We had a great open hive day last time. I'm pretty sure we're going to have a few more serious beekeepers in out area next season! The weather cooperated enough to have a good look in each of the hives, and we got a chance to see what a hive should, and should not look like going into the winter.
All three hives at TLC apiary have been surprisingly light on stores this fall, and I've been feeding them heavily to prepare for the winter. Just this month, each hive has received about 5 gallons of 2:1 syrup (2 parts sugar to 1 part water), and I think they're finally getting close to the weight I'd like them to be before winter. Since we're close to the end of the season for feeding, I may put some dry sugar under the cover of each hive as "emergency feed", in case they really need it before I can get to them in the early spring/late winter.
For those of you who came out last weekend, you may remember I had previously split a hive to deter what I thought may have been late season swarm preparations. After I recombined the two parts of the split, to make one strong hive again, we found new queen cells being constructed. That really threw me for a loop, because the chances of a swarm surviving at this time are nil, and I don't really think there would even be time for one of those new queens to emerge, mate, and begin laying.
My options seemed to be: #1- determine if there is even a laying queen in there and them cut all new queen cells (the worst), #2- purchase and install a mated queen from somewhere (after removing the existing queen and all queen cells), or #3- just wait and see. Fortunately "wait-and-see" worked out for me in this case. When I went back several days later, all of the queen cells had been torn down. Presumably the original queen did the deed, as there was brood of all ages (including eggs) in the hive; she hadn't missed a beat in her duties. It seems that sometimes when the beekeeper does a major manipulation (like combining hives), the colony might get the urge to supersede the queen, whether or not there is anything wrong with the queen. Not all supersedures are successful, though, and in this case I'm glad it wasn't.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
Last Open Hive Day this year!- Saturday, October 15th
During our last open hive inspection of season, we'll be talking about how bees overwinter, and what we can do to help them prepare. Participants will have access to protective veils to get a close-up look at a hive during a routine inspection. Hive inspection begins at 11:00AM. Our apiary will be open from 10:30AM, and I'll be there to answer any questions before we get started. This is a great opportunity for non-beekeepers, prospective beekeepers, and new beekeepers interested in seeing another apiary. Space is limited, so reserve your spot!
Special note: participants who have additional veils available to bring, please let us know.
RSVP required: contact Maya Baruch at (610) 347-0347 or education@tlcforscc.org
Monday, October 3, 2011
Winter Prep
It feels like Fall has just begun, but it's time to get these hives in shape for the Winter (and has been for a while). I just did a quick inspection of the hives and found that they are woefully low on stores to make it through the Winter months. Around here, it is suggested that a colony has at least 50 lbs. of stored honey going into the Winter- the hives at TLC Apiary had almost none. I wouldn't say they were on the brink of starvation, but without help they would never see next spring.
I gave each hive a little over 2 gallons of 2:1 sugar syrup (2 parts sugar dissolved in 1 part water). To that I added some lemongrass and spearmint essential oils (to stimulate feeding and also inhibit mold), along with an antibiotic by the name of Fumagilin-B to treat for Nosema disease. I have mixed feelings about giving antibiotics that may or may not be necessary as a preventative measure, but in the end caution won out. Last Winter was especially tough for many beekeepers, with high losses, and Nosema certainly played a roll in many of those losses. It's said that nosema spores are present in all hives, to varying degrees, and a certain level is tolerable to the colony. There's no way for a small-scale beekeeper like me to effectively test for Nosema (as I would for mite levels), so I'm just going to play it safe. In the future, I hope to have more colonies to experiment with, withholding treatment from some and breeding from the best.
Mouse guards are also now on the hive entrances. When the weather turns cold, bees will form a tight cluster within the hive, leaving plenty of cozy corners for mice to move in and set up a nice winter nest. Putting a metal cover over the entrance with holes too small for a mouse but big enough for a bee is a pretty simple solution. One just has to make sure they go on early enough, so that a mouse isn't locked in!
Other than that there's not much else to do to prep for winter here in Southern PA. The hives don't really need to be wrapped and insulated for our winters. There is already good ventilation in the hives to keep them dry inside (dampness, not cold, kills bees over the winter). Now I just need to stay on top of feeding until they make it up to weight. I've said before, making sugar syrup is my least favorite part of beekeeping, but hopefully when these are no longer first-year hives they'll have a better workforce to provide for themselves.
I gave each hive a little over 2 gallons of 2:1 sugar syrup (2 parts sugar dissolved in 1 part water). To that I added some lemongrass and spearmint essential oils (to stimulate feeding and also inhibit mold), along with an antibiotic by the name of Fumagilin-B to treat for Nosema disease. I have mixed feelings about giving antibiotics that may or may not be necessary as a preventative measure, but in the end caution won out. Last Winter was especially tough for many beekeepers, with high losses, and Nosema certainly played a roll in many of those losses. It's said that nosema spores are present in all hives, to varying degrees, and a certain level is tolerable to the colony. There's no way for a small-scale beekeeper like me to effectively test for Nosema (as I would for mite levels), so I'm just going to play it safe. In the future, I hope to have more colonies to experiment with, withholding treatment from some and breeding from the best.
Mouse guards are also now on the hive entrances. When the weather turns cold, bees will form a tight cluster within the hive, leaving plenty of cozy corners for mice to move in and set up a nice winter nest. Putting a metal cover over the entrance with holes too small for a mouse but big enough for a bee is a pretty simple solution. One just has to make sure they go on early enough, so that a mouse isn't locked in!
Other than that there's not much else to do to prep for winter here in Southern PA. The hives don't really need to be wrapped and insulated for our winters. There is already good ventilation in the hives to keep them dry inside (dampness, not cold, kills bees over the winter). Now I just need to stay on top of feeding until they make it up to weight. I've said before, making sugar syrup is my least favorite part of beekeeping, but hopefully when these are no longer first-year hives they'll have a better workforce to provide for themselves.
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