Hive One

Hive One (14×12) – Record Card

26th September 2014

  • Half syrup remaining
  • Fed another 5Kg sugar as syrup (total = 25Kg)
  • No plans to continue feeding

17th September 2014

  • All syrup had gone
  • Fed another 5Kg sugar as syrup (total = 20Kg)

 

12th September 2014

9th September 2014

  • All syrup had gone
  • Fed another 5Kg sugar as syrup (total = 10Kg)

7th September 2014

  • Removed Apiguard
  • Fed colony 5Kg sugar as a Thick Syrup using Jumbo Feeder (green).
Colonies With Jumbo Feeder
Colonies With Jumbo Feeder

23rd August

Added second dose of Apiguard.

2nd Apiguard Treatment
2nd Apiguard Treatment

9th August

  • Manipulated supers, so only one super contained nectar – and placed this below the brood box
  • Added Apiguard
  • Note: bees cleaned up perfectly the nylon strainer I used to strain the honey
  • Cleaned up nylon filter:
Nylon Filter Cleaned By Bees
Nylon Filter Cleaned By Bees
  • Hive now looks like this:
Super with frames on bottom, brood in middle, empty super with Apiguard on top
Super with frames on bottom, brood in middle, empty super with Apiguard on top
  • We have to keep records of medical treatments used on bees, see photo below:
Apiguard
Apiguard

4th August – PM

  • Gave capped supers plus cappings back to bees

4th August – AM

  • Removed supers of honey (provided about 8lb honey – felt like more though)

3rd August

  • Inserted clearer board

2nd August

Varroa count:

  • Average Daily Mite Fall = 1.9 varroa mites
  • Estimated number of adult varroa mites in the colony = 75
  • Treatment is recommended in about 11 month(s) time (counting from day of first monitoring).

26th July

  • Added varroa board
  • Added super – so now 3 supers

15th July 2014

Bees drawing out comb in new plastic frames (with wax foundation), after 1 week:

Plastic Hive Frame - Drawing Out
Plastic Hive Frame – Drawing Out

6th July 2014

  • 20C, sunny
  • Bees calm
  • Saw eggs and larvae – so there’s a laying queen in there
  • Did not look for Queen
  • Brood box full of bees on 8 out of the 11 frames
  • 1 super half full of honey
  • Added super – so now 2 supers

28th June 2014

  • 20C, sunny
  • Bees calm
  • Saw eggs and larvae – so there’s a laying queen in there
  • Did not find Queen (again) – very elusive
  • Brood box full of bees on 7 out of the 11 frames
  • Bees started venturing into super

21st June 2014

  • 20C, cloudy
  • Bees calm
  • Saw eggs and larvae
  • Did not find Queen
  • Brood box has bees on 6 out of the 11 frames
  • Removed feeder (empty)
  • Added a super (so now has 1 super)

14th June 2014

  • 21C, sunny
  • Bees calm
  • Saw eggs, larvae, capped brood, Queen
  • Brood box: half foundation drawn out, 6 frames of bees
  • Plenty of stores in brood box as have been feeding
  • 500g left in feeder – so left on top

7th June 2014

  • 20C, sunny
  • Bees calm
  • Drawn out 4-5 frames – slow at drawing the frames
  • Saw eggs, larvae, Queen
  • No food left in feeder – fed another 1Kg

31st May 2014

  • 15C, humid
  • Drawn out 4-5 frames
  • Saw eggs; larvae but not the Queen
  • There was only a little food left in feeder
  • Put on new feeder with 2L thin sugar syrup
  • Note: Queen is 3 years old

18th May 2014

  • Hive One is back in action
  • Hive Two swarmed on 18th May 2014
  • I caught and hived it
  • Queen excluder on bottom to stop Queen escaping
  • Fed 2kg of sugar in thin syrup
  • Related post: Attack Of The Swarm
Swarm - 18th May 2014
Swarm – 18th May 2014
Catching Swarm - 18th May 2014
Catching Swarm – 18th May 2014
Bees Walking Into Hive - 18th May 2014
Bees Walking Into Hive – 18th May 2014
Hive One - Back In Action - 18 May 2014
Hive One – Back In Action – 18 May 2014
Hive One - 18 May 2014
Hive One – 18 May 2014

