Both queens have been freed.

Vaughn and I checked the hives today about about 1315.  Each hive had eaten through the mini-marshmallow to free the queen.  The queen cages were each full of workers, as it probably still smelled strongly of the queen.  To avoid confusion in the hive, I got all of the bees out of the queen cage and put it in my pocket.  Now, the only queen smell coming from the inside of the hive should be from the actual queen.

We didn't use our smokers, so we tried to not spend much time in the hives.  I did not search for or see either queen.  They still had plenty of syrup left in their feeder pails, but I'll probably mix up another gallon of syrup today to have in reserve.

The hive entrances were busy on both hives.

The plan is to leave them alone for a week or two.  Then, I'll use the smoker to give each hive an inspection.  I'll hope to see the queen.  If not, I'll be happy to see some eggs, larvae, and/or capped brood.

I may also get ready to add a second, deep hive body to each.

2019-04-20: Hiving two packages of bees.

I had a couple of years with no bees.  First, I did not find out that they had died over the winter a couple of years ago until it was too late to order new bees.  Then, it sort of slipped my mind last spring.

So, this year, I ordered two packages from my usual supplier, Nature's Nectar.  I had one package each of Carniolan Honeybees and Italian Honeybees.  I did not really care which bees I got, but I usually do not get two of the same subspecies.

This was the first year that my packages were plastic.  I like the old wood and metal screen ones better, since I can see the bees easier.  I also would learn that it was easier to spray the bees with sugar water through the metal screen compared to the plastic packaging.

It was about a two-hour drive home, but the weather was mild; the bees probably did not get too hot.

I picked up the bees at 0915, but they suggest that you do not hive them until the evening.  So, they sat in the cool garage for most of the day.  I sprayed them with sugar water once to feed, calm, and cool them.

Finally, 1800 arrived, and we were ready to hive the bees.

I have the two packages of bees, and I'm wearing my bee suit.  If you watch other people's videos, they often don't wear a bee suit.  The reason is that the bees do not have a hive to protect, so they tend to be more docile.

Here I am with my helper, Vaughn.  I'm having some difficulty uploading the videos, so I'll outline the steps that we did:

1. The syrup-soaked bees will be "poured" into the center of the bottom (and--at this time--only) hive body, so we removed the center four or so frames.
2. Plug the entrance with the entrance reducer on the smallest setting and block that temporarily with a wad of prairie grass.
3. Soak the bees well with syrup from the spray bottle.
4. Use the hive tools to pry the metal can from the package.  (This is the syrup the bees ate during their trip from CA to MN and then from Stillwater to me.)
5. Once the can is out, spray the bees some more.
6. Remove the queen's cage (she is transported separately) and set it aside.
7. Knock the bees to the bottom of their package by striking the package against the ground.
8. Pour the syrup-soaked bees into the hive.
9. Leave the mostly-empty package near the entrance so the bees can eventually get into there (the bees will probably push the grass out of the hole over the evening).
10. Take the wood cork out of the queen's cage, and replace it with a mini-marshmallow.
11. Put a pollen patty on the top of the frames for the bees to eat until they can bring in a good supply of pollen from plants.
12. Put on the inner cover (the board with an oblong hole in it).
13. Put the feeder pail over that hole so that the bees can feed from that until they are able to bring in nectar from flowers.
14. Put an empty hive body over the pail.
15. Put the outer cover over the empty hive body.

The next step, which we will probably do tomorrow, is to check the queen's cage.  Ideally, the marshmallow will have been eaten by the bees so that the queen can exit the cage and start laying eggs.

Beekeeping Reboot.

For the last three beekeeping seasons, I have been using five medium hive bodies for my hive's brood chambers.  It doesn't sound like much, but having to deal with a five-box hive is more time-consuming than I thought it would be.  So, this year, I bought new hive materials that would allow me to move to a hive that is comprised of three deep hive bodies.

My bees arrived yesterday, so I was busy last week getting the hives assembled and painted.

I purchased unassembled hive bodies and nails from Mann Lake, Ltd.  Below is a picture of some of them assembled.

Here is one primed and with the hole in place.

Here is a shot of one of my "employees" painting a hive body light blue.

I also ordered new outer covers, inner covers, and screened bottom boards.  I decided to try black foundation for the frames this time.  It is supposed to make it easier to see the eggs and small larvae.  Below is a picture of an empty, assembled frame.  Below that is a picture of the foundation that will go into those frames.  Below that further are the assembled and painted pieces on our lawn, airing out.

Lastly, pictures of the assembled, painted, labelled hives.  They are on their stand and ready for bees.

Hiving Two Packages of Bees on April 10, 2016

I have photos and videos yet to be posted.  Hiving the Carniolan Honeybees and the Italian Honeybees went well.  They each seem to be taking to their new home.

Preparing for the 2016 beekeeping season.

It's been a while since I posted here.  Last year, I put out the top-bar hive (Hive Beta) and installed bees into it.  I also cleaned and put new bees into my two Langstroth hives (Hive A and Hive B).  They all seemed to do well, but I ended up combining medium hive bodies from Hive B to Hive A so that Hive A would survive the winter.  Hive Beta seemed to be behind, and I think it was due to me not much feeding syrup to them and the bees truly starting from scratch--an empty hive with no foundation or wax at all.

We put a thermometer into Hive A, and we could see that the bees were alive as recently as late-January of 2016.  In fact, on one day, the hive was in the high-90's when the ambient temperature in the area was well below freezing.

I have yet to check Hive A or Hive Beta.  I don't think that either survived, but I haven't had a chance to crack either of them open.  I did put straw bales around them this year, and that is a first for me.

Going forward, I'm going to move to deep hive bodies.  I only need to use three of them instead of the five mediums that I have been using.  They will be heavier, but easier to and track.

I just got word that the bees are coming Sunday, April 10, 2016.  I tried a guy who is closer than the place I was using in Stillwater, so we'll see how pick-up goes.

I need to get the hive bodies ready.  They are assembled, but I have to drill the holes, get the corks, prime them, and paint them.  I also have to assemble at least 20 frames for the deeps.

Controlled burn this spring?

The prescribed burn that I discussed in my September of 2014 entry was postponed to this spring.  Prairie Restorations, Inc. believes that they will conduct the burn this month yet.  Ideally, it would be done before the bees arrive, but I believe we can burn around the hives and the bees shouldn't be overly bothered.

New bee arrival date; hives ready.

The bees now arrive on April 18, 2015.  The distribution center is Nature's Nectar in Stillwater.  Pick-up day is very busy, and Nature's Nectar used to have certain times that you could arrive--depending on your last name.  If you are far enough away (as I am), I think you can show up whenever you are able.

The hives for spring 2015:  Langstroth (Hive A), a Kenyan top-bar hive (Beta), and another Langstroth (Hive B)

The hives are ready to go.  I had to (or decided to) throw away many frames after my bees died during the winter of '13 - '14.  I believe that they just died from a cold snap and not from any diseases.  There was some rotting of the bees and many of the frames were, I though, no longer useful.

So, I'll need to order about 100+ frames, I think.  Both A1 and B1 need new frames.  Also, as I might show you in an upcoming post, I think that Beta is going to also use those frames.

I have some pollen patties from the first season that I had the bees, 2013.  They've been in the refrigerator since then.  They may still be good, but I don't know how to determine that, frankly...

I'm also struggling with how I'll feed syrup to the bees in Beta.  I may have to use an external feeder and just hope that A1 and B1 leave that syrup alone once they find their own syrup in their hives.