The Wally-Gee Bee Journey 🐝

[Apis mellifera]

We went out to look at the hives. The old one is very active. The new one... not. I did see a couple of bees come out, and I did hear buzzing when I put my ear down by the entrance.

Thats normal, all of the foragers will go back to the original hive. Put a feeder on the new hive (or both) to build back up to 2 hive bodies. Just keep doing routine inspections, if the new colony starts to look weak just shake nurse bees off of a brood frame into it to keep things balanced. But the first thing you need to do is to check both hives on Thursday and see which one has eggs and if the other started queen cells so you know where the queen is. If you do once a week inspections you'll get more comfortable with it and learn to catch problems early. If you find the queen in the original location you can just switch them, that way the queenless colony will get the foragers it will need.

In my Mann Lake order, I got a varroa check washing cup.

Great!

When we peeked inside, we set the top box on an upside down lid on the ground. When we put it back, we saw plenty of mites. That's what had fallen off the bees. I counted 8.

Apivar should take care of that, leave the 2 strips in for 6 weeks.

I'm really that we have treated in time to save them. We put in 2 Apivar strips in each hive.

Im sure you did. The critical mite count is at the end of July beginning of August. Thats when the colony starts to raise winter bees. Your off to a great start! You've done more than some new beekeepers do in their first couple years.

 

[Sally PB]

I like FORMIC PRO for a spring treatment as it is food safe, so "they" say, but I get it on as not to interfere with flow.

We used Formic Pro last August. Right now, we'll have low temps too low, or that's what I would have ordered. I will order it for the summer treatment.

The new hive is showing more activity. I see a dozen bees coming and going. I plan to look into the feeder on top of it on Saturday. We have a couple of days of rain and high wind between now and then.

At what temperature do you use sugar syrup instead of granulated sugar?

 

[5Australorpasaures]

In my Mann Lake order, I got a varroa check washing cup.

When we peeked inside, we set the top box on an upside down lid on the ground. When we put it back, we saw plenty of mites. That's what had fallen off the bees. I counted 8.

I'm really that we have treated in time to save them. We put in 2 Apivar strips in each hiv

We used Formic Pro last August. Right now, we'll have low temps too low, or that's what I would have ordered. I will order it for the summer treatment.

The new hive is showing more activity. I see a dozen bees coming and going. I plan to look into the feeder on top of it on Saturday. We have a couple of days of rain and high wind between now and then.

At what temperature do you use sugar syrup instead of granulated sugar?

I use sugar bricks, I find the bees just toss loose sugar, they will cluster on the bricks. Usually 2nd wk in March 4 qts enclosed in a medium super, pollen patty on top of frames, 2" foam insulation shimmed for ventilation with top cover, yes the night time temp does get down into the high 20s to low to mid 30s. The heat of the cluster keeps syrup from any freeze. They are already on eggs and brood as early as February and the syrup and pollen in March stimulates them into more brood rearing if they have the numbers to keep eggs and brood warm. This Sunday (14th) removing all syrup and patty, reversed the 2 deeps last week and will add a medium with drawn comb this Sunday. They're bringing in pollen and the Blueberry flow will be starting any day. My hives came through winter strong and the next ten days lowest night temps 44 and days highs are mid 60s to mid 70s. I will pull a card tomorrow a post a pic of what they're doing.

 

[Sally PB]

reversed the 2 deeps last week

I'm assuming you mean you put the top deep on the bottom, and bottom on the top. Can you explain why you did this?

 

[5Australorpasaures]

I'm assuming you mean you put the top deep on the bottom, and bottom on the top. Can you explain why you did this?

The cluster moves up during the winter consuming their stores. Queenie will start laying where there are empty cells which will be close to her in the top super and among the cluster for heat. You will usually find the bottom super has been cleaned of any honey or even very light in weight. Reversing puts the queen at the bottom with empty cells for brood production where some queens are reluctant to travel, and the empty on top so the foragers have plenty of room for nectar stores that will be coming shortly. They will pack nectar in the top, nectar and pollen in the bottom for brood rearing usually in an arc pattern on the frame with eggs, larvae and capped brood through the heart of the frame. Still, you have to be on your toes and make sure you stay ahead of the bees by adding supers so the hive does not become honey bound leaving the queen with no place to lay which leads to one cause of swarming. I know this is a little long but I wanted to give you a good sense of why.

 

[Sally PB]

Thank you! I appreciate the explanation.

 

[Apis mellifera]

reversed the 2 deeps last week and will add a medium with drawn comb this Sunday.

There's one method you can try next year with one of your hives instead of reversing to relieve congestion. I found reversing really doesnt work that well as you just place the congested hive body below and they're still cramped and will build swarm cells.

1. Set aside the top box.
2. Pull 4 empty brood frames from the center of the bottom box.
3. Pull 4 capped brood frames from the top box and put them back in the center of the bottom box.
4. Place the top box back on and push together the remaining brood frames and put the empty brood frames on other side of them.
5. Add 2 honey supers. Done!

So what happens is you made a column of brood and empty comb for the queen to lay in and move up and down. The foragers will start working the supers instead of backfilling the brood nest. No method is 100% but it works better than just reversing. I think you'll like the results.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

There's one method you can try next year with one of your hives instead of reversing to relieve congestion. I found reversing really doesnt work that well as you just place the congested hive body below and they're still cramped and will build swarm cells.

1. Set aside the top box.
2. Pull 4 empty brood frames from the center of the bottom box.
3. Pull 4 capped brood frames from the top box and put them back in the center of the bottom box.
4. Place the top box back on and push together the remaining brood frames and put the empty brood frames on other side of them.
5. Add 2 honey supers. Done!

So what happens is you made a column of brood and empty comb for the queen to lay in and move up and down. The foragers will start working the supers instead of backfilling the brood nest. No method is 100% but it works better than just reversing. I think you'll like the results.

I do this, will even drop in foundation for more drawn comb during the flow. The only difference is I add the supers (medium) as needed. I'm wax moth paranoid. I know the bees are supposed to take care of them but as all things in nature you get the curve ball.

 

[WallyG74]

I never gave much credit to the holly trees on my place. In fact, I hated them until today. As I walked from one chicken coop to the other, I heard the sound of many bees above my head. I was walking under a holly tree. The blooms were covered with my little forager girls! The holly trees forever get a pass from me, here on out. I have watched bees going in the hive with all different colors in their baskets. Light yellow, bright yellow, gray, and a dark golden brown. I tried to look them up but there’s so many sources of pollen that have the same colors. We have had high winds the last couple days and it saddened me to see Yellow Poplar blooms on the ground but I know more will come. These are just a few of my observations that I wanted to share. I’m going in my hive this Saturday to check progress, decide about adding a box and do a mite treatment. Lord willing, there should be a thriving colony waiting to be inspected.

 

[Apis mellifera]

Here we don't have wax moths until late June. By then hives are plenty big enough to take care of them. I just leave drawn comb exposed to light and rarely have any issues.