Looking at my summer 2012 post and how many nucs and hives were thriving, and comparing it to the reality of the bee yard in early 2013 is a stark contrast. It was a blow to lose my strongest hive and the 3 nucs I had tried to start earlier in the year, but I still went into the winter with 4 hives. It was a rough fall with nearly no fall nectar flow. 3 more died by Feb. 2013
The lone surviving hive from 2012 is H6. I hope they make it as March and early April can be rough. We just got 4 inches of snow on 3/26/13. I have two packages of bees on order, this time I'm trying Carniolans which come recommended over Italians by Queen Right Colonies.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Sunday, August 26, 2012
2012 Summer Status Summary
In my apairy there are currently:
:: Three new nucs (N5,6,7)
:: Three strong hives with healthy queens (H3,4,5)
:: One hive with declining queen (H1)
:: One hive raising a new queen (H6)
:: Eight honey supers
I also recently assembled and painted additional equipment including 5 deeps (to cover pail feeders) and three shallow supers. I will be ordering more deep frames, shallow frames, shallow foundation and wax foundation pins for the fall flow.
Sign at the street says "Local Raw Honey". =)
:: Three new nucs (N5,6,7)
:: Three strong hives with healthy queens (H3,4,5)
:: One hive with declining queen (H1)
:: One hive raising a new queen (H6)
:: Eight honey supers
I also recently assembled and painted additional equipment including 5 deeps (to cover pail feeders) and three shallow supers. I will be ordering more deep frames, shallow frames, shallow foundation and wax foundation pins for the fall flow.
Sign at the street says "Local Raw Honey". =)
Friday, August 17, 2012
2012 Nuc #7
Hive status: Raising a new queen (I hope)
Hive origin: New Nuc in August 2012
Queen type: Raised in 2012 from eggs from overwintered Hive #6 (Italian)
Significant events/observations:
8/11/12: Nuc created from 3 frames from Hive #6 (eggs, brood, food). Not sure if there were enough eggs, will have to check and perhaps grab a new frame of eggs.
8/25/12: Nuc still together but no queen cells. Added eggs from Hive #5.
9/29/12: Nuc empty and robbed out. Moved queen and two frames of brood from Hive #4 (robbed out) to this nuc and started newspaper combine with Nuc #5.
Hive origin: New Nuc in August 2012
Queen type: Raised in 2012 from eggs from overwintered Hive #6 (Italian)
Significant events/observations:
8/11/12: Nuc created from 3 frames from Hive #6 (eggs, brood, food). Not sure if there were enough eggs, will have to check and perhaps grab a new frame of eggs.
8/25/12: Nuc still together but no queen cells. Added eggs from Hive #5.
9/29/12: Nuc empty and robbed out. Moved queen and two frames of brood from Hive #4 (robbed out) to this nuc and started newspaper combine with Nuc #5.
2012 Nuc #6
Hive status: Raising a new queen (I hope)
Hive origin: New Nuc in August 2012
Queen type: Raised in 2012 from eggs from overwintered Hive #4 (Italian from CA package)
Significant events/observations:
8/11/12: Nuc created from 3 frames from Hive #4 (eggs, brood, food)
8/25/12: Nuc died and was robbed out. Moved frame with approx. 10 queen cells on it from Hive #6 over with bees and brood. Some of the cells were a tad smushed, so hopefully one healthy queen emerges. This nuc should have a head start on the N5 and N7, which just received eggs. Added entrance reducer to prevent robbing.
9/29/12: Nuc was empty and robbed out.
Hive origin: New Nuc in August 2012
Queen type: Raised in 2012 from eggs from overwintered Hive #4 (Italian from CA package)
Significant events/observations:
8/11/12: Nuc created from 3 frames from Hive #4 (eggs, brood, food)
8/25/12: Nuc died and was robbed out. Moved frame with approx. 10 queen cells on it from Hive #6 over with bees and brood. Some of the cells were a tad smushed, so hopefully one healthy queen emerges. This nuc should have a head start on the N5 and N7, which just received eggs. Added entrance reducer to prevent robbing.
9/29/12: Nuc was empty and robbed out.
2012 Nuc #5
Hive status: Raising a new queen (I hope)
Hive origin: New Nuc in August 2012
Queen type: Raised in 2012 from eggs from overwintered Hive #4 (Italian from CA package)
Significant events/observations:
8/11/12: Nuc created from 3 frames from Hive #4 (eggs, brood, food)
8/25/12: Nuc died and was robbed out. Moved 2 frames of eggs from Hive #3 and added entrance reducer to prevent robbing.
9/29/12: Small colony, no queen. Added queen and two frames of brood from Hive #4 (robbed out) to Nuc #7 and started newspaper combine with this nuc.
