2014 Hive 5 (new package)

Hive status:  New 3lb package 2014
Hive origin: Package from Waldo Apiaries
Queen type: 2014 Italian (Buckeye Belle were not produced in time)

Significant events/observations:
I picked up this package on April 16, 2014 in Ashley, OH, near Columbus, OH.  Installed by me on 4/16/14 in the afternoon, 47 degrees and sunny.  Pail feeder placed on top.

4/21/14:  Queen had been released and eggs spotted.  Feeder nearly empty.

5/10/14:  Removed an ant nest from the deep which housed the sugar syrup.  Did not have enough light to open up and look for eggs or swarm cells.  Removed sugar syrup and entrance reducer.  Added first honey super.  Need to re-inspect.

5/19/14:  Eggs spotted, no signs of swarming, ok on space.

5/25/14:  Eggs spotted.  Rearranged deep frames to encourage wider brood nest.  Removed propolis from upper deep.

5/31/14:  Added new honey super and off-set entrance between top deep and lowest super.

6/10/14:  Eggs spotted Looks good.  Still room in second super, lots of honey in upper deep, most of the brood is in the lower deep.

6/22/14:  Eggs spotted, found many swarm cups, some with eggs and no royal jelly.  Added third super.

7/15/14:  Eggs spotted, space remaining in top (3rd) super.  Feisty bees!

8/2/14: Larvae spotted 5-6 days old, did not see eggs but did not look extensively (out of smoke and starting to rain).  Pulled capped honey frame by frame until down to 2 supers on hive.

2014 Hive 4 (new package)

Hive status:  New 3lb package 2014
Hive origin: Package from Waldo Apiaries
Queen type: 2014 Italian (Buckeye Belle were not produced in time)

Significant events/observations:
I picked up this package on April 16, 2014 in Ashley, OH, near Columbus, OH.  Installed by Garrett and I on 4/16/14 in the afternoon, 47 degrees and sunny.  Pail feeder placed on top.

4/21/14:  Queen had been released and eggs spotted.  Feeder still half full.

5/10/14:  Spotted eggs.  Bees were angry and I got stung twice.  Had to cut out some comb between bottom frames on the upper deep and top of frames on the lower deep.  Removed sugar syrup and entrance reducer.  Added first honey super.

5/19/14:  Eggs spotted, no signs of swarming, ok on space.

5/25/14:  Eggs spotted.  Rearranged deep frames to encourage wider brood nest.  Removed propolis from upper deep.

5/31/14:  Added new honey super and off-set entrance between upper deep and lowest super.

6/10/14:  Eggs.  Looks good.  Will need an new super in several days.

6/22/14:  Eggs.  Found many swarm cell cups, some with eggs and no royal jelly.  Only the center 4 frames were full of honey in both supers, so I moved the 4 wall frames to the middle of each super.  Will need another super soon.

7/15/14:  Eggs.  Space remaining in top (2nd) super.  Spotty brood pattern, something to watch.

8/2/14:  Eggs spotted.  Pulled capped honey frame by frame until down to 2 supers on hive.  Spotty brood, which may just be seasonal slowing.  Defensive!  Not much honey pulled.

2014 Hive 3 (new package)

Hive status:  New 3lb package 2014
Hive origin: Package from Waldo Apiaries
Queen type: 2014 Italian (Buckeye Belle were not produced in time)

Significant events/observations:
I picked up this package on April 16, 2014 in Ashley, OH, near Columbus, OH.  Installed by Drew and I on 4/16/14 in the afternoon, 47 degrees and sunny.  Pail feeder placed on top.

4/21/14:  Queen had been released and eggs spotted.  Feeder empty.

5/10/14:  Eggs spotted.  Found one swarm cell, capped, on bottom of a center frame in lower deep.  Split this out with two other frames into a new nuc, 2014 Hive 6, and replaced 3 deep frames.  Removed sugar syrup andentrance reducer.  Added first super.

