Carlp Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Hello I'm Carl, I live near Didcot, my wife bought me a Beehuas last year and all the kit to go with it. After much procrastination I bought the bees last Friday. I have transferred them to the hive, and I have put in three new frames, and the wasp guard is in. I have inspected them and found the queen, they all seem fine. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do now, or next. Feed them? More Frames? Put the supers in? Any advice would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Hello Carl and welcome to the forum There is an Omlet guide to keeping bees here I would get in touch with your local beekeeping association and ask them for advice. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Hi Carl, I completely endorse what Christian has said - get in touch with your local beekeeping group, and see if they can find you a 'mentor'. You may get some grousing and grumping about the Beehaus, beekeepers are a very conservative lot on the whole and don't like innovation but I bet that secretly they will be wanting to come along and see it! If you don't already have a book, I'd recommend 'Bees and Honey' by Ted Hooper - however helpful your local group, you will need a book and this is a good one and easy to read. If you have put the bees in on just a few frames, then I would definitely add the rest of the frames until the box is full, otherwise they will start to build brace comb and it'll be a bit of a mess to clear up. No need to worry about supers yet. I would suggest a feed, while they are establishing themselves it doesn't hurt to give them some help. You really need someone who can be on the spot though - if you can find a Beginners course then I would do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Yes, get a mentor quickly. Google your local BKA and give them a ring. there is usually somebody around up for a challenge. The beehaus is just another container for bees and can be managed in a similar fashion to more conventional boxes If you have put the bees in on just a few frames, then I would definitely add the rest of the frames until the box is full I must disagree here....If you have installed a nucleus of bees they will be on 5/6 frames? Add a frame of foundation each side,then some sort of dummy to limit the nest, adding more as these are drawn. It keeps the nest nice and cosy and enables the colony to grow at a good steady rate. throwing them in to a big hive with lots of frames to draw just wastes energy in keeping warm. You will also have the problem of short frames in the Beehaus which is 14x12 format. You can work these out, taking a frame away from the outside as it becomes free of brood. Get a beekeeper to look in. You could be brave and put an ad in the beekeeping forum.co.uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlp Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 Thanks for the replies so far. I have found a someone who is keen to mentor me, a colleague of my wife, we will be meeting up soon so hopefully that will help. The bees have been in the hive now for about ten days but they are not showing any sign of moving on to the frames that I have added. I seem to be getting mixed messages from books and from the replies here about the frames. Should the new frames be added in-between the the old frames, or at one end blocked off with a dummy frame thingy? Also I seem to have a lot bother making the frames, well the wax foundation sheets really, every single one of them is broken, has a hole and/or is split which makes them a real PIA to construct, is this normal or am I being unlucky, can they be repaired? I really appreciate the time and trouble you take to reply, thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Put one frame each side of the existing ones. One by the wall of the hive and the other at the other side of your bees followed by the dummy. DO NOT split the brood nest with foundation. How much brood do you have? Foundation should not be broken. Get some more and it helps to have it at room temperature when you are making frames so that it has some give. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlp Posted June 29, 2015 Author Share Posted June 29, 2015 Thanks, I will do that. I went over to my mentors house yesterday and we went through his three hives, I learned a lot. My brain was buzzing ( I know, leave it!) when I left. My mentor suggested that I should prepare some feed for the bees, but I'm not sure where to put it in relation to the hive. I have also applied for membership with South Chilterns BKA . I'll keep you posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlp Posted June 29, 2015 Author Share Posted June 29, 2015 Put one frame each side of the existing ones.One by the wall of the hive and the other at the other side of your bees followed by the dummy. DO NOT split the brood nest with foundation. How much brood do you have? Do you mean how many bees I received initially? About 10,000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 Do you mean how many bees I received initially? About 10,000 No Brood is "baby bees" and extends from eggs, through larvae to capped pupae. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlp Posted June 29, 2015 Author Share Posted June 29, 2015 Do you mean how many bees I received initially? About 10,000 No Brood is "baby bees" and extends from eggs, through larvae to capped pupae. In that case I have no Idea! I've got eggs and larvae and capped pupae, but I have no idea how much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 The general rule of thumb is to super when you have 6/7 frames brood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlp Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 The general rule of thumb is to super when you have 6/7 frames brood Ok Ta, then I think I have about 5 frames, the frames on which the bees were delivered. I've been watching them this morning, fascinating just sitting watching the bees with the pollen coming and going, quite extraordinary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlp Posted July 7, 2015 Author Share Posted July 7, 2015 Things are starting to happen on the two new foundation frames, the bees are starting to draw out wax on both frames. I have made up a contact feeder today and will install it a bit later, I'm told that having a feeder in will help the bees migrate to the new foundation quicker because they wont have to go so far for food. I read that "showing" the bees where the their water was would be helped my making a weak sugar solution, I tried this but all it did was attract wasps, I decided to abandon that idea, hopefully the bees will find the water in the fullness of time. Any comments and advice on these actions are gratefully received. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 How are they doing 2 weeks later? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
