It was 61º at the Back Yard Bee colony. Light winds, partly cloudy.
I contacted a couple of local beekeepers to find out if I should leave honey supers on the hive for the winter. They said it would be best to remove the supers because if left on, hive beetles or wax moth may be a problem.
So today I harvested 18 frames of honey. The total weight is just over 45 pounds. The total honey harvest this season is 181 pounds.
At the Bee Yard in the country I checked on the feeder jars.
Alpha hive - only consumed quarter of a cup
Beta hive - half cup consumed
Swarm hive - quarter cup consumed.
Did not see any signs of ants at any of the hives.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
9 Dec, 11am - 2010
Today my Dad checked the feeder jars and found that the bees are not consuming very much sugar water.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
4 December, 11 am - 2010
It was about 60º at the Back Yard Hive. Windy and partly cloudy.
This is the first time in about three weeks or so that I opened up the hive. I wanted to make sure the bees have plenty of food for the winter. This hive has two honey supers and two brood boxes. The top honey super has about 5 frames of capped honey, the second honey super has all frames of capped honey! I will leave this for the bees. The top hive body has about four frames that are all honey. The bees fill the second honey super and they fill the top hive body and the fill about half of the bottom hive body. I didn't see any wax moth or larva at this time.
It was about 62º at the Bee Yard at my parents house. It was windy and partly cloudy.
Today I wanted to check on the bees and see if I need to feed any of the hives.
Swarm Hive
This hive has one honey super and two hive bodies.
I opened the hive and discovered that there are very few bees in this hive. The fill about 6 frames of a hive body. The bees covered about four frames in the honey super. So I removed the bottom hive body and left the honey super since that had honey and pollen. I started feeding the bees 1:1 sugar water today. I will continue to feed them until they stop taking the food.
Alpha Hive
This hive has one honey super and two hive bodies.
There was a lot of hive entrance activity.
I opened this hive and found that the bees cover are scattered all over the frames in the honey super and they cover about seven frames in both hive bodies. I didn't see any wax moth or larva. I started feeding the bees 1:1 sugar water today and I will continue to feed them until they stop taking the food.
Beta Hive
This hive has one honey super and two hive bodies.
There was was a lot of hive entrance activity.
I opened the hive and found the honey super full of bees, they filled all frames of the honey super. They also filled eight frames of the top hive body. I didn't check the second lower hive body. I started feeding the bees 1:1 sugar water today and I will continue to feed them until they stop taking the food.
This is the first time in about three weeks or so that I opened up the hive. I wanted to make sure the bees have plenty of food for the winter. This hive has two honey supers and two brood boxes. The top honey super has about 5 frames of capped honey, the second honey super has all frames of capped honey! I will leave this for the bees. The top hive body has about four frames that are all honey. The bees fill the second honey super and they fill the top hive body and the fill about half of the bottom hive body. I didn't see any wax moth or larva at this time.
It was about 62º at the Bee Yard at my parents house. It was windy and partly cloudy.
Today I wanted to check on the bees and see if I need to feed any of the hives.
Swarm Hive
This hive has one honey super and two hive bodies.
I opened the hive and discovered that there are very few bees in this hive. The fill about 6 frames of a hive body. The bees covered about four frames in the honey super. So I removed the bottom hive body and left the honey super since that had honey and pollen. I started feeding the bees 1:1 sugar water today. I will continue to feed them until they stop taking the food.
Alpha Hive
This hive has one honey super and two hive bodies.
There was a lot of hive entrance activity.
I opened this hive and found that the bees cover are scattered all over the frames in the honey super and they cover about seven frames in both hive bodies. I didn't see any wax moth or larva. I started feeding the bees 1:1 sugar water today and I will continue to feed them until they stop taking the food.
Beta Hive
This hive has one honey super and two hive bodies.
There was was a lot of hive entrance activity.
I opened the hive and found the honey super full of bees, they filled all frames of the honey super. They also filled eight frames of the top hive body. I didn't check the second lower hive body. I started feeding the bees 1:1 sugar water today and I will continue to feed them until they stop taking the food.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
31 October, 4 pm - 2010
It was about 78º in the back yard, clear skies light winds.
