Central Oregon Beekeeping

[Deleted]

Hi,
I'm very new to beekeeping (too bad I missed the Bee School). I set up a super with a nuc (got it from George Hansen) last Sunday, April 23. Any recommendations on how long to keep the entrance reducer installed? It seems to be limiting bee movement during peak times, but I don't want to make them vulnerable to robbers. Thanks for your help!

[Thom]

Julia, Hi, welcome to beekeeping! I was the person who did the class in Bend. Hopefully some local members will log on to mentor you, but if not you can always go to some of their meetings for local solutions.

Now, if you have only one hive or a couple hives of equal strength you don't need the entrance reducer. It is more of a divice to protect weak colonies. I know George sells super strength nucs, so you shouldn't have any problems.

You should hold off doing any invasive inspections for the first 10 days your colonies are getting established. Let them settle in, and after the 10 days pass, meaning on the 11th day, give them a good look-over. If you have a cold snap where the bees won't fly you may use the reducers again to keep mice out, but soon you won't have to worry about that.

We may be doing another class up there next spring with a possible bee day like field day as well, that is if everyone up there is still interested.

You should make plans to attend the Fall Conference in October, in Newport. There are plans to have some presentations for new beekeepers. Conference events will be posted later this summer on the events page at orsba.org.

[Deleted]

Belated thanks!

[Mavis Shaw]

I've welcomed honey bees this year, but yesterday (we live in central Oregon), while eating fruit outside, a few bees joined us and ungratefully stung one of us. It was the size of a deer fly, had the triangular shaped wings, but looked like a small yellow jacket. Do you know what it is? Thank you.