[honeybeekeeper]

Hi, Today is gonna be my first (4 days) hive inspection since i installed my bee package Saturday! Since saturday the weather hasnt been the greatest here in Ky, today will be a nice day for change! Im gonna be looking for the release of the queen, checking for any eggs, filling all the feed bottles and removing the front feeder since all it does is draws ants. The only thing is that i took notice that they enjoy sugar water more so then the syrup that im feeding from the top! So my questions are what "ALL" should i be look for on my first inspection???? and is that a good idea to remove the front feeder or should i leave it since they enjoy the sugar water over the syrup thats being feed at the top?????? Thank you for all your helpful ideas!!!

P.S.-I have bought acouple Beekeeping Books but i have not received them in the mail yet so this is why im asking if there is anything else that i should be looking for that i dont know about. Hopefully my books will get here soon! What books did i purchase? (Backyard Beekeeping & Beekeeping For Dummies Edition 2) Thanks Again!

 

[SwedeBee1970]

Both books are very good. Wait a few more days til the 1st inspection, like this coming Saturday to be on the safe side. They're working feverishly to draw comb for the new Queens eggs. Bad weather doesn't seem to stop my girls (High winds and spotty rains) from foraging. It's the cold that slows them down. http://www.greenanything.net/honey-bees.php . The link at the bottom of the page will give you a downloaded version of BeeKeeping for Dummies 2nd edition for you to read until you get your hard copy.

 

[beedeetee]

At four days I would just make sure the queen has been released, remove the queen cage and close it up. They most likely won't have eggs at four days and you want them to accept your hive as their home. Don't tempt them to find something better (less intrusive).

 

[honeybeekeeper]

Yes i heard alot about the intrusions on here. I believe i read a dozen threads about how they been to their hives several times a day cause they were worried about them. Then a few days go by your reading threads about missing packages. Next saturday i have another package to pick up and the nice weather here in ky will be today and tomorrow. Saturday its suppose to rain for another few days "again"!

 

[Bob Nelson]

Then a few days go by your reading threads about missing packages.

..........or equally bad a balled queen. Even though she may be released and they have accepted her the disruption of opening the hive can make her nervous and they are on her as an intruder.

.......i have another package to pick up and the nice weather here in ky will be today and tomorrow. Saturday its suppose to rain for another few days "again"!

Nice and best for us and the bees should not be confused. Best for bees is to stay out of the newly installed package until a nice day later, not sooner. So far as rain and the package to install, bee work can be done in the rain. It is no fun but they are incredibly resilient in adverse weather. Otherwise keep them in a cool (as in not too warm like heated basement) less lighted place for a couple days if necessary.

So far as today find something to sit on and watch the bees coming and going at the entrance. Likely to be hauling pollen more in morning. Watch them as they take off, circle around and head off in the direction they are foraging. Then watch in that direction for returning foragers make their beeline for the hive. Have fun!

 

[BeeCurious]

At four days I would just make sure the queen has been released, remove the queen cage and close it up.

Me too.

 

[honeybeekeeper]

I have my hive situated behind the garage so i can visually see them fly in and out without disturbing them! Yesterday the rain stopped and thats when they got busy. They was busy from 2pm all the way until bed time! It was like an airport with planes taking off and landing. I bet they did that all the way until it was bedtime! I have a neighbor that has everything planted in her yard, you name it its probably there so you can just imagine where my ladies are going...hahaha Im gonna inspect the hive today once the weather gets warmer. It was cold this morning and its slowly warming up right now. Its about 50 degrees here now. What i will do today is just inspect the queen cage to see if the queen was released and if i need to add another brood patty or not to the tops of the frames! I do know i have 3 quart jars feeding and there is only about an inch left in the sugar/water bottle and an 1 1/2 in both syrup jars! They really liked the sugar/water alot better!

 

[honeybeekeeper]

UPDATE: I have inspected the hive and the queen was released, i did not look for the queen & did not see her. I changed out the feed jars for full ones and then closed it up, it was a matter of less then 5 min. I seen one beetle that had a large body, the only one i "visually" seen & i killed it. Plus i didnt want to stay any longer then needed. How long do you normally wait until you go do a second inspection?? I heard 2 weeks! I cant wait to get my books i ordered in the mail! But i appreciate everyones feed back & ideas as well!!

P.S.-Them brood patties can make a big mess!..hahaha

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Two more weeks you should see brood in all three stages if it is warm enough for them to keep the young warm. Look for pollen, nectar and honey. Brood should be 4 times as much capped, 2 times as much larvae, and 1 times as much eggs. Listen to their buzzing and notice changes in sound and activity. Notice how the hive smells, sweet is good, sour or rotten could be a disease or brood problem. Feel how they move aside if you brush them on the frame with your hand. You might have to develope some experience and bravery for that on second thought. How are they filling out the frames? Remove burr comb. When a super is 70 to 80 percent full add another super. Biggest, most important, that you will forget with time - plan ahead, take all your tools and what you think you might need to the hive, record what you find in a notebook, chalk on the cover, digital camera (I always take it and forget to use it in the excitement) email yourself, etc. As you record your observations plan for the next time! Enjoy! I have been since 1969.