There was a different colony in this hive in 2013 – notes below

RIP: 9 June 2013 – 29 September 2013

29th September 2013

  • I found the Queen with about 20 bees
  • I took the hive apart and put the brood body on Hive Two in the hope they will clean out all the dead (starved) bees – see photo below
  • Related post: Grieving For Bees
  • Related page: Beekeepers Anonymous

22nd September 2013

  • Lots of robber bees in the feeder
  • Fed 1.5Kg syrup
  • Blocked hive for 3 days

21st September 2013

  • Fed 1Kg syrup

20th September

  • Fed 1Kg syrup
  • I have written a how-to guide for Feeding Bees
  • Blocked hive for 24 hours

19th September

18th September 2013

  • Found bees starving.  Most dead. Fed with syrup (but think this was more my denial of the situation when I just needed to tidy it all up and accept the colony is no more).
  • I wrote a post called: Starving Bees.
Starving Bees
Starving Bees With Heads In Comb

30th August 2013

Bee Inspector Frame August 2013
Bee Inspector – Inspecting Frame – August 2013
Marked Queen
Marked Queen

 

24th August 2013

  • Counted 10 mites on the varroa board. I used the varroa calculator which reported as follows:
      • Average Daily Mite Fall = 1.4 varroa mites
      • Estimated number of adult varroa mites in the colony = 55
      • Treatment is recommended in about 12 month(s) time (counting from day of first monitoring).
  • I.e. A low count – phew
  • Added Apiguard
  • Plan: Replace Apiguard in two weeks; feed from mid-September

Photos of varroa board below including varroa mites and pollen mites.  This first photo shows that most of the activity in the hive is at the centre as this is where most of the wax and pollen can be seen.

Varroa Board 24 August 2013
Varroa Board 24 August 2013

Spot the varroa mite – it’s right in the centre of this next photo.  If you click on the photo, it will open. Click again and it will zoom in and you can see the varroa mite in all it’s “glory”:

Varroa Mite In Centre Of Board
Varroa Mite In Centre Of Board

And spot the pollen mite (they’re OK), just to the right of centre in photo:

Pollen Mite Just To The Right Of Centre
Pollen Mite Just To The Right Of Centre

And spot the pollen mite walking around in this video below.  It then passes a varroa mite which starts moving too.

 16th August 2013

Ooops. Somehow over a month has passed since my last inspection.

  • Queen present (but did not see her – but definitely have a Queen: saw eggs, larvae and capped brood. Remember this is the 2013 Queen)
  • No Queen cells
  • Eggs and brood covering 6 frames
  • 1 frame of capped stores
  • Room on 4 frames (Bees were covering 7 frames, like last time)
  • Health OK
  • Medium level of varroa (assumed not measured)
  • Bees quite feisty but no stings (3/10)
  • 0 Supers
  • No feeder
  • Moved frame of stores further out and moved frame with no stores into centre; helped bring the standard frame nearer to the outside
  • Weather: 22C, sunny
  • Added varroa count board
  • Plan: Add Apiguard at same time as Hive Two (hopefully Sunday), apply this for 4 weeks (until mid-September) and then feed; let colony build and move the standard brood frames towards the ends of the hive.
Healthy Brood Frame 16 August 2013
Healthy Brood Frame 16 August 2013

Compare the following photo with the one on the 6th July (6 weeks ago). Definitely more bee activity now and lots of brood ready to hatch out.  Hopefully, will build enough to survive the Winter.

Hive One - 7 Frames Of Bees - 16 August 2013
Hive One – 7 Frames Of Bees – 16 August 2013

 

21st July 2013

  • Basically – the same as per my notes of 14th July – all good.  The population has been in decline, but I estimate the first bees should start hatching from the new Queen later this week – and then we’ll get a population increase.  Just hoping to get a strong enough colony to over winter
  • Weather: 27C, sunny
  • Plan: Let colony build and move the standard brood frames towards the ends of the hive

I was joined today by my old mate, Antony.  He was still feeling brave when this photo was taken which I have called Thriller Bees:

Thriller Bees
Thriller Bees

Please see notes on Hive Two for a photo of Antony and I inspecting the bees, rather than acting out scenes from Thriller.

