Hard Winter

MAB & LITTLE MISS
58°F
Sunny
Calm

It is the beginning of March 2013 and out of my six hives only two remain.  The oldest of the remaining two (Mab) is queenless and dying off.  The other (The late 2012 swarm) has two and a half frames of brood and three plus frames of bees; a good population for a small Nuc.

Dying Mab to the left and strong Little Miss on the right

The rest of the hives died out during December and January.  Their populations weren't brooding up like they should have been last Fall.  They went into Winter with less vigor than required.  This Winter has been colder and longer than the last handful of Winters.  The bees took a beating.

I got real busy on other projects last July and left the bees to themselves.  They never looked bad and produced a good bit of honey.  However, a late Summer dearth lowered populations and shut down brooding around August.  This wasn't apparent (to the unobservant) 'till critically low populations were noticed in December.

As a stop gap measure the remaining two hives have been supplied with low wattage shop lamps to aid in heating the small clusters.  Mab, who is queenless, can be resurrected if her bees last long enough to make a queen for her.  About a month from now.  Might still lose her anyway.  We'll see.  The moment I see a drone anywhere around here we'll make queens.

Also, since so many hives are gone I have a pile of drawn frames stacked in the basement.  More than i ever intended to have.  Been watching for the Wax moth and have found only a few.  Two frames lost is all.  Freezer is pack with frames.  The rest are staked, post freezing, inside.

Any swarm i catch this year will be immediately put on 20 frames of drawn and mostly filled frames.  Lucky girls.

Medium Boxes

One of my favorite things about beekeeping is all the time in the workshop during the off season.  Everything slows down and we can plan for the next year.  After which i get to build the shiny new equipment.

Two of four unfinished Brood & Honey boxes for 2013

I got an early start to the off season and built four of these today; ten frame mediums.  Southern yellow pine is less dense and likes to split at the ends when screws are snugged down.  Spruce, used above, is light but sturdy and doesn't regularly split.  The local home improvement store carries both including white pine and occasionally fir.

Spruce can be more knotty but the knots weep less than the knots of yellow pine. Plus, a coating of beeswax & paraffin on the inside of a knot keeps hive moisture from seeping in it.  Then one coat of quality primer followed by two coats of a decent top-coat semi gloss paint.  The box can last as long as a human house. 

Tight bond III glue and 2" decking screws keep it all together.  Since i use butt joints each 6' of board becomes one box.  I buy 12' x 8" boards, which are very cheap, and get two boxes out of it.  That way the homemade boxes are cheaper than the cheapest box i can get from any supplier.  The cheap boxes from the suppliers are much lower in quality too.

For finishing touches the frame rests are armored with an "L" shaped strip of regular flashing.  At 1" in width it protect the rest from getting gouged out over time.

I wish the bees were as simple to keep as these are simple to make.

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Combination

Went into the combination of Gumption & Melissa today.  I forgot to cut a slice in the paper so the bees made their own.  They put it along the warm side of the box.  After which they all migrated down into Gumption's boxes.  The swarm box was practically empty. 

Empty swarm box above chewed combination paper

Looked for a queen, marked or not, throughout the rest of the boxes.  Found several frames of Fresh Eggs instead.  The eggs were single in the cells and perfectly positioned.  No signs of laying worker made eggs.  There is a Queen in this hive but i never did find her.  Likely an unmarked Queen but i can't be sure until she is located.  Either way her egg laying is good as well as her brood pattern. 

I looks like this colony can survive now.  They, along with the other colonies, were fed syrup today.  The remains of Gumption had a few frames of pollen and a box of honey.   There are some honey frames in the freezer if they need more.

Little Miss with Top Feeder

The swarm box was removed and a Hive Top Feeder was added.  Hopefully i'll find & mark this Queen within the month. 

For now we call this colony Little Miss.  If the Queen is a Marked queen from Melissa that'll be her name.  If unmarked she'll get a new one.

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Robbing causes Absconsion

The previous swarm was in fact Melissa absconding.  Robbing broke out in the apiary while i was capturing the 'new' swarm.  The next day, when everything had calmed down, the hives were checked.  Melissa was empty except for a few remaining robbers.  All the honey & nectar was gone.  Sadly several frames of capped brood were abandoned.  A loaded double deep with twenty frames of bees was lost.

