Bee Journal for Wayne Shaw

Hive Inspection Hive One

June 5th, 2011

Observed

Uncapped honey in honey super D
Fresh uneven brood and honey in main hive body A
Large number of bees with good activity outside of hive
Hatched queen comb on hive frame
no visabile ant activity
Winter moth is attacking maple tree above hives

Actions

Installed queen excluder between main hive body A and honey Super D
broke off overhanging branches from tree

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Hive Two Inspection

May 28th, 2011

Observed:

Ants in upper honey super
No comb production in lower honey super
fresh brood on several frames

Actions:

moved super D with comb/ants placed to hive one
removed queen excluder

Need to replace queen excluder in 4 days

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Hive One Inspection

May 28th, 2011

Hive looks very healthy, observed:

uncapped honey in frames
bees carrying pollen in hive
3 queen combs
at least one full frame of capped brood
brood primarily in upper hive A
bees covering all frames
all frames with comb

Actions:

removed mouse guard from center entrance
moved honey super D from hive two to hive one

Need to install queen excluder in 4 days.

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I opened hive one today and removed frame feeder that was installed 10 days ago. Feeder was still 1/2 full with syrup. Noticed alot of activity in front of hive with 20 or so bees at the top hive body handle.

Frames in upper hive body F have all been built out with wax.

Removed Apiguard tin which was still full of medicine.

Entrance guard remains on hive

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Hive Two Inspection

April 30th, 2011

I removed the top feeder with the following observations:

feeder was dry of syrup
A carpenter ant nest had moved in 100s of ant winged and unwinged in the black basen
Hive bees agitated beneath the screen

Removed the feeder nocking ants to the ground. Replaced with Queen excluder and two honey supers (C & D). Honey super C has no built up wax and is closest to the hive bodies. Honey super D was harvested from last year and has wax, it is the top most super.

Removed empty tin of Apiguard from hive.

Hive looked healthy, with minimal activity at entrance

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March Bee Activities

April 18th, 2011

Last week of March Feed with internal feeder, treat for Nosema (fumagillin)

Frame feeder in Hive One (Empty frames that can be removed)
Mann Lake Top Feeder in Hive Two (tape down screen edges with duct tape, put window insulation around top to prevent robbing)

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Hive Two April Opening

April 17th, 2011

Activities

Cleaned out bottom board
removed insulation board from outer cover
swapped brood hives B is now on the top have D is now on the bottom
removed mouse guard
feed bees with top feeder 1/2 gallon 1:1 sugar syrup w/ 1/2 tsp fumagillin-b
treated for mites with 1 tin Apiguard

Observations

Bees in all frames or both brood hives
bee larva ready to hatch in between brood hives
lots of activity with entrances primarily to propped top entrance
saw hive beetle on one larva
propilis and dead bees on screened bottom board

Thoughts

removed mouse guard as bees were not using as an entrance
consider feeding 1/2 gallon more food in 5 days
remove Apiguard tin and put on both honey supers in 10 days

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Hive One April Opening

April 17th, 2011

Activities

removed tar paper and insulation board on outer cover
Cleaned out Brood nest and inner cover of old pollen patty and sure candy
removed mouse nest in landing board, no mice
removed dead bees from bottom board
installed slatted rack above bottom board and below brood hive F
swapped broods nests A now on the top F is on the bottom
removed 2 unpopulated frames from hive A, inserted in 2 frame plastic feeder w/ 0.5 Gallon 1:1 Sugar Syrup 1/2 tsp fumagillin-b
placed 1 tin of Apiguard mite treatment in on top of hive

Observations