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