Did the robbing cause the absconsion or vice versa?  There was robbing taking place a day before the 'swarm' showed up.  At which time all the bottom entrances were reduced.  the opening were only big enough for a bee or two.  Enough for the inhabitants to easily defend.  So i thought.  The robbing had begun again the next day when the swarm appeared.  We didn't see it come out of anyone and thought it might be wild.  Many wild swarms move through the yard in Spring & Fall and i couldn't check the hives because of the robbing going on.  I think the bees of Melissa left when all the stores were gone.  Many dead bees were on the bottom of the hive.  

The next question was what to do with the small swarm; remnants of Melissa.  She had been hived in a medium nuc.  A small colony like that will have a trouble getting through Winter.  I assume she has a mated queen but have not see it yet.  If she does then they need stores & some pollen immediately.  If she doesn't then it's over and the bees go towards boosting another hives population.

Meanwhile Gumption is believed to be queenless with a laying worker or two.  Her population is low and getting smaller all the time.  No mated queens were available to help her.  She's on her way out.

So, i combined the two; Melissa & Gumption.  If the queen in Melissa is present and healthy all will be fine if the combination takes.  It was a simple newspaper combination.  The one box of Melissa's 'swarm/absconsion' on top of the existing two boxes of Gumption.

Newspaper Combination

We might name the colony after Melissa since it is her line that will be continued if his all works out.  We might also give it a new name since both colonies failed (or their beekeeper did).  For now we wait to see what happens. 

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Late September SWARM

For the second year in a row...

...A Swarm showed up in the yard during the last week in September.  Today in fact.  A day after we decide we need a swarm to save Gumption.  How about that!  I estimate the swarm to be less than 3 pounds.  Smallish darker bees.  I didn't see the Queen or any drones.  I eased handfuls of bees into the nuc until finally they took to fanning and crawling into the nuc.  Good indicators the Queen was in the hive.

As you can see in the video it clustered well within reach for once.  The plant cage had to have a big hole cut into it but that's much easier than climbing trees. 

The swarm landed on the post for the basil

The only hitch is halfway into hiving the swarm robbing broke out in the entire apiary.  Talk about bedlam!  Had to stop what i was doing with the swarm to close off all the other hives.  So happy to have little top entrances on all the hives.  Once the bottoms entrances were closed the bees could easily defend themselves at those top ones. 

The big question here is were did this swarm come from.  Last year it came from somewhere else and at the moment i think this year is the same.  Yet, there remains one hive left to inspect this month.  The swarm could have come from her.  Tomorrow i'll check.

Right now the bees are in a medium nuc with five drawn frames.  Tomorrow i'll newspaper combine them with Gumption.  Who, coincidentally, is last years Late September Swarm.

Also, all the Screened Bottom Boards in the apiary have now been closed for Winter.

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Hive Inspection 9/24/12

MAB & HELÉNA
68°F

Sunny 
Calm


Mab is having the same SHB problem as the other hives.  This has been the worst year for them since we began beekeeping.  It seems that each week or so we buy more beetle traps.  Next time we'll get a whole case.  Three traps per box should do it.  Mab has three boxes and a Slatted rack so i'd like to give her twelve traps.  I guarantee they will all have a bunch of beetles in them.

Other than that Mab is doing great.  She is back filling her top box with honey and moving the brood nest down.  Her population is good.  She even has a few Drone cells and walking drones.  Plus she's very calm and responds well to smoke.

I didn't go through all her boxes since i found the Queen on frame four in the middle box.   She looked as good as always.  Well attended by her court.  Brood patterns get spotty in Fall.  Her's shows that but still has nice consistency.

The bees have also done a great job waxing the interior of the hive.  Most of the equipment is new but has a good coat of wax.  The other colonies have never been this quick about it.

I'll inspect her again in two weeks or so.  For now i'll start feeding them syrup. This is what i wish all the colonies looked like.

Heléna as usual is doing her own thing apart from reason.  As mentioned the SHB are bad but inspecting her was the first time i had SHB crawling up into my veil.  That was as soon as i opened the hive up.  A poor start to things.

