Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
into the entrance, or raise the lid a tiny bit and puff smoke in the crack. Drop the lid,
wait a minute, and repeat. Then, slowly remove the lid (and inner cover). Loosen the
frame closest to you with your hive tool. Slowly (with more smoke if necessary) lift it
straight up. Keep the frame over the nuc. Slowly move it to the colony and place it in
the box. Repeat with the next frame, and then the next, and so on.
The frames in the box should be in the exact order they were in the nuc. If you have a
ten-frame box, replace five of the frames so there are nine in the box, and none of them
are jammed tightly together. If you have eight, replace one on each side of the five you
just put in.
Then, feed, feed, feed the nuc sugar syrup and protein supplement until the bees do
not take it any more.
Let them adjust to their new home and new location for a few days before examining
them. Afterward the routine resembles that of a regular package examination (see page
90).
Buying a Full-Size Colony
Another way to get started with bees is to buy a full-size colony from another beekeeper.
This approach makes you an instant beekeeper, but it also gives you all of the respons-
ibilities that go along with being a beekeeper. You should consider a few things be-
fore taking this step. First, in the spring, full-size colonies will need to be managed for
swarm control and monitored for pests and diseases, and will have a large population to
deal with. There's no break-in period when you go down this road.
One other factor to consider when buying a full-sized colony is that it belonged to
someone else. Like buying anything used, you should have another, more experienced
beekeeper or your local apiary inspector evaluate the colony for health and equipment
quality before buying.
Types of Bees
All honey bees have a common ancestor, but their natural or man-assisted migrations
have allowed for the development of species, or breeds, with adaptive traits. Honey bees
now exist in all parts of the world except the two polar regions. Breeds have adapted
to survive in deserts; during long, frigid winters; through rainy and dry seasons; and in
weather conditions between these extremes. The natural selection process has resulted
in honey bees that are very skilled at living in cavities similar to traditional manmade
hives, gathering and storing provisions to last during winter when pollen and flower
nectar is scarce, and choosing to swarm early in the food-rich spring, increasing their
probability of establishing a new nest, storing food, and surviving future winters.
