Spring 2024
2024 hives
#2 (right)
#3 (left)
Well, the 2 hives that overwintered with the elaborate winterization did not fair well. Lost one and the other hive (Hive 1) is very weak at this point.
So it looks like I’m almost back to square 1.
April 1st - Installed a package (a package is a box of approximately 3,000 bees plus a queen in a queen cage in the middle of the box) into 1 medium box from the new Lyson-style beehive (labeled Hive 2). Rather than wood these boxes are made from polystyrene and are both lighter weight and provide better insulation.
April 7th - Checked new hive (#2). The queen was released, and I found her! The bees are building comb. I also saw some hive beetles. I squished a few and added a beetle catcher. Found 5-6 mites on the bottom tray. Too soon to treat for mites. Need the colony to build up.
Hive 1 still struggling.
April 14th - Hive 2: Found eggs, larva, and a queen cell. Did not see the queen this time.
Hive 1: Not going to make it. I have ordered another package of bees.
April 15th - Hive 3 installed new package. Had a bit of trouble with the installation. Dropped the queen cage in the box (package) of bees. 3000+/- bees surrounding the queen cage, hmmmmm…. With a pair of long needle nose plyers, I gently retrieved the queen cage and installed it in the new brood box. Again, a new Lyson hive box. This one is the larger brood box size so I do not have any previously built-out comb on frames. I added the new frames with a coating of wax but nothing built out so these bees will need to work hard to establish a comb for the queen to lay in. I added a bag of sugar water to help them out.
April 22nd - Hive 1 is a total loss. I dismantled the hive :(
Hive 2: Added a 2nd box with a built-out comb and a 2nd beetle catcher. Did not see the queen. Also added a bag of syrup.
Hive 3: The Queen was still in her cage so I took the cork out but then could not manage to put the cage back between the frames. The cage ended up on the bottom of the hive. Hopefully, she will be ok. The bees are not building much comb yet.
May 3rd - Hive 2: Tons of bees but not seeing any sign of the queen.
May 3rd - Hive 3: Still struggling to build comb on the new frames.
By early June I determined neither hive had a queen. Requeened both hives on June 13th.
June 17th both queens are released! I saw the hive 3 queen but not the hive 2 queen.
June 25th - Hive 3: Lots of eggs, larvae, and some capped brood. I saw the queen! Added the 2nd hive box (a medium box with 9 frames. Several with built-out comb, a few empty frames, and a few with some comb and a little honey)
Hive 2 (consists of 3 medium Lyson hive boxes with lots of comb, resources, and honey). I decided to start from the bottom box. So, I moved the top box (heavy with comb and honey), then the middlebox, not as heavy) then started my inspection in the bottom box. I observed some spotty brood-possibly drone brood and a few queen cups. Did not see eggs or larvae and did not see the queen.
Box 2: A few frames in I found eggs, a larva, and then another frame in the Queen, Yay!! I reassembled the hive.
Things are improving. Fingers crossed.
