# G'day



## 220 (Dec 28, 2016)

Another bee newbie from down under. Have thought about getting bees for years but never committed to it, a thread on a non bee forum a month ago got me keen again and I picked up a nuc I installed in a 8 frame deep 3 weeks ago. Got an offer of 2 more which actually turned out to be 2x 10 deep hives the owner wanted gone due to downsizing. Packed them into 8 deeps, all the brood, a frame or 2 of honey and 1 empty frame.
Went from deciding to get bees to having 3 hives in 2 weeks.


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## heaflaw (Feb 26, 2007)

welcome lots of great info on beesource


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Welcome!


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## 220 (Dec 28, 2016)

Thanks for the welcome, still plenty to learn but I think Im making progress.
Have been trying to have a look in my hives for the past few days but weather has been uncooperative, rain or overcast and threatening, did get into them a week ago, the nuc is making slow progress but the other 2 were booming. Added another box to both, I don't think my bees are flying very far, furthest I have seen them from the hives is about 600y working blackberries, watching the hives yesterday there was plenty of golden coloured pollen coming in. Could be saffron thistle, StJohn's wort or dandelion as they are all in bloom.
House garden and vege garden are only 800y away and as yet I haven't seen any working anything around them. Still plenty of white clover actively growing and flowering and with 1" of rain the last few days it should keep going at least well into Jan.


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

220 said:


> Packed them into 8 deeps, all the brood, a frame or 2 of honey and 1 empty frame.
> Went from deciding to get bees to having 3 hives in 2 weeks.


You already need more boxes. Welcome. My buddy says candles burn upside down down under.


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## 220 (Dec 28, 2016)

Added a deep to both of the established hives last weekend, one had fully drawn the empty frame and built a heap of burr comb, the other a bit of burr and looked to be starting to draw the empty.
Would like to get into them to see how they are progressing, didn't spot the queen in either last weekend but didn't look for her, both had uncapped larva. Really need to pick up some more 8 deeps but they are a little scarce in Aus at present, a lot of our boxes come from New Zealand and the recent earthquake has effected supply.


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## 220 (Dec 28, 2016)

Inspected again today 9 days since I was last in them, the hive that had fully drawn a frame last inspection had started on another 5 frames. I moved a frame of brood and a frame of honey up when I added the extra brood box last inspection. Bees have been relocating the honey, queen has moved up into the second box and has been laying in some fresh comb and where they have been moving honey. 5 frames from the nuc have started drawing comb, 2 solid frames of capped brood and more mixed in with the other 3 frames so it should really kick on shortly. Located the queen in both these hives, didn't find her in the 3rd hive but found eggs, larva and capped brood so she is in there somewhere.
A few bees hanging in the extra brood box I added last inspection but they haven't started drawing comb in it yet, they have drawn out 80% of the empty frame in the bottom brood box.
I think I will re queen this hive as they aren't performing as well as the other hive and are quite aggressive. Wife got stung last time we were inspecting this hive and was a good 30y away behind the hive, I had probably a dozen stings in my gloves last time and similar today. At times there would have been 50 or me bees trying to get at me through the veil. Used plenty of smoke but doesn't seem to calm them for long, in contrast didn't even smoke the nuc and the other hive got a puff in the door before we went in and that was all yet between them we might have had one bee that went into attack mode.


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