe next year I could start new. Thanks guys.
    2019- RO
    2018- 25 taps made 8 gal syrup.
    2017- 25 taps -built a 2x3 flat pan, and a fuel tank arch for it. 335 gal 7.34gal syrup.

    2016- 15 taps, 4.3gal syrup boiling on cinderblock arch 3 roasting pans, 1 redneck trash can with a pot, and a turkey fryer.

    2015- 4 taps 44 gals of sap made 2.25 gal of lite syrup.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Location
    Wadsworth, OH
    Posts
    120

    Default

    You most likely got the queen if they were still clustered.

    A couple things to keep in mind when catching a swarm. Try to keep the box you put them in close to where they were swarming, they can still smell the queen and you'll end up getting a lot of the scouts/foragers that were out when you hived them.

    Ideally, if you had access to a frame of open brood (eggs), that would keep them in their new home, giving them some young to take care of, but since this is your first hive and your neighbor doesn't keeps bees any more, you'll just have to make do. Don't worry, I caught 3 swarms this year and didn't put any open brood in and they stayed.

    Next to keep in mind is just leave them alone for a week in their new home. If you bother them too much by peeking in, they may abscond. After the week of leaving them alone, check for eggs/larva, if you find them, the queen stayed.

    Now the hard part...

    Being in NY you're going to have some cold long winters so they will need to build up some reserves ASAP. Luckily, you may have a large goldenrod flow on. That will help, but won't be enough to make it through winter, so you're going to have to feed them sugar. This page describes how to make 2:1 sugar syrup (http://beekeepersguild.org/index.php...d=29&Itemid=49), get a feeder and keep them fed as long as they keep taking it or before it freezes. In OH, they say it's best to have 10 deep frames of honey to make it through the winter, so I would aim for that at a minimum. You'll probably need to get a second deep from your neighbor. Once it turns cold, you can also feed them fondant.

    Good luck!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    WNY
    Posts
    471

    Default

    Yeah, you will need to feed feed feed. I caught a swarm back in late July that I am somewhat worried about. It's September now.

    Also, check out the WNY Beekeepers Facebook page. Really helpful folks with knowledge tailored to our local climate and nectar resources. I see you are from newstead, the moderator is from Akron and is very helpful


    Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Western Ny
    Posts
    269

    Default

    Thanks guys, can I move them now that most are in the box? They are right next to my house now. I do have many fields of goldenrod, we're good there, I tried feeding the bees today but I have no feeder any suggestions where to get one?

    Should I stack the deep on top of the half (they are in the smaller box now) the quantity of bees seemed to take up 3 frames as far as I could tell, with some stragglers still in the wall.
    2019- RO
    2018- 25 taps made 8 gal syrup.
    2017- 25 taps -built a 2x3 flat pan, and a fuel tank arch for it. 335 gal 7.34gal syrup.

    2016- 15 taps, 4.3gal syrup boiling on cinderblock arch 3 roasting pans, 1 redneck trash can with a pot, and a turkey fryer.

    2015- 4 taps 44 gals of sap made 2.25 gal of lite syrup.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    WNY
    Posts
    471

    Default

    So it sounds like you've got them in a 5 frame nuc right now, right? You can overwinter double nucs (nuc box on nuc), or a single deep, or preferably a double deep. I wouldn't try to mix a nuc and deep box.

    If it were me, I'd transfer the frames into a 10 frame box and leave that box in the same spot as where the nuc was for another day or so. If you want to move it, wait until it is dark, close off enterance, and move to a new location.

    There are some problems with moving a hive. The old saying is move the hive less than 3 feet or more than 3 miles at a time. Anything in between can cause them to get lost, they are unable to recognize features in the landscape and navigate. You can force them to "re-orient" by putting a tree branch or large piece of wood in front of the enterance at the same time you move it. In the morning they try to fly out, see stuff in the way that they don't recognize, and do a new orientation flight. I've never done it, but have read about it.

