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New wax diamonds

2K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  SmokeyHill 
#1 ·
Saw a lot of these, what I believe to be, new wax flakes on the sticky boards today. Because of an inspection a few days ago, I know these were under a frame they are actively drawing out. It's so cool to see what's on the sticky board coincide with whats going on in the hive itself.
 

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#2 ·
Preach it, Smokey!

If you continue to sticky board all winter, then in late January or early February, you may see the same thing if you look closely. Your neighboring beekeepers will be wondering whether their hives are just surviving, but you'll know that not only do you have a live colony, but you also have a live, laying, queen. Priceless! And all for just the minimal extra effort of setting up your winter stack so you can keep snooping in the bees' dumpster all year round.

I think sticky board monitoring is the bees' knees (and antennae, tarsi and even the occasional wing), not to mention it's an easy way to estimate cluster size, location, pollen storage, honey-frame consumption, robbing, predators, oh, and count varroa mites, too. I think I have only scratched the surface in learning what stories can be told from a sticky board.

Have fun!

Nancy
 
#3 ·
I think it is really cool when you see the first cappings wax on the sticky board in the winter. Too cold to open the hive, but you KNOW they are brooding up. Time to add the pollen sub if you haven't already. The board has a story that the beekeeper reads.
 
#4 ·
I'm still figuring out what a lot of the debris is. I do believe I have discovered cappings from hatching brood. My next inspection will tell the tale. I have taken the habit of seeing what's going on in the hive and correlating it to what I see on the board. It's kind of like a brief history of whats been going on in there.
 
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