Checked all my TBH on Sunday. Could hear the gentle buzz of bees in all three of them.
I closed the bottom boards to keep the winter wind out.
The TBH at Rosiers had signs of sickness (mustard marks below the entrance on the ground).
Did not open any of the hives as it was too cold.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Extracted (crush and strain) from 2 of my hives.
Schampel Oscar (back yard)
quite a lot of brood (all stages) and bees. Very little stores. Very little pollen. They have drawn out a little comb in the top box (3) but it's all empty.
Schampel TBH
Full hive. These girls have been hanging out on the front of the hive every evening and into the night. By morning they are all inside. Extracted 3 bars of honey from the south end. Dropped one of them back in, all over the girls. They were quite pissed. When trying to pick it up again, I took 2 stings. One sting on the end of each of my index fingers. After putting the gloves on, I took about a dozen more stings into the gloves (I did not feel them). I cleaned my mess up as best as I could and closed this end of the hive. The north end of the hive is cross combed and would be difficult to get into. I left it alone.
Rosier TBH
Also very full. I pulled 2 bars out of the south end and about 4 bars from the north end. Used a goose feather to brush the girls off the comb. Did not smoke them. They get a little ornery at this. Took another sting on the thumb and another on the back of the right hand. Very pleased with how straight this colony has built up. Left them several bars of honey that weren't completely full or capped. Left empty bars between the drawn out bars.
Peczuh TBH
These girls were pissed from the second I opened the hive. I could see from the end that they haven't stored much. They are still at only about 12 bars. Due to their ornery disposition, I closed it up and didn't look any further.
Ended up with a full 5 gallon bucket of stacked comb which when strained, yielded almost 3 gallons of honey. :)
Schampel Oscar (back yard)
quite a lot of brood (all stages) and bees. Very little stores. Very little pollen. They have drawn out a little comb in the top box (3) but it's all empty.
Schampel TBH
Full hive. These girls have been hanging out on the front of the hive every evening and into the night. By morning they are all inside. Extracted 3 bars of honey from the south end. Dropped one of them back in, all over the girls. They were quite pissed. When trying to pick it up again, I took 2 stings. One sting on the end of each of my index fingers. After putting the gloves on, I took about a dozen more stings into the gloves (I did not feel them). I cleaned my mess up as best as I could and closed this end of the hive. The north end of the hive is cross combed and would be difficult to get into. I left it alone.
Rosier TBH
Also very full. I pulled 2 bars out of the south end and about 4 bars from the north end. Used a goose feather to brush the girls off the comb. Did not smoke them. They get a little ornery at this. Took another sting on the thumb and another on the back of the right hand. Very pleased with how straight this colony has built up. Left them several bars of honey that weren't completely full or capped. Left empty bars between the drawn out bars.
Peczuh TBH
These girls were pissed from the second I opened the hive. I could see from the end that they haven't stored much. They are still at only about 12 bars. Due to their ornery disposition, I closed it up and didn't look any further.
Ended up with a full 5 gallon bucket of stacked comb which when strained, yielded almost 3 gallons of honey. :)
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Extracted (crush and strain) from the 2 hives at Jareds' farm today.
Hive 1 - 5 tall - tons of bees going in and out - bringing in pollen - weeds grown over entrance, but the bees don't seem to care
Box 1 and 2 - nest box - top bars - did not touch
Box 3 bees honey box - top bars - did not touch (appeared full)
Box 4 - partially drawn out frames - extracted 2 frames
Box 5 - empty frames - left it on
Hive 2 - 3 tall - tons of bees - pollen coming in - mostly using top entrance
Box 3 - brood in top box - on 3 frames - extracted 2 frames of honey only - 5 frames crossed combed together and couldn't get into them
Box 2 - Brood on several frames - did not extract any frames from this box
Box 1 - Honey and pollen mostly - extracted a couple frames
Didn't see the queen in either box.
Rather calm bees considering that I ripped the hives completely apart. No stings. I did smoke them at first.
Hive 1 - 5 tall - tons of bees going in and out - bringing in pollen - weeds grown over entrance, but the bees don't seem to care
Box 1 and 2 - nest box - top bars - did not touch
Box 3 bees honey box - top bars - did not touch (appeared full)
Box 4 - partially drawn out frames - extracted 2 frames
Box 5 - empty frames - left it on
Hive 2 - 3 tall - tons of bees - pollen coming in - mostly using top entrance
Box 3 - brood in top box - on 3 frames - extracted 2 frames of honey only - 5 frames crossed combed together and couldn't get into them
Box 2 - Brood on several frames - did not extract any frames from this box
Box 1 - Honey and pollen mostly - extracted a couple frames
Didn't see the queen in either box.
Rather calm bees considering that I ripped the hives completely apart. No stings. I did smoke them at first.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Inspected the TBH at the Peczuh farm today. It's been almost a month since I caught this swarm. They are building up nicely. They have completed 8 bars of comb and are working on the 9th (I had only given them 2 to start). All comb is perfectly straight and nice. Very few attachments to the sides. 1 comb had the comb guide fall out due to the weight of the comb but it was still perfectly straight (just a little lower in the box). Most of the comb was full of brood. Mostly capped. Found the queen (see photo). Saw several drones and a little bit of drone comb. Pretty gentle though I did take a sting to the nose, right between the eyes. I was wearing no protection. It was a little breezy and I think this is what probably upset her.
I added a couple empty bars between some full comb on the north end and they still have 4 empty bars on the south end. The alfalfa in the field was not yet in bloom. I hope when it does bloom, it isn't cut right a way so the girls can work it.
Very happy with the progress of this colony.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
May inspections
Got a chance to check on all my hives today. I no longer consider the hives at Jared's mine. He kind of does what he wants with them. I find it harder and harder to get over there.
