tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55651901044228401222024-03-13T14:23:31.517-04:00Greg's Bee AdventureGreg's Bee Adventure - Hornsby Hollow HoneyGreghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-61960045104472407712016-03-29T18:24:00.002-04:002016-03-29T18:25:25.873-04:00I have three hives this year. One was (a) a swarm I caught last year, (b) one was a package (that swarmed and that's (a)) and (c) one was another package. I already had a super on (a). I had feeders on (b) and (c). I took the feeders off of (b) and (c) this afternoon because they weren't taking the syrup, and put supers on them. (b) got a super with bare frames because it was stronger and (c) got a super with drawn comb because it was weaker. I also put a robber screen on (c) just because I don't want it bothered by the others. I didn't have time this afternoon for a full inspection. Hopefully next week I can pull brood frames out and give them a good look.Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-32439144270650978482014-04-27T14:55:00.002-04:002014-04-27T14:57:55.340-04:00Time to make the honey!Went out today and got the MAQS out of the hives. Put a super on each one. Cleaned the SHB
trays under the hives. Ready for honey now! I saw some clover blooming
in the yard today. I'm optimistic. Of course, now the weather is
going to be stormy for the next three days. Just my luck. But maybe
they'll clean/straighten the comb that's in the supers, and draw some
out on a few bare frames I put in there. <br />
<br />
SHB tray after mite treatment:<br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="bbc_img resized" src="http://i585.photobucket.com/albums/ss298/Slowmodem_photo/Bees/042714%20Supers%20on/photobucket-3996-1398620648754.jpg?t=1398622242" height="300" width="400" /><br />
<br />
Top Brood Box:<br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="bbc_img resized" src="http://i585.photobucket.com/albums/ss298/Slowmodem_photo/Bees/042714%20Supers%20on/photobucket-8223-1398620749252.jpg" height="300" width="400" /><br />
<br />
Bottom brood box with MAQS:<br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="bbc_img resized" src="http://i585.photobucket.com/albums/ss298/Slowmodem_photo/Bees/042714%20Supers%20on/photobucket-6099-1398620809324.jpg" height="300" width="400" /><br />
<br />
Super and inner cover on:<br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="bbc_img resized" src="http://i585.photobucket.com/albums/ss298/Slowmodem_photo/Bees/042714%20Supers%20on/photobucket-11121-1398621002746.jpg" height="300" width="400" /><br />
<br />
Dad putting the lid on the second hive:<br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="bbc_img resized" src="http://i585.photobucket.com/albums/ss298/Slowmodem_photo/Bees/042714%20Supers%20on/photobucket-2218-1398621046381.jpg" height="300" width="400" /><br />
<br />
The work wagon after working the hives:<br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="bbc_img resized" src="http://i585.photobucket.com/albums/ss298/Slowmodem_photo/Bees/042714%20Supers%20on/photobucket-13653-1398621184512.jpg" height="300" width="400" /><br />
<br />Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-79211557273704390982014-04-21T10:59:00.001-04:002014-04-21T10:59:55.210-04:00Mite Away Quick StripsThis morning Dad and I put in Mite Away Quick Strips (MAQS) for mite control. We placed two strips in each bottom brood box and put the hive back together. We took the entrance reducer out per the instructions. It will be interesting to see the mite drop in a week.<br />
<br />
The boxes were bursting with bees! It was a welcome sight to see, especially after a suspected swarm moving out recently. I was pretty downhearted after that swarm got away, but today restored my optimism for a good honey year. Hopefully next week we'll get honey supers on and stop feeding the bees and start getting the good stuff.<br />
<br />
Sorry I didn't get any pictures. I'll try to not be in such a hurry next week when we take the strips off.Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-66977160360814370792014-04-13T07:11:00.000-04:002014-04-13T07:15:04.605-04:00Happiness turns to heartbreak turns to hopeThere was a swarm in a dogwood tree close to the hives afternoon.
