The Honey Factory

[R2elk]

I have a question for the more experienced beeks here.

We have one hive. We're in the middle of goldenrod, and the girls are very busy! We have double deeps, then a queen excluder, and a medium on top. Here's a picture of the middle frame out of the medium.
View attachment 3631903
We could see all the frames have a lot of activity.

We didn't see any capped honey. Do we just need to give them some time? Someone at our bee club meeting said that since this is a first year hive, we should not have put that super on. We're not planning to take any honey. Well, maybe a small taste.
View attachment 3631908
This is the bottom of the inner cover. Is the burr comb a concern?

You did fine putting a super on.

 

[Sally PB]

You did fine putting a super on.

Thank you.

 

[Apis mellifera]

I agree, no issue with the super. Just remember to take the queen excluder off before winter. You can take it off now if you want. The burr comb you can leave it on or take it off with your hive tool and save it. Scraps of wax add up and are handy to have.

 

[Sally PB]

I agree, no issue with the super. Just remember to take the queen excluder off before winter. You can take it off now if you want. The burr comb you can leave it on or take it off with your hive tool and save it. Scraps of wax add up and are handy to have.

Ok, good to know about the QE. I hadn't read that before, but it makes sense. Thank you.

Man, those girls are BUSY in there! The goldenrod is in full flower, and we have 2-3 acres of it. I used to think of it as a PITA weed. Not anymore!!!

I have a container for collecting wax bits. I won't have a lot, but as you say, they add up.

 

[Sally PB]

We definitely get cold and windy here in the winter. The hive is in a bit of a valley, fairly well protected on 3 sides. North is the least protected, but there are trees that break up the wind about 100 yds away.

Does anyone here wrap their hive for the winter?

A friend suggested tar paper, since it's black, so warmer in the weak winter sun, should we get any. Also water and wind proof. Any opinions?

 

[R2elk]

We definitely get cold and windy here in the winter. The hive is in a bit of a valley, fairly well protected on 3 sides. North is the least protected, but there are trees that break up the wind about 100 yds away.

Does anyone here wrap their hive for the winter?

A friend suggested tar paper, since it's black, so warmer in the weak winter sun, should we get any. Also water and wind proof. Any opinions?

@Bantambird had her hive wrapped last winter.

 

[Apis mellifera]

Ok, good to know about the QE. I hadn't read that before, but it makes sense. Thank you.

As winter progresses and the bees move up the queen cant get through the excluder.

Man, those girls are BUSY in there! The goldenrod is in full flower, and we have 2-3 acres of it.

Goldenrod, asters, and knotweed are awesome! Your bees and frames look great.

I used to think of it as a PITA weed. Not anymore!!!

I have a container for collecting wax bits. I won't have a lot, but as you say, they add up.

Make it into a ball and you can rub it onto the edge of the hive bodies to help keep them from sticking together.

 

[Sally PB]

Make it into a ball and you can rub it onto the edge of the hive bodies to help keep them from sticking together.

Oh, what a great idea. Thank you.

 

[Bantambird]

@Bantambird had her hive wrapped last winter.

yes, it is what saved them last winter, I think, because they didn't collect a good enough harvest for winter and they were not a very big colony going into winter, so they got wrapped, and the entrance reduced, they managed to survive and are thriving this year,. Got 2 honey supers filled out of them, I left a third on there because we get long hard winters in montana and I am pretty much a paranoid newbie and I don't want them starving over winter. Some years we get flowers by March, some years it is too cold until May, you just don't know!

 

[5Australorpasaures]

Lost a hive. Was in the main apiary today to take off the last of supers. I'd taken what could be spun two weeks ago and treated everything for mites. All colonies looked good then. Today I could smell something rotting. Found a production hive will a pile of bees outside and shaking bees on the landing board. Crud. On getting into hive the tops of frames were covered with shaking bees. In two weeks time a packed 100k strong hive was crashing hard. Dismantled, cleaned the bottom board, used the bee brush to sweep off the shaking bees on the top of each box as I put it back together and moved it a few feet back from where it was.

On the ride home I've decided to go back later this week and see if the queen survived the viral load. I doubt it. Likely I will shake the bees off everything and pull the hive so it doesn't act as a plague ship once the flow is gone. If there was a quick and easy way to euthanize that hive I would. I am a little bummed about the hive loss but I am very worried about the bee paralysis spreading to the entire apiary.

I do random mite checks throughout the yard during the season. I beleive this one was checked at the end of June with one mite in 300 bees washed. Was a year old Strachen New World Carni queen heading up that colony.

I hope this is some help. We're back into bees after 20 yrs and have forgotten a lot, also there are new techniques and applications. This general calendar has refreshed and given us better management options.https://www.dadant.com/learn/the-beekeepers-calendar/

https://www.dadant.com/learn/the-beekeepers-calendar/