Hive Inspection 5/6/12

Mary, Myrina, QC, Nuc #5, Heléna, Nuc #6, Nuc'd Swarm
72°F
Cloudy
Calm

Myrina has not moved up into new medium box yet.  Gave her another gallon of 1:1 syrup. 

Mary has lots of eggs and pretty brood patterns.  She's really coming back online.

Queen Castle (2nd) still has two capped Queen cells.  Added more 1:1 syrup.

Queen Castle (1st) received a frame from Nuc # 5 with several large capped Queen cells and a honey & nectar frame.  Added 1:1 syrup

Nuc # 5 may no longer be Queenless.  Some eggs were found on a frame in top box.  The bottom box had a frame with Queen cells.  The frame and another honey frame were placed in the QC.  Lots of bees.  'Boiling' behavior observed.

Heléna is Post Swarm.  Her top Honey super remains undrawn.  It was removed.  One Honey super is still on about half drawn out.  It was placed between both brood boxes.  Her population is good in spite of the swarm.  Other than a hatched Swarm cell a hatched Supersedure cell was found.  Bees making more Supersedure cells.  Some 'Boiling' behavior.

Nuc #6 has seven torn down Swarm cells and a hatched Supersedure cell.  She also has TWO queens.  The old white marked one & the new virgin one.  The old queen is still laying her butt off.  High population.

Nuc'd Swarm is loaded with Laying workers.  Some drone sized cells may have had fifteen to twenty eggs in them.  No Queen was found though they have drawn out all five frames.  These bees will be dumped out in front of my Neighbors weak hive this week.  It is gone, done, finis.

Plan to inspect Melissa in a day or two.

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Fourth Anniversary

We've completed four years worth of beekeeping today.  This last year has seen the biggest leaps in the practice here at the Creek:
*The yard has increased from two hives up to ten (currently seven). 
*We continue to make all our queens
*A Queen Castle is now in use to create & store additional queens
*We combined several weak hives last Fall for Winter management
*All nucs (two) were over-Wintered successfully
*The yard has been moved entirely to the side yard
*All stands are anchored into the ground
*Apistan has been replace by more natural formic acid for mite control
*Most woodenware continues to be made in the garage

Last November there was a Anaphylaxis scare when a sting caused me to get emergency treatment.  Since then i have been stung again with no complications.  Proving the earlier sensitivity was only temporary.

As we go into our fifth year i hope to successfully over-Winter a Queen castle and start producing nucs for sale.  The honey harvest is, as usual, up to the bees.  I can only pile on the boxes hoping they will fill them.  The flow looks great right now so fingers are crossed.

This blog will suffer some though.  I don't have the time to post a full blown article every time i go near the bees.  From now on I will TRY to keep the Chronicles updated as to the status of the hives. In-depth articles will only be posted if i feel it is warranted; such as major inspections, discovery, or innovation. 

I thank all who visit & comment here and look forward to a productive fifth year.

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