Hive origin: New Nuc in August 2012
Queen type: Raised in 2012 from eggs from overwintered Hive #4 (Italian from CA package)
Significant events/observations:
8/11/12: Nuc created from 3 frames from Hive #4 (eggs, brood, food)
8/25/12: Nuc died and was robbed out. Moved 2 frames of eggs from Hive #3 and added entrance reducer to prevent robbing.
9/29/12: Small colony, no queen. Added queen and two frames of brood from Hive #4 (robbed out) to Nuc #7 and started newspaper combine with this nuc.
Monday, July 30, 2012
2012 Hive #6
Hive status: New nuc in 2012
Hive origin: Swarm caught by Alan 2012, combined with 2012 Nuc 2.
Queen type: Swarmed 2012
Significant events/observations:
5/28/12: Originally given this colony by Alan. I got to keep the colony and return the nuc box to him. I cleared out the nuc in two stages over the weekend:
6/2/12: Combined with 2012 Nuc 2 which had no laying queen and was in a single deep. Used a single sheet of newspaper with tiny holes punch in it between the separate colonies each in their own single deep. Hive #6 was left in place and Nuc 2 placed on top.
6/5/12: Hives had combined by chewing a hole in the newspaper, I removed the excess paper and saw the live queen.
6/22/12: Excellent brood pattern noted and nearly honeybound. Saw eggs so the queen is there. This hive needs a super!
6/28/12: Supered with 6 frames with foundation and 4 frames of capped honey from Hive #4 (to give that hive a bit of space). Added queen exluder beneath lone super.
7/8/12: Getting honey bound, queen only laying on 1 center frame of upper deep and in the lower deep. No new comb built on frames of wax foundation in the lone super. Swapped two deeps of honey with Hive #5 to allow more space for laying.
7/30/12: Queen cups noted in the upper deep, no eggs present. Queen is ok based on eggs/young larvae and brood pattern. Workers are bringing in nectar and building comb in the lone super. Some sunken caps noted - possible small amount of foulbrood?
8/13/12: Pulled 3 frames to a new nuc 7. Added a super of wax foundation. No sunken caps noted.
8/25/12: No eggs, no queen spotted. Capped queen cells present on two frames. One moved to Nuc #6, other frame with two capped queen cells left to requeen this hive. No new comb on foundation in super. With requeen, probably just need to pull that off and move it to a hive that needs it.
9/29/12: Brood spotty and chalky or foul brood. Poor queen, hive health suffering. Workers are bringing in nectar.
Hive origin: Swarm caught by Alan 2012, combined with 2012 Nuc 2.
Queen type: Swarmed 2012
Significant events/observations:
5/28/12: Originally given this colony by Alan. I got to keep the colony and return the nuc box to him. I cleared out the nuc in two stages over the weekend:
- On 5/27/12 I transferred the 4 frames that were in there into a 10 frame deep, inspected for the queen (did not see her, though eggs were present), and left near the entrance the nuc with one frame-sized comb attached to the wall. I added a "trap" frame that the queen could move to next to that comb in the nuc in case the queen was still in there and hopefully she'd move to the new frame for easy transfer to the new hive. I was just scared to crush the queen when trying to cut out that comb!
- On 5/28/12 I inspected the deep and found the first new eggs on a frame that wasn't in the nuc, then spotted the queen. She's a fat one! Now that I knew the queen was safe in the new hive I smoked all the bees out of the nuc and cut out that comb. It was half honey, half eggs or early larvae. I cut up the honey to eat as fresh cut comb honey and am sharing it today with coworkers.
6/2/12: Combined with 2012 Nuc 2 which had no laying queen and was in a single deep. Used a single sheet of newspaper with tiny holes punch in it between the separate colonies each in their own single deep. Hive #6 was left in place and Nuc 2 placed on top.
6/5/12: Hives had combined by chewing a hole in the newspaper, I removed the excess paper and saw the live queen.
6/22/12: Excellent brood pattern noted and nearly honeybound. Saw eggs so the queen is there. This hive needs a super!
6/28/12: Supered with 6 frames with foundation and 4 frames of capped honey from Hive #4 (to give that hive a bit of space). Added queen exluder beneath lone super.
7/8/12: Getting honey bound, queen only laying on 1 center frame of upper deep and in the lower deep. No new comb built on frames of wax foundation in the lone super. Swapped two deeps of honey with Hive #5 to allow more space for laying.
7/30/12: Queen cups noted in the upper deep, no eggs present. Queen is ok based on eggs/young larvae and brood pattern. Workers are bringing in nectar and building comb in the lone super. Some sunken caps noted - possible small amount of foulbrood?
8/13/12: Pulled 3 frames to a new nuc 7. Added a super of wax foundation. No sunken caps noted.
