Starting a hive in Minnesota

[Dallasbeek]

I'm a second-year beekeeper in Dallas, Texas.  I'm making several top bar hives -- one for here, one for my daughter in Rio Rancho, NM, and one for a nephew in St. Paul, MN.  We're driving to MN in July and will take a TBH up and assemble it there.   What is latest date my nephew can populate a hive there?  Any chance he can start this year with odds of bees surviving the winter?  I know they have cold weather into late May sometimes.

[charlie b]

I'm here in Ashland Wi. right up by Lake superior. Swarm season here is June....With that said, I am getting two Local Nucs in the second week of May. Some say to split hives here in June, and they'll  still make it....Maybe a guy named T Beek on this forum will buzz in with his experience on the question, and we both will learn some....Hopin it all works out for you....By the way, The nucs I'm getting are Russians, and also getting two Russian Queens to re-queen two hives in June.

[Dallasbeek]

Thanks, Charlie.  Sounds like July will be a little late, so my nephew had better get started now.  The hive I'm bringing can wait until next year.  Actually, there are 3 nephews interested and they're all young.  I'm just trying to give them a boost.  Thinking of requeening two hives with MN hygienic queens from up that way, because these bees are a little hot and may have some AHB genes.

[Dallasbeek]

Forgot to sign my reply.  Sorry.

Gary

[charlie b]

Hopin your nephews get a good start on their experience in bee keeping Gary. We sure need more interested in it. I plan on d
oing the farmers market in Ashland Wi to promote bee keeping with an observation hive and some hives I've built. I want to offer people the chance to see the bees, learn a bit, and buy everything thing they need from me including bees, with a one yr offer of being their mentor....We'll see if it happens.