Search:

Ok, saw a REAL carpenter bee at work and what I am seeing is nowhere near as big as that. Drones maybe? Look so much bigger alive.

Well, I botched the photo. Long story.

To get to the heart of the matter, whatever they are, I am going to reduce the entrance, and close up the cork hole. I'm certain it is encouraging robbing...

Well, I examined the outside and underside of the hive and didn't find any bore holes like carpenter bees make.

I'm pretty sure these are carpenter bees, but I'm certainly no expert, so I'll...

Tunnels IN my hive? How likely is that? They would actually burrow into the wood of the hive boxes? There are trees just across the stream, that has to be the more likely source, right?

I've been watching over the past week as carpenter bees force their way into my hive. I have the entrance reducer in, set to the larger opening, though backed off a little from the entrance. Also a...

Thanks to all for the replies. I think I'll open up the bottom entrance and cork the top hole, then give it two weeks before I peek again. IF the queen is still in the top then, I'll reverse again.

First off, I'm happy to report that after the demoralizing loss of my first hive last year, my second and current hive has survived the winter!

I inverted the boxes on march 19th and things seem...

I think this is what I'll do. I had just heard some talk of a preference aginst darker comb on the part of the bee. I just didn't know if the preference was so strong that I should just discard it....

Ok, so I just cleaned out my failed hive from last year a few weeks ago, and I am getting ready to receive my next package in about 10 days. I had 3 deeps full of drawn comb, so I would like to...

Lost 1 of 1. 21229

My hive didn't make it through the winter, and I am making a list of things to do to prep for the next package of bees, which I should be installing in two months or so.

Obviously, I'll have to...

Thanks for the support. I know I was probably just grasping at straws with the whole neighbor thing. It is possible, but looking over my accumulated notes on the hive, this didn't come out of...

Don't know enough to make this judgement. I've only been in this house for a year and a half. The neighbor used to let his kids run all through my yard. He has three boys and seems like the "Gym...

So, I got a second peak today. Took off the mouseguard and scooped hundreds and hundreds of dead bees off the SBB. Didn't even stir anything up. It is looking like 100% eradication. So perfect in...

Well, just opened my first and only hive up and it looks like the girls are finished. I am assuming it was mites. Back in November, I had seen a few bees coming out on the warmer days lethargic and...

What factors do I need to weigh when determining if I should take off my second honey super? There is some honey in it, but certainly not the 50+ pounds it had two months ago. I was considering...

Why do you regret it? Was there robbing? What happened?

Thanks for all the great responses. I think I'll just leave them to their own devices with regard to the location of the queen.

But just to dovetail, if I need to downsize to two boxes, (which...

Ok, then. No excluders and no rotating the boxes. But should I still replace a few of those lower frames that seem abandoned? The queen seems no to lay comb that is too dark. Or I guess I could...

Ok, I know she should be there for the beginning of the overwinter, so here's what I've come up with;

Right now, I am seeing brood in all three deep boxes. It seems like there is the least in the...

I really don't think it could be a spider larvae. It was cylindrical, and had little nub legs like a caterpillar. I was given to understand that spider larvae looked much more like full grown...

I will definitely keep an eye out for all the warning signs, and eliminate any pupae or larvae that I encounter. On one hand, I am somewhat concerned because I noticed it as I was installing a...

Installing my second deep this morning, I saw a larvae in a thin silky cocoon in the inside ledge of my top cover. Thinking it was inert, I scraped it out but left it intact on the cinder blocks the...

Gotta jump on this bandwagon. Fill with ice, water and a lemon cut into quarters. And remember to make a conscious effort to drink at at least a certain rate. Counting on your thirst to tell you...

Can I just say one part of getting into beekeeping that I didn't expect, but am pleased to find is all the potential comedy material. Not to threadjack, but it had to be said...