It's probably from one of my hives. The one I suspect seemed mean the
other day when we were in it, but they may have just been getting ready
to swarm.<br />
<br />
Anyway, my back has been acting up so I had to get Dad
to do most of the work. I wasn't sure what we needed to do. The step
ladders we have are too short to really work on this swarm, but we gave
it the old college try.<br />
<br />
I placed a box on the ground under the
swarm, so if he could cut the limbs they were on, we could just put them
into the box and be done with it.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="bbc_img resized" src="http://i585.photobucket.com/albums/ss298/Slowmodem_photo/photobucket-6468-1397337927046.jpg" height="300" width="400" /><br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="bbc_img resized" src="http://i585.photobucket.com/albums/ss298/Slowmodem_photo/photobucket-7187-1397337957677.jpg" height="300" width="400" /><br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="bbc_img resized" src="http://i585.photobucket.com/albums/ss298/Slowmodem_photo/photobucket-5866-1397337988858.jpg" height="300" width="400" /> <br />
<br />
<br />
When
he got up there and got ahold of the limb, he moved it a little trying
to get the lopper where he could cut it. The bees all flew off.<br />
<br />
I left the box with a swarm lure under the limb where they were. There might be a chance they'll return to that spot.<br />
<br />
I have another box with swarm lure about 150 yards away towards my house. Maybe they'll go there instead.<br />
<br />
I
guess I need to watch more swarm capture videos. It seemed to me like
all you had to do was cut they limb they were on and put them in a box.
I wasn't expecting them to fly away like that.Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-30088975220214131392014-04-05T18:01:00.000-04:002014-04-05T18:01:15.595-04:00I've got bees!Lots and lots and lots of bees! One of the hives didn't seem too busy
coming and going, but when I went into the hive, there were thousands of
bees everywhere! I was so happy. I finally got some through the
winter. However, the top super where I thought they'd all be was still
full of capped syrup/honey from last fall.<br /><br />The other hive was the same way. Lots of bees and the top super was full of syrup/honey, too.<br /><br />We
did find the queen and brood in the middle box in each hive. We put
those boxes on the bottom and the other deep on top of that, and
replaced the mediums back on top of those. I've got to check the
weather. It's still too cool for a fume board, but I do have some
escapes. I might put them on for a couple of days so that I can get all
the bees out of those top supers. I'm not sure yet what I'll do with those supers, but I can't have them on the hives when I
medicate. And I have plans to use Mite Away Quick Strips next week before the flow starts.<br /><br />But I'm so happy that I have bees!!!<br /><br />This is a frame from the brood box. It has some capped syrup/honey, too:<br /><br /><img alt="" class="bbc_img resized" height="480" src="http://i585.photobucket.com/albums/ss298/Slowmodem_photo/Bees/040514%20Inspection/2014-04-05_16-32-24_422.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" width="640" /><br /><br />You can't see it very well, but there's some capped honey around the edges, but this frame is full of capped brood:<br /><br /><img alt="" class="bbc_img resized" height="480" src="http://i585.photobucket.com/albums/ss298/Slowmodem_photo/Bees/040514%20Inspection/2014-04-05_16-34-47_853.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" width="640" /><br /><br />On
each picture on the top and bottom of the frames you can see drone
brood. I didn't notice any mites on the drone, but I did see some mites
in the removable tray in the bottom.Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-33830810389202134812014-03-29T09:16:00.000-04:002014-03-29T09:36:10.576-04:00New Year - New PostsIt's been a busy year so far and I haven't had time to work on this blog lately. I got razzed a little bit for that Thursday night at the Cherokee Beekeepers Association meeting, so I figured I'd better get on the stick and catch up. There's been a lot of things happening, and I'll try to catch you up. <br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">Cherokee Beekeepers Association Short Course</span></h3>
<br />
On Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014, The Cherokee Beekeepers Association, Athens,
TN held it's annual Short Course for Beekeepers. It was held at the McMinn County High School.
Below is a list of presenters and topics:<br />
<br />
2014 Short Course Presenters:<br />
<br />
9:30-10:15 a.m. (WHY)<br />
Keynote Speaker, Charlie Parton, President Tennessee Beekeepers Association<br />
So You Want to be a Beekeeper?<br />
<br />
10:45-11:30 a.m. (WHAT)<br />
Getting to know honey bees<br />
Anatomy<br />
Honey bee activities inside the hive<br />
Honey bee activities outside the hive<br />
Presenter(s): Lynda Rizzardi, Executive Vice-President Tennessee Beekeepers Association<br />
<br />
1:00-1:50 p.m. Two Concurrent Sessions: HOW/WHERE, WHEN <br />
<br />
(HOW/WHERE)<br />
The role of the beekeeper<br />
Intro to hive/beekeeping equipment, tools, protective clothing<br />
How to cope with stings<br />
Suggestions about lifting<br />
Location, location, location<br />
Time commitments<br />
Space/storage requirements<br />
Presenter(s): Nancy Howard & Greg Whitehead<br />
<br />
(WHEN)<br />
Getting honey bees<br />
The first year<br />
The second year<br />
Management: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter<br />
Pests and diseases<br />
Presenter(s): Jim Gentry, Bobbie Burtz<br />
<br />
