# What are YOUR plans for the spring?



## Terri (May 10, 2002)

This spring, I will receive 2 new packages of bees and I will split my existing 3 hives. 

I have trouble seeing the queen, possibly because I wear thick glasses and am physically unable to keep a hive open for long. The hunched over position is very difficult for me. 

So, I think that I will put strips of foundation in the middle of a brood box as in the Miller method, and then simply thumbtack one strip on an empty frame for each split. That way, if they need a queen they will for sure have the eggs to make one. 

Unless, of course, a hive is thoughtfull enough to make some queen cells. Even I can find a queen cell.  

Here's a question, though. Supposing I take a frame with a queen cell and put it in a nuc. If I add a frame of brood to the nuc from a different hive, would the bees fight or would the confusion be enough so that they would unite peacefully? Since neither frame was in their home hive? 

And, what are YOUR plans for the spring? Will you be trying anything new, or expanding on what you already have?


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## rainesridgefarm (Dec 1, 2002)

If you mix frames from different hives leave the frames out in the open for a few minutes for the queens scent to come off and they will mix just fine. If you do not want to wait just put a drop of anise oil in a sprayer and ad sugar syrup to it and spray each frame with it before you put them together. This has always worked for me. good luck split are a lot of fun to make.


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## HilltopDaisy (Feb 26, 2003)

I should finally be getting started with bees this spring  . I purchased the beginner's kit from Dadant last February, assembled and painted it, and when I tried to place my order for bees, I was too late. (It was probably April, Dadant had sold out, and other suppliers had told me it was risky as temps in the south were pretty high already). I opted to wait until 2005. I have a coworker with 8 hives who offered to try to do a split for me this past September, but today he told me I better not plan on it, so I'm ordering 2 3# packages from Dadant. I'm in the process of painting a second hive body and 2 shallow supers. Looking forward to getting started this year!


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## farmmaid (Jan 13, 2003)

A friend of mine and myself are starting beekeeping. We are doing this together and getting 3 hives total. Looking forward to this as we have taken over the care of an orchard with @ 60 trees...Joan


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## justgojumpit (May 5, 2003)

i have three hives to overwinter, planning on two to survive. one is just really light on stores, and will have a pail feeder on all winter. i will get four nucs in the spring as well. i plan to let the overwintered hives build up until after the main nectar flow and then split them down pretty heavily and increase my numbers. i plan on two splits from each hive overwintered and perhaps a later single split in july from any hive with strong populations. my goal is to be up to 12 hives by next winter.

justgojumpit


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## rwjedi (Jun 18, 2004)

I have one hive that may survive the winter and I just ordered 2 packages to make sure I have at least 2 to work next year. Hope to have 3 or 4 out at my 5 acres and 1 or 2 at my house this next year.


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## connie in WV (May 13, 2002)

I ordered one package of bees and am hoping to keep them alive! I'm still very unsure of what I'm doing.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

We've decided to get back into selling honey so have ten pkgs. on order and have got the hives all ready to go when they arrive the first of April. DH has had lots of experience with up to 50 colonies at a time so I'm his handy helper/trainee....got a bee suit for my birthday,yipee! Since he was a state bee inspector in MI he is a really good teacher and has helped alot of people get started with bees....he worries that not enough young people are interested in beekeeping. He ordered our queens marked this year to help me find 'em...bifocals, ya know!


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## beaglady (Oct 7, 2002)

My 2 hives were both dead on January 1 (nice start to the new year), so I am starting over. :waa: I've got 2 packages and 2 nucs ordered, and hope not to be down for too long. At least I have lots of drawn comb to start with.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

You're a step ahead of the game, Di. That first year of building foundation is a killer! Zip, install package bees and let 'em start working.

My 2 hives are still alive. This flucuation of warm and cold is confusing enough for me, hate to see what it's doing to the bees.

I finally installed mouseguards (after a mouse got into one of my hives). (Now that I know where the mesh cloth is, I'll put them on earlier next year!)

This spring, I'll be anxiously waiting for the first swarms so I can increase my apiary!


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