Hive check and split - 6/27

Today I checked the hive and it is loaded with bees, honey and brood.  So I decided to take a few frames and create a Nuc which I took to my daughter's property where it will stay for a few weeks.

On the existing hive, I added some old frames with honey etc. on them that needed to be cleaned and let me bees clean and then fill those frames.

I removed the sugar syrup for now so I could fit more frames into the bottom deep.  When I feed again, it'll probably be in the upper deep which is easier to get to.  But it was very heavy this time around.  I had to remove some frames in order to lift it. 

The drone frame was full of comb and half full of brood so I scraped that onto the lawn for the birds and put it back into the top deep.  Again, it'll be easier to get.

I removed the Varroa mite strips today since I also added a super.

Hive check - 6/16

I went into the hive and spent quite some time looking things over.  Here are the things I did and what looked for:

• I saw a lot of babies
• sass lots of brood and egg so should have a queen but didn't see her
• Noticed just a few dead bees on the bottom board and cleaned them off
• Cleaned off comb where it shouldn't be
• removed the brood from the drone frame which the bees had built with comb and filled quite a lot.  I didn't bother to freeze the mites but just scraped off the brood and left on the lawn for the birds.
• I filled the sugar syrup container again since it was empty again and they'll still need to build comb on the green frame for drone population containment.
• Removed the entrance reducer altogether so bees can come and go easier.  I had noticed they were bunching up at the entrance during the busy "coming home" times.

Next time

• Remove varroa mite strips
• Add a super
• Remove feeder and replace with new frame 
• Possibly start a Nuc

Hive check 5/30/18

I went in over lunch today to check on my girls.  I saw s LOT of brood in the top deep and a lot of building of new comb on frames that were empty and needed new comb.  The only frame that had no action is the green frame meant for the drones to build on and then I can use it to manage varroa mites by freezing the frame once there is brood in there, to kill them, and hopefully reduce the mites.  Varroa, if you remember, like to attach to drones so if you can manage the drone population, it should reduce the mite problem.

I had added Checkmite "sticks" into the two deeps, two in the top deep and only one in the bottom  deep about three weeks ago.  I added one more to the bottom deep today. They like to be there for about 42 days, according to the package, so we'll give them another 3 weeks or so before removing them. 

All looked good inside the hive.  Lots of brood and pollen. No dead bees.

I did see them making some cells at the bottom of a few frames.  I left them alone for now, but it does seem like I already have an active queen.  I wondered about perhaps starting a Nuc but think I won't mess with the hive at this time. 

I also filled up the sugar syrup which was almost gone so they're still using it.  But now we have some nice days coming so they  may not use up this batch.  We'll see.

Bee incident of 5/11

I had an interesting event with the bees yesterday morning. I got up to find two clusters of bees outside the hive on the ground and on the cement block under the hive.  I also saw a lot of dead bees laying around.  The entrance reducer was gone. 

So I waited for the sun to come out and then suited up to get into the hive and see what happened.  I figured something had pushed in the reducer and it would be in the hive.  It was not.

At first I was scared all was lost. At first I thought the clusters were all dead bees.  Now I think they were cold and didn't dare to move from there.  Eventually, as it warmed up, they began to move and ended up going back into the hive. Aside from the clusters, inside the hive, there were still lots of bees and they seemed fine.

I found the entrance reducer outside the fully charged electric fenced bee yard...back in the brush.  Interesting it's the same spot where the bear, about 4 years ago, got to my hive and took the frames over there to eat the honey. But whatever it was  either flewover the fence or went under that 4-5 inches of space.

Instead of putting the reducer back on, I screwed in the mouse guard and duck taped over a lot of it to reduce the entrance, for now. Also added medicated sugar syrup too. Bees seemed fine after whatever the incident was.

The clusters you see are live bees...even some on the board turned out to be alive.

finally...bees

I've been slacking off on this blog, getting through a tough winter and then getting ready for spring..aren't we all doing the same in this part of the world?

I ordered yet another Nuc which arrived earlier this week.  Today I will go to the hive, and check things out.  I will:

• add sugar syrup that has been treated with medicine for nosema to a top hive feeder
• look at the honeyed frames to see if the bees have cleaned them off yet and will add other frames as needed. I have lots of frames still for them to clean off from last year.
• check the lower deep to see if there's a queen or if I see eggs
• make sure there's plenty of room for the queen to lay her eggs.

That should be enough for now.  Rain is expected tomorrow with cooler temperature so I want them to have plenty of honey and syrup for them for a few days where they'll be inside the hive.  Then the weather is supposed to warm up and be nice for several days.

thinking bees in a snow storm

As this storm winds down, I can't help but think of the bees to come in a few months. 

I removed Hive 3 and instead of finding an empty hive, I found the hive full of dead bees.  They were mostly at the bottom, but I also had clusters of dead bees on the frames.

I put a note out to the Brattleboro Beekeepers group on Facebook with these photos and was told that it's probably Varroa mites that killed them.  I didn't do anything about Varroa last year, thinking they are treated before arriving and last year was  my first year with these bees.  However, I was wrong.

I also signed up for the Vermont Beekeepers Association who offer free courses to members.  Other courses cost money and I seem to spend enough on buying the bees (necessary) and equipment (necessary) and haven't attended courses lately.  So I will attend the VBA courses this year. They appear to be hands-on too so I hope to gain more knowledge and avoid the pitfalls I've experienced.

Dead bees everywhere in the hive, even clustered on the frame.

Here's what I found throughout the hive.  At least there will be some honey to feed the new bees when they arrive.  I put the frames that had any honey from this one hive into the freezer until then.  Freezing them should also kill any mites that might have been on the frames...if they survived the winter.

I have two more hives to clean up once this snow melts.  One will be left in the yard to house the new bees to come.  The other will go down into the basement until needed...praying it is needed at some point.

I noticed that the mesclun started in the greenhouse has sprouted.  I can't wait to eat fresh greens again.  What you get at the grocery store sure isn't the same as fresh from the garden.  Once this snow melts, I plan to put a row cover out in the garden and plant other greens.  I left the cover on for the entire season last year and it worked beautifully to keep things from disappearing overnight by the night visitors.

February 28 - 50 degrees and preparing for spring

I'm beginning to putter around the yard.  Once the snow melts, how awful things look until a bit later in the spring.

Two blueberry bushes were pruned yesterday.
Two weeks ago, the peach and pear trees were pruned.
Apple tree was also looked at but it didn't need much pruning

Next task will be to burn all the debris I'm collecting in little piles around the yard.

Other chores this week include:

Cleaning the greenhouse to get it ready
Planted Mesclun in a hanging pot in the greenhouse

Arugula already planted - this was planted in a pot in the fall and 3 months later, it's only about an inch high.  There's just not enough light in the middle of the winter.  It's beginning to grow more now that the days are longer.

The bees will be back in town

I realized that it's only a few months before my bees will arrive.  I've ordered one Nuc.  I will see what I can (or can't) do with the one.

1)  Changes this year include managing varroa mites.  I will use the method of using drone frames in the hive where the mites like to attach themselves.  Then bring in the filled frame, freeze it for a few days, then put it back into the hive and let the bees clean it out and start filling it again.  I've read that this is an effective way to minimize the  mite population.

2) I will take little to no honey this year.  It will be left to the bees.

3) Purchase a screened bottom board and add a mite counting sheet (or whatever it's called) to monitor how large a population is in the hive.

I'm hoping that these changes will make a difference in being able to keep a hive for more than one season.