Mentors for new beekeepers

Newbee Jim · Post by **Newbee Jim** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 11:57 am

At one point during the 2010 class, a list for people interested in having a mentor was passed around. Has anything happened with that list? It would be great to meet briefly with someone prior to installing a package for the first time.

Post by **Jacobs** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 12:04 pm

I hope to have assignments made this week or early next week.

Newbee Jim · Post by **Newbee Jim** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 12:07 pm

Outstanding. Thanks.

Post by **Wally** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 8:50 pm

I am an open mentor for anyone wanting help. Just call ma and set an appointment.
302-2708

Ron Young · Post by **Ron Young** » Sat Mar 13, 2010 11:47 am

Wally is a great mentor, I might add. However, he has probably disowned me I've been so far out of the picture. Hey Wally

Post by **Wally** » Sat Mar 13, 2010 3:56 pm

I'm so mad, I'm going to beat you half to death with a broomstraw if you don't get back into the action.

Ron Young · Post by **Ron Young** » Sat Mar 13, 2010 7:15 pm

I have had a rough patch Wally. I had a total rupture of the Rotator Cuff in my right shoulder, and I have been out of action for a while. I missed four months of work, and was busy doing physical therapy twice a week, and as many as three times a day on my own. I have only been back to work a few shifts, and my surgery was October 19.

Post by **Wally** » Sat Mar 13, 2010 7:38 pm

Don't sound like any fun to me. Maybe you should try some apitherapy.
In other words, play with the bees a lot more.

Hope it heals correctly.

Ron Young · Post by **Ron Young** » Sun Mar 14, 2010 10:25 am

It is doing well. It still gets sore some, and I have not regained all of the movement that I had prior. I am guessing that scratching the center of my back right handed is out of the question. Hope no one lockes me in a room with out corners.

Jeanne · Post by **Jeanne** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 9:52 pm

Dear Mentors,

We are looking for someone who can stop by and confirm that our queen is dead, unless you can coach us through it via this forum. Day 10 and no eggs that we can see; otherwise everything looks fine. We live in Greensboro near Wesley Long Hospital. Thanks--

Post by **Jacobs** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 9:57 pm

I'll be happy to come by tomorrow morning if you will be there. Let me know your address and how early I can come. Temperatures should be o.k. for a quick look.

Rob

Post by **Jacobs** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 7:23 am

A mostly happy ending. We went through the hive this morning and saw a nice population of workers drawing out comb and putting up nectar and pollen. There were no eggs in any cells. On the quick look through we did not see the queen (with her blue dot) that had been in the hive earlier. What we did find was an unmarked queen calmly walking over the combs. She was not in a place with open cells but I saw an egg come out as she walked around. The workers will need to either clear some cells or direct her to an area that doesn't have nectar (sugar water) stored.

I'm thinking that the package had an unmarked, newly mated queen shaken in it and that she won the battle with the marked queen. The plan is to let the bees settle in until around Saturday and then check for eggs in the cells.

Anyone have any other thoughts, theories, suggestions?

Post by **Wally** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 7:43 am

I think you have it well under control.

Jeanne · Post by **Jeanne** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 9:45 pm

Thanks again to Rob--I can't wait to check out the hive for signs of new life.

Post by **Jacobs** » Sun Apr 11, 2010 1:33 pm

A bit of a puzzle on this hive. We apparently missed a few eggs on the first go through since today there were capped drone cells and the only capped cells were drone cells. These were on comb that had worker sized cells and were not in the usual places for drone brood. There was not enough capped to determine if all the eggs being laid are unfertilized. There were 3 or 4 queen cups and only 1 looked like it had an egg in it. No royal jelly and definitely not at the larva stage. There were cells with eggs in the bottom, some single and some multiple. None were on the sides of the cells or on top of pollen. There bees were calm, drawing out comb and bringing in pollen.

The timing seems just outside of my comfort zone to be sure of anything. Could the first queen (marked) have been a drone layer, and the second queen (unmarked) just be cranking up with fertilized eggs? Was the first queen dispatched by the second queen which is the drone layer? If so, why the multiple eggs. We removed a frame from the hive and I brought a frame of eggs and larvae to replace it and buy time.

Wally, this is one I would sure appreciate your comments. If you need more information let me know.

Post by **Wally** » Sun Apr 11, 2010 3:58 pm

patience...Patience...Patience.

I think you have done everything exactly right and in a week you will see a nice laying pattern.

PS. I have all day free every day, if you want me to take a look.

Newbee Jim · Post by **Newbee Jim** » Sun Apr 18, 2010 8:42 pm

Spent Saturday with Wally and Kurt. Thanks to both, I learned a lot.

Post by **Wally** » Sun Apr 18, 2010 8:58 pm

It's been a week. How about an update.

Post by **Jacobs** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 5:16 am

I'll see what I can find out/see if they want me to have another look and report back.

Post by **Jacobs** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 7:48 pm

I went through the hive this afternoon and would not say I am any clearer on what is going on. This is an 8 frame medium garden hive and it had plenty of bees still in it. We saw the queen and a number of multiple eggs at the bottom of some cells and a number of well placed single eggs on the same frame. On the other side of the frame of eggs/larvae I supplied were some capped drone cells, no capped worker cells from this queen. The frame I supplied has a beautiful pattern of capped worker cells and will add many new workers to the hive. At the bottom of this frame were 3 queen cups with single eggs in them, but no royal jelly. On the next frame over, and away from where the queen is laying, at the bottom of the frame was 1 queen cup with a fairly young larva floating on royal jelly.

There were enough bees and enough drawn comb in the first medium to justify the second medium that the beekeeper added but only a few bees were up in that medium. They also had a hive top feeder on, and the bees were showing no interest in it--not surprising with the nectar available.

I'm reasonably confused about what is going on. They did not use any of the comb I supplied to make queen cells in the classic supercedure position. Wally, do you have any thoughts or advice?