First Fall mite treatment

I gave the 3 hives Apiguard this past weekend. 

I thought I was going to have to combine the Russian hybrid with the smaller Italian hive. I thought they were queenless, but I found brood and larva so I just moved them into a smaller space. They are in 4 stacked nuc boxes instead of 2 mediums. They made it through the winter in 3 nuc boxes last year so they should be ok with 4. They still have time to fill it.

I had already combined the other Russian hybrid with the stronger Italian hive because it was queenless. That box which I had put on top of the honey super now has larva in it. I don't know if that's from the Italian queen or I was wrong about it being queenless. Either way it was too weak to get through the winter (only one medium.)

There was some robbing last weekend for the smaller Italian hive, so I added a robbing screen. 

If I can rearrange the hives a bit when I do the next dose of Apiguard I think they'll be mostly set for the winter. Stronger than last fall! If things go well I hope to harvest honey next 4th of July.

Quick status

So on Saturday 4/19 I put syrup buckets on the hives with Fumagilin-B for nosema.

No inspection or anything. Just supply food and go. I'll see if I can inspect them next weekend--weather permitting. It was too windy and cool this weekend.

April 12th

Both hives have survived the winter.

They were bringing in pollen. I don't know where they are getting it, but it is pollen.

I need to get some buckets of syrup on the hives on the next warm day. It got cold again before I did it this past weekend.

Bees are amazing.