Backyard Bees
The hive had three honey supers. I removed one since it was not being used in any way by the bees. So now the top one has about 20 or so pounds and the bottom one has maybe 10 pounds scattered throughout the frames. The top hive body has about 6 frames three quarters covered with capped honey, these frames are 1,2,3 and 8,9,10. I did find fresh eggs, and I didn't see any problems so the inspection stopped at that point and I put everything back together.
Bee Yard
Removed the Apiguard containers and spacers from the Swarm and Beta Hive.
Swarm Hive
Didn't do an inspection. But the bee population is a lot smaller than I expected for this time of year. Looks like the varroa mites have really hurt this hive. Hopefully I can keep them going this fall and winter.
Beta Hive
The bees were not as busy at the entrance as the other two hives, they seemed to all be in the top hive body and honey super. They fill about one and a half hive bodies.
Alpha Hive
Top honey super is pretty light. I will begin feeding this hive as soon as I have some sugar.
Backyard Bees
The hive had three honey supers. I removed one since it was not being used in any way by the bees. So now the top one has about 20 or so pounds and the bottom one has maybe 10 pounds scattered throughout the frames. The top hive body has about 6 frames three quarters covered with capped honey, these frames are 1,2,3 and 8,9,10. I did find fresh eggs, and I didn't see any problems so the inspection stopped at that point and I put everything back together.
Bee Yard
Removed the Apiguard containers and spacers from the Swarm and Beta Hive.
Swarm Hive
Didn't do an inspection. But the bee population is a lot smaller than I expected for this time of year. Looks like the varroa mites have really hurt this hive. Hopefully I can keep them going this fall and winter.
Beta Hive
The bees were not as busy at the entrance as the other two hives, they seemed to all be in the top hive body and honey super. They fill about one and a half hive bodies.
Alpha Hive
Top honey super is pretty light. I will begin feeding this hive as soon as I have some sugar.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
At the Bee yard is was about 82º and windy.
Put in place the second dose of Apiguard for the Swarm hive and Beta Hive.
Swarm Hive
The bees cleaned up quite a bit of the Apiguard meds. I am considering removing the honey super to prevent hive beetle problems late in the year. If I do that I'll extract it and mix it with water and feed it to the bees over the next few weeks and the rest of the winter.
Beta hive
There is about 20 pounds of honey in the honey super. Most of the bees are in the top hive body. I'll probably remove that super, extract the honey and feed it back to the bees over the winter.
Alpha Hive
Bees are in both hive bodies and the cluster is pretty tight even though temperatures aren't that cold.
Working on modifying the migratory covers so that 3-4 mason jars can be installed.
Put in place the second dose of Apiguard for the Swarm hive and Beta Hive.
Swarm Hive
The bees cleaned up quite a bit of the Apiguard meds. I am considering removing the honey super to prevent hive beetle problems late in the year. If I do that I'll extract it and mix it with water and feed it to the bees over the next few weeks and the rest of the winter.
Beta hive
There is about 20 pounds of honey in the honey super. Most of the bees are in the top hive body. I'll probably remove that super, extract the honey and feed it back to the bees over the winter.
Alpha Hive
Bees are in both hive bodies and the cluster is pretty tight even though temperatures aren't that cold.
Working on modifying the migratory covers so that 3-4 mason jars can be installed.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
16 October, 2010 - 2 pm
It was 81º, clear skies and breezy at the Bee Yard.
Swarm Hive & Beta Hive
Put a Apiguard patch in between the honey super and the top hive body. I hope this will help with the varroa mites. I did not go through and do a hive inspection this visit.
Alpha Hive
Harvested 7 frames of honey from the top honey super. Now the hive only has one honey super installed and that will be removed before the weather gets too cold. I did not do a hive inspection during this visit.
Honey Harvest was just over 21 pounds from the 7 frames. I will bottle it tomorrow!
