# Blow bees



## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

pahvantpiper said:


> I've never had experience with them. But, if a fellow bought some this fall (September/October) could they be put in double deeps fed syrup and be expected to pollinate in February? Has anyone ever done this and has it worked? I was thinking of filling some comb with syrup before putting the bees in. Thanx.


Nope, bees overwinter fine in my area. So you just get the bees, no comb, stored honey or pollen? 

What is the cost to buy bees and do you have to get them back?


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

pahvantpiper said:


> But, if a fellow bought some this fall (September/October)


Rob, I have a few costomers that do this, they say the most important part is getting them to brood as fast as you can after shaking because most of the shake out bees are old. So... they have plenty of surcrose syrup & nutra bee ready. Good luck, Keith


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## NoDak Beekeeper (Sep 3, 2012)

Did this last fall for the first time. Things I learned: do it on a cool day so the bees you blow out stay in their new hive, put multiple hives together the more the better. For a single we were blowing at least 2 (if they were monster parents) everything else was 3-5 hives to make one single. If the guy you are buying from only let's you do a couple to a single its not worth it. And especially if you want double deeps you are going to need to blow out a lot more hives to make your one. LET THEM SIT OVER NIGHT. Do not load them right away. Walk around the yard picking the beards up and placing them back into the hive. The more time you devote to it the better hives you will get. The next day add your syrup and pollen sub (I've used it all from home made to global to nutra). Had good results with it.


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

NoDak Beekeeper said:


> Did this last fall for the first time. Things I learned: do it on a cool day so the bees you blow out stay in their new hive, put multiple hives together the more the better. For a single we were blowing at least 2 (if they were monster parents) everything else was 3-5 hives to make one single. If the guy you are buying from only let's you do a couple to a single its not worth it. And especially if you want double deeps you are going to need to blow out a lot more hives to make your one. LET THEM SIT OVER NIGHT. Do not load them right away. Walk around the yard picking the beards up and placing them back into the hive. The more time you devote to it the better hives you will get. The next day add your syrup and pollen sub (I've used it all from home made to global to nutra). Had good results with it.


Blowing bees must be a western thing, never heard of it around my parts. Very interesting. I am curious and have questions...

Do you get any comb? Does the blower store their comb for next year?

Do you blow them onto drawn comb or foundation?

Do you cage the queens before blowing or buy new?

What is the going rate for blow bees?


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

what are blow bees?


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

Harley Craig said:


> what are blow bees?



From what i understand blow bees are.....

bees purchased cheaply by blowing bees out of sellers boxes into your boxes. Mainly from operations that provide spring pollution and do not want the burden/cost of caring for bees thru fall winter.


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## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

I sell fall shake outs for $22-28. Most avg. 8-10 lbs. That is no combs. The best ones come with a frame or two of feed already for the bees.

Keith, you hit it right on the head and don't forget to do the mite treatments too.


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

The Honey Householder said:


> Keith, you hit it right on the head and don't forget to do the mite treatments too.


Keith, don't forget the poison too!!!!

Do you pollinate crops around the lakes. Lots of mexican pickle pickers near my days hometown in Fremont, Oh!!!


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## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

The Honey Householder said:


> I sell fall shake outs for $22-28. Most avg. 8-10 lbs. That is no combs. The best ones come with a frame or two of feed already for the bees.
> 
> 8-10 lbs of bees ought to be able to huddle together and stay warm all winter even on foundation.


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## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

That time of the year you have no time for foundation. Frames full of feed would be the best. Sucrose syrup and lost of SUB's work the best to get the bees build up that time of the year to get the hive ready for spring pollination.


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

how do you guys handle the queen issues? Shaking three, up to five hives into one? Adding a queen would be a waste, so I assume your just allowing the old queens to fight it out?


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

jmgi said:


> The Honey Householder said:
> 
> 
> > I sell fall shake outs for $22-28. Most avg. 8-10 lbs. That is no combs. The best ones come with a frame or two of feed already for the bees.
> ...


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

OK. I am throughly confused. How does this work (step by step please) and why would you do this?


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## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

The Honey Householder said:


> That time of the year you have no time for foundation. Frames full of feed would be the best. Sucrose syrup and lost of SUB's work the best to get the bees build up that time of the year to get the hive ready for spring pollination.


I wasn't being serious.


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## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

burns375 said:


> jmgi said:
> 
> 
> > I thought drawn comb was important to winter survival or atleast helps quite a bit. The comb acts as "cull"ular insulation, pockets, holds heat. Allows the cluster to expand. Where does the syrup go without comb? Do you have first hand experience wintering blow bees on just foundation? Learn new things everyday!
> ...


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

The Honey Householder said:


> burns375 said:
> 
> 
> > I only sell the bees, the buyer supplies the equipment. That is why they call them blow bees instead of hives.:scratch:
> ...


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## gregstahlman (Oct 7, 2009)

wow 3-5 hives to make a single that is terrible. should be easy finding the queen next spring cuz she will be the big shiny beat up bee with the wings chewed off lol


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