Installing a Package of Bees
Yesterday afternoon we headed over to Wooster, OH to pick up the new addition to the Chiot’s Run Family. We now have an extra 10,000 ladies in the household. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, we got our bees! We picked them up from Dave at Ohio Honey Farms, he has a few hives in his front yard (and this is only a small portion of them).
On our way home Mr Chiot’s looked at me and said, “This has the makings of a horrible nightmare. The story would go something like this, ‘I picked up my package of bees and all was going well. I heard something in the back of the car and then a swarm of bees attacked my face. I ran off the road into a ditch ….’” We had a good laugh about that on our way home.
When we arrived home we proceeded to follow Dave’s instructions for, “the easy way to install a new package of bees”. It’s much different than the way the books tell you to do it. We decided his way sounded great, and since he’s a veteran beekeeper we figured he knew what he was talking about.
First we pried to lid off of the box of bees, then we removed the can of sugar syrup and the queen cage (the queens come in their own little cage inside the bigger cage of bees). Then you put the small wooden lid back on to keep the bees inside until you want to release them.
Then the box of bees is placed in an empty super on top of the bottom board of the hive (lid on it’s removed after we get the queen cage suspended above). This process takes the place of banging the box of bees and then dumping them into the hive, this seemed like a much “nicer” option both for us and the bees.
We taped a piece of wood over the opening of the hive to keep the bees inside until we move them outside (this afternoon when it’s warm).
We then proceeded to hang the queen cage in a super with frames (the part the bees build comb on) above the empty box that has the bee cage in it. We wired her in so that the bees could still reach her. She will be released into the hive in 3 days (thanks for the question Christy).
Her cage gets placed over to the side so that the jar of sugar syrup that you put on top to feed them doesn’t drip on her and get her wet.
After placing the super with the queen on top of the box that has the bee cage in it, remove the lid from the box of bees below, then place a the inner hive cover with a jar of sugar syrup on top so that the bees have something to eat.
Then you put an empty box or two (we used 2 because they were small ones) and then the hive cover to keep them warm and to keep them inside.
It was a much easier process than we were expecting, thanks to Dave’s great installation instructions and the cold weather which makes the bees pretty lethargic.
Mr Chiot’s says, “Bee suit is optional”. We only have one bee suit, so I wasn’t wearing one (I decided I didn’t want one, I’m going to be brave and do without). We only had 10 bees that “escaped” when we opened the box, and they were all caught and put into the hive. So our bees are quietly tucked in the garage, waiting for us to put them outside later today when it warms up. We checked on them at midnight last night and all of the bees were out of the original box and clustering around the queen cage just like they’re supposed to.
We’re trying to come up with a name for our hive, any great suggestions?
Filed under Bees, Beneficial, Insects, beekeeping | Comments (37)
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What a project! Only 10 “escapees” and those all herded back into place sounds like a success to me. I loved looking at the pictures and explanations. I agree, this way of moving the bees sounds much better than the “banging” method.
Humm…. names for the hive…. the first thing that comes to mind is “The Unusual Gardeners” for some reason – a bee hive is not the typical gardener, but surely does a lot to tend the garden in a beneficial way.
Mangochild’s last blog post.. Learning in the Local Zone: Microscopy and Drawing
to Mangochild's comment
Oh..name your hive! What about The Herd since you herded back your escapees like little wayward sheep. :) Or maybe, Sugar Babies.
Does the queen stay in that little box forever? I’m a bit confused on that. If so, how do the workers get her eggs? How long will a queen live?
ChristyACB’s last blog post.. Rooms We Wished We Had
to ChristyACB's comment
Great question. The queen will get released from her little cage in 3 days (so the day after tomorrow). From what I read queens typically live 3-5 years. We’re planning on requeening our hive early this summer with a queen from the Ohio Queen Project. This project is breeding disease and cold resistant bees specifically for this area. We found a local (about 45 min away) that’s involved and we’re hoping to buy a new queen off of him in June/July.
to Susy's comment
Yeahhh…. Mr. Chiots First Comment!!!
The queen is kept in the cage for a few days because she was not raised by this colony therefore they have to get used to her scent. The colony starts to feed her and tend to her and as they do so they pass around her pheromones to the other bees. In a couples days, they have accepted her as their true queen and she is ready to start running the show.
to Mr. Chiots's comment
of course my fave picture is mr chiots in the suit :)
to DeeDee's comment
I was just showing my son your post and this is his suggestion:
Buzzlegump, lol.
