# Newbee Maryland Beekeeper



## COAL REAPER (Jun 24, 2014)

a nuc vs. a package would not be the camparison that would help a new beekeeper. might want to consider two nucs and/or two packages. more apples to apples to help somebody that is looking at things for the first time.
spend some time reading over george imries pink pages
http://pinkpages.chrisbacherconsulting.com/index.html
george talked about the maryland flow being early and strong before slamming shut to a dearth by the end of may. consider keeping syrup on the hives the whole first year in an attempt to have ample drawn comb to super with the following year.


----------



## kmcogar (Apr 11, 2016)

Your right about that. Unfortunately I can only afford a package. Also, the place I bought the first NUC from is sold out. There's one other place but it's kind of far away and kind of expensive. $190 for a NUC. I'm gonna keep looking but I need to put my order in soon. Better a package then nothing. THANKS FOR THE LINK. That has a lot of great info. Looks like I have some reading to do.


----------



## GaryG74 (Apr 9, 2014)

Welcome to Bee Source. Good luck with your bees.


----------



## Hoot Owl Lane Bees (Feb 24, 2012)

kmcogar

If you haven't already join a local beekeeper's club.
You will have people who know how, when & why things happen in your local area.
Welcome to a great hobby.


----------



## missybee (Sep 6, 2014)

Welcome to the group! We are out in Frederick.


----------



## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Welcome!


----------



## BradParadise (Feb 3, 2017)

Welcome to Beesource! I hope you enjoy your stay!


----------



## kmcogar (Apr 11, 2016)

Thanks all! I'm looking forward to the new hobby!


----------



## rwlaw (May 4, 2009)

Welcome


----------



## Green Tractor (Mar 31, 2016)

COAL REAPER said:


> a nuc vs. a package would not be the camparison that would help a new beekeeper. might want to consider two nucs and/or two packages. more apples to apples to help somebody that is looking at things for the first time.
> spend some time reading over george imries pink pages
> http://pinkpages.chrisbacherconsulting.com/index.html
> george talked about the maryland flow being early and strong before slamming shut to a dearth by the end of may. consider keeping syrup on the hives the whole first year in an attempt to have ample drawn comb to super with the following year.


What he said.

I'm just south of you in Southern MD and started with six packages last year. Ended up combining two in late Fall because of robbing pressure. All five hives came through winter great so far, and that combined hive is one of my strongest right now.

You will not get any honey your first year in Maryland. It's technically possible in a special year, but our flow runs short and hot from about mid-April through the first week of June. Bee Math says you need 40 days to make a forager (a bee that collects nectar for honey), which means a bee needs to be laid by March 6th to be ready for the flow. Of course bees laid later will forage later stages of the flow, but you need to bulk up by early/mid March. Your packages won't even be ready by then, and Nucs will probably be ready in May. Most nucs being sold are actually packages started by the sellers at the same time you would start packages. My advice is to just go with the packages - you'll learn more and save money. You gain little buying a nuc that came from the package you could have started yourself - with the same package - six weeks earlier. Of course, if someone give you a local nuc that is hopping in Februrary...good on you.

Feed the bees 1:1 or 1:2 all summer and don't be surprised when they swarm. Just manage it and learn how to see it coming - you'll need that info next year. *Feed 2:1 sugar/water in the Fall until those frames are full.* Use _open_ screened bottoms and screen a vent hole at the top. The cold won't hurt them, but moisture will. Keep them out of the wind, too. Rotate chambers when you get a warm stretch in February (this from George Imirie) and start feeding them light (1:1 or 1:2) syrup with pollen to entice them to build population. The risk is a severe cold snap, but those are the dice you roll. I use inverted mason jars sitting on the inner cover (not over the hole to avoid drippage) and inside an empty deep hive body. Locked tight.

Special things I learned: robbing screens are not an option. Robbing caused me to combine two hives, and almost caused another to outright fail. _It happens fast_ and has nothing to do with whether your bees are fed. Bees rob because they can, not because they must. I used nothing but bent #8 galvanized screen and a couple of tacks and it did the trick. If you wait, you might lose your hives. We shouldn't call it "robbing" - a more accurate term is "looting". 

Treat for varroa in the Fall and we also used Fumagillin in their syrup. We have a few small hive beetles but the bees seem to manage them. Keep the hives in full sun and make sure they have nearby water in the summer. Make sure they are vented (watch for looting through the vents or lids not on tight enough - use screens).

And yes, you should try for 2-3 packages if you can pull it off. One weak hive will die, but if you have two hives you can always combine.

Also, I tried both plastic and wax foundation and the bees went for the wax every time. They would actually skip a wax-coated plastic frame and leave a gap in the box if they had wax foundation farther away. I switched to wax everywhere. YMMV.


----------



## enus75 (Aug 3, 2014)

Great advise you make a great mentor


----------



## AstroZomBEE (Aug 1, 2006)

The central maryland beekeepers association does a nuc run fundraiser every spring, im not sure what they charge but i think it's less than $190.



http://www.centralmarylandbees.org/the-mercantile/queens-nucs-splits/


----------