2:00-2:50 p.m. Repeat of Concurrent Sessions above<br />
<br />
3:00-3:30 p.m. Panel/Open Floor to address remaining questions<br />
Jim Gentry <br />
Nancy Howard<br />
Mike Coulter<br />
Myron McCleary<br />
<br />
I did a presentation on safety and how to try to protect your back. I figured since I was down for a month last spring when everything needed doing that I knew first hand how it felt and the effects on your bee yard.<br />
<br />
A super full of frames full of honey is heavy. A 10-frame deep weighs 70 - 80 pounds. Plus you have to pry it off the lower box and then lift it in an awkward position.<br />
<br />
My idea was to build a 10-frame deep, but instead of honey-filled frames, I'd put concrete blocks, so that an accurate training aid would be presented.<br />
<br />
I had an extra box, so me and dad cut up a 2x4 and attached the pieces to the bottom of the box. I wanted it to be sturdy enough to hold the weight and not tear the box up.<br />
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Installing the 2 x 4s</div>
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Cutting the top and bottom </div>
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Adding the blocks</div>
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Cutting the shims to stabilize the blocks</div>
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The box ended up weighing 72 pounds. I encouraged people to try to pick it up. My thought was that it was better for someone to know what it was like before they bought a bunch of equipment. I'd hate for someone to invest a lot of money just to find out that they couldn't lift the boxes when they were full of honey.<br />
<br />
I estimated that there were around 120 people attended (not counting CBA members and other volunteers). There were great presentations on a variety of subjects. Lynda Rizzardi, former president of the Tennessee Beekeepers Association, gave another one of her always-motivational presentations. She never fails to keep your attention, and it's always interesting and informative.<br />
<br />
There were displays of equipment, catalogs, vendor information, and lunch and refreshments. I had a great time, and I think everyone did. If you didn't make it this year, plan on attending one next year. You never know who you'll run in to or what you'll learn!<br />
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A good crowd</div>
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Equipment Display </div>
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CBA President Gwen Lane </div>
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Attentive audience </div>
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I even got my picture in the local newspaper! </div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">February Meeting</span></h3>
<br />
On February 27th we had our first regular meeting of the year and over 90 people
showed up! I wish I had thought to take a picture of the crowd! We
didn't have enough chairs. Lots of folks wanting to try beekeeping! I
know many of them will decide not to, but it's a good sign that there's
so much interest.<br />
<br />
Our group had four state hive grant winners
this year. They have to join and attend meetings for at least two
years, and donate some of their honey (when they get some) back to the
association. They get a starter hive kit, veil, gloves, jacket, smoker,
hive took, etc. One of them lives pretty far north from Athens, and
since I was the closest one, I was assigned to mentor that winner.
Luckily, there's another member that has been doing bees for over thirty
years that lives down the street from me, so we'll both be available to
assist. The grant winners are really nice people, and I look forward
to sharing their upcoming adventure.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">March Meeting</span></h3>
<br />
On March 27th, we were privileged to have Jim Garrison give a presentation on Pollen and Nectar Sources. He is a dynamic speaker and explained a lot of things about plants, nectar and pollen. Since I recently purchased the adjoining 5 acres next to my 5.5 acres, I plan on getting the bush hog attached to the tractor and preparing the field next door for bee forage. It won't be an all-at-once thing. It will happen over several years. But hopefully I can add a lot of things the bees will like.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Near-term plans for the bee hives</span></h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It was an extremely cold winter, but I still have two out of three hives left, and they seem to be doing well. I gave them a pollen patty the week before last and when I popped the lid for a peek, they were going after it. Of course things are starting to bloom now, so there's pollen becoming available.</div>
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<br /></div>
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It's supposed to rain today and tomorrow, so hopefully Sunday I can get into the hives and rearrange some boxes. I hope to treat for mites in a week or so after they settle down from this weekend's inspection.</div>
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Hopefully I'll be updating the blog and posting pictures. Stay tuned!</div>
Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-55411744752036786122013-11-18T16:15:00.002-05:002013-11-18T16:15:59.562-05:00Ready For WinterThe top feeders and robber screens are off the hives now and the entrance reducers are set to the smallest opening.<br />
<br />
