# Got my Bees!!



## farmnewbie (Apr 18, 2014)

I just wanted to share that I am now officially a beekeeper!! I am so excited/nervous all at the same time. I got 2 nucs and got them all placed in their new hives with no problems at all. I even took off my veil halfway through cause I started getting dizzy from looking through the mesh. Anybody else have that problem ever? 
I will probably end up having a million questions but as of now I am just excited and praying they both do well!!
Oh I do have 1 question right off the bat. We put the hives on a plastic pallet with a piece of plywood under that to keep the weeds and grass from growing under it. Well when I went to go peek at it this evening there were a ton of ants crawling around the plywood and pallet and some on the hive. Should I be concerned or do anything about that? Or will the bees take care of them if they intrude? 
Thanks!! 
Oh. Il


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## farmnewbie (Apr 18, 2014)

View attachment 30305

This is my setup before we went to get the bees


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

That OSB will quickly rot away. Use a weed barrier product, just use card board or old scrap carpeting.
I put cinnamon on the top of the intercover. Buy in 5 pound jugs at Gordon foods.

I haven't tried this yet but plan on it soon.


Ant killer​ ​ A tablespoon of Boraxo laundry detergent, a half cup of sugar, a cup of water.

Mix thoroughly, then make a cup out of aluminum foil 1/2" deep, add some of the mix.

The ants come and drink, they swell up like little tanker trucks!! 

They take the mix back and share it, turns out their digestive tract can not handle even small amounts of the Borax.

When they share with the queen of the nest, game over


 Al


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## farmnewbie (Apr 18, 2014)

Ok maybe I will try that. Only thing I worry about, will the bees drink the stuff with borax as well? I don't want to kill my bees too! Lol or since I'm feeding my bees already they will stay away from the ant killer? 

Maybe it's too early and I haven't had my coffee yet and I'm not registering correctly but what is the cinnamon for? 

Thanks!


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Ants don't like it so it is a barrier. I don't think the bees would go after the ant killer due to them not being scavengers like wasp are.

 Al


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## farmnewbie (Apr 18, 2014)

That makes sense. Thank you!


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

I have my hives up on stands to keep them out of the reach of fireants. So far the ants aren't going up the legs of the hives...which surprises me. If they do I can take a grease gun and run a thick bead of grease around the legs to form a barrier. Don't make a hive stand out of pressure treated wood as it contains pesticides.


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## k9 (Feb 6, 2008)

I have had a lot of problems with ants in my hives, i built a hive stand with 4 legs on it almost like a work bench. I placed the legs in rubber pans filled with borax and water, the ants leave the hives alone so long as the grass doesn't grow up and touch the area above the water.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I only use treated timbers to build my hive stands. the bees don't chew on the timbers so it doesn't effect them. Been using them for about 15 years now.
Also todays pressure treatment isn't supposed to have arsenic in it any longer.

 Al


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

That is the problem. They have changed the chemicals they are using to treat the wood. It is now largely pesticides. I've had reports from other beekeepers of losing hives after building new hive stands in recent years. 15 years is old enough that it is probably the old formula that was used on the wood.


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## farmnewbie (Apr 18, 2014)

Is the plastic pallet I have under them right now ok? I know in the future I will need something better but as for right now the area I have them in we just mowed for the first time in probably years and years so there is a lot of dead grass/weeds from the years under it all and kinda makes things a bit unsteady so I don't want to risk my hives being knocked down or anything. Once the land below is flatter would using regular old wood and painting it be ok for a stand?


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

Pretty hives. Good luck.


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

That sounds like it would be fine farmnewbie. 

I gave in and had metal stands built for mine, but they weren't cheap.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I built my last stands just 2 years ago.
I still maintain they are safe because the bees just do not chew on them. In fact I have never even seen a bee land on them.
Your plastic pallet is OK for now just watch for the sun to make it brittle. If your only going to have the two colonies you may want to just use concrete blocks. My problem with them is the bending when doing inspections. I am no spring chicken so bending wears on me.





































 Al


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

Fun pictures everyone. I even like the winter snow caps.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Can you tell I also collect Massey Harris tractors?

 Al


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