Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: bill on April 04, 2005, 06:50:31 pm
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well I guess you guys would have had a laugh just now I finally got my new smoker going with paper mache eggcartons and opened the hive I got last winter I knew it had not been opened in a long time . it was a real mess but i was getting on all right except I lost my gloves I thought well noone else ever wears them on the video so I don't need them. anyway I smoked them and got it opened up I got the first couple of frames out with a little difficulty but about the fourth frame the nails started coming out, and the smoker went out i guess I was so busy I forgot to pump it enough I put the broken frames in a body I was going to use for nucs so maybe I can fix them i think there was just stores and honey. anyway with the smoker out I just kept going cause I was fascinated there were a few queen cells and quite a few drone cells I think the queen cells were old. any way I know I have a queen that was bortn in the hive as apposed to a bought one heck she is probably about the third one. there was a huge number of bees and they got kinda mad and i started to get hit on the hand and I got real tired I am going to rest a while and go back I just put the lid on it and left.
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well I got back out there and finished the upper bodyput in about six foundation frames. the beejacket worked but I dont think the smoker helped much I need to get some burlap or something that puts out more smoke . I didnt see the queen but the drones were easy to recognize I will do the bottom half tomorrow maybe, what a rush. lol
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I used to have a smoker like that. Then I made this and put in it. Now it doesn't go out anymore. :)
http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bush/images/SmokerInsert3.jpg
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Sounds like a fun time Bill - I know I have went into the hive with good intentions and before you know it, I do something stupid and agrivate them big time. I find it best to retreat and rethink a better plan.
The worse incident in resent years was forcing a frame back in the hive AFTER it had been out about a week - I just plain forgot I had removed it. When I went to PUSH it back in place, it wouldn't fit (dummy here) starts tapping the frame down with the handle end of a hammer THINKING it might not distrub them as much - I was a sorry looking thing by time THAT frame was back in the hive.
Sounds like everything will be fine though - keep us posted on finding the queen but look for young larva and eggs too - finding the queen isn't always necessary, but always sweet to find!!!