2019 Honey Bee Package Pick Up

You have decided to order packaged bees this Spring.  Whether it is to start your own apiary, strengthen weak colonies or replace winter losses it is very important that you are prepared for their arrival and travel back to their new home.

PICK UP: Packages are pick up only at our location on April 24, 2019. Pick up starts at 9:00AM and runs throughout the day, with slots every 15 minutes.  All packages must be picked up on April 24th, 2019 unless other arrangements were made with us prior to this day.

Location: Gaiser Urban Farm - 3402 Kleeman Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45211

 

All packages are guaranteed to come with 1 caged, mated queen along with 3 lbs of worker bees and some drones.  This year the bees will come in a vented plastic box "bee-bus" which is easier for installing.  All packages must be inspected before leaving our location where they are guaranteed alive and healthy.  We can only be responsible for them while they are in our presence so please read below on how to safely transport and install your bees.

Travel: Once you have picked up your packages it is important to make sure they are well ventilated and out of direct sunlight while traveling back.  Make sure to minimize stops and try your best to get them to their new home right away.  If you must stop, make sure to park in a shaded area and give them proper ventilation. 

Installing: Getting your new bees into their hive is of the utmost importance when you have packaged colonies.  So we recommend having your equipment set up and ready for when you arrive.  Please CLICK HERE to watch the 3 techniques for:

“How to Install Package Bees’.

** If you are unable to get them in a hive right away make sure to keep them in a cool, dark and dry area like a basement not exceedingly more then 2 days.

Please be sure to read up on honey bee management before pick up.  Once you leave with your bees we are no longer in control of their care so we are not responsible for packages once they leave our property.  

If you would like to order hives or equipment from us to be picked up at our location please email us at info@gaiserbeeco.com or contact me at 513-673-0503 Please call or email with any questions. Thank you and we look forward to meeting everyone in April.

Cory & Krystle Gaiser 

2018 Honey Bee Package Pick Up

Thank you for choosing Gaiser Bee Co. to supply your 2018 packaged bees.  Whether it is to start your own apiary, strengthen weak colonies or replace winter losses it is very important that you are prepared for your package pick up and the travel back to their new home. 

PICK UP: Packages are pick up only at our location with the tentative date of April 20th, 2018 (this date may change and if so you will be informed). We try to factor in enough time for Atlanta traffic so pick up starts at 7:00AM and runs throughout the day, with slots every 15 minutes. This year we are using an online program to schedule pick up times. To schedule a pick up time, CLICK HERE. Unless prior arrangements have been made with us, you must schedule through that link. All packages MUST be picked up on April 20th, 2018. 

Location: Gaiser Urban Farm - 3402 Kleeman Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45211

 

All packages are guaranteed to come with 1 caged, mated queen along with 3 lbs of worker bees and some drones.  This year the bees will come in a vented plastic box "bee-bus" which is easier for installing.  All packages must be inspected before leaving our location where they are guaranteed alive and healthy.  We can only be responsible for them while they are in our presence so please read below on how to safely transport and install your bees.

Travel: Once you have picked up your packages it is important to make sure they are well ventilated and out of direct sunlight while traveling back.  Make sure to minimize stops and try your best to get them to their new home right away.  If you must stop, make sure to park in a shaded area and give them proper ventilation. 

Installing: Getting your new bees into their hive is of the utmost importance when you have packaged colonies.  So we recommend having your equipment set up and ready for when you arrive.   Please join us at our Spring Party on April 8th, 2018 to learn how to install this equipment. 

** If you are unable to get them in a hive right away make sure to keep them in a cool, dark and dry area like a basement not exceedingly more then 2 days.

Please be sure to read up on honey bee management before pick up.  Once you leave with your bees we are no longer in control of their care so we are not responsible for packages once they leave our property.  

If you would like to order hives or equipment from us to be picked up at our location please email us at, krystle@gaiserbeeco.com or call us at 513-673-0503. Please call or email with any questions. Thank you and we look forward to meeting everyone in April.

Cory, Krystle, Anne & Little Cory 

Honey Bee Package Pick Up

You have decided to order packaged bees this Spring.  Whether it is to start your own apiary, strengthen weak colonies or replace winter losses it is very important that you are prepared for their arrival and travel back to their new home.

PICK UP: Packages are pick up only at our location with the tentative date of April 23, 2017.  (This date may change and if so you will be inform) Pick up starts at 6:00AM and runs throughout the day, with slots every 15 minutes.  Please contact us right away if there is a specific time that works best for you.  Otherwise we will contact you with your window.  All packages must be picked up on April 23rd, 2017  

Location: Gaiser Urban Farm - 3402 Kleeman Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45211

 

All packages are guaranteed to come with 1 caged, mated queen along with 3 lbs of worker bees and some drones.  This year the bees will come in a vented plastic box "bee-bus" which is easier for installing.  All packages must be inspected before leaving our location where they are guaranteed alive and healthy.  We can only be responsible for them while they are in our presence so please read below on how to safely transport and install your bees.

Travel: Once you have picked up your packages it is important to make sure they are well ventilated and out of direct sunlight while traveling back.  Make sure to minimize stops and try your best to get them to their new home right away.  If you must stop, make sure to park in a shaded area and give them proper ventilation. 

Installing: Getting your new bees into their hive is of the utmost importance when you have packaged colonies.  So we recommend having your equipment set up and ready for when you arrive.   Please watch this video before hand to see a simple way to install using this new "bee-bus" boxes.

** If you are unable to get them in a hive right away make sure to keep them in a cool, dark and dry area like a basement not exceedingly more then 2 days.

Please be sure to read up on honey bee management before pick up.  Once you leave with your bees we are no longer in control of their care so we are not responsible for packages once they leave our property.  

