{"id":230,"date":"2012-04-24T18:50:16","date_gmt":"2012-04-24T23:50:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rex.bohemianutopia.com\/wordpress\/?p=230"},"modified":"2012-04-24T18:50:16","modified_gmt":"2012-04-24T23:50:16","slug":"spring-splits-made","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bohemianutopia.com\/?p=230","title":{"rendered":"Spring Splits made"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yesterday I picked up 4 new queens with which I have made 4 new hives from my original hive that was 3-deeps of brood\/stores + 2 supers on top.\u00a0 This should make the original hive much more manageable – and provide the nucleus frames and some genetics for many hives to come in the future.<\/p>\n

On another note – I have found a local (Farmersville, Tx)\u00a0 source for the PERFECT pallet size for single beehives.\u00a0 These pallets are appx 20″x20″ square, and work perfectly with my langstroth hives.<\/p>\n

and finally… a note\/commentary about safety.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yesterday I tried taking a shortcut with my equipment – and paid dearly for it.\u00a0 I was going to remove a single frame of eggs.\u00a0 In and out in less than 5 minutes.\u00a0 So I decided it was not worth it to fire up the smoker.\u00a0 Bad idea.<\/p>\n

It took me well OVER the estimated 5 minutes – and the bees got upset at my intrusion.\u00a0 First the ‘roar” of the hive raised audibly.\u00a0 Then they started warning me.\u00a0 Well – I kept on.\u00a0 I *knew* there had to be a better frame of eggs.<\/p>\n

Wrong.\u00a0\u00a0 Dead wrong.<\/p>\n

Several bees decided that they would go exploring.\u00a0 Up my pants leg.\u00a0 Yep.\u00a0 you guessed it.\u00a0 at least 2 up each leg in a coordinated effort to reach “sensitive areas”.\u00a0 2 got my hips, and a 3rd.. well, she got the blue ribbon for ringing the bell.<\/p>\n

I made it back into the house to evaluate the stings.\u00a0 And realized that I still had to go back out there to close up the hive and let the ladies settle down.<\/p>\n

My bee-suit took better than 200-250 stings after my return to the bee yard to close things up.\u00a0 They were on the rampage, and I still had not lit the smoker to send them into a “survival mode” to return to their honey stores and consume…. I took a combined 27+ stings to my body.\u00a0 Through the nitrile heavy-duty gloves.\u00a0 Through the elastic area of my bee-suit (at the wrists), through my socks… and afterwards – to my scalp after I made it back to the house and took off my jacket. \u00a0 Yes 27+ stings.\u00a0 My hands slightly swelled up.\u00a0 My ankles\/calves were slightly swollen…<\/p>\n

I immediately took some liquid Benadryl (children’s) – and I think that’s what blocked much of the normal swelling.<\/p>\n

I learned my lesson about safety.\u00a0 Sometimes it takes an incidence like this to remind us of the little things that make big differences.<\/p>\n