I keep 11-12 hives of bees. Over the winter-time, some of them usually die for one reason or another. This year I lost 4. Compared to a lot of folks, that is a pretty great survival rate, but I sort of like having a full compliment of hives. Most years I make splits where I take some bees from a “booming” hive and put them in a new hive box (i.e. from the hive that died). Depending on the year, I add a queen I get from a breeder or else I add a queen cell that I find in the original hive.
This year we ordered packages from a supplier in NC. My in-laws drove down and back this weekend and picked up 4 packages and 3 new queens in addition. On Sunday we installed the bees, made splits, requeened and generally had a good time messing around with the bees. Installing a package of bees is about the simplest thing a beekeeper can do, but new beekeepers often panic at the thought of dumping bees from a box into the new hive. I figured I would video tape my hiving a package of bees so anyone who might want to have a look can see how I do it!
Are all beekeepers as nice as you? I’m completely fascinated by beekeeping and want bees of my own, but don’t know where to start. I wonder if a local beekeeper would take me on as an apprentice?
.-= Ceecee´s last blog ..Bird Bath =-.
Very educational! Thank you for showing us the video.
This may be a stupid question, do all the bees eventually “move” to the new hive or maybe some of them are stubborn and won’t leave the box?
.-= YDavis´s last blog ..Weekly Menu =-.
Any chance you can upload to youtube? Your video isn’t loading for me and I’m curious.
Whoops, never mind.
Very, very cool.
That’s a lot of bees to have wandering around. And I’m impressed at how many levels of backup packaging/containment the new bees came in.
Wow! That’s really interesting.
Good for you! My packages arrive this week also, but not that many yet 🙂 Tough year for lots of folks. Nice video too!
.-= Beau´s last blog ..Virga at Dawn =-.
Thank you so much for sharing that video. I was just thinking how much bees give to this world (and us). Changing over the bee hives would terrify me though!
.-= Mangochild´s last blog ..It’s been a long time… and a question =-.
Warren, the link for the video won’t work. 🙁 The sound comes on, but no picture?
.-= Ceecee´s last blog ..First Snake of the Season =-.
You have had a string of really great, diverse posts recently! (I’m trying to catch up; so little time to read anymore…) I especially liked your piece on the evening you spent listening to Muslim speakers. Very informational and a refreshing change from what is published about extremist Islam.
Warren,
What fascinates me the very most, is that there are 100s/1000s of bees in one box. They are shipped with one queen and they all stay with her. One bee keeps the whole lot of them in one place.
.-= Ceecee´s last blog ..The Sun and the Earth =-.
The bees seem to be doing very well. Honey season will soon be upon us!