Durandal
09-22-2008, 06:28 PM
I have six colonies that did really well right now. A mix of nucs purchased from Ohio Homestead Apiaries and swarms caught locally.
Right now I have let them maintain unlimited brood space. Four colonies have 4 medium hive boxes, and 2 colonies have three. Right now I have brood in all four boxes on the stronger hives, pyramid shape, with sufficient stores.
Pollen and nectar are still coming in (nectar is really light and we are lacking rainfall) though I have started feeding syrup in small quantities since they are taking it.
They have begun back filling most of the brood space in the upper most box but the queen just laid a whole new frame in each box full of eggs. Pattern rocks. In fact all queens are going full bore and doing quite well. We were in a dearth for a while and I was slow in picking up on it. They had stopped laying for a bit and I was a little freaked, thinking I had somehow wrecked by queens in the last inspection. I had close to two weeks of no eggs laid. Then after feeding, they took off again and strong.
I am thinking to rob out the 4 strong colonies and and bring all 6 colonies into the same weight range and hive space, bringing them into a 3 box (2 deep equivalent) set-up.
My goal is to split any surviving hives next year.
I still have two pollen traps on trying to collect what I can to feed back to them next year mixed in with what ever I decide to feed in terms of homemade patties.
I have done mite counts and found 5 to 12 on the entire sheet. 2 of the colonies (swarms) have 1 or 2 on the entire sheet. I am contemplating no treatment at all this season or powdered sugar at most. No deformed wing seen and almost all the drones have been given the boot.
I have a single double nuc in an out yard that was from a late-cut out that failed to go queen-right following placement in yard. I was simply going to let it do its thing and have stopped feeding it. It took a hit in the storm and I lost maybe half the bees. If it survives on its own, cool...even amazing, if not, well, I expect it not to.
Thoughts, concerns, comments?
I've been trying to do this on my own without asking too many questions, but I am getting cold feet now and second guessing.
I'd especially like to hear from those running on all mediums, but any thoughts on my set-up so far would be nice.
Right now I have let them maintain unlimited brood space. Four colonies have 4 medium hive boxes, and 2 colonies have three. Right now I have brood in all four boxes on the stronger hives, pyramid shape, with sufficient stores.
Pollen and nectar are still coming in (nectar is really light and we are lacking rainfall) though I have started feeding syrup in small quantities since they are taking it.
They have begun back filling most of the brood space in the upper most box but the queen just laid a whole new frame in each box full of eggs. Pattern rocks. In fact all queens are going full bore and doing quite well. We were in a dearth for a while and I was slow in picking up on it. They had stopped laying for a bit and I was a little freaked, thinking I had somehow wrecked by queens in the last inspection. I had close to two weeks of no eggs laid. Then after feeding, they took off again and strong.
I am thinking to rob out the 4 strong colonies and and bring all 6 colonies into the same weight range and hive space, bringing them into a 3 box (2 deep equivalent) set-up.
My goal is to split any surviving hives next year.
I still have two pollen traps on trying to collect what I can to feed back to them next year mixed in with what ever I decide to feed in terms of homemade patties.
I have done mite counts and found 5 to 12 on the entire sheet. 2 of the colonies (swarms) have 1 or 2 on the entire sheet. I am contemplating no treatment at all this season or powdered sugar at most. No deformed wing seen and almost all the drones have been given the boot.
I have a single double nuc in an out yard that was from a late-cut out that failed to go queen-right following placement in yard. I was simply going to let it do its thing and have stopped feeding it. It took a hit in the storm and I lost maybe half the bees. If it survives on its own, cool...even amazing, if not, well, I expect it not to.
Thoughts, concerns, comments?
I've been trying to do this on my own without asking too many questions, but I am getting cold feet now and second guessing.
I'd especially like to hear from those running on all mediums, but any thoughts on my set-up so far would be nice.