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Observing…
The bee colony appears to be settling in well after a week. The feeder needs frequent refilling, indicating their activity. There is increased bee presence on unused frames and a replacement feeder revealed no dead bees. A more thorough inspection is planned for next week to assess the colony’s progress.
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Transferring the bees from Langstroth frames to Layens…
The post describes setting up a new beehive, converting frames, and observing bee behavior near the apiary. After bringing the nuc to the apiary and setting it next to the hive, frames were prepared using a table saw. The process involved moving frames, cutting and attaching pieces, and adding a frame feeder to help the…
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Tonight’s the night..
May 16, 2022 Besides being the first words to a cheesy Rod Stewart song, it’s the night we retrieve our first swarm trap. The location in Fulton has had activity for at least a week. This afternoon I went to the location to see for myself. I saw lots of activity, but couldn’t get a…
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And then there were three…
The news of bees in the trap in Fulton as well as the scout activity around our hives, motivated us to finish the hive. Linda had started decorating it, but life got busy and it was put aside for bit. So we carried the hive to the kitchen and Linda got started. She wanted a…
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Decorating the hives…
The basics After the hives were completed, the exteriors were given 1 coat of primer and 2 coats of exterior white latex. This was done primarily for to help preserve the wood. It was a bit of work to make them and we wanted them to last for a long time. At this point, we…
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Time to build stands…
The author realizes it’s mid-February and hadn’t considered stands for hives. After finding simple plans at https://horizontalhive.com, they used cedar from Lowe’s to build them and found the process easy. This choice was made due to cedar’s durability and resistance to decay. The stands were quick to construct, making the project a success.
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Time to build swarm traps…
The content delves into the life cycle of a bee colony, including the purpose of swarming and the significance of a swarm trap. Bees collect pollen and nectar for winter survival, and the swarm trap provides temporary accommodation for bee colonies. The traps, constructed from wood, are designed to accommodate the colony’s needs.
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Field Trip!
In November 2022, after family time, I visited my cousin in south Missouri to observe and help with fall hive inspection. She recommended protective gear, and we inspected Langstroth and horizontal hives, handling bees for the first time. We treated the hives for mites, collected honey, and I got stung. It was a valuable experience.
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What about the top?
Types of tops There are two types of tops that we could use for the hives; one is a flat top and the other is peaked. Both of them are functional. The flat top is easier and costs less to make. My concern was that I would not be able to lift it off by…
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Back To Work…
Hive Construction If you are keeping up with dates, we are now up to the last two weeks of August, 2022. It was a very busy month. After enough frames were completed to at least get us started, it was time to start hive construction. I followed this plan as much as practical https://horizontalhive.com/how-to-build/best-beehive-stand.shtml. The…