On Wednesday, August 17, I tried to do a thorough inspection of my hives.
I started with the first split. I found that there are 5 frames of eggs and brood in the bottom box and 3 frames in the middle box. The top box is about half full of nectar/honey so there is still room to expand. I have been feeding the split 1:1 syrup to try to have 3 full boxes going into the winter so I will continue feeding. They are taking a jar (2 lbs water and 2 pounds sugar) every other day. I saw the queen, and the brood pattern is good.
I then moved to the second split. Again I found that there are 5 frames of eggs and brood in the bottom box and 3 frames in the second box. I did not see the queen. The brood pattern is not quite as nice as the first hive, and there are more drones. The second box is not yet full so I have not added a third box yet. This hive is also taking syrup, just a little slower. Not quite as strong as the first split, but I expect to add a third box in another week so I think this split will be ready for winter.
Lastly I opened up the main hive all the way to the bottom box. I have not done that since the last time I pulled frames for the second split. There were a lot of bees, but they were cranky! I saw some drone brood and at least three supersedure cells in the first 5 frames in the bottom box. I could hear some odd noises as well. After being stung 4 times while looking at the first 5 frames, I decided to run away far and fast. Too much pain for this inspection. I put the boxes back together and had to use a lot of smoke just to keep from being stung again. I looked it up on YouTube to verify that the noises I was hearing correspond to a virgin queen announcing herself. I listened later the next day and could hear at least 3 queens piping and quacking. The noises were simultaneous and seemed to come from different parts of the hive. I listened again this morning, and the piping had stopped. The evidence suggests that the queens have fought it out, and they are down to one queen. The hive is no longer roaring loudly so hopefully they will settle down to making honey until the new queen starts laying. I don't know why they superseded the old queen. I thought she was great, but that eliminates any ideas I had about requeening that hive. Larry had said he was able to control mites by breaking the brood cycle and requeening every other year, and I was debating the wisdom of that, but the hive has made that decision for me. The weather is good so she should be able to fly for mating. I am still not feeding that hive since I hope to harvest some honey, but we'll see how things are going in a week or so.
With all new queens I should be set for overwintering these 3 hives. I have been cleaning up old equipment so in the spring I can try the split technique again and try to optimize the populations. I think I need to experiment and observe more to better manage the bees. My hands-off method certainly has not paid off so I might as well try a new approach.
Friday, August 19, 2016
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Quick check yesterday
I looked into the hives yesterday, but only the top one or 2 boxes.
In the first split I found the queen and saw frames for capped brood, eggs and larvae. I have kind of a checkerboard pattern of foundation and drawn comb so there is still room in the hive to expand. There are 3 boxes for the colony, but I'm going to feed this hive until it is more filled out.
In the second split I did not see the queen, but I did find frames of capped brood, eggs and larvae also. It also has not filled its space so I'm feeding it as well. I had let the feeding lapse for a couple of weeks in the hopes that these would grow on their own, but the weather has been so dry I think the dearth slowed them down.
I looked into the main hive, but only the top 2 boxes. The top box is a honey super that I am hoping they will fill, but so far that has not happened. I moved one frame of foundation down and a frame of honey up into the super when I looked into the next box down (3rd from the bottom). That box has frames of brood, eggs and larvae also so the queen is in there somewhere. I did not see any queen cells, just one empty queen cup on the bottom so I think the hive is doing OK. I need to do a more thorough inspection and maybe make a nuc for overwintering. I should set up a schedule for inspections and making of nucs for the fall so I don't get behind and get caught by the weather. I did catch a drone and practiced painting a spot on its back. It was easy, and the drone flew off after, but I need to do more than one to gain some confidence.
In the first split I found the queen and saw frames for capped brood, eggs and larvae. I have kind of a checkerboard pattern of foundation and drawn comb so there is still room in the hive to expand. There are 3 boxes for the colony, but I'm going to feed this hive until it is more filled out.
In the second split I did not see the queen, but I did find frames of capped brood, eggs and larvae also. It also has not filled its space so I'm feeding it as well. I had let the feeding lapse for a couple of weeks in the hopes that these would grow on their own, but the weather has been so dry I think the dearth slowed them down.
I looked into the main hive, but only the top 2 boxes. The top box is a honey super that I am hoping they will fill, but so far that has not happened. I moved one frame of foundation down and a frame of honey up into the super when I looked into the next box down (3rd from the bottom). That box has frames of brood, eggs and larvae also so the queen is in there somewhere. I did not see any queen cells, just one empty queen cup on the bottom so I think the hive is doing OK. I need to do a more thorough inspection and maybe make a nuc for overwintering. I should set up a schedule for inspections and making of nucs for the fall so I don't get behind and get caught by the weather. I did catch a drone and practiced painting a spot on its back. It was easy, and the drone flew off after, but I need to do more than one to gain some confidence.
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Queen #3
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.
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 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.
Friday, June 24, 2016
Just checking
I did a post-mortem on the failed split. I'm guessing I just did not add enough bees to keep the baby bees fed. It appears that the emerging bees died from starvation. That's just a guess since I did not do any microscopy on the dead bees.
The other split has lots of eggs so there is a new queen in there somewhere. I did not identify her so I'll look again next week. There is still some room in there for the new colony.
I did a quick look into the main hive. There is brood in the top box as well as some additional space. I think I will try making one more split from this hive before the summer goes along too much further. I need to go all the way to the bottom box to see if they are using that box. I'm not sure they are and if not, why not. I want to prepare another box with frames before breaking down that colony.
The other split has lots of eggs so there is a new queen in there somewhere. I did not identify her so I'll look again next week. There is still some room in there for the new colony.
I did a quick look into the main hive. There is brood in the top box as well as some additional space. I think I will try making one more split from this hive before the summer goes along too much further. I need to go all the way to the bottom box to see if they are using that box. I'm not sure they are and if not, why not. I want to prepare another box with frames before breaking down that colony.
Saturday, June 4, 2016
Checking the splits
Today I checked on my 2 splits. The 10 frame medium looks good with 7 queen cells. I gave them syrup with fumagilin. I also gave the original hive its second dose of fumagilin.
The other split has no queen cells and shows evidence of some disease. I'm not sure what. Right now I'm leaving it alone. I gave it some honey from the dead-out hive, but no additional bees or frames. I'm not sure what to do about that hive so maybe I'll just leave it as an experiment for now to see what happens with the brood in that hive.
Why did one split succeed and not the other? They both came from frames from the main hive. Is it because I was re-using frames from past hives? I'm guessing yes, and I should strip and clean the frames and boxes from previous hives. I need to build my solar melter and start processing wax. Bleach the equipment for safe reuse before trying another split.
The other split has no queen cells and shows evidence of some disease. I'm not sure what. Right now I'm leaving it alone. I gave it some honey from the dead-out hive, but no additional bees or frames. I'm not sure what to do about that hive so maybe I'll just leave it as an experiment for now to see what happens with the brood in that hive.
Why did one split succeed and not the other? They both came from frames from the main hive. Is it because I was re-using frames from past hives? I'm guessing yes, and I should strip and clean the frames and boxes from previous hives. I need to build my solar melter and start processing wax. Bleach the equipment for safe reuse before trying another split.
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