- Thread starter
- #131
Happy Chooks
Loving the herd life
I wish ours would!
Hive inspection and box reversal
- Thread starter Happy Chooks
- Start date
I wish ours would!
Sounds good! Hope it works for you! Wish we could get some serious moisture here. A couple of days with continuous, light, steady rain would be highly beneficial. Though we started out with a very wet spring and early summer, we haven't had any appreciable moisture in well over a month here. There have of course been scattered thunderstorms around in general, just none have hit me. I've gotten a few close calls with a light sprinkle, but that's it.
I saw one bee enter my hive yesterday loaded down with a bright yellow pollen. No idea where she got it or what kind. They are still all over the alfalfa. I'm hoping the frost will hold off just a little longer because when it comes, that will be the end of all nectar sources, and the Russian Sage and alfalfa are really producing right now.
I saw one bee enter my hive yesterday loaded down with a bright yellow pollen. No idea where she got it or what kind. They are still all over the alfalfa. I'm hoping the frost will hold off just a little longer because when it comes, that will be the end of all nectar sources, and the Russian Sage and alfalfa are really producing right now.
Maggiesdad
Loving the herd life
Sheesh! Where's the happy medium! Possible 17" ??? I'd better go get the canoe ready...
*snip* (from tonite's warnings)
MOISTURE WILL INCREASE ALONG THE COLD FRONT...ESPECIALLY THURSDAY
AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN ARE
EXPECTED. SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 7 INCHES ARE
POSSIBLE THROUGH SATURDAY.
HURRICANE JOAQUIN WILL IMPACT THE MID ATLANTIC REGION SATURDAY
NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL BRING A CONTINUED THREAT OF
HEAVY RAIN...FLOODING AND GUSTY WINDS. STORM TOTAL RAINFALL
AMOUNTS WILL RANGE FROM 7 TO 10 INCHES.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
Holy cow! That's a LOT of rain! Hope you're not prone to flooding! Slacked off this morning and by the time I got out there it was cloudy and windy w/gusts. so I'll try again tomorrow.
babsbag
Herd Master
You could share that rain with CA.
Glad I am not the only one requeening in Oct. Hope you have good luck. I have never had one fail to be set free or to not be accepted so I am hopeful.
Glad I am not the only one requeening in Oct. Hope you have good luck. I have never had one fail to be set free or to not be accepted so I am hopeful.
- Thread starter
- #136
Happy Chooks
Loving the herd life
Wow, that is a lot of rain! I hope you have your hives weighed down so their lids don't come off.
Where in VA are you? I've been to Charlottesville (in August, yucky humidity). My best friend now lives in Boston VA.
Where in VA are you? I've been to Charlottesville (in August, yucky humidity). My best friend now lives in Boston VA.
OK, finally got it done! 
Tore the entire hive down and looked it over. All frames in both deeps are FILLED w/brood and capped honey. man are they HEAVY to lift! They had already cleaned up all the frames in the honey super, laid down a new wax base, and completely filled/capped one side of one frame and capped the cells that were uncapped from before on the other 2 frames. I scraped those 1/2 frames onto the top of the inner cover so they can move it back down inside. I placed the 1/2 full frame into the empty deep that is now above the inner cover to hold the double feeder. I don't want the hassle of processing 1/2 frame of honey. Hope this doesn't come back to bite me later with bridge and burr comb... We'll see. I can always remove it when I check the feeders.
It was a bear trying to pry apart the frames in the deeps as they had built bridge comb across almost all frames. I didn't want to move TOO much as all that damage made me believe I stood a better than even chance of crushing the queen. I may still have... time will tell. I sure hope not. I got the strips installed in both boxes. I'm not looking forward to going back in there in 3 weeks to take them back out. There were a LOT of bees!
Wore gloves this time... cloth and leather work gloves, not specific to bee keeping. They did the trick. Felt one sting through the gloves, but it barely scratched the surface of my skin and I was able to remove it. I might have been stung in the armpit and on my leg, maybe several other places... not sure as I didn't look to see if there was a bee there and it didn't break skin surface. Even w/heavy smoke, Dad, you were right, they remembered me!
They were decidedly displeased with my presence.
Don't they know I'm just trying to help? 
I put the drop board in yesterday, & installed the entrance reducer today. Tonight after dark when they settle down I'll put on the mouse screen.
