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Author Topic: Hi from western Canada (Surrey, near Vancouver)  (Read 5742 times)

Offline Mamm7215

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Hi from western Canada (Surrey, near Vancouver)
« on: June 13, 2019, 04:06:29 pm »
Glad to be here.  New beek (2nd week), 4 frame nuc doing well, still learning...

Offline Donovan J

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Re: Hi from western Canada (Surrey, near Vancouver)
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2019, 04:49:07 pm »
Welcome!
3rd year of beekeeping and I still have lots to learn

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Hi from western Canada (Surrey, near Vancouver)
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2019, 08:53:53 pm »
Welcome to Beemaster.
This is the place to ask questions. We love to answer them.
Jim Altmiller
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Mamm7215

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Re: Hi from western Canada (Surrey, near Vancouver)
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2019, 10:37:59 pm »
Thanks, I got a million of em...

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Hi from western Canada (Surrey, near Vancouver)
« Reply #4 on: June 13, 2019, 11:01:15 pm »
Fire away.
😁
Jim Altmiller
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline herbhome

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Re: Hi from western Canada (Surrey, near Vancouver)
« Reply #5 on: June 13, 2019, 11:12:58 pm »
Welcome Mamm!
Neill

Offline cao

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Re: Hi from western Canada (Surrey, near Vancouver)
« Reply #6 on: June 13, 2019, 11:18:20 pm »
Welcome  :happy:

Offline Mamm7215

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Re: Hi from western Canada (Surrey, near Vancouver)
« Reply #7 on: June 14, 2019, 12:21:37 am »
Well, I?ve had my bees about a week.  Got a 4 frame nuc from a local, inspected registered keeper.  The hive itself is sort of a beginners kit - 8 frame deep brooder with a mason jar honey super.  Idea is they make comb up in the jars and you just unscrew when full.  Also has little hinged viewing window so you can peek in on each deep.  That feature is kinda handy but I?ve already got another 8 frame deep as the more I read, the less I think it?s the way to go for me.  I can see putting it on as a second honey super for some comb-in-jar type stuff.  I started with an in hive feeder with a gallon of syrup and a split pollen patty on top of the excluder to help them get going.  Seems to have worked.  As of now they are very active, lots of bees and there?s a huge blackberry flow on here.  When I took out the feeder they had already started drawing out the blanks beside the original nuc.  I left the pollen patties in.  Last check on Sunday there?s only the outside 2 frames (1 each side) not drawn.  I think that?s pretty good.  Wasn?t sure if I?d need to feed more, still not but they seem to be doing good.  I plan to do a full inspection this Saturday. 
Trying not to get ahead of myself - what if there?s queen cells?  Do I feed more?  Hope I don?t kill the queen.  All that stuff.  And always more reading...

Offline Donovan J

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Re: Hi from western Canada (Surrey, near Vancouver)
« Reply #8 on: June 14, 2019, 12:39:05 am »
Well, I?ve had my bees about a week.  Got a 4 frame nuc from a local, inspected registered keeper.  The hive itself is sort of a beginners kit - 8 frame deep brooder with a mason jar honey super.  Idea is they make comb up in the jars and you just unscrew when full.  Also has little hinged viewing window so you can peek in on each deep.  That feature is kinda handy but I?ve already got another 8 frame deep as the more I read, the less I think it?s the way to go for me.  I can see putting it on as a second honey super for some comb-in-jar type stuff.  I started with an in hive feeder with a gallon of syrup and a split pollen patty on top of the excluder to help them get going.  Seems to have worked.  As of now they are very active, lots of bees and there?s a huge blackberry flow on here.  When I took out the feeder they had already started drawing out the blanks beside the original nuc.  I left the pollen patties in.  Last check on Sunday there?s only the outside 2 frames (1 each side) not drawn.  I think that?s pretty good.  Wasn?t sure if I?d need to feed more, still not but they seem to be doing good.  I plan to do a full inspection this Saturday. 
Trying not to get ahead of myself - what if there?s queen cells?  Do I feed more?  Hope I don?t kill the queen.  All that stuff.  And always more reading...

