I opened up the second split to check the feeding jar and found it to be empty. I pulled it out and decided to look into the second box to see if the new queen that I think is in there has started laying. I found eggs, larvae and capped brood, but I started to worry that I was looking at the frame I put in there last week so I kept looking. I found the new queen! I think she is laying and the bees have been busy filling frames with nectar so I decided to add in the last 3 frames of foundation in the second box and put the feeding jar in an empty third box. I have finished off the last of the honey extracted from the dead-out while refilling the feeding jar so they are now getting 1:1 syrup. I will probably keep feeding this hive until they stop taking syrup. I want them to build into 3 boxes before the fall.
The first split has 3 boxes now, and I'll check it to see how they are doing with honey and pollen at the end of the week.
The main hive has 4 boxes so I will hopefully be able to harvest a box of frames for our use. I will check that hive at the end of the week. If they are still building queen cells and have enough brood frames I may start a nuc for overwintering. It would be great to have 3 hives and a nuc going into the winter.
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Checking in again
The first split is doing well. I did not look in the bottom box, but there were eggs there last time I checked so I expect there are frames of brood there now. There are 2 frames of eggs/brood in the second box even though there are only 7 frames and the feeder jar in the second box. They emptied the feeder so I refilled the jar and will continue feeding them until they draw out more comb in the second box.
The second split still has some capped worker and drone brood from the original queen, but there is also evidence of at least one queen hatching and killing off the other queen cells. The workers are cleaning and preparing cells, but no eggs yet. From what I have read, it will probably be another week or so before there are eggs from the new queen. I put in one more frame of eggs, larvae and capped brood from the main hive so if something has happened to the new queen the workers can use the eggs to start up another queen. Probably not necessary, but I'm hedging my bets. There are still 7 frames in the second box with the jar feeder of honey. They finished off the last jar so I'm feeding them more. The honey from the dead-out is almost gone.
I opened up the main hive which is packed with bees. I did not dig around in the bottom box. It appeared to be full of bees and provisions. There was one frame with eggs, larvae and brood in the second box that I pulled and put into the second split. It had the beginnings of a swarm cell. That might be more useful to the second split. I think there were 6 frames of brood in the second box. There were 2 frames of brood in the third box, along with the queen. The queen was on a frame of honey against the side of the box. I'm guessing she was trying to avoid me and moved there to hide. I think she may be reducing her laying as we come into the dearth. The top box is still undrawn foundation. I tried rearranging things by putting a few frames with honey from the third box into the top box and swapping them for foundation from the top box. I am hoping that making space in the third box and putting honey in the top box will encourage the bees to fill up the super and not swarm.
I'll give it a week and then check again. With luck the first split will be ready for another box, the second split will have eggs and larvae, and the main hive will be filling the super.
The second split still has some capped worker and drone brood from the original queen, but there is also evidence of at least one queen hatching and killing off the other queen cells. The workers are cleaning and preparing cells, but no eggs yet. From what I have read, it will probably be another week or so before there are eggs from the new queen. I put in one more frame of eggs, larvae and capped brood from the main hive so if something has happened to the new queen the workers can use the eggs to start up another queen. Probably not necessary, but I'm hedging my bets. There are still 7 frames in the second box with the jar feeder of honey. They finished off the last jar so I'm feeding them more. The honey from the dead-out is almost gone.
I opened up the main hive which is packed with bees. I did not dig around in the bottom box. It appeared to be full of bees and provisions. There was one frame with eggs, larvae and brood in the second box that I pulled and put into the second split. It had the beginnings of a swarm cell. That might be more useful to the second split. I think there were 6 frames of brood in the second box. There were 2 frames of brood in the third box, along with the queen. The queen was on a frame of honey against the side of the box. I'm guessing she was trying to avoid me and moved there to hide. I think she may be reducing her laying as we come into the dearth. The top box is still undrawn foundation. I tried rearranging things by putting a few frames with honey from the third box into the top box and swapping them for foundation from the top box. I am hoping that making space in the third box and putting honey in the top box will encourage the bees to fill up the super and not swarm.
I'll give it a week and then check again. With luck the first split will be ready for another box, the second split will have eggs and larvae, and the main hive will be filling the super.
Thursday, July 7, 2016
2 Splits and counting
I inspected the main hive and found some queen cups and one supersedure cell so I pulled about 6 frames of brood and started another split. That was last Friday, July 1, if I recall correctly.
I added a super to the main hive; although I will need to check again to see if there are any more queen cells or if I have stripped out enough brood to suppress swarming. I want to see if I can harvest a whole box of honey. This super is the 4th box so the other 3 should still be enough to sustain the hive for the winter.
I am feeding both splits with the honey I extracted from the dead-out. I am using a feeder jar inside a hive box with a shim. The feeder takes about 3 frames of space so I put 7 frames in as well to allow for expansion. So far each split has been given 2 jars of honey.
I bought a marking pen so I can mark my queens when I find them. Meghan Gaven suggested practicing on drones first. That will be my next project. I will find the queen in the first split and mark her--after marking a couple of drones. That will also give me time to inspect the first split and make sure her pattern is good.
If the main hive is still making queen cells I will probably be making a third split. Hopefully the new queens are as good as their mother. She lays a beautiful pattern and an amazing amount. There was brood in all 3 boxes before I put on the super.
I added a super to the main hive; although I will need to check again to see if there are any more queen cells or if I have stripped out enough brood to suppress swarming. I want to see if I can harvest a whole box of honey. This super is the 4th box so the other 3 should still be enough to sustain the hive for the winter.
I am feeding both splits with the honey I extracted from the dead-out. I am using a feeder jar inside a hive box with a shim. The feeder takes about 3 frames of space so I put 7 frames in as well to allow for expansion. So far each split has been given 2 jars of honey.
I bought a marking pen so I can mark my queens when I find them. Meghan Gaven suggested practicing on drones first. That will be my next project. I will find the queen in the first split and mark her--after marking a couple of drones. That will also give me time to inspect the first split and make sure her pattern is good.
If the main hive is still making queen cells I will probably be making a third split. Hopefully the new queens are as good as their mother. She lays a beautiful pattern and an amazing amount. There was brood in all 3 boxes before I put on the super.
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