Jan 26, 2009 - 4:30pm

Since the temperatures are warming up, I started feeding the bees a 1:1 sugar water mix with fumigilin-b. Today the first quart jar was put on the hive. Although it was late in the day, the bees were still busy bringing in pollen. I took a few photos, I'll post them later.

Jan 17, 2009 - 6 pm

The jar of sugar water that has been on the hive for a week has finally been removed. The bees didn't drink much of it.

The hive woodenware for the second colony is painted and ready.I finally acquired a fogger! Hopefully this will keep the mite population down.

The frame foundation for the second hive will be the 4.9 cell size. I thought I would try raising bees that are that size and see how mite control would work. The bees are also of the 4.9 size. The bees are from K&M bees and will be a 5 frame nuc.

This year I thought I would use wood pellets for smoker fuel. I bought a 40# bag from Dadant & Sons.


New Fogger...




Colony # 2 woodenware.

Jan 9, 2009 - 6:30 PM

Yesterday my bee supplies arrived from Dadant and Sons. This year I will be adding a second colony to the bee yard. That colony will have two deep brood supers, since that type of layout worked for my first colony.

Jan 02, 2009 - 1 PM

Visited the hive today. Checked the feed jar. The bees are not very interested in it. They are consuming the sugar water, because when I remove it to see inside the hive, the bees cover the feeder lid!?!?!?!

So I will leave it on until Friday of next week.

Opened the top hive to peek inside. The bees fill 6 1/2 frames. The 3 1/2 frames they do not occupy are completely empty!

I did not look in the bottom hive super.

I took a few photos and movies.