Sunday, June 28, 2009
Girls on the Porch - Hive #4
It's 73 degrees and muggy. This is the hive I split and requeened 3 times. I installed the new queen Wed, June 24th, and will be inspecting the hive this coming Wed. I also put in two additional brood frames from two of my other hives to build up the colony.
How to Organically Get Rid of Ants From Your Bee Hive!
Using a concept from a children's book, my husband built me a table with legs that were pressure treated so they won't rot in the water. This is an ecologically-balanced approach to getting rid of the ant problem. The containers are filled with water and the ants can't swim. I looked closely last night and could not find one ant on the hive. If you look closely you can see salt sprinkled around the hive, which did not get rid of the ants.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Desperate Measures for Desperate Times
| 86°F Feels Like: 85°F | ||||
Received third queen today for Nuc. The company I buy the queens from know me by name and my address. My father and I inspected the Hives 1 through 3. During the inspection, we robbed a brood frame each from two hives. I thought I had brushed all the bees off the frames into their respective hives, however, when I got home I discovered there were a few on the brood frames. Oh yes, I had the open box in my back seat.
I moved the Nuc three yards to a spot where it would get more sun facing as it had before, South East. I hung the cage with the queen and attendants on one of the new brood frames and told the girls good night.
Attempting to Requeen a Hive With Possible Laying Worker(s)
After talking to another beekeeper in the area I think I just might have a laying worker. My second queen was doing fine up until a week ago. I've searched for her in two thorough inspections and she is gone. I had noticed about a week prior to installing the 2nd queen a cell with three eggs in it, which I thought was odd. My beekeeping friend asked me if I had noticed more than 1 egg in a cell, which I had, and she said it sounds like you have a laying worker(s). She had recently received a newsletter about that very issue. The laying worker and her followers may have killed the 1st AND 2nd queen.
If the third queen isn't accepted I will simply reunite the colony back to the parent colony. (Thank you to amethystdragon for that suggestion, brillant.)
If the third queen isn't accepted I will simply reunite the colony back to the parent colony. (Thank you to amethystdragon for that suggestion, brillant.)
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Inspected Three Hives
Sunday; 14 June 2009
Hive #3 has my Cordovan bees and they have almost completely filled out the brood box with honey and brood. The honey super is being filled with lovely honey too. I must get another deep built, painted and filled with more foundation by the end of this week. I will be able to harvest honey from this hive this year.
Hive #1 is not as full. Poor bees. This is the one that survived two bear attacks last year. I located the queen and I will need to watch this hive closely. The brood was not a nice concentric circle. I will give her another month and make a decision whether to requeen at that point so they can make it through the winter. No honey from this hive this year.
Hive #3 is bustling as ever. Lots of honey and very strong. I did not have time to find the queen but it was obvious she was in there. The honey super is being filled out nicely. I should be able to harvest honey from this hive too.
Hive #3 has my Cordovan bees and they have almost completely filled out the brood box with honey and brood. The honey super is being filled with lovely honey too. I must get another deep built, painted and filled with more foundation by the end of this week. I will be able to harvest honey from this hive this year.
Hive #1 is not as full. Poor bees. This is the one that survived two bear attacks last year. I located the queen and I will need to watch this hive closely. The brood was not a nice concentric circle. I will give her another month and make a decision whether to requeen at that point so they can make it through the winter. No honey from this hive this year.
Hive #3 is bustling as ever. Lots of honey and very strong. I did not have time to find the queen but it was obvious she was in there. The honey super is being filled out nicely. I should be able to harvest honey from this hive too.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
My conclusion of what went wrong.
After much research and discussion with other beekeepers, I've finally come to the conclusion that I should have done one of two things after creating the Nuc:
1) culled all queen cells on the frames and then installed a new queen OR..
2) left the queen cells intact, let nature take it's course not installing a new queen but allowing the bees to create their own queen.
1) culled all queen cells on the frames and then installed a new queen OR..
2) left the queen cells intact, let nature take it's course not installing a new queen but allowing the bees to create their own queen.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Inspection of Hive 4
Approximately 4:30pm, Sunny, 80 degrees.
I found lots of larvae and the queen. She is very busy and productive. I have hope that this hive will make it. The bees aren't taking the sugar syrup so I will stop feeding them since the nectar flow is sufficient to meet their needs.
I plan to inspect the other hives this coming Wednesday since that is the next sunny day. I put a honey super on two of the hives and with luck I'll have honey this year.
I found lots of larvae and the queen. She is very busy and productive. I have hope that this hive will make it. The bees aren't taking the sugar syrup so I will stop feeding them since the nectar flow is sufficient to meet their needs.
