"Slam Full"
Today, after a visit to Busch Gardens, I checked on the colonies around 3:30. It's still very dry and I have my concerns about the flow. As a point of interest, I found my first SHB larva. It was probably close to an inch long and just tunneled out of a pollen cell when I was picking up the frame. I cut into the comb at a few points and found not other larvae so, that must be the 1 in a million that was able to hide before the bees could find it.
Captured Hive: (not to be confused with the recent swarm. That will be reffered to as the TBH)
This hive is still very small but, has appearantly gone through that whole presentation project almost 2 weeks ago without any affects. These bees still are on only 3 medium frames but, such is to be expected after they are removed from their old hive. I'm expecting them to use the current flow to build up in population but, that probably won't be enough. One of the biggest reasons I've wanted to keep them is that, logically, if they came from a hive populous enough to swarm, they must have some natural resistance to the Varroa mite. I have noticed them removing infected pupae and there always seem to be a few at the enterence with mites on them. These are usually carried off not long after.
Italian Hive:
These bees now have two supers SLAM FULL of capped honey. Some of the cells are even being extended into other frames. I have learned a lesson though...NEVER USE DURAGUILT IN HONEY SUPERS! Duraguilt is one of the earliest plastic foundation and, unlike the rigid Plasticell, it will warp easily and under the stresses of extracting becomes practically worthless. Good thing I only bought one box worth. Other than those two boxes, the brood nest actually has a frame on each side filled with nectar and honey, one frame in is a frame of pollen, and after that is mostly brood. This is a textbook case of a very good queen and brood pattern. Finally, contrary to my earlier concerns, it appears that I did get the queen bellow the excluder last month and she has now been confined to the brood box; right where I wanted her.
Realisticly, I could probably do a harvest this week, but, I really don't want to do that just before I go out of the contry for 2 weeks. I am expecting, however, to do a good sized harvest some time around late June. I can honestly say that I am strongly looking forward to it!
Captured Hive: (not to be confused with the recent swarm. That will be reffered to as the TBH)
This hive is still very small but, has appearantly gone through that whole presentation project almost 2 weeks ago without any affects. These bees still are on only 3 medium frames but, such is to be expected after they are removed from their old hive. I'm expecting them to use the current flow to build up in population but, that probably won't be enough. One of the biggest reasons I've wanted to keep them is that, logically, if they came from a hive populous enough to swarm, they must have some natural resistance to the Varroa mite. I have noticed them removing infected pupae and there always seem to be a few at the enterence with mites on them. These are usually carried off not long after.
Italian Hive:
These bees now have two supers SLAM FULL of capped honey. Some of the cells are even being extended into other frames. I have learned a lesson though...NEVER USE DURAGUILT IN HONEY SUPERS! Duraguilt is one of the earliest plastic foundation and, unlike the rigid Plasticell, it will warp easily and under the stresses of extracting becomes practically worthless. Good thing I only bought one box worth. Other than those two boxes, the brood nest actually has a frame on each side filled with nectar and honey, one frame in is a frame of pollen, and after that is mostly brood. This is a textbook case of a very good queen and brood pattern. Finally, contrary to my earlier concerns, it appears that I did get the queen bellow the excluder last month and she has now been confined to the brood box; right where I wanted her.
Realisticly, I could probably do a harvest this week, but, I really don't want to do that just before I go out of the contry for 2 weeks. I am expecting, however, to do a good sized harvest some time around late June. I can honestly say that I am strongly looking forward to it!
posted by FLbeekeeper at 1:47 PM
2 Comments:
2 weeks, eh?
Where are you off to?
Latvia
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