# Newbie in Missouri



## willybill (Feb 5, 2017)

Got my first hive last spring and have 2 more painted up and ready to start this spring, I have been reading and watching videos as much as possible but really have a lot to learn. Thanks to all of you for sharing your knowledge of beekeeping!


Washington County Mo


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

willy
Welcome. You should add where in Mo that you are. 
Cheers
gww


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## willybill (Feb 5, 2017)

Thanks gww, 
Washington County Mo


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Welcome!


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## Georgiabeeman (Dec 10, 2015)

So what concerns do you have. Any thing we can help you with?


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## Marti (Jun 29, 2014)

Welcome!


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## BLC (Jan 7, 2017)

Welcome!


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

Welcome to Beesource.


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## BradParadise (Feb 3, 2017)

Hey, welcome!


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## willybill (Feb 5, 2017)

Plenty of concerns, so much to learn and understand. There are so many different opinions in Beekeeping. I would love to move my hive about 50ft and most people say 3ft or 3 mi. but many say otherwise. I also would like to split my hive into new boxes and let it requeen itself but being new I read so many different opinions on this. I really need to get a mentor. Thanks for any help or advice


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## Georgiabeeman (Dec 10, 2015)

You can move 50ft in your own yard but here is how you do it. Move them after dark and when you set up the hive in its new location put a large object right in the way of the entrance. This creates a situation so that when the bees come out of the hive they go "man what happened where are we at"! They will remeasure where home is and will know how to get back. 
Hope this help!
Gabeeman




willybill said:


> Plenty of concerns, so much to learn and understand. There are so many different opinions in Beekeeping. I would love to move my hive about 50ft and most people say 3ft or 3 mi. but many say otherwise. I also would like to split my hive into new boxes and let it requeen itself but being new I read so many different opinions on this. I really need to get a mentor. Thanks for any help or advice


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## willybill (Feb 5, 2017)

Would it be better to move it mid winter or wait for it to warm up a bit?


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## Georgiabeeman (Dec 10, 2015)

It doesnt matter. Either way as long as you put something in the way of the entrance so the bees realize they have moved. If your in a place where your bees have been in the box all winter for really long periods of time. I have known of Beekeeper's moving an entire operation around to the other side of there property as long as it hasn't gotten warm enough they could fly for quite a while. If they have been in the box for many weeks with out flying you can usually move with out putting something in the entrance. If you only have a few hives though it's best to be sure and put some thing in the way when they first come out.


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

willybill said:


> There are so many different opinions in Beekeeping. I would love to move my hive about 50ft and most people say 3ft or 3 mi. but many say otherwise.


The thing is you can move the hive 3 feet or 50 feet or 3 miles or anything in between. So in a sense, everyone's advice works in this regard. If you move the hives, it is best to cause the bees to reorient as Georgia said regardless of the distance. Do not leave _anything_, capture box, stand, or anything else in the old location. If you leave a capture box there, often you will confuse the bees and cause some of them to congregate there. 



> I also would like to split my hive into new boxes and let it requeen itself but being new I read so many different opinions on this.


Just do it. Make sure that the queenless split has some eggs or _very_ young larvae so that they can raise an emergency queen. It's fun. Check on them some to make sure that they make a queen and she gets mated. But remember that new beekeepers tend to over inspect their hives and make problems for themselves by injuring their queen or pestering their bees a little too much. Then they need to inspect their hives again to see if they created a problem the last time. Less is more. Enjoy. Just. Enjoy.



> I really need to get a mentor.


You really don't. Be confident with your bees. Go help an older beekeeper assemble some boxes or weedeat their beeyard.


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

willybill said:


> Would it be better to move it mid winter or wait for it to warm up a bit?


It is best to wait until it is warm enough that they are not having to cluster to survive. This is because you will disturb the cluster when you move them.


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## willybill (Feb 5, 2017)

Thank you all very much, I have 2 new hives painted and ready to put to use. Eagerly waiting for spring but it is unusually warm here in MO. making the itch even worse


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## willybill (Feb 5, 2017)

Riverderwent said:


> Just do it. Make sure that the queenless split has some eggs or _very_ young larvae so that they can raise an emergency queen. It's fun. Check on them some to make sure that they make a queen and she gets mated. But remember that new beekeepers tend to over inspect their hives and make problems for themselves by injuring their queen or pestering their bees a little too much. Then they need to inspect their hives again to see if they created a problem the last time. Less is more. Enjoy. Just. Enjoy.
> 
> You really don't. Be confident with your bees. Go help an older beekeeper assemble some boxes or weedeat their beeyard.