I plan to inspect the other hives this coming Wednesday since that is the next sunny day. I put a honey super on two of the hives and with luck I'll have honey this year.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Piping Queen
After doing some research I found that the Bzzz Bzzz sound was the queen was doing what is called "piping". Mated queens may briefly pipe after being released in a hive. This is exactly what the queen did when she was released into the hive and apparently it is rare for beekeepers to hear this piping.
Piping describes a noise made by virgin and mated queen bees during certain times of the virgin queens development. Fully developed virgin queens communicate through vibratory signals: "quacking" from virgin queens in their queen cells and "tooting" from queens free in the colony, collectively known as piping. A virgin queen may frequently pipe before she emerges from her cell and for a brief time afterwards. Mated queens may briefly pipe after being released in a hive. The piping sound is variously described as a children's trumpet tooting and quacking. It is quite loud and can be clearly heard outside the hive. The piping sound is created by the flight motor without movement of the wings. The vibration energy is resonated by the thorax.
I downloaded this video so you too can hear a piping queen!
Piping describes a noise made by virgin and mated queen bees during certain times of the virgin queens development. Fully developed virgin queens communicate through vibratory signals: "quacking" from virgin queens in their queen cells and "tooting" from queens free in the colony, collectively known as piping. A virgin queen may frequently pipe before she emerges from her cell and for a brief time afterwards. Mated queens may briefly pipe after being released in a hive. The piping sound is variously described as a children's trumpet tooting and quacking. It is quite loud and can be clearly heard outside the hive. The piping sound is created by the flight motor without movement of the wings. The vibration energy is resonated by the thorax.
I downloaded this video so you too can hear a piping queen!
Wednesday, 3 June 2009
Approximately 1:30pm; 82 degrees; Sunny
Six days after installing the new queen I inspected the hive to see if she was out of the cage. Opening the hive I did not smell the sweet smell as before when the bees did not accept the queen. I examined the cage and found the hole with candy plug had been eaten through and the queen and two attendants were still in the cage. I then opened the other end where the cork was plug in and the queen walked out onto my arm. Gently shaking her into the hive she disappeared. Pulling up each frame I heard a very unique sound of a two high pitched bzzzz bzzzz and then again bzzzz bzzzz and found the queen. The bees have accepted her and I saw her insert her abdomen into a cell, hopefully to begin laying eggs.
Six days after installing the new queen I inspected the hive to see if she was out of the cage. Opening the hive I did not smell the sweet smell as before when the bees did not accept the queen. I examined the cage and found the hole with candy plug had been eaten through and the queen and two attendants were still in the cage. I then opened the other end where the cork was plug in and the queen walked out onto my arm. Gently shaking her into the hive she disappeared. Pulling up each frame I heard a very unique sound of a two high pitched bzzzz bzzzz and then again bzzzz bzzzz and found the queen. The bees have accepted her and I saw her insert her abdomen into a cell, hopefully to begin laying eggs.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Hive #4
May 30th 2009 (Sat) 3:20pm
81 degrees; Sunny
Bees very active. This is the hive I installed the new queen two days ago, May 28th. I can't peek inside until a week has passed.
81 degrees; Sunny
Bees very active. This is the hive I installed the new queen two days ago, May 28th. I can't peek inside until a week has passed.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Thursday, May 28th 2009 - Installed 2nd Queen
75 degrees, balmy, thunderstorms
It has been raining for the past three days and thunder storms again throughout the day. Arggggh. I came home from work and found the Fedex package at the door. Thank goodness it wasn't pouring or I would have drowned bees. I tore open the box and found that the queen was alive and one of the attendants was dead.
Approximately, 4:30pm I checked the hive and found very little brood. Lots of honey but that's not going to keep the colony going. I pray that the colony will accept this queen. There were a lot of bees around the entrance and after I installed the queen and closed up the hive, they all went inside.
It has been raining for the past three days and thunder storms again throughout the day. Arggggh. I came home from work and found the Fedex package at the door. Thank goodness it wasn't pouring or I would have drowned bees. I tore open the box and found that the queen was alive and one of the attendants was dead.
Approximately, 4:30pm I checked the hive and found very little brood. Lots of honey but that's not going to keep the colony going. I pray that the colony will accept this queen. There were a lot of bees around the entrance and after I installed the queen and closed up the hive, they all went inside.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Inspected Hive #3 - May 22,2009
Friday @ 2:30pm
Scattered Clouds Scattered Clouds
81°F
Feels Like: 82°F
Wind Chill: 81° Ceiling: Unlimited
Heat Index: 81° Visibility: mi
Dew Point: 61° Wind: 9mph
Humidity: 51% Direction: 190° (S)
Pressure: 30.15in Gusts: 0mph
I could not find a queen. The modified feeder had many carcasses of the bees. I dumped the feeder and placed it near the hive so the bees could dry off. The Brushy Mountain feeder is a better design than the other brand that I've used.
