I made a split for my Harbo breeder, opted to do in a push in cage, should've just stuck with a standard introduction... going to be a nervous wreck this week!
Today in the Apiary
I will stick this thread at the top so we can have sort of a beekeepers diary. It will be neat to look back in time, in time. Share what work you did, observations, stories about things that happened in the apiary. Musings while you have your morning coffee while watching the bees. Let's see where this goes.
I checked a new swarm that moved into some empty boxes I had stacked about 5 days ago. Saw the queen when I transferred them into a new hive with frames of foundation. They're building comb, but filling every cell with nectar/feed. No eggs. Will have to put a frame with eggs into it right away.
I checked a new swarm that moved into some empty boxes I had stacked about 5 days ago. Saw the queen when I transferred them into a new hive with frames of foundation. They're building comb, but filling every cell with nectar/feed. No eggs. Will have to put a frame with eggs into it right away.
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Okay, Today I put slatted racks on my hives, and put MAQS in all three hives. What a PAIN!
Honey supers were on, had to take them all off, 2 each on 2 hives and 1 on the third. Gave myself a fat lip while adding a third super to one hive. Grabbed super, turned and moved to put it on, ran into the hive with the empty super at lip level, guess the hive was taller than I thought. Only got stung once, when a bee got under my thumb.
Really not looking forward to next Friday, when I have to take everything apart again.
Well, next year I'll know to treat before I put supers on, I'll oxyvap next year, since MAQS has to be consistently above a certain temp.
Honey supers were on, had to take them all off, 2 each on 2 hives and 1 on the third. Gave myself a fat lip while adding a third super to one hive. Grabbed super, turned and moved to put it on, ran into the hive with the empty super at lip level, guess the hive was taller than I thought. Only got stung once, when a bee got under my thumb.
Really not looking forward to next Friday, when I have to take everything apart again.
Well, next year I'll know to treat before I put supers on, I'll oxyvap next year, since MAQS has to be consistently above a certain temp.
My split hive swarmed. Day of infamy for me.
Had a virgin queen fly out of my hands. Oops.
Went into my two recently installed packages with the intent of manipulating frames to get more drawn comb. Found a couple queen cups in the hive that had the most capped brood.
With these two colonies I intend to experiment and understand a few things i have been reading about, hoping to split both into nucs mid-summer with an ordered VSH queen and to catch a swarm or two and to go into the winter with 4-6 colonies for a growth next spring.
With these two colonies I intend to experiment and understand a few things i have been reading about, hoping to split both into nucs mid-summer with an ordered VSH queen and to catch a swarm or two and to go into the winter with 4-6 colonies for a growth next spring.
Checked on eight new hives and filled feeders. Did an inspection on one where the queen was questionable, never did see her, but plenty of new eggs. Love these new bees, very mild mannered. No smoke, no veil, and not even a head-butt from them.
Today Is a very special in my Apiary, My out yards and my life! 50 years ago today I received my first nuc from my scout master, Mr. George Ackinclouse (A great Man, Beekeeper and leader) To earn my Bee keeping Merit badge. As I worked toward the requirement for Eagle Scout. I became so enthralled with them, I have had them ever since. Sometimes few sometimes many. Always a journey!
Encountered my hottest hive ever - a mating nuc no less, 6 medium frames of bees. More than 20 stings through my jeans and under my jacket before I retreated - dozens of stingers caught in my clothes. A week ago it was queenright and calm - glad it happened before I caged the queen and handed her to someone else. Full suit time.
Within this past week I decided on a change in my hive management technique, after a two year test on the three deep brood nest concept and it's inability to provide me with satisfactory results I have developed a form of "2 deep/3 deep combination hive", this new technique is tailored for capitalizing on the expected nectar level during my flow times and the minimization of swarming at the location in which I live.
