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Comment by James H DAWDY 9 minutes ago

Hokey Wiley in Cruces just off El Paseo near University has a bee tree he wants to cut down.  If anyone would like to collect the hive, please call 575-649-4175.

Comment by Paul McCarty 20 hours ago

I get the most honey from the desert. It's all in timing. When it rains it pours. The rest of the year is dry, dry, dry.

Comment by James H DAWDY 20 hours ago

Yep- and this hive proves it.  It was about 6 miles north of Rt 70 before you get to the pass, out in the desert with no farms and not that many houses around- just desert scrub.  I'm going to have to sit down and have a talk with my girls about how they've got it made in a town with gardens, trees, and nearby farms.

Comment by Rob Shepler 23 hours ago

That could be why Mr. McCarty loves them so. There certianly is something to be said for survivors genes.

Comment by Paul McCarty 23 hours ago

Feral bees know how to survive at any cost. I think people discount them way too much. Most of the ones we have aren't too bad, but you do run across some real toughies every so often. They definitely have some admirable qualities, but you have to be prepared to cull out the bad.

I just did a removal and re-queening of the hottest bees I have ever messed with obvious Scutellata from down south. Totally terrified of everything I did. Luckily those hives are fairly rare. It was an abandoned hive totally packed with honey, but you can't hardly get to it because it is falling apart. I am going to feed it back to my other hives.

Comment by James H DAWDY 23 hours ago

Yep, got some honey, and also 5 frames of brood that I've put into a nuc with what bees I was able to get.  Didn't get the queen though.  It amazes me how these feral hives out in the middle of the desert can be so strong and bursting with honey, and some of my commercial hives struggle after being fed and coddled.

Comment by Paul McCarty 23 hours ago

Thanks Chad!  You helped me out just as much! Good to get some new blood.

Comment by Sam Barden yesterday

Just examined our hive. The queen was out of the cage. Couldn't fine her though. We will now only inspect the feed every couple of days and let the bees do,their thing for the next week.

I haven't yet seen any comb. Is that normal after 5 days and where the queen was released either on day 4 or 5?

Comment by Chad Schumpert yesterday

Hello all. I've been keeping bees for 4/5 years learning by trial and error. I have followed you site since the inception. I split my four hives and put new queens in my existing hives. The old queen went with the new hives. I Used bee weaver queens and left them in the queen cages but pulled the corks out with the candy side/ I checked the hives seven days later and I had three queenless hive out of the four. Paul coached me through it and advised me I need to leave the queens corked up for a few days even though the bee have to eat through the candy portion. So I bought three new queens from noble apiaries and introduced the queen properly. Again I guess I learn the hard way.
Thanks again Paul!

Comment by Rob Shepler yesterday

Wow Jim, that looks like a tough one! Did you get some sweet stuff for your troubles?

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