Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire One Of His Hives Became Africanized

Well, I guess after reading y'all's comments, I'm going to have to watch the bee expert video.

Tried to get a hive going this year, along with a friend. Got started late and at the last minute found a couple of packages of bees from back east. Long story short, the trip over here did them in. By the time we got them we had 2"-3" of dead bees in the mailing box. They were mailed insured, so my friends will be getting their money back:



I tried to make a go of it with what few were remaining. Seemed like the queen was still alive, so I took them home and got her and them in the box:



We had very cold nights the first two after the bees arrived, so I covered the box with a moving blanket and some plywood to keep the snow and hail off it. A week or so later I still had bees flying in and out, they had a feeder in there too, so I had some hope.

The other day I took a look, not a single bee left, this was all they had managed. A few cells drawn out, some with a bit of pollen in them. Not one brood cell capped even, so I'm guessing if the queen was still alive when I put them in, she might not have made it very long.



My buddy managed to talk his neighbor out of a frame of brood, so perhaps he'll have some luck. The plan next year is to get some bees from a supplier over the hill from here, and I'll drive over and get them. No more trusting the USPS. Of course The Corona slowed the shipment down too, maybe in a normal year they'd have gotten here in a more timely manner.

It's been 25 years since I last had my own hive, I'm hoping to get a few decent ones going before I die. This year was a total bust.