5/19/14:  Eggs spotted, no signs of swarming, ok on space.

5/25/14:  Eggs spotted.  Rearranged deep frames to encourage wider brood nest.  Removed propolis from upper deep.

5/31/14:  Ok on space with 1 honey super.

6/10/14:  Eggs spotted.  Added second honey super and off-set entrance between upper deep and lowest super.  Drawing out foundation well.

6/22/14:  Eggs spotted, needs a 3rd super soon.  Have the bees cleaning some that will go on this hive.

6/28/14:  Added that third super.  Had some crystals in the comb the bees did not clean up  Will be interesting to see if the bees clear it out first or just put honey in on top of it.  May leave this for bees to overwinter with so it does not cause premature crystallization of extracted honey.

7/15/14:  Spotted 8 day old larvae at dusk, insufficient light to spot eggs.  Lots of queen cups in lowest super.  Removed a mega-frame of honey from this super, leaving only 8 frames.  Room remaining in top (3rd) super.

8/2/14:  Eggs spotted.  Pulled capped honey frame by frame until down to 2 supers on hive.

8/15/14:  Saw 6 day old larvae in bad light.  Added empty super.

2014 Hive 2 (overwintered)

Hive status:  Overwintered from 2013 (2013 Hive 4 then)
Hive origin: Nuc that Alan made from a cut-out he did that had swarm cells present
Queen type: 2013 Unknown, hopefully survivor stock

Significant events/observations:
This hive overwintered in 2013 which was a brutally cold winter.  Fed pollen patty about March 10.

4/8/14: Changed hive body configuration around April 8.  Good size colony in upper deep, honey in shallow super above it.  Removed an empty deep hive body (down to a shallow and deep, shallow on top).  These bees are active on warm days.

4/16/14:  Bees are foraging, feeder added 4/17/14 using remaining sugar solution from 3 packages and spray bottle.

5/10/14:  Spotted queen and eggs.  Removed sugar syrup and entrance reducer.  Swapped shallow super full of brood (from middle to the top) with upper deep to encourage laying in upper deep.  Queen had stayed mostly in the shallow super laying and other bees built lots of comb between the bottom of the shallow and the top of the frames in the lower deep.  Was a mess to remove this goopy slop from everything.

5/19/14:  Eggs spotted, starting to fill in middle deep.  Lots of queen cups at lower edge of shallow super removed.  Needs a new super soon.

5/25/14:  Eggs spotted.  Added a second super.  Rearranged deep frames to encourage wider brood nest.  Removed propolis from upper deep.

5/31/14:  Ok on space with 2 honey supers.

6/10/14:  Eggs spotted.  Looks good.  Added 3rd honey super, could have gone a few more days, but I had one ready.

6/22/14:  OK on space, did not inspect deeps.

7/15/14:  Eggs.  Small bit of room in top (3rd) super.  Needs more room.  Oh my goodness, so many bees!!!  Huge colony.

8/2/14:  Eggs spotted.  Pulled capped honey frame by frame until down to 2 supers on hive + 3 frames above inner cover.

8/15/14:  Saw 6 day old larvae in bad light.  Added 7 frames to fill out super.

2014 Hive 1 (died out early april)

Hive status:  Overwintered from 2013 (2013 Hive 1 then)
Hive origin:  2012 Swarm from Alan
Queen type: 2013 Queen raised from eggs from swarm queen from 2012

Significant events/observations:
This hive overwintered in 2013 which was a brutally cold winter.  Fed pollen patty about March 10.

4/8/14: Reversed hive bodies around April 8.  Bees were all on 3 frames in the shallow, very small colony.  Put an empty deep hive body above it, and removed an empty deep hive body (down to a shallow and deep, shallow on bottom).

4/16/14:  This hive died out in early April.  Too small, I guess.

Late March snow 2014

Seven inches of heavy, wet snow fell on March 28, 2014.  We had to drive our new car in it and it was a mess.  Hoping the bees are safe and happy.