Post by hobbitlady on Apr 21, 2016 6:02:41 GMT
Oh Rats. I read my journal from last year for April and realized I should have taken All the 3 frames of honey I saw last inspection and not just one. And I said I thought I was robbing too soon! What a dummy. Arrrgh. One Must review their notes,and do it Ahead of time, if they can’t remember everything (like me)!
Bunker-long-hive did what I Should have learned last year…same as their mother top bar hive I got the split from! They took the 2 frames of honey I left and redistributed it all over the tops of 6 New brood combs (or maybe they all ate it?)and all in this short amount of time. Gads! They are SO industrious! Blows my mind (and I Love them So much!) It’s just a thrill to watch them Boom!
The empty frames I added in the front and middle of the brood nest were Full already, and drone was going in where honey used to be near the back. Only saw one uncapped queen cell but I have to inspect Often now. I’ll be making a split a lot sooner than I thought this year. Only one comb was filling with All drone,both sides, so I took that one out and fed it to the chickens(boy were They happy!) but the other drone brood was partial with worker brood mostly,so I left it. This hive is almost full now and it seemed like most of the bees were new and “home” all over combs,even on this busy sunny day for the fliers.
They were angry at me big time and got all over my suit but luckily I didn’t even get a “prick” of a partial sting. That usually happens through the mesh on my gloves when I'm not paying attention to where they are landing on me. They settled down very well though,even while I was still working. So I still consider them a “nice” colony,Ha. Only one guard kept after me by the time I left and I had to walk around the house before I knocked on the door for DH to inspect Me. I learned the hard way,by carrying a silent bee on my suit and getting stung in the house once that I need to be inspected Too….even if I think I’m clear.
I opened space again with new frames here and there,plus at the back, with only space for adding the last 5 next time. While moving frames I tried to look at both sides of all of them but didn't lift them all with the madhouse I was causing. I only saw the one new open queen cup,looked partial, but they are moving Fast and that comb was So covered I didn’t try to see if it had a larvae in it. It was one I was just scooting over.
Why am I so thrilled I lost a half gallon of honey and got covered with ticked off bees? I swear I’m just jazzed by that inspection. I’m just lovin this colony! With my smaller top bar hives I never got to see that many bees.
Next Day Edit: OK. After settling down I got to Think about what I actually saw in that hive and Remember what I noticed a few days ago.... Loud bees. Too many inside the hive not flying. One supersedure looking placement of a partial queen cell. Now I'm all into second-guessing and wondering if they Somehow lost their queen! I Hope that new drone business is Not a laying worker! Well, I think this colony is gonna keep me Hopping one way or anther! ............
Bunker-long-hive did what I Should have learned last year…same as their mother top bar hive I got the split from! They took the 2 frames of honey I left and redistributed it all over the tops of 6 New brood combs (or maybe they all ate it?)and all in this short amount of time. Gads! They are SO industrious! Blows my mind (and I Love them So much!) It’s just a thrill to watch them Boom!
The empty frames I added in the front and middle of the brood nest were Full already, and drone was going in where honey used to be near the back. Only saw one uncapped queen cell but I have to inspect Often now. I’ll be making a split a lot sooner than I thought this year. Only one comb was filling with All drone,both sides, so I took that one out and fed it to the chickens(boy were They happy!) but the other drone brood was partial with worker brood mostly,so I left it. This hive is almost full now and it seemed like most of the bees were new and “home” all over combs,even on this busy sunny day for the fliers.
They were angry at me big time and got all over my suit but luckily I didn’t even get a “prick” of a partial sting. That usually happens through the mesh on my gloves when I'm not paying attention to where they are landing on me. They settled down very well though,even while I was still working. So I still consider them a “nice” colony,Ha. Only one guard kept after me by the time I left and I had to walk around the house before I knocked on the door for DH to inspect Me. I learned the hard way,by carrying a silent bee on my suit and getting stung in the house once that I need to be inspected Too….even if I think I’m clear.
I opened space again with new frames here and there,plus at the back, with only space for adding the last 5 next time. While moving frames I tried to look at both sides of all of them but didn't lift them all with the madhouse I was causing. I only saw the one new open queen cup,looked partial, but they are moving Fast and that comb was So covered I didn’t try to see if it had a larvae in it. It was one I was just scooting over.
Why am I so thrilled I lost a half gallon of honey and got covered with ticked off bees? I swear I’m just jazzed by that inspection. I’m just lovin this colony! With my smaller top bar hives I never got to see that many bees.
Next Day Edit: OK. After settling down I got to Think about what I actually saw in that hive and Remember what I noticed a few days ago.... Loud bees. Too many inside the hive not flying. One supersedure looking placement of a partial queen cell. Now I'm all into second-guessing and wondering if they Somehow lost their queen! I Hope that new drone business is Not a laying worker! Well, I think this colony is gonna keep me Hopping one way or anther! ............
