This is my first entry, so I thought I would introduce myself.
My first exposure to honeybees was when I was about 16 years old.
A 2 pound swarm had located itself in an old building near our
house. A local bee man came over and tried to hive them. The
bees were wonderful and very gentle (gray bees - perhaps caucasian),
but he just laid the brood comb in front of the new hive, so the
bees took up residence UNDER the bottom board, next to their brood.
I went out there several times, hoping they would find their new home,
but to no avail. I felt sad as I watched the bees die, but I
didn't know any better. If I was hiving that swarm today, I
would wire every drop of brood into the new box!
Following this, I went to the Bartlesville library, and read
every book they had on bees. I read Root, Dadant, Morse ... all
of them. The next spring I ordered hives and two 3 pound
packages from Walter T Kelly, and had the hives plus a swarm for
2 or 3 years, until a pesticide spray wiped me out. At the
time, I was in college and didn't have time or money to restart.
In October of 2005, I will be moving back to the country, and I'm hoping
to start a few hives next spring.
Lesson learned: Bees do not want to leave their brood!
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