I'm positive there wont be queen cells this early but keep an eye out for them. I don't think you have to feed anymore because of the blackberry flow. I live south of you and this is also my first year.
3rd year of beekeeping and I still have lots to learn

Offline Mamm7215

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Re: Hi from western Canada (Surrey, near Vancouver)
« Reply #9 on: June 14, 2019, 01:23:02 am »
Thanks, I?ll know more this weekend and will post my update.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Hi from western Canada (Surrey, near Vancouver)
« Reply #10 on: June 14, 2019, 08:27:24 am »
Mamm,
When you open the hive, bee sure to pull one of the outside frames first and place it leaning on the hive. This gives you room to separate the frames and not roll the bees as you pull the frames out. When you put the frames back in, since you have a flow on, put the empty frames in next to the brood and they will draw them out quicker. If the deep is full of bees, add a another box.
Jim Altmiller
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Mamm7215

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Re: Hi from western Canada (Surrey, near Vancouver)
« Reply #11 on: June 14, 2019, 12:39:48 pm »
Thanks, Jim.  Funny, I made notes with that advice at the top!  I'm sure I rolled a couple in my 1st inspection.  My second one I saw the queen and was very careful.  One more quick question, though.  This morning was cooler and overcast compared to the last few days here.  We actually had record highs for June in some areas.  The activity early morning was pretty busy as the hive gets morning sun then intermittent sun/shade throughout the day.  This morning, as I said, was overcast and 14C at 7:30am (low 50'sF) and there was almost no activity in/out of the hive.  I looked in the little view window at the back of the hive and it's pretty full of bees so does this sound normal?  Can they take a little longer to wake up because of temp/weather?  Just curious.  I don't think they've swarmed (seems to still be lots of bees but I haven't opened it up yet).  Was going to do a full inspect tomorrow but should I do it today?  Just curious.
Thanks.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Hi from western Canada (Surrey, near Vancouver)
« Reply #12 on: June 14, 2019, 12:46:07 pm »
That is very normal for 50 degree weather, Especially in the morning. Some bees will start working at 45 degrees (Carnolian) and others want it to bee warmer. Usually your scouts will bee the only ones out. Don?t worry about them. They will do what they need to do.
Jim Altmiller was
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Mamm7215

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Re: Hi from western Canada (Surrey, near Vancouver)
« Reply #13 on: June 14, 2019, 12:55:53 pm »
Awesome, thanks again!!  The scouts explain the odd bees showing up and leaving. 

Offline seanconnery

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Re: Hi from western Canada (Surrey, near Vancouver)
« Reply #14 on: June 14, 2019, 05:46:45 pm »
Hello Mamm7215.
I too am in South Surrey, and I have 2 TBHives and one Warre.
This is my fifth year.
Hope you have rewarding first year.
regards
sean

Offline Mamm7215

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Re: Hi from western Canada (Surrey, near Vancouver)
« Reply #15 on: June 14, 2019, 07:23:56 pm »
Hi neighbor, thanks!  Those Warre hives look pretty neat!

Offline Donovan J

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Re: Hi from western Canada (Surrey, near Vancouver)
« Reply #16 on: June 14, 2019, 08:35:48 pm »
Thanks, Jim.  Funny, I made notes with that advice at the top!  I'm sure I rolled a couple in my 1st inspection.  My second one I saw the queen and was very careful.  One more quick question, though.  This morning was cooler and overcast compared to the last few days here.  We actually had record highs for June in some areas.  The activity early morning was pretty busy as the hive gets morning sun then intermittent sun/shade throughout the day.  This morning, as I said, was overcast and 14C at 7:30am (low 50'sF) and there was almost no activity in/out of the hive.  I looked in the little view window at the back of the hive and it's pretty full of bees so does this sound normal?  Can they take a little longer to wake up because of temp/weather?  Just curious.  I don't think they've swarmed (seems to still be lots of bees but I haven't opened it up yet).  Was going to do a full inspect tomorrow but should I do it today?  Just curious.
Thanks.

Do you have Italians or Carniolans? Italians usually like warmer weather and more sunny skies than Carnies. My Carniolan hive is usually up and working hard very early in the morning. Even on cloudy days they still work.
3rd year of beekeeping and I still have lots to learn

Offline Mamm7215

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Re: Hi from western Canada (Surrey, near Vancouver)
« Reply #17 on: June 14, 2019, 09:41:33 pm »
I'm honestly not sure, but the queen is a local.  The folks I got them off were telling me they breed their own here for climate and good temperament, likely the bees are local mutts as well. They haven't seemed tooo angry when I've looked at them so far so they got the temperament right :)

Offline Donovan J

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Re: Hi from western Canada (Surrey, near Vancouver)
« Reply #18 on: June 15, 2019, 02:49:29 am »
I'm honestly not sure, but the queen is a local.  The folks I got them off were telling me they breed their own here for climate and good temperament, likely the bees are local mutts as well. They haven't seemed tooo angry when I've looked at them so far so they got the temperament right :)

Well that's good. What is the color of the queen? That'll usually indicate what breed she is.
3rd year of beekeeping and I still have lots to learn

Offline Mamm7215

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Re: Hi from western Canada (Surrey, near Vancouver)
« Reply #19 on: June 15, 2019, 02:53:35 am »
I'll try to get a pic tomorrow if I can...

 

anything