Got my two nucs!

[Retroguy]

Went to Dresser, WI on May 2 and picked up a couple of nuc's from a gal who used to be the Wisconsin Honey Queen a few years ago.  Nice gentle critters (so far).  One Italian and one Carniolan batch.  Got back home, got out the bee jackets & smoker and put them in their respective hives, Italians on the south end of the farm and Carnis on the north end.  Didn't get stung either.  Beginners luck?  Both hives have been busy bringing in pollen (bright yellow and a darker orange).  From what I can tell, I'd guess it's dandelion and probably some sort of tree pollen since several varieties of trees are in the pollen stage.  I assume that the ones I see with no pollen in their baskets are bringing in nectar.  Also had put on a top feeder with 1:1 syrup in case they needed it.

Made a couple of typical newb mistakes:  I have 2 chicken waterers and put one right next to the Italian hive on the stand and the other about 6 - 8 feet behind the Carnis on a couple of cinder blocks.  My understanding is that they should have been placed farther away but both hives have been using them.  Went out this morning after a rain storm last night and found the Italians also sucking up water from a pool that formed on a warped board.  A bunch of them were loading up there along with the chicken fountain.

It was cold part of last week, warmed up on the weekend so I did a hive inspection two weeks after the install.  They are drawing comb on the new frames and seem to have plenty of worker brood in the works.  Took out a little burr comb from both hives, looked like drone cells in the making.  Didn't spot the Italian queen but I saw the Carni.  Got a little clumsy with the Carnis on one frame and managed to get stung a couple of times.  No big deal.  Since it was going to get cold again this week I threw on some sugar on newspaper for them so they'd have something to munch on if needed along with a pollen patty.  We'll see where that gets me when it warms up again.  Mid-30's at night to mid-50's in the daytime.

With all the cold weather we've been having the last couple of weeks I'm not surprised that both hives are a bit slow on taking off but I'm in no rush.  Just want to be able to keep an eye on them and get them through next winter.

I'll post a few photos when I figure out how to get them loaded.   

[Jen]

We're having a cool snap as well. Been feeding my 2 nucs and swarm hive. Looking forward to your update Retro 

[Perry]

Well done. 
You may find that once the bees have access to the real thing, they will start to ignore stuff like the pollen patty and eventually even the syrup.

[Bakersdozen]

It will be fun to compare the Italian to the Carnolian.  That's cool.

[Retroguy]

That's what I'm watching for Perry.  Just trying to monitor the situation to make certain they have what they need without getting too carried away. LOL

[Zweefer]

Glad to hear things are progressing!
Here in Eau Claire, there is plenty of pollen being brought in, so the patties are not needed. I would assume its the same in Ham Lake?  I am still giving syrup, as they are still taking it.  It is getting down to 35 at night like you said, but the syrup is fine if you keep it in a covered medium above the inner cover...
Girls haven't complained yet 

If you ever need anything in a pinch Retro, I'm only an hour from the cities...

[Retroguy]

Let's see if I'm any good at uploading photos...

Here is my hive of Italians.  Was sort of cloudy & cool this morning but a few of them were up and about.  In the second photo you can see one of the gals is hauling out a bit of newspaper from the mountain camp feeding I threw in over the weekend.  Yeah, Zweef, I'm sure I could track you down if need be.  Got friends in the Eau Claire area that own Model T Fords like we do.  We may have to meet up sometime.   Just wasn't sure with the weather we were having if the syrup would get too cold for their liking.  I'm using a ML top feeder and really haven't seen much evidence that they've gone after it.

The inner cover has a spot (and I have 2 qts.) for the jar-style feeder so maybe I should swap out for that?

And the pollen patties were just evidence that like most newbees I probably went at least 1 step too far.  I'll probably dig those out of the hives this weekend and toss 'em in the freezer for 2016.

I was curious how the two types would compare and while I read numerous times that a newbee should probably stick with one breed for a more direct comparison I just made a spur of the moment decision while conversing with Sarah the seller.

I noticed this morning that my son Erik mowed part of the yard yesterday... but not in front of the hive.     LOL

So far, I'm having a great time.  Suggestions welcome.  I'm not 17 anymore so I don't know everything like I used too <wink, wink>

[Zweefer]

That is a nice looking hive Retro! 

Looks like they are happy in their new home.

We may have mutual friends... George Utphall has a Model T he's always working on?

[LazyBkpr]

 I'm not 17 anymore so I don't know everything like I used too <wink, wink>

   LOL  Some of us realize this at 20 ish, some it takes a while longer...
   My Son called from Afghanistan with that new knowledge.. my daughter, it took her another two years....



   Granulated sugar is an excellent way to emergency feed when it is cold.  The bees are not as active and wont haul it out. If its warm enough they will haul it out, along with the paper that supports it.  Which means, a lot of it will end up on your bottom board and will need to be cleaned off..  It will also not do any harm and some of it may be used...
   1/1 syrup they can use immediately, to feed and to use as a resource for making wax, so try to feed them syrup when getting them started. It gives them time to find the real thing, and it allows them to get comb started.
   three or four holes in spring to help build comb. They do not get it fast enough to store it as honey.
   a dozen or so holes in fall to feed them fast so they WILL store it for winter reserves. (If they need it)

   The Itallians will build up a little faster than the Carniolans, and will in general look more impressive as they get started.. The Bees from Slovenia will catch up to a certain point, and will produce honey very nearly on par with the larger Italian hive..  The one major difference will be when you open the hive in the spring for the first time. The bees from the Austrian Alps will have a smaller cluster, and it will scare you when you compare it to the Italian cluster. The Carnys are more adept a regulating the worker population in regards to the actual flow..  They are also generally gentle and calm, with less of a propensity to rob.
   However, they do tend to swarm sooner when overcrowded, and the queen "can" be a little harder to find when there are a lot of bees.   Given a choice I would choose them over the Italians, but everyone has their own preferences...  and.. after a supersedure or swarm, your queens will be mutts, if they are not already. Mine are...   From a dark queen I like a lot, I got half a dozen tiger striped queens, two golden queens, One queen with a black tip on her tail, and the rest were darker queens.
   Its always exciting to see what they will produce..   Usually, you can look at the bees in her hive and tell..  I even have some BLACK bees with no stripes on their abdomen at all.. I am still waiting for that BLACK queen to pop out.
   OK, I'll quit rambling now.. Sounds like your having a lot of fun.. thats what its all about!
   Scott

[Retroguy]

Thanks for the rambling, Lazy.  Even if I've seen similar statements before it help reinforce the points.

Zweef, I know George, have given him advice on several occasions.  The other Model T guy I know over your way is Bill Glass, a retired detective from the Eau Claire Cty. Sherriff's Office.

Looking forward to checking on the girls this weekend to see if I can spot any progress & make sure they've got everything they need.  Local Grain & Feed was out of Dutch Clover so I bought a bag of Ladino for now and hope to get it planted this weekend.  There's some "volunteer" stuff coming up in places.  Also hope to put in some apple trees this week.

Jen, I've got your propolis tincture recipe.  I take 350 mg of aspirin every day along with some predisone for asthma & nasal polyps.  Consequently, I bleed like a stuck hog every time I bump into something.  Figure I'll try the tincture on my frequent wounds to see if it helps.  My wife thinks I'm nuts. LOL