The SHB oil pans are empty and clean and reinserted. The telescoping covers are slid forward so the inner-cover notch is exposed. I am hoping there's enough clearance around the oil pans in the bottom that there will be sufficient ventilation in the hive like this, while keeping it warm inside.<br />
<br />
The hives are too heavy to lift, so I'm thinking there's enough stores for the winter.<br />
<br />
In Febuary, I'll try to lift the hives and peep inside to see if they need sugar (mountain camp method).<br />
<br />
The next couple of months will be good for inventory, repair, maintenance, and planning.<br />
<br />
Have a great winter everyone and I hope your hives make it to next spring!Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-79603312491383065812013-11-03T17:04:00.000-05:002013-11-03T17:04:55.918-05:00November Brings Cooler TemperaturesThe good news is that the hives are too heavy to lift. I have been feeding syrup with Honey-B-Heathy but they're slowing down taking the syrup. It's time to start thinking about moisture in the hives. Starting this coming week, the temps are going to be lows around 40 and highs around 60. I plan on takking the top feeders off and maybe doing some open feeding behind the house, away from from the hives. Later on I'll probably put some sugar in the hives (the mountain camp method). It's time to plan for Old Man Winter.Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-70370025782752484562013-10-01T14:57:00.001-04:002013-10-01T14:59:20.888-04:00End of the 10-Frame HiveI've thought about this and studied about this and don't have any definite answers. But we went into the 10-frame hive today and it had bees inside, and lots of pretty comb, but no eggs, no brood, no honey, and no queen. Just lots of worker bees and drones.<br />
<br />
The best idea I can come up with is that they swarmed, and the ones that stayed didn't make a queen. Or else they got weak and another hive robbed them out. Some of the comb looks torn. But there's no drone cells or no laying workers. And there's a robbing screen on the front. So I figure the bees that were in there were after the syrup in the top feeder. I had put a screened oil-tray small hive beetle trap underneath the hive, and there were lots of beetles in the oil. I guess the beetles got in there and since there wasn't anything for them to eat, they ended up in the oil tray.<br />
<br />
So here's the 10-frame hive now:<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
There's some perfect comb in the deeps, so I'll stick them in the freezer for a few days and save them for next spring. If I catch a swarm or do a split, that comb will be useful.<br />
<br />
I'll probably use the boxes for swarm traps. I think I'm going to go all 8-frame hives. If my back keeps going at the rate it's going, I may go to medium brood boxes and shallow supers.<br />
<br />
On a positive note, there's still lots of goldenrod and other flowers blooming, and the bees are bringing in tons of pollen.<br />
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Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-6040470763616587062013-09-29T15:43:00.002-04:002013-09-29T15:46:47.940-04:00A Late UpdateHaven't upadated lately. I've been feeding the bees some (although I probably should have been feeding more). The goldenrod is blooming like crazy and the entrances are very yellow, so I assume they're bringing in lots of pollen.<br />
<br />
The 10-frame hive isn't doing so well. I think it may have gotten robbed out before I got the screens on. There are lots of bees in it, but no honey and I didn't see any brood. I tried putting a new queen in (I ordered it from WT Kelley, and it came in the mail) there a couple of weeks ago, but I haven't looked into it lately. Maybe tomorrow I'll get inside and see what's going on. The other hives are doing ok, with one doing extremely well, judging from the weight.<br />
<br />
It's going to be time to get serious about winter soon. The daytime highs have been in the 80s lately, and this next week is going to be high 70s maybe 80. So cool weather is right around the corner.Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-36008773820048093722013-09-05T11:25:00.000-04:002013-09-05T11:27:13.529-04:00Still UndecidedWell, I just don't know about this 10-frame hive. We went into it again this
morning, and most of the bees were in the top super. There's lots of
capped cells (not honey but syrup that I've been feeding them). Didn't
spot a queen. The bottom two deeps are drawn comb, but empty - no brood
or capped cells, just comb. Saw one hive beetle and squished it. No
wax moths. But
there were many more bees than I remembered being in there.<br />
<br />
I just have a feeling the queen is in the top super and maybe has
stopped laying because of the dearth. Or maybe there's not a queen and
the bees are capping cells out of instinct. It seems to me that if
there were a laying worker, there would be some eggs and some capped
drone cells. But there's not. Just empty cells. And if all the bees
were robbers, they wouldn't bother capping the cells.<br />
<br />
So, since I'm going to be working the next four nights, I'm going to
feed them good and look at them next Tuesday. I ordered a queen today
and it will be here hopefully next Thursday. If there's a queen in
there, then the new queen will be unnecessary and will probably be
killed, unless the queen that's in there is weaker than the new one.
I'm just experimenting to see what happens. I will just lay the queen
cage in there and see if the bees accept it or if they get mad (like
there's already a queen there).<br />
<br />
I was reading today that a lot of people lost hives to starvation this
summer due to the bad weather. Maybe that's what has this hive in such
bad shape. Anyway, no matter how it turns out, I will learn something!
Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-55792591662077436672013-09-02T12:50:00.001-04:002013-09-02T12:58:16.802-04:00Labor Day WoesI went into the hives today. The 10-frame hive had lots of bees, but no eggs, no brood and no queen. I have been trying to figure out what might have happened to it. Maybe she starved during the dearth before I started feeding them. There's lots of bees in the hive, and some pollen and nectar. And they beard some at night, so I don't think all the bees in the hive were robbers. Besides the feeder was empty (I need to make some more syrup to feed all the hives because they're still drawing comb).<br />
<br />
So now I'm going to try to find a queen for the hive. If I can't find one, I guess I'll try the frame of eggs/brood a week for three or four weeks to see if they'll make a new queen, but it's getting late in the year for that.<br />
<br />
The second hive I opened was plum full of bees. I looked at the bottom box but didn't pull any frames out. There was lots and lots of activity there and many more bees than the previous hive, so I think they're ok. Although I saw more SHBs. I've got to get some of those screened bottoms with oil tray for the 8-frame hives.<br />
<br />
So in a way it's sad because I've got to get a queen for the first hive, but in a way it's good because the other hive I looked into was booming.<br />
<br />
The other problem is that trying to pry the second deep off of the first hive pulled my back. I've been thinking about that, too. I may have to set another level of cinder blocks under the hive to raise it up so I don't have to bend over so far. I may need a ladder for the supers, but I can reach easier than I can bend. I may go to all shallows at this rate!<br />
<br />
I'll post again when I have news about the queen. Have a fun and safe Labor Day!Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-76387715509569276072013-08-25T11:12:00.001-04:002013-08-25T11:15:24.231-04:00More Syrup, Please!Fed the gals on Wednesday and again on Friday. They sure are thirsty bees! Hopefully Monday or Tuesday I'll have time to go into the hives and see how they're doing. I can see white specks on the bees coming up to the feeders, and I assume that is wax flakes. So hopefully they'll have the frames in the second deep drawn out. I think they're doing ok.Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-79760557929182456262013-08-19T23:43:00.002-04:002013-08-19T23:43:27.993-04:00Empty!When I got home from work today, I thought I'd slide a top back and check the syrup. Remember, I added 1 gallon to each hive on Saturday evening. Monday evening, the feeders are dry. Empty.<br />
<br />
So I mixed up some more syrup and it's cooling now. Dad will stop by tomorrow and feed the bees. I'm sure they'll appreciate it. They were all lined up to the trough this evening looking at the empty feeder. So I'm sure they'll be happy when the syrup gets there.Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-71437046225628151722013-08-17T15:40:00.003-04:002013-08-17T15:40:21.352-04:00Popped the top to check on comb buildingI know this isn't the best time of year to be wanting comb. But I had the second deep with empty frames and wanted to ensure they had room and food for this coming winter. As cool as it's been this summer, I suspect this might be a cold winter.<br />
<br />
Anyways, I looked into two hives today and they're definitely building comb, storing honey (well, it's the syrup I've been feeding them) and laying eggs. I am very happy with the performance of these bees. I think I took the right path when I started feeding them again (see previous posts). I will feed them some more this week and look into the hives again in a week or so. Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-20360287694743448252013-08-10T13:07:00.001-04:002013-08-10T14:37:40.317-04:00Adventures in Cusotmer Service (and other hive activities)<blockquote class="postcontent restore ">
Since my bees are lagging along and not building comb like I wanted them to, I decided to put the top feeders back on and give them 1:1 for awhile and see if it would help. I put the feeders on top of the inner covers so they wouldn't build crazy comb up under them again. I also stopped up the notch openings in the inner covers to keep robbers and outsiders out. After thinking about this some more, it seemed that the hives could get really hot with no ventilation out the top (the telescoping covers fit snugly on top of the feeders). I had a 10-frame top vent screen I had won as a door prize at our beekeepers association meeting a year ago, so I put that on top of the 10-frame hive. I ordered 3 8-frame vent screens from Kelleys. They came Monday and I went out to put them on. Well, they sent me 10-frame screens.<br />
<br />
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<br />
I called them up and told them what had happened and forwarded them the order acknowledgment I had received from them. The gal on the phone looked through the catalog and told me she didn't think they had 8-frame screens. I forwarded the order acknowledgement I had received from them back to her. She found the 8-frame screens in the catalog and said she'd get three of them headed my way. I asked about the 3 10-frame screens and she said to just keep them. (I'm waiting in case they do decide to send me a return shipping label. If they do, I'll send them back. If they don't, I'll take them to the beekeeper's assocation and donate them for door prizes. Isn't that karma thing something?)<br />
<br />
Anyways, I got them Thursday afternoon! So I took them out and put them on the hives. When I got to thinking about things (it seems that's when I'm most dangerous!), it looked like, although the tops were raised a little bit, it was a tight fit and I couldn't see how there was any ventilation. Perhaps the screens work better on top of the inner covers, or maybe I need migratory covers. Anyways, I decided to prop up one end of the telescoping covers (remembering the stick under the top philosophy). I figured that since it was screened and nothing (except maybe SHB) can get in, it was safe for the hives, and it would increase ventilation.<br />
<br />
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Anyway, thumb's up to Kelley's for taking good care of me. <img alt="" border="0" class="inlineimg" src="http://cdn.beekeepingforums.com/images/smilies/thumbsup.gif" title="" /> </blockquote>
Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-58239704358772195552013-07-30T23:03:00.001-04:002013-07-30T23:03:25.954-04:00Feeding Update I looked in all four hives today in the top feeders, and they were all
plumb full of bees wall-to-wall. I guess that's what they needed. I
hope it helps them to draw out more comb and have more brood. I feel
like I made the right choice with the feeders. I'll keep you updated.
Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-46008708616795606242013-07-29T16:58:00.000-04:002013-07-29T16:58:04.454-04:00A Command DecisionWell, I went into the hives briefly today. It's odd how I never seem to find what I think I'll find when I go in to the hives. <br /><br />I did have bare-frame deeps over the brood deep, and below the partially filled with honey and comb supers. Today there are 1.5 to 3 frames with brood in each middle deep. The supers still had comb and some honey. All boxes had a lot of bees.<br /><br />So after thinking a little bit about the conditions of the hives, and the time of year (and mumbling a lot), I made the command decision to go ahead and put the feeders on each hive. I won't get any honey this year, but hopefully they'll finish building comb and have plenty of stores for the winter.Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-42993644798918347422013-07-27T15:05:00.002-04:002013-07-27T15:10:25.410-04:00Experiment That Didn't Go Too WellMy plan this year with two packages and two nucs was to try to get two
deeps on each hive filled with comb and brood, and have strong hives
going into winter.<br />
<br />
I had about twenty five medium frames drawn containing half-capped honey
in the freezer from last year. My thought was that after the bottom
deeps were full, I'd take the feeders off, put another deep with bare
frames on, then put the medium supers with the frames evenly divided
between the four hives. My thinking was that the bees would travel up to
the frames with honey, and maybe decide to draw comb on the middle deep
while they were traveling.<br />
<br />
I looked in the hives yesterday to make sure there weren't any wax moths,
SHB, etc., and to see if they'd drawn out the middle deep boxes. Well,
there was hardly any comb drawn on the middle deeps, and the honey was
mostly gone from the top mediums. (Note 1: I use plastic frames,
but they drew out the ones in the bottom deeps great. Note 2: Three
hives are 8-frame and one is 10-frame, but they all look the same
inside.)<br />
<br />
I don't know why they didn't build out the comb on the middle deeps.
It's been awfully rainy and cool this summer thus far. Maybe that has
something to do with it. Maybe I should have kept feeding them all
summer (although there was some flow this year, and I thought that would
suffice).<br />
<br />
So now I'm thinking that it's getting late in the year, and that I'd better take the top supers off, and start feeding 1:1 syrup so that they might draw out some comb. I also got the suggestion to move a couple of frames of brood up into the upper deep to encourage activity in that level. If that doesn't work, I guess I'll have to remove the middle layer deeps and put the medium supers with the drawn comb on top of the bottom deeps and see if they'll fill that with honey for the winter.<br />
<br />
Hopefully Monday I can mix up some syrup and get the feeders on. Hopefully, the bees will get the hint.<br />
<br />
Updates will be provided when/if they happen!Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-4488803228855297222013-07-08T18:58:00.001-04:002013-07-08T18:58:41.850-04:00The Swarm is GoneFriday the swarm looked lively and was bringing in pollen. Today,
there's not a bee alive. I had a jar of syrup on top of the inner cover
with a box around it, but maybe all this rain and them not being able
to get out, plus they were a small swarm had something to do with it.
There's some dead bees on top of the inner cover. I didn't take the
time to look in the frames. I'll go into it tomorrow morning. I hate
it for the bees. But I've learned some lessons and hopefully the next
swarm will fare better.Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-7263100940517150052013-07-02T16:17:00.000-04:002013-07-03T07:13:25.303-04:00Dealing With the Swarm on TuesdayWell, I went out there this morning and the swarm is still on the limb.
