I haven't even ran an inspection yet. The weather here is just now turning warm enough to get in there but temps will drop again next week but my days are full of repairs after wind damage and also doctor's appointments. I was able to take all the insulation off of the 7 hives a few weeks ago and just two days ago, I made up sugar syrup 1 to 1 for all of them. I did take off all the mouse guards also and opened up the entrance as they are pretty darn busy bringing in pollen. Dandelions are starting to pop up everywhere now so it won't be long for a nectar flow to start. From what I can see when removing the sugar boards and putting the inner covers back on, the bees have filled all the top frames with thick comb. Lots of bees everywhere on the frames. It would be interesting to see what the bottom box is like but with so much going on, I just can't get to it. I would also like to treat for mites with OAV. Chimney guys are coming out tomorrow to put in a new liner and replace bricks from the windstorm we had. I have trees down that need cut up and still picking up branches all over the yard. Equipment needs oil changed and ready for working the farm. I did hang four swarm traps already because I think the swarm season will start early this year. In fact, I should probably add my supers now and give the bees room but then I'd just have to remove them again to give the bees their OAV treatment. I never know what to do or when to do it.
My spring inspection, a bit late
When I noticed dead bees in front of my largest hive - only about 100, and then a few more the next day, and the next, I got a broom and dustpan after dark and swept some up. they were young bees, healthy furry bees, no sign of fighting, no stinger damage. I finally got to inspect the hive on Sunday evening, tons of bees, running over with bees, about a total of 5 frames of honey out of a 30 frame hive. I left them their honey last winter and they invested in bees including a lot of drones and our spring rains aren't coming, we are developing drought and dearth. They didn't kick the drones out, the new queen has left on her mating flight, based on the neatly exited queen cell, no sign of the old queen. I don't have queens for splits but I removed 2 five frame nucs with 2 frames of worker brood and nurse bees and 3 of those honey frames, and set them aside. They were discovered today, I got home with 25 lbs of sugar and made syrup. I split the big hive into a total of 4 10 frames 2 nucs. Everyone got a jar of syrup. No one has a queen although I did see a queen cell in one of today's splits that maybe the departing princess didn't sting.
I opened drone brood with my hive tool, no varroa mites in any of the cells I opened, but at least I won't be feeding those drones! And that is the best place to check for mites.
,My Beeweaver hive tends to a smaller winter cluster, and population matches flow better. I'm hoping she has some open brood they can use to make queens. Some years I get honey. When I'm buying sugar to feed I sell off as many nucs as I can to reduce the hungry bee count... But it's not a great economy, these will be late spring nucs, so I want to not spend too much on queens. Still making some inquiries. I don't make my living with bees, just try to hold my costs down, so we shall see. Total losses for this past winter: 0 unless something is wrong with Beeweavers, and their traffic pattern is fine. Unfortunately I work days, makes inspections hard to schedule
I opened drone brood with my hive tool, no varroa mites in any of the cells I opened, but at least I won't be feeding those drones! And that is the best place to check for mites.
,My Beeweaver hive tends to a smaller winter cluster, and population matches flow better. I'm hoping she has some open brood they can use to make queens. Some years I get honey. When I'm buying sugar to feed I sell off as many nucs as I can to reduce the hungry bee count... But it's not a great economy, these will be late spring nucs, so I want to not spend too much on queens. Still making some inquiries. I don't make my living with bees, just try to hold my costs down, so we shall see. Total losses for this past winter: 0 unless something is wrong with Beeweavers, and their traffic pattern is fine. Unfortunately I work days, makes inspections hard to schedule
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Your spring sounds like my spring - what with foundation guys here and pond service running busy and training a new helper. I'm making 4 pm coffee and going to check my best hive, hoping for any good news
I just ordered 2 queens, they ship May 1st. I merged a couple of the splits back together, the smallest 5 frame nuc and the smallest 10 frame, stacked them in 5 frame nucs, they have enough stores and now enough bees to hold out I think. I thought I found a queen cell that hadn't left yet in my Beeweaver hive, the flap just hadn't come off. No uncapped brood to start queens with, all done hunting and hoping. Hope 2 queens make it thru their mating flight and come home, and insurance queens are ordered.
Sounds like you have all your bases covered. Yesterday I noticed two of my hives have heavy bearding going on already. Sure wish I could get in my hives for deep inspection. Still to much going on for the next couple days and it's supposed to rain this weekend.
