[Kate and her Ducks]

The bees are looking good today.

There are hundreds of them flying in with their pollen sacs full of bright yellow pollen so they have certainly found somewhere to forage.

Good suggestion on raising the hive. I have ordered a stand but it hasn't arrived you so hopefully that will be enough to keep the back happy. All suggestions greatfully received.

Looking forward to our first bee meeting here in Liverpool next weekend.

[Kate and her Ducks]

Well if this is going to be a blog I better own up to the bad as well as the good and currently that would be our first newbie hiccup.

On Saturday we went to a wedding and returned in the early afternoon somewhat hungover from the night before. The OH had been drinking beer whilst I had been on the G and Ts.
My lovely calm bees from the day before all of a sudden really didn't like us, well the OH especially and he was repeatedly chased from the garden. No stings but what my Mum calls "buzz bombing". I obviously had all sorts of panics going through my head that they were going to be a nightmare to both us and our neighbours and was going to have to get rid of them or find an out apiary.
Today, now that we do not smell of stale alcohol they are lovely as pie and I have spent a lovely hour sat watching them a few feet from the hive.

Now much as I apprieciate their help weaning the other half off his aftershaves (which I hate) he might rebel if prohibition comes into force!
I had heard they didn't like the smell of booze but was amazed at how sensitive they are.

One question I had was do they get used to smells? If we left things that smelt of us round the hive would they get used to them and therefore us? Not sure it is needed as they seem (so far, fingers crossed) really placid and manageable but was wondering.

I am truely smitten but keeping my fingers crossed that they love being here as much as I love having them.

[Paul Plots]

How amazing, Kate. I didn't know about any of this.

Thank heavens you haven't got a pub next-door.  :blink:

Sorry I'm far from able to help with an answer and hope you don't mind me adding my odd (?) comment on here. Really appreciate reading your thread. 

[joyfull]

wow I never knew that either - what about those kept in orchards - doesn't rotting fermenting fruit smell the same?

[Swing Swang]

Not sure what they don't like, but the odor of stale alcohol given off by humans is very different to fermenting fruit as the metabolic breakdown of ethanol is a complex process (from recollection I think it's got something to do with keytones/acetaldehyde)

[Chrysalis]

I'm with Learner on this one. Can't contribute, but fascinated by the whole thing!  Keep us up to date and maybe, just maybe, we'll get our own bees one day.  Thanks for posting Kate.

[darren64]

did you know that keeping your bee suit in the house weakens your immunity to bee stings?

[darren64]

this my main hiveI have since artificially swarmed them,they  have 2 supers on now,1 of which has probably 25lb of honey,I have left my new colony to see if they rear a new queen,I also have a third colony that superceded in early spring but the queen wasn't laying so I had to destroy her I have introduced a frame with eggs,brood and some queen cells to see if they produce a new queen.Sorry I don't know how to make the picture bigger.

[Kate and her Ducks]

did you know that keeping your bee suit in the house weakens your immunity to bee stings?

Wow, how does that work?

Do you mean that your reaction is less or more? Either way, how does that work? I keep mine in the house as it is convenient, should I change?

I haven't been stung since I was a kid and have to say it didn't hurt as much as I remembered but I also don't remember it itching as much as these did.

[darren64]

did you know that keeping your bee suit in the house weakens your immunity to bee stings?

Wow, how does that work?

Do you mean that your reaction is less or more? Either way, how does that work? I keep mine in the house as it is convenient, should I change?

I haven't been stung since I was a kid and have to say it didn't hurt as much as I remembered but I also don't remember it itching as much as these did.

I'm not sure how,its just what I was told by an experienced bee keeper.

[Pol]

did you know that keeping your bee suit in the house weakens your immunity to bee stings?

were should you keep it if not in the house

[darren64]

did you know that keeping your bee suit in the house weakens your immunity to bee stings?

were should you keep it if not in the house

we keep ours in the shed with all our other beekeeping equipment.

[darren64]

I've just been told on another forum that dried bee venom on your suit gets into the air and when inhaled raises the risk of developing an allergy

[Kate and her Ducks]

Another reason to keep the suit washed regularly. I had heard it was important as the smell of venom alarms the bees (which makes sense given it is only dispensed if they think they are under attack).

[Kate and her Ducks]

I did my first full check if the bees since they arrived today and they seem to be doing well. It was a bit cold but my Mum had come down and she knows what she is looking at so that really helped (well except for locking us out of the house accidentally with the keys indoors!).


Saw the queen and no queen cells (signs they might be planning to swarm) which was really good as not really keen to have to cope with that yet if I don't have to.