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Author Topic: non treated/over wintered bees  (Read 5229 times)

Offline beesNme

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non treated/over wintered bees
« on: January 05, 2015, 04:22:52 pm »
This will be my 2nd season with bees , i want to up my hives this year and came across a local maine company that sells  untreated over wintered bees,  they are from  georgia and tenn,  um  how will that help in maine ?  I am new to bee keeping but  was wondering if there is a red flag here or not





Offline Michael Bush

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Re: non treated/over wintered bees
« Reply #1 on: January 06, 2015, 09:20:58 am »
You get what you can.  If you can get local bees, I would.  If you can get northern bees I would.  If you can get treatment free bees, I would.   If you can't, I'd take what I can get.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
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Offline Robo

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Re: non treated/over wintered bees
« Reply #2 on: January 06, 2015, 09:30:02 am »
I agree with Michael, get what you can.   I would not overlook the value of acclimatized bees.  "treatment"  is a broad spanning word.   There are many levels of treatment, some of which are very harsh,  some are not.   Even if your goal is treatment-free,  you can work towards that goal using non-synethic and IPM solutions.   It is much more of a crap shoot trying to get southern bees through the 1st winter.
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline beesNme

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Re: non treated/over wintered bees
« Reply #3 on: January 06, 2015, 11:55:09 am »
Thank you both for the reply,  iam going to buy some and see if i can over winter them, i just find it strange that a maine based company would sell bees from down south and mention over wintered but not local,  maybe the bee gods will shine on me  : ) 

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: non treated/over wintered bees
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2015, 12:01:00 pm »
If you are getting them from Goldstar, last I heard they were small cell bees from Wolf Creek, in TN.  They are treated (with essential oils only) and they are overwintered in TN.  They have been good bees.  Far better than you'll get from the big package outfits.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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Offline beesNme

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Re: non treated/over wintered bees
« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2015, 12:39:48 pm »

Yes thats them, and i want to put some on foundation and some on foundationless  . Thats how i started thanks to you michael  and some on the forum. Just have a hard time wondering why they wouldn't want to raise local bees. 

Offline OldMech

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Re: non treated/over wintered bees
« Reply #6 on: January 11, 2015, 10:48:23 am »

  Because people are hasty creatures, they want what they want NOW!!  Southern beekeepers can raise bees sooner than northern keeps. Beekeepers want their packages as soon as possible. the sooner the better, it means they have more time to grow, and prepare for their first winter. Perhaps, even producing extra honey that first year...
   An option for you to consider here;
   Get those bees and try them, but you can also get the packages and start them...  When your local beekeepers are finally capable of raising good queens, re queen those hives. In six weeks or so, those bees will be from that local queen, and you have locally bred hives.
   Perhaps, even  try both. If those bees are reputed to be good bees, see how they overwinter compared to a hive re queened with a locally mated queen.
   Choose your best stock the following year and raise a few queens of your own from them. From there, you are off and running with good bees YOU like.
39 Hives and growing.  Havent found the end of the comfort zone yet.

Offline beesNme

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Re: non treated/over wintered bees
« Reply #7 on: January 11, 2015, 09:21:27 pm »
That sounds good oldmech,   hope i can do something from my hives if they make it through this winter,  15 -20 below this week,

Offline Joe D

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Re: non treated/over wintered bees
« Reply #8 on: January 17, 2015, 01:06:35 am »
When I was thinking about bees, I found my local bee club.  Went to meeting for close to a year before getting any bees.  There was an elderly beek that had died, and I got his from the estate.  They gave me a great price for what equipment they still had.  I got three colonies.  Single deep for brood and 1 or 2 shallow supers on the hives.  There was also about a dozen more supers and a couple more deeps.  This was a few years ago but they sold this to me for just under $400 for all, and I had established hives.  The boxes weren't in great repair, so I built some new brood boxes.  Split the frames to make double deep brood chambers.  I do get carried away sometimes.   Good luck with your new addiction.


Joe

Offline beesNme

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Re: non treated/over wintered bees
« Reply #9 on: January 17, 2015, 06:49:06 pm »
Was 31 degrees today, went out and put my ear to the hives and they were buzzing,  1 flew out and nose dived in the snow, lifeless, brought her inside to show wife and after being on countertop she came back to life and flew around the kitchen.  So maybe if luck holds good i can raise some maine over wintered bees and look back on ordering from down south ?

Offline OldMech

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Re: non treated/over wintered bees
« Reply #10 on: January 17, 2015, 07:25:51 pm »
Because they were from down south does not mean they CANNOT survive a Maine winter. They just do not have as good a chance as bees that are acclimated, and are already survivors.
   I dont know about Maine, but here, the temps are supposed to hit 50 tomorrow..  Last year it was -40 with wind chill on this date  Astounding, and hopefully the bees will get out to make cleansing flights..   Here is to hoping your temps are as nice!
39 Hives and growing.  Havent found the end of the comfort zone yet.

Offline sterling

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Re: non treated/over wintered bees
« Reply #11 on: January 26, 2015, 05:44:57 pm »
I have gotten packages from Wolf Creek and know others who have gotten bees from them and others who are getting packages this spring from them. I have had pretty good luck with there packages. They build up fast and draw comb good. But I always let them build up and split them and give the split a local queen. Doubling your hive count ups your chances of having bees come spring. Splitting the packages for increase is the reason I bought packages. Their early queens are mated in Ga. and it just doesn't get as cold and stay cold as long in Ga. and Tn. as it does in Maine.

Offline Tightwad

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Re: non treated/over wintered bees
« Reply #12 on: February 01, 2015, 10:02:13 am »
I have found that when I get bees that where sent to California to work on the almonds they all have been treated. And I haven't had vary good luck with them. No treated bees for me any more. 😳

 

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