8/25/12: No eggs, no queen spotted. Capped queen cells present on two frames. One moved to Nuc #6, other frame with two capped queen cells left to requeen this hive. No new comb on foundation in super. With requeen, probably just need to pull that off and move it to a hive that needs it.
9/29/12: Brood spotty and chalky or foul brood. Poor queen, hive health suffering. Workers are bringing in nectar.
2012 Hive #5 (formerly Nuc #1)
Hive status: New nuc in 2012, Upgraded to single deep 5/20/12
Hive origin: Split from H4 2012, Combined with 2012 Hive 2
Queen type: 2012 Italian (from eggs from H4)
3/14/12: During an attempted laying worker fix for Hive #3 I found the year old queen who had stopped laying. I pulled her out and 2 frames of bees (frames with laying worker eggs) to start nuc N1, just in case she should resume laying (longshot!). I added some candy and pollen substitute.
4/15/12: Found the queen and no eggs/brood. She had failed and the bees failed to supercede her. I dispatched her and replaced two empty frames with two frames of brood containing eggs from hive #1.
4/29/12: Found a new queen, which was good news. The bad news was there was a varroa mite on her! I bothered the mite until it left. Hopefully she doesn't get a virus or bacterial infection from some mite bite. No eggs, probably not mated yet. There are tons of drones out now.
5/13/12: The new queen is laying! Brood on two frames, from eggs to larvae to recently capped. I must have missed seeing eggs that were there on 5/8/12. Soon I'll move them to a deep hive.
5/20/12: Moved to a single deep to give them more room. 3 and a half frames were brood, one was food, and only half of frame was empty.
6/2/12: Combined with 2012 Hive 2 which had no laying queen and was in a single deep. Used a single sheet of newspaper with tiny holes punch in it between the separate colonies each in their own single deep. Hive #2 was left in place and Hive #5 placed on top.
6/5/12: Hives had combined by chewing a hole in the newspaper, I removed the excess paper and saw the live queen in the upper deep. As the lower deep (formerly Hive #2) had more honey and little room for brood, I reversed the deeps.
6/22/12: Solid brood pattern, saw eggs so the queen is there. Could use a super in another week or so.
7/8/12: Good brood, eggs, very little honey - watch for starvation
7/30/12: Bringing in nectar - no longer a risk for starving. Did not inspect deeps.
8/25/12: Queen and eggs spotted. Frame of eggs moved to Nuc #7.
9/29/12: Room in single super. Nectar and honey in upper deep, did not inspect lower deep. Bees were mad, took 2 stings through gloves in 5 minutes. Did not see brood, but gave up due to aggression.
Hive origin: Split from H4 2012, Combined with 2012 Hive 2
Queen type: 2012 Italian (from eggs from H4)
3/14/12: During an attempted laying worker fix for Hive #3 I found the year old queen who had stopped laying. I pulled her out and 2 frames of bees (frames with laying worker eggs) to start nuc N1, just in case she should resume laying (longshot!). I added some candy and pollen substitute.
4/15/12: Found the queen and no eggs/brood. She had failed and the bees failed to supercede her. I dispatched her and replaced two empty frames with two frames of brood containing eggs from hive #1.
4/29/12: Found a new queen, which was good news. The bad news was there was a varroa mite on her! I bothered the mite until it left. Hopefully she doesn't get a virus or bacterial infection from some mite bite. No eggs, probably not mated yet. There are tons of drones out now.
5/13/12: The new queen is laying! Brood on two frames, from eggs to larvae to recently capped. I must have missed seeing eggs that were there on 5/8/12. Soon I'll move them to a deep hive.
5/20/12: Moved to a single deep to give them more room. 3 and a half frames were brood, one was food, and only half of frame was empty.
6/2/12: Combined with 2012 Hive 2 which had no laying queen and was in a single deep. Used a single sheet of newspaper with tiny holes punch in it between the separate colonies each in their own single deep. Hive #2 was left in place and Hive #5 placed on top.
6/5/12: Hives had combined by chewing a hole in the newspaper, I removed the excess paper and saw the live queen in the upper deep. As the lower deep (formerly Hive #2) had more honey and little room for brood, I reversed the deeps.
6/22/12: Solid brood pattern, saw eggs so the queen is there. Could use a super in another week or so.
7/8/12: Good brood, eggs, very little honey - watch for starvation
7/30/12: Bringing in nectar - no longer a risk for starving. Did not inspect deeps.
8/25/12: Queen and eggs spotted. Frame of eggs moved to Nuc #7.
9/29/12: Room in single super. Nectar and honey in upper deep, did not inspect lower deep. Bees were mad, took 2 stings through gloves in 5 minutes. Did not see brood, but gave up due to aggression.
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