Whooo-hoo! I'm getting bees today! :)

[simple life]

Fantastic!!!
I am so excited for you. You will not believe how sucked in you will be by these amazing little creatures.
Don't worry about the stings, you'll get use to em.

 

[journey11]

I'm so glad to have found so many beekeeping contacts on here! Who would have guessed -- beekeeping and gardening, hand in hand. Thanks guys for all your advice and encouragement!

 

[HiDelight]

My gear came today. I'm gonna get 'em tomorrow. Wish me luck (and no stings)!

happy dancing with you this is very exciting I know very little about bee keeping but am fascinated by it and adore honey so I am going to keep reading and see you enjoy your new journey

keep some liquid benedryl on hand (it works faster than tablets)

 

[journey11]

keep some liquid benedryl on hand (it works faster than tablets)

Oooh, good to know!

 

[simple life]

Yup and the sooner you take it after being stung the better.
It really helps with the swelling and itching.
I actually carry benadryl in my tool box that I take out to the hives so that I don't have to wait to take it.
Also if you get stung use the smoker to smoke the area to cover the scent from the sting or the other bees will go after the same spot.
Oh, and never eat bananas around the bees, it sets them off and they say if you are working the bees and you smell bananas to close up the hive and move on because they give off that scent when they are really angry.
I haven't noticed it but my husband asked me once when we were working the bees if I smelled bananas too, I said ooookay we are done here.
Now don't let any of this unsolicited advice scare you, I am just sharing info that helped me but chances are you will never have anything to worry about. With only the one hive I doubt you will get stung all that much if you go slow and gentle with them.
Thats the rule with all beekeeping, slow and gentle movements oh, and don't breathe directly on them because the carbon dioxide from your breath ticks them off too.
You will have your gear anyway so you will be all set.
I meant to ask you do you know what type of bees these are or has he just let them requeen themselves doing the open breeding?
I started out with particular breeds but if they replace the queen and she open mates then the offspring could be anything from the other drones in the area.
I had a testy hive that I requeened and they are alot calmer now but I have no idea what type of drone the virgin queen mated with.
I have New World Carniolans, Russian, Minnesota Hygenics, feral stock and some hybrid russian carnis.
All the hives have their own personality and temperments for sure.
This is so exciting for you! I think you said you had a daughter, are you getting her a bee suit too?
They make the little ones and the kids are so cute in them but I don't know how young she is.
Have fun, take pictures and keep us posted.

 

[journey11]

This was a swarm that had escaped while this fellow was down with a broken hip last spring. I have no idea what kind they are.

My daughter is 27 months. I can't wait to buy her her own little suit! She isn't allowed out of the fenced section of the yard by herself. I will really have to keep an eye on her until she gets it into her head not to go near the bees.

My dad raised bees when we were kids. Boy, you didn't have to tell us twice!

 

[journey11]

I got my bees home! Whew... That was so cool! I feel so much more confident now. We plotted and planned the best way to do it. The bottom board was so chewed up by mice, it took a LOT of duct tape to hold them in. I used wire screen mesh to plug the hive entrance, so they still have ventilation. Had DH park the truck near my site, but we left them in the truck for now. I will have to work on constructing a new bottom tomorrow. This one it has is so bad there is no use in keeping it.

That was just about the most complicated scenario I can imagine for a "newbee" to have to get a start of bees. Aside from the hive intially being tipped over at an angle and the swiss cheese holes in the bottom board, they were also located on a brushy hillside, in briars, and at the bottom was a soggy section where a spring ran through. At one point I sunk into the mud up to my midcalf and I had a really hard time getting my boot back! I'm nothing if I'm not stubborn!

I only got stung 3 times, on the hand/wrist. I gave DH the nice bee gloves because he had to be the one to pick up the hive and move it after I taped it together as best I could. He only got stung once, because he had a bee on his butt when we got in the truck and it got him when he sat down...hehehe.

I gotta tell you though, the bushel of hot peppers I cut up and canned for my dad this week hurt my hands worse than the bee stings.

I can take a deep breath and a sigh of relief now. They are home!

 

[vfem]

I gave DH the nice bee gloves because he had to be the one to pick up the hive and move it after I taped it together as best I could. He only got stung once, because he had a bee on his butt when we got in the truck and it got him when he sat down...hehehe.

I just giggled out loud at that... I'm sorry, but the vision was just too funny!!!



I am very happy for you that you got them home in such good condition after going through all that!

 

[chills]

im sure it must feel great to be moving forward .. i cant wait to hear and see more!