Swarm Hive & Beta Hive
Put a Apiguard patch in between the honey super and the top hive body. I hope this will help with the varroa mites. I did not go through and do a hive inspection this visit.
Alpha Hive
Harvested 7 frames of honey from the top honey super. Now the hive only has one honey super installed and that will be removed before the weather gets too cold. I did not do a hive inspection during this visit.
Honey Harvest was just over 21 pounds from the 7 frames. I will bottle it tomorrow!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
1 Oct, 2010 - 2 pm
At the back yard bee hive it was 83º and partly cloudy.
Backyard Bees
There has been a lot of activity at the hive entrance the last couple of weeks. At around 1:30 pm or so every few days of this last week, there were several thousand bees that would swirl up and around the front of the hive for a few minutes then they would settle on the front of the hive and go back in. I am guessing its a swarm type behavior, but I have not seen my other hives do this.
Today's inspection
The top honey super has 4 frames that are capped and the rest are full of honey and are slowing being capped. There are hundreds of bees in this super working the frames. The middle honey super also has many bees but there is not much honey being stored in it. The bottom honey super has a few hundred bees but they are scattered throughout the frames and do not appear to be drawing comb or storing food in this honey super.
Top hive body
Frame 1 has a lot of comb building happening and the bees are storing some honey and pollen on it. Frame 2 has one side partially covered with honey and pollen, but not very much. the other side has mostly capped brood and eggs and some larva. No food stores on this side. Frame 3 both sides are covered in capped brood, eggs and larva. Same with frame 4. Frame 5 south side is just like frame 3, don't know about the north side didn't remove frame. Stopped inspection at that time. Looks like there is a queen because of finding so many fresh eggs.
Bottom hive body
Didn't look through it at this time.
At the Country Bee yard it was 82º, partly cloudy.
Swarm Hive
The honey super has 4 frames that are capped! The rest are full of honey and are being capped.
Top Hive Body
Noticed that some of the bees have varroa mites, even found a couple bees that had deformed wings. Started inspection at frame 10. It is a foundation only frame, no comb drawn or any kind of work very light frame no honey stored but a lot of pollen on the north side and south side( this is a food frame). Frame 8 has only capped brood, eggs and larva no honey stored and very little pollen
Alpha Hive
Beta Hive
Backyard Bees
There has been a lot of activity at the hive entrance the last couple of weeks. At around 1:30 pm or so every few days of this last week, there were several thousand bees that would swirl up and around the front of the hive for a few minutes then they would settle on the front of the hive and go back in. I am guessing its a swarm type behavior, but I have not seen my other hives do this.
Today's inspection
The top honey super has 4 frames that are capped and the rest are full of honey and are slowing being capped. There are hundreds of bees in this super working the frames. The middle honey super also has many bees but there is not much honey being stored in it. The bottom honey super has a few hundred bees but they are scattered throughout the frames and do not appear to be drawing comb or storing food in this honey super.
Top hive body
Frame 1 has a lot of comb building happening and the bees are storing some honey and pollen on it. Frame 2 has one side partially covered with honey and pollen, but not very much. the other side has mostly capped brood and eggs and some larva. No food stores on this side. Frame 3 both sides are covered in capped brood, eggs and larva. Same with frame 4. Frame 5 south side is just like frame 3, don't know about the north side didn't remove frame. Stopped inspection at that time. Looks like there is a queen because of finding so many fresh eggs.
Bottom hive body
Didn't look through it at this time.
At the Country Bee yard it was 82º, partly cloudy.
Swarm Hive
The honey super has 4 frames that are capped! The rest are full of honey and are being capped.
Top Hive Body
Noticed that some of the bees have varroa mites, even found a couple bees that had deformed wings. Started inspection at frame 10. It is a foundation only frame, no comb drawn or any kind of work very light frame no honey stored but a lot of pollen on the north side and south side( this is a food frame). Frame 8 has only capped brood, eggs and larva no honey stored and very little pollen
Alpha Hive
Beta Hive
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