Biodiverse Polyculture (USDA 8a Zone Pasture) - sounds better than "My Acres of Weeds"

[U_Stormcrow]

I just got my Mann Lake catalog.

@U_Stormcrow, how far is Winter Haven from you? ML has 5 frame nuc for sale, $160. Nucs are pick up only. Since it's 5 frames hanging in a box (like a small hive box), they are much too fragile to ship. ML (and lots of other places) do ship packages of bees, and I'm seeing $200+/- per package, depending on the type of bees.

6 hours each way, with good traffic. Florida is a strangely shaped state.

I know the 10 frame NUCs are more popular, was looking at 8 frame because an individual box is lighter, and because the hive itself is taller, which has some (theoretical) value given our usual 30-35* swings in daily temps.

and I'm going to buy because I haven't the patience or the table tools to do dovetail joinery.

 

[Sally PB]

These are our two (deep) brood boxes on our original hive. Deeps are 9 5/8" tall.

This is the second hive. One deep and two mediums (6 5/8" tall) on top. Why two mediums? Because I thought I had a second deep, but didn't. This is the hive that didn't make it, so I'll be getting another deep box before we set it up for bees. Which won't be ready until mid June, but oh well.

6 hours each way, with good traffic.

Ah. That's quite a ways.

Have you given any thought to ordering packages? They can be shipped postal, just like live chicks. And I think the post office is just as happy to have them... be picked up asap.

This is how you open a package of bees. I have the queen cage in my hand. It's just a tiny box with the queen inside. We've pried off one of the sides of the box.

Set down the queen. Dump the rest of the bees out of the box onto the frames of the hive. Most of them are on the hive, some fly around.

After dumping out the bees, you need to take care of the queen. (The cage is the little box sitting by the front of this hive.) There is a hole (3/8"or so) in one end of the cage. It's plugged with a cork. Remove that. Underneath is a piece of candy blocking the hole. Leave that. There is a flap of metal on the cage shaped to hang over the top of a frame. Hang the cage, close up the hive. The worker bees will eat the candy. By the time they get through it, they and the queen will "know each other" (she's releasing pheromones) and all should be well.

Aren't bee suits adorable?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Yeah, this is looking less and less like a great idea. TY for the pictures. You look great in spacesuits!

 

[Molpet]

Yeah, this is looking less and less like a great idea

That's where I ended up thinking a couple years ago. So I support local bee keepers instead.

 

[Bawkbok]

This definitely will not work in our yard - others suffocating us on all sides, much too close. If they think the chickens are annoying - imagine what the bees would do. This project / hobby will have to wait a bit longer for me as well. sighing