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Subject: Orange County, NC Beekeepers

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  • From: MarilynMark Clark <wazazi.wa.binti AT gmail.com>
  • Cc: Orange County Bees <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [ocba] Seeking queen
  • Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2014 22:27:10 -0400

I would be interested in opinions (or even facts!) about screened inner covers.  That is all I used in colder latitudes, but I thought the problem here was it was an escape area for SHB since the bees could not police it.

Thanks,

Mark


On Sat, Jun 28, 2014 at 10:09 PM, Wilson <infomet AT embarqmail.com> wrote:
Admittedly not a well informed opinion, but I’m on a rant against shipped in bees.
I think we are paying a lot for inferior stock, or at least unproven stock.  Prices have doubled in my short involvement and that can’t be good for the quality of the stock.
Can one really expect a lot of success when bees are uprooted from their home and shipped, often under climatic duress, over the road, in a rough riding truck, for hours.
The more I think about it, the sillier it seems.  Then, of course, they are expected to work together and support a new queen who’s been cooped up in a tiny cage for days and days!
Of course it works sometime.  Maybe it even works often, but in ten years of trying, I had only one or two decent hives.  Most of the packages I bought never really did well.
I had sellers admit their bees had been overheated and/or rained on, but they never offered a refund or reduction!
I’m trying again this year, but only because I went to where a nuc was set up and saw a busy queen with many eggs and larvae in evidence.
The queen was bought in, but from a nearby source, with no mailing involved.
My bottom line is to pay the modest difference in cost for a nuc and make sure it is functioning before you pay!
Mine is obviously thriving and I have added two medium supers.
I haven’t opened it in several weeks, but the bees are busy, flying out and back, and generally looking good.
There seem to be orientation flights every afternoon.
OK, rant over.
 
I have always wanted more ventilation and now it seems to be getting more popular to use a screened inner cover, along with a screened bottom board.
Now I can take off my outer cover and see the bees working in the top super.  It’s not built out yet, but it’s mobbed with bees!
I have built a stand and put the legs in oil, to keep out crawling things, but have not treated, or even assessed the mite load yet...should be doing it soon.
I have also put an old white bottom board on top of my hive, to help reduce the temperature a bit, since it’s in full sun.
 
Good luck,
Wilson


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