14th July 2013

  • Queen present (but did not see her – but definitely have a Queen: saw eggs, larvae and capped brood)
  • No Queen cells
  • Eggs and brood covering 5-6 frames
  • 1-2 frames of uncapped stores
  • Room on 4 frames (Bees were covering 7 frames, like last time)
  • Health OK
  • Medium level of varroa (assumed not measured)
  • Bees very calm
  • 0 Supers
  • No feeder
  • Moved frame of stores further out and moved frame with no stores into centre; helped bring the standard frame nearer to the outside
  • Weather: 27C, sunny
  • Plan: Let colony build and move the standard brood frames towards the ends of the hive

I was joined today my brave deputy beekeeper, Clare:

Roger & Clare
Roger & Clare

6th July 2013

  • Queen present (but did not see her)
  • No Queen cells
  • Eggs covering 2-3 frames (I think, could not see clearly due to old dark comb)
  • 3-4 frames of uncapped stores
  • Room on 4 frames (Bees were covering 7 frames)
  • Health OK
  • Medium level of varroa
  • Bees very calm
  • 0 Supers
  • No feeder
  • No frame manipulations – just want them to build up now
  • Weather: 18C, balmy/ thundery
  • Plan: Let colony build and move the standard brood frames towards the ends of the hive

The hive was quiet as can be seen in the photo below:

Quiet hive on 6th July 2013
Quiet hive on 6th July 2013

It was difficult to see any eggs during inspection, but the photo below confirms what I thought I saw with plenty of bee eggs (so I have a new laying Queen – hurrah):

Hive One 6th July 2013 - Eggs Visible
Hive One 6th July 2013 – Eggs Visible

20th June 2013

  • Definitely no Queen
  • 4 emergency Queen cells; removed 2 (the Queen should emerge on 22/23 June and mate sometime between 24-30 June)
  • Brood covering 2 frames
  • 1 frame of stores
  • Room on 9 frames
  • Health OK
  • Medium level of varroa
  • Bees very calm (though on same day in hive two, the bees were aggressive)
  • 0 Supers
  • Removed feeder – they had taken it all down
  • Manipulations: Moved one of the standard frames in order to make it easier when they produce will comb below in my 14×12 brood box
  • Weather: 18C, balmy/ thundery
  • Plan: Inspect to see if have mated Queen on 6/7 July and move the standard brood frames towards the ends of the hive)
Queen Bee Larvae
Queen Bee Larvae

16th June 2013

  • Definitely no Queen as have found her in Hive Two
  • 4 emergency Queen cells
  • Brood covering 3 frames
  • 1 frame of stores
  • Room on 8 frames
  • Health OK
  • Medium level of varroa
  • Bees very calm
  • 0 Supers
  • Did not give any more feed
  • Weather: 20C, sunny

9th June 2013

  • Transferred 3 frames of brood and eggs from Pete’s hive
  • Could not find Queen
  • No Queen cells
  • Eggs seen
  • Brood pattern OK
  • Brood covering 3 frames
  • No stores
  • Room on 8 frames
  • Health OK
  • Medium level of varroa
  • Bees very calm
  • 0 Supers
  • Fed with 2 litres sugar syrup (1:1)
  • Weather: 20C, sunny
  • Plan: move the 3 standard frames to the sides and remove by the end of the season
  • Post related to this inspection: The Bees Are Back In Town

One thought on “Hive One”

  1. I enjoy very much your writing and learning from you. I am in my second year of keeping bees. I too talk to the bees when I work with them and hope to be able to continue too keep bees. My grandfather had a huge honey house and loved to keep bees but he gave it all up when his only son died in Korean War and just quit. I have 3 colony’s and enjoy them very much. I have my bees in Ohio Again thank you for your help. Joe email karenklema@gmail.com

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