The Honey Factory

[Sally PB]

Formic Pro question. There seemed to be a LOT of the pads left when we took them off yesterday. Is that normal...? They were on for 15 days. I can't remember what was left last year.

 

[Sally PB]

The original hive... still ZILCHO above the QE. Some empty drawn comb on the center 4 frames, NOTHING on the outer 4. Maybe a dozen bees up there. A month ago, I swapped places between a (new) empty frame and one with some drawn comb, thinking they'd draw on the empty frame. Nope.

The Newbees still have brood in the center of the super above the QE. But on one side of one frame, they are storing nectar. Maybe there is hope for us to get a small taste of our own honey.

Hubby is quite sure it was a mistake to split the hive last April, but it seemed like they were exploding back then, and we were afraid they'd swarm.

I guess I have to look at this as a big learning experience. What's the worst that could happen? One or both hives don't make it through the winter. We still have all the woodware, frames, etc. (And the asters!) We could buy a couple of nukes if we had to start over. Sigh.

 

[WallyG74]

The original hive... still ZILCHO above the QE. Some empty drawn comb on the center 4 frames, NOTHING on the outer 4. Maybe a dozen bees up there. A month ago, I swapped places between a (new) empty frame and one with some drawn comb, thinking they'd draw on the empty frame. Nope.

The Newbees still have brood in the center of the super above the QE. But on one side of one frame, they are storing nectar. Maybe there is hope for us to get a small taste of our own honey.

Hubby is quite sure it was a mistake to split the hive last April, but it seemed like they were exploding back then, and we were afraid they'd swarm.

I guess I have to look at this as a big learning experience. What's the worst that could happen? One or both hives don't make it through the winter. We still have all the woodware, frames, etc. (And the asters!) We could buy a couple of nukes if we had to start over. Sigh.

Or… you could have 2 thriving colonies next Spring!

 

[Sally PB]

Or… you could have 2 thriving colonies next Spring!

Yes! I hope so.

But everyone on BYC and at the bee club meetings has been talking about what a great year it's been for honey. We weren't expecting any last fall, but had really high hopes for this year.

At least I have a local source for honey. He's having a great year too.

And if the original hive doesn't make it, I'm going to give my neighbor (who supposedly went in half with us, ha ha!) her money back. If she really wants to keep bees, she can get her own hive and keep her own bees. And do all the work.

 

[Sally PB]

We could buy a couple of nukes if we had to start over.

Last spring, Ed, our "bee guy," had to repopulate all 6 of his hives, so it could be worse.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

The original hive... still ZILCHO above the QE. Some empty drawn comb on the center 4 frames, NOTHING on the outer 4. Maybe a dozen bees up there. A month ago, I swapped places between a (new) empty frame and one with some drawn comb, thinking they'd draw on the empty frame. Nope.

The Newbees still have brood in the center of the super above the QE. But on one side of one frame, they are storing nectar. Maybe there is hope for us to get a small taste of our own honey.

Hubby is quite sure it was a mistake to split the hive last April, but it seemed like they were exploding back then, and we were afraid they'd swarm.

I guess I have to look at this as a big learning experience. What's the worst that could happen? One or both hives don't make it through the winter. We still have all the woodware, frames, etc. (And the asters!) We could buy a couple of nukes if we had to start over. Sigh.

Yes! I hope so.

But everyone on BYC and at the bee club meetings has been talking about what a great year it's been for honey. We weren't expecting any last fall, but had really high hopes for this year.

At least I have a local source for honey. He's having a great year too.

And if the original hive doesn't make it, I'm going to give my neighbor (who supposedly went in half with us, ha ha!) her money back. If she really wants to keep bees, she can get her own hive and keep her own bees. And do all the work.

Not to make you feel worse, here in NJ we had a par year. Just finished extracting last 75+/- lbs. Bees are busy gleaning the combs. I take the weaker drawn comb and put them in the center of the box. Give them some incentive in the spring, here that will be Feb/Mar for the Maple pollen and ready for the Blue Berry bloom. Was going to put Formic Pro on but coming into an 85 degree week and went with Apivar strips. Hives going into Fall with 90 +/- lbs and I will feed 2:1 for them to keep the stores up to snuff. Had some nice orientation flights this past week and was sweating a possible September swarm. I would do all I could to save your bees, the price of NUCS here is roughly $250 to $300. Another option if they come through winter weak buy a package and combine them, less expensive. Myself, I start a new hive with NUCs, new packages in a fresh new hive are already 3 weeks behind. Our advantage here is our winters are not as severe as yours. I do admire you and your Husband's stubbornness.

 

[Apis mellifera]

Formic Pro question. There seemed to be a LOT of the pads left when we took them off yesterday. Is that normal...? They were on for 15 days. I can't remember what was left last year.

Yes, the formic acid fumes disperse in the hive from the pad. Pad looks pretty much the same at removal. 2 strips for 14 days to kill mites under cappings and 1 strip every 10 days to kill phoretic mites. Always mite wash before and after treatment to get results.

A month ago, I swapped places between a (new) empty frame and one with some drawn comb, thinking they'd draw on the empty frame. Nope.

Getting bees to draw comb after July without feed can be difficult. Forage slows down and typically they backfill the brood nest during the fall flow unless you add drawn supers.

The Newbees still have brood in the center of the super above the QE.

Is there eggs and brood below the QE? If they are light on stores feed as much 2:1 to them 1 month before your first frost date.

Hubby is quite sure it was a mistake to split the hive last April, but it seemed like they were exploding back then, and we were afraid they'd swarm.

When you split, one hive has to raise a queen and draw comb. The other needs to draw comb and build back up as well. Sometimes splits produce honey, sometimes they don't. Don't be afraid of swarms, it may not be best practice but it's not that big a deal. If I miss a colony that swarms, I still get honey just not as much. Most of the time the swarm is on a branch, and I can get it.

We could buy a couple of nukes if we had to start over.

Since you already have drawn comb, packages will build up really fast on it. It saves you money and you don't have the risk of getting diseases from nucs.

But everyone on BYC and at the bee club meetings has been talking about what a great year it's been for honey. We weren't expecting any last fall, but had really high hopes for this year.

Next spring put 2 or 3 supers on early and don't split.

Last spring, Ed, our "bee guy," had to repopulate all 6 of his hives, so it could be worse.

No disrespect for Ed but I would look for another bee guy.

 

[Sally PB]

No disrespect for Ed but I would look for another bee guy.

He's pretty sure that he lost the hives due to the farmer nearby spraying pesticides on a windy day. He said he's never lost all the hives over winter before.

 

[Sally PB]

@Apis mellifera, thanks for the info. I plan to order some more supers to add next spring.

The hive we bought used was homemade. I didn't know that until I tried to put on an entrance feeder, and the opening was a bit too narrow. It also explains why the mouse excluder didn't fit either. And why the supers I bought from both Mann Lake and Better Bee are about 3/16" wider.

 

[Apis mellifera]

He's pretty sure that he lost the hives due to the farmer nearby spraying pesticides on a windy day. He said he's never lost all the hives over winter before.

I have! My first years were pretty rough. I've been completely wiped out and started over a few times. Usually when someone sprays a pesticide you'll see a pile of dead bees the next day. If bees die over winter it's pests or disease. I lost almost all my hives about 15 years ago even after controlling mites. What was the cause? Nosema. The spore count was off the charts. It's important to learn what causes hive mortality and how to prevent it. I don't like to guess. Now I have more bees than I need.