Making Progress

[Slowmodem]

Bees came early.  I picked them up today at 16:00. Hived them at around 17:30. It went well,  although I chickened out and wore gloves. There was a light drizzle and 49°F. I had several bees hit my veil at full speed. I assume they had a grouch on. But all in all it went well to my thinking.

Good for you!  I installed a couple of nucs in the rain once.  It's not fun, but it goes ok, and you don't get too hot.

Good luck!  Keep them fed! 

[stickbow95]

Thanks. That's what I forgot to mention. They started taking the sugar syrup almost before I finished slicing the first slit in the bags. And there were bees fanning the lower entrance almost immediately as well. I assume that is a good sign.

[stickbow95]

Couple pics:

[efmesch]

.....there were bees fanning the lower entrance almost immediately as well. I assume that is a good sign.

Definitely a good sign.
I assume that the pine needles were placed across the entrance as a reducer.  Good move--but better yet would be to slip in a properly fitting slat of wood what will leave the entrance at most, about 10 cm (4 inches) wide.  It will be more secure and less likely to blow away and expose the whole width of the entrance before the family is strong enough to defend itself properly against potential robbers (bees from other hives and/or wasps and the like).
You might want to be prepared in advance for the posssibility of robbers by building anti-robber screens for your hives (look up the topic in "search" at the top right of the page.

[riverbee]

very cool stickbow!

love the copper tops!  (you got polish for those?...... )

what ef said, definitely a good sign, and also what he said about the pine needles.  i am guessing you were using these to help the bees re-orient maybe?
not necessary really.  package bees orient rather quickly.  if using as a reducer, as ef said, any slat of wood to reduce it down works great!

thanks for the great pix!!! 

[stickbow95]

Chalk it up to beginner mistakes. As I was installing the packages, it dawned in me that I forgot to make reducers. I crammed the pine straw in there for that. I will make the reducers today. Yesterday was a beautiful day with temps right at 70°. My dad called and said that both hives were showing tons of activity and that the bees had completely removed all of the pine straw.

[Bamabww]

Seems like you're well on your way. When you mentioned earlier about using copper for the top, I wondered if you had a plan for holding the tops down. And  you did. Good luck.

Thanks for sharing your pictures.

[blueblood]

Your hive builds look great.  I may have missed it, but did you find copper sheets for the lid?  I like it.

[stickbow95]

Thanks again. I don't get excited about much of anything anymore, but beginning this beekeeping journey is turning out to be extremely exciting.

Blueblood, I did put copper on the hives. I think they look fairly good. There are a few things that I would do differently. But that's the beauty of constant improvement. The day I stop trying to improve stuff is the day I take a dirt nap.

[LazyBkpr]

Mothers Wadding polish will shine about anything.
   If its moveable move it. If it shines polish it, if it doesnt Paint it.
   Instructions I was given in the SeaBees. Then we got issued a tin of mothers polish, a paintbrush, and a pair of gloves.
   Those copper tops would look DANDY after polishing.. keeping up with that polishing may not be as dandy.. I think I would be in the "beautiful" Patina camp.   

[riverbee]

"I think I would be in the "beautiful" Patina camp.    "

........   me too scott, but those shore look purty now!!!  actually, i might be the one you'd find out at the hives with the seabee's recipe for polishing stuff.....

[stickbow95]

I put on the entrance reducers today and finished the fencing. I also checked the syrup. Both hives had used it all. Both queens are out and comb is being drawn like crazy. I took out the queen cages, added the tenth frames, and put on more syrup. I wish I had discovered beekeeping sooner...
I'm still a bit unsure of myself and whatnot. It seems impossible to put the covers back on without squishing bees and for some reason I feel paranoid about losing the Queen. But I'm still fired up over the whole thing.

[riverbee]

" It seems impossible to put the covers back on without squishing bees"

stickbow, when you set the inner cover back down on the hive, set it down gently at a 45 degree or so angle.....and then gently move/slide it into position, the bees will move as you move the cover to it's position. you can use a little smoke on the edges of the hive initially before setting the cover down at an angle.
if the bees decide they are going to pour out of the inner cover hole or gather on the cover, just use your smoker to move them.   

[LazyBkpr]

I wish I had discovered beekeeping sooner.
I'm still a bit unsure of myself and whatnot.

   Just give it a bit of time, before long, and before you realize it, a few years have passed and you will STILL be unsure of yourself!!!   
   Sure is a fun ride though.