 

[honeybeekeeper]

Two more weeks you should see brood in all three stages if it is warm enough for them to keep the young warm. Look for pollen, nectar and honey. Brood should be 4 times as much capped, 2 times as much larvae, and 1 times as much eggs. Listen to their buzzing and notice changes in sound and activity. Notice how the hive smells, sweet is good, sour or rotten could be a disease or brood problem. Feel how they move aside if you brush them on the frame with your hand. You might have to develope some experience and bravery for that on second thought. How are they filling out the frames? Remove burr comb. When a super is 70 to 80 percent full add another super. Biggest, most important, that you will forget with time - plan ahead, take all your tools and what you think you might need to the hive, record what you find in a notebook, chalk on the cover, digital camera (I always take it and forget to use it in the excitement) email yourself, etc. As you record your observations plan for the next time! Enjoy! I have been since 1969.

Thanks for the advice! After i installed the package saturday it was one of the top five things i say i ever done. I actually enjoyed it and others just plainly think im nuts but they never done it before and they have their own oppinions i guess! What i would like to learn is how to read the frames since that will be next, the problem that i have is i purchased 2 books, backyard beekeeper and beekeeping for dummies edition 2 and they havent got here yet! Im some what of a perfectionist and like to do things right so this here is a very big challenge for me! I liked installing that package so much i have another package coming for this saturday..hahaha What im shooting for is to hopefully have 2 strong colonies! Im not really in it for the honey, if i get some so be it if not im not losing no sleep over it. I went into it as a hobby and so far im enjoying every moment of it, specially when they are flying in and out like an airport!,,,hahaha I also checked the hive to see if it was level and with all the rain that we had the right side of the hive is off by 3/8" and the front is down about 1/8" of an inch. I have no idea how level its suppose to be but it was level when i started. So one of my questions is how level does the hive need to be? Is this hive level enough or will i have to shim it some how...im lost without my books!....hahaha

 

[beedeetee]

Im some what of a perfectionist and like to do things right so this here is a very big challenge for me!

Okay...I can see that.

I also checked the hive to see if it was level and with all the rain that we had the right side of the hive is off by 3/8" and the front is down about 1/8" of an inch. I have no idea how level its suppose to be but it was level when i started. So one of my questions is how level does the hive need to be? Is this hive level enough or will i have to shim it some how...

Right now you probably have the most level hive in America. Historically we tilted them forward so that water would run out of the solid bottom boards and not pool inside of the hive. With screened bottom boards that isn't a problem anymore.

Unless you are doing foundationless beekeeping unless they fall over they are level enough....please don't come by my place and look at my hives.

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

With a solid bottom board a slight tilt to the front helps the rain drain. With a screened bottom board it can be at any angle as long as the supers do not slide off. If you have oil filled beetle traps it would have to be level like a solid bottom board. I am having a real challenge letting the 26 new beekeepers in my workshops have room. One forgot to check the frames below the super being removed. If you lift straight without twisting, tipping or sliding frames will stick sometimes. When you notice, the frame is already falling releasing a bunch of defensive dwellers. I was at work so she had to figure out what to do on her own. She did and the bees are fine.

 

[honeybeekeeper]

Okay...I can see that.


Right now you probably have the most level hive in America. Historically we tilted them forward so that water would run out of the solid bottom boards and not pool inside of the hive. With screened bottom boards that isn't a problem anymore.

Unless you are doing foundationless beekeeping unless they fall over they are level enough....please don't come by my place and look at my hives.

Im using sheets of Duragilt Foundation. Dadant researched & Dadant developed. A plastic bonded beeswax foundation with metal edges, Im Using the grooved top & bottom bar frames. I will be running 2 deep hive bodies so i had bought 20 frames and 2packs of 10 duragilt foundation. I will be running the same thing in the hive that i will be installing a package this saturday (2 deep hive bodies)! I wanted to get the full learning experience out of this hobby so i built all of my equipment except for the SBB, i purchased the SBB from walter kellys! I also built a bee vac and a observation hive just in case i get lucky and come across a swarm! I am finding that the brood patties that sit on top can be very messy, i had 2 patties ( 2inches by 3inches) sitting on top and the one patties stuck to the inner cover ...I took the paper off the top of the pattie and left the paper on the bottom. I just assumed that if i took the paper off the top they would be able to get to it alot better but like i say its messy! hahaha...Next time i add a brood patty im just gonna leave the paper on both sides, they will do just fine!..

P.S.-I will be coming by your place to do an inspection...hahahaha