Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Rural Living Got my first bee hive bodies...

We're in the same situation and not sure whether to use excluders. We've decided to use an excluder in one hive and not in the other and see what happens. If we get some brood in our honey super well just cut it out prior to extraction.

Requeen both the original and new hive.


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oh yeah...one rookie mistake I made when requeening the first time.. I located the queen, then squashed her with some needle nose pliers. In that split second of killing her, she sent out the "kill him" order. Panic set in watching half the hive empty and start stinging me.


Remove the queen away from the hive, then squash her.

I used exluders when I started but it and tossed them. If you wait to put on honey supers until there is a bridge of capped honey at the top of the hive the queen will stay down where she belongs.

Thanks for the info. While I will enjoy honey, that is not my main goal. I want the pollination and helping bees in trouble would also be cool. miles

Steve,

"Mentor"? Ha Ha. Nope I applied for the "helper" job!

I still have my gear as I always hope to get another hive someday. But with all the moving around my wife and I have done for our careers, I haven't had one in 16 years now (gosh, looking at calendars is a bad thing). I was sorta hoping to learn "on the job" along with you.

Beekeeping has changed a bit since then, basics seem to be the same from what I've read, but you may be way ahead of me.

Best thing about bees ( or other animals, or plants) is that they want to stay alive and thrive.

If you need help, I'm your guy. As I said, assuming we're still in the area. Wife has an interview over in Orofino for a job there and also has applications out in Medford and a few other places. The Govt moves slowly, so by the time the process works out, we may still be here for a year or so.

Good luck with it all. Not sure if I caught it or not, but did your bees arrive and are they settling in yet? Fruit trees near us are starting to bloom. Time to make honey and "baby" bees.

Geno