Her population is Fair.  I'd like to see more bees and she has a strong reputation as a bee maker (as opposed to honey).  Yet, there weren't enough bees to fill the slated rack which is usually full of bees.  The majority of bees were in the top box.  I assume the Queen was up there but never found her.  Did see fresh eggs though.  Odd there are less bees in her.  We had some very poor weather this Summer.  It may have set everyone back. 

The brood pattern was normal for this time of year.  More & more cells being back filled with nectar.  Less & less cells being filled with brood.  Some what spotty.  Sadly it looks like she has no interest in lowering her brood nest into the bottom boxes.  A reversal will fix that in a month or two. The brood looked healthy though and had plenty of eggs.

The burr comb didn't help either.  The biggest piece was above the top box where the top entrance is.  Not a surprise as the shim is more than half an inch in height.  However, the first three frames were one with the frames below them.  Had to clean that up just to put the frame back in the box. 

The bees here were much more defensive than in Mab.  Head butting quickly gave way to a stinging assault as i moved into the bottom box.  I spent more time smoking stings than inspecting frames.  NOT how things are supposed to work BUT with Heléna there is ALWAYS a chance of swarm cells somewhere in the hive.  Have to check each time.

She be fed for a few weeks along with the others.  Hopefully i'll find the Queen next time.

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Chilled Brood

Yay!...No really, I mean it.  The alternative is Foulbrood.  The Deacon of our bee club contacted the State Apiarist today and gave him all of the info from this hive.  The State Apiarist said it is 'Chilled Brood' that we are looking at not a Foulbrood.  He said he didn't need to see the frames himself and that he is certain.  The damage to the brood is typical for chilled brood.  At this point i have never seen Foulbrood or Chilled brood.  I assumed the worst and hope for the best.  Earlier today i did the String test.  I could not get any strings from the rotten brood after numerous attempts. 

No String

So the good news i don't have to burn the bees, woodenware, & gloves.  The bad news remains this colony is queenless and done for.  Unless, i can get a mated queen.  Not impossible yet.  A shipment of them arrived just over a week ago at a local dealer.  IF he has one left i'll take it.

Otherwise i can save the colony for a few more weeks on the odd chance a swarm shows up.  Late September swarms are common around here.  We think there are several bee trees nearby that have been spawning them off for the past few years.  This colony showed up a year ago themselves.

There is an issue of a laying worker. If a swarm shows up we'll see what happens.  From what i can tell there may only bee a single laying worker in there.  The presence of a Queen might remedy that.

If a swarm doesn't show up i'll dump the bees out just outside the apiary.  The good bees will drift to new hives (remember i have 6 & my neighbor has 6).  The laying bees will die off.  Then i'll have primed equipment for Spring swarm season.

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Hive Inspection 9/23/12

Gumption (Nuc #6)
69°F

Sunny
Calm

This is what she looked like at the beginning; sans the top cover.  The bottom deep is the original swarm box from a year ago.  The rest are medium nucs made this year.  The white box is NOT upside down.  Though it was when i cut the handles in it.

Population is fair.  Didn't see a queen.  Saw a few eggs and larva. Very few!  The frames in the white box, newest, were not drawn out.  All end frames filled with honey.  Weak stores elsewhere.   The bottom box had a bunch of pollen in it.  The brood nest was up in the top box...well, what would have been the brood nest.

The bees boiled a little bit so i really think there is no Queen.  Also the few brood frames only had a handful of DRONE cells on them.

However, the REALLY bad news is the black brood dead in their cells.  I have no experience with Foulbrood but i suspect this to be one of them.

 The darkened brood is what i'm worried about.  If it is a foulbrood i can kiss the bees & woodenware goodbye.  I looked on the internet for images of foulbrood.  They seem to match.  Out of hope i asked this question on a bee forum and sent an email to a bee buddy.  Have my fingers crossed they say it's something else. 

I put the hive back together but without the bottom deep or the empty white boxes.  Trying to fit the space to the bee population.  Brood frames below and reserve frames above.   Now to sit back and see what the prognosis is.

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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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