If you would like to order hives or equipment from us to be picked up at our location please email me at krystlegaiser@gmail.com or contact me at 513-673-0503 Please call or email with any questions. Thank you and we look forward to meeting everyone in April.

Cory & Krystle Gaiser 

Getting Ready for Spring

Wow! It's crazy to think that Spring is just around the corner. Before you know it, there will be buzzing in the air.  Whether you are a veteran beekeeper or just a new-bee, that sound will soon be music to your ears.

In preparation for spring, we have put together a simple guideline to help you be prepared for the upcoming months.  If this is your first year beekeeping or just refreshing your memory we hope you find this guide helpful:

Join in:  Joining your local beekeeping association is a great way to get involved in your community and learn from neighboring beekeepers.  If you are in Ohio, the Ohio State Beekeepers Association is  a good source for events throughout the state.

Education: In the leading months to your bees arrival, reading is one of the best things you can do.  Some great books we enjoy are Backyard Beekeeper and Beekeeping For Dummies.  Classes and conferences are other great way to get information.  If you are in the Cincinnati area, our classes take place in March and the Southwestern Ohio Beekeeper School is March 25, 2017.  It fills up quickly though so make sure to sign up right away if you plan to attend.

Ordering Bees: If you haven't already done so, make sure to have your order in for packaged bees.  You can order bees from us for pick-up at our farm on April 23rd, 2017.  Packages are limited.

Equipment: Have you decided on which hive is best for you?  There are many options when choosing the type of hive you want.  From a Langstroth, Warre Hive, Top-Bar etc.  The best way to make this decision is start by asking yourself these questions:

• What is the climate like in your area? Which hive is best for that climate?
• Where do you want to place your hives?
• Are you able to lift boxes up to 40+lbs?
• Do you want to harvest honey?

There are many questions to ask yourself in making your decision.   If you need help making this decision please contact us.

We sell beekeeping products here on our website as well as in our store front that is set to open in April 2017.  If you would like pre-order Langstroth hives or starter kits and pick them up when you get your bees April 23rd, please let us know.

Installation:  Being prepared for the arrival of your bees is very crucial.  If this is your first time picking up packages please read our recommendations on transporting and installing.

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Please contact us with any questions you may have.  Hope you find this guidance helpful.

Cory & Krystle Gaiser 

What are my bees doing?

Your first thought when you see this photo may be a fearful ..."Umm, what is happening?" But do not worry.  What you are seeing is called "bearding".

During the hot months honey bees will cluster on the outside of the hive and the term we use to describe this is bearding .  It can be quite frightening in the beginning when you are trying to determine what is going on but no need to fear.  This is not only normal but also can be a great sign that you have a strong colony with a large population. 

So why do they do this?
Honey bees control the temperature of their hive during warm months by fanning to keep the hive ventilated and maintain it at about 93 degrees.  When we enter months with high humidity and high temperatures combined that with high populations, they will begin bearding on the front of the boxes.  Over crowding can make it hard to keep the hive ventilated and overheating can be damaging to the brood.

Could this a sign of swarming?
While a swarming hive will happen suddenly and be pouring out of the entrance is large qualities, bearding  is very calm and quiet.

What do I do now?
Although bearding is generally a good sign, be sure to check your hive.  Do they have enough space? You probably already know the living situation of your honey bees if you monitor them regularly but it is something to think about.  Providing more space, like an additional deep or honey supers, will allow for them to continue building and filling comb.

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Hope this helps with any concerns you may have about bearding.  Feel free to contact us with any other questions or concerns.

Krystle & Cory Gaiser

Feeding your Honey Bees

It's time to Feed the Bees

I hope you are having a fantastic summer enjoying these long summer nights and the beautiful weather. Even if you are a busy bee I hope you can take a moment to stop and smell the flowers ... even though that may be hard right now.
As we all know July and August are some of the hottest months of the year which means, little rainfall resulting in nectar dearth for our honeybees.  No flowers means no food.  As much as we try to plant wildflowers and clovers ... sometime it just isn't enough.  We want healthy, strong bees so we feed sugar water in these times.
This week we started our new feeding technique and wanted to share with everyone our success story since it is working out so great for us!

We have a few techniques to feeding, which all work.  But we have found that this new DIY gravity feeder is a lot more bee-friendly and results in less drowned bees.

What you'll need:
5 gallon white bucket
Lid with a rubber seal
Drill
1/8" drill bit
25 lb sugar
4 gallons of water
Pro Health
Marbles and/or Rocks

STEP 1:
Make sure your bucket and lid are completely cleaned out and there is no harmful residue in it.

STEP 2:
Start by identifying the outer rim through the inside of the bucket (see photo).Then using the drill and 1/8" bit, begin drilling holes roughly 2.5" down from the lip going from the inside out.  
Be careful not to perforate the outer wall, but place holes about every 1".

STEP 3:
Clean out plastic shavings and fill the jug half way with warm water and add roughly 25 lbs of sugar.  Then we add a few table spoons of the vitamin packed Pro-Health which is available on Mann Lake's website.  It works great and gives the girls some much need sustenance.

**You can use marble or even pebbles to keep your girls from drowning. 

STEP 4:
Securely fasten lid to the bucket and flip it over.  We placed ours on another empty 5 gallon bucket to elevate it off the ground.  Take marbles/rocks and place in reservoirs to help keep bees from drowning. 
PLACEMENT: We have 13 hives within a small area so we put this in a central location within the middle.  Everyone is enjoying their dinner together.

**Summertime feeding is typically a 1:1 sugar:water ratio.  They use the extra water to cool their hive then the sugar is used for energy.  While fall months you want to do a 2:1 sugar:water ratio.

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Please comment below or email us if you have any questions about how to make your own 5 gallon bucket feeders.  Thank you for reading.