Heavy bearding - I'd be wanting to check too. In an emergency when I can't check I just slap a medium super with frames or frames of comb, or both, on top and put the lid back on. And go to work. After this whole overlaying, too many drones if that swarm queen does come back bred I may replace her with a Beeweaver queen. It was a heck of a mess in the apiary the last couple of days, and I get home from work at 5 so I'm going into hives at 6 pm and while it isn't dark, all the ladies are home. My chin swelling is coming down.
The chimney repair guys were here today and so I changed oil and filter in the lawn tractor. When I did get a chance to check the bees, three hives were heavily bearded. My hives are one deep and a medium throughout the apiary. I do need to add another medium to the tops since I really can't get in right now for inspection. I hope I can do that with the few hours I have to myself. I have a colonoscope happening on Monday so means prep work before hand. I'd rather get stung by all my bees.
I know you would rather get stung. So far I have dodged this. Just sling boxes on, nothing fancy
I hope to get boxes added today after some running around needing done. The hard part is digging the boxes and frames out stacked in the back of the feed barn. Seems I have everything stacked in front and in the way of getting to them.
Did you get your boxes on Wil?I hope to get boxes added today after some running around needing done. The hard part is digging the boxes and frames out stacked in the back of the feed barn. Seems I have everything stacked in front and in the way of getting to them.
Yep, finally got my medium supers on. I first put them on without the queen excluders because last year, the bees wouldn't move up to draw comb unless I removed the excluders. After thinking about it, I took the boxes back off a few days later this time and put the excluders back on. I just don't want the queen to go up there and lay. Now I am stuck with the problem as to how to treat for mites. I don't have enough Formic Pro left to treat all the hives and you can't treat with OA if you have honey supers on and of course we have this crazy weather in Ohio. Last week we were in the 80's and this week we are in the 30s and 40's again. Poor bees don't know what to do.Did you get your boxes on Wil?
I'd wait on mite treatmentsYep, finally got my medium supers on. I first put them on without the queen excluders because last year, the bees wouldn't move up to draw comb unless I removed the excluders. After thinking about it, I took the boxes back off a few days later this time and put the excluders back on. I just don't want the queen to go up there and lay. Now I am stuck with the problem as to how to treat for mites. I don't have enough Formic Pro left to treat all the hives and you can't treat with OA if you have honey supers on and of course we have this crazy weather in Ohio. Last week we were in the 80's and this week we are in the 30s and 40's again. Poor bees don't know what to do.
I was wondering when the best time would be. I know a couple beekeeps up here that are already considering Apivar because they have to keep in in there for like 40 some days I hear and you can't have honey supers on for that either. I don't plan on using Apivar though. I like formic pro but I did the one pad treatment with another pad,10 days apart last year and just heard that one pad treatment doesn't work that well and the two pad treatment for 14 days, is sometimes to strong and kills the queen. Dam if you do and dam if you don't sort of thing. I have an Oxalic Acid Vaporizer that I can use in the back of the hives that works fast and I've used it through the winter during the brood breaks. Oxalic acid vapor just scares me. I do where a good 3M mask with the proper filters but it still scares me to use the stuff. With my COPD the mask makes it laboring to breath so I tire easily going through 7 hives. I only wanted three hive at the most. Somehow that got away from me and now have 7. A few fellow beekeepers with years of experience are wondering what I did that they didn't cause they lost half their hives this past winter. One is my mentor. lol. I think it's funny.I'd wait on mite treatments
well I am a bit late responding to anything, flying pond to pond to pond. On April 9th I stayed home and investigated the dead bees in front of the swarm hive, they were young bees, turned out the hive was stuffed with hungry bees and they were starving. so I split 3 stuffed 10 frames into 6 boxes, gave each a jar of syrup and let them be. the little 3 frame hive next to my big Beeweaver hive was struggling, so I added another nuc box and another 3 frame hive, I don't know if they moved in with the Beeweavers or went back to their original box, but they abandoned brood and I lost those 2 to wax moths. The rest I have just got done requeening, merging and one actually had a queen, whether the swarm queen or her daughter I don't know. I'm tired, it's hot. no mites in the drone brood (my favorite way of checking is popping open the drone brood, lol)
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