Part 1: Rapid Package Bee Hive Build Up

I am inspecting package bees 18 days after installation. These were 2 pound packages installed April 6, 2010. After 18 days, we have 4-6 frames with sealed brood on them. Good management pays off. The bees don't lie.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Beekeeping
• Honey
• Bees
• Honeybees
• Package
• Profitable
• Production

[md50md]

Man your bee's are laid back. how did you get them so calm?

[TheOhioCountryboy]

@md50md Honeybees are normally calm unless you are doing something wrong. Requeen any hot hives. Use cool smoke, and be gentle and don't crush any bees. It helps to not wear gloves so that you can feel better and you quickly learn how gentle you need to be with the bees.

[mechanicalbu11]

i never heard of using open frames with no foundation looks like a great idea. what are cone guides and where do you get them?

[TheOhioCountryboy]

@mechanicalbu11 They are comb guides, not cone guides. You make them. Google Michael Bush bees.  His website has a lot of good information about foundationless frames.

[fineshooter]

your doing a fine job, I used to live in ohio yrs ago moved south to become a commercial beekeeper.

Don

[TNGun]

Really like what your doing, Keep up the good work

[mechanicalbu11]

@TheOhioCountryboy Thank you and i will, i just got a bees from Walter T. Kelley with a Russian queen and am using foundations so before the bees fill the other frames i am going to change the empty frames with comb guides. Thank you for doing these videos!

[boostedf2b]

@TheOhioCountryboy Stand LOL. thanks for the tips i will give all this a try. I was already going to put a rack of brood in each of my new packages. I like to stay away from buying wax foundation the cost is high and how do you even know its bees wax

[TheOhioCountryboy]

@boostedf2b A stand is what you set the hive on. What the bees do depends on you. If you do not give the bees a comb guide that hangs down 1/4 inch, they will crosscomb and make a mess of things. If you give them a large comb guide, they normally do ok. FEED, FEED, FEED, or they will quickly starve. If you already have 2 hives, then you most definitely have comb to give the packages. Give the packages at least a frame of drawn comb, and preferably a frame with brood - no ifs, ands, or buts.

[boostedf2b]

@TheOhioCountryboy I have 5 new packages coming next week. what will happen if i just put the bees in a stand with frames and no wax? will they build there own comb on the frames? I dont have any comb i can get from another hives since i only have 2 other hives