I have no clue??? LOL
Lisa@The Cutting Edge of Ordinary’s last blog post.. Chocolate Birthday Cake
to Lisa@The Cutting Edge of Ordinary's comment
That is freakin’ cool. I’m really surprised neither my husband nor mother-in-law has suggested getting bees. It sounds like something they’d be into. I know my husband’s grandfather had them at one point, though.
A name for the hive? Like, the hive itself, or the swarm that lives in it? I suppose you could call the hive Gotham. You know, big city, lots of people swarming in it . . .
kristin’s last blog post.. Bonnie’s Babies
to kristin's comment
Perhaps after seeing how easy it is ;) you’ll have some bees next year.
to Susy's comment
Ooh, you’re brave! I’m all about raising my own food, but am immanently scared of bees. I’ve heard that honey bees don’t sting, but after that last trip to the hospital….
Julia’s last blog post.. Food Styling (Recipe: Fettucine with Spring Mushrooms
to Julia's comment
Honeybees do sting, but usually only when provoked. It depends on the kind of bees as well. Our bees are currently Italian bees, they’re very gentle. We’re hoping to requeen this summer to a Carniolian Mix Bee (they overwinter better), I think they’re fairly gentle as well.
to Susy's comment
Tell Mr. Chiots that the bee escape happened to a beekeeper acquaintance of mine in Ann Arbor. He was transporting a load of bees and they got loose all over the car, stuck on all car windows but not angry or aggressive – just there. He just kept driving, but his bee covered windows were such a distraction to the other drivers he had to get off the expressway and take back roads the rest of the way to his destination. The story even ended up on local radio shows it was so novel.
Your photos are a great step by step demonstration.
Sande’s last blog post.. Square Foot Gardens and Spring Flowers
to Sande's comment
That’s so funny. I’m actually not not worried about getting swarmed, I worry more about yellow jackets, not honeybees. I know I’ll get stung a few times, but hey it’s good for you (free apitherapy). It’s supposed to be good for all kinds of things (unless you’re allergic that is).
to Susy's comment
That is SO COOOOOOOLLLLL!!!
As far as names:
The BuzzHerd
The MIni Collective (all the bees could be called Comrade)
The Arcology
The Apis
to Chicago Mike's comment
I like the Mini Collective (I could paint the hive red).
to Susy's comment
The queen can be Mother Russia. Or the Czarina.
That sounds fun to me. :)
to ChicagoMike's comment
Love your site–the photos are great! What kind of camera are you using?
As for a hive name, I can only say this: after you set up your hive and the bees are all comfortably buzzing inside, close your eyes and just listen to them… “feel” them for a few minutes. Breathe in the aroma of the hive–the woodenware, the wax foundation, the springtime air. Then open your eyes and look at your hive. What name comes to mind?
Martin’s last blog post.. The queens are free
to Martin's comment
Thanks for asking, I actually posted about my camera(s) a while back. I used to use a Sony Cybershot (still what I use for most macro shots) but I bartered some work with some photographer friends for a new to me camera & lens around Christmas. Here’s what I’m using: http://chiotsrun.com/2008/12/31/trading-up/
to Susy's comment
My dad had bees for a while. Shortly after I was married. I used to come over and help when they harvested the honey. I loved it! I didn’t work with the bees, I was a bit too timid and scared of the stings, but I helped filter and bottle the honey. And help eat it. And help discover tons of recipes to use the honey for.
He had to eventually give up the hives because they DO sting. If I understand it correctly most people become desensitized to bee stings the more they get. But dad was one of the rarer type who became more and more sensitive every time he was stung. It got to where a sting would start affecting his breathing, so it became too dangerous. I say rare, but I really don’t know how common it is for this to happen to people. Even wearing the bee suit and being careful it is almost impossible to avoid all stings.
Good luck with your hives. They look beautiful.
to Seren Dippity's comment
I’ve heard that as well. Most people become desensitized to them (except for a few). I used to be slightly allergic, but last time I got stung I didn’t have any problems. We’ll see how it goes this summer.
to Susy's comment
Now that is an exciting post! It will be great to watch your bee keeping progress. Just out of curiosity, what might a bee set up like that cost in total to get up and running?
Dan’s last blog post.. Garden Mish Mash Post
to Dan's comment
Well, I paid $72 for my package of bees, you can get them cheaper, but I wanted to go with a local source that was known for good quality bees.
