I received my confirmation letter for shipment of 3 pounds of bees and queen from Gardner's Apiaries today.
I will be putting these bees in my back yard.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
25 March, 2010 10 am
Went out to check on the swarm that I hived...and it was gone! So I cleaned up the equipment and put it away.
Its too soon and too cool to look in on the Alpha and Beta Hives today. I will check on them this weekend if the weather is better.
Its too soon and too cool to look in on the Alpha and Beta Hives today. I will check on them this weekend if the weather is better.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
24 March, 2010 - 10 am
Checked on the bees today. Noticed a swarm settled on a small tree about 12 feet from my hives. I went ahead and looked through my hives for signs of queens, eggs. No luck. Both hives do seem to have less bees... so that swarm was from one of my hives.
After the hive inspections, I gathered up the swarm and put it in a hive body next to the tree the bees swarmed. The hive body had 3 frames of drawn comb and 7 frames of foundation. I put a bottle of sugar water on it and will check tomorrow and see if the hive stays.
After the hive inspections, I gathered up the swarm and put it in a hive body next to the tree the bees swarmed. The hive body had 3 frames of drawn comb and 7 frames of foundation. I put a bottle of sugar water on it and will check tomorrow and see if the hive stays.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
20 March, 2010 - 1 pm
It was a clear day, slightly breezy and 74º.
Alpha Hive
The hive had thousands of bees on the front of the hive. I did a hive inspection and examined both hive bodies.
I did not find any eggs or young uncapped brood. All I found was capped brood. I could not find the queen. I did find 8 hatched queen swarm cells and 2 supercedure cells.
I did find that both hive bodies have curing honey and pollen everywhere.
The bees are so numerous that they were clinging to each other on the frames of both hive bodies. So on the top hive box I removed 5 frames that didn't have brood and put in frames with just foundation to give the bees something to do.
I will be ordering a queen this coming monday, if any are available.
Beta Hive
I did a quick inspection, but only looked through the top hive body. I found eggs, larva and capped brood, so this hive seems to have a queen!!! I did find that this hive also has honey and pollen stored everywhere. I did install a honey super to help with this, but I might have to remove some frames to reduce a potential congestion problem.
Alpha Hive
The hive had thousands of bees on the front of the hive. I did a hive inspection and examined both hive bodies.
I did not find any eggs or young uncapped brood. All I found was capped brood. I could not find the queen. I did find 8 hatched queen swarm cells and 2 supercedure cells.
I did find that both hive bodies have curing honey and pollen everywhere.
The bees are so numerous that they were clinging to each other on the frames of both hive bodies. So on the top hive box I removed 5 frames that didn't have brood and put in frames with just foundation to give the bees something to do.
I will be ordering a queen this coming monday, if any are available.
Beta Hive
I did a quick inspection, but only looked through the top hive body. I found eggs, larva and capped brood, so this hive seems to have a queen!!! I did find that this hive also has honey and pollen stored everywhere. I did install a honey super to help with this, but I might have to remove some frames to reduce a potential congestion problem.
Friday, March 19, 2010
19 March, 2010 - 10 am
Clear skies, breezy and 70º at the bee yard.
As of the 16th I stopped feeding the bees sugar water, forgot to note that in previous posts. The bees didn't seem to be consuming as much.
I was just going to take a look at the outside of the hives today, no inspections were planned. Within a few minutes of my arrival, the Alpha Hive sent out thousands of bees in the air and they started to land and cluster on the front of the hive. It sure looked like the beginnings of a swarm. I was able to take photos and a couple of movies. I will post when possible.
After half an hour or so the bees dispersed and headed back into the hive and some went under the hive. So the swarming has begun.
The Beta Hive was very active today as well but they did not do anything like Alpha. They are a very strong hive too at this point and I have already put a super on to give them something to do.
Right now both hives have a super, maybe this will help them...I really need to read that chapter on swarming.
Pictures and movies of Alpha Hive...
This movie is moments before the swarm/swarm like behavior
The start of the swarm..?
Slow Motion Video of the swarming...
The bees are still going...
More Slo-Motion video...
Pictures of the Alpha Hive situation...
As of the 16th I stopped feeding the bees sugar water, forgot to note that in previous posts. The bees didn't seem to be consuming as much.
I was just going to take a look at the outside of the hives today, no inspections were planned. Within a few minutes of my arrival, the Alpha Hive sent out thousands of bees in the air and they started to land and cluster on the front of the hive. It sure looked like the beginnings of a swarm. I was able to take photos and a couple of movies. I will post when possible.
After half an hour or so the bees dispersed and headed back into the hive and some went under the hive. So the swarming has begun.
The Beta Hive was very active today as well but they did not do anything like Alpha. They are a very strong hive too at this point and I have already put a super on to give them something to do.
Right now both hives have a super, maybe this will help them...I really need to read that chapter on swarming.
Pictures and movies of Alpha Hive...
This movie is moments before the swarm/swarm like behavior
The start of the swarm..?
Slow Motion Video of the swarming...
The bees are still going...
More Slo-Motion video...
Pictures of the Alpha Hive situation...
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
16 March, 2010 - 1 pm
It was about 70º, clear skies, slightly breezy at the bee yard.
Today my Dad called me at about 12:15 or so to tell me it looks like the Alpha Hive is swarming. He took a few pictures. I headed that way to check it out. Found, thousands of bees hanginging out on the right front corner of Alpha Hive. Two weeks ago they didn't look like that had these numbers!!!
I started by trying to sift through the mass of bees for a queen. I didn't find one. I opened up the hive and started looking through the frames for the queen. While I was searching for her through the frames I kept hearing a high pitched buzzing/chirping sound. When I did find the frame she was on, it was the queen making those weird sounds. I watched her for a couple of minutes while she was doing the chirping behaviour. She would move around draw herself down to the comb then make the strange sound, then move off a bit and do it again. She did this all over the frame that she was on. I didn't see any attendants with her while she was doing this. So shes either rallying the forces to swarm or she is searching for other queens. But since there were thousands and thousands of bees on the outside of the hive...seems like that was a swarm call.
Alpha Hive Swarm Pictures
Today my Dad called me at about 12:15 or so to tell me it looks like the Alpha Hive is swarming. He took a few pictures. I headed that way to check it out. Found, thousands of bees hanginging out on the right front corner of Alpha Hive. Two weeks ago they didn't look like that had these numbers!!!
I started by trying to sift through the mass of bees for a queen. I didn't find one. I opened up the hive and started looking through the frames for the queen. While I was searching for her through the frames I kept hearing a high pitched buzzing/chirping sound. When I did find the frame she was on, it was the queen making those weird sounds. I watched her for a couple of minutes while she was doing the chirping behaviour. She would move around draw herself down to the comb then make the strange sound, then move off a bit and do it again. She did this all over the frame that she was on. I didn't see any attendants with her while she was doing this. So shes either rallying the forces to swarm or she is searching for other queens. But since there were thousands and thousands of bees on the outside of the hive...seems like that was a swarm call.
Alpha Hive Swarm Pictures
Saturday, March 13, 2010
13 March, 2010 - 2:30pm
It was very windy and 63º today.
Today I put a medium honey super on the Beta Hive. That hive has a lot of bees, and seems very strong.
I didn't put a honey super on the Alpha Hive at this time.
Today I put a medium honey super on the Beta Hive. That hive has a lot of bees, and seems very strong.
I didn't put a honey super on the Alpha Hive at this time.
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