Pollen coming into both hives.
Lots of bee activity.
Hive B feeder jars were 1/2 full so I filled them and Hive A jars were down 1/3 so I filled those as well.
Nice weather.
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Sunday, April 22, 2018
Reduced big hive A to 3 boxes from 5 and added feeder box
April 22, 2018
We got the smoker going. Checked Hive B, active, still has syrup in feeders.
Separated the bottom 2 boxes with the hive tool, then we smoked them and lifted the 3 top boxes (sans quilt box & roof & window covers - to reduce the weight) and moved them onto the small formica table. About 4 top bars with comb were stuck to the bottom of the 3rd box so Mark tipped them and I pulled out the top bars. We then transferred the top 3 boxes back onto the base (after I cleaned all of the dead bees off of the bottom screen) by holding the box handles with long pieces of wood (Mark's invention).
The mouse guards are still on.
The corks are in the escape holes.
I put sugar syrup in the feeders on top of Hive A (after I moved the pollen patty to the side away from the feeder holes).
All went well.
I hope Hive A can increase in numbers now that it has sugar syrup and pollen on top of it!
This is my newly packaged Hive B:
And this is my over wintered Hive A:
We got the smoker going. Checked Hive B, active, still has syrup in feeders.
Separated the bottom 2 boxes with the hive tool, then we smoked them and lifted the 3 top boxes (sans quilt box & roof & window covers - to reduce the weight) and moved them onto the small formica table. About 4 top bars with comb were stuck to the bottom of the 3rd box so Mark tipped them and I pulled out the top bars. We then transferred the top 3 boxes back onto the base (after I cleaned all of the dead bees off of the bottom screen) by holding the box handles with long pieces of wood (Mark's invention).
The mouse guards are still on.
The corks are in the escape holes.
I put sugar syrup in the feeders on top of Hive A (after I moved the pollen patty to the side away from the feeder holes).
All went well.
I hope Hive A can increase in numbers now that it has sugar syrup and pollen on top of it!
This is my newly packaged Hive B:
And this is my over wintered Hive A:
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Hived one package after a blizzard
April 17, 2018
I was in NYC when a blizzard hit here on the 14-16th with over 15" of snow!
Mark picked up the two packages I had ordered and kept them warm in the garage overnight. He sprayed them periodically with 1:1 sugar water
When I arrived home, we hived one package in the small hive B and placed the queen suspended between the top bars of the second box. I shook the package of bees on top of her (in the top box or third box) and replaced the top bars and put the feeder on top.
The bottom or first box is empty and I plugged the mouse guard holes with grass.
Here we go!
Hive A still has bees so I sold the extra package to a coworker who is a beekeeper.
I was in NYC when a blizzard hit here on the 14-16th with over 15" of snow!
Mark picked up the two packages I had ordered and kept them warm in the garage overnight. He sprayed them periodically with 1:1 sugar water
When I arrived home, we hived one package in the small hive B and placed the queen suspended between the top bars of the second box. I shook the package of bees on top of her (in the top box or third box) and replaced the top bars and put the feeder on top.
The bottom or first box is empty and I plugged the mouse guard holes with grass.
Here we go!
Hive A still has bees so I sold the extra package to a coworker who is a beekeeper.
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
April 9 and 10, 2018 Harvested honey and getting ready for NEW bees
I harvested about 5-6 quarts of lovely honey by crushing the comb, draining through netting to get the big particles out then through cheesecloth into a jug.
It looks really nice!
I have a bunch of extra comb/wax that I am saving for my nephew since I have more than enough beeswax saved up.
When I went to my big hive, I looked in it and there are bees in the top 2 boxes, so I am going to cancel my extra package and just keep the one that I ordered.
They are supposed to arrive early next week - I sure hope it warms up!
You'll read more in a week or so when I hive a new package, see you on the sunny side.
It looks really nice!
I have a bunch of extra comb/wax that I am saving for my nephew since I have more than enough beeswax saved up.
When I went to my big hive, I looked in it and there are bees in the top 2 boxes, so I am going to cancel my extra package and just keep the one that I ordered.
They are supposed to arrive early next week - I sure hope it warms up!
You'll read more in a week or so when I hive a new package, see you on the sunny side.
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