Last Year I Started Beekeeping - So Exciting

[sgtmom52]

I did my first hive inspection today. The queen was out in both hives. here are some pics:

Looks good!

I see she is laying already and they are packing in pollen.

BTW ~ nice clean bee suit ~ it won't stay that way for long!

 

[Blarneyeggs]

two questions:

1). Does anything go in between the supers?

2). Can you check your hives too often?

 

[madamwlf]

two questions:
1). Does anything go in between the supers?
2). Can you check your hives too often?

You can put a queen excluder in between the hive body and the super. Keeps the queen out of the honey supers. Yes I believe you can check them too often. I think they recommend once a week in good weather. Hot weather, check them less then that since hotter weather tends to tick them off more.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

We are going to wait until we have 3 mediums of brood before we put the queen excluder on.

They boys did go out last night and check the hive again before I read your post. They were so excited I just don't know if there would have been any stopping them anyway. What they found was that every new frame had been worked on, they saw eggs but no queen and scraped wax from the bottoms of the frames in the bottom brood box.

No second hive yet, but I'm working on it!

This is the outer most frame in the bottom box and what most of the frames in the new box resemble:


Here are the middle frames, I'd appreciate any guidance or input:

 

[sgtmom52]

Looks good!

Pretty comb being drawn in the first picture.

Capped honey in the second picture. Burr comb on the bottom ~ future candle & other crafts!

Capped brood in the third picture.

I love seeing your boy working with the bees without gloves!

We are going to wait until we have 3 mediums of brood before we put the queen excluder on.

They boys did go out last night and check the hive again before I read your post. They were so excited I just don't know if there would have been any stopping them anyway. What they found was that every new frame had been worked on, they saw eggs but no queen and scraped wax from the bottoms of the frames in the bottom brood box.

No second hive yet, but I'm working on it!

This is the outer most frame in the bottom box and what most of the frames in the new box resemble:


Here are the middle frames, I'd appreciate any guidance or input:

 

[madamwlf]

So I find myself rather hooked on bees. I have a question now. Next year when I have to re-register my bees, I'm looking to possibly do swarms. So, realistically how many hives are good for an acre of land? The neighbors don't mind the bees, actually they were thrilled we were getting them. I want to add at least one more hive next year if not a few more.

 

[chigger bait]

Next year when I have to re-register my bees, I'm looking to possibly do swarms. .

You have to re-register hives that have already been inspected each year?

I think here we have to have any new hives looked at and any hives that may be having health issues, but once looked at and they stay healthly, then they are on their own.

 

[madamwlf]

Hives have to be registered every year but they are not inspected every year. It's a random inspection.

 

[chigger bait]

Hives have to be registered every year but they are not inspected every year. It's a random inspection.

Ok.

Do they charge you?

 

[sgtmom52]

In PA you have to register every 2 years and it is a $10. no matter how many hive you have. You are supposed to be inspected every 2 years, but due to State budget cuts inspection have been cut way back. We only have been inspected once in 6 years.

I actually took a basic inspection course from a member of our Assoc. who is a former State Inspector, just so I would know what problems to look for in my own hives.