How to do a divide an over wintered colony

Here is a link http://www.tc.umn.edu/~reute001/htm-files/DIVIDES%20.htm on how to divide your over wintered colony.

Pollen

Pollen stored in the comb. It can be gone within three days when foraging is difficult because of weather

The upcoming week is going to be cold and rainy. The bees will not be able to get any pollen from foraging until next Saturday at the earliest. A colony can deplete pollen stores in as little as three days. When there is no pollen in the hive, brood cannot be fed and any uncapped brood will die.
 If you looked into your hive that has had no pollen it would seem queenless with no brood.
This can set back any colony that a beekeeper was planning on dividing. The loss of brood will have a consequence of lower bee numbers when the nectar flow starts and less honey in the hive.
During the spring, pollen patties should be on the hive into early June. This is cheap insurance to have a healthy productive colony.

Do you have eggs and larvae in your new colony?

Eggs in cells

Eggs, pollen on top, nectar glistening in cells

older larvae being capped, young larvae swimming in royal jelly

Queen Sale Sat only

All remaining queens Carniolan or Italian left over from package bee order
Sat only - cash and carry
$15.00 each.
Queen with attendants in 3 hole cage with candy
We will be getting weekly shipments of queens starting next week and thru the month of May. After Saturday, queens will be $28.00 each

Someone left their keys here

Bees are all Gone

The bees are gone I am sold out of package bees for 2014
I do have queens available.

Bee Pick Up

Any beekeepers who have not picked up. There no longer is a pick up schedule.
Please come and pick up your bees. I am here, starting at 7:30 am.

The Bees Are In

The bees are in and ready for pickup

New Second Delivery Date, Monday, April 21st

The bees will arrive here sometime on SUNDAY. They will be available for pickup on SUNDAY. I will publish on this blog when the bees are ready to pick up. SUNDAY pick up is first come first served.  Do not come here for pick up until I have published that we are ready. You will be turned away.

Pick up schedule for MONDAY

Please Clean ALL DEBRIS out of the returning cages. No Bees, No Feed Cans, No Queen Cages, No Spiderwebs, No leaves, No Cottonwood Seeds - Thank You
  MONDAY, Please follow the schedule. There are 600 beekeepers stopping by and if we get off schedule wait time will rise considerably.
Please drive in the driveway marked enter. Pull up as far as you can and stay with your vehicle. We will come to you.
MONDAY,  PICK UP SCHEDULE
We will go by the first initial of your last name.
  7:00 am any large orders over 50
W - Z    7:30 am - 8:30 am
T - V     8:30 am  - 9:30 am
R - S     9:30 am - 10:30 am
N - Q    10:30 am - 11:30 am

11:30 - Lunch for the crew

L - M    12:30 pm - 1:30pm
H - K    1:30 pm  -  2:30 pm
E - G     2:30 pm  -  3:30 pm
A - D     3:30 pm  -  4:30 pm 
Open time 4:30 pm - 7 pm
There is no rush to put the bees in. It is best to install packages after 6:00 pm. Putting them in late in the day helps prevent them from absconding.

Pollen Patties 2 pks - $9.00 / 10 lb Box $37.00 / 40 lb box $87.00
Feeder Pails $5.00 each / ProSweet Bee Syrup $46.00 5 gallons
Sales Tax is included in the above pricing. Please have exact change if possible.
No Credit or Debit Cards accepted because we will not have electricity.

Second Delivery Date May Be Changing

The delivery date may be changing to an earlier date. Stay tuned for updates.

First delivery follow up

The first delivery went very well. The pick up schedule was followed by the beekeepers picking up with the schedule. The wait time for bees was usually five minutes. The crew was able to process everyone through very quickly.
 It is a long day for all of us, it starts at 6 am and ends at 7 pm. Beekeepers come all day and the only rest we all get is our lunch break.
I can't say enough about my helpers without them this all would not be possible.

From the left: Bob, Warren, Mike, Jim, Brian, Eric, Bill, Cory, not pictured Joe, photo by Wendy

Updated Pick up schedule for first delivery, Saturday, April 12th 2014

Pollen Patties 2 pks - $9.00 / 10 lb Box $37.00 / 40 lb box $87.00
Feeder Pails $5.00 each / ProSweet Bee Syrup $46.00 5 gallons
Sales Tax is included in the above pricing. Please have exact change if possible.
The bees will arrive here sometime on Friday. They will be available for pickup on Friday first come first served . I will publish on this blog when we are ready pass out the bees. Don't show up here unless you know the bees are here.
Please Clean ALL DEBRIS out of the returning cages. No Bees, No Feed Cans, No Queen Cages, No Spiderwebs, No leaves, No Cottonwood Seeds - Thank You
SATURDAY Please follow the schedule. There are 600 beekeepers stopping by and if we get off schedule wait time will rise considerably.
Please drive in the driveway marked enter. Pull up as far as you can and stay with your vehicle. We will come to you.
SATURDAY PICK UP SCHEDULE
We will go by the first initial of your last name.
  7:00 am any large orders over 50
W - Z    7:30 am - 8:30 am
T - V     8:30 am  - 9:30 am
R - S     9:30 am - 10:30 am
N - Q    10:30 am - 11:30 am

11:30 - Lunch for the crew

L - M    12:30 pm - 1:30pm
H - K    1:30 pm  -  2:30 pm
E - G     2:30 pm  -  3:30 pm
A - D     3:30 pm  -  4:30 pm 
Open time 4:30 pm - 7 pm
There is no rush to put the bees in. It is best to install packages after 6:00 pm. Putting them in late in the day helps prevent them from absconding.

On Bee Pick Up Day

 Bee Pick Up Days- April 12th and April 22nd
On bee pick up day we will not be selling any equipment. If you need equipment get it before the bees come.
We are working outside so there will be no electricity, we will not be taking credit or debit cards.
The only thing for sale will be: Pollen Patties in two packs, 10 lb box or 40 lb box, Feeder Pails, ProSweet Bee Syrup, and ProHealth

Installing Package Bees

This is a video I made a couple years ago. I was taught this method by the University of MN short course 25 years ago. I added the marshmallow queen release for the packages. I want to say that a marshmallow should never be used for releasing a queen into a colony. The only reason it works in a package is because the bees have been with her for four days.