I don't know if they stayed because it got dark before they got into
the hive, or maybe they're still not happy with how I cleaned out the
box. If they're not in the hive in a few hours, I guess I'll have to
get into my bee suit and put them in the box. It just doesn't seem like
they can stay that way very long. They've been there around 24 hours
now through 3 thundershowers. Where they're at is where the swarm trap
was before I put them in the hive the first time.<br />
<br />
Update 1: So they're still on the limb at 1:00 pm EDT. I guess I'm going to have
to suit up and put them in the box. I would have thought the LGO cotton
ball would have lured them back into the hive, plus the fact that I
moved it to about 3 feet from the limb they're on. Silly bees. I don't
know what they're thinking. I hope the queen is ok.<br />
<br />
Update 2: I put the hive box under the swarm, removed four frames, and, like the
good hands people, I gently scooped them into the box. It's a small
swarm (about a pound)(but many may have been out scouting or foraging).
I put an entrance feeder full of syrup on top of the frames and put an
empty super around that. Hopefully, that will be encouraging and
welcoming enough for them to say this time. If I go out there this
evening and they're back to hanging on the limb, I'll just give up.<br />
<br />
I have learned a lot from this experience. I don't think I'll use the
flower pot-type swarm trap any more. I'll just set a hive box with
frames out so they'll get started right. Hopefully next year I'll have
some drawn comb frames that I can put in the swarm trap to maybe make it
more attractive. And I don't think I'll do any cutouts. That comb is a
sticky gooey mashy mess. And, although I kind of knew it, now I really
know that bees will do what <u>they</u> want to do.<br />
<br />
I was really surprised the swarm hung under that limb through three thundershowers. They must be tough bees.<br />
<br />
But, so far they're staying in the box. I hope it goes better this time around. <br />
<br />
Here's the hive right under the limb where the bees were hanging:<br />
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Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-22236155368519730612013-07-01T20:05:00.000-04:002013-07-01T20:14:31.010-04:00I May Have Dodged A Bullet TodayMy Dad called a little while ago and said he thought the queen in the
swarm I hived recently must not be doing very well. He said there was a
swarm on a tree limb this morning close to the hive where I put the
swarm. I told him that it had rained pretty hard a little while ago and
it's doubtful they would still be there. But I went out and looked and
they were still there. I was only going to pop the top and see if I
could see a reason for them swarming, but there were a few bees on top
of the inner cover around the entrance feeder I had there, so nothing
unusual. So, since I had long gloves on, I took the feeder out and
lifted the inner cover.<br />
<br />
Ugh. Wax moths! <img alt="" border="0" class="inlineimg" src="http://cdn.beekeepingforums.com/images/smilies/icon_eek.gif" title="" />
Little worms everywhere. The comb I had tried to move from the swarm trap to empty frames in the hive
had all kind of fell/melted into the bottom of the hive and there were
hundreds (if not thousands) of little worms all in it. I guess the
reason they had swarmed was they really were absconding. Luckily, they
were only about 10 feet from the hive on a limb. So I took the hive box
apart and cleaned out all of the frames, and scraped the comb/worms off
of the bottom board. I set the comb and the frames out in the sun
(from what I have read, wax moths and larvae are kind of like vampires:
They really don't like the sun). I got some new frames and put them in
the deep box and added a cottonball with some lemongrass oil on it, put
the inner cover on and put the feeder on top and put the lid on. Me
and Dad moved the hive box next to the limb so the swarm wouldn't have
far to go and maybe they would smell the lemongrass oil and move back
in. I tried to clean it up as well as I could. I told Dad either they
will go back in or else they won't.<br />
<br />
Here's the hive box and where the swarm was when I got out there to it:<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://i585.photobucket.com/albums/ss298/Slowmodem_photo/Bees/070113%20Swarm%20Swarmed/2013-07-01_18-05-50_545B.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
And here's a close up of the swarm:<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://i585.photobucket.com/albums/ss298/Slowmodem_photo/Bees/070113%20Swarm%20Swarmed/photobucket-8277-1372718690118.jpg" /><br />
<br />
I did hear a very high pitched humming sound coming from inside the hive
box after I had it reassembled. I don't know if it was a scout bee
signaling the other bees. My initial thought was that it might have
been a queen piping. It was such a unique sound, very different from
any buzzing noise I had ever heard. And it was loud, too! Just one
more thing for me to wonder about. <img alt="" border="0" class="inlineimg" src="http://cdn.beekeepingforums.com/images/smilies/dontknow.gif" title="" /><br />
<br />
Anyway, I'm keeping my fingers crossed they will stay.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Name: lilylady-999753-albums-clip-art-smilies-2-pic85738-fingerscrossed.png
