Sept 28 2018
I refilled the feeders one last time - the issue with filling/feeding 2:1 sugar:water combination is that the sugar precipitates in the dependent position thus crystallizing and plugging the feeder holes. Hopefully, they can still get syrup with their proboscises.
Next week, we'll remove the feeders and the lower boxes and hope winter treats my little ladies well.
Friday, September 28, 2018
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Harvested honey - unplanned
So there were several combs that fell off of their top bars when the hives toppled. I had put them in the top box so the bees could clean up the honey (the empty feeder boxes) but then I took them out and harvested 2 1/2 quarts of honey from about 5 broken pieces of comb.
I refilled the feeders today and am hoping the bees can get enough honey for the winter - but now there are spaces in the boxes where the combs broke off - that's not good. Harder to keep warm in the winter as well as climb from one comb to the other for honey and I don't know if some of the combs are squished against each other and therefore there isn't "bee space" for them to move up and down. But I am not taking the hives apart again. They'll just have to do this on their own.
I refilled the feeders today and am hoping the bees can get enough honey for the winter - but now there are spaces in the boxes where the combs broke off - that's not good. Harder to keep warm in the winter as well as climb from one comb to the other for honey and I don't know if some of the combs are squished against each other and therefore there isn't "bee space" for them to move up and down. But I am not taking the hives apart again. They'll just have to do this on their own.
Friday, September 21, 2018
Yikes tornados
Sept 20 2018
Apparently two tornados went through when we were gone this evening and both of my hives were toppled.
Angry bees.
In the wet darkness, Mark and I put the boxes back together.
Friday Sept 21
After work, I got the smoker going and took the comb out of the feeder boxes to bring in and process. Then I replaced the feeder jars in the top empty box, put new sawdust in the quilt boxes and reassembled them.
Apparently two tornados went through when we were gone this evening and both of my hives were toppled.
Angry bees.
In the wet darkness, Mark and I put the boxes back together.
Friday Sept 21
After work, I got the smoker going and took the comb out of the feeder boxes to bring in and process. Then I replaced the feeder jars in the top empty box, put new sawdust in the quilt boxes and reassembled them.
Sunday, September 16, 2018
Sunday September 16 2018 - feeders on
Today I smoked the hives, put the mouse guards on and put feeder jars on each hive.
But when I removed the top cloth to place the cloth with the hole (which goes under the jars), the propolis had nearly sealed the top bars completely. So not sure how much they will go up to the feeders. Meanwhile they've gone crazy on the hummingbird feeders and on these flowers in my ravine - I don't know what this plant is.
But when I removed the top cloth to place the cloth with the hole (which goes under the jars), the propolis had nearly sealed the top bars completely. So not sure how much they will go up to the feeders. Meanwhile they've gone crazy on the hummingbird feeders and on these flowers in my ravine - I don't know what this plant is.
Wednesday, August 15, 2018
Wednesday, August 15, 2018 - Bearding on the hives
It's been hot and here are shots of my hives this evening:
my large hive - the overwintered hive:
my small hive from the new package:
here's a link to a good article on Bearding:
http://countryrubes.com/template/images/The_Phenomenon_of_Bee_Bearding2_8_17_10.pdf
my large hive - the overwintered hive:
here's a link to a good article on Bearding:
http://countryrubes.com/template/images/The_Phenomenon_of_Bee_Bearding2_8_17_10.pdf
Sunday, July 8, 2018
they're packing in the nectar
My top boxes look great - I now have 5 boxes on each hive and they are filling the 4th box, the bottom boxes don't have windows though.
What a great nectar flow - I was not planning on harvesting honey this year, but I may have to take the top boxes in order to get the hives down to a reasonable size for winter.
We'll see!
Here are videos of each box:
What a great nectar flow - I was not planning on harvesting honey this year, but I may have to take the top boxes in order to get the hives down to a reasonable size for winter.
We'll see!
Here are videos of each box:
Wednesday, July 4, 2018
roof blown off and adding boxes
July 2 2018 - we returned from a week away horse camping in Roosevelt Nat'l Park to find Hive B's roof/quilt box on the ground! Must have been windy here. The top cloth was pulled back 1-3" on the SW corner and some bees were going in and out of the top box. Thankfully, it was plenty warm and the queen must not have left. I put the quilt box and roof back on!
July 4 - Mark helped me lift FOUR boxes on each hive as we added a box to the bottom of each hive because they were filling the bottom boxes. Hopefully, we did it in time and she won't swarm with half of her hive.
This is Hive B (new package this year):
This is Hive A (overwintered hive):
Monarchs on our milkweed:
July 4 - Mark helped me lift FOUR boxes on each hive as we added a box to the bottom of each hive because they were filling the bottom boxes. Hopefully, we did it in time and she won't swarm with half of her hive.
This is Hive B (new package this year):
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