tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1842136564899097734.post4902301541549807287..comments2023-12-15T02:04:08.213-08:00Comments on meat: The 2013 plan: Bees are back!Bruce Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995706761794063165noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1842136564899097734.post-9761260270888030652013-03-27T18:21:53.506-07:002013-03-27T18:21:53.506-07:00It's hard to say that bees are from any partic...It's hard to say that bees are from any particular region any more. Most of the package bees are from companies that migrate their hives around the country to follow crop blooms,so the bees in the package might have been in 6 states before they ended up there. <br /> The video I've seen of packages being assembled is basically just vaccuuming up random bees from possibly several colonies and stuffing them into the box with a caged queen. It'd be nice to think that they are all from the same hive, but from my point of view it's closer to supermarket hamburger: Many contributors. <br /><br />Bee prices are actually pretty similar, so I could purchase packages from other areas, but I figure that since the queen will be laying eggs, by the end of the first season all of the remaining bees will be related, no matter how they started. I'm hoping with insulation and proper care I can get them to live through the winter. Normal winter dieoff for me was 10-15%, but then I started seeing 30%, and then finally lost all my hives. I'm starting clean this year; new equipment, new packages. Bruce Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10995706761794063165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1842136564899097734.post-17975089034714756802013-03-26T09:37:12.614-07:002013-03-26T09:37:12.614-07:00Are you ordering your package bees from Beez Neez ...Are you ordering your package bees from Beez Neez as well? All five of my packaged bees ordered last year didn't make it to 2013, while the swarm that volunteered into an empty hive is doing quite well. My theory is that the California bees just aren't well adapted to our climate.Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05477013963212151740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1842136564899097734.post-66542828059994577032013-03-23T21:37:13.693-07:002013-03-23T21:37:13.693-07:00I was wondering what happened to your bees. Check ...I was wondering what happened to your bees. Check out Mann Lake they offer free shipping on most orders over $100Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16160243952968263390noreply@blogger.com