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Size: 5.6 KB" />Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-70206961890602650812013-06-26T16:51:00.001-04:002013-06-26T16:56:28.022-04:00I Hived A Swarm TodayWhat a time Dad and I had today! There's been a swarm living in the swarm trap for over a month now, but I haven't been able to do anything with it until now. I got an 8-frame hive assembly ready
to put the swarm from the swarm trap in. The swarm trap is one of those
flowerpot looking things from WT Kelley.<br />
<br />
<img border="0" height="236" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CSyWb6roIZg/UYL0cox1AbI/AAAAAAAAAMs/XKdopZbDsns/s320/s+trap+02.jpg" width="320" /> <br />
<br />
<br />
I got some empty wooden
frames and some fishing line that I wrapped around them. Got the smoker
and tool box and stuff up to the trap. Set the hive on a table a few
feed away from the trap. Took the trap down and had to really pry with a
hive tool to get the top and bottom separated. There was 5 big combs
hanging down from the top. I shook the bees into
the hive box and sat the top down on the ground with the combs sticking
up. I took the hive tool and pried the combs off the top. I laid them
down on the frames in the box until I had them all off of the top. Then
I tried to put them into the empty frames with the fishing line. I
learned I can't tie knots in fishing line while sweating profusely and
wearing gloves! Then a thunderstorm came over and it rained hard for a
few minutes. It cooled us off, but I don't think the bees liked it
much. When I tried to put the comb in the frame, it just bent and broke
and was a mushy mess. I really don't know how the big time bee folks do it. There
must be a secret to it. But I stuck them in there as best as I could
and I hope the bees straighten it out. I am thinking that they'll
adjust the comb to allow for bee space, and hopefully connect it to the
top. I have four empty frames for the comb in the center, and four
regular frames (two on each side) on the outsides. I tried to get as
many bees as I could into the hive. I hope I got the queen in there. I
sat the top and bottom right under the table with the hive on it, so
hopefully they'll realize that they live in a new house now. I'll
probably give them a few days to adjust, then I plan on moving the hive a
couple of feet every day until I get them where I want them to be, down
with the other bees. I'm sorry I didn't get any pictures. Between the
sweat and the rain and the bees and the ticks and the gooey comb, I
pretty well had my hands full.<br />
<br />
The moral to the story is this: I'll probably not use a flowerpot swarm trap
again. I'll just get me a hive assembly and put some frames with old
drawn comb in there.<br />
<br />
But at least now I can say that I've tried it.
Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-29368283711565090082013-06-21T19:04:00.000-04:002013-06-21T19:04:05.599-04:00Soltice InspectionWe went into the hives today looking for brood and comb. All four hives are still alive, although they're not as strong as I'd hoped they would be. A late start and cool weather I think is the cause. But they say the flow has been spectacular this year, so I was hoping they would have drawn more comb than they have.<br />
<br />
I had 20 frames of mostly capped honey in a freezer since last year. We thawed them out last night and I put a super on each hive today. The second brood boxes weren't drawn out as much as I would have liked them to be, so I guess now if you were to look in to the hive, you'd think they were bottom supered. There's a brood box on bottom, a partially filled brood box next, then a super with comb and partially combed honey. I'm hoping that the bees will be drawn up to the top super, so that will encourage them to draw out the middle box. I think one of the reasons they haven't drawn out the second brood box was they lacked incentive. Perhaps now they have that.<br />
<br />
So I'll give them a week or so then look in and see how they're doing.<br />
<br />
One of the package hives wasn't doing too good, and I didn't see many eggs or brood. So i took a frame of eggs and brood from the 10-frame hive and put it in the weak hive. Hopefully this will bolster the hive, and if they've lost the queen, there will be eggs to make a new one.<br />
<br />
Didn't see any SHBs. Saw a couple of mites on drone larvae between levels in the frames, but it didn't seem too bad. I'll probably treat this fall after removing all supers. If it will keep raining, things will keep blooming and hopefully there will be some honey later.<br />
<br />
I got some wooden frames at the Co-op today. We'll need to put them together so that we can have a place to ut the comb when we get into that swarm rap. I hope to get to that sometime this weekend or next week. That will give me five hives.<br />
<br />
Be well!Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5565190104422840122.post-76129504295138705662013-06-12T09:41:00.000-04:002013-06-12T09:41:08.634-04:00Feeders Off!We went out for a few minutes Monday and took the empty supers and feeders off of the hives. There wasn't nearly as many bees in the feeders, which was good. We leaned the feeders up against the landing boards so that the stragglers would go back into the hive that night.<br />
<br />
Tuesday, there were still bees on one of the feeders. That leads me to believe that there might have been some brood in those combs and the bees didn't want to leave it. Hopefully they'll get back in the hive. I hope to have some time today or tomorrow to go and check it out. And hopefully, everybody will be back in their hives.Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158130839268192999noreply@blogger.com0