# Got my bees and hived them today!



## Scot Mc Pherson (Oct 12, 2001)

Well I am excited about having received my bees today.

I hived 3 of the 4 packages, but ran out of time to go to my friend's house to hive the 4th. I am going to do that right now, which is midnight. I just thought I would share that with you.

Oh and for those who were wondering, I was wearing my shorts and my tee-shirt and didn't get stung at all.

Well actually I "may" have been stung, but I am not sure. I had 15 minutes to get ready for work when I was finished hiving 3 of the 4 packages, and when I looked in the mirror, my nose had a welt on it where my eyeglasses rest on it. Not on the edge, but right on it. I don't remember a bee buzzing my face, nor did I feel it. It might have just been a grain of sand that got in there and aggitated my skin, but regardless that's the worst of it.

Oh I was barefoot too 

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Scot Mc Pherson
"Linux is a Journey, not a Guided Tour" ~ Me
"Do or not do, there is no try" ~ Master Yoda
BeeSourceFAQ: http://linuxfromscratch.org/~scot/beewiki/


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## Scot Mc Pherson (Oct 12, 2001)

I went ahead and hived my last package tonight.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I'm surprised they were so well behaved in the middle of the night. But then a swarm doesn't act like a hive.


[This message has been edited by Michael Bush (edited April 10, 2004).]


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## BWrangler (Aug 14, 2002)

Hi Scot,

That's great news. I'm especially interested in tbhs in Florida as I will be relocating there in a few years. It will be a whole new experience for me, kind of like starting over.

Keep a camera handy and let us see what's happening.

Regards
topbarguy in Wyoming but eventually in Port St. Lucie.


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## Scot Mc Pherson (Oct 12, 2001)

Dennis,
Ya, I know you are. Remember I am on the FL-Bees list as you are 

I built mine to be cool. The roof which is much like a house roof, rests on the cleats on the front and back. The back cleat isn't actually anchored, but is more something that I use to press the top bars together with the roof. This roof extends over the sides enough to ensure no sun will hit the hive at any time of the day except in the morning when it hits the entrance. It has open air space above the top bars with only a beespace's worth of room along the edges, and perhaps is about 4 inches above the topbars at the roof's apex. The breeze can move through this with ease, though the bees do not have communication between this airspace attic and the inside of the hive, but they have enough room to go check things out if they want to access it from the outside. The end cleat pushes the top bars forward by pushing the roof towards the front and the roof pushes on that end cleat. The wieght of the roof keeps the top bars pressed together, but allows the bars to expand if necessary.

I will take pictures of the hives, and its parts. Though they are occupied so I can't shoot them empty.

The bees seem happy. When I hived the bees, they were quite active within an hour or so, doing their mass orientation flights, and were quiet this morning, though active for a misty morning. The last hive which I hived last night though was very active this morning when I went to remove the empty package this morning, it was doing its mass orientation flights at about 10am, which is when I check it.

I drive passed and gave another look at that remote hive on my way home from work this afternoon, and its quieted down a lot too now.

I feel like a beginning beekeeper again, I am all excited and telling anyone who'll listen that I got my bees. Its nice though that I actually know what's going on though. Watching the bees stick their butts in the air and fanning the home signal, and checking them out this afternoon, all the bees were grabbing each other, vibrating their abdomens and then moving on. Watching them fan at the entrace after the top bars saw some sunlight, and watching them fail to hold on while doing so and taking off rather comically.

Anyway I am very elated to have my bees again. I even got my wife to stick her head (without veil), inside the back of the hive to take a look at the festooning bees at the front. She was very brave and won't admit to being just a little frightened of sticking her head inside a beehive, but one knows when their partner is afeared. I am hoping she'll "get into it".

The hives have been a menace for her so far, just the mess of making them and taking up space over the several weeks it took me to cut and build and assemble them.


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## scsasdsa (Jan 23, 2004)

Hi scott sounds as though you are having a blast. Good luck with your new families keep us posted. I wont be getting new packeges untill may 15, I may have to split my overwintered hives before that though.
On a side note is there any chance of finding palmetto honey between sarasota and stpete at the end of april? my wife will be visiting her mother there and i asked her to look for some then. thanks and good luck.


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## Scot Mc Pherson (Oct 12, 2001)

Sure there is an excellent chance, but why specifically palmetto honey? Its not considered a good crop by most people. I like it for making mead though. Its rather dark and stronger tasting.


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## scsasdsa (Jan 23, 2004)

scott
its just a variety i haven't tried and thought i should try something new, always looking for different things to try thats how i got hooked on bees


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