# Lesson learned with package bees and no smoke



## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

This is the first time I've ever started with package bees. Always before I'd buy a starter hive from a local beekeeper. I have absolutely learned my lesson about putting frames in a hive. Put ALL the frames in when installing the package! 

I currently have a hive that has built comb every which way except on the frames! There is one frame with several cross sections of comb...some at 90 degree angles! Oh boy have the gals been busy building comb! Of course this is the frame that the queen prefers for laying eggs rather than the couple of frames they have actually started drawing straight. The spaces where there were no frames they attached to the inner cover. I detached the lovely comb and 'stuck' it into a frame. I'll have to rotate out the couple of hopeless frames to straighten out the brood box.

These bees are absolutely the gentlest bees I have ever handled in my over 20 years of beekeeping! I did my first going into the hive to make sure the queens are laying and everything is progressing inspection today.....without smoke! I noticed at the 3rd day after hiving when I went in to make sure the queen was released, that these bees really hated the smoke and were really gentle until the smoke irritated them. Today was one of the most enjoyable days of beekeeping I've ever experienced!

Wanted to give a thumbs up to Gardner Apiaries out of Georgia for the wonderfully tame Italians I just received. They are setting up the hive VERY quickly, queens are laying a very nice pattern and seem to be prolific. I did have a package die in transit, but as soon as I called them they got another package in the mail to me. Great service and great bees!


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