Author Topic: First check in for the year…  (Read 5973 times)

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Offline .30WCF

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First check in for the year…
« on: March 20, 2023, 08:56:40 pm »
…and I mean almost a year.
I checked my bees for the first time since I took honey LAST spring. (no need to shame me, I know)

Had a small cluster die off and one apparent abscond over the winter. Both hives had beautiful frames full of comb, so I just moved them around and added to the hives that were needing more room. The rest are booming with brood and bringing in nectar.

Disclosure. I did preemptive mite treatments in the fall, and hit them with some Christmas OA, but they have just been left to do what bees do since last spring, and appear to be quite well and needed the extra frames. That short yellow hive was a deep nuc and medium super that was about to explode with bees.




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Offline .30WCF

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Re: First check in for the year…
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2023, 09:23:23 pm »
Oops. Didn’t mean to post this in the news.


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Offline Zweefer

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Re: First check in for the year…
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2023, 09:47:34 pm »
Great to hear from you @.30WCF!
Sounds like you came out of winter all right… look forward to hearing more from you in the near future…
Keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.
Henry David Thoreau

Offline .30WCF

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Re: First check in for the year…
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2023, 10:00:56 pm »
Thanks. I’ve been super busy. When I haven’t been busy, I’ve been lazy.


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Offline .30WCF

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Re: First check in for the year…
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2023, 03:23:11 pm »
Bees everywhere today.




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Offline .30WCF

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Re: First check in for the year…
« Reply #5 on: March 30, 2023, 06:07:26 pm »
Added a box to each hive today.






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Online Bakersdozen

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Re: First check in for the year…
« Reply #6 on: March 31, 2023, 08:11:12 pm »
Apples? .30WCF

Offline .30WCF

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Re: First check in for the year…
« Reply #7 on: April 01, 2023, 11:06:08 am »
Yep. The smell good right now.


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Offline Jen

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Re: First check in for the year…
« Reply #8 on: April 01, 2023, 02:50:27 pm »
Hi .30 ~ Don'tcha love it when they are coming and going big time like that. We here in upper northern California have had an unusual amount of snow, of which we are soo thankful for. So we have had a couple days here and there when the temp gets up to 55 and the bees are soo happy  ;D
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Offline .30WCF

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Re: First check in for the year…
« Reply #9 on: April 01, 2023, 11:18:28 pm »
Hi .30 ~ Don'tcha love it when they are coming and going big time like that. We here in upper northern California have had an unusual amount of snow, of which we are soo thankful for. So we have had a couple days here and there when the temp gets up to 55 and the bees are soo happy  ;D
Yep. They sure have been busy. We kissed winter goodbye a couple weeks ago with probably our last frost. I’ve got herbs growing on the porch and a few strawberries in a tiered planter.
 I’d have liked to had some snow this year, but we missed out.


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Offline .30WCF

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Re: First check in for the year…
« Reply #10 on: April 11, 2023, 07:13:54 pm »
Guess I need to get back in there and take a look.
They were bearded up pretty good this evening. The pic was earlier in the day.




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Offline .30WCF

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Re: First check in for the year…
« Reply #11 on: April 13, 2023, 10:16:30 pm »



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Offline .30WCF

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Re: First check in for the year…
« Reply #12 on: July 17, 2023, 07:05:32 pm »
Got some hitting the sourwood saplings I planted a couple years ago.




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Offline The15thMember

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Re: First check in for the year…
« Reply #13 on: July 17, 2023, 11:00:36 pm »
Got some hitting the sourwood saplings I planted a couple years ago.


Yay!  You'll be getting that delicious honey in no time!  :)
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.

Offline .30WCF

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Re: First check in for the year…
« Reply #14 on: August 11, 2023, 08:48:46 pm »
Didn’t really think this needed a new thread.
Three of my hives are alive and well. This one is being stubborn. It’s been more or less queenless since spring, and has dwindled down to a few frames of bees per box. I went to the Beez Needz today and bought a gold medal queen. I smashed all the bees I had left in the hive in a double deep nuc. Let’s see how they do in a couple weeks.

If I can keep these frames good till next week I’ll drop them right under some good laying queens I have at another site. I just kept this weak hive at the house for the summer.










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Offline iddee

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Re: First check in for the year…
« Reply #15 on: August 12, 2023, 06:13:43 am »
After being more or less queenless for that long, I would keep her confined for at least 7 days to try and ensure acceptance.
“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
― Shel Silverstein

Offline .30WCF

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Re: First check in for the year…
« Reply #16 on: August 13, 2023, 12:49:40 pm »
After being more or less queenless for that long, I would keep her confined for at least 7 days to try and ensure acceptance.
Loading up some fresh candy in queen cages. I’m gonna transfer her over to one of the cages with fresh candy since I don’t know if I’ll have a chance to get back in there at the end of the week. That should buy her some time.
I also stuffed the other cages I had for later use if I need to move a virgin in the spring or something. Good to have on hand and ready to deploy.







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Offline .30WCF

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Re: First check in for the year…
« Reply #17 on: August 13, 2023, 02:00:50 pm »
Well. That didn’t work out as planned. They already got through, in two days. 
Cleaned out every bit of candy.


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Offline .30WCF

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Re: First check in for the year…
« Reply #18 on: August 13, 2023, 02:13:29 pm »
But, seems they like her. Once she gets that bladder under control, she might be a layer. She is laying like she was a bit constipated.









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Offline iddee

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Re: First check in for the year…
« Reply #19 on: August 13, 2023, 04:11:26 pm »
I hope all goes well.
“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
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