Post by lew92 on Jul 9, 2012 7:21:48 GMT -5
After taking the honey off the frames last week, I put them back in an empty box and put it on the top of the hive so the bees could clean up the honey. I wasn’t sure how long I should leave it on there, but I couldn’t face suiting up with our temperatures in the upper 90’s and even getting over 100 a couple of days. So they ended up being on until Sunday, June 8th, when Rachel came to visit and tear the hive apart.
I discovered that the bees were already putting honey stores onto the frames in the upper box…and all three bottom boxes were pretty full again. I found even more queen cells this time than a week ago.
Bill Kane’s bee mentor said I shouldn’t split the hive again, since they had swarmed, but I felt that the hive was incredibly strong and that it wouldn’t hurt anything. So I cut 2 pieces of plywood to cover the top and bottom of the box until I can get “real” top and bottom boards. I took the top box off the hive and switched out frames so that the new hive has at least five queen cells, three frames of brood, two of honey and two empties. I stapled screening over the top of the box after putting everything together, then put a some half inch boards on each side of the box to keep the piece of plywood propped up and allow the girls some ventilation. I stapled more screening over the ventilation hole on the front of the box to make sure they stayed in overnight. At about noon today I will remove the covering on the ventilation hole and hope that is a small enough entrance for them to defend themselves.
If it’s a mistake, it’s a mistake. But looking at how strong the original hive is, I was concerned that they might swarm again in just a few weeks.
I look forward to taking a peek again next weekend to make sure that we have queens in both hives.
I discovered that the bees were already putting honey stores onto the frames in the upper box…and all three bottom boxes were pretty full again. I found even more queen cells this time than a week ago.
Bill Kane’s bee mentor said I shouldn’t split the hive again, since they had swarmed, but I felt that the hive was incredibly strong and that it wouldn’t hurt anything. So I cut 2 pieces of plywood to cover the top and bottom of the box until I can get “real” top and bottom boards. I took the top box off the hive and switched out frames so that the new hive has at least five queen cells, three frames of brood, two of honey and two empties. I stapled screening over the top of the box after putting everything together, then put a some half inch boards on each side of the box to keep the piece of plywood propped up and allow the girls some ventilation. I stapled more screening over the ventilation hole on the front of the box to make sure they stayed in overnight. At about noon today I will remove the covering on the ventilation hole and hope that is a small enough entrance for them to defend themselves.
If it’s a mistake, it’s a mistake. But looking at how strong the original hive is, I was concerned that they might swarm again in just a few weeks.
I look forward to taking a peek again next weekend to make sure that we have queens in both hives.