    I use mason jars as feeders. Take a piece of plywood, cut it to the shape of the top of the box, and cut a hole in the plywood the same size as the mason jar ring. Poke a bunch of TINY holes in the lid (size of the tip of a finish nail), tip jar upside down into the hole in plywood, and put plywood on top of the hive box. Cheap and easy.

    Warning- I'm still new at this, and there are lots of ways to raise bees.

    Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Western Ny
    Posts
    269

    Default

    Thanks, the box is not a nuc box, it has 10 frames I believe but is shallower than the other box. I need to educate myself more on all the proper terms. I will use the Mason jar feeder idea. Any preference to specific placement of the hive, wooded, open field? Water supply is close anywhere on my property and wild flowers grow everywhere.
    2019- RO
    2018- 25 taps made 8 gal syrup.
    2017- 25 taps -built a 2x3 flat pan, and a fuel tank arch for it. 335 gal 7.34gal syrup.

    2016- 15 taps, 4.3gal syrup boiling on cinderblock arch 3 roasting pans, 1 redneck trash can with a pot, and a turkey fryer.

    2015- 4 taps 44 gals of sap made 2.25 gal of lite syrup.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    WNY
    Posts
    471

    Default

    I like the mason jar. Cheap, like me.

    Sheltered from driving winter winds but in the open to get sunlight and let things dry out.

    So your box is a 10 frame either medium (6ish inch tall frames) or a shallow. While you can keep bees in any size box you want, the vast majority of beeks use deeps for the brood area. Some use all mediums. It does not really matter and it laregly comes down to personal choice, but it would take a lot of shallow boxes (4? 5?) To equal the same brood area as 2 deeps. That's a lot of frames to buy, and that much more to handle when doing a hive inspection. I assume the most common brood box arrangement is two deeps in our area. Mediums and shallows work well as "honey supers" when the nectar flow is on in spring-fall and they are making stores.

    Some terms can be confusing. The brood box and honey supers are literally the same equipment. It's just the first couple boxes are "brood boxes" because that's where eggs are laid and bees hatch. The same exact box and frames put on top of the stack is now a honey super. No eggs laid there (usually), but bees store nectar/honey there.

    Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Lawrence County Ohio
    Posts
    350

    Default

    www.beesource.com has recipes for feed, (You will also need need pollen patties over the winter. Sugar gives them energy, pollen is their protein source.) plans for wood ware and lots of other information. Find your local bee club or association, a lot of them do a bee school in the early spring- one night a week for a few weeks or a couple of weekends. It was an emergency opportunity that you found a colony, but try to never ever reuse other peoples bee ware, what killed his could kill yours, and spread to others. Bees suffer from parasites, bacteria and viruses that spread by eggs and spores that last for decades. Good luck with them. We spent 9 hours in our bees yesterday, it's as addicting as sugaring!
    '12 15 jugs - Steam pans
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  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    WNY
    Posts
    471

    Default

    Fyi- I've been feeding 1:1 for my new hives this year. I understand folks switch to 2:1 (heavy sugar) in fall for storage.

    For my 1:1, I used 1.1 lbs of sugar and 1.1 lbs of water, which when combined fills a quart jar nicely.

    Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Western Ny
    Posts
    269

    Default

    I realized the boxes could have harbored deseases and such but since there was no way i could justify another $350 hobby I thought I had nothing to loose, It has been a short time but I can tell I will enjoy it as much as sugaring...

    I put the added the deep to the medium, and put the Feeder on top. I have pictures but my phone don't cooperate. I have started learning terms but my beekeeping is on hold for the week while me and our gang work on our cabin driveway in the southernteer this week.
    2019- RO
    2018- 25 taps made 8 gal syrup.
    2017- 25 taps -built a 2x3 flat pan, and a fuel tank arch for it. 335 gal 7.34gal syrup.

    2016- 15 taps, 4.3gal syrup boiling on cinderblock arch 3 roasting pans, 1 redneck trash can with a pot, and a turkey fryer.

    2015- 4 taps 44 gals of sap made 2.25 gal of lite syrup.

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