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Author Topic: hive check  (Read 3499 times)

Offline wd

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hive check
« on: November 26, 2010, 03:02:59 pm »
Thought I'd do a share and ask a question.

This hive currently consists of one deep - 10 frames and one medium - 10 frames

At first, all bees were in the deep. I pulled a frame out of the medium then decided to get a camera.
I took these pictures approx 10 minutes after opening it up. In September this hive was over flowing
with life. I've been doing a light check twice a month. When I opened it yesterday, the hive was
active, bee's flying in and out yet the population has dwindled. What would you do?












web album
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Offline rdy-b

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Re: hive check
« Reply #1 on: November 26, 2010, 08:22:42 pm »
  check for queen-RDY-B
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Offline Joelel

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Re: hive check
« Reply #2 on: November 26, 2010, 10:05:04 pm »
Quote from: wd on November 26, 2010, 03:02:59 pm
Thought I'd do a share and ask a question.

This hive currently consists of one deep - 10 frames and one medium - 10 frames

At first, all bees were in the deep. I pulled a frame out of the medium then decided to get a camera.
I took these pictures approx 10 minutes after opening it up. In September this hive was over flowing
with life. I've been doing a light check twice a month. When I opened it yesterday, the hive was
active, bee's flying in and out yet the population has dwindled. What would you do?












web album

The population always dwindles in the winter. They cut back on population in the winter.
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Acts2:37: Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39: For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
40: And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation

Offline rdy-b

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Re: hive check
« Reply #3 on: November 26, 2010, 10:29:05 pm »
  JOEL how did your hive check turn out---any thing interesting going on--RDY-B
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Offline tecumseh

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Re: hive check
« Reply #4 on: November 28, 2010, 12:58:17 pm »
joelel writes:
The population always dwindles in the winter. They cut back on population in the winter.

tecumseh:
well said.... I will add as we approach the shortest day of the year brood production may reach zero, so checking for the queen may well mean seeing the queen directly since there is liable to be very limited (to no) eggs or brood in the box.

if the bee appeared settled (not jumpy or runny) relative to the prior times you have inspected the hive the it is highly likely the queen is still on board and waiting anxiously for January 5 to roll around (at this date, when the days grow longer brooding should start up again).  a bit of thin feed (1 to 1) or flow may jump start this date.
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I am 'the panther that passes in the night'... tecumseh.

Offline Joelel

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Re: hive check
« Reply #5 on: November 28, 2010, 05:52:14 pm »
Quote from: rdy-b on November 26, 2010, 10:29:05 pm
  JOEL how did your hive check turn out---any thing interesting going on--RDY-B

All hives doing real good. Still treatment free and no problems with pests or disease. Sold alot of nucs last summer. Still no CCD.Orders are coming in for the spring. How are yours doing ?
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Acts2:37: Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39: For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
40: And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation

Offline rdy-b

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Re: hive check
« Reply #6 on: November 28, 2010, 06:47:16 pm »
  every thing out here is 8-9 frames-feeding lots of sub-- 8-)
the hive in the pic should be going into winter at 5-6 frames
it shouldnt fade that fast with the wheather we have -hope it has a queen
so he can pull it through--RDY-B
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Offline wd

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Re: hive check
« Reply #7 on: November 29, 2010, 07:23:18 pm »
Just got back from looking for a queen. Went through it twice, couldn't find one. The 2 frames off to the side in this picture are obviously spotty with comb and bare on other portions. The farthest frame to left in this picture has some comb on the out side that is raised for traffic to walk on the frame and not be seen in one corner. Good place to hide but still no visible queen, No brood of any kind, lots of what looked like bee bread to me along with shiny clean cells on two frames. Camera wasn't working well, this is the only shot that took. Bees were calm until I smashed a few. 9 frames of honey in the medium with a lot of bees this time though not near as many as what's in this pic. No robbing going on.


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Offline Kathyp

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Re: hive check
« Reply #8 on: November 29, 2010, 07:43:32 pm »
where in CA? 
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Offline wd

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Re: hive check
« Reply #9 on: November 29, 2010, 08:05:44 pm »
Chico area, frost in the mornings the past few days, warms up enough to fly, when I arrived, the local rosemary had bees on it.
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Offline Kathyp

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Re: hive check
« Reply #10 on: November 29, 2010, 08:47:03 pm »
you might consider putting that in your profile.  ca has so many climates.  maybe there is someone close to you who can tell you what you should be seeing....

i would be surprised to find a hive totally broodless in your area if there is still forage.  is this your only hive?  if not, how does it compare to others? populations do go down in winter, but it is early for it to be so noticeable.  when did you have your last drones?

i am not clear about what you found in the lower box.  was there room for brood in the center, or had they filled it all?  i'd guess queenless but they look very calm.
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Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline rdy-b

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Re: hive check
« Reply #11 on: November 29, 2010, 09:42:42 pm »
  WD Is that pic --one from the hive we are talking about--a resent pic-- :lol: RDY-B
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Offline hardwood

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Re: hive check
« Reply #12 on: November 29, 2010, 09:57:09 pm »
That's a lot of bees in that box! Are you sure they're not honey bound?

Love your hive tool.

Scott
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"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

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Offline AllenF

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Re: hive check
« Reply #13 on: November 29, 2010, 10:01:31 pm »
I totally missed that hive tool in the pics the first go around.  If it works.   :-D
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Offline wd

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Re: hive check
« Reply #14 on: November 29, 2010, 10:12:06 pm »
I'll compare asap.

Yes, same hive in all, this one was taken this afternoon around 1:30 p.m.

Honey bound, ya think?  There's whole box of assorted hives tools not shown.
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Offline rdy-b

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Re: hive check
« Reply #15 on: November 29, 2010, 10:18:32 pm »
the hive is fine -give them a patty and they will be fine
are those tinoco bees-and did you treat looks good from this angel-- 8-) RDY-B
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Offline wd

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Re: hive check
« Reply #16 on: November 29, 2010, 10:22:19 pm »
 yes they are tinoco bees, no I didn't treat ... patty, will do.
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Offline rdy-b

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Re: hive check
« Reply #17 on: November 29, 2010, 10:32:46 pm »
   Thumbs up--RDY-B
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