Schampel TBH
Doing great! Just over a week since the swarm left. Lots of capped brood and larva. Harvested 2 partial bars of capped honey. Found the queen. Not sure if she's mated yet. Not sure how to tell. Lots of drones around and lots of capped drone cells. No sign of mites. Did not open drone cells to check. Some of my comb guides have fallen out of the bars again with the weight of the honey or brood. I must remember to glue all guides. The wax doesn't hold the weight. Took one sting (while shaking them off the comb I was harvesting).
Schampel Oscar
Hanging on. Found the queen. Still just a small brood area. A Little bigger than last time I checked. The honey stores are more than last time also. There are multiple eggs in some cells. All eggs are on the bottom of the cells though, so I think it's the queen (not a laying worker). Will continue to let them hang on and see how they do. I left the bottom board on but think I'll remove it tomorrow.
Peczuh TBH
First week since catching this swarm (from Schampel TBH). They are booming. The 1st comb (old comb that I gave them was mostly full of nectar and very heavy. The next bar was completed new comb. The next was an old comb again also full of nectar. The next two bars were complete new comb the next two were partial new comb. It's amazing how much they can build in such a short time (just over a week).
All comb perfectly straight. I left the bottom board on.
Rosier TBH
This is by far my most gentle hive. Did not even wear the veil for most of the inspection.
Harvested 3 bars, half full of capped honey. Removed several empty honey combs on account of they were very fat and very crooked. Girls have lots of capped honey above the brood on most of the bars.
Found the queen. Very dark (see pics) Very pretty. Follower board on South of hive is broken in half. Bottom half is sealed in place with propolis. Did not see any queen cells. Only a few drones and not very many drone cells. Some comb attached to sides, but most perfectly straight and easy to inspect. I removed the bottom board for the summer as the weather is nice (nicer) now. On inspecting the debris on the bottom board, I found wax cappings, pollen, and a very small bit of mold. No evidence of mites or mite carcasses. :)
Schampel TBH
Doing great! Just over a week since the swarm left. Lots of capped brood and larva. Harvested 2 partial bars of capped honey. Found the queen. Not sure if she's mated yet. Not sure how to tell. Lots of drones around and lots of capped drone cells. No sign of mites. Did not open drone cells to check. Some of my comb guides have fallen out of the bars again with the weight of the honey or brood. I must remember to glue all guides. The wax doesn't hold the weight. Took one sting (while shaking them off the comb I was harvesting).
Schampel Oscar
Hanging on. Found the queen. Still just a small brood area. A Little bigger than last time I checked. The honey stores are more than last time also. There are multiple eggs in some cells. All eggs are on the bottom of the cells though, so I think it's the queen (not a laying worker). Will continue to let them hang on and see how they do. I left the bottom board on but think I'll remove it tomorrow.
Peczuh TBH
First week since catching this swarm (from Schampel TBH). They are booming. The 1st comb (old comb that I gave them was mostly full of nectar and very heavy. The next bar was completed new comb. The next was an old comb again also full of nectar. The next two bars were complete new comb the next two were partial new comb. It's amazing how much they can build in such a short time (just over a week).
All comb perfectly straight. I left the bottom board on.
Rosier TBH
This is by far my most gentle hive. Did not even wear the veil for most of the inspection.
Harvested 3 bars, half full of capped honey. Removed several empty honey combs on account of they were very fat and very crooked. Girls have lots of capped honey above the brood on most of the bars.
Found the queen. Very dark (see pics) Very pretty. Follower board on South of hive is broken in half. Bottom half is sealed in place with propolis. Did not see any queen cells. Only a few drones and not very many drone cells. Some comb attached to sides, but most perfectly straight and easy to inspect. I removed the bottom board for the summer as the weather is nice (nicer) now. On inspecting the debris on the bottom board, I found wax cappings, pollen, and a very small bit of mold. No evidence of mites or mite carcasses. :)
Dark queen (dead center)
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Catching a swarm
May 12, 2011.
After their "practice swarm" the day before, I was nervous that they'd really swarm and I'd miss it. I was about to return to work from my lunch break and I was explaining to my wife what to look for so she could call me if they swarmed. As I was explaining this, they swarmed. Poured out of the hive as we were watching. I grabbed the camera and caught it on video (see below). They flew around the yard for a while and then headed north west over the fence and down the hill. I was in hot pursuit. They decided to settle on a small chinese elm tree about 100 yards from their hive. I grabbed my bait hive (with a couple bars of empty comb), vail, camera and tripod and went after them. I managed to catch the swarm and they are now settled in a TBH out at the Peczuh farm. They whole process, aside from moving them to the farm, took about an hour. I managed to capture most of it on video.
I love swarms!
I did not take even one sting while catching the swarm, however I made up for that when transferring them into their permanent home. I transferred all the bars (full of bees) to the top bar hive and then shook the rest of the bees out into the hive. Some of them fell on the ground and as I proceeded to put the hive back together, these bees crawled up my legs trying to get back to the hive. Most were on the outside of my levis and I was able to brush them off. Several were inside my levis and I took 3 stings. The first sting was a result of me intentionally squishing a bee against my inner thigh to prevent her from crawling further up my pant leg. The other 2 were a result of me trying, unsuccessfully, to shake the rest out of my pant leg. Live and learn, right?
Practice Swarm
On Wednesday, May 11 my bees went nuts. I thought they were swarming (see video below).
After about a half hour of this, they all went back into the hive.
There were 10 or so drones crawling around in the grass in front of the hive as if they were stuck. not sure what that was about. Apparently the queen didn't come out (I've since learned this happens occasionally)
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