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Subject: Orange County, NC Beekeepers

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  • From: Lewis Cauble <lewis AT hivebody.com>
  • To: Undisclosed-recipients: ;
  • Cc: <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [ocba] Strange activity with new hive
  • Date: Sun, 25 Apr 2010 22:17:06 -0400

Wilson,
I agree that the demand for packages is outstripping the supply and this may be diminishing the quality of the package bees and queens that we receive in the spring.  I'm fairly new to this so my perspective is limited to the past 3 or 4 years.   I'm with you though...I'd love to see NC be self sufficient when it comes to bees, or at least much less dependent on south Ga.

As far as the 15 bucks for a queen goes...I think it's a screaming deal for a good queen considering the work that goes into producing reliable quality queens.  On the other hand, it's a supreme rip off for so so, untested, hit and miss queens.  

The Born and Bred program is taking queen rearing to the masses this year.  Hopefully of the 400 folks who go through the program, we'll get a few more folks breeding and rearing quality queens here in NC.  I'd like to see another Born and Bred type program dealing with producing nucs to further reduce our dependence on GA.  

Lewis




On Apr 25, 2010, at 9:14 PM, Wilson Lamb wrote:

I've had bad luck with packages and queens.  Packages have had too many deaths and not been vigorous, frequently dragging on until dying in the winter or just doing nothing.  I think we need local splits/nucs much more than shipped in or mass reared queens.  I am very casual with mine, but think the ones that have done well have made their own queens.  $15 (and more) is a lot for a bug, which may be no good.  The influx of beekeepers, which I heartily welcome, plus commercial demand, seems, to this outsider, to be hurting the quality of the bees we buy.  Please show I'm wrong, if I am.
WL
----- Original Message ----- From: "Lewis Cauble" <lewis AT hivebody.com>
To: <Undisclosed-recipients:>
Cc: <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Sunday, April 25, 2010 9:04 PM
Subject: Re: [ocba] Strange activity with new hive


Anyone in the neighborhood that can take a look tomorrow for Konrad
and Tonya?


On Apr 25, 2010, at 2:37 PM, Konrad Catolos wrote:

Hi all,

We are new be keepers and are having "challenges" with our two
hives. When we checked our hives at one week, one looked good with
new comb development, but we didn't put in frame were queen cage
was. the other hive looked a little empty and we were able to get
the extra frame in.

1)We just checked them today and found the "empty-ish" hive still
pretty much the same. Some cells had been formed, but nothing capped
and not much activity. No real sign of a queen.

2)The other hive has a problem too. The empty slot is a section of
comb attached to the lid. It comes out when you remove the lid.

3) there is this mini "swam" that has been hanging out on a bench
post for almost two weeks now. Don't see a queen, but she may be
underneath.



<IMG_0176.jpeg><IMG_0177.jpeg><IMG_0178.jpeg>


ANy thoughts? anybody live near 3102 Ridge rd, Durham 27705 and
would like to give us a hand?


thanks,

Konrad

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