I got the hive given to me by my dad along with most of the tools, so I’m not positive on the amount for those, I think it’s like any hobby, you can go expensive or you can cheap. Here are a few places to check out hive supplies:
https://www.dadant.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=22
http://www.betterbee.com/?gclid=CPzNsuuD5JkCFeRM5Qodsl2tSA
You can get plans to build a top bar hive here (http://www.lulu.com/content/815182), I believe they are much cheaper to build (we may be trying one next year for a second hive), and they’re supposed to be really great for the small home hobbyist.
to Susy's comment
Awesome…your hive and suit look so squeaky clean. I can guarantee it won’t be for long!
You are off to a great start with your new additions…congrats and have fun! Kim
inadvertent farmer’s last blog post.. "Mama…Why Do Puppies Have To Die?"
to inadvertent farmer's comment
I know, now that we let the ladies out today they’re already messing up the hive. I should say they’re giving in “character”. I really like the look of the old weathered hives that Dave had.
to Susy's comment
Wow! I love this – I would adore to have bee’s – what a project!
I am so looking forward to seeing how you get on with this.
Claire
Claire’s last blog post.. Getting there…
to Claire's comment
Hi guys,
Love the bee posts. Only wish I could have them. But as I’m allergic, it will always remain a dream :( oh well there are always you guys to follow :) yay! Keep up the great work. For a name for your hive, I like the Mini Collective as well. Take care
Chrissie & Co.
Christine’s last blog post.. Easter week
to Christine's comment
This post was like a beekeeping start-up tutorial…thanks!
We have bees on our 2010 resolutions :)
Maureen’s last blog post.. An Announcement (alternate title…EEK!)
to Maureen's comment
Yay! Congratulations on getting everyone all hived up; I like your guy’s approach, much nicer way to get to know each other than just knocking them all loose. We get them locally (well, 2 hrs away) in a 5 frame nuc, so that’s a little easier. The postmaster really didn’t think it was a whole lot of fun the time we ordered package bees by mail; you can picture the phone call, “Um, yeah hi, there’s a package down here with your name on it, and it’s buzzing. How soon can you pick it up?” He didn’t even really like it when we got a queen by mail, and that was just a few bees.
I was a lot happier handling bees once I got my own bee suit; we started off like you, my husband had one and I did without. I find it a lot less stressful, and I’m less inclined to hurry when I’m all zipped up in a suit and veil. Especially since I developed an allergy a few years ago. My doctor said I could keep having bees as long as I promised to keep an epipen on me when working with them. (And wear the suit)
Glad to hear you’re going with Carniolans; we’ve had way more success with them than Italians.
Can’t wait to see/hear more!
to edh's comment
That’s funny. We were talking about that, getting bees at the Post Office (and chickens too). At least our rural Post Office is probably more used to it than a city one.
to Susy's comment
Great tutorial. This is something we might try next year and your post was quite helpful and informative.
Sandy’s last blog post.. Portland raised bed garden and baby chicks
to Sandy's comment
[...] afternoon we moved the ladies outside (for those of you that didn’t visit yesterday, read about the ladies here). We carried the hive outside when it was warm and set up in the spot we picked at the back of our [...]
to Setting up our Bee Hive | Chiot’s Run's comment
[...] excited to join the ranks of other bloggers getting bees. Susy and Maya have both gotten their packages and installed them already. Mike inherited hives with his [...]
to (not so) Urban Hennery » Blog Archive » {104:365} Last Minute Cramming's comment
You guys must not be too far from us. Wooster is about 1 hr from here. My husband went to ATI & he was saying people come from all over the world to take their Bee keeping classes.
to Traci's comment
I ordered a nuc from Dave at Ohio Honey Farms. I have not heard from Dave in regards to picking up the nuc but have lost his phone number. Internet search was unsuccessful. Can you provide his number? Thanks
to Randy Watterworth's comment
Dave & Cara Heilman
Ohio Honey Farms
4346 Lattasburg rd
Wooster, OH 44691
330-466-7162 Cell
to Susy's comment
[...] you’ve been reading this blog for a while you know we’re new beekeepers. We got our first hive back in April. We’ve been checking on the bees regularly and they’re doing quite well. The week before last [...]
to Crazy New Beekeepers | Chiot’s Run's comment
Hey this is a very interesting article! Thanks! Just check the detailed info there How to Install a Package of Honey Bees
to How to Install a Package of Honey Bees's comment
Thanks for demonstrating the installation process for a package of bees. This is of great help. Photos are great as well.
to Beekeeping's comment