Post by lew92 on May 18, 2017 10:44:30 GMT -5
On Friday, it will be three weeks since I got the new package of bees. I've already been into the hive four times and I've not worn protective gear, except for exam-type gloves on my hands. This package of bees is just so calm and I really don't care for all the gear anyway.
I'm also not using smoke. I've had a lot of concerns about it since reading that it takes a full two days for them to recover from being smoked. So I've been using sugar water with lemongrass and spearmint essential oils in it - the oils mimic the calming pheromones that a queen bee gives off. The droplets of sugar water make the bees too heavy to fly plus they get busy cleaning it off of themselves rather than ramping up their aggression.
I didn't really think I needed to go into the hive again on Tuesday, but it was sunny and calm for awhile and we've got a lot of rainy days in our forecast, so I wasn't sure when I'd be able to do it again. Good thing I did - they were starting to build comb on top of the frames in the bottom box, extending up into the empty space that was there to make room for the feeder.
They really have been busy! They have comb built up on all but one of the 9 frames that were in the bottom box and have been filling them up with honey. There were five frames full of larvae, so the queen has also been hard at work.
I did get stung this time. When I was cutting some of the odd shaped comb off, a bee flew up from near my hand directly to my chin and got me. I brushed her away and put my fingers against the sting and made myself be very still and calm, to prevent other bees from getting riled up. When I took my hand away, the stinger was attached to the glove, so at least I knew it wasn't still in me. I found some common plantain and chewed it up to apply to the sting and less than an hour later there was no pain or swelling in it at all.
Another bee got rather upset with me but for some reason she wanted to tangle in my hair near my left ear. I walked away from the hive again and tried to use my hand to brush her out, but her buzzing just got louder. Then I remembered the uncapping comb and used it to comb my hair and the bee out of it. She promptly flew right back into my hair!
So I got the sugar water and combed her back out. Before she could fly back up again, I gave her a few hefty sprays of sugar water. The rest of my foray into the hive was uneventful. I put another box with 9 frames onto the hive and will leave them now for at least another week, when I will check to make sure that larvae has started hatching out. My pastor's wife wants to suit up and check out the hive with me, so I'll invite her over for that.
I'm also not using smoke. I've had a lot of concerns about it since reading that it takes a full two days for them to recover from being smoked. So I've been using sugar water with lemongrass and spearmint essential oils in it - the oils mimic the calming pheromones that a queen bee gives off. The droplets of sugar water make the bees too heavy to fly plus they get busy cleaning it off of themselves rather than ramping up their aggression.
I didn't really think I needed to go into the hive again on Tuesday, but it was sunny and calm for awhile and we've got a lot of rainy days in our forecast, so I wasn't sure when I'd be able to do it again. Good thing I did - they were starting to build comb on top of the frames in the bottom box, extending up into the empty space that was there to make room for the feeder.
They really have been busy! They have comb built up on all but one of the 9 frames that were in the bottom box and have been filling them up with honey. There were five frames full of larvae, so the queen has also been hard at work.
I did get stung this time. When I was cutting some of the odd shaped comb off, a bee flew up from near my hand directly to my chin and got me. I brushed her away and put my fingers against the sting and made myself be very still and calm, to prevent other bees from getting riled up. When I took my hand away, the stinger was attached to the glove, so at least I knew it wasn't still in me. I found some common plantain and chewed it up to apply to the sting and less than an hour later there was no pain or swelling in it at all.
Another bee got rather upset with me but for some reason she wanted to tangle in my hair near my left ear. I walked away from the hive again and tried to use my hand to brush her out, but her buzzing just got louder. Then I remembered the uncapping comb and used it to comb my hair and the bee out of it. She promptly flew right back into my hair!
So I got the sugar water and combed her back out. Before she could fly back up again, I gave her a few hefty sprays of sugar water. The rest of my foray into the hive was uneventful. I put another box with 9 frames onto the hive and will leave them now for at least another week, when I will check to make sure that larvae has started hatching out. My pastor's wife wants to suit up and check out the hive with me, so I'll invite her over for that.
