{"id":2870,"date":"2014-04-17T11:14:13","date_gmt":"2014-04-17T17:14:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rockaria.net\/bluebirdprairie\/?p=2870"},"modified":"2014-10-07T14:16:24","modified_gmt":"2014-10-07T20:16:24","slug":"bee-log-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rockaria.net\/bluebirdprairie\/?p=2870","title":{"rendered":"Bee Log 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is the log so far this year, I will add to it as we go along, but it will not come up as a new post. Look for updates in the Bees and Prairie category on the right.<\/em><\/p>\n

October 7, 2014 <\/strong>50 degrees, 2:30 pm sunny<\/p>\n

Opened both hives to check for winter stores and apply the mite control. Three deep supers going into the winter for both of these.<\/p>\n

Hive #3 (that was the divide \u2013 no honey from this one) had plenty of stored honey and bees \u2013 supposed to have at least 8 frames of honey and 8 frames of bees to get through the winter. Hive had a full deep of honey at least 7 frames, and lots of bees in the two bottom deeps. Deeps are very heavy.<\/p>\n

Hive #2 (new package this year) was loaded with bees and also had plenty of honey. Bob can barely lift the deep supers. We put the mite control stuff in the hives in each super. Closed them back up and that should do it. Bob still needs to go out and put in the entrance reducer with mesh to keep mice out.<\/p>\n

The only next thing we need to do is put the winter insulated covers on \u2013 around Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n

September 15, 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was a bad year for our hives. We had so little to harvest that we did not extract it, but just made three little bottles of comb honey \u2014 and that was it.<\/p>\n

The problem 1) we lost one hive over last winter so that hive was a new package this year. New packages do not usually produce much leftover honey to harvest.<\/p>\n

2) We were away for three crucial weeks in June. When we were to leave (the two hives we had were doing great) I was worried the overpopulated one, that made it through the winter, would swarm while we were away. SO.. we attempted a \u201cwalk away split\u201d that created two hives from the one. We did not know which part of the hive had the queen, but the best case scenario is the part of the hive with no queen would make a queen. That did not happen for one reason or another (always a mystery with the bees) neither of these hives produced any extra honey for harvesting.<\/p>\n

BUT now we have learned a whole lot more about it all and we have two healthy looking hives going into winter with heavy stores in three deep supers. They are in the new relocated bee yard in the woods. We will add a new package in the spring to the hive that did not have a queen and would not make it. Bob disassembled that hive \u2014 if there were good workers still functioning, they might find a new home in one of the other hives. But it was probably full of drones from some \u201claying workers,\u201d females who lay unfertilized eggs that only hatch into drones.<\/p>\n

Bob says, farmers have to put up with crop failure sometimes\u2026 or something like that<\/p>\n

August 7, 2014 <\/strong>We both went out to check all three hives. Started with the one we were most worried about \u2013 #1. Unfortunately \u2013 not planning ahead AGAIN! I did not have my glasses on, or a magnifying glass, or a camera. We took the whole hive apart \u2013 it did not really look good \u2013 seemed like not so many bees going in and out, but there were lots of bees in the hive \u2013 did see some obvious drones\u2026. But could not make out if there were more than one egg in the cells \u2013 saw some drone brood and some other stuff too \u2013 also some frames of black capped honey \u2013 I scrapped it and it is just honey \u2013 looked it up and it said it reflects the color of the honey, so not a problem. It is in the deep supers anyway and not honey that will be harvested, but part of the winter store. So we are still flummoxed \u2013 will go and check again with the right vision equipment.<\/p>\n

Hive #2 (our new package from this year) is going strong \u2013 it has 4 honey supers on but there is still room in the top one, so we are leaving that one alone and not taking it apart. Appears to be doing fine.<\/p>\n

Hive #3 (the one from the divide that probably had the original queen) This has three deeps and a couple of honey supers. Took it apart and removed only one frame from the top super and it looked perfect. Good brood field surrounded by pollen and honey. Ok on that count.<\/p>\n

July 22, 2014\u00a0\u00a0 <\/b>Bob checked all three hives. He saw a few eggs and lots of capped brood in hive #1, although not much activity in the honey supers. Yay! This means they made their own queen. Hive #2 (the split with the queen we think) nothing in the honey supers and not much in the third deep we added three weeks ago. He did not check the middle deep. He removed the third deep, but we are going to put it back and take off the honey supers and just have that hive try to build up three deeps for the winter. Hive #2 (the new package) lots of honey in the two honey supers and he added two more honey supers \u2013 we should have a nice harvest from this hive, but not sure about the other ones.<\/p>\n

July 4, 2014\u00a0<\/strong> visited the bee yard. Added a deep super to the single super in hive #3 (made from taking one box from Hive #2) looked at the frames in there \u2013 lots of bees, but did not see the queen (this one is marked) but they look good, and my guess is this hive has the queen.<\/p>\n

Hive #2 added another super – now has three deep boxes (supers) \u00a0we like to go into the winter with three deep supers \u2013 this is where they make honey for their winter stores. This hive already has two shallow supers above a queen extruder, those frames are used only for honey, not eggs. Hive looked good.<\/p>\n

Hive #1 \u2013 no activity at all in the top two honey supers. Took the hive apart and looked at the frames, lots of nectar but no eggs. I had a feeling this was the hive without a queen. Looked in the middle box and saw evidence of queen cells \u2013 obviously making a queen, as they should be \u2013 the only down side it that it takes a bit of time to make a queen, then she flies around on her single mating trip, and comes back and starts laying eggs. There were lots of bees in this hive, and I could just sense the emptiness of being queenless. Maybe it is my imagination, but it felt sad. I look forward to going and checking and seeing eggs again \u2013 probably not for several weeks, though.<\/p>\n

So we are done with all three hives for a while\u2026. Bob could harvest some honey from hive #2 if he wants to \u2013 we are thinking we may not get much honey this year. You never know.<\/p>\n

June 27, 2014\u00a0<\/strong> Back from two weeks away, Bob looked a the hives and said there are a lot of bees and hive #2 is very heavy.\u00a0 Worried about swarming so we did a walk away split on hive #1 \u2013 for hive #2 we did not have another deep super, so we moved the extruder up to between the honey supers \u2013 at least that may give that hive a little breathing room, although it reduces the honey harvest \u2013 better than swarming. Here are the split directions we followed:<\/p>\n

The easiest type of split is made by using a populous hive where the brood nest spans two brood boxes. The beekeeper simply takes off the top box and puts it on its own bottom board, adds a lid, and walks away.<\/i><\/p>\n

But even that simple form of split requires some attention for success, especially if you don\u2019t know where the queen is: <\/i><\/p>\n