Local Beekeepers Group

Got a few photos this morn at the groups apiary, I think I have marked a drone last week not the queen! One photo shows a marked queen and another shows lava at different stages.

Mine need more syrup now.

Another hot, sunny day

Lots of bees active today, topped the feeder up (2Lts + 2Kg) and checked the hole in the crown board was across the frames.

Post Stoneleigh

Put second brood box on this afternoon with old frames of stores (3) and frames with starter strips (8).
Put a new up and over feeder on instead of the contact feeder but have no syrup so need to fill feeder tomorrow.
Bees seem nice and docile, Nicki helped

Fast Comb

I quickly checked if the feeder was empty today, and it was.
Had a quick peek at the frames with starter strips, surprised to see the comb nearly touching the bottom and the sides of the frame, 4 days to build 2 frames of comb.
Found one varroa today.
Stoneleigh tomorrow

Plan of action

I have decided I need to put another brood box on top to give them more space and allow me to make a split later. I am going to only add frames with strips of wax which will start my move towards smaller cells. So today I added 2 frames either side of the brood and fed with 2+2 of syrup. I took out most of the pollen from the first frame I removed and fed back to them.
Lighting the smoker needs a better technique. Stoneleigh next weekend, need to pick up a few things.
I put our remote temperature sensor in the eke with the feeder, the first night it dropped to 12.4 so I put some insulation around. since then the lowest temp has been 16 and on a hot sunny day 30. the varroa monitoring board is left in but they have their entrance unblocked.

Check

I went through today, there was 5 frames of brood and I think I saw the queen and she was unmarked. They have half drawn out the foundation on one side, that I put in earlier in the week. They have finished the syrup.
I need to decide how I am going to give them more space, maybe a second brood box with foundation or starter strips ( if I want them to start to regress), and give them more food. Still have not found any Varroa on the under mesh board.

Photo

First check

I had not checked through the hive when I first got it, and so when the sun was shinning today I got prepared and looked through.
First I noticed the feeder empty, 1KG sugar plus 1KG water in two days.
I moved from the back where there were less bees towards the front.
the first half of the colony was space and open and capped stores with more stores on the frames as a got to the middle.
The next four frames had what I think was sealed brood surrounded by stores, the sealed brood had darker capping, I did see a few white lava but did not notice a lot.
I had noticed as I moved along the frames that they were not evenly spaced and the last frame was tight against the hive, when I pulled it out it was all black, hard and horrible on that trapped side, the good side was mainly pollen.
For better or worse I decided to remove, and replace with foundation. After I finished I looked at the frame that I had taken out, I think it is old uncapped stores, I wonder how long it has to be in the hive to go like that?
For my first time I thought all went well, next time I must be more observant for eggs and lava, will put more syrup on tomorrow. The bees seemed fairly calm considering! Surprised again today, could see no Varroa on the board.
Things to do:-
Feed
Monitor varroa
Check for eggs & queen
Get some wood shavings
Buy more sugar
find out about removed pollen frames

First Day

The hive I bought had a solid floor and crown board and for travelling I had lifted the crown slightly with a thin twigs before securing.
At home around 5pm, I opened the entrance and took the twigs out (because there was a lot of buzzing coming from the hive and I hoped they would not overheat).
The night temp was close to a frost so at 9am there were no signs of the bees, but 11am saw a lot flying.
I didn't want to disturb them too much after their ordeal but I did want to put them on to a screen floor and feed them.
I had made some syrup the night before (1kg sugar, 1kg water, 1teaspoon lemon juice, 20 min boil).
12am I suited up and moved them onto the new base, weighed the colony, tipped the feeder upside down, placed on crown, covered with my new brood box (new supers are not deep enough) then placed the roof back on.
There was a lot of action from the bees but within an hour there were lots of bees arriving back with pollen on their legsThe colony weighed 21.8KG, this seems like I have had a good deal and it seems like a stong colony but my next concern will be , when will I have to add a super?

Monitoring Varroa

Didn't find any on the drop board today, will look again tomorrow!

Bee Record Card

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Non-fiction credit card

sellers description

The auction descriped the colony as having 5 frames with brood and treated with oxalic in December

The hive I bought had a solid floor and crown board and for travelling I had lifted the crown slightly with a thin twigs before securing.
At home around 5pm, I opened the entrance and took the twigs out (because there was a lot of buzzing coming from the hive and I hoped they would not overheat).
The night temp was close to a frost so at 9am there were no signs of the bees, but 11am saw a lot flying.
I didn't want to disturb them too much after their ordeal but I did want to put them on to a screen floor and feed them.
I had made some syrup the night before (1kg sugar, 1kg water, 1teaspoon lemon juice, 20 min boil).
12am I suited up and moved them onto the new base, weighed the colony, tipped the feeder upside down, placed on crown, covered with my new brood box (new supers are not deep enough) then placed the roof back on.
There was a lot of action from the bees but within an hour there were lots of bees arriving back with pollen on their legsThe colony weighed 21.8KG, this seems like I have had a good deal and it seems like a stong colony but my next concern will be , when will I have to add a super?

Lincoln Auction

At the auction there 72 colonies lined up in the field, all in Nationals except two.
Tere was also a lot of old kit for sale.
At 1pm the actioneer moved outside and onto the hives.
The people selling the hives gave a short description of their bees and treatments and then the bidding started.
They started selling for £180, £200, etc.
Half way through selling the hives the price started to drop.
I actuallty put my hand up a couple of times but let others win with bids around £130.
Then hive 59 ended up being mine for £110 (+5% auction fees)
I had a brief conversation with seller ( who was disapointed with the price) paid up, then got a steward to help me tie them up, lift into the boot, and then we were on our way home.

North Saffs Beekeepers

Late in 2008 I had contacted a chap who was able to supply a nuc of Black bees in april 09 but in March he had discoverd he had lost more than expected, he was now unsure when he could supply.
The district club are very friendly and have held several meetings over winter with quest speakers.
At one of the club meetings I had found there was an auction to be held at the beginning of April at Lincoln. I confirmed with th organiser there were Nucs to be sold and planned a night in Lincoln.

Background

I became interested summer 08, and started attending the district clubs apiary. Luckily it is very local to me.
I found it all very interesting, and as winter set in decided I would give it a try the coming year.
I Read books and the internet and even though its not a good time for bees with the spread of Varroa I was keen to have a go.