New Bees to New Hive

[Nyboy]

I am almost 100% sure I am going to try bee keeping. It crossed my mind how do you get new bees to say. What stops queen from just flying away ?

 

[so lucky]

Nyboy, you really need to take a class on beekeeping before you invest. As your self-appointed big sister, I don't want to see you spend a lot of money and get frustrated. Patience, grasshopper!

 

[Nyboy]

Thanks sis like usual your right !

 

[seedcorn]

Or find some beef that's wants a home for a few hives. You get bees, some honey, no investment,

 

[ninnymary]

I know you said you had found someone to place their hives in your orchard and that person was too paranoid. Keep looking for someone else. I think you might get lucky and find someone that you will like working with.

Mary

 

[Nyboy]

http://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/grd/5453595737.html What is a NUC ?

 

[thistlebloom]

It's short for nucleus. A starter kit for a hive if you will. It has a queen and enough bees to get a hive going.

 

[Carol Dee]

It sure would be easier and FAR LESS expensive to just let some one else place the hives and tend the bees. I lost count long ago just how much money DH has in his bees! So far he has not been able to overwinter and winds up buying bees every spring. He did a LOT of reading and research before starting. Find a Bee Keep in your area and visit. (They usually are happy to share their knowledge.) Or find a bee keeping club to attend and learn. Even if you get the bees to stay. (That is the easy part.) keeping them healthy is another issue. Varola mite, foul brood, etc...

 

[dickiebird]

To answer your question of how to keep the new queen from leaving---when your pkg of bees arrive the queen will be in a screen wire cage that you hang in the hive.
With her contained the other bees will keep returning.
At some point you will open her cage and she will stay with the rest of the bees.

THANX RICH

 

[seedcorn]

Didn't they use to send her with her exit hole stopped with sugar? By the time she ate her way out, hive was established?