The last two years of experimenting with 3 deep hives was not a waste of time because the knowledge and insight I have gained during the last two years was vital to the development of the new hive management technique. I will need at least another year to prove out this new concept but I have the gut feeling that it will work wonders and my hopes are high. :thumbsup:
The last two years of experimenting with 3 deep hives was not a waste of time because the knowledge and insight I have gained during the last two years was vital to the development of the new hive management technique. I will need at least another year to prove out this new concept but I have the gut feeling that it will work wonders and my hopes are high. :thumbsup:
today is grafting day here, all set up and ready to go, just waiting for the foragers to start flying, the larvae i want are at the bottom of a six hive body stack.
One hive that didn't buildup well is queenless. Going to combine w other hive.
Business is booming at my one and only hive. We are finishing up a huge flow of black locust and the bees drew out comb for, and filled, an entire medium box in a week, and are now working on another box.
(this is in Nassau County NY, not Vermont--I beed to change my location.)
(this is in Nassau County NY, not Vermont--I beed to change my location.)
Was going to check hives but didn't due to rain... lol this is going to be a very interesting or boring thread. Heh
Today on a whim I decided to check my #1 hive , which has had problems with re-queening since it was split from my original on 4/8 . On Monday I gave them some brood and eggs , since they were very defensive and I saw no sign of a queen . Today there were fresh eggs on a frame that's been in the hive for quite some time . This gives me 4 hives with mated and laying queens now , all descendents of the original dark Russian I got last year in mid-June - this queen would be her granddaughter , she came from an egg laid by a daughter of the original . Today was a very good day in The 12 Acre Wood Apiary .
I walked by a box of 100 frames that need to be assembled.
Did a cutout from a soffit. Got two swarm calls: caught and hived one; lost the other one. Got a new swarm trap location. Did a couple of newspaper combines. Inspected some hives. Checked and moved some swarm traps. Caught a swarm in one trap and moved it to the nursery/nuc yard after dark. Long day.
Update -- this morning I got a call back on the swarm I lost yesterday. Today, it was a classic cluster on a limb, bees in a bucket. Hived it, and put it in the nursery. Then, the bottom fell out, a thunderstorm, again. Glad for the noahic covenant.
Update -- this morning I got a call back on the swarm I lost yesterday. Today, it was a classic cluster on a limb, bees in a bucket. Hived it, and put it in the nursery. Then, the bottom fell out, a thunderstorm, again. Glad for the noahic covenant.
:lpf: Ive been doing it for 2 weeks. Finally got 20 done the other night, then tore up a tendon in my wrist today at work........ not laughing anymore..I walked by a box of 100 frames that need to be assembled.
inch:..... glad i introduced my nephew to the bees last week, hes gonna learn alot more this weekend looks like............... GI really am not proud of this but as your the only people who will hopefully laugh with me here it goes... I was out by the hives in the evening watering my plants, my dog was wondering around A
and somehow tripped me causing me to bang into a hive hard, of coarse it had to be the the pissy hive. **** things shot out like angry rockets which caused me to run for cover. I could feel a sting on my arm during my retreat. And hear them on the back of my shirt, which half way across the back yard I ditched, and ran into the house topless much to my daughters enjoyment, they watched the whole scene, and were on the floor laughing. I only got one sting and so did the dog, on his nose. But after I suited up to make sure I didn't topple anything and retrieve my shirt. I found the hive was ok, my shirt had at least 6 angry bees in it. I don't think a single member of my family will let me live it down and my husband just laughed and said "you wanted bees"
and somehow tripped me causing me to bang into a hive hard, of coarse it had to be the the pissy hive. **** things shot out like angry rockets which caused me to run for cover. I could feel a sting on my arm during my retreat. And hear them on the back of my shirt, which half way across the back yard I ditched, and ran into the house topless much to my daughters enjoyment, they watched the whole scene, and were on the floor laughing. I only got one sting and so did the dog, on his nose. But after I suited up to make sure I didn't topple anything and retrieve my shirt. I found the hive was ok, my shirt had at least 6 angry bees in it. I don't think a single member of my family will let me live it down and my husband just laughed and said "you wanted bees"
Uggg... yeah, just finishing up 160 of them. Loads of fun!!!I walked by a box of 100 frames that need to be assembled.
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