When you split a hive is it alright to place the split right next to the hive you took the brood from?


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

Willy
I have never made a split of my owne. For ideals on how to handle some of them look here.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beessplits.htm

I am planning to put my splits on top of the hive they came from with a double screen board.

An ideal of what the board is is here.
http://www.killowen.com/swarmcontrol1.html

I can't spell or I would have wrote what the name of the board is and you could look the name up for more ideals.

There is so much out there that all the options can become confusing. I am planning on using the double board where I am cause I don't want to move the split and in the beginning I think you are supposed to get some bennifit from the heat that the origional hive provides for the split.

I like you am just learning and so hope that my post helps more then it might hurt.
Good luck
gww


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## willybill (Feb 5, 2017)

There is actually a lot more to my Bee problems and I am unsure how my spring will go, this could be a long read if anyone is interested. My quest for Bees came from my home garden and lack of bees in our neighborhood. I contacted a beekeeping group looking for info as to being a new bee keeper or buying a hive. I had no problem with buying a hive and bees but I made it clear that I had no desire to take the honey or to sell or use my only wish was to have bees for pollination and give any honey to someone for their taking. One person told me that he would bring one of his hives to my place and take care of it for the honey since I only wanted this for pollination. Sounded great to me but a bit too good to be true, the day he was to bring his bees to my home he texted me and said his wife was nervous about bringing a hive to someone they did not know and asked me for a $100.00 cash Deposit in case something would happen to his hive. I said no problem but could I get a receipt. He said not a problem and emailed it to me. All went well with the beehive arrival, one medium with a bottom board, 8 frames and a top. He released the bees near dark and they did great. He came back one week later to check inside (because I have or needed no bees suit) bees are great. Added a jar feeder and an empty deep box to the top. Came back a couple of weeks later and said the bees were fine and he would add some frames to the top box soon. I peeked in a time or two and filled the feeder with no suit once again. I noticed they were building a large amount of burr comb and called him and told him, he said it was fine. I looked in a couple of weeks later and the burr comb had nearly filled the top box, I called him and told him about it, he said they will be fine and I dont have time to come over any time soon, the will be fine. This was in June, I only opened the top a couple of times after that because of inexperience and the bees were getting aggressive. Well they have not been opened since and he never contacted me until yesterday so I have no idea what it looks like inside but the bees seem to be overwintering great. I have two new hives ready for this spring but dont know what to expect from him concerning this hive, he only told me yesterday I will be contacting you soon. I plan to start 2 new hives but would really like to keep these bees but I realize they belong to him, should I expect my deposit money back or what? I dont know


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

willy


> I plan to start 2 new hives but would really like to keep these bees but I realize they belong to him, should I expect my deposit money back or what? I dont know


Only you know what the deal with the bees might be. I guess you need to ask the guy you delt with what he thinks and tell him what you think, I think it sounds like a screwy situation to me. I would definatly get it straitened out and since you adjenda has apparrently changed (you getting two hives), you need to straiten out the rest and just do it yourself. If you can keep the guys respect that have the bees at your house, he may help. Just from your description, it sounds to me that you need to do some reading about keeping bees. I am not sure where you are headed with you aggressive bee stuff. You should know what was expected from each other on the current bees and you are the one who will have to figure out where to go from here. 

I have a firm belief that when I figure out what I want I ask and then I work through what ever answer I recieve. You need to clarify with the guy you are dealing with. You know the previous conversations and no one can help you through this but you working out whatever you work out with the guy you are already dealling with,
Wishing you the best.
gww


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

willybill said:


> When you split a hive is it alright to place the split right next to the hive you took the brood from?


You can, but you may need to switch places between the split and the original hive to keep the right balance of nurse bees and foragers in the split. This will depend somewhat on whether the queen is with the split or the original hive. There are a number of different ways to make splits. Check out Michael Bush's website.


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## Delta 21 (Mar 4, 2016)

willybill said:


> should I expect my deposit money back or what? I dont know


I take it the deposit was security against any damage his hive may get while on your property? If the bees are alive, you got the pollination. The hive is undamaged (and the bees dont care about the cross/burr comb, they build it like they like it) and are thriving? Sounds like a good deal was done and all thats left is for him to come get his bees. 

If the box is locked up full of crap comb and is unmanageable, its not your fault as he was the manager of the hive, and was informed about its status more than once. I dont see why you shouldn't get your deposit back. The hive is undamaged and full of bees.

It sounds like you are learning quite a bit.

Welcome aboard.


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## willybill (Feb 5, 2017)

I agree with both of you and dont know what to expect but still intend to keep and learn about Bees


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