Tore the entire hive down and looked it over. All frames in both deeps are FILLED w/brood and capped honey. man are they HEAVY to lift! They had already cleaned up all the frames in the honey super, laid down a new wax base, and completely filled/capped one side of one frame and capped the cells that were uncapped from before on the other 2 frames. I scraped those 1/2 frames onto the top of the inner cover so they can move it back down inside. I placed the 1/2 full frame into the empty deep that is now above the inner cover to hold the double feeder. I don't want the hassle of processing 1/2 frame of honey. Hope this doesn't come back to bite me later with bridge and burr comb... We'll see. I can always remove it when I check the feeders.It was a bear trying to pry apart the frames in the deeps as they had built bridge comb across almost all frames. I didn't want to move TOO much as all that damage made me believe I stood a better than even chance of crushing the queen. I may still have... time will tell. I sure hope not. I got the strips installed in both boxes. I'm not looking forward to going back in there in 3 weeks to take them back out. There were a LOT of bees!
Wore gloves this time... cloth and leather work gloves, not specific to bee keeping. They did the trick. Felt one sting through the gloves, but it barely scratched the surface of my skin and I was able to remove it. I might have been stung in the armpit and on my leg, maybe several other places... not sure as I didn't look to see if there was a bee there and it didn't break skin surface. Even w/heavy smoke, Dad, you were right, they remembered me!
They were decidedly displeased with my presence. Don't they know I'm just trying to help? I put the drop board in yesterday, & installed the entrance reducer today. Tonight after dark when they settle down I'll put on the mouse screen.
babsbag
Herd Master
@Latestarter. Glad it is looking good, sounds like a good strong hive.
I learned the hard way to be very careful doing anything with bees after dark. They HATE being bothered at night. There is nothing worse than all those bees you saw today PLUS the ones that were out working during daylight hours coming out of that hive in a mad roiling boil, like you see in cartoons. I will not ever try to mess with bees in the dark again. The only thing I will do is quickly place a board on the entrance when I need to move a hive, and even then I am in my entire bee suit.
I learned the hard way to be very careful doing anything with bees after dark. They HATE being bothered at night. There is nothing worse than all those bees you saw today PLUS the ones that were out working during daylight hours coming out of that hive in a mad roiling boil, like you see in cartoons. I will not ever try to mess with bees in the dark again. The only thing I will do is quickly place a board on the entrance when I need to move a hive, and even then I am in my entire bee suit.
- Thread starter
- #139
Happy Chooks
Loving the herd life
Nice! It sounds like you have a booming hive!
I didn't inspect my bottom because I didn't want to disrupt the bridge comb or squish the queen.
I haven't had any issue with them building comb into the empty super when feeding, and my inner cover is above the super box because of the apiguard. The bees have to be able to get into the tray to groom and spread it through the hive. I do like hearing about other treatments, so I'll be curious to see how well yours does.
I don't mess with them after dark either. They can still see you. Another beekeeper told me they can't see the red color spectrum, so use a red light. This is how I installed the queen I bought. (No choice but after dark there)
I didn't inspect my bottom because I didn't want to disrupt the bridge comb or squish the queen.
I haven't had any issue with them building comb into the empty super when feeding, and my inner cover is above the super box because of the apiguard. The bees have to be able to get into the tray to groom and spread it through the hive. I do like hearing about other treatments, so I'll be curious to see how well yours does.
I don't mess with them after dark either. They can still see you. Another beekeeper told me they can't see the red color spectrum, so use a red light. This is how I installed the queen I bought. (No choice but after dark there)
- Thread starter
- #140
Happy Chooks
Loving the herd life
Got into my hive today to check syrup levels and put in the tray for 2nd treatment with apiguard.
The main hive is sucking down syrup like crazy. The 2nd hive isn't taking much at all. I got concerned that maybe they don't have enough foragers to raise enough brood this time of year, so I added a pollen patty. They went straight for it instantly. If they don't start taking more syrup, I'm worried they won't be able to make it through winter. Fingers crossed for them, they got such a late start.
The main hive is sucking down syrup like crazy. The 2nd hive isn't taking much at all. I got concerned that maybe they don't have enough foragers to raise enough brood this time of year, so I added a pollen patty. They went straight for it instantly. If they don't start taking more syrup, I'm worried they won't be able to make it through winter. Fingers crossed for them, they got such a late start.
