Last Year I Started Beekeeping - So Exciting

[Happy Chooks]

I inspected the hive today and they are in the outside frames on the bottom box (through looking down from the upper box). They had built up comb between the frames that were filled with honey. Hard to get the frames back in place and try not to smash any bees. They are drawing out some of the frames in the top box. A lot more bees too. So everything looks great! And they have taken almost all the sugar syrup today that I filled up this morning.

 

[madamwlf]

My bees have gone crazy: over my large Chestnut trees. I didn't think chestnut trees would be that attractive but there are bumble bees, butterflies and honey bees happily dancing around them. The trees put off a very sweet smell too.

Happy to see bees in my yard again.

 

[sgtmom52]

My bees have gone crazy: over my large Chestnut trees. I didn't think chestnut trees would be that attractive but there are bumble bees, butterflies and honey bees happily dancing around them. The trees put off a very sweet smell too.

Happy to see bees in my yard again.

Actually Chestnut trees are a good pollen source for honey bees. They have a red pollen ~ check out your girls pollen baskets to see if they are bringing in red.

Here is a link to a good pollen color chart ~ it is interesting to see what plants have different colors.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollen_source

 

[madamwlf]

I do believe I have seen red in the hives. I was a bit worried but glad to hear it's pollen. Interesting how they get red pollen from a yellow flower.

 

[sgtmom52]

I do believe I have seen red in the hives. I was a bit worried but glad to hear it's pollen. Interesting how they get red pollen from a yellow flower.

I love checking out all of the different colors of pollen that they bring in. Anything from red to blue, green, orange yellow and white. If you look carefully you will notice that each bee only brings in one color of pollen per trip ~ they don't mix the colors / types.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Cool link - I guess I need to be looking for light grey pollen (blackberry).

 

[CSWolffe]

So, just an update from the deviant:
My Warre hive is doing quite well! For those of you not familiar with it, the Warre hive/technique is a natural form of beekeeping that does not use frequent inspections or chemicals or smoke. The idea is to let the bees do what bees do. My hive is lot smaller than your Langstroths, and I'll get a lot less honey, but I believe I will have happier, healthier bees.
I started with two boxes this spring, with a 5 lb package of Carnioians. Once I noticed young bees out foraging, I added a third box on the bottom(the Warre adds boxes underneath the full ones, taking advantage of bees natural tendency to move downward, harvesting honey by removing full boxes from the top in the fall-no queen exluders are used). I got a little over excited, and added a fourth box on the top. That was a mistake. Warres don't use foundation, just top bars. So far my girls have been building comb along the bars, in beautifully straight lines. But with the empty super, they started building UP from the bars of the box below, instead of climbing up the walls to build DOWN. Bees, like chickens, can never be expected to do what they are supposed to. I had to remove that box and scrape off the comb. the good news is they had just about filled the box in only two weeks! I got about four ounces of lovely virgin wax, and there was even a little honey being stored! I managed to extract only about two ounces of honey. This is promising, it shows my girls are doing quite well. I plan on adding that fourth box back onto the bottom once the third box is full. And this fall, I will have one, maybe two boxes full of comb and honey to harvest!
I also discovered that having observation windows is a must. I make my own boxes(the Warre is quite simple to make), and built one with an observation window(currently the bottom box, number three). I am now modifying the fourth box with a window, and plan on doing the same with each of the others as I remove them, harvest honey, and add them back underneath each spring. I just hate not knowing what is going on in there, and since with this method inspections are rare, I kinda need the window if I want to watch them working. Better than tv!

 

[Happy Chooks]

I'm having a problem with my entrance feeder - it leaks. Is this common, or am I doing something wrong?

 

[Happy Chooks]

I think I've figured out the issue. The blackberries are in full bloom right now, so I think they have quit taking the sugar water, which is causing it to spill out in front of the hive.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

I don't know much about the feeders, I'm glad you figured it out.

Our second hive is not doing nearly as well as our first did. Hive number 2 hasn't even filled the frames immediately next to the original nuc and we are at 2 1/2 weeks now. We've got tons blooming and are feeding it too - maybe not as much as we should. We didn't feed the first hive at all and it's doing well. Can't figure it out.