2012 Hive #1

Hive status:  Overwintered from 2011
Hive origin:  Package in 2011
Queen type:  Italian (from CA via Queen Right Colonies)

Significant events/observations:

3/11/12:  The hive had a small brood nest with eggs and queen observed.

3/21/12: Reversed deeps and removed entrance reducer.  Bees crowded and queen cups for swarm cells present.  Added first honey super of the season and removed feeder.

4/15/12:  Pulled two frames of brood with eggs for nuc #1 and replaced with empty drawn comb.  A healthy hive, spring drones have arrived.  Saw some varroa on bees.

5/6/12:  Some queen cups removed, but no queen cells spotted.  Brood on 4 center frames of the super.  Added a second super.  I don't have a spare queen excluder to add below the supers.

5/21/12:  Went through 15 of 20 deep frames and both supers, not enough daylight to check the last 5 deeps.  No sign of swarming, although the queen was laying in the first super, even in two foundationless wall frames, so tons of drones were emerging.  I removed two frames of drone comb and replaced them with frames of plastic foundation.  Added queen excluder between first super and upper deep, hopefully she is down below.  The brood patterns on the deep frames were wall to wall!  A very good laying queen.  I'll need more supers soon.

5/22/12:  Supered with partially full super from H2, which had more than enough space in their 2 deeps.

6/2/12: Verified queen is in lower deeps below queen excluder.  Supers are filling nicely.

6/22/12:  I had supered with 10 frames that had no foundation to give them more room.  I checked that super for any comb for the second time (checked about a week ago) and there is still no comb drawn.  I have ordered was foundation to fill several supers.

6/28/12:  Replaced foundationless frames in top super with frames that have wax foundation.  They would not draw out the foundationless frames.

7/1/12:  Removed and extracted two supers of capped honey.  Returned a single super of drawn comb to the hive post-extraction.

7/8/12: Not drawing new comb, filing empty supers of drawn comb nicely.  Swapped a super of wax foundation with drawn comb.

7/30/12:  New comb being drawn, 2 supers full of honey, some capped.  Did not inspect deeps.

8/13/12:  This hive is declining.  I did not spot the queen or any eggs, the population is decreasing as the bees no longer seem crowded.  Will need a new queen.

8/25/12:  Queen spotted and laying a tiny bit, spotty brood pattern.  Decision to requeen stands.  Hopefully nucs 5-7 take so a combine can be done in Sept.

9/29/12:  1.5 of 3 supers are full of honey.  Bees angry, still some room in the deeps.  Spotted 6-7 day old larvae.  Hopefully queen is ok.  Did not requeen yet.  Possibility for combining over the winter.