Very disappointing that I could not locate the queen. I have placed an order for another Queen and she is due to arrive Thurs 5/28/09. That means another two weeks lost. Very disturbing since a bees life is approximately 42 days.
Scattered Clouds Scattered Clouds
81°F
Feels Like: 82°F
Wind Chill: 81° Ceiling: Unlimited
Heat Index: 81° Visibility: mi
Dew Point: 61° Wind: 9mph
Humidity: 51% Direction: 190° (S)
Pressure: 30.15in Gusts: 0mph
I could not find a queen. The modified feeder had many carcasses of the bees. I dumped the feeder and placed it near the hive so the bees could dry off. The Brushy Mountain feeder is a better design than the other brand that I've used.
Very disappointing that I could not locate the queen. I have placed an order for another Queen and she is due to arrive Thurs 5/28/09. That means another two weeks lost. Very disturbing since a bees life is approximately 42 days.
Inspection of Three Hives - May 21, 2009
Thursday, 81 degrees, and sunny.
Inspection at approximately 3:30pm
Hive #1: Found the queen and it appears that she has a good laying pattern.
Hive #2: Found the queen and the hive has a lot of bees even after the division. I'm not finding the queen cells that I had prior to division. There were about four cup shaped cells in the middle of the frames. No long cells on the edges. I placed a honey super on this one a couple of weeks ago.
Hive #4: Oh my goodness, I'm very pleased with this bee group. I purchased them this Spring and they are doing so well I put a honey super on. This one I plan to rob this Summer.
Inspection at approximately 3:30pm
Hive #1: Found the queen and it appears that she has a good laying pattern.
Hive #2: Found the queen and the hive has a lot of bees even after the division. I'm not finding the queen cells that I had prior to division. There were about four cup shaped cells in the middle of the frames. No long cells on the edges. I placed a honey super on this one a couple of weeks ago.
Hive #4: Oh my goodness, I'm very pleased with this bee group. I purchased them this Spring and they are doing so well I put a honey super on. This one I plan to rob this Summer.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Transferred Bees from Nuc To 10 Frame Hive
May 15th 2009 (Friday)
I transferred Hive #4 from Nuc to 10 Frame hive. Opening the Nuc I did not smell the sweet unpleasant odor as I did on the last inspection. The bees were not as defensive and did not hit my veil.
Because I had transferred so many bees over to the Nuc I had decided to go ahead and put them in a 10 frame hive. As I pulled each frame I inspected it and found several queen cells. I have decided to let the colony produce their own queen.
Because I had transferred so many bees over to the Nuc I had decided to go ahead and put them in a 10 frame hive. As I pulled each frame I inspected it and found several queen cells. I have decided to let the colony produce their own queen.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Death of a Queen
A week has passed and I decided to check status of the Queen I installed in the small hive (Hive #4), which was split from a parent colony (Hive #2). After splitting the hive I relocated Hive #4 to another location so they wouldn't drift back to Hive #2.
When I first opened the Hive #4 to check status of the Queen I smelled a scent that I have never smelled before in a hive. It was sweet like an overly ripe fruit. The bees were very defensive and several hit my veil. I remembered in class last year a beekeeper saying that when a hive is angry or very disturbed they put off a smell like a ripe banana. The smell wasn't like a banana but sweet and not a pleasant sweet. It's hard to describe.
The new colony had not accepted the Queen and killed her. I saw Queen cells in the hive and will wait for the hive to create their own Queen.
When I first opened the Hive #4 to check status of the Queen I smelled a scent that I have never smelled before in a hive. It was sweet like an overly ripe fruit. The bees were very defensive and several hit my veil. I remembered in class last year a beekeeper saying that when a hive is angry or very disturbed they put off a smell like a ripe banana. The smell wasn't like a banana but sweet and not a pleasant sweet. It's hard to describe.
The new colony had not accepted the Queen and killed her. I saw Queen cells in the hive and will wait for the hive to create their own Queen.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
May 11, 2009 (Sunday)
Hive #4 (Nuc) Four days after being split from parent colony. I have a couple more days before I inspect it to see if Queen and attendants are out of the cage and accepted by colony.
Friday, May 8, 2009
8 May 2009 (Friday) - Hive #4 (Nuc)
Partly cloudy - 69 degrees.
7:30am - Removed the cheese cloth at entrance and inserted feeder with sugar syrup. Observed bees orientation flights around hive. Very exciting!
7:30am - Removed the cheese cloth at entrance and inserted feeder with sugar syrup. Observed bees orientation flights around hive. Very exciting!
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